One careful owner? IT manager discovers his £50,000 BMW was previously used by Jeremy Clarkson in a high-speed Top Gear stunt

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A father who bought a faulty BMW was shocked to see the car had been put through a ferocious test drive by Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear.

Rob Willis, from Dartford, Kent, splashed £50,000 on the sky blue BMW M3 earlier this year but found it had a number of mechanical problems.

He was later stunned to see the car had been driven around the track of the BBC motoring show before he bought it and believes Clarkson's driving may have caused the faults.

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The man who later bought this BMW M3 was shocked to see it had been test driven in this episode of Top Gear

Father-of-one Mr Willis, 27, said the expensive vehicle had brake and steering problems after he bought it from a local dealership. 

He told MailOnline: 'I bought the car three months ago, but four weeks after that was when I saw it on Top Gear.

'I got it from a local garage and it was the following day that I heard lots of squeaking from the car.

'There was also a clunking noise whenever I came off the motorways, it just made a really weird noise.

'I called the garage straight away, they didn't have a clue because they've never had a car with carbon ceramic brakes before.

'I went into the garage and they had to ring BMW in Germany to try and figure it out.

'Between then, they took it in the garage to try and fix it and they couldn't figure it out, so I had it back and it became even worse.'

The vehicle had been test driven by Jeremy Clarkson before it was purchased and suffered a number of faults

Mr Willis added: 'A week or two weeks later I found it on Top Gear. I was at home, it was a bit of a shock, I didn't really know what to say for about half hour.

'The following day I rang the garage where I bought it from and went in there and gave them back the keys and said they will have to sort it out.

'They gave me another car and I handed the keys back because I couldn't drive the car anymore, obviously it was unsafe.

'They gave me a (BMW) 330 xDrive replacement car at first, they've also given me a (BMW) 320 diesel and a mini as well.

Rob Willis says he was given a replacement by the dealership

'But I've got my car back now and it's fine.

'I noticed it from number plate and they've apologised and tried to help me out in every way, probably so I don't try and take it to the press to be honest with you.'

Watching an old episode of Top Gear, a show which has since left the BBC, he saw the car being skidded around the track as Clarkson praised it as 'properly quick'.

During the test drive, Clarkson said of the car: 'Well here it is slithering about on our track.... everything is absolutely sublime.

'This car is utterly brilliant. It's well made, it's got seating for four it's got a decent-sized boot.

'In many ways this car is like the perfect dog, it's loyal, it's cute, it doesn't chase sheep and yet, if a burglar comes, it has the power to rip his throat out. Look at me, I'm an attack dog now.

'It is a fabulous wonderful car and, if you have £56,000, you should buy one.'

After Mr Willis complained about the car, he says the dealership gave him a replacement.

It is not the first time Top Gear has been accused of ruining a car.

In 2003, Adrian Hamilton said the show damaged the clutch and tyres of his C-type Jaguar during a test drive.

He said at the time: 'It was a very shabby thing for them to do and left the car needing a lot of expensive work.'

Clarkson has since signed up to launch a lucrative rival programme to Top Gear on Amazon.

He will be joined on the programme by his Top Gear co-presenters, Richard Hammond and James May, as well as producer Andy Wilman. The show will air in 2016 and filming is currently underway.

Chris Evans has meanwhile been brought in to continue Top Gear on the BBC. He has described it as 'the biggest job I've ever had'.