(soft music)
(upbeat rock music)
(upbeat rock music continues)
(audience cheering)
- Yes!
Hello and welcome to Top Gear,
where tonight we're mixing it up.
We're gonna do the show a little bit differently.
It's in 3D!
Grrrr.
No, I'm only joking.
Fred, take it away.
- Because we're not kicking off with him skidding around
in a shiny supercar-
- Or trying to kill Fred in new and inventive ways.
(audience laughing)
- No, we're kicking off with a question.
What if?
What if we could actually make a genuine difference
to a few lives, give a bit back?
So we're kicking off with a little experiment.
(dramatic music)
In the world of Motorsport,
life at the top is fast, glamorous, and very exclusive.
No matter how talented you might be,
the simple truth is, that without the right connections,
and a whole heap of cash, it's nigh on impossible to crack.
(dramatic music continues)
So here's the experiment.
What would happen if we developed our very own race team,
a race team of young drivers and mechanics
who haven't got the connections,
and who haven't got the cash
and dropped them right in at the deep end?
(dramatic music)
That deep end looks like this.
Contesting a round of the prestigious GT Cup race series
at Donington Park.
(dramatic music)
800 hopefuls applied,
and from them we selected 13
of the brightest young talents in the UK
and set up a test day to see what they were made of.
(upbeat music)
- Today it means a lot to me
'cause it's given me an opportunity
that I didn't think I'd ever have.
I'm meeting a lot of people,
learning a lot from other people.
- I started racing when I was about 11 year old.
I've been driving since I was three.
- I'm here for a bit of mechanics today,
working on the MX-5 here.
Do a bit of bolt and grease
(upbeat music)
- [Paddy] The Top Gear race team
needs two mechanics and two drivers.
So to help choose them, and then train them up,
I called in professional race team, Paddock Motorsport.
- Well today we're looking for
diamond in the rough basically.
We're not looking for a finished article.
We just want somebody who's good at taking instruction,
that is very mouldable.
(upbeat music)
- These guys are gonna come in with experience
from other disciplines, so it's very important
that we can understand how to take that forward.
(tyres screeching)
- Louis, take your time with the gears, buddy,
don't rush it.
(upbeat music)
Alright mate, if you wanna crack into it,
all the tools are here.
(upbeat music)
- A good mechanic needs a very good attention to detail,
basically for fault finding,
anything that's happened on the circuit.
(upbeat music)
- I love being a mechanic because if you spend
so much time and energy working on this one
to get that little bit faster.
(upbeat music)
- [Paddy] The youngsters are a talented bunch,
one that knows all too well that skill alone
isn't enough to get to the top.
- I haven't got loads of money just to chuck at a car.
- I'd say money plays a big part in it, yeah.
- Money and opportunity, definitely.
(tyres screeching)
- [Paddy] With so much to play for, Paddock Motorsport
can only choose those that show the most potential.
And once the dust settles, we have our four.
In the garage, mechanics Lillie and Callum.
Out on track, drivers Louis and Ollie.
(upbeat music)
With the race team assembled, now it was time to train them.
Boot camp starts just a few days later
at Pembury Racetrack in Carmarthenshire.
(upbeat music)
Where Louis is straight out on track
with driving coach, Michael.
(upbeat music)
- Open that a lot wider.
Good lad.
(upbeat music)
- Not messing about, is he?
- No, going for it.
Back in his home town of Croydon,
our first young driver's racing career
has so far played out at the local rental karting centre.
- At the moment I'm working at Gatwick Airport
as a ramp agent, where we handle people's suitcases.
It's usually me saving up my weekly pay
and just putting aside for go karting.
- [Paddy] Louis has the raw potential, but this experiment
will be a big test.
(upbeat music)
- When I got the phone call saying I was
in the team I was just so over the moon.
Just gotta make the most of it.
(upbeat music)
- [Paddy] Mate, really good, really good.
Good lad.
Feeling alright?
- [Louis] Yeah, good.
- [Paddy] Totally different to karting.
- It might be new territory for Louis,
but the Paddock race engineers reveal he's already
had a promising start
Yeah, on your last lap there, Louis,
you've got yourself to within five seconds of Martin.
- Wow.
- Can you just like slow it down a little bit,
like, (laughs).
(dramatic music)
- [Paddy] It's a good start guys.
In the garage, meanwhile,
mechanics Lillie and Callum are already well
into their engineering crash course
on Paddock's second race-spec MX-5.
- These coils commonly fail due to the heat,
that's why after every session we take them out.
- Two kids coming in as apprentices
would not even get within touching distance of a car
on a team for the first three, or even four, years.
- So the guys out there driving, you can actually be
in a car driving one quicker
than you can be a mechanic out here in the pit lane.
- Absolutely.
I mean, the biggest thing to remember
is just the responsibility.
One mistake, one missed fault is someone's life.
- That's totally shocked me, the three or four year thing.
I never realised that, me-self.
Our young mechanics are definitely in at the deep end.
But Cornwall-based Lillie, and Lincolnshire lad,
Callum, have both grown up with that mechanical mindset
that might just help them swim.
- Excellent stuff.
(upbeat music)
- I like living in my lorry because it's quiet,
no one's around and I can do whatever I want really.
Be in the shed on the cars till whatever time.
I recently bought a couple of bangers,
to strip them and then build them ready for racing.
- First of all, before she done the mechanics,
she used to do show jumping, and she come back
from a show and she said I don't wanna do this anymore.
I want to do bangers.
- Started at eleven doing banger racing.
Pretty much smash everyone else up.
