Top Gear used to be a motoring programme reviewing Austin Allegros and Peugeot estates and watched by the sort of person who joined the Civil Service Motoring Association and took the Institute of Advanced Motorists exams. And wore faux-leather driving gloves. It had minimal viewing figures and the BBC nearly dropped it. Then Clarkson came along and turned it into prime time entertainment with an audience of millions and the BBCs biggest export earner. Even if you hate him, you owe him a debt of gratitude that the money he's made for the BBC allows them to finance whatever worthy programming you'd rather watch instead. So yes, 0007 is spot on, he is Top Gear, and quite a bit more than that too.
Should he be censured for swinging at a junior producer? Dunno, but seeing as earlier versions of the story suggested he'd hit a woman, let's just wait for the facts before deciding, eh?