How a modified Toyota Hilux became the first motor vehicle to reach the pole

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In 2007, Top Gear presenters attempted an unprecedented Arctic expedition. Racing against a traditional dog sled, they drove modified Toyota Hilux trucks across the frozen Canadian sea ice. While the journey was fraught with mechanical failures and thin ice, it secured a place in television history as a landmark challenge.

The Polar Special, broadcast in July 2007, featured presenters Jeremy Clarkson and James May driving from Resolute, Nunavut, to the 1996 location of the North Magnetic Pole. To survive the extreme conditions, their vehicles were heavily modified by Arctic Trucks. These upgrades included 38-inch studded snow tyres capable of running at pressures as low as 0.2 bar, raised wheel arches, and a 90-litre auxiliary fuel tank. The engines were also adapted with heavy-duty batteries and modified air intakes to function in sub-zero temperatures.

The expedition was not without controversy or danger. During training in Kaprun, Austria, and on the Canadian sea ice, the team received survival instruction, including stark warnings from polar explorer Ranulph Fiennes. Despite these preparations, the journey was grueling. The Hilux nearly broke through thin ice, and the team faced difficult terrain that forced them to backtrack. Tensions rose between the presenters as they navigated the frozen landscape, and the BBC later faced complaints regarding footage of the presenters drinking gin and tonic, which was subsequently removed from re-runs.

The team reached this point on 2 May 2007. While the presenters were credited with the achievement, later revelations indicated that the film crew's vehicle was technically the first to arrive, as the presenters had switched to it following severe damage to their primary truck. The surviving Hilux used by the presenters is now preserved at the Toyota Great Britain Academy.

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