1
00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:13,480
Tonight, I play tennis.

2
00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:17,799
Richard points at a minibus.

3
00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:22,000
And James shakes hands with two men.

4
00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:31,999
Thank you so much. Hello!
Hello, everybody, and welcome.

5
00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:35,800
Thank you very much. Thank you.
Now...

6
00:00:37,160 --> 00:00:38,799
Now, a few years ago,

7
00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:43,599
bosses at a Cheshire-based
engineering company called BAC

8
00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:46,319
decided they'd like to make a car.

9
00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:50,119
Now, because they're from
Cheshire, I assumed it would be made

10
00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:52,959
from onyx and have bull's-eye glass
in the windows

11
00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:57,799
and then door mirrors made
out of Wayne Rooney's ears. But no.

12
00:00:57,800 --> 00:00:59,439
They decided it should have

13
00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:02,439
the four-cylinder engine
from a Ford people van,

14
00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:05,479
the gearbox from a Formula 3 racing
car

15
00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:07,959
and that it should be upholstered

16
00:01:07,960 --> 00:01:11,839
in the same stain-resistant and
waterproof material

17
00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:16,679
that they use to line furniture
in old people's homes.

18
00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:20,239
And then they turned their attention
to how it should look.

19
00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:22,999
Most car designers,
for their inspiration,

20
00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:25,479
go to big cats
and bats and jet fighters.

21
00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:30,319
But the men from Cheshire decided
they didn't want any of that.

22
00:01:30,320 --> 00:01:34,759
They decided to take
their inspiration from this.

23
00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:49,679
So, the styling of an Icelandic
robot from a Bjork pop video,

24
00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:54,279
the gearbox from a racing car
and the engine from a van.

25
00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:59,160
Bring them all together,
and this is the result.

26
00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:14,040
It's called the Mono,
and it's amazing.

27
00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:18,159
The engine may be
from a Ford people carrier,

28
00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:24,040
but it's been fettled by Cosworth,
so now it produces 280 horsepower.

29
00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:28,999
And fitting a 280 horsepower heart

30
00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:32,079
in a car which weighs
just half a tonne is...

31
00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:36,240
Well, the effects
are going to be profound.

32
00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:46,359
I can see why they lined it

33
00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:51,279
with material designed to resist
trouser accidents,

34
00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:54,479
because my bladder's gone!

35
00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:59,120
It's completely gone!
I've wet myself.

36
00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:12,399
0 to 60 takes just 2.8 seconds.

37
00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:17,079
And in theory, the top speed is 170.

38
00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:18,479
But in reality, it isn't,

39
00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:21,839
because the Mono has the same
problem as the Ariel Atom.

40
00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:23,720
No windscreen.

41
00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:30,440
At 70 miles an hour,
your face starts to move about.

42
00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:36,880
And then when you get to 80,
it starts to come off.

43
00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:46,120
'At 90, you're forced to accept
that really, you need a helmet.

44
00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:58,879
'With a lid on,
you can start to appreciate

45
00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:00,840
'just how clever this car is.'

46
00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:06,840
First of all, I fit. I mean,
only just, but I do actually fit.

47
00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:09,719
And even though it has

48
00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:11,719
Formula One-style
pushrod suspension,

49
00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:15,080
the ride is sublime. You could
almost call it comfortable.

50
00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:19,319
Although, that said, at high revs,

51
00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:22,560
everything starts to tingle
and vibrate.

52
00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:27,839
I don't want to go into too many
details, but let me put it this way.

53
00:04:27,840 --> 00:04:30,160
If I were a girl,
I'd like it very much.

54
00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:36,079
Strangely, even cross-eyed women

55
00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:39,119
can drive this car legally
on the road.

56
00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:42,439
But realistically,
it's built for the track.

57
00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:44,000
So, let's see what's what.

58
00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:55,280
It's not really about
straight-line speed.

59
00:04:56,200 --> 00:04:59,600
It doesn't actually feel that fast.

60
00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:06,839
And when you get used to it,
it's not that scary, either.

61
00:05:06,840 --> 00:05:10,719
If I'm honest,
it's not really like driving, this.

62
00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:13,319
It's like conducting an orchestra

63
00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:16,839
of parts that know exactly
what they're doing.

64
00:05:16,840 --> 00:05:19,120
They're very well rehearsed.

65
00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:24,720
There goes the French horns,
and here are the violins.

66
00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:33,639
The brakes, they're good.
Gearbox is fantastic.

67
00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:39,639
It really is an absolutely instant
change. Bang, bang, bang, ready.

68
00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:42,360
'And there's more.'

69
00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:49,879
Because all the heavy stuff,
the engine,

70
00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:52,479
the gearbox and the driver,
is all in a line,

71
00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:54,439
low down in the middle of the car,

72
00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:58,000
it has the same centre of gravity
as a worm.

73
00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:04,999
Couple that to the F1 suspension
and the specially-made tyres,

74
00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:08,640
and the cornering speeds
are simply immense.

75
00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:14,479
To demonstrate how immense,

76
00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:16,879
we've set up a radar trap
on the follow-through,

77
00:06:16,880 --> 00:06:21,640
and coming through it now, as fast
as possible, is a Peugeot 208.

78
00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:32,759
83.5 miles an hour.

79
00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:35,800
'Then it was the turn of a BMW M3.'

80
00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:43,599
Ooh, now, look at that.
90.25 miles an hour.

81
00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:49,400
'After a Nissan GT-R had a go,
we unleashed the Mono.'

82
00:06:53,280 --> 00:06:55,479
See my point?

83
00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:59,479
It is very fast, then, and it's fun.

84
00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:01,039
But what about reliability,

85
00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:03,159
traditionally not a strong point

86
00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:05,640
for small-volume
British sports cars?

87
00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:09,919
The first time I drove a Mono,
it set fire to itself.

88
00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:11,839
The second time,
the engine went wonky,

89
00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:15,919
and the third time, it broke down
before it had even left the factory.

90
00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:19,359
So I thought of it, really,
as another typically British,

91
00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:22,839
badly-executed good idea.

92
00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:25,639
But since all those calamities,

93
00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:29,719
they've had 12 months to work
on the design and the detailing,

94
00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:35,239
and I have to say, it looks
not just very well thought out,

95
00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:39,040
but absolutely beautifully made.

96
00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:44,679
And it's not just the detailing
that's beautiful, either.

97
00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:46,519
When you stand back,

98
00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:51,360
that's one of the most exciting
shapes I've ever seen.

99
00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:58,920
The Mono is the nicest thing to come
out of Cheshire since the cheese.

100
00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:03,919
But it does cost £102,000, and that,

101
00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:07,200
for a twice-a-year toy, is a lot.

102
00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:16,359
In many ways, then,
this is a bit like an iPad,

103
00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:20,199
because that's not cheap either,
and you certainly don't need one.

104
00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:21,639
But you want one,

105
00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:25,280
because it's such a lovely... thing.

106
00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:49,119
It is. - It's gorgeous. - I know.

107
00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:52,079
And beautifully made.
It's a piece of jewellery.

108
00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:53,599
But...

109
00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:57,119
What? - £102,000?

110
00:08:57,120 --> 00:08:58,719
I know, it is expensive,

111
00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:00,519
especially when you bear in mind

112
00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:04,079
all the other brilliant track-day
cars you can buy for a lot less,

113
00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:05,799
the KTM, Radical, Ariel Atom.

114
00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:08,839
- Morgan 3 Wheeler.
- No, I said brilliant.

115
00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:10,359
All right, the Caterham R500.

116
00:09:10,360 --> 00:09:13,559
That's a brilliant track-day car,
and that's half the price of this.

117
00:09:13,560 --> 00:09:17,559
Yes, and that is enormously fast.
But will this be faster?

118
00:09:17,560 --> 00:09:21,719
To find out, we shall hand it over
to our tame racing driver.

119
00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:25,079
Some say that he breaks
into people's houses at night

120
00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:29,080
and leaves two mysterious extra keys
in a kitchen drawer...

121
00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:33,959
And that as a result of buying
Pirelli condoms this week,

122
00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:35,640
he now has 17 children.

123
00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:39,400
All we know is,
he's called The Stig!

124
00:09:40,560 --> 00:09:42,559
Stig snaps to attention,
and he's off,

125
00:09:42,560 --> 00:09:44,319
flicking off the line like a flea,

126
00:09:44,320 --> 00:09:46,599
even though the start-finish line
was damp.

127
00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:49,559
Hopefully,
the rest of the track's dry.

128
00:09:49,560 --> 00:09:52,239
Flying into the first corner,
he came in very hot there,

129
00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:55,200
but sorted it out.
No problem at all.

130
00:09:57,200 --> 00:09:58,759
No stereo, of course,

131
00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:02,079
just the sound of that
Cosworth-tuned engine

132
00:10:02,080 --> 00:10:05,759
as he zips round Chicago
absolutely rock-solid.

133
00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:06,839
Now, Hammerhead.

134
00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:10,919
What will this reveal about
the mid-engine balance?

135
00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:13,999
No drama.
That is properly nailed down.

136
00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:19,239
But look, a well-orchestrated drift
on the way out!

137
00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:24,519
High revs now. The vibrations will
be stimulating his lady parts.

138
00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:28,719
Follow-through and yes, he actually
changed up through there.

139
00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:31,919
Stig is brave,
even on the brink of a crisis.

140
00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:36,519
Controlling it beautifully
into the second-to-last corner.

