0:00:02 > 0:00:04This is Absolute Genius.
0:00:04 > 0:00:09Dive into a world of action, adventure and explosions.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12Each show will introduce you to a different genius.
0:00:12 > 0:00:17An amazing person who had a genius idea which shaped the world.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19And they will inspire us
0:00:19 > 0:00:23to come up with our own genius idea at the end of each show.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27- But will it be any good? - Will it be any good? It'll be...
0:00:27 > 0:00:28- BOTH:- Absolute Genius.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34And on today's show, we bring you up to speed on an absolute genius!
0:00:34 > 0:00:37- Watch out!- What are you doing?!
0:00:37 > 0:00:40So, get ready for the ride of your life!
0:00:40 > 0:00:42Have you got a sick bag?
0:00:43 > 0:00:45MONKEY SCREECHES
0:01:14 > 0:01:18Today we're going to introduce you to a man whose genius idea
0:01:18 > 0:01:20helped change the world by changing the way we move.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22If it wasn't for this genius,
0:01:22 > 0:01:24the way you guys get to school in the morning
0:01:24 > 0:01:26might still involve a horse and cart...
0:01:26 > 0:01:27HORSE WHINNIES
0:01:27 > 0:01:30..because this man's genius led to the invention of these.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37- Nice!- Oh, that's right.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40He is the brains behind the first petrol-powered car.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43- Ladies and gentlemen, we give you... - Karl Benz!
0:01:43 > 0:01:46- A pleasure to meet you, ja! - Ja.- Ja!
0:01:46 > 0:01:48Inspired by his genius idea,
0:01:48 > 0:01:52we're going to be coming up with our own genius idea later on in the show,
0:01:52 > 0:01:55which involves a bizarre build
0:01:55 > 0:01:59and a ridiculous race that gets out of control.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02But first, just how did Karl Benz
0:02:02 > 0:02:04wheel his way into the history books?
0:02:06 > 0:02:09The car is the most popular form of transport ever.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15Now there are around 60 million cars made each year,
0:02:15 > 0:02:19and there are over one billion cars on our roads.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23But in Germany back in 1844, when Karl Benz was born,
0:02:23 > 0:02:25things were very different.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29Back then, the main mode of transport was the horse-drawn carriage.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32Journey times were long, roads were muddy and bumpy,
0:02:32 > 0:02:35and the streets were forever covered in piles of horse poo.
0:02:35 > 0:02:36PFFRRT!
0:02:36 > 0:02:38It was totally stinky!
0:02:38 > 0:02:42At just 15, Benz started to study mechanical engineering
0:02:42 > 0:02:45at university, and it was there, whilst riding his bicycle,
0:02:45 > 0:02:48that he started to imagine a vehicle that could be moved by an engine -
0:02:48 > 0:02:50a car.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52A fellow German engineer, Nikolaus Otto,
0:02:52 > 0:02:56had invented a petrol engine, but it was designed to be stationary
0:02:56 > 0:02:59and could only power things like pumps and drills.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03Someone needed to work out how to make it move something.
0:03:03 > 0:03:04So, let's get this straight.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07They had carriages that couldn't be moved without horses,
0:03:07 > 0:03:09and engines that weren't designed to move anything.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13- A pretty useless combination?- Yeah, and this is where Karl Benz came in.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17It was his genius idea that would help solve this problem.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19And here's how.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Karl Benz's genius idea
0:03:21 > 0:03:24was to invent the first ever petrol-powered car!
0:03:24 > 0:03:28He harnessed the explosive power of petrol in Otto's engine
0:03:28 > 0:03:32and he used that explosive power to propel a three-wheeled carriage.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35The car was born. Genius!
0:03:38 > 0:03:41And here it is! The first ever car!
0:03:41 > 0:03:43But how does it work?...
0:03:45 > 0:03:46Luckily for us,
0:03:46 > 0:03:48genius car specialist Stan
0:03:48 > 0:03:49is on hand.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Stan, this is an absolutely beautiful machine,
0:03:53 > 0:03:55really it is, but how does it work?
0:03:55 > 0:03:58Basically, it's just an engine bolted to a frame,
0:03:58 > 0:04:00connected to a set of wheels by a belt,
0:04:00 > 0:04:02and that's what drives it along.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04Cars of today obviously look different, though.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07I mean, the glaring difference is that it's only got three wheels.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09- Why's that?- It was a lot easier to make one wheel move
0:04:09 > 0:04:11than to make two wheels move together.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14- Oh!- No steering wheel, though - it's just this...
