James May finally picked his favorite Top Gear Special car and it's a European hatchback from an episode few people will remember

James May has spent years behind the wheel of some of the most ridiculous cars ever, so choosing a favorite Top Gear Special car was never going to be simple.

The man known as ‘Captain Slow’ finally sat down to settle the debate once and for all.

Armed with a tournament bracket and decades of memories, the television presenter turned the decision into something resembling the soccer World Cup.

The process was entertaining, but the result was completely unexpected.

James May had tried out all sorts of vehicles over his career

The video, posted on his official YouTube channel, saw May revisiting cars from the legendary Top Gear Specials.

Unlike standard studio segments, these Specials dropped May, Jeremy Clarkson, and Richard Hammond into extreme environments.

From the deserts of Botswana to the jungles of Bolivia, there was no place on Earth safe from their shenanigans.

“They were basically holidays that we filmed,” May joked, reflecting on the early days, particularly the Botswana Special.

The Top Gear Specials episodes have since become iconic due to a blend of adventure, mechanical suffering, and unscripted chaos.

To decide his ultimate favorite, May pitted his old cars against each other in a knockout-style bracket.

Some choices came easily.

The BMW Z3 from the Middle East Special was quickly dismissed as one of the worst cars he ever drove, while others proved far more difficult.

For example, his Mercedes-Benz 230E from Botswana brought back fond memories, even if it ended up ‘rotting away in a scrapyard.’

Elsewhere, May praised the charm of unlikely heroes and didn’t shy away from brutally honest assessments.

A three-wheel-drive Suzuki Samurai was described as ‘a terrible thing,’ while a Lamborghini Urraco earned points purely for its looks despite its flaws.

The process forced him to weigh many different factors, such as nostalgia, reliability, and sheer character.

The final choice made a lot of sense for Captain Slow

As the rounds progressed, the choices became more personal.

May admitted he was effectively picking a car he’d want in his bunker.

Basically, it had to be a keeper among a lifetime of memorable drives.

That sentiment slowly narrowed the field down to an unlikely final pairing, one that no car magazine would have ever thought to compare.

In the end, the winner wasn’t the fastest, the most expensive, or even the most reliable.

Instead, May crowned the quirky Citroën Ami 8 from the Morocco Special as his ultimate Top Gear Special car, praising its character, charm, and sheer absurdity.

“How could you not?” he said, sealing the decision.

All things considered, it was a pretty fitting conclusion.

For a show that thrived on the unexpected, it made perfect sense that the greatest car of all wasn’t a supercar, but a humble hatchback.

If you want to see all the different cars he ranked, check out his full video below:

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