141
00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:39,159
Screams up to Gambon,
racing gearbox whining.

142
00:10:39,160 --> 00:10:42,200
Slides it through,
and across the line.

143
00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:50,559
Now... here we have
the Caterham R500,

144
00:10:50,560 --> 00:10:54,159
which did it in 1.17.9, yeah?

145
00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:56,080
BAC Mono...

146
00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:02,639
1.14.3.

147
00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:04,639
No way!

148
00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:07,439
Wow! - The second-fastest car
we've ever had!

149
00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:10,159
That is something else.

150
00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:13,039
Tremendous. Excellent.

151
00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:16,959
And now,
now it is time for the news,

152
00:11:16,960 --> 00:11:19,159
and it's good news,

153
00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:22,119
because the Dacia Duster has been
named

154
00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:26,319
budget 4x4 tow car of the year.

155
00:11:26,320 --> 00:11:31,159
Great. Now, I've bought a bicycle. - I
thought you were looking a bit trim.

156
00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:34,199
Well, do you know, it's not really
the weight that I've lost,

157
00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:36,519
- but my core, what's it called?
- Core strength.

158
00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:39,279
Are we on Loose Women or something?

159
00:11:39,280 --> 00:11:40,839
No, James, as you well know,

160
00:11:40,840 --> 00:11:44,479
we have for many years been
on Last Of The Summer Gear.

161
00:11:44,480 --> 00:11:46,519
Since I bought my bicycle,
what's driving me mad

162
00:11:46,520 --> 00:11:49,679
is the amount of people who come and say
"You need to get lycra shorts now".

163
00:11:49,680 --> 00:11:53,439
Well, you do, because it's more
comfortable and it stops chafing.

164
00:11:53,440 --> 00:11:55,039
No, Hammond, you don't.

165
00:11:55,040 --> 00:11:56,919
People who wear lycra shorts go,

166
00:11:56,920 --> 00:12:00,639
"Look, it's difficult and dangerous,
and I need special..." You don't.

167
00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:04,159
In fact, the only thing I do wear
as a concession that I make

168
00:12:04,160 --> 00:12:05,839
is this T-shirt, OK? This is

169
00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:07,919
the back of it as I'm riding along.

170
00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:11,640
"Motorists, thank you for letting me
use your roads."

171
00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:14,319
Because I think that's polite.

172
00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:17,519
I don't believe you have a bicycle.
What kind of bicycle is it?

173
00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:19,359
I don't know, they're all the same.

174
00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:21,639
Is it a mountain bike,
is it a racer?

175
00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:23,799
When you went to the shop,
you walked through

176
00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:27,479
the door of a bicycle shop
and the man went, "Oh, my God".

177
00:12:27,480 --> 00:12:30,159
And you went "I'd like..."?

178
00:12:30,160 --> 00:12:32,399
I just said, "Can I have the one
nearest to the door?"

179
00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:35,319
He was trying to say, "You can
have this one for £10,000..."

180
00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:38,799
I said "No, I just want a bicycle."
500 quid.

181
00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:40,079
This bicycle he sold you,

182
00:12:40,080 --> 00:12:43,159
is the front wheel a lot bigger
than the back wheel? - No.

183
00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:45,719
It's just a bike.
They're all the same.

184
00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:48,399
Has it got two little ones
at the back?

185
00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:50,679
No, it hasn't got stabilisers.

186
00:12:50,680 --> 00:12:55,599
I don't believe you, and I think
this has become a new mystery.

187
00:12:55,600 --> 00:12:56,839
It's like a yeti.

188
00:12:56,840 --> 00:12:59,239
So if maybe somebody's seen him,

189
00:12:59,240 --> 00:13:02,239
if you have seen Jeremy
on his bicycle, write to us, please,

190
00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:06,519
at "Help, I've Burst From Laughing",
Top Gear, Wood Lane, wherever.

191
00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:08,079
I don't believe you.

192
00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:11,599
I'm going to ride... No, I'm not
going to ride down here next week.

193
00:13:11,600 --> 00:13:13,839
That's idiotic.
I barely ride to the paper shop.

194
00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:16,279
Now, who saw the British Grand Prix
last weekend?

195
00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:17,399
Yes!

196
00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:19,679
You may have noticed there were
a lot of blowouts, OK,

197
00:13:19,680 --> 00:13:23,039
and I must say,
I feel rather sorry for Pirelli.

198
00:13:23,040 --> 00:13:24,159
For the last few years,

199
00:13:24,160 --> 00:13:27,119
their tyres have been really good
and grippy and lasted too long,

200
00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:28,759
so the organisers said to Pirelli,

201
00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:30,959
"Can you design a tyre
that's a bit rubbish?"

202
00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:32,919
So they did,
and now everyone's saying,

203
00:13:32,920 --> 00:13:34,359
"Your tyres are a bit rubbish".

204
00:13:34,360 --> 00:13:35,679
So how rubbish is too rubbish?

205
00:13:35,680 --> 00:13:38,319
How much do you think Pirelli spent
developing those tyres?

206
00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:39,960
It's got to be...100 quid?

207
00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:42,839
It's going to be millions.

208
00:13:42,840 --> 00:13:45,639
Yeah, millions of pounds
developing a tyre,

209
00:13:45,640 --> 00:13:48,479
and all they get in response is
people going into tyre warehouses

210
00:13:48,480 --> 00:13:51,479
and saying "I need four new tyres
for my car, just not Pirellis".

211
00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:54,839
Right. - And then I make silly jokes
when introducing the Stig about it.

212
00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:56,839
It's gone wrong! It backfired.

213
00:13:56,840 --> 00:13:59,119
This is exactly why
I don't get Formula One,

214
00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:02,759
because surely it should be the
pinnacle of automotive technology.

215
00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:04,119
Pirelli should make a tyre

216
00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:06,079
as good as it is possible
to make a tyre.

217
00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:08,039
They should have
active aerodynamics,

218
00:14:08,040 --> 00:14:11,519
they should have traction control,
the most sophisticated in the world,

219
00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:13,319
ABS, invisibility cloaks, all that.

220
00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:15,759
They should be allowed to have
anything they want.

221
00:14:15,760 --> 00:14:18,439
The problem is, the organisers
are trying to make Formula One

222
00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:21,559
a level playing field to make it a
drivers' championship. And it isn't.

223
00:14:21,560 --> 00:14:23,519
You could put Sebastian Vettel
in a Marussia

224
00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:25,319
- and he's going to come last.
- Exactly.

225
00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:28,359
Let's just make it
a championship for car-makers,

226
00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:31,519
and then let the designers
have completely free rein.

227
00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:32,719
You know what I'd do?

228
00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:35,960
I'd make a car that was the exact
width of the track.

229
00:14:38,440 --> 00:14:41,199
- How clever's that?
- That's interesting.

230
00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:44,359
That would only work
if you qualified at the front.

231
00:14:44,360 --> 00:14:45,559
No, you wouldn't have to,

232
00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:47,799
because it would be a Top Fuel-type
dragster, OK?

233
00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:49,599
So it'd be very poor
around the corners

234
00:14:49,600 --> 00:14:50,879
and I'd qualify last,

235
00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:53,919
but I would accelerate really
quickly past them all

236
00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:56,919
before the first corner,
and then it would expand.

237
00:14:56,920 --> 00:15:01,199
- Oh, it grows.
- I've just won the championship.

238
00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:03,999
Jeremy, what you're proposing
is Wacky Races.

239
00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:06,359
I know! Just think,
you could have, like,

240
00:15:06,360 --> 00:15:10,559
a dog as your co-driver that goes...

241
00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:14,679
I want a giant circular saw
on the front of my car.

242
00:15:14,680 --> 00:15:18,279
But here's the clever thing.
I can only use it once a lap.

243
00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:23,479
So you've got DRS zone,
then the saw zone. It's a good idea.

244
00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:29,159
I'd fit my Formula One car
with time travel. Think about it.

245
00:15:29,160 --> 00:15:32,400
The commentator would go "And
they're off! And James had won."

246
00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:38,520
- That's clever.
- We've solved Formula One.

247
00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:44,119
Again, the world just doesn't work
without us in it. - No.

248
00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:49,319
Volvo News! - Hooray. - They have
launched a car which parks itself.

249
00:15:49,320 --> 00:15:50,559
And I don't mean you sit in it.

250
00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:53,239
The idea is, you pull up
outside your office, get out,

251
00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:54,559
go into your office.

252
00:15:54,560 --> 00:16:01,039
It goes off, finds a space, I'm not
making this up, and parks in it.

253
00:16:01,040 --> 00:16:04,199
The only problem is,
when you come out of your office,

254
00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:06,080
how do you know where it's parked?

255
00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:10,639
But what if it had to park
three streets away?

256
00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:12,920
Or what if it's just given up
and gone home?

257
00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:16,239
Hang on,
how does it know what the rules are?

258
00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:18,679
You know those signs that go
with single yellow lines

259
00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:20,999
and those ones where there
are two lines on the kerb?

260
00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:24,039
They're complicated. And it's
Swedish anyway, so it can't read it.

261
00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:26,559
What worries me about this is,

262
00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:30,159
the roads will be full of driverless,
slightly panicky Volvos

263
00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:31,399
scurrying about going,

264
00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:33,959
"Can I park here? Can I park there?
Where can I go?"

265
00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:36,559
- It's going to be terrifying.
- It's the lampposts. - What?

