Now on "Top Gear"...
Oh, that is so awesome!
...We head to Alaska to make the toughest convertibles
for the harshest state in the nation.
Oh, everything's rattling now!
Holy crap!
sync and corrections by bellows www.addic7ed.com
Alaska... one of the few places left where nature rules.
With some of the most spectacular roads in the world,
it's perfect for a convertible, especially in the summer,
when the sun shines for 20 hours a day.
But up here, there are fewer convertibles
than in any other state.
That's because they can't stand up to the harsh winter weather
and unforgiving terrain.
So "Top Gear" challenged us
to create a convertible tough enough for Alaska.
We were told to meet up with our vehicles, roofs up,
just outside of Anchorage,
on the banks of the Matanuska river.
What do you think?
Look at this beauty...
1999 Jeep Cherokee... classic!
Yep. '99 Tacoma, baby...
one of the most popular pickups in the world...
tough, dependable, perfect for Alaska!
Oh, the "taco"... big fan.
All right. Yeah, I'll be over here.
Okay! Okay! That's too much.
Do you have to drive everything like that?
You drive everything like Ted Kennedy.
Huh?
Come on!
1999 Chevy Express...
the world's toughest living room on wheels.
Chevy Express... this is a rolling crime scene.
As you would say, "It's beautiful!"
Come on. This is what Alaska is about.
You can sleep in it. It's got v-8 power.
It's built on a truck.
You see these things cruising around all the time,
but they're never convertibles.
Yes, you see these things cruising around all the time,
and someone is trying to describe it to a sketch artist.
Come on. Okay, and, Rutledge, you take a Toyota...again?
Oh, no.
- You picked a Toyota truck? - Yes, I did.
This is rugged dependability for up here.
And they're all over the place.
If I ever need parts, I got plenty to choose from.
Is this the newest car you've ever chosen for this?
- And the smallest. - It's close to it.
Yes, and the smallest, too. But that's it... lightweight.
I got screwed last time we were here with that heavy Ford...
not this time.
-And a Jeep... - Yeah.
A, uh, classic.
The XJ is a hugely popular 4x4 for good reason.
That have a 4-liter high output?
4-liter, inline 6.
It's everything you need out of a 4x4
and nothing that you don't.
Note I said 4x4, because we are in Alaska.
The thing about Alaska
is you're going into the middle of nowhere,
so you want something reliable, right?
Check that off the list... I got it.
And, might I add, I still have a roof.
Kind of.
You look like you stole my pants
and crafted a crappy top out of them.
Did you cut the roof?
Yeah, I just made some modifications,
so it's my idea of the perfect concept vehicle.
So you did that on purpose?
Is that a piano hinge?
Oh, you'll see.
So, what are we doing?
I got it right in here, actually.
"To find out which of your creations
"gives alaskans the best chance
"of combining the fun of a convertible
"with the practicality of a regular vehicle,
"you'll do a series of challenges
"as you drive to the end
of the southernmost highway in Alaska."
Tops down, gentlemen?
Well, yeah. Why?
Do you want to see who can get theirs down first?
Well, I mean, I've got, technically, the biggest top,
so I should get a little bit of...
oh, good.
He loves to run, this guy.
That's it... scamper, children. Scamper.
It's actually very simple once you get started.
You got to hurry up before the rhinos start to charge.
What are you doing?
Just take me a second here.
Don't mind me.
Here we go.
If I did this right, then it will just simply...
Oh, look at that.
Oh, that's right!
It's terrible!
Look at that.
It's like a Jack-in-the-box with no Jack.
Read 'em and weep, gentlemen!
- Now, that looks stupid. - Fully automated!
There's nothing cool about that.
Oh, yeah!
Oh! Like a glove! Look at that!
Look at all that room!
You're gonna drive like that?
Well, yeah.
It looks like a satellite dish!
And I'm done.
That's it.
You can't even get in that thing.
Are you gonna do anything with yours?
I'll just take the top down.
Yeah, please do.
That was awesome!
Isn't that cool?
- Wow. - That was great.
- What the hell is that? - Yeah!
How did you do that?
Look at that, eh?
One lever... top's open.
And it's still safe-ish.
You have a compressed-air tank pointed right at your back.
Yeah. Sometimes you got to take the good with the bad.
It's a prototype.
How is it that you are driving
the coolest Tacoma of all time?
That's just so wrong.
It's good to be me.
