1 00:00:21,039 --> 00:00:24,439 CHEERING AND APPLAUSE 2 00:00:30,799 --> 00:00:32,199 FREDDIE: Whoo! 3 00:00:32,199 --> 00:00:34,839 Hello, and welcome to Top Gear, 4 00:00:34,839 --> 00:00:37,719 where we've got some very sad news, 5 00:00:37,719 --> 00:00:40,559 because it's the last show of the series. 6 00:00:40,559 --> 00:00:42,359 AUDIENCE: Aw! Ohh! 7 00:00:42,359 --> 00:00:44,759 But also, we've got some good news, 8 00:00:44,759 --> 00:00:48,079 because we're going out with a big birthday bash. Yes! 9 00:00:48,079 --> 00:00:49,719 AUDIENCE: Yay! 10 00:00:49,719 --> 00:00:52,519 Yes, as the BBC is very keen to keep reminding us, 11 00:00:52,519 --> 00:00:54,559 this is the centenary year - 12 00:00:54,559 --> 00:00:58,799 100 years of informing, educating and entertaining. 13 00:00:58,799 --> 00:01:00,519 Well, some more than others. 14 00:01:00,519 --> 00:01:03,359 But here's a question - what would Top Gear have looked like 15 00:01:03,359 --> 00:01:05,359 back in those early days of the Beeb? 16 00:01:05,359 --> 00:01:09,559 Well, we've had a trawl through the archives to find out. 17 00:01:09,559 --> 00:01:11,839 PROJECTOR WHIRS 18 00:01:16,479 --> 00:01:20,559 POSH ACCENT: Hello and welcome to The Top Gear, 19 00:01:20,559 --> 00:01:24,799 a programme dedicated to the mechanical road carriage. 20 00:01:29,719 --> 00:01:35,319 Today, one will be running one's monocle over this fine filly, 21 00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:37,399 the Invicta. 22 00:01:37,399 --> 00:01:38,759 Tally-ho! 23 00:01:43,279 --> 00:01:45,959 This is the Invicta Type A, 24 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:49,639 and while it's priced at a princely £1,500, 25 00:01:49,639 --> 00:01:53,679 that does afford you the very latest in modern conveniences... 26 00:01:55,519 --> 00:02:00,159 ...including a seat, a steering wheel and brakes! 27 00:02:07,279 --> 00:02:09,119 NORMAL VOICE: Ah, this is the life! 28 00:02:09,119 --> 00:02:13,199 And I can probably lose the Jeeves and Wooster accent now. 29 00:02:13,199 --> 00:02:17,439 So most of you have probably never heard of the Invicta, 30 00:02:17,439 --> 00:02:21,879 but, back in the '20s and '30s, this car was on the same par 31 00:02:21,879 --> 00:02:24,999 as something like a Rolls-Royce or a Bentley - 32 00:02:24,999 --> 00:02:27,479 real premium badge stuff. 33 00:02:27,479 --> 00:02:31,599 And even now, it's worth £200,000, this car, 34 00:02:31,599 --> 00:02:33,279 and maybe a little bit more. 35 00:02:36,759 --> 00:02:40,239 Now, you may wonder why I'm dashing around the countryside. 36 00:02:40,239 --> 00:02:43,039 Well, I've got a plan. 37 00:02:43,039 --> 00:02:46,279 Sadly, it involves those two clowns. 38 00:02:46,279 --> 00:02:49,119 JAZZ MUSIC PLAYS 39 00:02:55,639 --> 00:02:58,679 Oh, my word. Look at this lad! 40 00:02:58,679 --> 00:03:00,679 Gentlemen! 41 00:03:02,119 --> 00:03:03,159 Firstly... 42 00:03:04,439 --> 00:03:05,679 ..did you not get the memo? 43 00:03:05,679 --> 00:03:07,999 What's the memo, Pad? "Come as Jacob Rees-Mogg"? 44 00:03:07,999 --> 00:03:10,439 Have you seen Downton Abbey? Not many puffer coats. 45 00:03:10,439 --> 00:03:12,759 No, I'd be downstairs and all, wouldn't you? Absolutely. 46 00:03:12,759 --> 00:03:15,159 Dressed like that, though, you might be round the table. 47 00:03:15,159 --> 00:03:17,839 I've got to say, lads, I quite like it. I think you look very dashing. 48 00:03:17,839 --> 00:03:21,439 Well, I've got to tell you, these buttons are working very hard. 49 00:03:21,439 --> 00:03:24,039 Very hard! Why are you wearing white socks? 50 00:03:24,039 --> 00:03:26,079 Yeah... Oh, you're not? You're not! 51 00:03:26,079 --> 00:03:27,519 Oh, no! 52 00:03:31,079 --> 00:03:33,119 Now, obviously, we're here. 53 00:03:33,119 --> 00:03:35,079 Lovely surroundings. 54 00:03:35,079 --> 00:03:37,679 It's 100 years of the BBC, 55 00:03:37,679 --> 00:03:40,119 and I've got something very special lined up for us. 56 00:03:40,119 --> 00:03:43,159 Jump in, my good men. We're going to do a bit of trialling. 57 00:03:46,399 --> 00:03:48,279 Yes, we'd be having a crack 58 00:03:48,279 --> 00:03:51,639 at one of the oldest motorsports in Britain. 59 00:03:53,919 --> 00:03:55,759 I'm glad the weather's nice. 60 00:03:55,759 --> 00:03:57,879 ENGINE REVS Whoa! Hey-hey! 61 00:03:59,199 --> 00:04:01,519 Trialling was originally devised 62 00:04:01,519 --> 00:04:04,279 as a way for carmakers to prove the ability 63 00:04:04,279 --> 00:04:07,239 and reliability of their latest models. 64 00:04:09,599 --> 00:04:14,679 And today, in sleepy, sunny corners of the Great British countryside, 65 00:04:14,679 --> 00:04:18,719 you can still find devoted bands of merry motorists 66 00:04:18,719 --> 00:04:22,759 battling their vintage cars to the top of steep, muddy hills. 67 00:04:23,799 --> 00:04:27,439 This is a competition where it's not about how fast you go, 68 00:04:27,439 --> 00:04:29,879 it's about how far you get. 69 00:04:32,159 --> 00:04:36,039 And with five stages to attack before the day was out, 70 00:04:36,039 --> 00:04:37,799 our first job was to get... 71 00:04:39,439 --> 00:04:41,679 ..to the start. 72 00:04:41,679 --> 00:04:44,079 I must admit, I'd have liked a seat belt in the back. 73 00:04:48,999 --> 00:04:52,199 So, go on, Pad, talk us through it, changing gear - what do you do? 74 00:04:52,199 --> 00:04:54,679 Well, going up, it's... 75 00:04:54,679 --> 00:04:57,479 You've got to put your foot on the clutch, 76 00:04:57,479 --> 00:05:01,199 give it a nanosecond in neutral, then change into your gear, 77 00:05:01,199 --> 00:05:04,839 but then coming back down - that's where it gets really tricky. 78 00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:07,679 You've got to do double clutch and rev it and all that, 79 00:05:07,679 --> 00:05:10,439 but I don't know how it's going to go on at the trials 80 00:05:10,439 --> 00:05:12,359 because it's driving all right on the roads, 81 00:05:12,359 --> 00:05:14,759 but I just can't see it going up a steep gradient. 82 00:05:14,759 --> 00:05:17,199 It doesn't feel like it should be doing that, does it? No. 83 00:05:17,199 --> 00:05:19,399 I'm still not sure what these trials are. 84 00:05:21,479 --> 00:05:25,519 Just as well, then, that we were about to find out... 85 00:05:25,519 --> 00:05:27,439 Morning! Morning! 86 00:05:27,439 --> 00:05:31,839 ..because Lord McGuinness had managed to coax the Invicta 87 00:05:31,839 --> 00:05:33,399 to our first hill... 88 00:05:36,479 --> 00:05:38,559 ..where, as the other challengers 89 00:05:38,559 --> 00:05:41,199 were already making look alarmingly easy, 90 00:05:41,199 --> 00:05:44,679 the aim was to get past as many markers as possible 91 00:05:44,679 --> 00:05:46,119 on the way to the top. 92 00:05:47,479 --> 00:05:50,919 Each hill has 25 points available 93 00:05:50,919 --> 00:05:55,319 to those that can coax and rev and bounce their way to reach them. 94 00:05:55,319 --> 00:05:58,439 And with the teams with the most points by the end of the day 95 00:05:58,439 --> 00:06:02,879 taking home the silverware, as we lined up for our first go... 96 00:06:02,879 --> 00:06:06,039 WHISTLE BLOWS Whoa. We're off. 97 00:06:06,039 --> 00:06:10,079 ..it didn't feel like we'd be troubling the podium. 98 00:06:12,079 --> 00:06:14,519 Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Get out there, get out there. 99 00:06:14,519 --> 00:06:16,999 Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Shut up. Shut up. 100 00:06:16,999 --> 00:06:18,759 Go, go! Go, go! 101 00:06:18,759 --> 00:06:20,399 Whoa, whoa! No... No more... 102 00:06:20,399 --> 00:06:22,199 I've seen it. No more, no more revs. 103 00:06:22,199 --> 00:06:24,039 I've seen it, I've seen it. No more revs! 104 00:06:26,119 --> 00:06:29,479 Gone past 15, lads. We don't have to go fast. 105 00:06:30,999 --> 00:06:32,319 Watch the tree, Chris. 106 00:06:32,319 --> 00:06:33,879 We're good, we're good. Yeah? 107 00:06:33,879 --> 00:06:36,039 A bit of right hand down now. That's good. 108 00:06:36,039 --> 00:06:37,319 Mind that tree! 109 00:06:37,319 --> 00:06:39,079 That's good. We're good. Great work, Pad. 110 00:06:39,079 --> 00:06:40,879 Right, get bumping. 111 00:06:42,079 --> 00:06:44,239 Yes! Go, Pad. 112 00:06:44,239 --> 00:06:46,799 Ohh! Bounce, Fred. 113 00:06:46,799 --> 00:06:48,399 I'm bouncing. 114 00:06:50,039 --> 00:06:53,039 It's going beautifully. Round there. No more revs. 115 00:06:53,039 --> 00:06:55,319 Well done. Well done. Well done. 116 00:06:55,319 --> 00:06:57,159 THEY CHEER 117 00:06:57,159 --> 00:06:58,559 Stop! Stop! Frickin' stop. 118 00:06:58,559 --> 00:06:59,799 BRAKES SQUEAL 119 00:06:59,799 --> 00:07:01,439 ALL: Whoa! 120 00:07:01,439 --> 00:07:04,439 Lovely bit of driving. Who parked that there? 121 00:07:04,439 --> 00:07:07,159 Jeepers creepers. That was close. Got past it, though, didn't I? 122 00:07:07,159 --> 00:07:08,319 Hey-hey! 123 00:07:09,799 --> 00:07:13,319 Fair play to Paddy. On our first-ever trials run, 124 00:07:13,319 --> 00:07:17,559 we'd just bagged ourselves a full 25 points. 125 00:07:18,679 --> 00:07:21,319 That was great work, McGuinness. What was it like driving? 