0:04:14 > 0:04:16No, it's just a lever - or better known as a tiller.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18This lever acts as a brake.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20It also acts as your gear lever as well,
0:04:20 > 0:04:22so it's either "go", or it's "stop".
0:04:22 > 0:04:24- Fantastic. Can we have a go on it? - For sure.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27# Here we go! #
0:04:27 > 0:04:31- Wow!- It's going to be a bumpy ride - look at that look at that seat!
0:04:31 > 0:04:33Yes, ladies and gentlemen,
0:04:33 > 0:04:37now it's time to see Dick and Dom crash the first ever car.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39Don't say that!
0:04:39 > 0:04:41Sorry, no. Joking, Stan. To DRIVE the first ever car.
0:04:41 > 0:04:42Here we go.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45- Not too fast, now.- There you are... - Don't forget the brake.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48- First ever car!- Straight... up there... No, round there.
0:04:48 > 0:04:49And through that way.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51Somebody stop them!
0:04:51 > 0:04:54- Yeah!- I thought it was going to go at a snail's pace!
0:04:54 > 0:04:56Look at that! Look how fast it's going!
0:04:56 > 0:04:59The Motorwagen has an average speed of 9mph,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02but from up here, with only a stick for a steering wheel,
0:05:02 > 0:05:05it feels more like 109!
0:05:05 > 0:05:07- Look out!- What are you doing?!
0:05:07 > 0:05:08It was the first of its kind,
0:05:08 > 0:05:10and used state-of-the-art technology,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13so you'd think it would've been an overnight success.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15THEY SCREAM
0:05:15 > 0:05:16But it did have its problems...
0:05:16 > 0:05:18- Argh!- What's that noise?
0:05:18 > 0:05:20I don't know, but it's totally stalled.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24So, yeah, it's broken down, which is why Benz's original car,
0:05:24 > 0:05:26although it was cutting edge and amazing,
0:05:26 > 0:05:29it wasn't an overnight success, because people wouldn't buy one.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33- They thought the horse-drawn cart was far better than this.- Mm.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35Benz was about to give up on his invention, until his wife
0:05:35 > 0:05:39Bertha stepped in with a genius idea to make this car a success.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44In 1888, to prove him - and the world - wrong,
0:05:44 > 0:05:48Bertha took the car for a spin without telling her husband!
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Naughty Bertha!
0:05:50 > 0:05:54She set off on a 66-mile journey across Germany from Mannheim,
0:05:54 > 0:05:56her house...
0:05:56 > 0:05:59..to Pforzheim, her mum's house.
0:05:59 > 0:06:00The journey wasn't easy.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02Petrol stations hadn't been invented,
0:06:02 > 0:06:06so Bertha had to buy fuel wherever she could find it.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08No cars meant no mechanics,
0:06:08 > 0:06:12so when the car broke down, Bertha had to fix it herself.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14But after over 14 hours on the road,
0:06:14 > 0:06:16she finally made it to her mum's house -
0:06:16 > 0:06:20she probably missed dinner, but her journey had been a success.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22It was the mother of all publicity stunts.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25Everyone was talking about it. News of this incredible journey
0:06:25 > 0:06:27started spreading quickly around Germany.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29Like butter on a hot muffin.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32And it was her journey that made the car famous,
0:06:32 > 0:06:34and his invention finally took off.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36Right, crank it up, Rodney!
0:06:36 > 0:06:39It was the start of a new era,
0:06:39 > 0:06:43and by 1915, horse-drawn carriages had almost completely disappeared.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45Cars had taken over.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49To the honeymoon!
0:06:49 > 0:06:52It's all very well and good, messing around with these cars,
0:06:52 > 0:06:53but we don't really know how they work.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56Ah, if only Fran, our resident genius scientist, were here
0:06:56 > 0:06:59in the middle of this random cricket pitch to explain more. What?
0:06:59 > 0:07:00Wahey!
0:07:00 > 0:07:02This is Fran.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04She just loves experimenting...
0:07:04 > 0:07:05Whoa!
0:07:05 > 0:07:08..to help explain the ideas of our geniuses.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11And she's sure to pop up just when you really need her.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14- So, you guys want to know how cars work, yeah?- Yes, please.- Mm-hm.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16Right, well, for a car to work,
0:07:16 > 0:07:18you need an internal combustion engine,
0:07:18 > 0:07:20and that's what Benz used on his first car.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23- Oh, yes, we know about that. - No, we don't. What is it?