All right. Let's get on the road.
Okay, I just got to do one real quick thing here
before we go.
And there we go.
What are you doing?
I just got to...
It's a little big for the street, so...
Yeah.
Don't. Don't say it.
Let's go. Yeah, it's too easy.
You ready, gentlemen?
Oh, yes.
Boy. Oh, golly, boys.
Whoo-hoo!
To test our homemade convertibles,
we'd have to drive 265 miles along route 1,
East and then South down the Kenai Peninsula,
to the fishing town of Homer.
I was confident in my design.
I've got the best of both worlds...
it truly converts from a four-door S.U.V.
to the world's best Alaskan convertible.
Rut, the back of your Jeep looks like it's making a plea...
its arm are open, and it's saying,
"why have you done this to me, Rutledge Wood?"
Alaska is a manly state,
and a lot of convertibles are seen as girly cars.
But this... this is a man's convertible.
This is a convertible that was built with brawn
and a hammer and a sawzall!
The thing about a conversion van is,
I have a good 12 feet of convertible topless space here.
I got three captain chairs, a table, and a bed,
all under the glorious blue sky of an Alaskan summer.
It even rides pretty nice.
I mean, it's built on a truck frame,
so you know it's pretty tough.
And all the technology is super-old-school,
so super-reliable.
And it's rear-wheel drive,
which means, theoretically, you could drift it.
What else do you need?
This is the perfect choice
for a convertible up here in Alaska
because it's still a rugged truck.
It's a Tacoma!
This is one of the best-selling light-duty trucks in the world.
It's tough as hell, this truck.
It's got 223,000 miles on it... still going...
As long as you don't go over 65 miles an hour,
'cause there's slight shaking that can happen.
Like that... see?
That's what happens.
I don't know if you can hear it.
I can hear it up here!
Aah.
While Adam may have been driving a vibrating bomb,
my convertible had its own problems.
Wood: Oh (bleep)
It's hard to dodge all the things
with this huge roof hanging off like this.
This thing is over 10-feet wide,
so I basically have to drive on the white line
to feel like I'm not gonna hit anyone.
It's just wide and dangerous.
And the Jeep is big, too.
Oh! Oh, geez.
Rut, you're knocking stuff over!
[ Laughing ] (bleep) Rut.
Oh!
Ohh! Oh
Oh, God!
Oh, geez. Okay. Okeydokey.
The first 30 miles of our journey
had raised a few design issues,
but unlike Alaska's highway cones,
we were all still in one piece
and approaching our first challenge.
Gentlemen, we all have different designs,
but the mark of a good convertible
is if you can put the top up while you're still moving.
Adam, if you try to close that top while we're moving,
you'll cut your head off.
I mean, all I've got to do is give a little tug of the rope,
and I'm good to go.
The Alaska raceway park
is the northernmost drag strip in the world.
Seven months of the year, it's under a foot of snow,
but today conditions were perfect.
Whoever could get their roof up
while driving the fastest would win.
Oh, my gosh.
This has to be the most beautiful
drag-racing track ever.
What is the fastest any convertible
has put their top up?
Rut's not gonna know that.
Yeah, it's a Volkswagen new Beetle.
It can do it at 31 miles an hour.
I thought everybody knew that.
- You're ridiculous. - Exactly.
Matter of fact, I'll go first.
Pay attention, gentlemen.
Setting a record!
Remember what his head looks like,
'cause it might not be there afterwards.
Okay, Adam. Here we go.
In three... two...
one...go.
Here we go!
10...
20...
30...
Wow. You can really see all the gray hairs
when you're standing out here in the Sun.
35... Duck your head!
Roll the hood!
Don't kill me! Don't kill me!
Yes!
I did it at 35 miles an hour! Yes!
You should dye that.
You know they got a five-minute thing?
It's supposed to take literally five minutes...
you'll be brown again.
Oh! I'm so pleased! I'm not dead!
Oh, hey! You're back!
And his top is closed.
Ha-ha! What was the speed?
Feast your eyes on that. How fast?
Gentlemen, that is a new record.
I threw the roof at 35 miles an hour... not a problem.
35?
You're going to break a world record,
and you chose to do it at 35?
You know you hit 69 in the straightaway?
Uh-huh.
Why didn't you just do it at 69 miles an hour?
I was next, but unlike Adam's Tacoma targa top,
shutting the genuine convertible in my Cherokee
took an extra pair of hands.