266
00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:39,920
All the lampposts will have missing
Volvo pictures on. - Aww.

267
00:16:40,920 --> 00:16:43,319
"He's only a year old
and he's called Tiddles

268
00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:47,080
"and he went off to find a parking
space and I haven't seen him since!"

269
00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:50,479
Anyway, let's move on.

270
00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:53,679
There has been a whole rash of new
supercars launched recently.

271
00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:57,479
This is the one I'm interested in,
this Ferrari. - Ooh.

272
00:16:57,480 --> 00:17:00,559
Indeed, ooh.
It has an 800 horsepower V12.

273
00:17:00,560 --> 00:17:03,319
It has a KERS system
like a Formula One car.

274
00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:05,559
It's going to cost around a
million quid,

275
00:17:05,560 --> 00:17:08,159
but I think they've got a bit
of a problem with the name,

276
00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:10,799
because they've called it
LaFerrari.

277
00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:13,999
Sorry, what's wrong with that?
I mean, it is.

278
00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:15,639
No, but that's the model name.

279
00:17:15,640 --> 00:17:19,319
LaFerrari means "the Ferrari",
so that's the Ferrari the Ferrari.

280
00:17:19,320 --> 00:17:23,239
Oh, yeah. The supercar
I really want is by Pagani.

281
00:17:23,240 --> 00:17:26,079
They've got a new car out,
except they sort of haven't,

282
00:17:26,080 --> 00:17:27,679
because it's yet another version

283
00:17:27,680 --> 00:17:29,639
of the Zonda, their old car.
There it is.

284
00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:33,719
And what's new about that? - Not
a lot, really, apart from the price.

285
00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:39,839
- It's now £2.3 million. - What?
- Yeah. - For a second-hand car?

286
00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:41,519
Yeah.

287
00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:43,759
You know, the one
I'm most interested in,

288
00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:48,039
this is the McLaren P1, because this
is just shy of a million quid,

289
00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:52,599
so it's almost a bargain. And it's
got a 903 horsepower engine. 903.

290
00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:54,199
What fascinates me is,

291
00:17:54,200 --> 00:17:57,279
there's a wing that comes out
of the back of it

292
00:17:57,280 --> 00:17:59,079
which has got DRS on it.

293
00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:02,839
You know what DRS is, with the...
In Formula One, it opens.

294
00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:06,159
If you've got 903 horsepower,
when would you ever think,

295
00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:08,599
"Right, I need more straight-line
speed.

296
00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:10,399
"I'll deploy the DRS wing"?

297
00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:11,599
Well, it could happen.

298
00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:14,719
"That post office van is getting
a shift on. I'll deploy DRS."

299
00:18:14,720 --> 00:18:18,559
No, you will need that, your DRS,

300
00:18:18,560 --> 00:18:21,039
when you come across me
in the Ferrari the Ferrari,

301
00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:23,119
because, I hadn't read this
properly,

302
00:18:23,120 --> 00:18:26,079
it has got 800 horsepower
in the engine, but of course,

303
00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:27,359
it's got a KERS system.

304
00:18:27,360 --> 00:18:30,079
When you deploy it
and use the electric bit as well,

305
00:18:30,080 --> 00:18:33,879
ahem, 963 horsepower.

306
00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:37,479
And is that all going through
the rear wheels? - Yes, it is.

307
00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:39,759
Hang on, that's broadly
the same amount of power

308
00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:40,879
you get from a Bugatti,

309
00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:43,279
which is almost exactly
twice as heavy

310
00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:47,799
as the Ferrari the Ferrari,
and it has four-wheel-drive.

311
00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:51,839
- That's going to be "an handful".
- Yes.

312
00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:57,679
- Exciting, though. I want a go in it.
- I really want to go in the McLaren.

313
00:18:57,680 --> 00:18:58,879
That would be an epic test.

314
00:18:58,880 --> 00:19:01,319
You in that Ferrari, you in
the McLaren, me in that Zonda.

315
00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:02,439
Anybody want to see that?

316
00:19:02,440 --> 00:19:04,079
Yeah!

317
00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:07,359
So do I. - Let's see
if we can put that together.

318
00:19:07,360 --> 00:19:10,959
But you know how people often come
up to us and say,

319
00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:12,719
"When will Top Gear end?"

320
00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:15,679
About three minutes after us three
have set off.

321
00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:17,199
Yeah, in a big fireball.

322
00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:19,079
Does anybody want to see THAT?

323
00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:20,359
Yes!

324
00:19:20,360 --> 00:19:24,079
Right, let's move on, because it is
now 11 years we've been on air,

325
00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:25,359
and in all that time,

326
00:19:25,360 --> 00:19:29,679
there is one vehicle that we have
never reviewed, which is a surprise,

327
00:19:29,680 --> 00:19:31,639
because it's the most popular,

328
00:19:31,640 --> 00:19:34,360
important and used vehicle
in the world.

329
00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:39,959
I'm talking, of course,
about the taxi,

330
00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:44,000
the lifeblood of people movement
wherever you go in the world.

331
00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:52,199
And Britain's contribution to
this effort needs no introduction.

332
00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:54,920
It's a staple
of any London street scene.

333
00:19:56,880 --> 00:20:00,919
There are currently
around 19,000 black cabs

334
00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:03,999
moving people across the capital,

335
00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:09,439
and this vast fleet covers
almost half a billion miles a year.

336
00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:12,679
There's another.
They are literally everywhere.

337
00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:15,599
London life has caused the black cab

338
00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:19,559
to evolve into
an amazingly efficient vehicle.

339
00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:22,599
Its famous tiny turning circle,
for example,

340
00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:26,520
is the result of the need to tackle
the roundabout outside the Savoy.

341
00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:31,720
Then there's the black cab driver.

342
00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:34,799
No cabbie in the world
has to go through

343
00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:37,759
an ordeal as fearsome
as The Knowledge,

344
00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:44,399
which requires that all London
taxi drivers memorise 25,000 streets.

345
00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:45,879
The test is so tough, in fact,

346
00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:49,159
that cabbies develop an extra large
hippocampus,

347
00:20:49,160 --> 00:20:53,439
which is the area of the brain
associated with memory, navigation

348
00:20:53,440 --> 00:20:55,200
and views on immigration.

349
00:20:56,200 --> 00:20:59,159
Put this combination of man
and machine together,

350
00:20:59,160 --> 00:21:02,559
and what you have is indisputable.

351
00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:08,239
What you have is, without doubt,
obviously, unquestionably,

352
00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:11,200
no arguments,
the best taxi in the world.

353
00:21:13,840 --> 00:21:14,880
Or is it?

354
00:21:16,600 --> 00:21:18,999
The thing is, a New York taxi driver

355
00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:22,279
would probably disagree
with that statement.

356
00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:26,479
He'd say "Yeah, you may have
more space in the back,

357
00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:31,159
"but your London taxi is slow
and the ride is terrible,

358
00:21:31,160 --> 00:21:35,239
"whereas my yellow taxi has
a big V8 and proper suspension."

359
00:21:35,240 --> 00:21:37,359
But then a cabbie in Delhi would
say,

360
00:21:37,360 --> 00:21:39,799
"My Indian taxi is built
to last longer".

361
00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:42,999
Basically, every cabbie
everywhere in the world

362
00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:47,239
could argue for one reason or another
that their taxi is the best.

363
00:21:47,240 --> 00:21:49,799
Which means, if we really want
to find out

364
00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:52,279
which is the greatest taxi
in the world,

365
00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:54,199
there is only one way to do it,

366
00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:57,479
and that is, as ever,
in the prism of the furnace

367
00:21:57,480 --> 00:22:02,279
through the looking glass
of the crucible of motorsport.

368
00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:07,359
That means a race, and the venue
for our global showdown

369
00:22:07,360 --> 00:22:09,679
will be Lydden Hill in Kent,

370
00:22:09,680 --> 00:22:13,079
famous throughout the motorsport
world

371
00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:17,480
for being the only race track
with its own cab office.

372
00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:26,879
That plywood cab office looks
perilously close to the track.

373
00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:29,719
I sincerely hope no harm befalls it.

374
00:22:29,720 --> 00:22:33,080
Anyway, let's now meet our grid
of taxis from around the world.

375
00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:39,119
Representing Great Britain,
we have a 1997 Fairway driver which,

376
00:22:39,120 --> 00:22:43,720
with a mere 320,000 miles
on the clock, is barely run in.

377
00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:52,279
From Mexico,
a 1970 Volkswagen Beetle.

378
00:22:52,280 --> 00:22:57,120
50,000 of these things ply
their trade in Mexico City alone.

379
00:22:58,480 --> 00:23:02,279
From America,
one of the titans of the taxi world,

380
00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:03,800
a New York yellow cab.

381
00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:08,879
This particular one is a Ford Crown
Victoria, rear-wheel drive,

382
00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:12,439
4.6 litre V8
and in its day, good for 130.

383
00:23:12,440 --> 00:23:15,120
That's one to worry about.

384
00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:21,839
From India, the Hindustan Ambassador,
very much the old-timer here.

385
00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:25,319
The Ambassador has been
India's favourite taxi

386
00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:27,360
for an incredible 55 years.

387
00:23:28,640 --> 00:23:34,039
Next, from South Africa,
we have this. A Toyota HiAce.