126 00:07:21,319 --> 00:07:24,599 Oh, tricky. It works, though, the bouncing, doesn't it? 127 00:07:24,599 --> 00:07:26,799 Does it? I didn't know if... Yeah, you feel it. 128 00:07:27,839 --> 00:07:30,199 Time to take the victorious Invicta 129 00:07:30,199 --> 00:07:32,879 back down to the road and onto the next hill. 130 00:07:34,759 --> 00:07:36,359 We might be in this, you know. 131 00:07:36,359 --> 00:07:38,879 When have we ever started this well at anything? 132 00:07:38,879 --> 00:07:40,999 LAUGHING: Never! Never. 133 00:07:43,239 --> 00:07:45,759 And now that the pre-match nerves had settled, 134 00:07:45,759 --> 00:07:48,319 we could start to see what this trials game 135 00:07:48,319 --> 00:07:50,559 is actually all about. 136 00:07:50,559 --> 00:07:51,799 You all right, boys? 137 00:07:51,799 --> 00:07:53,479 Hello! All right? 138 00:07:56,279 --> 00:08:00,719 I like the format. So you basically just wobble about on some lanes... 139 00:08:00,719 --> 00:08:03,119 Lovely. ..you get to show off your new suit, 140 00:08:03,119 --> 00:08:05,639 then we go up through some forest-y bits. 141 00:08:05,639 --> 00:08:08,839 Thank you. Thanks very much. Hello, there. Hello. 142 00:08:08,839 --> 00:08:10,679 And everyone's very friendly. 143 00:08:11,879 --> 00:08:13,319 Thank you. Thank you. 144 00:08:14,719 --> 00:08:16,079 Thank you. 145 00:08:17,599 --> 00:08:21,399 Yes, arriving at a nearby farm for the start of the next climb, 146 00:08:21,399 --> 00:08:23,159 it was quickly becoming clear 147 00:08:23,159 --> 00:08:26,519 that trials is as much a highlight of the social calendar 148 00:08:26,519 --> 00:08:28,559 as it is a motorsport. 149 00:08:28,559 --> 00:08:33,239 No robotic racing drivers and poker-faced pit crews here, 150 00:08:33,239 --> 00:08:36,799 just lots of jolly people having a jolly old time. 151 00:08:38,239 --> 00:08:39,679 This is a lovely thing to do. 152 00:08:41,159 --> 00:08:44,319 See this thing? Yeah. Two-stroke, single chain. 153 00:08:44,319 --> 00:08:46,239 Where's it from? 154 00:08:46,239 --> 00:08:47,239 Is it? 155 00:08:49,679 --> 00:08:51,039 That's it?! PADDY LAUGHS 156 00:08:51,039 --> 00:08:52,159 Will it go anywhere? 157 00:08:54,919 --> 00:08:56,239 What is it? 158 00:08:57,239 --> 00:08:58,439 It's a Trojan, yeah. 159 00:08:58,439 --> 00:09:00,239 WHISTLE BLOWS There you go. Good luck. 160 00:09:00,239 --> 00:09:01,399 Good luck! 161 00:09:10,719 --> 00:09:12,959 Look at this boy here. WG Grace. 162 00:09:12,959 --> 00:09:14,799 Ooh, no messing. 163 00:09:17,519 --> 00:09:19,359 Ooh, he's not messed about. He's on it there. 164 00:09:19,359 --> 00:09:21,199 Did you see the concentration on his face? 165 00:09:21,199 --> 00:09:23,199 He's had the back end out and all sorts then. 166 00:09:23,199 --> 00:09:24,839 Better than F1. Oh, wonderful. 167 00:09:24,839 --> 00:09:27,639 Can't get this close to bloody Verstappen, can you? No. 168 00:09:27,639 --> 00:09:29,079 I could touch his beard. 169 00:09:30,319 --> 00:09:33,559 It's like Fast & Furious meets Brideshead Revisited. Yes. 170 00:09:35,199 --> 00:09:37,199 Meets Shameless. 171 00:09:37,199 --> 00:09:38,599 THEY LAUGH 172 00:09:40,039 --> 00:09:41,919 For all the fun and games, though, 173 00:09:41,919 --> 00:09:46,959 it turned out our second hill wouldn't be a stroll in the orchard, 174 00:09:46,959 --> 00:09:51,039 because we'd be facing our first re-start... 175 00:09:51,039 --> 00:09:53,319 Here we go. Let's see what happens here. 176 00:09:53,319 --> 00:09:55,079 ..coming to a complete stop 177 00:09:55,079 --> 00:09:59,319 before setting off to tackle the steepest part of the course. 178 00:09:59,319 --> 00:10:01,079 I bet it's tough to get up there. 179 00:10:03,439 --> 00:10:06,119 Oh, Fred, look. Fred, take notice. 180 00:10:06,119 --> 00:10:08,079 Oh, easy. No messing. 181 00:10:08,079 --> 00:10:09,519 Wow. No messing. 182 00:10:10,519 --> 00:10:12,759 Now, you get one go at this, 183 00:10:12,759 --> 00:10:16,199 and any rolling backwards puts you straight out of the climb. 184 00:10:17,639 --> 00:10:20,919 So, once Fred had distilled what we'd seen of the pros 185 00:10:20,919 --> 00:10:22,919 into a cunning strategy... 186 00:10:22,919 --> 00:10:26,719 Put your foot down, I'll bounce. PADDY LAUGHS 187 00:10:26,719 --> 00:10:29,119 ..heading for the start line in the Invicta, 188 00:10:29,119 --> 00:10:33,279 McGuinness had decided it was time that Flintoff and I joined him 189 00:10:33,279 --> 00:10:35,039 in dressing like them, too. 190 00:10:35,039 --> 00:10:36,519 Oh, now we're talking! 191 00:10:37,759 --> 00:10:40,079 Idiot! FREDDIE LAUGHS 192 00:10:40,079 --> 00:10:44,199 Ooh, I tell you what, boys, now we look like a team! 193 00:10:44,199 --> 00:10:45,839 WHISTLE BLOWS 194 00:10:45,839 --> 00:10:48,919 But while we now had all the gear... 195 00:10:48,919 --> 00:10:50,999 Gas, gad, gas, gas. Go, Pad. 196 00:10:50,999 --> 00:10:53,799 ..as we made our way up to the dreaded re-start, 197 00:10:53,799 --> 00:10:55,999 it soon became clear we still had... 198 00:10:55,999 --> 00:10:57,679 No, no, you're going the wrong way. 199 00:10:57,679 --> 00:10:59,479 You're going the wrong way, you helmet. 200 00:10:59,479 --> 00:11:00,879 ..no idea. 201 00:11:00,879 --> 00:11:02,279 Don't worry about it, lads. 202 00:11:05,559 --> 00:11:07,079 Right, bounce... 203 00:11:07,079 --> 00:11:08,519 ..for your lives, lads! 204 00:11:13,879 --> 00:11:15,719 Bounce it, lads! 205 00:11:16,959 --> 00:11:18,279 Go on! 206 00:11:20,479 --> 00:11:22,239 No! No chance. 207 00:11:24,879 --> 00:11:27,199 Embarrassing, that. I think there's a bit of valve 208 00:11:27,199 --> 00:11:29,999 coming out the engine exhaust pipe there, Pad. Ah, well. 209 00:11:31,999 --> 00:11:34,639 Think we got ahead of ourselves on the last one, didn't we? We have. 210 00:11:34,639 --> 00:11:37,279 But that looked nothing, did it? You didn't respect the course. 211 00:11:37,279 --> 00:11:39,119 But you didn't bounce, Fred, at the first... 212 00:11:39,119 --> 00:11:41,199 Bounced till I done my knees in! No, you did it after! 213 00:11:41,199 --> 00:11:44,079 Why is it our fault? Why is it our fault? We're a team. 214 00:11:44,079 --> 00:11:45,719 You'll have to change the suspension, 215 00:11:45,719 --> 00:11:48,399 I was bouncing that much. We're a team, lads, we're a team. 216 00:11:48,399 --> 00:11:49,839 We were a team - 217 00:11:49,839 --> 00:11:52,879 a team in need of a new driver. 218 00:11:52,879 --> 00:11:54,439 Got it all to do in the next round. 219 00:11:54,439 --> 00:11:57,119 We might have to readjust our assessment of Paddy's driving 220 00:11:57,119 --> 00:12:01,119 after that one. Feel free, lads. Feel free. 221 00:12:02,199 --> 00:12:05,279 And so, with just 11 points from the last hill, 222 00:12:05,279 --> 00:12:06,919 heading for the next one, 223 00:12:06,919 --> 00:12:10,679 it was our resident racing driver's time to shine. 224 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:12,719 ENGINE ROARS Oh, am I in gear? 225 00:12:12,719 --> 00:12:14,399 Oh, no, he's not even in... 226 00:12:14,399 --> 00:12:16,759 HORN BEEPS We're being beeped out, Chris. 227 00:12:16,759 --> 00:12:18,919 We're being beeped out, son! 228 00:12:18,919 --> 00:12:21,039 You've got Chitty Chitty Bang Bang honking you! 229 00:12:23,919 --> 00:12:25,519 Ohh! 230 00:12:25,519 --> 00:12:27,639 BOTH: Ohh! Wey-ey! 231 00:12:27,639 --> 00:12:29,239 It's like a roller-coaster. 232 00:12:29,239 --> 00:12:31,039 THEY CHEER 233 00:12:34,599 --> 00:12:37,279 So, we're two hills down, 234 00:12:37,279 --> 00:12:38,559 25 on the first, 235 00:12:38,559 --> 00:12:40,559 11 on the second. 236 00:12:40,559 --> 00:12:42,439 We need a big one here. We need... 237 00:12:42,439 --> 00:12:44,479 We need some high numbers on this next one, Chris. 238 00:12:44,479 --> 00:12:45,799 Get us back in the game, pal. 239 00:12:45,799 --> 00:12:48,839 We've got the pro in now, though, haven't we? Be right as rain now. 240 00:12:48,839 --> 00:12:51,399 GEARS CRUNCH Oh, oh, oh. Oh, whoa! 241 00:12:56,319 --> 00:12:58,719 How are you finding the old Invicta, Christopher? 242 00:12:58,719 --> 00:13:00,359 Absolutely joyous. 243 00:13:00,359 --> 00:13:02,399 Are you? I've got a bit to learn. 244 00:13:02,399 --> 00:13:05,199 I thought Paddy was driving very well... Changed his tune, hasn't he? 245 00:13:05,199 --> 00:13:07,959 No. But I think the old girl wasn't suited to wet grass. 246 00:13:07,959 --> 00:13:09,919 Yeah. Definitely. 247 00:13:09,919 --> 00:13:12,559 I think if we can get more roads like the first one, 248 00:13:12,559 --> 00:13:16,199 it'll go up 'em, it'll go up 'em, definitely. 249 00:13:16,199 --> 00:13:17,599 In the right hands. 250 00:13:17,599 --> 00:13:19,319 FREDDIE CHUCKLES 251 00:13:22,079 --> 00:13:26,959 We'd soon see, because we'd reached the foot of hill three. 252 00:13:29,159 --> 00:13:30,799 Go on, Chrissy. Hello! 253 00:13:30,799 --> 00:13:33,119 Easy, Chris. Whoa! 254 00:13:33,119 --> 00:13:35,879 Lovely. Keep it going. Nice and steady as she goes. 255 00:13:35,879 --> 00:13:38,279 And as Baron Harris set to work, 256 00:13:38,279 --> 00:13:41,679 the Invicta was looking much more at home. 257 00:13:43,159 --> 00:13:44,959 Whoa! Whoa! 258 00:13:44,959 --> 00:13:47,159 Hey, we're back in the race here. 259 00:13:47,159 --> 00:13:49,719 THEY GASP AND GROAN 260 00:13:49,719 --> 00:13:52,919 I tell you what, she does well on the dry, doesn't she? 261 00:13:52,919 --> 00:13:54,999 Oh, all the excuses! 