TheteamheadtotheNorthPolebycar-somethingneverbeforeattemptedandsomethingtheyweregoingtoattemptbytwodifferentmethods.OneteamcomposedofJezza(JeremyClarkson)andCaptainSlow(JamesMay)inthecarandtheotherteambeingHamster(RichardHammond),MattieMcNair(oneoftheworld’sleadingsled-dogexplorersandracers)and10huskiedogs.Thecar(ofcourse)wasaToyotaHiluxkittedoutwith"CubanWheels"(asJeremycalledthem),heavydutysuspension,atoughenedsump-guardandheavy-dutyfog-lamps(whichturnedouttobeasusefulasCaptainSlowattemptingaland-speedrecord).ThedogsinsistedonurinatingonHammondandfightingamongstthemselves,butweredefinitelyuptothejob.Eachteamwouldraceeachotherbutbeforetheybegan,theguysweresenttoacoldweathertrainingcamptogivethemanideaofwhatthey’dbefacing.Adoctortoldthemwhatwouldhappeniftheyforgottosealtheirtrousersandhowtogotothetoiletwithoutapolarbeargivingthembotherbuttheguysweren’ttakinghimseriously.ThenextdayJeremytaughtHammondhowtoski(despiteHamster’scriesoffear)andamanfromtheBritishSASwithadistortedfaceshowedJeremyhowcolditcouldbeifhefellthroughaholeintheice.Still,theTopGearcrewweren’ttakingthedangersseriouslysolegendaryexplorerSirRanulphFienneswasbroughtintodemonstratehowdangerousthisregioncouldbe.Eventuallythough,theywereoff.Withacopioussupplyofgin,JezzaandSlowblitzedtheopengroundNorthofCampResoluteandleftHamsterintheirpowderedsnowinpursuitofthepole.Hammondwasthetortoiseinthisraceandfellfromhisdog-sledwithalarmingregularity.Thiswasuntiltheyreachedthelegendary’boulder-fields’-hugelumpsofsnowandicethatwouldleaveyouraveragesemi-detachedpropertycoweringintheirshadows.Astheicestartedtocrackbeneaththewheelsofthepickup-truck,theboysstartedtorealizethattheyshouldhavepaidmoreattentiontothewarningstheyhadbeengivenbeforetheysetoff.WhatfollowedwasanadventurethatinvolvedIcelandicexperts,a"bumper-dumper",JamesMayshowingoffwithapump-actionshotgun,acrackedfuel-tank,brokenice,extremecold,kite-surfing,inflatingtyreswithexplosivegas,Jeremyforgettingthatcoldmetalwillsticktoyourlips,apointlessgameof"I-Spy",andmoreexcitementthanyoucouldeverexpectfromyourevery-dayepisodeoftheworld’smostpopularmotoringshow.