388
00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:35,719
Whereas in most countries,

389
00:23:35,720 --> 00:23:38,279
they will be rooting
for their local taxi,

390
00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:41,239
you can expect the South Africans
to be booing,

391
00:23:41,240 --> 00:23:46,040
because these things are hated and
feared for their wild aggression.

392
00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:52,559
Moving on to this, from Germany.
It's the Mercedes E-Class.

393
00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:56,200
Neat, smart
and fastidiously maintained.

394
00:23:58,080 --> 00:24:01,760
And finally, from Russia,
a Stretched Lincoln Town Car.

395
00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:06,280
Now, that might not look like a cab,
but it is.

396
00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:11,640
In Russia, rich oligarchs hail limos
just like this to get around.

397
00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:17,359
So if you think we've included
a powerful rear-wheel drive

398
00:24:17,360 --> 00:24:20,039
30-foot long car just in the hope
that it will cause chaos,

399
00:24:20,040 --> 00:24:21,759
get that thought out of your head.

400
00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:26,319
So there we are, then -
the world's most iconic taxis,

401
00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:30,200
each poised and ready to defend
the honour of its country.

402
00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:33,639
Now, the cab drivers.

403
00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:37,359
And naturally, because of the
magnitude of what's at stake here,

404
00:24:37,360 --> 00:24:39,839
each country has sent its very best.

405
00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:43,039
But they all must have got lost
or something, so instead,

406
00:24:43,040 --> 00:24:46,360
we have the usual ragtag bunch
of racing drivers.

407
00:24:47,680 --> 00:24:50,760
For Russia,
touring car legend Anthony Reid.

408
00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:56,680
For South Africa,
touring car legend Matt Jackson.

409
00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:01,880
For Germany,
touring car legend Matt Neal.

410
00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:06,920
For India,
touring car legend Gordon Shedden.

411
00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:12,600
For Mexico,
touring car legend Paul O'Neill.

412
00:25:14,160 --> 00:25:20,199
For America, touring car legend
Tom Chilton.

413
00:25:20,200 --> 00:25:22,039
And in the black cab, me.

414
00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:26,239
So here we are, ready to plunge
once more into the abyss

415
00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:29,600
of motorsport-based
scientific research.

416
00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:39,999
I should point out that it's
the custom for Indian taxi drivers

417
00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:44,399
to carry a figurine of their chosen
God on the dashboard of their car.

418
00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:47,560
I think our guy may have
overdone it a bit.

419
00:25:54,360 --> 00:25:57,880
The guys are getting impatient.
That's good. Five-second board.

420
00:26:05,680 --> 00:26:06,880
Yeah!

421
00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:10,440
The South African is through.

422
00:26:11,680 --> 00:26:16,039
New York taxi alongside,
German... everybody is through.

423
00:26:16,040 --> 00:26:18,760
Absolutely everybody has passed me.

424
00:26:20,720 --> 00:26:22,800
But this is a marathon,
not a sprint.

425
00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:27,719
'As ever, I'd issued strict
instructions

426
00:26:27,720 --> 00:26:30,439
'for the drivers to avoid
body contact.

427
00:26:30,440 --> 00:26:33,200
'Clearly, the South African
hadn't got the memo.'

428
00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:40,920
The South African is completely
insane, largely out of control.

429
00:26:48,360 --> 00:26:51,480
Huge slide from the limo!
That's incredible.

430
00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:56,919
'But while the Russian limo may have
been struggling in the corners,

431
00:26:56,920 --> 00:26:58,400
'I had issues everywhere.'

432
00:27:03,480 --> 00:27:07,319
Yeah. I'm quite badly outpaced
on the hill,

433
00:27:07,320 --> 00:27:10,320
on the straights and in the turns.

434
00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:13,599
This is all I've got.

435
00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:15,040
'However, I had a plan.'

436
00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:21,319
When it comes to cunning, remember,
black cab drivers do The Knowledge.

437
00:27:21,320 --> 00:27:26,679
I know where all the shortcuts are.
I'll nip down here, love.

438
00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:29,759
Thanks to my super tight turning
circle, I can make this.

439
00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:31,479
That's me back in the race.

440
00:27:31,480 --> 00:27:34,040
I'd say more than back in,
I am leading it.

441
00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:39,079
'Sadly, my fellow cabbies weren't
impressed by this tactic

442
00:27:39,080 --> 00:27:41,159
'and when they caught up with me,

443
00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:43,959
'they were quick to show
their displeasure.'

444
00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:48,640
He's just ramming me!
That is just... oh, you're joking.

445
00:27:54,480 --> 00:27:58,880
Yeah. Some good-natured jostling
from the other nations.

446
00:28:06,360 --> 00:28:10,479
'With the race now at the halfway
point, no clear leader was emerging,

447
00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:14,560
'which meant inevitably that the
drivers began to turn up the heat.'

448
00:28:23,320 --> 00:28:25,400
There's been a crash,
but we're OK.

449
00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:30,959
'Fed up of the South African's
hooliganism,

450
00:28:30,960 --> 00:28:33,760
'the limo gave him
a taste of his own medicine.'

451
00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:44,999
Oh! Whoa! Getting a push now.

452
00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:48,960
This is by far the fastest
I have been.

453
00:28:50,040 --> 00:28:55,399
Oh, Jesus. Sorry about that.
Oh, God, it's the Mexican, isn't it?

454
00:28:55,400 --> 00:28:57,760
It's going to be bad.

455
00:28:59,840 --> 00:29:04,400
'With just two laps to go, everybody
was still running. But then...'

456
00:29:09,920 --> 00:29:15,039
Oh, the limo takes
himself off entirely.

457
00:29:15,040 --> 00:29:19,680
Oh, my word!
That is Russia taken out.

458
00:29:21,240 --> 00:29:23,960
In fact, America has taken
itself out as well.

459
00:29:27,280 --> 00:29:30,680
Right, still in play,
we have the Beetle...

460
00:29:32,760 --> 00:29:34,639
The Mercedes is holding up well.

461
00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:37,199
It's really sustained
very little damage.

462
00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:40,120
'But the marauding South African
had other ideas.'

463
00:29:44,560 --> 00:29:47,280
Oh! Bad luck.

464
00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:50,119
'Now into the final lap,

465
00:29:50,120 --> 00:29:55,000
'and desperate to beat the remaining
runners, I took another sneaky turn.'

466
00:29:57,240 --> 00:29:58,640
Ha-ha!

467
00:30:03,080 --> 00:30:04,520
There is the finish line.

468
00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:09,960
I think I can win this.

469
00:30:13,400 --> 00:30:16,280
I think I can win... Oh, no, no!

470
00:30:20,480 --> 00:30:22,960
It's entirely possible
that I am a bit last.

471
00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:29,159
'Nevertheless, the crucible
of motorsport

472
00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:31,919
'had once more given us the answer.

473
00:30:31,920 --> 00:30:35,560
'As it turns out,
the greatest taxi in the world...

474
00:30:36,800 --> 00:30:39,200
'is the Hindustan Ambassador'.

475
00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:47,839
Well done, mate. Excellent.

476
00:30:47,840 --> 00:30:51,280
Excellent. Good science.

477
00:30:52,640 --> 00:30:55,599
But may I ask, Hammond,
an important question?

478
00:30:55,600 --> 00:30:59,839
How many people were killed
in the making of that film?

479
00:30:59,840 --> 00:31:04,719
Actually, only three. - Three. See,
that's more than I was hoping for.

480
00:31:04,720 --> 00:31:07,479
But with science, there often
has to be sacrifice.

481
00:31:07,480 --> 00:31:10,879
But you've decided, have you not,
after subjecting those cars

482
00:31:10,880 --> 00:31:13,439
to the white heat of the crucible
of motorsport,

483
00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:15,639
that the best taxi in the world

484
00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:19,399
started out in life as a Morris
Oxford. - Yeah, and there it is.

485
00:31:19,400 --> 00:31:22,479
That would explain why the company
that makes the London black cab

486
00:31:22,480 --> 00:31:25,239
- has gone bust.
- You say that, but they're back.

487
00:31:25,240 --> 00:31:28,839
They've been rescued. They're going
to start production again very soon.

488
00:31:28,840 --> 00:31:30,319
Pointlessly, as it turns out.

489
00:31:30,320 --> 00:31:31,679
Yes, absolutely.

490
00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:35,519
So, let's put a star in our
brand-new reasonably-priced car.

491
00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:38,479
Now, you may be aware
that later on this year,

492
00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:40,519
we're going to be treated
to a film called Rush.

493
00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:42,639
It's about the epic battle
in 1976

494
00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:45,119
for the Formula One
world championship

495
00:31:45,120 --> 00:31:47,479
between James Hunt and Niki Lauda,

496
00:31:47,480 --> 00:31:50,359
and my guest tonight
is the man who directed it.

497
00:31:50,360 --> 00:31:52,840
Ladies and gentlemen,
please welcome Ron Howard!

498
00:31:55,360 --> 00:31:58,119
Ron Howard is here.

499
00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:01,400
How are you? He's here!

500
00:32:05,360 --> 00:32:07,320
The man who made Rush. Have a seat.

501
00:32:08,480 --> 00:32:10,879
Now, Ron, over the years,

502
00:32:10,880 --> 00:32:15,119
your films have been nominated for
29 Oscars

503
00:32:15,120 --> 00:32:18,599
and I think you've won two yourself.

504
00:32:18,600 --> 00:32:20,919
And now you've made a historical
film

505
00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:24,559
about a sport that most of the world
doesn't really watch.