262 00:13:54,999 --> 00:13:56,839 Ohh! Whoa! 263 00:13:56,839 --> 00:13:58,359 Oh, my God. 264 00:13:58,359 --> 00:14:00,599 I don't like that tree stump, though, Pad. 265 00:14:00,599 --> 00:14:02,399 Oh, oh, no, no, no, no. 266 00:14:02,399 --> 00:14:03,999 LOUD THUD Bloomin' heck. 267 00:14:03,999 --> 00:14:05,359 Come on, let's get to 25. 268 00:14:06,959 --> 00:14:08,199 Let's finish this one. 269 00:14:08,199 --> 00:14:09,719 I'm on it, I'm on it, I'm on it. 270 00:14:12,879 --> 00:14:15,279 23. 23, Chris. Two more. 271 00:14:15,279 --> 00:14:17,119 I can live with this. 272 00:14:17,119 --> 00:14:19,199 THEY CHEER 273 00:14:22,279 --> 00:14:23,559 Yes, madam. 274 00:14:23,559 --> 00:14:25,479 FREDDIE LAUGHS 275 00:14:25,479 --> 00:14:29,639 A maximum-points run from Harris had put us back on track 276 00:14:29,639 --> 00:14:32,159 and earned him another stint behind the wheel. 277 00:14:33,799 --> 00:14:36,199 Chrissy, back in the game. 25 more points. 278 00:14:36,199 --> 00:14:37,639 Yes! 279 00:14:37,639 --> 00:14:39,719 Back in there. I tell you what... Back in there. 280 00:14:39,719 --> 00:14:41,519 ..I'm loving these old cars. 281 00:14:43,439 --> 00:14:46,599 And swaggering up to the penultimate hill 282 00:14:46,599 --> 00:14:48,839 with confidence riding high, 283 00:14:48,839 --> 00:14:52,759 it was time to show what a pro trials team really looks like. 284 00:14:52,759 --> 00:14:54,199 WHISTLE BLOWS 285 00:14:54,199 --> 00:14:56,559 Come on, Chris, we need a big 'un here. Go on, Chris. 286 00:14:56,559 --> 00:14:58,039 Oh, he's at it here. Ohh! 287 00:14:58,039 --> 00:15:00,599 Whoa, he's going quick. Is this a time trial? 288 00:15:00,599 --> 00:15:03,439 Your door's opened, Chris. Shut the door, Pad. 289 00:15:03,439 --> 00:15:05,199 Shut the door! 290 00:15:05,199 --> 00:15:06,359 Ohh. 291 00:15:06,359 --> 00:15:10,919 Yes, Harris had found his full pouty concentration face, 292 00:15:10,919 --> 00:15:15,519 and the Invicta was starting to look invincible. 293 00:15:15,519 --> 00:15:17,599 THEY CHEER 294 00:15:17,599 --> 00:15:21,079 This is going to fly up to 25, this, Chris. 295 00:15:21,079 --> 00:15:22,719 Or at least it did... 296 00:15:22,719 --> 00:15:24,159 Ooh, ooh, this is steep! 297 00:15:25,279 --> 00:15:28,999 ..until we ran into our old friend, the re-start. 298 00:15:30,439 --> 00:15:32,239 Go on, Chris. Come on, you got it. 299 00:15:32,239 --> 00:15:34,719 ENGINE REVS 300 00:15:34,719 --> 00:15:37,879 Come on, Pad, jump. 301 00:15:37,879 --> 00:15:40,839 Get up! Get up! 302 00:15:40,839 --> 00:15:43,359 Yes! We've done it! We've done it, Pad! 303 00:15:43,359 --> 00:15:45,279 Come on, lads. We've done it, Chris. 304 00:15:45,279 --> 00:15:46,879 Go on! 305 00:15:46,879 --> 00:15:48,399 Go on, Chris! 306 00:15:48,399 --> 00:15:51,439 I can't flipping bounce any more. 307 00:15:51,439 --> 00:15:53,199 Go, Chris. Oh, dear. 308 00:15:55,199 --> 00:15:59,799 The standing start had bested us again. 309 00:15:59,799 --> 00:16:02,959 And with a paltry seven points for our efforts, 310 00:16:02,959 --> 00:16:05,399 heading off to the last run of the day, 311 00:16:05,399 --> 00:16:08,399 it only seemed fair to hand Viscount Flintoff 312 00:16:08,399 --> 00:16:10,039 his first go behind the wheel. 313 00:16:11,879 --> 00:16:15,239 GEARS CLUNK AND GRIND Oh. Oh! Oh, he's missed a gear. 314 00:16:15,239 --> 00:16:16,559 CHRIS LAUGHS 315 00:16:16,559 --> 00:16:19,999 GEAR CRUNCHES Oh, no! Oh, no! 316 00:16:19,999 --> 00:16:21,239 No... 317 00:16:21,239 --> 00:16:24,079 I'm panicking. I'm on a B road. 318 00:16:24,079 --> 00:16:26,599 THEY LAUGH 319 00:16:26,599 --> 00:16:28,559 Go on, you can get third now. 320 00:16:28,559 --> 00:16:31,199 No, I don't want to. What's your strategy for the hill? 321 00:16:31,199 --> 00:16:32,639 Stay in first. 322 00:16:34,679 --> 00:16:38,239 And after a Flintoff double-declutching masterclass... 323 00:16:38,239 --> 00:16:39,519 GEARS CRUNCH 324 00:16:39,519 --> 00:16:42,279 What are you doing?! No, no! 325 00:16:42,279 --> 00:16:44,359 Double-clutch it. I am! 326 00:16:44,359 --> 00:16:46,439 ..we eventually ground our way 327 00:16:46,439 --> 00:16:49,359 up to the final stage of our trials roller-coaster... 328 00:16:50,679 --> 00:16:53,719 ..in no way prepared to reach the finish. 329 00:16:55,199 --> 00:16:57,599 Here we go, son. Right, no messing about. 330 00:16:57,599 --> 00:17:00,439 Man and machine in perfect harmony! 331 00:17:00,439 --> 00:17:01,999 Go on, son. 332 00:17:01,999 --> 00:17:03,839 WHISTLE BLOWS 333 00:17:03,839 --> 00:17:05,439 ENGINE REVS 334 00:17:05,439 --> 00:17:06,959 Here we go, lads. 335 00:17:06,959 --> 00:17:09,159 Be very careful. Do you want to do some bouncing? 336 00:17:09,159 --> 00:17:10,719 Whoa, whoa. Easy, easy, Fred. 337 00:17:10,719 --> 00:17:12,879 Gas, gas, gas! Easy. 338 00:17:12,879 --> 00:17:14,639 That's it. We're up, we're up. 339 00:17:17,919 --> 00:17:20,159 Keep going. Right-hander, Fred! Right-hander! 340 00:17:20,159 --> 00:17:21,959 Ooh, ooh, I don't like this. 341 00:17:25,959 --> 00:17:28,239 THEY ALL SHOUT 342 00:17:29,239 --> 00:17:31,079 Bounce, bounce! No more revs! 343 00:17:31,079 --> 00:17:32,559 Ohh! 344 00:17:32,559 --> 00:17:34,559 Yes, that was amazing! Yes, come on, 19. 345 00:17:37,119 --> 00:17:38,999 Come on, Fred. Keep going, Fred. 346 00:17:38,999 --> 00:17:41,079 Bounce, bounce, bounce! 347 00:17:41,079 --> 00:17:42,279 Bounce. 348 00:17:43,719 --> 00:17:44,839 Bounce! 349 00:17:44,839 --> 00:17:47,359 I'm bouncing. I can't bounce any more. 350 00:17:49,199 --> 00:17:52,199 Keep going, keep going! We're up to 25, Fred! 351 00:17:52,199 --> 00:17:53,359 THEY ALL SHOUT 352 00:17:53,359 --> 00:17:55,679 What a result! What's all the fuss about? 353 00:17:55,679 --> 00:17:57,519 Keep going! What's all the fuss about? 354 00:17:57,519 --> 00:17:59,359 PADDY CHEERS 355 00:17:59,359 --> 00:18:01,199 Thank you. Ohh... 356 00:18:01,199 --> 00:18:04,799 Why have I not done it all day? Ohh! That was fantastic. 357 00:18:04,799 --> 00:18:07,879 Oh, you abs... I tell you what, you better get running! 358 00:18:07,879 --> 00:18:10,279 When this car stops, I'm going to knock you out. 359 00:18:11,879 --> 00:18:13,519 A top-marks finish for Flintoff... 360 00:18:13,519 --> 00:18:14,799 Ow! 361 00:18:14,799 --> 00:18:17,999 ..and our first taste of trials had finished on a high. 362 00:18:19,719 --> 00:18:21,719 Had we won? 363 00:18:21,719 --> 00:18:23,919 Course we hadn't. 364 00:18:23,919 --> 00:18:26,399 Worth another go, though? 365 00:18:26,399 --> 00:18:27,959 You betcha. 366 00:18:29,839 --> 00:18:33,439 PROJECTOR WHIRS AND STOPS 367 00:18:35,319 --> 00:18:38,479 CHEERING AND APPLAUSE 368 00:18:42,759 --> 00:18:44,759 We like old cars, don't we? 369 00:18:44,759 --> 00:18:47,239 I've got to say, all things considered, 370 00:18:47,239 --> 00:18:48,799 I think that went pretty well. 371 00:18:48,799 --> 00:18:50,759 It was a nice day out in the country. Yeah. 372 00:18:50,759 --> 00:18:53,599 And I love that, all over the UK, every weekend, 373 00:18:53,599 --> 00:18:57,239 people are doing daft things in cars. I don't just mean trialling. 374 00:18:57,239 --> 00:19:00,279 Banger racing, sidecars, hill-climbing. 375 00:19:00,279 --> 00:19:02,519 It makes me proud to be British. It certainly does. 376 00:19:02,519 --> 00:19:04,879 Proper eccentric motorsport. 377 00:19:04,879 --> 00:19:06,319 And if you're part of - 378 00:19:06,319 --> 00:19:08,639 and I mean this with the greatest of respect - 379 00:19:08,639 --> 00:19:11,119 an even weirder race series than that one, 380 00:19:11,119 --> 00:19:13,199 let us know, and we'll be right there. 381 00:19:13,199 --> 00:19:14,519 And now we must move on, 382 00:19:14,519 --> 00:19:17,119 because every now and again we get a polite email saying, 383 00:19:17,119 --> 00:19:18,879 "Forget about all those supercars. 384 00:19:18,879 --> 00:19:22,839 "How about reviewing a car that normal people might actually buy?" 385 00:19:22,839 --> 00:19:25,439 We do get a lot of those, and they're not always polite. 386 00:19:25,439 --> 00:19:26,999 But they've got a point. 387 00:19:26,999 --> 00:19:29,759 Well, it's about time we tackled some affordable stuff, 388 00:19:29,759 --> 00:19:32,599 so we sent Chris off to do a proper, sensible, 389 00:19:32,599 --> 00:19:36,199 real-world car review, in the world's most sensible country, 390 00:19:36,199 --> 00:19:37,639 Norway. 391 00:19:41,119 --> 00:19:45,359 CHRIS: Yes, with snow on the ground for six months of the year, 392 00:19:45,359 --> 00:19:47,439 and a reputation for handing out 393 00:19:47,439 --> 00:19:50,279 the strictest driving fines in Europe, 394 00:19:50,279 --> 00:19:53,119 Norway is a country that demands a sensible, 395 00:19:53,119 --> 00:19:55,519 no-nonsense approach to motoring. 396 00:19:56,559 --> 00:19:59,359 And that makes it the ideal spot 397 00:19:59,359 --> 00:20:04,439 to bring you a sensible, no-nonsense compact crossover. 398 00:20:09,719 --> 00:20:11,999 This is the new Ford Puma. 399 00:20:11,999 --> 00:20:15,399 It starts at around 23 grand and, right now, 400 00:20:15,399 --> 00:20:19,319 it's one of the most popular cars on sale in the UK. 401 00:20:20,519 --> 00:20:23,359 And straight away, it's easy to see why. 402 00:20:24,799 --> 00:20:26,639 For starters, it looks quite good. 403 00:20:26,639 --> 00:20:28,559 It's a bit froggy up front, with the eyes 404 00:20:28,559 --> 00:20:30,279 but, other than that, I like it. 405 00:20:30,279 --> 00:20:32,599 And inside here, you don't feel deprived. 