Where is the new Top Gear test track and what are the filming locations for this series?

TOP GEAR officially kicked off last month to the delight of fans and car enthusiasts with more mesmerising cars and daring stunts.

The legendary motoring show, now in its 29th series, welcomes back Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff and Paddy McGuinness in the hotseats alongside journalist Chris Harris.

So where is the new Top Gear test track and what are the filming locations for this series? 

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Where is the new Top Gear track, can you drive on it?

The Top Gear test track is located on a former Royal Canadian Air Force at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey, United Kingdom, and was designed by Lotus Cars as a testing facility, with many of its Formula One cars tested there.

The track was given a makeover and altered to start in the same location as the old, but after the first corner, drivers will continue straight on and into the first half of the new rally stage, reports.

Top Gear mainly uses the track for Power Laps and the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car segment.

According to the BBC, the track "is designed to test cars to their very limits.

It includes a range of corners, from the slow technically challenging Hammerhead to the fast and terrifying Follow-Through, to expose any weakness in a car's chassis."

The layout of the track - which is approximately 1.75 miles - is intended to put the car through various conditions, ranging from provoking understeer to testing brake balance and tyres.

Members of the public used to be able to drive on the track thanks to official track days, however they were axed in 2016 after the firm running them went bust.

The track days which included under 17s off roading, driving with The Stig and Star in a Reasonably Priced Car had been run for two-and-a-half years.

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Where was the series filmed?

Much of the shooting for the show took place in the UK due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Filming for the series, including an overseas trip to Cyprus, was underway before the pandemic hit but was put on hold as production stalled across the industry.

Earlier in the year, showrunner Clare Pizey said: “It does look like most of our filming will be in the UK.

“Luckily for us, we had filmed some international and domestic mayhem before the lockdown started, and already have some really funny footage — footage that we absolutely could not film now with all three presenters in a car together."

The first episode saw the three hosts head to Paddy's hometown of Bolton to test three new company cars.

Other locations in the series are set to include North Yorkshire, Alexandra Palace in North London and Alton Towers.

Speaking to , Freddie Flintoff said: “Our own country is beautiful. We sometimes forget that, so it was nice to be rooted here. Bizarrely, in some ways lockdown created more opportunities as we got to go to venues we would never get access to otherwise. So I don’t think we get any less from this series, it was just different.”

For the first episode, the hosts entertained a 500-strong outdoor drive-in audience on the show’s iconic track.

Producers left their regular studio hangar and instead invited 160 fan-filled cars to Surrey.

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Was the old Top Gear track demolished?

The Top Gear track was set to be demolished to pave the way for a new housing estate.

In December 2016, planning permission was granted for 1,800 homes to be built on the site.

Leader of the local Council, Councillor Julia Potts, said: "I am delighted that the Secretary of State has granted planning permission as this development will provide significant benefits to the local community, of the 1800 new homes 540 will be affordable."

The site saw the addition of new shops, schools and churches.

The track has been an integral part of the popular BBC motoring show since the long-running series was revitalised in 2001.

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