The truck loomed into view and Jeremy looked on in horror at its large, unwieldy and colossal cargo.

As the music heightened the scale of what was about to happen suddenly sank in.

The challenge set before him – to reach the summit of the 40ft indoor mountain before the climber – was a formidable sight.

“What happens when I reach the top?” shouted Jeremy, as the Discovery slowly pulled itself up.

“Drive off the edge mate”, Hammond shouted back.

Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May were in full effect on the inaugural night of MPH ’07 held in London’s Earls Court.

The trio drove the audience wild, with a mesh of high-speed precision driving, home-made cars (see Jeremy's 'coat-car' pictured), biking acrobatics and car-football, superbly glued together by the wittiest motoring minds in Britain, and the sharpest drivers on stage.

And the stunts were electrifying.

“This is the cage of death”, Clarkson proclaimed, pointing to a 30ft high caged-ball with a biker racing upside down at top speed around the rim.

Hammond looked on nervously as Jeremy said: “And you’re going to be dodging him.”

With his safety helmet strapped on, the Hamster was locked in the cage as the mental motorbike raced around him at breakneck speeds.

But as the rider came to a halt and Hammond got out, another three bikers raced around in dizzying unison.

Jezza – in trademark delivery - said: “That… is properly unbelievable.”

And in the shows final throes, Jeremy asked everyone to wear their 3D glasses for the grand finale, and as the audience gingerly pulled them on, Clarkson rolled out the introduction: “Some say, his nipples taste like triangular cheese…all we know is, he’s called The Stig.”

With that, The Stig raced centre stage with two accomplices, careering around the small track on go-karts as the massive centrally-mounted projection screen showed a giant dragon pelting out thunderbolts and speed penalty notices which erupted in the stands as fireworks, lighting up the whole arena and ending the show in style.

The cars in the arena weren’t the only stars of the show.

In the exhibition stands, onlookers gasped at all manner of prestige and high performance cars, including the stunning Aston Martin DBS and the hotly anticipated Jaguar XF super saloon.

Sitting alongside the Lamborghinis and Ferraris were two very different stars – Sussex Police’s hardcore Lotus Exige and the bonkers Caparo T1 dressed out in police-livery.

MPH ’07 is at London’s Earls Court until 4 November 2007, and moves to the Birmingham NEC from 8 to 11 November 2007.

Check out our exclusive MPH slide show.

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MPH Top Gear style tribute to Richard Hammond
Slide show: MPH '06
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