406 00:20:32,599 --> 00:20:35,359 I've got all the functions of a very expensive car. 407 00:20:35,359 --> 00:20:37,199 I've even got a heated steering wheel, 408 00:20:37,199 --> 00:20:39,759 which, given we're in Norway, is a lovely thing. 409 00:20:39,759 --> 00:20:43,519 And because it's a Ford, it goes down the road beautifully. 410 00:20:43,519 --> 00:20:45,599 I can't complain. 411 00:20:45,599 --> 00:20:49,559 Not least because, for an extra £6,000, 412 00:20:49,559 --> 00:20:52,799 you can have your Puma with a slightly bigger bite. 413 00:20:55,479 --> 00:20:58,519 This is the ST model with the 200-horsepower, 414 00:20:58,519 --> 00:21:01,119 1.5-litre turbo-charged petrol engine. 415 00:21:01,119 --> 00:21:03,359 0 to 60 - six-and-a-half seconds. 416 00:21:03,359 --> 00:21:05,839 137mph flat out. 417 00:21:05,839 --> 00:21:08,759 And, best of all, in these fuel-troubled times, 418 00:21:08,759 --> 00:21:10,879 it'll do over 40 miles to the gallon. 419 00:21:12,999 --> 00:21:16,639 The Puma ST isn't just fast and frugal, though. 420 00:21:16,639 --> 00:21:18,279 You'll also be pleased to hear 421 00:21:18,279 --> 00:21:21,519 that it has everyday usability built in, too. 422 00:21:24,319 --> 00:21:27,559 There's more boot space here than you get in a Ford Focus - 423 00:21:27,559 --> 00:21:29,799 456 litres. 424 00:21:29,799 --> 00:21:33,079 You wanted real-world reviews, I'm giving you a real-world review. 425 00:21:33,079 --> 00:21:37,119 And down here is something Ford calls the MegaBox. 426 00:21:37,119 --> 00:21:40,559 It's a waterproof hose-out tub for anything 427 00:21:40,559 --> 00:21:44,399 that you might need to store in a waterproof hose-out tub. 428 00:21:44,399 --> 00:21:46,079 It's even got a drainage plug 429 00:21:46,079 --> 00:21:48,719 just in case anything you put in there suffers any... 430 00:21:48,719 --> 00:21:50,079 ..seepage. 431 00:21:57,639 --> 00:22:01,879 So there you go - it really is the complete package. 432 00:22:06,479 --> 00:22:09,999 Well done, Ford, for making the Puma affordable to run, 433 00:22:09,999 --> 00:22:13,239 and if you get the ST version, pretty decent to drive, too. 434 00:22:14,359 --> 00:22:18,119 But if you're thinking the ST still doesn't quite have the zip 435 00:22:18,119 --> 00:22:21,799 you're looking for from your next compact crossover, 436 00:22:21,799 --> 00:22:25,839 there is also a slightly faster one. ENGINE ROAR ECHOES 437 00:22:27,999 --> 00:22:29,919 Yes, it's a rally car! 438 00:22:31,719 --> 00:22:33,999 The Ford Puma Rally1. 439 00:22:33,999 --> 00:22:36,639 Wah-hoo! 440 00:22:36,639 --> 00:22:38,759 I've never driven anything like it. 441 00:22:38,759 --> 00:22:40,279 It is a monster! 442 00:22:40,279 --> 00:22:42,079 ENGINE ROARS 443 00:22:46,599 --> 00:22:49,319 This Puma has been built to compete 444 00:22:49,319 --> 00:22:53,719 in the World Rally Championship's new era of hybrid racing. 445 00:22:55,919 --> 00:22:58,559 And that means that M-Sport, 446 00:22:58,559 --> 00:23:01,399 the legendary British rally engineers that built it... 447 00:23:02,879 --> 00:23:06,039 ..have boosted its four-cylinder turbo petrol engine... 448 00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:10,159 ..with a battery-powered electric motor. 449 00:23:11,519 --> 00:23:13,399 All working together, 450 00:23:13,399 --> 00:23:17,039 this Puma produces over 500 horsepower. 451 00:23:21,919 --> 00:23:23,559 Whoa-ho! 452 00:23:27,399 --> 00:23:30,039 The performance is outrageous. 453 00:23:32,559 --> 00:23:34,719 This thing will do 0 to 60 454 00:23:34,719 --> 00:23:38,039 in about three seconds on pretty much any surface. 455 00:23:42,239 --> 00:23:45,879 I can't begin to describe the way it stops, as well. 456 00:23:45,879 --> 00:23:47,999 I've got regenerative braking, 457 00:23:47,999 --> 00:23:52,079 so the harder I brake, the more I charge the hybrid system. 458 00:23:52,079 --> 00:23:54,799 It makes for a wild ride, it really does. 459 00:23:57,479 --> 00:23:59,279 There she goes. 460 00:23:59,279 --> 00:24:02,119 Now let's feel the hybrid. Push the pedal down. 461 00:24:02,119 --> 00:24:04,159 Oh, my Lord! 462 00:24:05,759 --> 00:24:07,679 How does it do that on ice?! 463 00:24:12,759 --> 00:24:16,759 Part of the reason, of course, is that, unlike the Puma ST, 464 00:24:16,759 --> 00:24:20,439 the Rally1 comes equipped with four-wheel drive. 465 00:24:20,439 --> 00:24:23,439 Plus, there's a super-strong steel space frame 466 00:24:23,439 --> 00:24:25,679 clad in lightweight body panels 467 00:24:25,679 --> 00:24:29,519 that makes the Rally1 a full 100kg lighter. 468 00:24:31,959 --> 00:24:34,239 However, the extra performance 469 00:24:34,239 --> 00:24:37,839 that all this and that modern hybrid power brings 470 00:24:37,839 --> 00:24:40,719 does come at a price. 471 00:24:40,719 --> 00:24:44,199 It costs about three-quarters of a million quid, 472 00:24:44,199 --> 00:24:46,639 which I know is quite steep, but right now, 473 00:24:46,639 --> 00:24:49,079 I can't think of anything I'd rather spend 474 00:24:49,079 --> 00:24:51,679 the same amount of money on more than this. 475 00:24:51,679 --> 00:24:52,999 Whoa-ho! 476 00:24:52,999 --> 00:24:55,279 ENGINE ROARS 477 00:24:55,279 --> 00:24:57,759 You'll notice I'm using a gear lever. 478 00:24:57,759 --> 00:25:01,199 I've not seen that in about 25 years in World Rallying. 479 00:25:01,199 --> 00:25:05,639 The regulations want a more mechanical, analogue car this year - 480 00:25:05,639 --> 00:25:07,719 they've certainly got one. 481 00:25:07,719 --> 00:25:10,159 Woohoo! 482 00:25:15,239 --> 00:25:17,359 It's a fascinating car to drive 483 00:25:17,359 --> 00:25:20,159 because, in some respects, it's exactly what I expected. 484 00:25:20,159 --> 00:25:22,479 In others, it requires a lot more management, 485 00:25:22,479 --> 00:25:26,039 and I've got so much respect for the drivers now. 486 00:25:26,039 --> 00:25:29,519 They really aren't just arcade game machines. 487 00:25:29,519 --> 00:25:32,919 They require concentration and more skill than I've got. 488 00:25:35,519 --> 00:25:37,959 ENGINE ROARS 489 00:25:37,959 --> 00:25:40,639 Oh, yes. Listen to that. 490 00:25:42,079 --> 00:25:44,279 Or, in fact, don't... 491 00:25:45,959 --> 00:25:47,799 ENGINE ROAR STOPS 492 00:25:47,799 --> 00:25:49,919 ..because another advantage of the Rally1 493 00:25:49,919 --> 00:25:52,199 over its more affordable cousin 494 00:25:52,199 --> 00:25:55,799 is that on the regular commute between your rally stages, 495 00:25:55,799 --> 00:26:00,279 you can drive in clean, green silence. 496 00:26:02,479 --> 00:26:04,679 Nothing to see here. 497 00:26:04,679 --> 00:26:08,079 Just driving along in my electric World Rally car. 498 00:26:09,279 --> 00:26:12,559 It's a genuine hybrid. 499 00:26:12,559 --> 00:26:15,359 Ooh! I wonder if M-Sport kept the MegaBox. 500 00:26:15,359 --> 00:26:18,239 We can maybe stop for provisions. 501 00:26:19,679 --> 00:26:22,919 The Rally1 can do 12 miles in EV mode, 502 00:26:22,919 --> 00:26:25,159 so long as you drive it gently. 503 00:26:25,159 --> 00:26:26,999 Hello. 504 00:26:26,999 --> 00:26:28,759 ENGINE ROARS 505 00:26:30,199 --> 00:26:32,399 But it has to be said, 506 00:26:32,399 --> 00:26:36,319 if you ever do find yourself behind the wheel of one, 507 00:26:36,319 --> 00:26:40,079 driving it gently is the last thing you'll want to do. 508 00:26:41,159 --> 00:26:44,039 Oh, my Lord, it's fast. It's fast. 509 00:26:44,039 --> 00:26:45,839 HE LAUGHS 510 00:26:48,519 --> 00:26:51,559 To be honest with you, and you might have already guessed this, 511 00:26:51,559 --> 00:26:54,239 this thing's got about as much to do with a Puma 512 00:26:54,239 --> 00:26:55,999 as I have a fighter jet... 513 00:26:58,279 --> 00:27:02,599 ..but on these roads, in these conditions? Unbeatable. 514 00:27:02,599 --> 00:27:04,319 Fastest car on the planet. 515 00:27:05,999 --> 00:27:07,959 Sensational! 516 00:27:14,559 --> 00:27:16,919 CHEERING AND APPLAUSE 517 00:27:19,359 --> 00:27:21,319 That is a monster. 518 00:27:21,319 --> 00:27:23,919 It's a monster. It really is. 519 00:27:23,919 --> 00:27:26,879 So let me get this right, you went off to review 520 00:27:26,879 --> 00:27:30,519 a sensible car that people could afford. Yeah. 521 00:27:30,519 --> 00:27:33,999 And you ended up driving a £750,000 rally car? 522 00:27:33,999 --> 00:27:35,839 Yeah, apologies. But in my defence, 523 00:27:35,839 --> 00:27:38,799 there was some take-home consumer advice there. Wasn't there? 524 00:27:38,799 --> 00:27:41,479 If you want a small crossover, day-to-day stuff, 525 00:27:41,479 --> 00:27:43,559 perfect - Puma ST. 526 00:27:43,559 --> 00:27:45,519 If you want to enter the World Rally Championship, 527 00:27:45,519 --> 00:27:46,999 take the rally car. 528 00:27:46,999 --> 00:27:49,039 Helpful as ever, Chris. There you go. 529 00:27:49,039 --> 00:27:51,479 And now we move on to a question. 530 00:27:51,479 --> 00:27:54,279 What's the best letter in motoring? 531 00:27:54,279 --> 00:27:56,559 Do you know, you two? The one on the old boot lid. 532 00:27:56,559 --> 00:27:58,599 Ooh, this is my kind of question, this is. 533 00:27:58,599 --> 00:28:01,039 I'd say R - could be race or rally. 