506
00:32:24,560 --> 00:32:28,319
So why did you think,
"Yeah, Hunt and Lauda"?

507
00:32:28,320 --> 00:32:31,279
Great story.
Great human interest story,

508
00:32:31,280 --> 00:32:35,639
and I knew just enough about Formula
One to just know how cool it was.

509
00:32:35,640 --> 00:32:38,239
And I felt like the combination
of those characters,

510
00:32:38,240 --> 00:32:40,119
the kind of human drama,

511
00:32:40,120 --> 00:32:44,199
the world of Formula One,
particularly in the '70s,

512
00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:46,719
was a chance to offer
something fresh to audiences.

513
00:32:46,720 --> 00:32:48,159
It was a movie I wanted to see.

514
00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:50,319
I was nervous about it
because I thought

515
00:32:50,320 --> 00:32:52,239
oh, no, they'll make it too nerdy

516
00:32:52,240 --> 00:32:54,959
and everyone will say
Formula One's boring,

517
00:32:54,960 --> 00:32:57,759
or they'll do a Hollywood number
of "I love speed!"

518
00:32:57,760 --> 00:32:59,479
and it will all be set in NASCAR

519
00:32:59,480 --> 00:33:02,239
to make it easy for the Americans
to understand.

520
00:33:02,240 --> 00:33:06,399
And yet,
it's neither of those things.

521
00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:09,439
It is genuinely a film
that takes you back to the '70s,

522
00:33:09,440 --> 00:33:11,799
when motor racing
was bloody dangerous.

523
00:33:11,800 --> 00:33:14,159
You weren't the only one
who was nervous.

524
00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:17,199
You certainly want the fans to feel
the sport's respected,

525
00:33:17,200 --> 00:33:20,879
but you also need to make a movie
that works on a lot of levels

526
00:33:20,880 --> 00:33:22,119
for a lot of people.

527
00:33:22,120 --> 00:33:25,319
I had that opportunity
with Apollo 13,

528
00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:27,639
and it's one of the films
I enjoyed making most.

529
00:33:27,640 --> 00:33:30,399
And I've got to tell you,
Rush was right up there.

530
00:33:30,400 --> 00:33:31,479
I had a blast.

531
00:33:31,480 --> 00:33:34,799
We've got a clip for those of you
who want to see what it looks like.

532
00:33:34,800 --> 00:33:38,080
We'll show it for you now,
because it is quite something.

533
00:33:39,840 --> 00:33:42,719
There's a lie that all drivers
tell themselves.

534
00:33:42,720 --> 00:33:46,079
"Death is something that happens
to other people."

535
00:33:46,080 --> 00:33:50,160
What kind of person does a job
like this? Each year, two of us die.

536
00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:53,759
I accept every time I get in my car

537
00:33:53,760 --> 00:33:56,199
that there's a 20% chance
I could die.

538
00:33:56,200 --> 00:33:59,519
Being driven round at 170 mph?
This thing's a bomb on wheels.

539
00:33:59,520 --> 00:34:01,920
- I'm quicker than all of you.
- Then let's race.

540
00:34:12,560 --> 00:34:16,719
I'm a world champion on the verge
to become world champion again.

541
00:34:16,720 --> 00:34:18,600
I could beat this guy. Trust me.

542
00:34:23,680 --> 00:34:26,640
The closer you are to death,
the more alive you feel.

543
00:34:33,480 --> 00:34:35,719
This lot are going
to wet themselves.

544
00:34:35,720 --> 00:34:41,039
In the film, you show Niki Lauda,
warts and all.

545
00:34:41,040 --> 00:34:45,119
I had no idea he was like that,
this OCD, very straight guy.

546
00:34:45,120 --> 00:34:48,039
How did he react
when he saw the finished product?

547
00:34:48,040 --> 00:34:50,879
When he saw it, he was moved by it,

548
00:34:50,880 --> 00:34:55,319
and I think it was because
he never really had a perspective

549
00:34:55,320 --> 00:34:57,439
on that period around the accident.

550
00:34:57,440 --> 00:35:00,439
First of all, he couldn't remember
much of it.

551
00:35:00,440 --> 00:35:04,239
Secondly, what he does remember was
all about the anger that people were

552
00:35:04,240 --> 00:35:06,239
writing him off, thought he had
died.

553
00:35:06,240 --> 00:35:10,719
He could hear that. And also the
myopic drive to get back in the car.

554
00:35:10,720 --> 00:35:14,279
He was so single-minded that he
blanked everything else out

555
00:35:14,280 --> 00:35:17,399
and when he saw this he began to
realise what other

556
00:35:17,400 --> 00:35:21,519
people around him, Marlene, his wife
then, in particular,

557
00:35:21,520 --> 00:35:24,159
what they were going through,
and a more human side of it.

558
00:35:24,160 --> 00:35:26,519
And I think it was emotional for him
to deal with.

559
00:35:26,520 --> 00:35:28,079
Then of course you've got James Hunt

560
00:35:28,080 --> 00:35:29,879
as the complete counterbalance
to that.

561
00:35:29,880 --> 00:35:34,039
We've got a picture of James Hunt
which we keep on our office wall.

562
00:35:34,040 --> 00:35:36,479
This just sums him up.
His pop-riveted car.

563
00:35:36,480 --> 00:35:38,679
He's thinking,
"When I've finished this cigarette

564
00:35:38,680 --> 00:35:41,360
"and this can of beer,
you, my dear, are next."

565
00:35:43,400 --> 00:35:45,839
You just don't see this today. It is
one of the tragedies.

566
00:35:45,840 --> 00:35:47,399
You can't see Nico Rosberg posing.

567
00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:49,799
"I would like to thank my
watch manufacturer

568
00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:52,479
"and my hat manufacturer
and the people who made my oil."

569
00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:53,999
That's what I really like about it.

570
00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:56,599
There are two guys,
who bowed to no-one.

571
00:35:56,600 --> 00:36:01,199
There was no Yoda guiding them to
their higher purpose.

572
00:36:01,200 --> 00:36:04,519
These were guys who defined
themselves on their own terms,

573
00:36:04,520 --> 00:36:10,479
very different terms,
and they would bear the scars

574
00:36:10,480 --> 00:36:14,079
of those decisions, but they also
could certainly claim the triumphs.

575
00:36:14,080 --> 00:36:17,079
I'm sure everybody in the room
here... We move off Rush.

576
00:36:17,080 --> 00:36:20,799
I'm sure everybody in the room here
is looking at you thinking,

577
00:36:20,800 --> 00:36:24,199
everyone over 40 that is,
thinking that is a familiar face,

578
00:36:24,200 --> 00:36:28,079
because a lot of people don't
realise that you were in Happy Days.

579
00:36:28,080 --> 00:36:30,399
You are Richie Cunningham.

580
00:36:30,400 --> 00:36:31,880
I was him.

581
00:36:37,800 --> 00:36:40,559
It's one of those things I think
people find hard to equate.

582
00:36:40,560 --> 00:36:43,719
Here's this amazing film director,
but you were,

583
00:36:43,720 --> 00:36:46,639
so you really did obviously switch
into directing and I was just

584
00:36:46,640 --> 00:36:49,599
making a list of the better-known
ones that you've directed and...

585
00:36:49,600 --> 00:36:50,839
This is extraordinary.

586
00:36:50,840 --> 00:36:53,639
It's Splash, Cocoon, Apollo 13,
Da Vinci Code, Beautiful Mind,

587
00:36:53,640 --> 00:36:55,399
Frost/Nixon, Angels & Demons,

588
00:36:55,400 --> 00:36:59,479
Backdraft, Parenthood -
that's very funny - Ransom.

589
00:36:59,480 --> 00:37:02,799
I'm just thinking, "Hang on a
minute, he did Happy Days and all

590
00:37:02,800 --> 00:37:07,919
"that. I do a car show and I'm
flat-out." How do you find the time?

591
00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:12,079
The simple answer is I enjoy what
I'm doing, so I don't need a hobby.

592
00:37:12,080 --> 00:37:13,279
I love this.

593
00:37:13,280 --> 00:37:15,799
Having been on a show like Happy
Days, you sort of are doing

594
00:37:15,800 --> 00:37:17,359
the same character over and over

595
00:37:17,360 --> 00:37:21,159
and when I realised I had a chance
to be a director I thought,

596
00:37:21,160 --> 00:37:24,359
"I want to do as many diverse
things as I possibly can."

597
00:37:24,360 --> 00:37:26,279
So I was renting 16mm cameras,

598
00:37:26,280 --> 00:37:28,879
making my own little
independent movies.

599
00:37:28,880 --> 00:37:31,559
Eventually doing my first movie,
which was a car movie,

600
00:37:31,560 --> 00:37:34,039
- Grand Theft Auto. - Of course.
- Car crash comedy.

601
00:37:34,040 --> 00:37:37,879
I did that during one
of the hiatuses from Happy Days.

602
00:37:37,880 --> 00:37:41,919
Moving onto personal life if I may,
four children? - Yes.

603
00:37:41,920 --> 00:37:46,359
- Their middle names interest me.
- Oh, yeah, I guess they might.

604
00:37:46,360 --> 00:37:49,119
You've got one called, middle
name of Dallas. - Yes.

605
00:37:49,120 --> 00:37:51,839
Which I believe was named... - After
the city. - Where...?

606
00:37:51,840 --> 00:37:54,199
She was conceived. Yes.