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Ah, right! So, basically, inside an engine, petrol and air are mixed
0:07:26 > 0:07:29and lit to cause a contained explosion.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32The power of this explosion pushes the pistons,
0:07:32 > 0:07:34which then turn the wheels of the car.
0:07:35 > 0:07:40- I have built you guys... - Oh, what is that?!- What is that?!
0:07:40 > 0:07:42This is my version of an engine.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46Cos in an engine, the explosion pushes down on pistons,
0:07:46 > 0:07:49which then move the wheels of the car, which is how Benz's car moved.
0:07:49 > 0:07:54Now, my engine uses burning not to push a piston...
0:07:54 > 0:07:56but to push a potato.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58So, this is just a massive potato launcher?
0:07:58 > 0:07:59Shall we go and try it out?
0:07:59 > 0:08:03- Yep, but we need more space. - All right.- Come on!
0:08:03 > 0:08:06So, the first thing we need to do is put a potato in.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08- Mm, just poke it down.- Yeah.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11- Are you sure this is safe, Fran? - Yeah. Well, for now it is.- Right.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15- And stop.- OK. Sorted.- Beautiful.
0:08:15 > 0:08:16And so I'm just going to pop in some fuel.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19How are we going to set that fuel on fire?
0:08:19 > 0:08:21Well, I've got my launch button here,
0:08:21 > 0:08:24and when I attach these wires onto these screws
0:08:24 > 0:08:26and press the button...
0:08:26 > 0:08:27BUTTON PRESSES
0:08:27 > 0:08:30Oh, yeah, look at that!
0:08:30 > 0:08:33That will make a spark go into go inside, between my two screws,
0:08:33 > 0:08:35which will light the fuel.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40Don't forget, it's that button that will cause the electricity
0:08:40 > 0:08:41to flow and cause the spark,
0:08:41 > 0:08:44just like a spark plug in a combustion engine.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47- Oh, OK.- OK, give me a countdown. - From what, three?- Yeah.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50- We can do that, can't we? BOTH:- Three, two, one...
0:08:50 > 0:08:52Whoa!
0:08:52 > 0:08:54- Where's it gone?!- Where is it?!
0:08:55 > 0:08:57I think that that might have gone into space, actually.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Where has it gone?! Come on, let's find it.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02We're going on a potato hunt, ladies and gents.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04Potato, where are you?!
0:09:05 > 0:09:07- Anything?- Nothing.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09There's something that looks like a ball by that wall.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11It's here!
0:09:11 > 0:09:13- Look at that!- Are you serious?!
0:09:13 > 0:09:14All in one piece, as well.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19- Amazing. - That's got to be about - what, 200m?
0:09:19 > 0:09:21- Yeah, about 220.- Crazy.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23And that's exactly how an engine works,
0:09:23 > 0:09:25but instead of pushing on a potato,
0:09:25 > 0:09:29it's pushing on the pistons, which then turn the wheels of your car.
0:09:29 > 0:09:30- Got it.- Great experiment.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33- Can we have another go? - We probably shouldn't, actually.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36- Probably shouldn't? In our world, that means probably SHOULD.- Yes.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38- Come on. OK!- Reset.
0:09:38 > 0:09:43- So by using petrol and pistons... - ..and not potatoes...
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Benz worked out how to use the engine to turn the wheels of a car.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Genius!
0:09:48 > 0:09:51But not all inventions were as genius as his.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53- Yeah!- Woo!
0:09:53 > 0:09:57That's right - it's time for the not-so-genius idea!
0:09:57 > 0:10:01In 1961, the Amphicar was all the rage.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03It was part car, part boat
0:10:03 > 0:10:06and was designed to be driven on land and water.
0:10:06 > 0:10:07Genius!
0:10:07 > 0:10:08Well, not really.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Turns out the Amphicar had one major drawback -
0:10:11 > 0:10:15it was made out of steel, so would rust when exposed to water!
0:10:15 > 0:10:16Eurgh, my feet are wet!
0:10:16 > 0:10:20And if that wasn't bad enough, they weren't very waterproof
0:10:20 > 0:10:22and sometimes completely sank!
0:10:22 > 0:10:25A not-so-genius way to get around!
0:10:25 > 0:10:27Stupid car-boat thing!
0:10:27 > 0:10:32Coming up - we build and race our own cars...
0:10:32 > 0:10:34Hammering it! Oh!
0:10:34 > 0:10:35..but first,
0:10:35 > 0:10:39just how has Benz's genius invention changed from this...
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Ready? ..to...this! Look at that!