534 00:28:01,039 --> 00:28:03,439 If you see R, you know it's going to be something special. 535 00:28:03,439 --> 00:28:05,839 I'm going T. Turbo. Touring. 536 00:28:05,839 --> 00:28:07,799 You like tourers. Love a tourer. 537 00:28:07,799 --> 00:28:09,839 All right, strong guesses. Both wrong. 538 00:28:09,839 --> 00:28:12,679 Because the best letter in motoring is this one... 539 00:28:19,039 --> 00:28:22,919 M, as in BMW's legendary... 540 00:28:24,119 --> 00:28:26,119 ..M Division, 541 00:28:26,119 --> 00:28:30,039 the German engineering geniuses who've been churning out 542 00:28:30,039 --> 00:28:35,119 some of the world's finest fast cars for five decades. 543 00:28:37,759 --> 00:28:40,519 This year, 2022, 544 00:28:40,519 --> 00:28:43,839 marks 50 years of the M Division. 545 00:28:43,839 --> 00:28:45,519 So, to celebrate, 546 00:28:45,519 --> 00:28:49,319 I thought I'd invite along some VIP guests. 547 00:28:49,319 --> 00:28:53,239 And what a guest list this is. Oh, yes! 548 00:28:53,239 --> 00:28:57,919 Over the years, the M Division has given us some proper legends. 549 00:28:57,919 --> 00:29:01,239 But just think, none of these would be here today 550 00:29:01,239 --> 00:29:04,439 if Ford hadn't been so annoyingly good. 551 00:29:07,239 --> 00:29:10,759 You see, back in the late '60s and early '70s, 552 00:29:10,759 --> 00:29:14,479 Ford was dominating world motor sport. 553 00:29:14,479 --> 00:29:18,839 Its GT40 was a four-time Le Mans winner, 554 00:29:18,839 --> 00:29:21,919 and in the European Touring Car Championship, 555 00:29:21,919 --> 00:29:26,399 its gorgeous Capri was busy trashing rivals... 556 00:29:26,399 --> 00:29:27,559 ..like BMW. 557 00:29:28,879 --> 00:29:30,879 Hellbent on getting their own back, 558 00:29:30,879 --> 00:29:37,839 in 1972, BMW poached Ford's motor sport boss, Jochen Neerpasch. 559 00:29:37,839 --> 00:29:40,879 His brief was to build world-beating cars 560 00:29:40,879 --> 00:29:43,199 for the racetrack and road. 561 00:29:43,199 --> 00:29:47,519 His department would become the M Division. 562 00:29:53,959 --> 00:29:57,239 And here's what they cooked up first. 563 00:29:57,239 --> 00:30:03,239 This is the precursor to all those wonderful M cars to come. 564 00:30:03,239 --> 00:30:07,159 This, my friends, is a three-litre CSL, 565 00:30:07,159 --> 00:30:10,559 also known as the Batmobile. 566 00:30:10,559 --> 00:30:12,999 # Nobody gonna take my car 567 00:30:12,999 --> 00:30:17,239 # Gonna race it to the ground... # 568 00:30:17,239 --> 00:30:21,759 Lightweight, tuned-up, with proper working downforce, 569 00:30:21,759 --> 00:30:25,359 it was nothing short of a race car for the road, 570 00:30:25,359 --> 00:30:28,879 that wasn't technically road legal. 571 00:30:28,879 --> 00:30:31,559 The idea was, you took it on a track, 572 00:30:31,559 --> 00:30:35,359 you whizzed round all day, humming the theme to Batman, 573 00:30:35,359 --> 00:30:37,439 and then, before you got back on the road, 574 00:30:37,439 --> 00:30:40,599 you whipped off the rear wing, put it in the boot and off you went. 575 00:30:40,599 --> 00:30:42,759 Obviously, it was the '70s 576 00:30:42,759 --> 00:30:45,999 and, obviously, no-one did that. 577 00:30:45,999 --> 00:30:47,359 Happier times! 578 00:30:50,039 --> 00:30:53,239 The Batmobile was an instant icon. 579 00:30:55,159 --> 00:30:58,519 And what better way for the M Division to follow it 580 00:30:58,519 --> 00:31:00,759 than with a supercar. 581 00:31:04,039 --> 00:31:07,919 The M1 arrived in 1978, 582 00:31:07,919 --> 00:31:11,119 proof to the world that it wasn't just Italy 583 00:31:11,119 --> 00:31:15,439 who could do the whole slinky, mid-engine performance thing. 584 00:31:15,439 --> 00:31:19,639 But, pretty as it was - and reliable to boot - 585 00:31:19,639 --> 00:31:23,079 the M1 was really a bit of a sideshow... 586 00:31:26,919 --> 00:31:30,719 ..because the car that would come to truly define the M badge 587 00:31:30,719 --> 00:31:33,319 would arrive a few years later, 588 00:31:33,319 --> 00:31:35,559 in 1986. 589 00:31:35,559 --> 00:31:38,959 The birth of a legend. 590 00:31:38,959 --> 00:31:41,999 MUSIC: Blue Monday by New Order 591 00:31:41,999 --> 00:31:45,879 The original BMW M3. 592 00:31:50,639 --> 00:31:56,839 It might be nearly 40 years old, but this is peak M car right here. 593 00:32:00,879 --> 00:32:02,479 Pure, 594 00:32:02,479 --> 00:32:04,159 raw, 595 00:32:04,159 --> 00:32:05,559 joyous... 596 00:32:05,559 --> 00:32:07,199 TYRES SCREECH 597 00:32:07,199 --> 00:32:08,399 ..M! 598 00:32:11,839 --> 00:32:13,919 Just like the old Batmobile, 599 00:32:13,919 --> 00:32:17,959 the M3 was shot through with motorsport DNA. 600 00:32:19,199 --> 00:32:22,799 Suspension, brakes, gearbox - 601 00:32:22,799 --> 00:32:26,599 all of it came from the racing world. 602 00:32:26,599 --> 00:32:29,199 It might have had just 200 horsepower, 603 00:32:29,199 --> 00:32:32,199 but trust me, that was all it needed. 604 00:32:33,759 --> 00:32:35,759 It's light, it's sparkly. 605 00:32:35,759 --> 00:32:37,879 It feels alive, this thing! 606 00:32:37,879 --> 00:32:39,519 TYRES SCREECH 607 00:32:39,519 --> 00:32:43,559 It's like a Border collie itching to get out for a walk. 608 00:32:43,559 --> 00:32:45,759 "Get down, Shep, get down!" 609 00:32:50,479 --> 00:32:53,199 MUSIC: Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood 610 00:32:53,199 --> 00:32:57,159 In fact, the only downside to the original M3 611 00:32:57,159 --> 00:33:01,039 was that it did attract a certain crowd. 612 00:33:01,039 --> 00:33:04,919 SHOUTS: Hello? What's that? No, I'm in an M3! 613 00:33:04,919 --> 00:33:07,359 # Relax, don't do it... # 614 00:33:07,359 --> 00:33:11,599 Yes, the '80s saw the arrival of the yuppie. 615 00:33:13,199 --> 00:33:16,079 Those wannabe Wolves of Wall Street 616 00:33:16,079 --> 00:33:18,919 all needed something cutting-edge and continental 617 00:33:18,919 --> 00:33:22,919 to match their monster Motorolas and flash Rolexes. 618 00:33:24,199 --> 00:33:28,439 The M Division's finest was the perfect choice. 619 00:33:29,879 --> 00:33:35,359 Which meant the M3 did gain a little bit of a bad reputation. 620 00:33:35,359 --> 00:33:38,839 You know all those typical BMW driver stereotypes? 621 00:33:38,839 --> 00:33:42,039 Well, this is the car that started it all. 622 00:33:42,039 --> 00:33:45,879 # Relax, don't do it... # 623 00:33:45,879 --> 00:33:48,799 LAUGHING: But I can forgive all that 624 00:33:48,799 --> 00:33:53,519 because this thing is absolute perfection. 625 00:33:53,519 --> 00:33:54,959 Oh... 626 00:33:59,359 --> 00:34:02,399 And now that the M Division had found their formula, 627 00:34:02,399 --> 00:34:05,679 they set about refining it. 628 00:34:05,679 --> 00:34:10,079 Understated on the outside, race-bred underneath, 629 00:34:10,079 --> 00:34:13,319 the next couple of decades brought bigger engines, 630 00:34:13,319 --> 00:34:15,999 more power, more speed. 631 00:34:18,119 --> 00:34:20,879 And it all reached a bit of a head... 632 00:34:20,879 --> 00:34:22,359 ..with this. 633 00:34:22,359 --> 00:34:27,359 The 2004 BMW M5. 634 00:34:27,359 --> 00:34:30,159 You see, in the early noughties, 635 00:34:30,159 --> 00:34:35,359 BMW's F1 car was powered by a big, revvy V10 engine. 636 00:34:35,359 --> 00:34:37,719 So the good people at the M Division thought, 637 00:34:37,719 --> 00:34:41,719 "Hey, why can't we put one of those in a family saloon?" 638 00:34:42,759 --> 00:34:44,759 Well, it turned out... 639 00:34:44,759 --> 00:34:46,799 ..they could. 640 00:34:46,799 --> 00:34:48,679 And it sounds like... 641 00:34:48,679 --> 00:34:50,919 INTENSE ENGINE REVS 642 00:34:50,919 --> 00:34:52,559 ..the end of days. 643 00:34:55,159 --> 00:34:57,199 Ha-ha! This is fast! 644 00:34:58,399 --> 00:35:00,039 Whoa! 645 00:35:01,079 --> 00:35:03,719 500 brake horsepower. 646 00:35:07,159 --> 00:35:10,839 It'll still spin past 8,000 RPM. 647 00:35:10,839 --> 00:35:12,839 If you take the limiter off this thing... 648 00:35:14,039 --> 00:35:15,479 Oh-ho-ho-ho! 649 00:35:15,479 --> 00:35:18,559 ..they reckon it'll go up to 200mph. 650 00:35:19,839 --> 00:35:22,439 It's absolutely bananas! 651 00:35:26,559 --> 00:35:29,919 This was the M Division declaring to the world 652 00:35:29,919 --> 00:35:33,519 that, when it comes to supercar-quick saloons, 653 00:35:33,519 --> 00:35:36,519 nobody else comes close. 654 00:35:39,799 --> 00:35:43,079 These are what the M Division are all about. 655 00:35:43,079 --> 00:35:46,399 And, yes, over the years, they've dabbled with quick SUVs 656 00:35:46,399 --> 00:35:49,519 and other odds and ends, but these? 657 00:35:49,519 --> 00:35:51,479 These are the heartland. 658 00:35:51,479 --> 00:35:55,719 In fact, you can trace a line right from the original M3, 659 00:35:55,719 --> 00:35:59,199 through all of these, all the way up to this... 660 00:36:01,599 --> 00:36:04,679 ..the new M3. 661 00:36:04,679 --> 00:36:09,919 A car that's channelling 50 years of M Division know-how. 662 00:36:13,799 --> 00:36:15,399 HE CHUCKLES 663 00:36:16,679 --> 00:36:18,679 Get round there! 664 00:36:22,119 --> 00:36:24,599 Man alive! 665 00:36:24,599 --> 00:36:27,759 It's packing 500 horsepower 666 00:36:27,759 --> 00:36:30,479 from a twin-turbo six-cylinder engine. 667 00:36:32,239 --> 00:36:34,119 And that's just the start. 668 00:36:36,079 --> 00:36:39,199 It's got an eight-speed automatic gearbox. 