607
00:37:54,200 --> 00:37:58,039
Then you've got twins, both of whom
have the middle name Carlyle.

608
00:37:58,040 --> 00:38:03,119
Yes. In New York there is a
lovely hotel called The Carlyle...

609
00:38:03,120 --> 00:38:04,560
OK. And...

610
00:38:06,120 --> 00:38:11,199
And we sorted that one out, kind
of backtracked, and thought,

611
00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:15,359
"That's a very beautiful middle
name, let's keep the tradition." - OK.

612
00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:19,159
- The youngest son is called Cross.
- Cross. Reed Cross Howard.

613
00:38:19,160 --> 00:38:23,039
We sort of found out
we were pregnant again. Great.

614
00:38:23,040 --> 00:38:25,239
"All right, well let's sort
through it.

615
00:38:25,240 --> 00:38:27,600
"I wonder if we can figure it out.

616
00:38:29,400 --> 00:38:31,240
"Volvo is not much of a middle
name."

617
00:38:34,440 --> 00:38:38,799
And... - Yeah, Volvo doesn't work.

618
00:38:38,800 --> 00:38:41,759
But there is a road near us called
Lower Cross Road.

619
00:38:41,760 --> 00:38:43,800
Which is where the Volvo was.

620
00:38:46,040 --> 00:38:49,919
- We have a good marriage. - Evidently.
- Richard Hammond does the same.

621
00:38:49,920 --> 00:38:51,999
I was talking to his kids
the other day.

622
00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:54,720
They're called Bus Stop
and By The Bins.

623
00:38:58,680 --> 00:39:01,719
Now, you are the first person to
properly drive our brand-new

624
00:39:01,720 --> 00:39:03,079
reasonably-priced car.

625
00:39:03,080 --> 00:39:04,959
- Yes.
- What did you think of it?

626
00:39:04,960 --> 00:39:07,119
First of all I will say
the right-hand drive

627
00:39:07,120 --> 00:39:10,719
and the gearshift on the left
was a concern to me.

628
00:39:10,720 --> 00:39:12,040
The correct way round.

629
00:39:14,400 --> 00:39:16,719
It was... It definitely threw me.

630
00:39:16,720 --> 00:39:21,439
And I also implore, before you get
into all this, I implore anyone who

631
00:39:21,440 --> 00:39:26,320
has any interest in seeing my movie
Rush, I didn't drive in the movie.

632
00:39:28,120 --> 00:39:29,959
Real drivers drove in the movie.

633
00:39:29,960 --> 00:39:32,559
Right, there's
your excuses out of the way.

634
00:39:32,560 --> 00:39:34,799
Now who'd like to see Ron's lap?

635
00:39:34,800 --> 00:39:36,599
Yes.

636
00:39:36,600 --> 00:39:38,519
- Let's have a look.
- Oh, Lord.

637
00:39:38,520 --> 00:39:40,839
Let's have a look.

638
00:39:40,840 --> 00:39:45,159
Look at that mighty machine leaping
off the line.

639
00:39:45,160 --> 00:39:47,279
You've got to stick it, Ron.

640
00:39:47,280 --> 00:39:48,599
You've got to really stick it.

641
00:39:48,600 --> 00:39:51,199
Niki was giving me a little
coaching the other day.

642
00:39:51,200 --> 00:39:52,959
That's Niki Lauda's explanation.

643
00:39:52,960 --> 00:39:55,519
"You've got to stick it.
You've got to really stick it."

644
00:39:55,520 --> 00:39:58,839
Holy smokes. - Is that sticking it?

645
00:39:58,840 --> 00:40:02,079
- I don't know!
- Not using all the track.

646
00:40:02,080 --> 00:40:03,480
Smooth.

647
00:40:05,480 --> 00:40:06,919
Right. - I don't know.

648
00:40:06,920 --> 00:40:09,160
That car is gripping quite well
there.

649
00:40:11,760 --> 00:40:14,319
This is the one that
always destroys me.

650
00:40:14,320 --> 00:40:15,879
The fearsome Hammerhead.

651
00:40:15,880 --> 00:40:18,159
I look like I'm being destroyed,
don't I?

652
00:40:18,160 --> 00:40:22,359
This is looking good.
That's very good. Very tidy.

653
00:40:22,360 --> 00:40:23,960
Listen to that engine

654
00:40:26,040 --> 00:40:30,839
- Wow, what a machine this is
- Concentrate here a little bit.

655
00:40:30,840 --> 00:40:32,279
See, I'm taking it seriously.

656
00:40:32,280 --> 00:40:35,439
You were. That is
a man who is concentrating.

657
00:40:35,440 --> 00:40:40,759
Tyres tortured as he goes through
the follow-through. Nicely done.

658
00:40:40,760 --> 00:40:43,399
Nicely cut. Let's have a
look at the second-to-last corner.

659
00:40:43,400 --> 00:40:47,879
This is the bit normally catch...
Oh! Bang on.

660
00:40:47,880 --> 00:40:54,279
And then on into Gambon and look
at that grip. That's bloody good.

661
00:40:54,280 --> 00:40:55,999
There we are across the line.

662
00:40:56,000 --> 00:40:58,200
Wow.

663
00:41:03,640 --> 00:41:09,919
Thank you. - So, Ron,
not many times on the board.

664
00:41:09,920 --> 00:41:12,959
- Where do you think you've come?
- Lord.

665
00:41:12,960 --> 00:41:15,119
It wasn't quite as ugly as
I imagined it would be.

666
00:41:15,120 --> 00:41:18,479
My director's eye on the outside had
it looking pretty bad.

667
00:41:18,480 --> 00:41:21,839
It looked smooth. Not sure about
fast, but it looked smooth.

668
00:41:21,840 --> 00:41:24,279
Where do we think?

669
00:41:24,280 --> 00:41:27,839
I'd like to think I'm not
flat on the bottom.

670
00:41:27,840 --> 00:41:30,199
That would be Mike Rutherford
out of Genesis.

671
00:41:30,200 --> 00:41:32,959
I suspect I'm right down there.

672
00:41:32,960 --> 00:41:36,679
That's where I think. - Ron Howard,
you did it in 1...

673
00:41:36,680 --> 00:41:39,399
Right. - So that's good. - OK.

674
00:41:39,400 --> 00:41:44,920
- ..40. - Oh, OK, not the very bottom.
- So that's good. - OK.

675
00:41:46,320 --> 00:41:48,199
The next bit's not so good.

676
00:41:48,200 --> 00:41:48,700
..9.9.

677
00:41:54,400 --> 00:41:58,400
OK. You're not the bottom.

678
00:42:01,440 --> 00:42:07,959
So what this means is we've finally
found something

679
00:42:07,960 --> 00:42:10,119
you can't do.

680
00:42:10,120 --> 00:42:14,759
Good at directing,
brilliant in Happy Days,

681
00:42:14,760 --> 00:42:18,319
a charming human being,
but utterly crap at driving.

682
00:42:18,320 --> 00:42:21,680
Fair enough. - Ladies and gentlemen,
Ron Howard. - Thank you.

683
00:42:32,800 --> 00:42:37,079
Now you may have seen that a few
months ago

684
00:42:37,080 --> 00:42:40,999
the famous BBC TV Centre
closed down.

685
00:42:41,000 --> 00:42:43,719
When it did, the airwaves were
swamped with emotional

686
00:42:43,720 --> 00:42:45,999
tributes from the giants
of television.

687
00:42:46,000 --> 00:42:49,559
Ronnie Corbett, David
Attenborough, Michael Parkinson.

688
00:42:49,560 --> 00:42:53,400
But nothing from Top Gear.
Until now.

689
00:42:54,840 --> 00:42:56,840
This is the building in question.

690
00:43:01,400 --> 00:43:05,639
For 53 years, it was the engine
room for some of the most iconic

691
00:43:05,640 --> 00:43:07,240
television in the world.

692
00:43:09,120 --> 00:43:12,360
But now, today,
this is all that's left.

693
00:43:16,680 --> 00:43:19,399
And that is great news

694
00:43:19,400 --> 00:43:22,039
because what we've realised is that
once you take away all

695
00:43:22,040 --> 00:43:25,519
the people and the tea trolley
and you've locked all the doors

696
00:43:25,520 --> 00:43:30,719
this abandoned building makes
an excellent venue for a race.

697
00:43:30,720 --> 00:43:34,279
You have these curving corridors
that could be long, fast

698
00:43:34,280 --> 00:43:36,240
sweepers on a top F1 track.

699
00:43:37,560 --> 00:43:40,439
You have these beautiful offices
full of interesting obstacles

700
00:43:40,440 --> 00:43:42,480
and technical turns.

701
00:43:44,400 --> 00:43:47,399
And you have all this outdoor area
where you can literally

702
00:43:47,400 --> 00:43:49,480
get some air.

703
00:43:51,280 --> 00:43:55,359
All in all, a unique and exciting
racing circuit I think you'll agree.

704
00:43:55,360 --> 00:43:57,639
And so to the racers.

705
00:43:57,640 --> 00:44:01,399
Now, unfortunately this building
isn't very suitable for cars,

706
00:44:01,400 --> 00:44:04,959
as indeed Jeremy proved a
while back with the Peel P50.

707
00:44:04,960 --> 00:44:11,159
So today we'll be racing these two.
Of which there are three.