0:10:42 > 0:10:44This is the Motorwagen of today,
0:10:44 > 0:10:48made by the company that Benz went on to create - Mercedes-Benz.
0:10:50 > 0:10:51Rob Halloway
0:10:51 > 0:10:54is our genius Benz expert,
0:10:54 > 0:10:57and he's going to tell us how Benz's first three-wheeler
0:10:57 > 0:10:58turned into this.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01It's great to see the old and the new side by side.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04I mean... But this one looks totally different to this beast over here.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06What's this car got to do with this one?
0:11:06 > 0:11:08It's got everything to do with it.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11This is the original three-wheeler, and it's that inspiration,
0:11:11 > 0:11:13Benz's original design, that created today's car, this one.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15They're both petrol engines,
0:11:15 > 0:11:18although that has a one-cylinder horizontal engine at the back,
0:11:18 > 0:11:21whereas the more modern car has got eight cylinders up front.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23Ah, look at that!
0:11:23 > 0:11:26This, the original three-wheeler, has a separate chassis here,
0:11:26 > 0:11:27onto which the engine is mounted,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29and that's quite similar to what we've got here.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33This is a steel chassis, whereas the modern car has got aluminium,
0:11:33 > 0:11:34which is a little bit lighter
0:11:34 > 0:11:36and, in this version, quite a lot stronger.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39So, over all these years, this has evolved into what
0:11:39 > 0:11:42we see Lewis Hamilton driving around on a Formula 1 track now.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44- Exactly, yeah.- Wow! Unbelievable.
0:11:44 > 0:11:45Doesn't that actually twist your mind,
0:11:45 > 0:11:49the fact that Lewis Hamilton drives a souped-up version of this?
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Well, we've had a ride on the three-wheeler,
0:11:51 > 0:11:53but can we go in that one?
0:11:53 > 0:11:55You're very welcome. The keys are in it.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58It's not every day you get to hear that, is it?!
0:11:58 > 0:12:00- Right! Shall we?- I'll drive.
0:12:00 > 0:12:01- After me.- After me.
0:12:01 > 0:12:02Get...!
0:12:04 > 0:12:06So, more than 125 years on,
0:12:06 > 0:12:09we're going to drive the Benz car of today.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12We'll be put through our paces
0:12:12 > 0:12:13by Tiff,
0:12:13 > 0:12:15our genius driving instructor.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17But before she lets us get behind the wheel,
0:12:17 > 0:12:21she's going to show us what this car can really do.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29On the circuit,
0:12:29 > 0:12:31it's all about looking as far ahead as you possibly can.
0:12:31 > 0:12:32Right.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35Brakes are very good, aren't they?
0:12:35 > 0:12:38The engine noise is just growling away.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41The Motorwagen has a top speed of 12mph,
0:12:41 > 0:12:45whilst this beast has a top speed of 186.
0:12:45 > 0:12:46You can feel the G-force on it.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49But this car weighs around three times as much as the Motorwagen,
0:12:49 > 0:12:52so the engine has to work a lot harder.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55So, we've seen how fast it goes with an expert driving it,
0:12:55 > 0:12:56but what about us?
0:12:56 > 0:12:58Use as much track as you possibly can.
0:12:58 > 0:12:59Over to the left.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01Tiff gives us an extreme driving lesson
0:13:01 > 0:13:04before we go head-to-head to see who can do the fastest lap.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06There you go.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Which includes controlling the car
0:13:09 > 0:13:12under extreme dangerous driving conditions.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15- OK.- Crazy!
0:13:15 > 0:13:17- Where are me windscreen wipers? - Just on this side here!
0:13:17 > 0:13:19So, whenever you're ready,
0:13:19 > 0:13:20I'm going to start the stopwatch
0:13:20 > 0:13:23from as soon as the wheels start moving.
0:13:23 > 0:13:24Right.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26- Good luck.- Thank you.
0:13:26 > 0:13:27- OK?- OK.
0:13:30 > 0:13:35Good, so start to slow the car down as you come onto the wet circle.
0:13:35 > 0:13:36That's it, good.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38And on the brakes.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40Good, good. Back in a straight line.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42OK, wait. Good.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44- Feel sick yet?- No. Loving it.
0:13:44 > 0:13:50- Absolutely loving every second of this.- OK, good.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52Last corner. Good, bit of power, then come to a brake.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54Stop, stop, stop.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56- How did that feel?- All right.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58If I can be honest, I wimped out a bit on the black ice.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00I'm not going to tell you the time yet.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02Move over, Dom.