669 00:36:40,599 --> 00:36:43,239 A clever four-wheel-drive option. 670 00:36:45,719 --> 00:36:48,319 You can configure the steering, dampers... 671 00:36:48,319 --> 00:36:50,159 You can even do the brake pedal! 672 00:36:54,959 --> 00:36:57,519 It is big, and it is clever. 673 00:36:59,079 --> 00:37:00,959 Oh, and did I mention? 674 00:37:00,959 --> 00:37:03,799 Very, very fast. 675 00:37:03,799 --> 00:37:05,719 ENGINE REVS 676 00:37:09,799 --> 00:37:13,519 Yes! You little German beauty! 677 00:37:15,039 --> 00:37:18,559 But on the subject of beauty... 678 00:37:19,559 --> 00:37:21,439 ..it's hard to ignore 679 00:37:21,439 --> 00:37:25,719 that massive-nostrilled elephant in the room. 680 00:37:25,719 --> 00:37:27,959 There's no getting around it, is there? 681 00:37:27,959 --> 00:37:29,359 Who signed that off? 682 00:37:29,359 --> 00:37:31,559 I know they say beauty's in the eye of the beholder, 683 00:37:31,559 --> 00:37:32,799 but come on! 684 00:37:32,799 --> 00:37:34,679 Whoever designed that 685 00:37:34,679 --> 00:37:38,319 needs to have a long, hard look at theirself in the mirror. 686 00:37:38,319 --> 00:37:43,159 And talking downsides, for a car wearing that badge, 687 00:37:43,159 --> 00:37:45,319 there is a bigger one. 688 00:37:46,399 --> 00:37:48,119 It's overcomplicated. 689 00:37:48,119 --> 00:37:51,079 Yes, it's fast and it's fun to drive, 690 00:37:51,079 --> 00:37:52,999 but you feel disconnected from it. 691 00:37:52,999 --> 00:37:56,119 The computer takes over and does everything. 692 00:37:56,119 --> 00:38:00,679 So if you look at it on paper, it's the ultimate machine. 693 00:38:00,679 --> 00:38:03,159 But is it the ultimate driving machine? 694 00:38:04,559 --> 00:38:05,879 I'm not so sure. 695 00:38:09,479 --> 00:38:11,879 The trouble is, over the years, 696 00:38:11,879 --> 00:38:17,319 all cars have become bigger, heavier and more complicated. 697 00:38:17,319 --> 00:38:21,119 And that's where M cars have gone, too. 698 00:38:21,119 --> 00:38:23,399 But then, every now and again, 699 00:38:23,399 --> 00:38:25,839 they go and build a car that lets you know 700 00:38:25,839 --> 00:38:29,079 they haven't completely forgotten where they came from. 701 00:38:31,159 --> 00:38:32,759 The 1M. 702 00:38:32,759 --> 00:38:37,599 A purified, pocket-sized, back-to-basics coupe 703 00:38:37,599 --> 00:38:40,279 that turned up back in 2011 704 00:38:40,279 --> 00:38:45,719 as a true spiritual successor to the original M3. 705 00:38:46,919 --> 00:38:49,159 It is good to be back. 706 00:38:49,159 --> 00:38:51,239 I used to own one of these. 707 00:38:51,239 --> 00:38:55,359 And, yes, I absolutely loved it. 708 00:38:55,359 --> 00:38:59,119 Let's see if it's as good as I remember. 709 00:39:00,759 --> 00:39:03,279 MUSIC: Block Rockin' Beats by The Chemical Brothers 710 00:39:03,279 --> 00:39:05,919 ENGINE REVS 711 00:39:05,919 --> 00:39:09,079 Oh-ho! Here we go. 712 00:39:16,519 --> 00:39:19,679 This is what it's all about. 713 00:39:19,679 --> 00:39:20,999 TYRES SCREECH 714 00:39:20,999 --> 00:39:24,719 No fancy dampers, no multi-mode brake pedal. 715 00:39:26,119 --> 00:39:28,679 Just a dinky car... 716 00:39:28,679 --> 00:39:29,839 Whoa! 717 00:39:29,839 --> 00:39:32,879 ..with a punchy engine, rear-wheel drive, 718 00:39:32,879 --> 00:39:36,479 and someone clinging onto the steering wheel for dear life. 719 00:39:38,759 --> 00:39:40,359 Yes! Come on! 720 00:39:42,839 --> 00:39:45,919 What made the 1M so special was that, 721 00:39:45,919 --> 00:39:52,799 with just 335 horsepower, it was never about raw performance. 722 00:39:52,799 --> 00:39:56,679 Its M-car genius was all in the feel. 723 00:39:59,079 --> 00:40:00,279 Woohoo! 724 00:40:03,759 --> 00:40:06,279 Oh, man, I love the little short gear changes. 725 00:40:06,279 --> 00:40:08,999 I love the steering wheel. I love everything about this car. 726 00:40:08,999 --> 00:40:10,639 You're totally connected to it. 727 00:40:12,079 --> 00:40:13,399 Do you know what? 728 00:40:13,399 --> 00:40:16,719 When they get it right, they get it right. 729 00:40:16,719 --> 00:40:21,639 This thing is absolute driving joy. 730 00:40:24,439 --> 00:40:26,679 Why did I get rid of it?! 731 00:40:26,679 --> 00:40:28,039 Well, I know why - 732 00:40:28,039 --> 00:40:29,919 me wife told me to. 733 00:40:31,759 --> 00:40:33,999 Happy birthday, M Division. 734 00:40:33,999 --> 00:40:37,279 And here's to 50 more glorious years. 735 00:40:37,279 --> 00:40:41,359 TYRES SCREECH Get out there! 736 00:40:48,839 --> 00:40:51,239 CHEERING AND APPLAUSE 737 00:40:53,919 --> 00:40:55,359 Double teapot. 738 00:40:55,359 --> 00:40:58,559 I'm not happy either. Not happy. 739 00:40:58,559 --> 00:41:01,639 McGuinness, how could you go and do that without me? 740 00:41:01,639 --> 00:41:06,519 BMW M cars is my specialist subject. I can talk about them for hours. 741 00:41:06,519 --> 00:41:08,079 That's exactly why we didn't send you. 742 00:41:08,079 --> 00:41:09,719 LAUGHTER 743 00:41:09,719 --> 00:41:12,399 Looking down the line, they're not getting any prettier, are they? 744 00:41:12,399 --> 00:41:15,439 Well, I mean, what's going on with these grilles, Christopher? 745 00:41:15,439 --> 00:41:18,439 I don't know. The car looks better if I stand here. Yeah. 746 00:41:18,439 --> 00:41:21,239 Why, though? What was the reasoning behind it? 747 00:41:21,239 --> 00:41:23,599 Well, they apparently designed it after Fred Flintoff - 748 00:41:23,599 --> 00:41:25,959 two massive teeth down the front end. Oh! Oh! 749 00:41:25,959 --> 00:41:29,079 Why? Oh... Why? I've got feelings. 750 00:41:29,079 --> 00:41:32,799 And now, we must move on to talk about the future. 751 00:41:32,799 --> 00:41:35,959 Cos we all know the petrol era is coming to an end, 752 00:41:35,959 --> 00:41:37,999 which, for your traditional petrolhead, 753 00:41:37,999 --> 00:41:39,639 might sound like bad news. 754 00:41:39,639 --> 00:41:42,719 But don't worry, because we're here to tell you that the future of fuel 755 00:41:42,719 --> 00:41:45,279 is starting to look very interesting. 756 00:41:48,919 --> 00:41:50,199 Let's begin... 757 00:41:51,799 --> 00:41:53,239 ..with battery power. 758 00:41:54,679 --> 00:41:59,599 Because for a long time now, if you wanted to go green, 759 00:41:59,599 --> 00:42:03,199 batteries have been pretty much your only option. 760 00:42:03,199 --> 00:42:07,039 But, let's be honest, it's only just lately 761 00:42:07,039 --> 00:42:09,599 that they've really started turning heads. 762 00:42:10,799 --> 00:42:14,359 Take the sensational Back To The Future styling 763 00:42:14,359 --> 00:42:17,159 of Hyundai's IONIQ 5. 764 00:42:17,159 --> 00:42:19,239 The Mustang Mach-E - 765 00:42:19,239 --> 00:42:24,119 a family crossover that packs nearly 500 horsepower. 766 00:42:25,879 --> 00:42:30,279 Or how about a car that looks to be heading 767 00:42:30,279 --> 00:42:33,679 where no EV has gone before? 768 00:42:43,199 --> 00:42:45,199 The CUPRA Born. 769 00:42:45,199 --> 00:42:47,639 Strange name, interesting car. 770 00:42:50,679 --> 00:42:55,559 This could be the first-ever all-electric hot hatch. 771 00:42:57,599 --> 00:42:59,039 Wahey! 772 00:43:00,279 --> 00:43:04,679 Now, it's based on VW's not-very-hot ID.3. 773 00:43:06,359 --> 00:43:08,999 But over in the Spanish sunshine, 774 00:43:08,999 --> 00:43:14,959 CUPRA, the new sporty wing of SEAT, has been busy heating things up. 775 00:43:14,959 --> 00:43:19,799 Compared to the ID.3, this is lower, the suspension's sharper, 776 00:43:19,799 --> 00:43:23,519 and this particular one is around 200 horsepower. 777 00:43:23,519 --> 00:43:26,479 All very hot-hatchy. Whoa-ho! 778 00:43:29,119 --> 00:43:31,759 What's a bit less hot-hatchy, though, 779 00:43:31,759 --> 00:43:37,399 is that old eco problem of lugging around a big, heavy battery. 780 00:43:39,039 --> 00:43:41,519 The weight's all low down, 781 00:43:41,519 --> 00:43:43,959 which means it's pretty flat into the corners, 782 00:43:43,959 --> 00:43:46,079 but it's just missing a little bit of zip, 783 00:43:46,079 --> 00:43:47,359 a little bit of zing. 784 00:43:50,239 --> 00:43:51,239 Nah. 785 00:43:52,879 --> 00:43:55,679 It's more of a lukewarm hatch. 786 00:43:57,119 --> 00:43:59,119 Tepid. Cool to the touch. 787 00:43:59,119 --> 00:44:00,839 Cool-to-the-touch hatch. 788 00:44:03,639 --> 00:44:06,879 So, no, at just over 30 grand, 789 00:44:06,879 --> 00:44:11,999 the Born isn't going to tempt you away from your Golf GTI. 790 00:44:11,999 --> 00:44:15,639 But it does show that more affordable EVs 791 00:44:15,639 --> 00:44:19,239 are just starting to have some fun. 792 00:44:21,119 --> 00:44:24,399 The Born is injecting a little bit of Latin flair 793 00:44:24,399 --> 00:44:28,479 into the beige world of electric hatchbacks. 794 00:44:32,639 --> 00:44:34,559 Which is all well and good. 795 00:44:34,559 --> 00:44:36,479 But up at the top of the range, 796 00:44:36,479 --> 00:44:40,839 EVs have been putting on a very convincing show for a while now. 797 00:44:42,799 --> 00:44:45,239 Mostly thanks to this. 798 00:44:47,759 --> 00:44:49,359 TYRES SCREECH 799 00:44:49,359 --> 00:44:51,719 The Porsche Taycan. 800 00:44:51,719 --> 00:44:55,439 The unbelievably quick, incredibly capable four-door saloon 801 00:44:55,439 --> 00:44:58,679 that has been embarrassing petrol performance cars 802 00:44:58,679 --> 00:45:01,999 since it launched a couple of years ago. 803 00:45:01,999 --> 00:45:05,479 And now, to keep the great battery charge advancing... 