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Rallycross BMW 328i Driven by Clarkson on Top Gear Is on Sale for $5k

In season 18, episode 7, the three presenters of BBC's Top Gear UK were asked to buy cheap cars, have the minimum required modifications performed on them and take part in rallycross racing.
BMW 328i E36 driven by Clarkson 5 photos
Photo: Mark McLennan
BMW 328 COUPE E36 driven by ClarksonBMW 328 COUPE E36 driven by ClarksonBMW 328 COUPE E36 driven by ClarksonBMW 328 COUPE E36 driven by Clarkson
As it always happened, Clarkson picked out the most expensive ride of the three. While Hammond got a Citroen Saxo VTS and May showed up in a Toyota MR2, Jeremy spent close to 800 sterling pounds (around $1k) on a BMW 328i E36.

You can watch the whole Rallycross section of the episode on topgear.com (part #1 here, part #2 here) for a taste of the good old show, but that's not why we decided to bother you.

No, it's the fact that said BMW is now for sale. Yes, the exact same car that Clarkson used to slide around in the dirt and come up first... in the "losers final". It even has the safety stickers that Jeremy put on for the show - well, some of them as a few did not pass the test of time - and also the 139 number that can clearly be seen in the footage.

The car has suffered some more transformations in the meantime. After being modified for rallycross racing, it has now been reversed to being fully road legal with all work "carried out by a long-standing BMW specialist." The description says it is suitable for club racing or drifting, but points out that ending up in the hands of a TV/motoring memorabilia collector would make at least just as much sense.

And for just $5,000 (3,995 sterling pounds), somebody will actually get to drive a (very) small part of what made Top Gear the most viewed TV show in the world. I can think of a lot worse deals than that. Here is the car's full description as posted on the racecarsdirect.com website:

BMW 328 COUPE E36 EX-TV RALLYCROSS CAR

This is the very car that 'our Jezza' raced at Lydden Hill on that famous TV motoring programme back in 2012 (Series 18. Episode7). For the race the car was fitted with a Safety Devices roll cage, competition suspension including poly-bushes & coil over front dampers, perspex side windows and various safety measures to satisfy the scrutineers.

Following the race the car required a grille panel, bumper, radiator and cylinder head and has subsequently been made road legal including road tyres on larger alloy rims with all work being carried out by a long-standing BMW specialist. The car has a valid MOT certificate which runs until June 2017.

The car would make a great club racer or drift car although would be ideal for a serious collector of TV/motoring memorabilia.
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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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