Is there even a seat belt in this thing?
It's just a lap belt.
I accidentally cut the other one out when I made the top.
Are you guys gonna do this, or what?
Safety first.
Okay. Okay, I'm ready.
All right.
Three...
Two...One... Go!
Whoa! That's some power!
All right.
When we hit about 50 miles an hour, tell me.
That's it. We're there.
Okay. Here I go!
Ohh! Stop! Whoa! That's not helping!
Just stay straight! Oh, no!
You almost ripped my hands off!
Watch out!
Oh, it's not working! Ohh!
Oh, my God!
What an ass!
Just go the same speed.
You're shaking the whole truck!
Oh, I can't... oh Are you steering into...
Pull it! Pull it! Pull it! I'm trying! I'm trying!
Whoa!
Just pull the damn thing!
Ohh! Ohh! This hurts!
Okay! Okay! That's good!
Holy Man!
All right. End of the line. End of the line.
After Rutledge experienced some technical difficulties,
it was my turn.
The speed to beat was 35 miles an hour.
But I also had some problems.
My issue is that I have an automatic opening function,
but definitely not an automatic closing function.
I really need somebody else to drive,
and I need somebody else to help me in the back.
No way I'm letting Adam drive this thing
while I'm not buckled up... obvious reasons there.
And Rutledge will probably try to take revenge
for what I just did to him in the Jeep, so...
I'm on my own. We'll make it work, though.
All right. You ready? Count of three...
Two...
One...Go!
Oh, that doesn't sound good. Oh, my God!
That sounded terrible.
Okay. I'm gonna climb in the back.
It looks like he's coasting.
Holy crap. He's standing up.
He's standing up.
Come on! Come on! There we go. There we go.
We got movement.
Oh. Oh.
He's ghost-riding it,
trying to put that stupid canopy on.
What an idiot.
And the top hasn't even moved yet.
There is no way he's doing 35 miles an hour.
Almost got it.
Holy crap!
Ohh! Brake!
Ooh! Ohh!
Coming up,
our convertibles get the off-road treatment.
Oh! Whoa! Whoa
and Tanner's ragtop gets an unexpected visitor.
We were in Alaska,
competing to see who created the toughest convertible.
We were in the middle of our first challenge,
attempting to put our convertible tops up
at the highest speed possible.
I had done it at 35 miles per hour.
Rut only managed to get half his roof up.
Oh, it's not working!
Ohh!
And Tanner was struggling to get it up at all.
Almost got it.
Holy crap!
Ohh! Brake!
Ooh! Ohh!
Top is still open.
Oh, you killed the windshield!
Wow!
It's a scratch.
A scratch? It's cracked!
It started out as a rock chip.
It just grew in the heat.
Okay. So, let's review.
You hit a barrier, you cracked your windshield,
and, yet, the top is still down.
You know what this means?
I half win.
And I all the way win.
Not only did I win... I set a record.
Let's get out of here.
Yeah. I'm with you.
Listen... do I call "guinness"?
'Cause I want the credit.
We continued south to our next challenge.
With a rolling clothesline
and an open Chinese-takeout container as my competition,
I was feeling confident.
I mean, it's got to be obvious to these guys by now
that I have the superior design.
Rut's design will probably get him killed.
He can't see anything out of the sides of that.
He has no side vision.
And Tanner's is just a mess!
He looks like a guy at a safari park that just said,
"I hate this job... I've had enough,"
and just drove the tram right out of the park...
kids screaming, chimps just yelling at him.
He can't take it anymore.
He's making his escape.
Hey, uh, you guys are following the rules, right?
What's the rules?
Come on.
The rule all alaskans live by... the sun's out, guns out.
Yeah, I'm in.
All right. I'm in.
Wow.
I had no idea I had this farmer's tan.
The top part of my arm is like a geisha.
If you think you got a farmer's tan, you should see my thighs.
I do not want to see your thighs under any circumstances.
We were making good progress,
but our next challenge would take us off road
to test how much cutting the roofs off our cars
had affected their structural integrity.
The problem with convertibles is,
they completely weaken the structure.
I mean, I'm driving a wet noodle right now,
just because the roof isn't holding everything together.
Now, the age of carbon-fiber monocoque chassis
that are actually somewhat affordable may change that,
but for now, convertibles are still seen
as being slightly heavy and sloppy chassis designs.