804 00:45:06,799 --> 00:45:10,039 ..the Germans have sent in some backup. 805 00:45:13,679 --> 00:45:15,959 The Audi e-tron GT. 806 00:45:15,959 --> 00:45:18,559 This might just be the first electric car 807 00:45:18,559 --> 00:45:20,159 you could buy on looks alone. 808 00:45:20,159 --> 00:45:22,239 It's an absolute knockout! 809 00:45:23,319 --> 00:45:26,159 And it's beautiful inside too. 810 00:45:26,159 --> 00:45:29,159 They've not gone Tesla minimalist here. 811 00:45:29,159 --> 00:45:33,839 It feels like a posh Audi - an even posher Audi than normal! 812 00:45:33,839 --> 00:45:37,079 Underneath the fantastic fit and finish, 813 00:45:37,079 --> 00:45:41,359 the GT actually shares the same chassis, gearbox, 814 00:45:41,359 --> 00:45:44,399 and a lot of the same technology as the Taycan. 815 00:45:47,399 --> 00:45:48,879 And do you know what? 816 00:45:48,879 --> 00:45:52,559 It might actually be better to drive than the Porsche. 817 00:45:52,559 --> 00:45:55,319 It's a bit more comfortable. 818 00:45:55,319 --> 00:45:59,079 The whole chassis feels just a bit more intuitive. 819 00:45:59,079 --> 00:46:01,839 This is an Audi that's better to drive 820 00:46:01,839 --> 00:46:03,519 than the equivalent Porsche. 821 00:46:03,519 --> 00:46:05,359 I mean, the world's been turned upside down. 822 00:46:05,359 --> 00:46:06,679 There are no rules any more. 823 00:46:07,919 --> 00:46:09,119 What there is instead... 824 00:46:10,999 --> 00:46:12,399 ..is power. 825 00:46:18,439 --> 00:46:21,599 Now, this version has over 500 horsepower, 826 00:46:21,599 --> 00:46:24,479 and this isn't even the fastest one. 827 00:46:24,479 --> 00:46:27,679 But this is still absurdly quick, it really is. 828 00:46:27,679 --> 00:46:30,279 You don't need a car faster than this. 829 00:46:31,879 --> 00:46:33,359 And here's the best bit. 830 00:46:33,359 --> 00:46:35,799 Crusty old journalists like me have complained for years 831 00:46:35,799 --> 00:46:37,799 that Audis don't oversteer. Watch this. 832 00:46:37,799 --> 00:46:39,239 TYRES SCREECH 833 00:46:41,319 --> 00:46:45,119 Straight away, massive, massive rear-wheel-drive skids. 834 00:46:47,119 --> 00:46:48,759 HE LAUGHS 835 00:46:50,719 --> 00:46:55,279 So new electric cars - no longer boring. 836 00:46:55,279 --> 00:46:58,319 And it doesn't stop there. 837 00:46:59,959 --> 00:47:03,159 Because whether it's a charged-up Cobra, 838 00:47:03,159 --> 00:47:05,839 a battery-powered Beetle, 839 00:47:05,839 --> 00:47:09,639 or a Defender that's swapped diesel for DC, 840 00:47:09,639 --> 00:47:12,319 there are now loads of companies out there 841 00:47:12,319 --> 00:47:15,679 giving timeless classics a new lease of life 842 00:47:15,679 --> 00:47:21,039 by swapping their fumey old engines for batteries and motors. 843 00:47:22,279 --> 00:47:23,919 Although, it must be said, 844 00:47:23,919 --> 00:47:26,959 for your traditional petrolhead, this is... 845 00:47:28,039 --> 00:47:29,599 ..a tricky area. 846 00:47:29,599 --> 00:47:32,279 Hey, now, this is a bit of you at the end, innit? 847 00:47:32,279 --> 00:47:36,719 What do you reckon about having an electric motor in one? 848 00:47:36,719 --> 00:47:40,599 I just don't know. I'm so confused. Mm. I love my 911, 849 00:47:40,599 --> 00:47:43,839 and I love it because of the sound of the flat-six. Absolutely. 850 00:47:43,839 --> 00:47:46,279 I mean, this is what I lie awake at night thinking about. 851 00:47:46,279 --> 00:47:47,719 So, I... HE SIGHS 852 00:47:47,719 --> 00:47:50,319 I were going to say, we're going to drive one apiece. 853 00:47:50,319 --> 00:47:52,479 I think I know which one you're going to go for. 854 00:47:52,479 --> 00:47:55,599 I've got to have a go in it. Yeah. Do you know what I'm going to do? 855 00:47:55,599 --> 00:47:58,639 The old e-Defender. I'm going to give it a whirl. 856 00:47:59,879 --> 00:48:03,119 Why's it got exhaust pipes? Has yours got exhaust pipes? 857 00:48:03,119 --> 00:48:04,359 What? 858 00:48:05,599 --> 00:48:09,839 Sacrilegious as it may seem, though, what cannot be denied 859 00:48:09,839 --> 00:48:14,279 is the performance this kind of transplant yields, 860 00:48:14,279 --> 00:48:17,159 as we shall now demonstrate with a drag race. 861 00:48:17,159 --> 00:48:21,599 Electric classics versus their old fossil-fuelled equivalents. 862 00:48:22,799 --> 00:48:25,679 MAN ON RADIO: Three, two, one, go! 863 00:48:27,039 --> 00:48:30,359 Whooooa! Oh, my God! 864 00:48:31,599 --> 00:48:34,119 I've just been done by a Defender. 865 00:48:35,559 --> 00:48:39,879 I'm in a Defender! Wow! 866 00:48:39,879 --> 00:48:41,199 Wow, look at him go! 867 00:48:46,799 --> 00:48:48,039 But now I'm going. 868 00:48:48,039 --> 00:48:49,519 CAMERA CLICKS 869 00:48:50,839 --> 00:48:53,679 There's the Porsche. Yes! 870 00:48:56,719 --> 00:48:59,039 And now we're going away. 871 00:48:59,039 --> 00:49:01,679 Over the line at 120. That's quick. 872 00:49:03,359 --> 00:49:05,439 Wha-hey-hey! 873 00:49:05,439 --> 00:49:07,719 Whoa! Oh! 874 00:49:09,119 --> 00:49:10,999 Oh, my... 875 00:49:10,999 --> 00:49:13,999 That Defender off the line, good Lord! 876 00:49:13,999 --> 00:49:16,639 Oh, here's the other little Porsche. 877 00:49:16,639 --> 00:49:18,399 Here he is. 878 00:49:18,399 --> 00:49:20,999 Too late now. Already got it. 879 00:49:24,399 --> 00:49:27,159 OK, electric... 880 00:49:27,159 --> 00:49:29,839 ..demolishes petrol in a straight line. 881 00:49:30,879 --> 00:49:35,519 I have just literally left a Porsche for dead 882 00:49:35,519 --> 00:49:37,639 in a Land Rover Defender. 883 00:49:39,759 --> 00:49:42,039 What a time to be alive! 884 00:49:43,479 --> 00:49:44,879 I want one of these. 885 00:49:46,279 --> 00:49:48,279 Can you imagine just someone pulling up 886 00:49:48,279 --> 00:49:51,199 at the side of you at the lights thinking, "Oh, I'll burn this off"? 887 00:49:51,199 --> 00:49:52,599 And you're like, "Will ya?" 888 00:49:56,239 --> 00:49:58,479 And the best part is... 889 00:49:58,479 --> 00:50:00,519 Whaaaaaaaaa! 890 00:50:00,519 --> 00:50:03,239 ..when it comes to the future of fuel, 891 00:50:03,239 --> 00:50:06,799 batteries aren't even the most exciting tech going. 892 00:50:09,599 --> 00:50:13,359 Time for our next fuel of the future, 893 00:50:13,359 --> 00:50:14,759 with Professor Harris. 894 00:50:16,319 --> 00:50:18,719 Hydrogen. 895 00:50:18,719 --> 00:50:22,039 The most abundant element in our universe. 896 00:50:22,039 --> 00:50:23,559 And if you can get it on its own, 897 00:50:23,559 --> 00:50:25,719 it's something you can power your car with. 898 00:50:25,719 --> 00:50:28,559 Now, the science behind it is pretty straightforward. 899 00:50:28,559 --> 00:50:30,759 In one end comes some hydrogen, 900 00:50:30,759 --> 00:50:33,359 and it mixes with oxygen from the atmosphere. 901 00:50:33,359 --> 00:50:34,879 There they go - mix, mix. 902 00:50:34,879 --> 00:50:37,119 And through a complicated exchange of protons 903 00:50:37,119 --> 00:50:41,519 and electrons and other things, you get - this is the clever bit - 904 00:50:41,519 --> 00:50:42,599 electricity. 905 00:50:42,599 --> 00:50:45,439 That and that equals that. Isn't it brilliant? 906 00:50:45,439 --> 00:50:46,799 And the only by-product, 907 00:50:46,799 --> 00:50:48,919 the thing that comes out of your exhaust, 908 00:50:48,919 --> 00:50:51,719 is this - good old H2O. 909 00:50:51,719 --> 00:50:52,919 Water. 910 00:50:52,919 --> 00:50:55,999 Now, if you've extracted your hydrogen using green electricity, 911 00:50:55,999 --> 00:50:59,239 the whole process is carbon-neutral. 912 00:50:59,239 --> 00:51:01,079 And the even cleverer thing is... 913 00:51:01,079 --> 00:51:03,399 ..hydrogen packs a punch. 914 00:51:04,759 --> 00:51:08,599 Now, in rocket A, we have two grams of petrol. 915 00:51:08,599 --> 00:51:12,439 And in rocket B, we have two grams of hydrogen. 916 00:51:12,439 --> 00:51:15,959 And we're going to find out which produces the biggest bang. 917 00:51:15,959 --> 00:51:17,199 Serious science, this. 918 00:51:17,199 --> 00:51:19,719 So, first up - petrol. 919 00:51:19,719 --> 00:51:22,799 Lovely, explode-y petrol. 920 00:51:22,799 --> 00:51:23,879 BEEP 921 00:51:26,519 --> 00:51:27,879 OK. 922 00:51:27,879 --> 00:51:30,959 And now - hydrogen. 923 00:51:30,959 --> 00:51:32,119 BEEP 924 00:51:39,439 --> 00:51:41,639 That's a clear win for hydrogen. 925 00:51:42,919 --> 00:51:44,439 The only problem is... 926 00:51:46,519 --> 00:51:47,879 ..while a few companies 927 00:51:47,879 --> 00:51:51,399 are developing this exciting, elegant technology, 928 00:51:51,399 --> 00:51:54,359 up to now, the most exciting, elegant car 929 00:51:54,359 --> 00:51:56,319 that anyone's found to put it in... 930 00:51:57,359 --> 00:51:58,719 ..is this. 931 00:52:02,559 --> 00:52:04,759 The Toyota Mirai. Yes. 932 00:52:04,759 --> 00:52:07,319 It essentially just drives like an electric car. 933 00:52:07,319 --> 00:52:09,039 Well, that's what a hydrogen car is. 934 00:52:09,039 --> 00:52:11,119 It's just storing its energy in different ways. 935 00:52:11,119 --> 00:52:14,399 A normal electric car conventionally has a battery. This stores hydrogen, 936 00:52:14,399 --> 00:52:16,999 and then uses a fuel cell to convert it. 937 00:52:16,999 --> 00:52:18,839 You have a tank out the back, 938 00:52:18,839 --> 00:52:21,799 and you can fill this thing up like you would a petrol car. 939 00:52:21,799 --> 00:52:24,159 It's a liquid. So, fill it up, away you go. 940 00:52:24,159 --> 00:52:26,359 A couple of minutes, 400 miles of range. 