0:14:02 > 0:14:03The race is on.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05Three, two, one, go!
0:14:09 > 0:14:11Just feed the power on.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14Get ready now for the surface to change.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16OK, slow it down a little bit. Slow it down.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19- TYRES SCREECH - Right. That's it.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21Come straight off.
0:14:21 > 0:14:22Make sure your wheels are straight.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26What kind of speed have we been going about this track, then?
0:14:26 > 0:14:28So, you're doing about 70 round the corners.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31- OK?- Wow!- Which most people do on the motorway in a straight line.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33DICK CHUCKLES
0:14:33 > 0:14:34That's it, stop now.
0:14:36 > 0:14:37Good. How did that feel?
0:14:37 > 0:14:39Wow!
0:14:39 > 0:14:41Makes your heart beat really fast.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43- I know. - The adrenaline's unbelievable.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45Agh!
0:14:45 > 0:14:48- Wow.- I'm pretty convinced that you beat me by about five, ten seconds.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50No, I think... You always win, mate.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52We're talking about LESS than a second.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54- Less than...!- Yeah.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56- There's actually half a second between you.- Half!
0:14:56 > 0:14:58You're not going to do the X Factor thing
0:14:58 > 0:15:01where they just leave loads of time between telling us, all right?
0:15:01 > 0:15:03So, Dick...
0:15:03 > 0:15:07you did you competitive lap in 1:14.
0:15:07 > 0:15:08- Dom...- Yes.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12You did your, like I said, it was extremely close...
0:15:12 > 0:15:15- in 1:13.5.- Told you.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17I told you!
0:15:17 > 0:15:19Well done, Dom!
0:15:19 > 0:15:21I told you. He always wins!
0:15:21 > 0:15:23Come on!
0:15:23 > 0:15:28- You beauty!- Yeah, yeah.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32And while I get over my loss, here's some facts about cars.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36It's the Genius Top Five.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40At number five - the longest ever limo measures 30.5m long
0:15:40 > 0:15:41and has 26 wheels.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43Hello!
0:15:43 > 0:15:45That's about as long as three double-deckers!
0:15:45 > 0:15:46You should see my other limo.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49At four - the longest ever traffic jam
0:15:49 > 0:15:54was thought to have happened just outside Beijing in 2010.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57It was a massive 62 miles long and lasted over 12 days!
0:15:57 > 0:15:59How did they go to the toilet?
0:15:59 > 0:16:02At three - did you know, petrol isn't the only thing
0:16:02 > 0:16:03that can fuel a car?
0:16:03 > 0:16:05You can also use chocolate, coffee,
0:16:05 > 0:16:07used nappies, cow poo
0:16:07 > 0:16:09and even turkey guts.
0:16:09 > 0:16:10Eurgh! That's "fowl".
0:16:10 > 0:16:12Goodbye.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14At two - the smallest roadworthy car
0:16:14 > 0:16:17measures in at just over 1m high
0:16:17 > 0:16:20and was made from an old Postman Pat ride.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23- Ha, that'd be a good fit for you! - Very funny(!)
0:16:23 > 0:16:25And, at one - motor-mouth DJ Chris Evans
0:16:25 > 0:16:29is the owner of one of Britain's most expensive cars.
0:16:29 > 0:16:34He paid just over £12 million for this very rare vintage Ferrari.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36Woo-hoo!
0:16:36 > 0:16:39Benz may have invented the car, but it was another genius
0:16:39 > 0:16:41who worked out how to make them quicker and cheaper.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45Yeah, and his name was Henry Ford.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47Your parking's shocking, by the way.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50I mean, I've told you time and time again, just use the car park,
0:16:50 > 0:16:52like everyone else.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55While Benz was still making his cars one at a time by hand,
0:16:55 > 0:16:59the American Henry Ford had his own ideas.
0:16:59 > 0:17:04In 1914, he created the first continuous moving assembly line.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08His genius idea was that assembly workers stood still
0:17:08 > 0:17:09and repeated the same task
0:17:09 > 0:17:13as machines moved the car along the line.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15This process was much more efficient.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Cars were now cheaper to build and cheaper to buy,
0:17:18 > 0:17:19and, before you knew it,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22every Dom, Dick and Harry had one on their drive.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28The assembly line process is still used today.
0:17:28 > 0:17:3260 million cars are produced worldwide every year,
0:17:32 > 0:17:35and we're here at this car plant to find out how it all works.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Richard is our genius helper,
0:17:40 > 0:17:42and one of the 4,500 employees
0:17:42 > 0:17:44at this Jaguar Land Rover plant.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47It's massive! How big is the site?