708
00:44:11,160 --> 00:44:14,559
We have Dougie Lampkin MBE,

709
00:44:14,560 --> 00:44:18,240
a trials rider with 16 World
Titles to his name.

710
00:44:20,240 --> 00:44:24,119
And he's up against Tim Shieff
and Paul Joseph,

711
00:44:24,120 --> 00:44:26,959
two of the finest Free
Runners on the planet.

712
00:44:26,960 --> 00:44:30,359
They may not have an
engine between them

713
00:44:30,360 --> 00:44:33,439
but apparently they can
run along corridors and scamper over

714
00:44:33,440 --> 00:44:38,039
balconies and fire escapes
like a couple of randy squirrels.

715
00:44:38,040 --> 00:44:41,319
So with the introductions over,
let's look at the route

716
00:44:41,320 --> 00:44:42,520
of the race itself.

717
00:44:43,560 --> 00:44:46,399
Here we have a birds' eye
view of Television Centre.

718
00:44:46,400 --> 00:44:48,199
It's actually only a model.

719
00:44:48,200 --> 00:44:51,439
And you will see it's shaped
a little bit like a question mark.

720
00:44:51,440 --> 00:44:53,919
So what I'm proposing is
we start here, which is

721
00:44:53,920 --> 00:44:55,719
roughly where we're standing now,

722
00:44:55,720 --> 00:44:58,279
enter the building at the base of
the question mark

723
00:44:58,280 --> 00:45:00,999
and then race all the way
through it to finish here

724
00:45:01,000 --> 00:45:04,640
which is up there.

725
00:45:07,360 --> 00:45:09,839
'As an excited crowd gathered,
I positioned

726
00:45:09,840 --> 00:45:11,400
'myself on the finish line.'

727
00:45:13,280 --> 00:45:19,600
Are you ready? In three, two,
one.

728
00:45:33,960 --> 00:45:38,199
This is interesting. Dougie Lampkin
has chosen to go through the door.

729
00:45:38,200 --> 00:45:42,159
'But the youths are making their way
up the outside of the building

730
00:45:42,160 --> 00:45:43,839
'which actually isn't such a bad
idea'

731
00:45:43,840 --> 00:45:47,639
because once you're inside here,
you will be completely baffled.

732
00:45:47,640 --> 00:45:49,839
'If they stay on the outside they
will have some idea

733
00:45:49,840 --> 00:45:50,999
'of where they're going.'

734
00:45:51,000 --> 00:45:52,560
Good thinking.

735
00:45:58,440 --> 00:46:02,239
Right, this should allow me to get
a direct feed

736
00:46:02,240 --> 00:46:06,199
from any of the
CCTV cameras around the building.

737
00:46:06,200 --> 00:46:07,840
And there are the jumpy boys.

738
00:46:09,320 --> 00:46:12,000
They are literally breaking news.

739
00:46:23,160 --> 00:46:25,639
'As the youths made their way
through the newsroom,

740
00:46:25,640 --> 00:46:28,080
'Dougie was looking for a way
upstairs.'

741
00:46:31,680 --> 00:46:33,200
There is Dougie Lampkin.

742
00:46:35,440 --> 00:46:38,919
'In the Newsnight office, the youths
had found their path blocked

743
00:46:38,920 --> 00:46:41,240
'and were having to
make their way down again.'

744
00:47:03,680 --> 00:47:07,479
'Having found himself literally in a
lock-in in the BBC bar

745
00:47:07,480 --> 00:47:10,800
'Dougie too needed to find a way
back down.'

746
00:47:19,360 --> 00:47:23,239
So he is, God knows,
somewhere over in the main

747
00:47:23,240 --> 00:47:26,440
leg of the question mark just
approaching the curvy bit.

748
00:47:28,920 --> 00:47:31,960
I've no idea who's in the lead,
but it's very exciting.

749
00:47:35,880 --> 00:47:37,680
'That, chaps, is a locked door.'

750
00:47:42,160 --> 00:47:44,479
The Health and Safety department
will have something to

751
00:47:44,480 --> 00:47:45,840
say about that.

752
00:47:52,800 --> 00:47:56,319
Into the studio and the Daleks still
waiting

753
00:47:56,320 --> 00:47:58,120
at the bottom of the stairs
there.

754
00:48:02,480 --> 00:48:05,519
'Amazingly even though the youths
were now at the management

755
00:48:05,520 --> 00:48:07,279
'offices on the sixth floor

756
00:48:07,280 --> 00:48:10,080
'they were having no trouble
making decisions.'

757
00:48:19,840 --> 00:48:23,279
'Meanwhile Dougie, now completely
frustrated by the maze

758
00:48:23,280 --> 00:48:27,520
'of BBC corridors, had
decided on a more direct approach.'

759
00:48:29,680 --> 00:48:31,360
Oh.

760
00:48:39,880 --> 00:48:42,840
And Dougie Lampkin is going onto
the roof I believe.

761
00:49:21,440 --> 00:49:23,080
I can hear a bike.

762
00:49:37,960 --> 00:49:40,999
It's Dougie Lampkin,
ladies and gentlemen!

763
00:49:41,000 --> 00:49:43,759
What a fantastic two-wheeled
tribute

764
00:49:43,760 --> 00:49:46,239
to BBC Television Centre
W12 8QT.

765
00:49:46,240 --> 00:49:47,839
Congratulations, sir.

766
00:49:47,840 --> 00:49:49,959
Where are the Free Runners?

767
00:49:49,960 --> 00:49:51,879
And here they come.

768
00:49:51,880 --> 00:49:54,839
Tim Shieff, Paul Joseph, close,

769
00:49:54,840 --> 00:49:57,079
not quite close enough,

770
00:49:57,080 --> 00:49:58,719
but well done anyway.

771
00:49:58,720 --> 00:50:02,239
Well done, great race. - Your victor,
Dougie Lampkin. How was it?

772
00:50:02,240 --> 00:50:05,159
I'm knackered.
That thing's a labyrinth.

773
00:50:05,160 --> 00:50:08,119
You know there's a lift?
In that tall bit there.

774
00:50:08,120 --> 00:50:10,040
You just go straight up to the top.

775
00:50:14,880 --> 00:50:19,679
That was incredible. I couldn't do
a single thing that those guys did.

776
00:50:19,680 --> 00:50:22,559
I was going to do the bike.
I couldn't put the helmet on.

777
00:50:22,560 --> 00:50:24,279
The jumps were amazing.

778
00:50:24,280 --> 00:50:28,399
I just want to say that
when I made that film

779
00:50:28,400 --> 00:50:33,079
Television Centre had closed, but
since then, owing to the unique way

780
00:50:33,080 --> 00:50:36,640
the BBC is run,
they've decided to open it again.

781
00:50:37,960 --> 00:50:42,360
Right, so you've made a tribute film
to a building that isn't shut? - Yes.

782
00:50:43,960 --> 00:50:47,679
Isn't that like making an obituary
for Holly Willoughby? - Yes.

783
00:50:47,680 --> 00:50:49,479
But imagine how pleased you'd be

784
00:50:49,480 --> 00:50:51,239
when you found out
she was still alive.

785
00:50:51,240 --> 00:50:54,519
That's a point. - Chaps,
may I interrupt?

786
00:50:54,520 --> 00:50:57,439
Because I much enjoyed your
smashing-up-the-taxi film

787
00:50:57,440 --> 00:50:59,559
and your race
between the motorcyclist

788
00:50:59,560 --> 00:51:02,999
and the two pedestrians, but I'm
afraid we have to get serious now.

789
00:51:03,000 --> 00:51:07,039
- Because we've had a letter.
- Oh, no - It's from...

790
00:51:07,040 --> 00:51:09,720
Well, it's from a mealy-mouthed,
small-minded idiot.

791
00:51:11,080 --> 00:51:14,959
And it says, "Dear Jeremy Clarkson,
because Britain is so crowded

792
00:51:14,960 --> 00:51:18,559
"and there's so much traffic,
there's no point owning a Ferrari

793
00:51:18,560 --> 00:51:21,960
"and therefore no point road
testing them on your programme."

794
00:51:24,040 --> 00:51:26,879
Well, now I disagree,
Mr Small-minded Idiot.

795
00:51:26,880 --> 00:51:29,959
Because there are plenty of places
in Britain

796
00:51:29,960 --> 00:51:31,440
that aren't crowded at all.

797
00:51:40,640 --> 00:51:42,759
This is Hertfordshire.

798
00:51:42,760 --> 00:51:47,040
It's just 40 miles from London
and it's motoring nirvana.

799
00:51:51,720 --> 00:51:53,879
Mmm! We have everything we need.

800
00:51:53,880 --> 00:51:57,999
Huge scenery, swooping road,
no traffic.

801
00:51:58,000 --> 00:52:01,839
The Holy Trinity for anyone whose
communion wine comes with

802
00:52:01,840 --> 00:52:03,680
an octane rating.

803
00:52:04,680 --> 00:52:08,640
Can't enjoy a Ferrari in Britain?
Oh, yes, you can.

804
00:52:10,080 --> 00:52:12,880
But can you enjoy THIS one?

805
00:52:18,960 --> 00:52:21,279
It's called the F12.

806
00:52:21,280 --> 00:52:26,959
It costs £240,000 and thanks to
a 730 horsepower V12 it's

807
00:52:26,960 --> 00:52:31,320
the most powerful road-going
Ferrari ever made.

808
00:52:33,000 --> 00:52:37,800
It's almost as powerful, in fact, as
Fernando Alonso's Formula 1 racer.

