Albanians Laugh Off Top Gear Jibes

The episode features presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May test driving around southern Albania in the hunt for the perfect car for an Albanian mobster.   

The episode also features a simulated bank robbery and high speed chase with Albanian police with a kidnapped person in the trunk.  

The show follows an earlier episode during which the trio joked about Mexicans, calling them "lazy and feckless." The BBC was forced to issue an apology to Mexico, following a reaction from the country’s ambassador in London.

Contacted by The Guardian newspaper, the Albanian ambassador in London declined to comment on the episode, which will also be broadcasted in Albania by Top-Channel TV.  

Meanwhile, Albanians commenting in popular blogs found the show funny and realistic.

“Typical British humor, I laughed my a-s off, its realistic, bravo to the trio that carried it out,” reads a comment on the popular Albanian blog site Peshkupauje.com.

“We are not made of glass that can be cracked by a joke,” wrote another. “In the end, humor is based on stereotypes,” he added.

Some even suggested turning the Albanian mobster experience into a tourism product.

“Be a mobster in Albania for a weekend for 990 euro,” reads one of the posts.

“Do it now, do it fast, enjoy your mafia side in Albania,” suggested another, thinking of an adverting campaign slogan for the "tour".