And hope you don't hurt yourself, really.
Every time we blew up an engine,
me and my brother would change engines together.
I love being a mechanic because you find a problem
and you fix it, you get dirty and it's satisfying.
At 16 I started here as an HGV mechanic apprentice.
- Morning, Kev. - Morning.
- I work in the garage with my dad and his friend
and it's brilliant in there.
It's a good atmosphere.
After school I went to college and got an apprenticeship,
did two years in a Land Rover garage.
Seems to come easy.
You kind of think about it logically,
it all clicks together.
Just something I really enjoy.
(engine revving) (upbeat music)
- [Paddy] Back out on track,
driver Ollie's training with Michael
is now also well underway.
- Load the car in, cross those arms.
- [Paddy] And back home, in North Yorkshire,
this is a young man who spends every spare minute
in or around race cars.
- I've never really been an academic lad.
I'd much rather spend my evenings in the garage
with my dad tinkering with the cars.
- [Announcer] can he do it again?
- [Paddy] Ollie, his dad, mum and brother,
all compete on the dirt oval tracks
of National Autograss Racing.
And to help pay his way,
Ollie works full-time building generators.
- The money that goes into the cars comes
in your pocket and goes out the next minute.
What else would you wanna spend your money on at 19?
Not many nights out are allowed, but yeah, it's good.
(upbeat music)
- There's lots of other sacrifices as well.
It's like we don't do foreign holidays.
Our holidays are spent
in a campervan racing Saturday and Sunday,
back home and back to work to earn some more pennies
to do it all again next week.
(engine revving)
- [Paddy] A former junior and open champion,
Ollie has plenty of race experience.
- Keep your hands at quarter to three
and just cross your arms if you need a bit more lock.
- [Paddy] But the move from dirt
to tarmac is not to be underestimated.
- So what was he saying about feeding the wheel?
Was that like a habit from grass tracking, do you think?
- So yeah, so basically what,
'cause we only go round an oval.
- Yeah.
- I don't cross my hands,
I've never crossed my hands 'cause that's quite slow
in our sport.
- The reason why he's saying
that is if you keep your hands there you know
which way the steering wheel's pointing,
- Yeah.
- So if ever you get out of shape
you just know you can just boink and that's kind of
where you're pointing,
to get you out of trouble.
(soft music)
- [Paddy] It's been an intensive first day for the team.
But then with the challenge that lies ahead of them,
it needed to be.
- In seven weeks' time they're gonna be on track
with professional drivers.
- When you tell me things like that,
and I think about it I get very anxious. (laughs)
Seven weeks.
- It's not a lot of time, is it?
- It's a tall order.
(soft music)
By doing something like this we're giving them a chance
to sort of fulfil their dreams,
but also to show their talents.
For me personally it's a real passion project
because it's nice to be in a position
to give them that chance now and to watch 'em grow.
The dream, for me, in doing the film like this, is,
someone notices them.
(soft music)
(engine revving)
While the mechanics spend the next week getting stuck in
at Paddock HQ, driver coaching steps up a gear.
Louis and Ollie have been studying hard
to get their race licences. - Your chariot awaits, sir.
- [Paddy] And now out on track, it's their first ever
go on a live circuit in the MX-5.
(dramatic music)
- [Martin] My only concern for them today
would be if their nerves got the better of them.
Fast cars coming up and overtaking them.
- [Louis] Okay, stay in your line, buddy, stay in your line.
- [Paddy] Michael takes each driver
out on track for tuition.
But in busy traffic, mistakes are made.
(tyres screeching)
(dramatic music)
Get the line right, mate, before we try and carry the speed.
You're just trying to carry the speed too soon.
Let it flow, let it come to you.
(engine revving)
- [Paddy] All too soon the team will be back at Donington
for the GT Cup.
There's no choice but to dust off and keep pushing forward.
(soft music)
Training reaches the halfway point,
and the team are at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire.
The Paddock experts need to see how they're shaping up,
by giving them their first race together
in the Mazda Super Cup.
- Cadwell couldn't be a more difficult place
to bring two newbies for their first ever race weekend
in a car they're unfamiliar with.
It's tight, it's narrow, it's undulating, it's unsighted.
- Mazda weekends, you never know
what could get thrown at you,
so anything could happen.
(upbeat music)
- [Paddy] The team has been practising at Cadwell
for a couple of days, and the challenging circuit
hasn't just been a test for the drivers.
- First practice he broke his gearbox,
so came back in and we changed that.
He went out again, and then went in the wall
and bent his steering rack, so we had to change that.
- The gearbox wasn't too bad, the steering racks was fiddly,
'cause the radiator's in the way,
all the belts and everything.
- Don't break the car.
We haven't got any more.
- Yeah.
Try not to.
(engine revving)
- [Paddy] But as the more relaxed practice sessions end,
the mood shifts.
The focus is now on the team's first ever competitive race.
- You're A-rate. - I am (bleepping) myself.
- There's no need is there.
Alright buddy, you ready? - [Louis] Yeah.
- Forget about yesterday.
Focus on today, alright?
- [Louis] Alright.
- You'll be fine.
Good luck.
All the best.
- [Louis] Thank you.
(dramatic music)
- [Paddy] Louis and Ollie join a 27-car grid.
One that's split into two classes.
Pros, starting towards the front,
and the amateur club class that the boys have qualified
in the middle of, makes up the back of the field.
(dramatic music)
I'm nervous. - [Martin] Yeah.
- I just started getting a little bit of butterflies
in the stomach for them.
(dramatic music)
Five second board.
Come on.
Lights on.