809
00:52:45,920 --> 00:52:49,799
Of course, at this point, people
with mouths of meal would say,

810
00:52:49,800 --> 00:52:53,640
"What's the point of all that
when we've got speed limits?"

811
00:52:55,200 --> 00:52:58,359
You don't have to use
all of it all the time.

812
00:52:58,360 --> 00:53:01,999
In a town, you can sit back,
turn on the radio,

813
00:53:02,000 --> 00:53:06,399
put the suspension in bumpy road
mode to make everything nice

814
00:53:06,400 --> 00:53:08,519
and comfy, set the gearbox in
automatic,

815
00:53:08,520 --> 00:53:10,159
the air conditioning just so,

816
00:53:10,160 --> 00:53:13,720
and then you can drive along quite
happily at 20 miles an hour.

817
00:53:15,160 --> 00:53:18,760
Easy. 'It's not even
especially big.'

818
00:53:20,680 --> 00:53:23,119
I'm not saying this is tiny,

819
00:53:23,120 --> 00:53:26,480
but it's not preposterous. You don't
go through every gap like that.

820
00:53:28,600 --> 00:53:32,599
So this car works in Letchworth
just like any other car.

821
00:53:32,600 --> 00:53:39,080
But when the built-up area ends,
it's not like any other car at all.

822
00:53:47,440 --> 00:53:49,280
Wow. Wow, this is fast.

823
00:54:02,080 --> 00:54:07,639
Ferrari say it will
go from 0 to 60 in 3.1 seconds.

824
00:54:07,640 --> 00:54:11,440
And that flat-out, it will be
doing 211 miles an hour.

825
00:54:12,760 --> 00:54:17,400
And it's not just the massive engine
which makes it all so savage.

826
00:54:19,560 --> 00:54:23,759
Unlike the old 599, this has
a double clutch gearbox,

827
00:54:23,760 --> 00:54:26,359
so gear changes are immediate.

828
00:54:26,360 --> 00:54:29,399
You build up the speed
until the noise gets too much

829
00:54:29,400 --> 00:54:31,799
and your ears are bleeding
and then you change up

830
00:54:31,800 --> 00:54:35,880
and there's no gap. How do
you do that?

831
00:54:39,560 --> 00:54:42,839
They've also fitted a more
sophisticated traction

832
00:54:42,840 --> 00:54:47,800
control system which lets you have
fun without allowing you to crash.

833
00:54:53,440 --> 00:54:58,240
But the most impressive thing is how
this car manages the air.

834
00:55:01,840 --> 00:55:05,759
These flaps down here,
when the brakes are hot, they open,

835
00:55:05,760 --> 00:55:09,399
to allow cooling air to
pass on to the discs.

836
00:55:09,400 --> 00:55:13,279
But the rest of the time, they're
shut for better aerodynamics.

837
00:55:13,280 --> 00:55:16,559
And then you have these channels
on either side of the bonnet.

838
00:55:16,560 --> 00:55:18,519
The air is funnelled along them

839
00:55:18,520 --> 00:55:21,919
into here and out of here
so it provides a boundary

840
00:55:21,920 --> 00:55:25,639
layer of smooth air passing down the
flanks of the car

841
00:55:25,640 --> 00:55:27,439
making it more slippery.

842
00:55:27,440 --> 00:55:29,399
There's real downforce as well.

843
00:55:29,400 --> 00:55:32,679
At 125 miles an hour,
the weight of the air

844
00:55:32,680 --> 00:55:36,399
pressing down on the car
is 19 stone.

845
00:55:36,400 --> 00:55:40,319
That's like having half
of John Prescott on the roof forcing

846
00:55:40,320 --> 00:55:43,280
the tyres into the Tarmac,
giving better grip.

847
00:55:45,840 --> 00:55:49,639
They have done everything
in the book to exploit

848
00:55:49,640 --> 00:55:52,199
the colossal firepower.

849
00:55:52,200 --> 00:55:55,280
And the results are mesmerising.

850
00:55:59,840 --> 00:56:04,119
In the past, big Ferraris felt big.

851
00:56:04,120 --> 00:56:09,880
The Testarossa, the 612, they were
immense. They were fat-boy cars.

852
00:56:10,960 --> 00:56:14,519
This isn't. This is light
and nimble and sharp.

853
00:56:14,520 --> 00:56:17,920
It's... It is spectacular.

854
00:56:25,920 --> 00:56:29,239
I must confess though that
while the car is fine,

855
00:56:29,240 --> 00:56:34,720
I am struggling, because
it is a bit frantic in here.

856
00:56:38,880 --> 00:56:40,840
I just went airborne then.

857
00:56:45,920 --> 00:56:49,599
You read about those early test
pilots in Mach Two

858
00:56:49,600 --> 00:56:54,559
jet fighters going to the very
limits of what was possible.

859
00:56:54,560 --> 00:56:58,360
That's what it feels like in this -
like you're sort of out of control.

860
00:57:05,520 --> 00:57:09,799
And it has incredibly fast steering,
so the slightest movement

861
00:57:09,800 --> 00:57:13,120
of the wheel causes an immediate
dart one way or the other.

862
00:57:15,520 --> 00:57:16,919
And then there's the throttle.

863
00:57:16,920 --> 00:57:19,199
You put your foot down
and you think, "Whoa, yes,"

864
00:57:19,200 --> 00:57:23,200
and then immediately you think,
"No, actually. Too scary."

865
00:57:29,960 --> 00:57:33,399
And when life is as hectic as this,
what you really

866
00:57:33,400 --> 00:57:37,359
want are for all the controls
to be conventional.

867
00:57:37,360 --> 00:57:38,759
And they're not.

868
00:57:38,760 --> 00:57:41,359
All the knobs and buttons
for the lights and the wipers

869
00:57:41,360 --> 00:57:43,799
and the indicators are all
on the steering wheel

870
00:57:43,800 --> 00:57:47,280
which moves about, so they're never
where you left them.

871
00:57:48,520 --> 00:57:51,359
You can't even sneeze
when you're driving this car

872
00:57:51,360 --> 00:57:54,640
because if you did... Well, they'd
have to hose you off the road.

873
00:57:58,280 --> 00:58:00,279
To try and explain
what I'm on about,

874
00:58:00,280 --> 00:58:02,400
I've come to this tennis court.

875
00:58:08,680 --> 00:58:14,159
This is what it's like to drive
an ordinary car

876
00:58:14,160 --> 00:58:16,680
on the roads of Hertfordshire.

877
00:58:18,360 --> 00:58:20,480
There you go, Golf GTI...

878
00:58:22,040 --> 00:58:26,519
BMW M3, Ferrari 458. This is easy

879
00:58:26,520 --> 00:58:29,519
and manageable

880
00:58:29,520 --> 00:58:32,119
and I could do it all day.

881
00:58:32,120 --> 00:58:38,959
Now let me show you what
it's like to drive

882
00:58:38,960 --> 00:58:41,240
a Ferrari F12.

883
00:58:44,120 --> 00:58:51,320
Ugh! Ugh! Oh, in the face!

884
00:59:09,600 --> 00:59:13,679
The Stig says, this is the only
car in the world that can hold

885
00:59:13,680 --> 00:59:16,439
a candle to the Lexus LFA.

886
00:59:16,440 --> 00:59:19,759
He also says it's the first Ferrari
he's ever driven that he

887
00:59:19,760 --> 00:59:21,479
would actually buy -

888
00:59:21,480 --> 00:59:24,760
if he had any concept of money,
which of course he doesn't.

889
00:59:26,840 --> 00:59:30,599
Me, though... It is brilliant,

890
00:59:30,600 --> 00:59:34,799
but I think it would be better still
if it had slower steering...

891
00:59:34,800 --> 00:59:39,720
and it's hard for me to say this,
but a bit less power.

892
00:59:42,320 --> 00:59:45,839
Yes, you can really enjoy it
in Britain,

893
00:59:45,840 --> 00:59:49,680
but you can't really enjoy
all of it.

894
01:00:08,200 --> 01:00:10,119
It is frantic.
I'd still have an LFA.

895
01:00:10,120 --> 01:00:12,279
The LFA is 100 grand more

896
01:00:12,280 --> 01:00:15,199
although the options on this,

897
01:00:15,200 --> 01:00:16,839
they do take it up to 350 as well.

898
01:00:16,840 --> 01:00:19,799
Hang on, hang on, hang on. - What?

899
01:00:19,800 --> 01:00:22,719
Did I just hear you,
Jeremy Clarkson,

900
01:00:22,720 --> 01:00:26,559
say that you'd like "a bit less
power"? - Yes, you did.

901
01:00:26,560 --> 01:00:29,439
Isn't that a bit like Gordon Ramsay
saying, "Yes, I like this dish,

902
01:00:29,440 --> 01:00:32,159
"but I wish it had a bit less
flavour."

903
01:00:32,160 --> 01:00:35,439
Or James May saying,
"Yes, I like this, but can it be

904
01:00:35,440 --> 01:00:36,679
"a bit less brown?"

905
01:00:36,680 --> 01:00:42,399
No, it is like that, but it is a
bombshell, which means we can end.

906
01:00:42,400 --> 01:00:45,479
Thank you very much for watching.
See you all next week. Take care.

907
01:00:45,480 --> 01:00:46,760
Good night.

908
01:01:02,720 --> 01:01:05,760
Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