As we left the pavement to get to our next challenge,
the narrow gravel roads once again
exposed the flaw in Rut's design.
I can't see anything.
Oh!
Oh, my gosh! Oh.
Did you hit the mailboxes?
Yeah, thanks, Tanner!
I can't see anything back here,
you're kicking up so much dust.
Rut!
I think you just committed a federal offense!
We finally made it to an old quarry near Summit lake.
Here we'd test our cars' off-road ability
by racing around a course
guaranteed to inflict maximum damage.
Oh, God!
Oh! That was so scary!
Ahh.
You almost just hit me Really hard.
Now, this... this is Alaska.
This is Alaska. Now we're talking, right?
So, you got that thing in four-wheel drive already?
Oh, no. That was two-wheel.
- No. Yeah.
Damn it.
Hey. Let's do it.
Better off, losers.
All right, you pansies.
Ohh! Oh! The roof! Whoa!
Aah! Ohh!
Wood: I can't see (bleep)
Ow! I'm cutting the trees down as we go here.
Here we go.
Oh, everything's rattling now!
Ooh. Hold on.
Hold on, baby!
Oh, yeah. Oh, there it is.
This thing is a monster.
Little bit of a water hole here. Oh!
I think you lost a taillight.
Here we go!
Oh! Whoa! Whoa!
Yeah!
Whoo-hoo!
Ohh!
Ohh! Ohh!
Oh.
Ohh! Ohh!
Oh, it's awful! It's so bad!
Oh, no!
I look like a pirate! I can't see!
Ohh!
I'm telling you what, boys, I could do this all day.
This truck is just taking it like no other.
I got your taillight.
With the off-road challenge complete,
we surveyed the damage.
Rut had scratched the hell out of his roof.
Tanner broke a taillight, a side mirror,
and a rocker panel.
But the damage to my Tacoma...
nothing a car wash wouldn't fix.
I had won again.
Rut, what happened?
Look at my face.
I look like Mike Tyson's facial tattoo right now.
With our first day in Alaska coming to a close,
we headed to a cabin to get some rest.
Before the test, I was a little jealous of Rut...
he's got a little more ground clearance than me,
and he's got four-wheel drive.
But his design is terrible.
He got covered in mud.
I mean, how would you sell something like that
to the public?
And Tanner, I thought he was gonna lose his front bumper.
He has no ground clearance whatsoever.
So, some of the kind of cheesy bodywork is about to go,
but that's to be expected.
That stuff is just extra frilly stuff.
But when it comes to the truck chassis,
huge open-air enjoyment of the wilderness in Alaska,
this convertible is awesome.
After three hours of driving,
we made it halfway to our final destination.
But even though the sun was still shining,
it was well into the night and time for us to set up camp.
What an amazing place.
Beautiful, isn't it?
Seriously, how would your body ever adjust
to the summers in Alaska?
What time is it right now?
It's like 11:30 at night.
Oh, God.
I mean, you just get so used to living in the city,
and you come here, and, literally,
you are deep, deep in the wilderness.
Before this, before I got out of the city,
the wilderness to me
was like the grass divider on the highway.
I'm just glad, for once, we don't have to sleep in our cars.
That cabin is gonna be nice,
especially with all the wildlife up here, right?
Good point. What is out here?
You got elk, bears.
I hear a dog.
There is black bear, grizzly bear, gummy bear.
I brought those.
Chicago bears.
Cheers.
Yeah, here's to the best Alaskan convertible...
the Jeep Cherokee.
Express. I'll drink to the Tacoma.
Ohh! Ohh!
That is not that cold.
Hey, can you rotate this if it catches on fire?
I'm gonna start closing my top.
Yeah. Can you pass me some sardines before you go?
Yeah. I got you. I never tried those.
You never had a sardine? No. What are they?
They're tiny fish, right?
Tiny little fish.
Oh! Oh, God!
It's just fish, man!
Yeah. Get in there. Eat that.
Lick it. Just lick it.
Mnh-mnh. Lick a fish.
I was wrong. I was wrong.
- Come on. - I do not want sardines.
- It's a very Alaskan thing. - I do not.
But you have to try it once to know if you like it or not.
Pbht!
That'll do it.
Gentlemen. You know the rule.
Leave nothing but your footprints.
Go ahead and clean this stuff up when you're done.
I am going to bed. I bid you adieu.
- Good night, ma. - Good night.
