SeriesEighteenstartsairingon29January2012withsevenepisodesnotincludingtheIndiaSpecial,[1]followingonfromthe2011Christmasspecialwhichairedon28December2011[2]InthespecialtheytakearouteacrossIndia,thefirstofthemanycountriesTopGearplanstovisitoverthecourseofthenewseries,accordingtoJeremyClarksonShootinginIndiabeganon2October,withthefirstlegoftheshootingbeginninginsuburbsofMumbai[3][4]TheshowwasalsoseeninLecce,ItalywithaNobleM600,McLarenMP412CandaLamborghiniAventador[5]HammondannouncedduringtheTopGearLiveshowsinBirmingham,thatadditionalrecordingsforthenewserieshadbeendoneintheUSA
TheJanuary2012editionofTopGearMagazinefeaturedapreviewofwhattoexpectinseries18[6]ItincludedapiecewhereRichardHammonddrivesaNASCARsafetycarforarealrace,latergoingontodriveanactualNASCARracecarThemagazinealsofeaturedapartofsomeofthepowerteststoexpect,includingJeremyClarksondrivingaMercedesBenzC63AMGBlackEdition,aMercedesSLSAMGRoadsterandaMaseratiGranTurismoMCStradaleHammondmeanwhilewilldrivea2012BMWM5F10,andMaywillhaveaVauxhallCorsaNürburgringEditionAnotherfeatureisgoingtoChinatotestdriveChinesecars,Italyin3supercars,LamborghiniAventador,NobleM600andaMcLarenMP412CAlsoJamesMayistakingatriptoUSAtotestsportshybridsupercarFiskerKarma,meetAC/DCfrontmanBrianJohnsonanddrivehis1928BentleyVandenPlasLeMansTourerAccordingtoTopGearExecutiveProducerAndyWilman,Clarkson,HammondandMayaregoingtonorthernSwedenaswell,wheretheywillracethenewFerrariFFacrossaSilverstoneCircuitshapedicetrackAlsoJeremyClarksonandRichardHammondwillattempttofilmacarchasesequenceforTheSweeney