0:17:47 > 0:17:50This site is 300 acres, which is about the size,
0:17:50 > 0:17:52or just over, 300 football pitches.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55- Wow!- Woo-hoo!- Where do you start when you want to make a car in this place?
0:17:55 > 0:17:58Well, before we get to this point, you start in the press shop,
0:17:58 > 0:18:03where massive coils of metal, really thin, are sort of stretched out
0:18:03 > 0:18:06and then cut into shapes, which form your panels.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08- This is half a car?- This is half a car.- Oh, yeah, look...
0:18:08 > 0:18:11- So, the wheel would be here?- Yes. - Dopes that mean...- Door.
0:18:11 > 0:18:12..I sit here.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15Well, wrong side of the car, but you get the idea.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17Engine in the front there.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19And that's all cut out from one sheet of metal?
0:18:19 > 0:18:22- It is, yeah.- That's amazing!
0:18:22 > 0:18:25It took Karl Benz around a few days to build a car.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29Henry Ford got that down to one and a half hours!
0:18:29 > 0:18:32But now, with a combination of assembly workers, robots
0:18:32 > 0:18:34and, er, us...
0:18:34 > 0:18:39a brand-new car comes off the production line every 82 seconds!
0:18:39 > 0:18:40But before they leave the factory,
0:18:40 > 0:18:43they need to go through some quality control tests,
0:18:43 > 0:18:45to make sure they're roadworthy.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52Can't wait to get to Dorian's house. Hope she's made a Battenberg!
0:18:52 > 0:18:55Sorry! Just going over the cattle bridge.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57Right, so this is a bumpy road, I presume.
0:18:59 > 0:19:00Well, that wasn't too bad.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02# Shake what your mama gave ya! #
0:19:02 > 0:19:03Oh!
0:19:03 > 0:19:05Argh!
0:19:08 > 0:19:11Sorry about that, I took a left turn instead of a right!
0:19:17 > 0:19:18You got a sick bag?
0:19:21 > 0:19:25So, once the cars have been through all 400 stations
0:19:25 > 0:19:28and everybody's happy, then the cars are loaded onto trucks
0:19:28 > 0:19:32and sold all around the country - and the world.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34Mm. Things have changed a lot since Benz's day.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36Forget the horse-drawn carriage,
0:19:36 > 0:19:38this is now a multi-billion-pound industry.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40Everyone wants a car.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43Yes, cars have never been more popular.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46In fact, there are so many cars being driven around the world
0:19:46 > 0:19:47that there's a big debate
0:19:47 > 0:19:50about the effect they're having on the environment.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52Ahem! Moving on.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54What are you doing?!
0:19:54 > 0:19:56So, we've driven the first ever car...
0:19:56 > 0:19:57Move out the way!
0:19:57 > 0:20:00We've learnt how a car engine works...
0:20:02 > 0:20:04- Whoa!- I think that might have gone into space.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06..and been for a spin in a supercar of today.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09Absolutely loving every second of this.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12So, time to reveal our genius idea.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16Now, Benz was famous because he invented the petrol powered car.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Now, he did this by taking an engine, adding it to a wagon,
0:20:19 > 0:20:21and then the wagon moved.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24And let's not forget his genius wife Bertha,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27who took his car on a famous journey and made it a success.
0:20:27 > 0:20:28So...
0:20:28 > 0:20:32- we thought we'd do the same. - Well, sort of.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38Our genius idea is to build our own petrol-powered cars
0:20:38 > 0:20:42and put them to the test by racing them around a track.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45Our challenge - inspired by Bertha's incredible journey,
0:20:45 > 0:20:49we'll face a few obstacles along the way.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52Our problem - there can be only one winner...
0:20:52 > 0:20:55so, let the best driver win!
0:20:55 > 0:20:57So, we've drawn our designs for our genius idea
0:20:57 > 0:20:58and how we'd like it to look...
0:20:58 > 0:21:01..and now we just need someone to help us build them,
0:21:01 > 0:21:03and I think we know just the guy for the job.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07Meet genius engineer Grant Cooper -
0:21:07 > 0:21:09he's already helped us build a tank
0:21:09 > 0:21:11and a steam-powered tandem bike.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15So, if anyone can bring our ideas to life, it's him!
0:21:15 > 0:21:19Basically, we want to make a car, but we want to customise it as well.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22Aerodynamic, the main thing. It's got to be fast.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25When we shared a flat a few years ago, Dom used to hog the shower...