I feel like he was hinting to us that we should clean up,
or he was really like commanding us to clean up.
Sounded pretty much like an order.
So we decided to do exactly what Tanner said.
This feels wrong.
'Cause it is.
I didn't act like this before I met you guys.
Oh, you're gonna blame me?
You weren't a nice person. You just hid it better.
Oh, it smells terrible in there.
I know. Hold that. Put that somewhere.
- Shh. Hey. - What?
- Be cool. - What?
Be cool.
- What did you do? - Put them right in here.
Oh, God!
Hey. You ready?
Don't tell him. All right. Don't crack.
I'm not gonna say anything, but don't you crack.
Let's go. We're fine.
While we eventually fell asleep
in the bizarre brightness of night,
the sardines worked their magic.
Coming up, our convertibles
are put to the ultimate waterproof test.
Oh! Oh!
We were in Alaska,
traveling down the Kenai Peninsula,
competing to see
who had created the best rugged convertible.
We had spent the night in a cabin deep in bear country,
and while we slept, Tanner's ragtop had received a visitor.
Get your shoes on, Rut. Come on.
Let's freaking do this. It's already like 9:00.
It would be good...
what?
What the hell has gone on?
Something has completely cut up my roof on my truck.
What happened?
What'd you do? Did you hit something?
Did you leave something in my van?
Did you leave food in here?
Look. They cut it.
- I think it was a bear. - It's not a bear.
I got claw prints here.
Don't you think we would have heard a bear?
I don't know.
I used to eat a lot of bear claws as a kid,
and that looks like a bear's claw.
You put the sardines in my van.
No. No.
We put all of the trash in a bag, safely,
and then put that in your van.
Look. Look at the fish.
Oh, my God. You know what's funny?
Jeep hardtop, Toyota hardtop... totally fine.
Totally safe. Bear-proof.
World record and bear-proof...
do you guys need that that's the best design?
Whatever. It's gonna be fine.
He didn't get on the top or anything, right?
No. We're good. Let's get on the road.
We headed South to our next challenge,
60 miles away.
This is supposed to be one of the most beautiful roads
in the world to drive a convertible on,
and I actually think they're correct.
Look at that!
Okay. That's ridiculous.
Everywhere you look up here, there is a beautiful view.
Except for those two
piece-of-crap convertibles in front of me.
Okay. All right.
That sounds a little more violent than usual.
This highway... seward highway...
is actually named after the secretary of state
that bought Alaska from Russia in the 1870s,
and we only paid $7.2 million for this entire landmass.
This place is so big... they only have 710,000 people,
which ends up being 1.2 people per square mile.
That means there is hardly anyone here.
Oh, my God!
You left it... I just found fish heads in the door.
You put fish heads in my door!
It was probably the bears. When they ate it,
probably, pieces went all over the place.
No. I don't think so.
This has the distinct smell of a 12-year-old prank.
Oh, that is so awesome!
There's more than 100,000 glaciers here.
That's half the world's glaciers.
I know one glacier,
last time we were here, Tanner got out and stood on it.
It was cute.
It was like a little man on a birthday cake.
Just before we reached our next challenge,
we made a pit stop for some snacks.
Whoo!
Oh, gosh. Oh.
Whoa! Easy, killer.
You know what?
I don't want my seats to get all faded,
so I'm gonna put my top up.
It's just that easy.
Or you know what, actually, I can do?
I can put it back.
Now watch. Let me show you one more time.
Closed. Open.
Why don't you go get your hemorrhoid cream,
and we'll get out of here?
That's just obnoxious. Showing off a little bit.
You want something?
I want a cup of coffee.
Coffee? I'm good.
Adam's cockiness was getting to be a bit much,
so we grabbed the controls
and conducted our own little roof test.
Here's the deal... I think
if we crank the air up on that thing,
that top will just blow right off the back.
Oh, just turn the pressure up.
Just crank it up.
It's not even a real convertible.
- Let's just smoke him. - Let's do it.
Does that make me a bad person?
No. No.
You smell like fish, though.
I'm turning it up now.
All right. It was at 35 psi.
What's it at now?
250.
- 250?! - 250.
Oh, my gosh.
Here's the thing... let's step back.
Yeah. There's a bunch of line.
I don't know what it's gonna do.
- You ready? - Yeah. Hit it. Hit it.
Oh! Yes!
Oh, my God. What did you do?!
