Top Gear test track

The Top Gear test track lies on the flat expanse of Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey, a former Royal Canadian Air Force base built during the Second World War. Lotus Cars designed the route to test cars and drivers, using stacks of tyres and painted lines to mark the 2.82-kilometre circuit. The track starts on the perimeter road outside the Top Gear studio and winds past a series of named bends such as Crooner Curves, Willson Bend and Hammerhead. A long right-hander called Chicago leads onto the main runway, while the flat-out Follow Through mimics turns from Albert Park Circuit. The final corner, Gambon, honours Sir Michael Gambon after his two-wheel moment in Series 1. It became famous through the BBC programme Top Gear, where The Stig set lap times in reviewed cars for the Power Laps segment. The track also hosted the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car feature, where celebrities raced a Suzuki Liana before their interviews. Challenges used the runway drag strip and even turned the track into a motorway lane for tailgating tests. A rallycross section was added for Series 23 but later abandoned, and the whole aerodrome now faces redevelopment. Visitors walk the perimeter road past the studio and follow the painted lines around each corner. The tyre stacks and runway markings remain in place, and the flat Follow Through still feels like a race circuit. The Stig’s lap times are displayed on the Power Board, where cars like the Bugatti Veyron and Koenigsegg CCX once battled for the fastest time. The airfield’s open space and long straight give a sense of speed, while the named bends recall memorable moments from the show.