0:21:25 > 0:21:27- Yeah.- ..and I used to hog the bath. I prefer a bath.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29So, we literally went for a bath and a shower.
0:21:29 > 0:21:30FANFARE
0:21:30 > 0:21:32- What do you think? - I think we can work with that.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34It doesn't look particularly aerodynamic,
0:21:34 > 0:21:36but if we can get those on a good base,
0:21:36 > 0:21:39like a go-kart or something like that, we can make that work.
0:21:39 > 0:21:40All right! Shall we go to the workshop?
0:21:40 > 0:21:43- Excellent, let's go.- All right.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45How on earth are we going to turn that into a bath?
0:21:45 > 0:21:47I think we strip it down, take all the parts off...
0:21:47 > 0:21:50Rip all the panels off, take the seat out, steering wheel off...
0:21:50 > 0:21:52- Right.- Get started.
0:21:57 > 0:21:58I'm going in.
0:22:05 > 0:22:06I love a bath, me.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08My design had flowers on it. What's this?!
0:22:10 > 0:22:12So, our cars are all finished.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14All we've got to do now is recreate Bertha's famous journey.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18- Yeah. She travelled for 66 miles across Germany.- Mm.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20She proved that Benz's car was a success,
0:22:20 > 0:22:22and now we've got to try and do that with ours.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25Although I don't think ours will change the world like Benz's did.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27Yeah, but where are we going to recreate this epic journey?
0:22:27 > 0:22:29- Germany?- No.
0:22:29 > 0:22:30Er, um...Monaco, in France?
0:22:30 > 0:22:32No. Birmingham.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36I LOVE Birmingham!
0:22:36 > 0:22:40Yes, Birmingham - the setting for this epic journey.
0:22:40 > 0:22:45It's my Geschwindigkeit Bad, which is German for speed bath...
0:22:45 > 0:22:49Versus my Schnell Dusche, German for fast shower.
0:22:49 > 0:22:50Bertha's journey...
0:22:53 > 0:22:54Our challenge...
0:22:56 > 0:22:59After Lap 2, we must stop to refuel our vehicles,
0:22:59 > 0:23:01just as Bertha did on her journey.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04After Lap 4, we must make a second pit stop
0:23:04 > 0:23:07and flex our muscles by changing a tyre.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11Bertha was forced to make repairs, and so we must do the same.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14And finally we'll need to cross the all-important finish line!
0:23:14 > 0:23:17May the best banger win.
0:23:17 > 0:23:18Good luck, boys!
0:23:24 > 0:23:26So, our tributes to Benz are ready to race,
0:23:26 > 0:23:28and if you look carefully,
0:23:28 > 0:23:31you can see that what we've built is pretty much like Benz's first car -
0:23:31 > 0:23:33the engine is at the back, the chassis is pretty much the same,
0:23:33 > 0:23:35except ours are a little bit different on top.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Bath, shower.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39"A little bit different" is an understatement.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41MUSIC: "The Chain" by Fleetwood Mac
0:23:41 > 0:23:44They look like ridiculous vehicles. There's that racing music, though -
0:23:44 > 0:23:47that means there's going to be a race. I'm keen to find out who wins.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50Dick's had an embarrassing defeat earlier -
0:23:50 > 0:23:51can he claw it back?
0:23:51 > 0:23:55Music swelling, lights changing colour - green, go, go, go!
0:23:55 > 0:23:57And they're off to a great start,
0:23:57 > 0:24:00Dick and Geschwindigkeit Bad have taken the early lead.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02And it's worth mentioning Geschwindigkeit Bad is a bath,
0:24:02 > 0:24:07it's aerodynamic, it sort of looks like a car.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09Dominic is driving a giant shower!
0:24:12 > 0:24:14Whoa! The music's stopped, something wrong.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16I think Dick's stalled.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18Thumbs up if you feel like a twit...
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Look at this sportsmanship - Dom, his great friend,
0:24:24 > 0:24:26is coming back to see if he can help out.
0:24:26 > 0:24:27Whoa, there!
0:24:27 > 0:24:31Ha, ha, ha! Look at that, can you believe it?!
0:24:31 > 0:24:34Dick just doesn't care. Straight off.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40He wants his name on the trophy, if there were a trophy.
0:24:40 > 0:24:41There's not one, we can't afford it.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43Time to refuel, boys!
0:24:43 > 0:24:45Time to refuel, says Benz.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47He's made of cardboard, but he can talk.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49Ooh! Don't press that button if you don't need to.