You broke it!
Go! There he is!
There he is! Go! Go! Go!
Just go. Just go, man.
That was your idea! That was awesome!
Ooh! Ouch.
Sorry!
What are you... sorry! Hi, Adam!
Watch your head!
It's not funny!
Unfortunately, Adam managed to fix his roof
and rejoined us further down the road.
Apart from a small width issue,
my Cherokee was living up to my expectations.
I think I have the only real convertible here.
I mean, a convertible is like a transformer...
it has to transform to something else that's bigger and better
and more awesome.
This is like the autobots
when they come together, of "Transformers."
That thing transforms from sad to depressing.
This is a roadster.
It's a two-seat convertible with an innovative design.
Yeah, but the challenge was to make an Alaskan convertible...
not an Alaskan targa top, not an Alaskan sunroof.
If there was any doubt to whether or not
we classified our vehicles as true convertibles,
clearly, I'm the only one that really fits in that category.
Does that make sense?
Not at all.
Your ragtop is disintegrating as you drive.
That's not gonna be a convertible much longer.
I don't know... maybe the bear had something to do with it.
So far, the best summer weather in Alaska for decades,
and we hadn't had to test
how waterproof our convertibles were.
The next challenge is gonna change that.
Each of our vehicles would have to withstand
a fire helicopter's water drop.
You guys are sure this is a good idea, right?
Yeah.
Sure. Kind of.
That's a lot of water. How much is in there?
220 gallons.
Well, that's more than 1,600 pounds.
That's like a Volkswagen.
Okay.
You first, Rut.
I agree.
Oh, man. That's so much water.
Oh!
Oh, gosh!
Oh, God! Get it! Get it!
Yeah! Drop it! Come on, Jeep!
We were in Alaska,
competing over who had made the perfect convertible
to withstand everything the 49th state could throw at it.
Now we were about to find out whose was the most waterproof.
Rut's Cherokee was up first.
Get it! Get it!
Yeah! Drop it! Come on, Jeep!
Let it go!
Oh!
Look at that... hardly a scratch!
Look at that. It's all filled up.
It looks like an aquarium.
The whole roof is dented in there.
I think, maybe, I could have braced the roof
a tiny bit better.
With my Cherokee just a little bit moist,
it was Adam's turn.
Say goodbye to that targa top.
Crush it. Crush it. Crush it.
Don't do that. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
Come on! Let it rip!
Oh! Oh!
Direct hit!
Man! That was awesome!
Look at all the water coming out of the doors!
Well, it's gonna be fine, though. Look at it.
It's all running out. That's the way I designed it.
It completely dented your roof in.
It's like a gutter system... it all drains out.
Here it comes. That's gonna be a mess.
Oh, dude. You are toast.
I mean, you are about to own an aboveground pool.
There is nothing that's gonna stop that water
from getting into your van.
I'll bet you the wind from the blades
are gonna blow the thing off
before he even gets close to dropping the water on it.
My roof is not getting wet, because I'm out of here.
Where are you going?!
You can't do that!
Don't be in there! He's gonna drop it!
Hit the little guy! Forget the van!
Hit the little guy!
Oh, man!
Oh, my gosh.
I don't know. Oh! Oh! Whoa!
See you in Homer! First one there wins!
Tanner has thrown down the gauntlet.
Now it was an all-out 50-mile race
to the end of the road in Homer.
Oh. It's all soaked.
Oh, my gosh. Oh, God!
Ohh. Ohh.
Ohh! My back is wet!
Ow! Oh, it's cold!
It's alive!
See you in Homer, loser!
Oh, no. No, no. Come on, come on, come on, come on!
Come on, come on, come on.
Ohh! Come on!
No! No! No! No!
My Cherokee may have been the clear winner
of the waterproof challenge,
but Tanner had a jump on the race to Homer.
Tanner is a cheater.
He's got a terrible soft-top.
He wouldn't even do the waterproof test
and just took off.
That's cheating. I'm sorry.
Fact is, I haven't won a damn thing this whole trip.
But the main challenge that we have is to make it
to the southernmost point of highway in this state,
and if I can do that first, then it is, indeed,
redemption for the Express van.
As Rut and I race towards the finish,
Adam's Tacoma was going nowhere.
This was never meant to be a race.
It was about making the best convertible for Alaska.
This Cherokee... this is what Alaska is all about.
It's about being tough, about being reliable,
about being versatile...