And we're all off!
Go!
(upbeat music)
Go on, the boys!
Ohhh.
- Ohhh.
- [Paddy] Oh, the first corner, here we go.
- [Martin] I can't watch it.
(engines revving)
- They're round.
- We're okay.
(engines revving)
- I've driven round here.
It's a tricky circuit.
- [Martin] It is, there's no room for error.
(upbeat music)
Yeah, he's done him.
He's got back in front.
- Yeah, he's got back in front, yeah.
Good lad Louis.
- [Martin] First overtake.
Come on, lad.
(upbeat music)
Louis is chasing Ollie down now.
- [Paddy] Oh ho ho ho, he's trying, he's trying.
- Louis now has gotta be careful.
'Cause he's trying to attack Ollie,
but he's also gonna get under pressure from the car behind.
(upbeat music)
- [Paddy] Oh, they've muscled him out.
- [Martin] Yeah, and he's lost two spots now.
- No, no, no, no, no.
That's the inexperience though, you know.
(tyres screeching)
Ahhh.
Oh.
The boys are training to be a two-driver team though,
and up the field, Ollie is going from strength to strength.
- Ollie's running two seconds a lap quicker than the cars
in front of him, so he's gaining on that pack.
- [Paddy] Fantastic.
Come on, Ollie.
- Go on Ollie, go on son.
- They're out there, they're racing.
And mixing it up with people
that have been doing this for years.
- Totally, yeah.
- [Martin] Chequered flag.
- Yeah, well done Ollie.
With neither driver having raced on a tarmac circuit before,
it's a solid debut.
Ollie crossing the line sixth in class-
Go on, Louis.
And Louis coming in eighth.
Well done.
(all clapping)
(soft music)
- Heart rate was going for a bit.
We thought, we don't want you two racing together.
- Yeah, yeah.
Yeah yeah, no it was good.
- Got your first race start under the belt.
You've been overtaking people, you've been getting stuck in.
- I can tell you're not happy.
- But I'm happy that you're not happy,
because if you were happy then there's something wrong.
You've got that driver mentality, you know,
you always want more.
You can come in and win the race and you'll be wanting more.
- Yeah.
- So tomorrow we go again.
Well done, mate. - Well done boys.
Well done, well done.
Well done.
(light orchestral music)
- [Louis] Literally I just wanna go out
right now and just race,
to get all my frustration out.
- [Paddy] There's no time to dwell on mistakes.
Training for the drivers is constant.
Every time they get behind the wheel it's followed up
by a full analysis of the drive
with the Paddock coaching team.
- I think where you were getting a little bit frustrated,
where you had your bit of a moment,
I think there was just trying to go, just too deep.
- Going through the data has been amazing.
Giving me them tips, just where I can find
that last few tenths of a second
to improve my overall lap.
- [Louis] I know what to do for my races tomorrow,
so hopefully I'll have no problems and it'll be a good race.
(dramatic music)
- [Paddy] With two races left to run that weekend,
the next morning, Louis and Ollie set out
to put the theory into practice.
(upbeat rock music)
- [Commentator] There goes Oliver Hall
on the inside, that was a late move.
Can he hold the inside line?
He's later on the brakes, and he will slip through.
Becoming a very spectacular driver to watch is Oliver.
- [Paddy] The first race gets underway well.
With Ollie maintaining his impressive form.
- [Commentator] Oliver Hall, very quick reactions there.
- [Paddy] As the race progresses though,
the real star student is Louis.
- [Commentator] And Louis Smithen
has got himself ahead of Oliver Hall look,
really gone on strong in the second half of the race.
(engines revving)
- [Paddy] After a hard-fought battle to the line-
- [Commentator] Oh, and a big contact,
and that's Oliver Hall involved.
- [Paddy] Ollie hangs on to finish fourth in class,
and with Louis a place ahead of him, team Top Gear
has its first podium.
- Louis.
- [Gerry] Well done, Louis.
- Come on, lads, get in there.
- [Gerry] Come here, bud.
- Thanks. - Good stuff.
- [Paddy] It's a huge boost for the team,
and Louis isn't done yet.
- [Commentator] The lights go out, we're away and racing.
- [Paddy] In the last battle of the weekend,
a mistake from Ollie sees him playing catch-up from the off.
(tense music)
But Louis is in the zone, turning all that data,
the analysis and the coaching,
into a clean race to the finish.
- [Commentator] A really impressive end
to his MX-5 Supercup debut.
- [Announcer] The second podium
of the weekend, Louis Smithen.
- [Paddy] It's an incredible result for the Croydon Carter.
While for team mate Ollie,
Cadwell has given him another important lesson
about the rollercoaster of racing.
- Yeah, I'm devastated.
Missed second gear out of the start.
Let the pressure get to me maybe.
- [Paddy] For the whole team, this first race meeting
has been a massive step forward.
To keep the momentum going,
a few days later I organise an outing.
The aim is to give the team the inspiration they'll need
to push on as the stakes get higher.
The place is the home of the McLaren Formula 1 team.
- Is that Senna's car? - Yeah.
- This is one of the most successful cars in race history.
For more than six decades, McLaren has been a leader
in world Motorsport.
James Hunt, Nikki Lauda, Senna, Hamilton,
all raced and won with McLaren.
If you wanna be the best,
you've gotta learn from the absolute best.
So I've got a special guest for you to meet today,
current McLaren F1 driver
and all-round superstar, Lando Norris.
Here he is, though.
- Good morning.
- Now we've got Callum, Lando.
- Lovely to meet you. - Nice to meet you.
