“Welcome to Car Heaven” states the programme – and this year’s MPH show certainly features millions of pounds worth of exotic metal.

Yet it was the humble P50 – the quirky micro car which Jeremy Clarkson drove round the corridors of the BBC – which stole the show in Birmingham last night. It prefaced an hilarious ‘race’ in which the Top Gear star and his fellow presenters Richard Hammond and James May battled it out in the smallest vehicles they could devise.

The show, which is a stage version of Top Gear in all but name, also featured more dramatic stunts – and none more so than the spectacular Globe of Death finale involving a quartet of French motorcyclists riding inside a circular cage.

The futuristic 3D duel between the Gatso Dragon and the Stig was impressive and there was a race up a 40ft ‘mountain’ between a professional mountaineer and Clarkson in a Discovery 3. The latter lost after stalling his vehicle.

Some of the features revolve around devising new sports for the Olympics. The ‘1500m with pushing and shooting’ may be entertaining to watch but I can’t see it making it past the organising committees of the Olympic Games – unfortunately.

There was also a chance to see new cars like the Jaguar XF and Fiat 500 before their UK launches.

It’s a big scale production – it takes some 500 man hours to rig the theatre set and the whole shebang costs £2 million to stage. There are eight stunt drivers, led by British Autotest champion Paul Swift.

The show does contain the odd dud sketch – notably the ‘My Land Rover’s louder than yours’ item.

And Clarkson could at least learn the names of a few Villa players instead of dropping Chelsea references into his commentary during the car football match.

But it’s a mostly entertaining, fast-paced show which should keep Top Gear enthusiasts happy – provided they can afford to go.

Tickets start at £23 and go right up to £89. MPH runs at the NEC until Sunday. Call 0871 230 0333 for tickets.