I've got two-wheel and four-wheel drive...
and, oh, yeah, I've got a great convertible.
But to prove
that my Cherokee was the best convertible,
I wanted to get to Homer first.
And with Tanner ahead, I needed a plan.
Ahh. I'm feeling an American moment.
That's what it is right now...
Chevy Express on the homestretch,
eagles in the background, American flags flapping.
That's what it's all about.
I feel like saluting or something.
As Tanner approached Homer,
he would be slowed to a crawl by narrow roads and traffic.
So like all Cherokee owners, I had thought outside the box.
It's good on road. It's good off road.
It's great on the water.
Wow. This is a great way to see Alaska.
Thank goodness for gentle seas.
I'm headed out onto the spit!
If Rut's not ahead of me now, there is absolutely no chance...
only one way in, one way out when it comes to the spit.
I was closing in on the finish line fast,
but as we neared shore, conditions changed.
Oh, the seas, they are a-angry!
Ohh! Oh, gosh!
Oh, it's so cold!
No! This is not waterproof!
This is definitely not waterproof.
This seemed like such a good idea.
Ohh. I feel seasick.
Oh, gosh! Oh, God! Oh!
I got salt water in my eyes.
My beard feels like it's turning to popsicle.
But I can see the road!
As I was about to hit land,
Tanner was racing down Homer spit toward the finish.
This is it... one straightaway!
As soon as you hit dirt, that's the end of the highway!
The ramp is... oh, this is gonna be awesome.
Whoa! This is awesome!
Here we go.
We were nearing the end of our journey through Alaska
with homemade convertibles.
I hadn't won a single challenge,
but I wasn't gonna let the Express van
go home empty-handed.
I had to beat the other guys
in an all-out race to the end of the highway in Homer.
With a head start and only one road to the finish line,
things were looking good.
But I, too, was closing in fast.
It's gonna beat the van. It's gonna beat the van.
I don't see him.
This is it!
The highway has officially ended!
It's dirt road and water!
Whoo-hoo!
That's what I'm talking about!
Yeah!
Oh, we did it, Jeep! We did it!
Oh, I've got this!
Ohh!
There's the van. Crap.
Second place... right there.
How's it going?
That's it. That's all I got right there.
That's the best.
Nothing?
Big number two.
But, I mean, I did get here,
you know, like a man, with wet pants,
'cause I didn't run off from a little water
with my soft-top.
Sometimes you got to know when to say when.
Anyway, what happened to Adam?
His ran... right... when you left the field?
Mine had a little trouble firing up at first,
and I took off, and he just had this look on his face.
It's possible the water could have messed that truck up
and it didn't start,
or the targa top might have just fallen off.
I mean, it wasn't a real convertible.
Absolutely was not a real convertible.
Fundamentally, that's what I think was wrong here.
I think I have the best convertible, still.
No, you don't.
Uh...Is that the Toyota?
No.
There's no chance.
You don't...
Ahh!
I love the smell of Tacoma in the morning.
Tell you what... I'll throw you an extra 20
if you clip the red Jeep on the way down.
All right. You got a deal. Ha-ha!
Now, see, that's a convertible.
That's it.
I'm gonna back up another foot, dude.
Drop it!
Whoa!
Yeah! Yeah!
What is wrong with him?!
Oh! Oh, look at it.
It's completely crushed on the front end.
I think every car he drives, he has to kill.
I could use a shower!
You killed the truck.
You didn't have to kill us.
What killed? I won.
- How did you win? - I am the furthest South.
That's what you're going with?
That's what I'm going with.
Look. You guys are that way.
Furthest South... I win.
I'm just more creative than you.
It's not like I chickened out of a challenge.
That was a Volkswagen-size chunk of water.
Yeah, and the Cherokee took it, no problem.
This seemed like it did okay.
And then, like so many other vehicles, you killed it.
I didn't kill it...
I sacrificed it for the greater good.
I would do the same to you.
You know what? You're right.
Yeah, you win. Tell you what...
let's all drive back to the hotel and celebrate your win.
- You ready? - I'm ready.
I'm ready to drive to back to the hotel.
- You ready? -Yep. See you there.
Beers are on me first, then you?
Give me a ride back.
No. No, no, no. No, no.
You won... you can drive it there.
See you there.
I had proven my point...
if you want to drive a convertible in Alaska,
there is only choice... the Toyota Tacoma.