- Lillie. - Alright?
- Hello, how are you? - Ollie.
- Nice to meet you, mate. - Nice to meet you.
- And Louis. - Alright?
- They're our drivers, these two keep the team alive,
these are the mechanics.
- Fantastic, the important ones.
First of all, congrats.
I heard there's some um silverware from the weekend.
- [Louis] Yeah.
Thank you.
- Not bad, not bad. - Definitely.
- Well Louis started in the karting,
that's where you started.
- I did start karting.
Karting is probably the place you learn most
of your skills you need for racing.
You don't have to do it.
There's still a lot of drivers who didn't do it.
But karting's one of the funnest as well.
(soft music)
- [Callum] Bit posher than the ones at bangers, aren't they?
- [Lillie] Yeah, they're little plastic-uns.
- [Paddy] We should have brought yours,
stuck it in here, Louis. - Just hide it in there.
No one'll know.
- [Paddy] Your first F1 race.
What was going through your mind?
- Oh, so much.
I was so nervous back then. - Yeah.
- Bit of a twitchy bum. - Oh definitely.
Definitely.
A lot of it is just pressure you put on yourself.
You know you'll be able to do well
if you just go out there and do your job.
- [Paddy] You've done a race,
you've not done particularly well.
- Yeah.
- How do you shake that off?
- You can't just do it yourself.
You've gotta, you know, ask the people
who are there for you, how can I do it better next time?
As soon as you reviewed it,
you just kind of put it behind and you look ahead
to the next one.
- [Paddy] And I believe you've got a bit
of something lined up
for all of our team today.
- I do.
So, two drivers- - [Paddy] Yeah.
- Coming with me.
We're gonna have a bit of a session driving.
- I was gonna say, when you say we're having a bit
of a session, these young people think
you're on about drinking.
(all laughing)
- It's a driving session, not a drinking session.
- And Lillie and Callum, you're gonna be going
with the engineers, so this is gonna be mega today.
For Louis and Ollie, Lando is gonna be coaching them
on one of the most important tools available
to a modern racing driver.
- Sim training is crucial.
For me it's been a big part of my life.
Growing up, I spent a lot, a lot of time on simulators.
- [Paddy] Oh, look at this, lads.
- Especially starting off, when you're kind of new
into the world of racing and you're learning different cars,
you're learning different tracks.
(tense music)
- [Paddy] There's nothing new in F1 using simulators
for driver training.
What's really remarkable is that home gaming racing sims
are now also so accurate that teams like McLaren
are embracing them too.
In their dedicated E-sports studio,
Lando has loaded up the Donington Circuit that Louis
and Ollie will be driving in the GT Cup,
and he's using a McLaren GT4 racer
to lay down a benchmark lap time.
- Makes it look easy, doesn't he?
- I know, yeah.
(upbeat music)
- So, that was my lap.
My one lap, one minute, 38.520.
Not my best lap I've ever done-
- I mean- - But it was pretty good.
- You made that look quite straightforward,
but I'm pretty sure it's not. - Thank you.
It's my job. (laughs)
(all laughing)
So if you get around,
or if you get around in this lap time,
you'll be in a good place.
(soft music)
- [Paddy] Deeper in the bowels
of the McLaren technology centre,
(tools whirring)
Lillie and Callum are with the F1 pit crew,
for a unique look at the mechanics' role
at the very top of the game.
- There's between two and six stops over the race normally,
so this is where the mechanics can sort of
make the difference between winning a race
and losing a race.
(tools whirring)
- How the (beeping) am I gonna do that?
- So guys, that one was a 2.3 that time,
so yeah, over to you guys.
(tense music)
- [Paddy] Back in the sim, Louis and Ollie
and chasing Lando's one-minute 38 lap time.
- There are a few things which you can just never feel
in the sim; one is fear- - Yeah.
- And also the G-force is the one other thing
which you just don't feel.
You don't feel like the physical attributes.
- [Paddy] How much seat time on a sim do you do a week?
- A day at least on the simulator
preparing for every weekend.
(tools whirring)
- So when you, when you're stepping in,
instead of leaving this leg back here, bring it in,
and use your whole body to drive it home.
(tools whirring)
Nice work.
Nice work, guys.
Great job.
(tense music)
- Well their car control's good.
What do we have on them?
- 140. - 143.
- [Paddy] 143, Louis.
- Which is not bad, adapting to a new car,
a quicker car than what they're used to driving.
- Good work, lads.
Good work.
(soft music)
The team's been given a taste of the big leagues,
and have shown real spirit doing it.
It's the spirit they'll need
for this experiment's final test.
There's one last thing I wanna show you.
Because you've done amazing in the MX-5s,
but Donington, different gravy.
I want to introduce you to the car you're gonna be driving.
Lando, if you do the honours on that corner, pal.
(soft music)
570S GT4.
450 horsepower, 3.8 litre, north of 180 miles per hour.
- Yeah, I'm lost for words.
The MX-5s were brilliant,
and now we've gone the complete opposite end.
- Excitement, nerves.
The opportunity's amazing.
- Can't believe I'm actually gonna drive it.
Just wanna get out there, do my best.
Yeah, got a new challenge.
- They're a bit crazy for trusting Ollie and Louis with it,
but I'm excited to see how they get on in it.
- Lando, thank you so much for coming down today.
Really appreciate you giving up your time for us.
Right, go on, you lot.
Skedad.
- Cheers, man. - Cheers.
(soft music)
- [Paddy] The team has gathered
for their first chance to get to grips
with the new car on track.
- Lot more at stake.