0:24:49 > 0:24:50Filthy pig!
0:24:50 > 0:24:53- And the anger there... - Fuel's going in.- ..is tangible.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Quick as you like.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57- I'm in the lead by about that. - Dick a little bit cocky, there.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59I bloomin' waited for him!
0:25:01 > 0:25:03Yep!
0:25:04 > 0:25:06They're both out together!
0:25:06 > 0:25:10Oh, but there goes Geschwinde-whatever-it's-called Bad.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12It's German for bath or something.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15Round the corner - well done, Dick.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18And Dom's taken the lead! And he's a great driver, Dom.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20- TYRES SCREECH - He's such a competent - whoa, there!
0:25:22 > 0:25:25Drive on the road, not the barriers, Dom.
0:25:25 > 0:25:26I'm going to do this!
0:25:26 > 0:25:29Dick's got the advantage, but he's about to enter pit stop two.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33And the tyre-change could change everything!
0:25:33 > 0:25:35HE LAUGHS
0:25:35 > 0:25:37You little squeaky worm!
0:25:37 > 0:25:39"Right, you little squeaky worm!"
0:25:39 > 0:25:42Very often cried at F1 championships across the world.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45- Dom's off to a flying start there. - This is hard work.
0:25:45 > 0:25:46"This is hard work," says Dick. Madness.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48All they've got to do is change one tyre -
0:25:48 > 0:25:51thank goodness the men in black T-shirts are there.
0:25:51 > 0:25:52They know what they're doing.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55These two are technically a pair if idiots.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Ooh, that's a lovely shot of a wheel wobbling away.
0:25:59 > 0:26:00Is it OK?
0:26:00 > 0:26:02"Is it OK?" Says Dom.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05Bye-bye! He's off.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07He's better with a spanner than me!
0:26:07 > 0:26:10"Better with a spanner"? You're just a spanner.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12All Dom's got to do is get to that finish line first.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16Dick is on the move again, but can he catch up with only one lap to go?
0:26:16 > 0:26:17Woo-hoo!
0:26:17 > 0:26:20Sliding it round! Really want to get him!
0:26:20 > 0:26:21Come on, look at this!
0:26:23 > 0:26:24TYRES SCREECH
0:26:24 > 0:26:26Bad corner-handling by Dom, there,
0:26:26 > 0:26:28he's losing precious seconds. Dick is right on his tail.
0:26:28 > 0:26:29Is he going to take it?
0:26:29 > 0:26:32DOM!
0:26:32 > 0:26:36I can't believe it's this close, it really is an extraordinary race.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38There's nothing in it - oh, my goodness, it's too close to call!
0:26:38 > 0:26:41We don't know, it's too close to call. We need an action reply.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Somebody with some slow-mo vision, I don't know what you do,
0:26:44 > 0:26:46just press a button and make it happen, man.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49Yes, indeed, it's Dominic over the line!
0:26:49 > 0:26:51We've seen it in slow-mo, he's done it again.
0:26:51 > 0:26:52Victory for Schnell Douche!
0:26:52 > 0:26:54You got it by about that!
0:26:54 > 0:26:56You...!
0:26:56 > 0:26:58No, you... Get...!
0:26:58 > 0:27:00Get off!
0:27:01 > 0:27:04YES!
0:27:04 > 0:27:06Whoo!
0:27:06 > 0:27:08By that, again!
0:27:08 > 0:27:10Twice! Twice!
0:27:10 > 0:27:13So, we've got under the bonnet of a real, true genius,
0:27:13 > 0:27:16and it's been an amazing journey finding out more about the guy.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19Mm, Benz's genius changed the world we live in by changing the way
0:27:19 > 0:27:21we travel, and who knows?
0:27:21 > 0:27:25- Maybe we've created vehicles of the future.- Yeah, yeah. No, no.- No.- No.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28We salute you, Benz! You are an absolute genius.
0:27:28 > 0:27:29Danke schoen!
0:27:29 > 0:27:31- One more lap?- Too right.- Right.
0:27:31 > 0:27:32Come on, then!
0:27:32 > 0:27:35- I'll beat you this time, I'm telling you!- Right!
0:27:42 > 0:27:43Argh!
0:27:43 > 0:27:45It smacked me in the face!
0:27:45 > 0:27:47- Dom's...- Oh, no!
0:27:48 > 0:27:50What are you doing?!
0:27:50 > 0:27:52Let me get it straight!
0:27:54 > 0:27:56What's all that? What's all the black stuff?