Top Gear tonight: The Sweeney, Corsa VXR Nurburgring, Fiat Panda & Ryan Reynolds SIARPC

Richard Hammond talks to Ray Winstone in a Focus ST

Hammond directs Ray Winstone's car chase in The Sweeney

Top Gear Series 18 Episode 3 with The Sweeney car chase, the Vauxhall Corsa VXR Nurburgring, 2012 Fiat Panda and Ryan Reynolds is SIARPC.

We’re already nearly halfway through Series 18 of Top Gear, with episode 3 on tonight. And so far, so good; the daftness is still there, but a lot less puerile than other recent Top Gear stuff, and some properly good car stuff too.

Tonight sees Clarkson an May on the Isle of Sheppey (which is pretending to be London’s East End) for the new Sweeney film with Ray Winstone and Plan B as Reagan and Carter.

We caught the Top Gear out playing with The Sweeney and a Focus ST back in November, and Hammond gets to direct a car chase with Ray Winstone at the wheel of the Focus ST. It looks like there may be a mangled Jaguar XKR or two as Jeremy gets involved, and don’t be surprised to find the odd caravan being blown up too.

This weeks seems to be James May’s week to play at car tester. May gets to play with the limited edition – and ambitiously named – Vauxhall Corsa VXR Nurburgring, and who better than May to take the 2012 Fiat Panda out for a blat? James is a fan of the Panda and used his for what it’s best at – getting around town (although there is a F430 and 911 for play), so it’ll be interesting to see what he makes of the new Panda.

Star in a reasonably priced car is yet another Thespian colonial with actor Ryan Reynolds (who’s actually Canadian), star of Green Lantern and Safe House, out on track.

Top Gear is on BBC2 tonight, 12th February, at 8pm (UK time).