Got a lot less margin for error and a lot more room
for big mistakes, big accidents and potentially injuries,
so, it's a massive step up from what they've done before.
- [Paddy] The McLaren is a daunting prospect for them all.
But while Lillie and Callum are now supported
by a bigger pit crew, Louis and Ollie will be on their own.
- More pressure on the drivers.
So, we can't crash it.
They can.
- [Paddy] And first behind the wheel
of the 220,000-pound racer is Louis.
(soft music)
(engine revving) (tense music)
- I think it's a bit of a reality check
that you know we're now, we've been talking about it.
We've been dreaming about driving a GT car.
Now the guys are actually in a GT car
for the first time and it's real.
(engine revving)
- The car looks like a shrunked animal.
So I'm looking forward, a bit nervous.
- When the guys get in these cars the first time,
always a lot of emotion and over-thinking going on,
and through the day, they'll just iron that out.
So, we'll get there.
We'll work through with them.
(tense music)
- [Paddy] Despite not being a whole lot heavier, the McLaren
is over three times as powerful
as the MX-5s the lads have been racing.
The forces involved in just driving it prove
to be a serious wake-up call.
- My vision was going blurry.
Because of the G-force of braking, I'm not used to.
Because, I thought the Mazda was bad, this is just,
10 times worse.
- [Martin] Ollie, what do you reckon?
How did that feel?
- [Ollie] I didn't know what I was doing really.
- [Martin] Didn't know what you were doing, no?
- Nah.
- [Martin] All that training, all that prep.
- Yeah, went out the window, yeah.
- [Martin] Yeah, went out the window, okay.
You were just overwhelmed by the whole experience.
- Yeah. - Yeah?
In what way?
- Everything, like everything.
I wanna start from like, scratch, and work my way back up.
Yeah.
(audience applauding) (crowd cheering)
- Yeah.
- As experiments go, Pad, that's a hefty one.
- Talk about a wake-up call.
They knew it wasn't gonna be easy,
but I don't think they realised how tough it was gonna be.
- A bunch of novices racing in GT Cup, in a McLaren?
That's in at the deep end, boss.
- Me and Chris have raced in that series,
and let me tell you, it's proper.
Chris didn't even finish!
- Because you broke the car.
- Bad workman.
- Yep, leave it, lads.
We'll, (chuckles) we'll see-
- What? - You broke it.
- Leave it!
Well, we'll see whether our race team can cut it
in the big league later on in the show
but now we must move on to talk about hot hatches.
Isn't that right, Christopher?
- It is, Patrick.
And the hot hatch we need to talk about is this one,
the Honda Civic Type R, which for a long time
has been the most in-your-face hot hatch of the lot,
getting fightier and angrier generation on generation.
And now, buckle up, because there's a new one on the scene.
(dramatic music)
Well, here's a turn-up for the books.
This is the new Honda Civic Type R.
And in a break with tradition,
it doesn't look like it should be wearing an ankle tag.
In fact,
the world's most thuggish hot hatch
looks like it's gone a bit grown-up.
But fear not, because under
that sensible new suit the Civic Type R is still
(engine revving)
an absolute delinquent! (chuckles gleefully)
(upbeat music)
It's got more power than ever before.
324 horsepower from a two-litre turbocharged engine.
Okay, that's only a few more horsepower than the old one,
but it'll still do 170 miles an hour;
nought to sixty in five seconds.
I mean, how much more do you want?
That's immense for a little hot hatchback!
(tyres screeching)
And while more and more fast hatchbacks
are turning up with sensible four-wheel drive these days,
the Civic remains defiantly old school.
(dramatic music)
Hot hatches should, in my book, be front-wheel drive.
That's the whole point of them.
What's the upside?
Weight is the upside.
Probably 200 kilograms
less than a four-wheel-drive equivalent.
(tyres screeching)
And look at this.
It's got a proper manual gearbox.
Third!
Second!
Honda are masters at these manual shifts.
And they actually describe this new one.
It is exceptionally rigid yet smooth.
And that is not remotely amusing.
(dramatic music)
And this car reminds us what a hot hatch
should be like inside.
It's basic.
Not too much going on.
But the seat is just exquisite.
I think it's the best seat I've ever sat in a fast car.
I've got dials everywhere.
I've got Honda quality.
But it's not trying to be grown-up.
It's not trying to be a luxury car.
It shouts, get in me and thrash me.
(dramatic music)
Which isn't remotely amusing either.
(dramatic orchestral music)
What is amusing is just how much work Honda
has put in to the bits that no one will ever notice.
They're very proud of the turbocharger,
which is three percent more efficient.
Now, that might not sound like much to you and I,
but to some Honda engineer that was four years of hard work.
(tyres screeching)
Exhaust flow: improved 13%.
Torque and rigidity: improved 15%.
These are all tiny improvements,
but lumped together they result
in a driving experience that's just brighter
and sharper than ever before.
It just feels so alive.
It's a car that makes you smile.
(dramatic orchestral music)
Ha-ha-hah!
It just reminds me of being young and stupid.
In fact, there's only one real issue here,
and it's not with the car.
Hot hatches are not designed for big, open airfields.
They're about cross-country, point-to-point pace.
They're about B roads.
(percussive music)
But the trouble with the B roads is that they come
with real-world problems, like speed limits,
speed cameras, and other traffic.
Well, not anymore.
Introducing the B-roadomatic 3000,
for when you simply must add interest
to your desolate airfield.
Now, I know it may look like a tractor with a couple
of pots of paint strapped to the back,
but it's actually a very technical piece
of equipment developed over many, many months.