941 00:52:26,359 --> 00:52:29,599 Try that in an electric car. Now, I must say, 942 00:52:29,599 --> 00:52:31,879 that is quite a good thing compared to electric cars. 943 00:52:31,879 --> 00:52:33,799 That's what drives me mad with electric cars. 944 00:52:33,799 --> 00:52:36,079 Exactly. Is the amount of time you've got to put... 945 00:52:36,079 --> 00:52:37,959 So where do you fill up an hydrogen car? 946 00:52:37,959 --> 00:52:39,999 There are fuel stations all over the country. 947 00:52:39,999 --> 00:52:41,599 How many? 12. 948 00:52:41,599 --> 00:52:43,799 12? 12. 949 00:52:43,799 --> 00:52:45,599 Last year... Yeah? 950 00:52:45,599 --> 00:52:48,919 ..there were 15 people born in this country... Yeah? 951 00:52:48,919 --> 00:52:50,719 ..given the name Lucifer. 952 00:52:50,719 --> 00:52:52,679 LAUGHING: No, there weren't! 953 00:52:52,679 --> 00:52:57,439 So you've got more chance of running into a baby Lucifer 954 00:52:57,439 --> 00:53:00,999 than you have of finding a hydrogen fuel station. 955 00:53:00,999 --> 00:53:02,679 Well, it's got its downsides, OK? 956 00:53:02,679 --> 00:53:04,319 But these are the upsides, all right? 957 00:53:04,319 --> 00:53:06,799 First of all, we're not carting around a great big battery, 958 00:53:06,799 --> 00:53:08,279 which is really, really heavy. 959 00:53:08,279 --> 00:53:10,479 Second of all, you read all these stories about 960 00:53:10,479 --> 00:53:12,559 digging up nasty metals from the ground 961 00:53:12,559 --> 00:53:14,119 and all the stuff that goes on with that. 962 00:53:14,119 --> 00:53:16,159 Cobalt. There's none of that, OK? 963 00:53:16,159 --> 00:53:19,319 And thirdly, you can use the existing petrol network. 964 00:53:19,319 --> 00:53:21,319 So, if you go to BP, 965 00:53:21,319 --> 00:53:23,479 where there's LPG, there could by hydrogen. 966 00:53:23,479 --> 00:53:24,919 Come on, get on board, Pad. 967 00:53:24,919 --> 00:53:28,119 I am on board, believe it or not. And this goes quite well. Come on. 968 00:53:28,119 --> 00:53:32,039 Yeah, the science stacks up, no denying that. 969 00:53:32,039 --> 00:53:36,039 So why have they put it all in something so vanilla? 970 00:53:36,039 --> 00:53:38,679 We need a hydrogen supercar. 971 00:53:38,679 --> 00:53:40,839 I agree. Er, can we now do something more exciting? 972 00:53:40,839 --> 00:53:43,279 Cos I am getting quite sleepy here. Yes. 973 00:53:44,319 --> 00:53:46,039 Indeed we could. 974 00:53:47,439 --> 00:53:51,119 Because what if there was a way to go green 975 00:53:51,119 --> 00:53:54,359 without giving up on the combustion engine? 976 00:53:54,359 --> 00:53:55,359 MOTOR REVS 977 00:53:55,359 --> 00:53:58,399 A way to go green without giving up all that noise. 978 00:53:58,399 --> 00:54:00,599 MOTOR REVS 979 00:54:00,599 --> 00:54:03,119 That drama. 980 00:54:03,119 --> 00:54:04,319 That soul. 981 00:54:04,319 --> 00:54:06,079 MOTOR REVS 982 00:54:07,079 --> 00:54:11,119 Introducing synthetic fuel. 983 00:54:12,319 --> 00:54:14,199 TYRES SCREECH 984 00:54:17,239 --> 00:54:19,719 Look at the go on that Lamborghini! 985 00:54:25,799 --> 00:54:27,039 Man alive! 986 00:54:29,079 --> 00:54:31,279 Whoa-ho-ho! 987 00:54:33,559 --> 00:54:35,079 What a machine. 988 00:54:35,079 --> 00:54:36,319 These synthetic fuels, 989 00:54:36,319 --> 00:54:38,199 they're pretty big news at the moment. 990 00:54:38,199 --> 00:54:40,039 The fuel that's in this car 991 00:54:40,039 --> 00:54:44,679 was the brainchild of genius Formula 1 engineer Paddy Lowe. 992 00:54:44,679 --> 00:54:48,359 So I am literally Paddy-powered, but in the right way. 993 00:54:50,239 --> 00:54:54,279 What very clever engineers like Mr Lowe have managed to do 994 00:54:54,279 --> 00:54:57,719 is create a petrol made not from oil 995 00:54:57,719 --> 00:55:00,919 but from carbon dioxide captured from the air 996 00:55:00,919 --> 00:55:03,879 and hydrogen extracted from water. 997 00:55:05,039 --> 00:55:07,279 The result is a fuel that, when burned, 998 00:55:07,279 --> 00:55:10,479 emits only the CO2 that was extracted 999 00:55:10,479 --> 00:55:12,119 to make it in the first place. 1000 00:55:13,559 --> 00:55:17,799 So, as long as you're using green electricity to power production, 1001 00:55:17,799 --> 00:55:21,239 it is completely carbon-neutral. 1002 00:55:23,639 --> 00:55:26,319 And the really good thing about this is, 1003 00:55:26,319 --> 00:55:30,039 it'll work in any petrol car, no matter how old or how new. 1004 00:55:30,039 --> 00:55:33,119 You can even mix it with your regular fuel. 1005 00:55:33,119 --> 00:55:35,759 It's absolute genius! 1006 00:55:37,719 --> 00:55:42,119 And it might just save some of these old dinosaurs 1007 00:55:42,119 --> 00:55:43,839 from extinction. 1008 00:55:46,719 --> 00:55:48,279 Ah! 1009 00:55:48,279 --> 00:55:51,639 They say the Aventador will be the last Lamborghini 1010 00:55:51,639 --> 00:55:54,399 without electrical assistance. 1011 00:55:55,759 --> 00:55:59,519 The last free-breathing, pure V12. 1012 00:55:59,519 --> 00:56:02,079 And just listen to that noise! 1013 00:56:03,279 --> 00:56:06,359 759 horsepower. 1014 00:56:06,359 --> 00:56:08,399 ENGINE REVS 1015 00:56:09,639 --> 00:56:13,079 This new GT3 just ticks all the boxes. 1016 00:56:13,079 --> 00:56:16,519 Flat-six, normally aspirated, revs at 9,000 RPM. 1017 00:56:16,519 --> 00:56:19,159 ENGINE REVS 1018 00:56:19,159 --> 00:56:21,399 Whoo! 1019 00:56:21,399 --> 00:56:24,439 Before you go thinking this is the answer 1020 00:56:24,439 --> 00:56:26,879 to all our petrolhead prayers, though... 1021 00:56:26,879 --> 00:56:28,519 Ah! 1022 00:56:28,519 --> 00:56:32,159 ..we should point out a couple of drawbacks. 1023 00:56:34,399 --> 00:56:38,639 The main issue being you can't just pop into your local petrol station 1024 00:56:38,639 --> 00:56:41,119 to fill up with synthetic fuel. 1025 00:56:41,119 --> 00:56:46,159 This stuff is experimental. It's extremely rare. 1026 00:56:46,159 --> 00:56:47,999 Which means it's expensive. 1027 00:56:47,999 --> 00:56:49,519 And if you want a number - 1028 00:56:49,519 --> 00:56:51,839 at the moment, about ten quid a litre. 1029 00:56:53,799 --> 00:56:56,359 But, while we wait to see whether synthetic fuels 1030 00:56:56,359 --> 00:57:01,359 will one day become affordable enough for the masses, 1031 00:57:01,359 --> 00:57:03,439 what we do at least now know... 1032 00:57:05,479 --> 00:57:08,319 ..is that with the sun setting on fossil fuels... 1033 00:57:10,359 --> 00:57:16,319 ..the new dawn is starting to look very bright indeed. 1034 00:57:27,799 --> 00:57:29,919 CHEERING AND APPLAUSE 1035 00:57:31,079 --> 00:57:33,319 Oh, just stupidly fast. 1036 00:57:33,319 --> 00:57:34,759 Huh? 1037 00:57:34,759 --> 00:57:37,799 I thought it was going to do a wheelie. They're crazy. 1038 00:57:37,799 --> 00:57:39,919 Oh, man. That was very informative, boys. 1039 00:57:39,919 --> 00:57:42,639 But what I want to talk about is these electric classics, 1040 00:57:42,639 --> 00:57:44,679 cos if I was going to get an electric car, 1041 00:57:44,679 --> 00:57:48,359 apart from that Rivian, that's how I'd do it. 1042 00:57:48,359 --> 00:57:50,959 All the fun, all the looks, none of the maintenance. 1043 00:57:50,959 --> 00:57:52,799 And I've got to say, 1044 00:57:52,799 --> 00:57:56,039 the first five seconds of being in this car, 1045 00:57:56,039 --> 00:57:58,119 that acceleration, 1046 00:57:58,119 --> 00:58:00,759 compared to everything I've driven on Top Gear, 1047 00:58:00,759 --> 00:58:03,599 that's the most fun I've had, ever. Anything? 1048 00:58:03,599 --> 00:58:07,639 Aston Martin Victors, Ferrari Romas, DB5s... 1049 00:58:07,639 --> 00:58:12,519 This, for that first five seconds, was bonkers. 1050 00:58:12,519 --> 00:58:14,759 You know how he squeaks? That was peak squeak. 1051 00:58:14,759 --> 00:58:16,679 That was. Oh, it was. Right up there. 1052 00:58:16,679 --> 00:58:18,639 It was amazing. It was full squeaking. 1053 00:58:18,639 --> 00:58:22,279 And also, synthetic fuel, hey, hey? I'm all over this. 1054 00:58:22,279 --> 00:58:25,519 He's been on the internet again. Here we go. Oh, no. 1055 00:58:25,519 --> 00:58:28,159 It's all the fun of a petrol engine, completely green. 1056 00:58:28,159 --> 00:58:31,399 That's the magic bullet right there. It could be, but it just depends 1057 00:58:31,399 --> 00:58:33,239 if they can make it cheap enough, doesn't it? 1058 00:58:33,239 --> 00:58:36,079 If they can, then we might be having a lot more fun 1059 00:58:36,079 --> 00:58:38,679 in silly petrol-engine cars for some time to come. 1060 00:58:38,679 --> 00:58:40,079 Fingers crossed. 1061 00:58:40,079 --> 00:58:43,359 And on that unusually optimistic note, 1062 00:58:43,359 --> 00:58:46,839 we must end the show, and the series. What?! 1063 00:58:46,839 --> 00:58:49,439 AUDIENCE AND HOSTS GROAN 1064 00:58:49,439 --> 00:58:51,959 It was like being in panto, that. 1065 00:58:51,959 --> 00:58:53,839 We'll be back later in the year. 1066 00:58:53,839 --> 00:58:56,359 Thank you so much for watching. Goodnight. 1067 00:58:56,359 --> 00:58:58,479 CHEERING