And I'm extremely proud of it.
(dramatic music)
And with my very own B road now open for business,
it's time to release the Civic back
into its natural habitat.
(upbeat music)
Ho!
Already it feels just right.
What a thing!
It's so impressive.
You'd swear it was four-wheel drive!
(upbeat music)
Pitch it in. (chuckles gleefully)
It's just yobbery at its finest.
(upbeat music)
This is why these cars were made, for these conditions.
It's so agile.
The front of the car is just superb.
It's so obedient.
You just turn; it goes.
And best of all, I don't feel totally ashamed driving it,
because it wasn't styled by a seven-year-old.
Honda has nailed it with this thing.
It's a proper hot hatch.
Hello, hello.
Look at this lot.
(door clicking)
- Hello.
- Andrew, to what do I owe this pleasure?
What a line-up.
- I have assembled all these classic hot hatches just
to let you know what they're all about.
But firstly, what's that like?
- Fantastic, mate.
They've smashed it out of the park.
Really, really good car.
It's a bit more subtle than the last one.
Better to drive.
It's wonderful.
- I'm sure it's lovely to drive.
Is it a hot hatch?
- Well, it's got a hatch back and it's hot.
- But, (sighs) it's massive.
(light orchestral music)
You see, whether it's the classic Citroën AXE GT-
- Honestly, you wouldn't believe how agile and fast that is.
- The iconic Renault Clio Williams-
Do you know what,
when I was a kid we used
to see the odd one of these knocking about.
And you thought, I want one of these.
The original VW Golf GTI-
- When you think of the original hot hatchback,
the Golf is it, isn't it?
- [Freddie] Or even the last truly
game-changing Civic Type R-
Now we're talking!
- This moved the game on completely.
- What this lineup of greats shows
is that true hot hatches
all share the same simple, lightweight, compact DNA.
- It's a fantastic lineup, Fred, I have to say.
It makes me smile.
But also, a bit wistful for the past.
Because, well, it makes you realise how sort of big
and bloated things have become, really.
- Yeah. - 'Cause the problem is,
Fred, all this old stuff is all very well,
but you can't have an old-style hot hatch that's new.
- You can.
You can have that.
- No you can't. - You can.
You can thank me later.
(dramatic music)
Ladies and gentlemen,
I give you the new old Peugeot 205 GTI.
Ho-ho-hoh!
(upbeat rock music)
It's the work of a British company called Tolman.
They take an old 205 GTI, strip it down to the bare bones,
and regenerate it better than ever before.
This is what they call a restomod.
And yeah, we've seen restomods before,
but they've always been unbelievably expensive.
(engine revving)
This 205 is about 45 grand.
And don't get me wrong, I know that that's a lot of cash.
But at the same time, it's a similar price to Chris's Civic.
And I've gotta say, this is a lot more special.
(upbeat rock music)
(dramatic music)
Tolman's gone to town on every inch of this Peugeot.
The engine's been totally overhauled.
There's stronger brakes, new suspension.
They've even updated the old interior.
Okay, so what they didn't manage
to do was find any more space!
If you're my height, six foot four,
you're not exactly sitting in the car.
I feel like I'm wearing it.
(dramatic music)
But I've got electric windows.
I've got power steering.
I've got a DAB radio!
(upbeat music)
And the real genius is the Tolman 205 doesn't feel
like a new car in old clothes.
It's still shot through with that classic hot-hatch spirit.
It's only got a 130 horsepower.
Which is less than your average family car nowadays.
But I'm only shifting 900 kilograms.
So it's light.
It's nimble.
It's fun.
Ho-ho!
It is fun.
What a car.
(tyres screeching)
Ha-haa!
Chris!
I'm so pleased you came out to play.
Admit it, you're jealous.
- It's absolutely stunning.
It's the perfect hot-hatch shape.
Let's see what it can do.
Make it dance.
Come on.
(upbeat music)
(tyres screeching)
- It's not particularly quick, but it's nimble.
And it is so much fun.
Ooooh!
Here we go!
- I tell you what, Fred, it looks so good I'm already sold.
Where do I write the check?
Look at it!
(upbeat music)
- I've gotta say, I wanted one
of these when I was about 20.
And I've never driven one up until today.
And this thing is not disappointing.
(upbeat music)
I can't shake you off, though, that is for sure.
- I suppose I better demonstrate where the progress is now.
(engine revving)
- Huh-hoh!
Look.
Ta-ra, Chris!
That's what 30 years does!
That is what it does.
(soft music)
- [Chris] The truth is, though, there are no losers here.
Whether you fancy a lovingly updated classic
or the very best
that modern engineering prowess can produce,
you can't really go wrong.
- What we're saying is, then, if you're into hot hatches,
it's a good time to be alive!
Happy days!
- Which reminds me.
I've got something to show you.
(dramatic music)
I built a B-road.
(dramatic music)
- Oh, it's perfect!
Yes!
This is what this car was made for.
(dramatic music)
This is some road, Christopher.
Congratulations.
- It's about smiles, not speed, Andrew.
Smiles, not speed.
(dramatic music)
Roundabout.
- Oh-hoh!
Yes!
Do you mind if I go again?
- One more time.
(dramatic music)
- What a car.
The Peugeot 205 GTI Tolman.
(chuckles) Thank you.
(dramatic music)
(crowd cheering) (audience applauding)
- That is a really good car.
- It is.
So is that, though.
- Do you know what, seeing 'em both side by side,
it's amazing the size difference.
I mean, how the hell in the '80s, did we fit in them?
- Because in the '80s, Paddy, we were kids.
We were smaller.
- (chuckling) Listen, you were never that small.
You're like Donkey Kong in Mario Kart.
You driving round in one of them is unbelievable!
- So go on then, Pad.
A fresh pair of eyes on it.
Which one are you having?
- Phoow.
It's a tricky one.
Because, look, 17-year-old Pad would have loved one of them.
- I get that.
- On the other hand, 17-year-old Pad
would have loved one of them.
Similar prices.
- Well, same ball park.
- Oow, it's a tricky one.
- They're both so good.
- I'm gonna have to go for the Civic.
- Yeah.
- I'm gonna have to go for the Civic.
But, I'd pop the Peugeot in the boot
for a blast down memory lane every now and again.
Perfect two-car garage.
Right, that's that sorted.
Now we must get back to our young race team,
where things were about to get really serious.
(soft music)
Just seven weeks since our young team first came together,
this bold experiment is reaching its conclusion.
A band of talented drivers and mechanics
whose racing ambitions could never have reached so far
(tools whirring)
are now going wheel-to-wheel
with a multi-million-pound grid of hardened racers
in the GT Cup.
- It's extremely tough.
They really have to soak up everything
that we say like a sponge.
Not get overwhelmed by the whole experience.
- From what we've seen of them in the car so far,
you know, they're adapting to it very, very well,
and taking it on board very quickly.
- [Paddy] It's pre-race practice.
Louis and Ollie have had two weeks intensive training
with the car, and now it's their last chance to prepare.
- [Martin] We've got brand-new brakes on the front.
So, bed-in procedure: go out the pits,
30% brake pressure.
50%.
70.
- [Paddy] The warm-up session
doesn't just give them the chance
to set the car up for the track;
it's also the driver's one opportunity
to rehearse crucial moments of the race to come.
- And then I want you to practice the driver change.
So come into the pits hot.
Hit your marks on the board.
Get out of the car as quick as you can.
Louis, then you're jumping in.
Waiting for the pushback.
And remember, once the lollipop releases you,
you've gotta mash that throttle.
Full faith on him.
You've just gotta go into the fast lane and go.
(upbeat music)
- [Paddy] For mechanics Lillie and Callum, meanwhile,
working with the McLaren has meant finding their place
in a professional pit crew.
- Lillie and Callum have gelled well with our team.
You know, they get on with everybody and they've stepped up
to the next level.
Checking suspension.
You know, we changed brakes yesterday.
And I think they'll do really well today.
(upbeat music)
- The whole team has raised their game.
But as practice comes to an end, the real test starts now.
Just, (sighs) keeping everything crossed.
- We've got 20 minutes and then we're out.
- So the call for the tyres will be a little bit earlier.
- Yeah. - Yeah.
- So I want you guys out- Have you got gloves?
- I'll get some now.
- You want good ones, yeah,
'cause the call for the tyes, that, straight in.
- Yeah. - All right?
Yeah?
You're good? - Yeah.
- Sure. - Thank you.
(upbeat music)
- [Paddy] The incredible field that makes up the GT Cup grid
is divided into six competitive categories.
Team Top Gear is competing in the GTH class,
against nine other McLarens, Porsches and AMG Mercs.
As a team endurance event,
both drivers will have to prove themselves.
First, with the qualifying rounds.
(engine revving)
- He's on new tyres.
Low fuel.
He's going to get about three laps to do a time.
- My boy. (chuckles)
Yeah, he's my little gentle giant.
I know he's in a really, really fast car.
Yeah, my heart should be palpitating.
But I've got confidence in him.
And he's a confident lad as well.
- Can you believe how mad it is from karting to doing this?
- Yes, it is. - I mean, it's mad, innit?
- It is crazy. - Oh!
And I'm buzzing for you. - I can't believe it, yeah.
- I'm buzzing for you.
(tense music)
(engine revving)
- I can't believe that my boy is competing at this level.
I just couldn't be more proud.
The opportunity which he's had here
is something that's unobtainable to the working man.
You can't afford to race a McLaren.
You can't afford to sit in a McLaren.
(tense music)
- [Paddy] Louis and Ollie's first-ever
competitive performance in the car is enough
to qualify them eighth in class.
- Well done, mate. - And now,
the end of the road for Team Top Gear.
lies on the other side of a 50-minute endurance race.
(tense music)
A race where each driver gets a stint,
swapping midway with a full-team pit stop.
Competing right through to the chequered flag
would need them all to be on their game.
- Right, guys.
It's time to get serious now.
This whole journey is pointed to the GT Cup race.
A 50-minute race.
I want Louis to start, and then for you, Ollie,
to bring home the chequered flag.
- Perfect.
- Come on, lads.
Let's do it.
(tense music) (tools whirring)
(tense music)
Ah, I'm more nervous watching this than being
in the car myself.
- I know, this is the thing, innit.
- You just want them to be safe, don't you?
They're like your kids. - Our stomach's are in knots.
Imagine what their bloody dads are like.
Louis is approaching the end of the formation lap.
And the rolling start is just seconds away.
It's time to find out how this team reacts when it comes
to the big moment.
- [Commentator] The lights are on on the gantry.
They go out now.
(dramatic music)
And we get round 20 of the 2022 championship season
underway for GT Cup.
(Paddy groans)
- Come on.
Come on, Louis.
- [Commentator] Well, it looks as though everybody
is safely through the first corner.
(dramatic music)
- Louis just came on the radio.
He says, The car in front is slowing me down.
(dramatic music)
Takes a bit of skill, bit of experience,
so you've gotta work out where you are quicker
during the lap, and then, like, pick your moment.
(dramatic orchestral music)
(engine revving)
- Has he got him? - Yeah, he's got him.
(dramatic orchestral music)
Pace is really good.
- [Paddy] Faster than that car in front.
- That car is running top three in the points.
(dramatic music)
- [Paddy] Louis is making his mark
as he claws away at the field.
(engine revving)
All the while in the garage, the team's pit stop strategy
is being calculated.
- So, like if he's got a bit of traffic,
we might stop early,
get Ollie in try and do an undercut,
try and overtake during the pitstops, or if Louis is
in clean air, just keep him out there,
just keep him hounding around.
Get yourself ready, warmed up.
Do some for me as well.
(tense music)
- [Paddy] Out on track, the battles and drama continued.
- Ooh.
Uh-oh.
- [Paddy] Oh.
- [Martin] Oops.
- But Louis is holding his own.
There he is, there he is.
Go on, go on, go on.
Go on, Louis.
(tense music)
What do you think about his position
at the minute, are you happy?
- Yeah, he's doing a good job, we're holding P7 right now.
(tense music)
- [Commentator] So, this is number 25 car.
- Go on, Louis.
- [Commentator] Going well in the hands of Louis Smithen,
making his debut in the championship
and scheduled to hand the car over to Ollie Hall.
(tense music) (engine revving)
- The pitstop window opens and the team
in the garage get ready to go to work.
How long 'til he's in?
- So, three minutes.
(tense music)
- Whatever happens, happens.
Do your best, that's all we can ask for.
(Ollie exhales) (sighs)
- [Paddy] Go on, Ol.
(soft music)
- [Ollie] Box to slapmate, please confirm.
- [Ollie] Nice.
Let's do it.
(engine revving)
(tyres screeching)
- Get out, go, go.
(tense music)
There you go.
(tense music continues)
- [Speaker] Great with the car.
- How are we? - Go.
(tense music continues)
(engine revving)
- [Speaker] Good job, good job, good job.
(engine revving)
(indistinct)
- [Paddy] What happened with the safety car then?
- So, car seventeen crashed out,
safety car came out and just as we were coming
into the pits, so I think that may have played out
in our favour.
- [Paddy] How was it?
- Yeah, it was fun.
So much fun.
- You looked great out there,
I could hear you saying the guy in front
was a little bit slow, so you got past.
- Yeah, yeah.
- You got past. (chuckles)
Louis held seventh place at the hand over
and as the safety car pits, the race resumes.
Here we go.
Ollie now has just over 10 minutes to bring it home
for the team.
(tense music) (engine revving)
Go on!
(tense music)
(engine revving)
- [Speaker] Two more laps to go.
(engine revving)
- Go on, Ol, push!
(tense music)
Come on, Ollie, bring it home, son.
Bring it home.
(tense music)
Yes!
- Attaboy.
Good lad, mate.
Well done, lad.
P7, well done, mate.
Good job.
- [Paddy] Fantastic, pal.
Fantastic.
- Well done.
- [Paddy] Can you believe that?
- Nah.
- Can you believe that?
Huh?
(soft music)
Yes, good lad, Ollie!
(all cheering)
(soft music)
(indistinct)
Yes!
Ohh mate.
- Few beers tonight.
(soft music)
- Well, that was just probably the best day of my life,
like, and just so happy that we got a good result
for the team and yeah, I'm just amazed.
- Wow.
It's been incredible.
We didn't start out as racing drivers,
but we've definitely finished as one.
- It's been so incredible,
it's like something I'm never gonna forget,
being here, doing all of this.
- The Paddock team has just been amazing.
Yeah, I just wanna thank them so much for looking after me,
the mechanics especially for getting the car setup for me.
- Callum and Lillie, me two mechanics,
we have been on a journey,
we've got some amazing memories together
and memories that we'll cherish forever.
(upbeat music)
- Just been amazing, start to finish.
The dream for me is basically do
what I've done the last couple of months, just as a living.
- Dream for the future will be to continue
in any form of Motorsport.
(upbeat music)
(upbeat music continues)
- There we go.
(chuckles) Couple of months ago, we had an idea.
Could we get four young people together
and get 'em into racing?
People who would never get a shot, and if we could,
what would happen?
There's your answer.
And it just goes to show the talent's out there,
alls they need is a chance.
(soft music)
(audience applauding) (crowd cheering)
- Brilliant.
- Amazing.
- And here they are, give it up for Lillie,
Callum, Ollie and Louis!
(crowd cheering) (audience applauding)
- Yeah, that's amazing.
Respect to all of you.
Eight weeks from standing start to racing in GT Cup,
that is a hell of an effort, fantastic.
- And I tell you what, when that flag dropped
at Donington, oh the nerves kicked in for me,
it was like sending your kids off to school
for the first time, but this time the kids
are driving 220 grand McLarens.
(audience chuckles)
- And I tell you what else,
after only two months on the job,
they've already done better than us.
They've actually managed to finish a race,
without breaking down or smashing up a car.
Well done.
(audience applauding)
That's amazing.
- And it goes to prove that there's real talent
out there, and I'm very proud of that young team.
Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Team Top Gear!
(audience applauds)
(all chattering)
- Can milk it now.
Milk it.
- And that's it for us tonight
and for the next few weeks,
because we're off your screens
for something called the World Cup.
Come on England!
(audience applauds) (crowd cheering)
- And Wales!
Thanks so much for watching,
see you in a few weeks, goodnight.
(crowd cheering) (upbeat music)
(upbeat music continues)