0:00:02 > 0:00:08I'm Paul Hollywood. I'm sort of a baker and part-time racing driver.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10I love getting in cars, I love racing.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12When I did that for the first time, honestly,
0:00:12 > 0:00:16I've never been so excited in my life.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19I've been into cars for as long as I can remember.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21When I was a little boy, that was my favourite car.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23The DB5, James Bond car.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25That started my passion in cars.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28They are more than just transport from A to B,
0:00:28 > 0:00:29they are a thing of enjoyment,
0:00:29 > 0:00:33they are a thing for me that I use to de-stress.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37What really fascinates me is what cars say about their owners
0:00:37 > 0:00:39and about the people who made them.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Come on! Go for it! Give it welly!
0:00:41 > 0:00:45In fact, I reckon you can learn a lot about a country
0:00:45 > 0:00:47by looking at the cars it produces. CAR HORN BEEPS
0:00:47 > 0:00:49What?! It's a train!
0:00:49 > 0:00:50And by driving on its roads.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52We're driving this beautiful car
0:00:52 > 0:00:54and we have the Italian Alps in front of us.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58So, I'm off on a European road trip,
0:00:58 > 0:01:01visiting some of our most car-obsessed neighbours.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04Check it out. The history, the culture, the people
0:01:04 > 0:01:08and what makes the country very special when it comes to cars.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14This time I'm visiting our nearest neighbours.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18So, we're going on a six-day road trip around central France.
0:01:18 > 0:01:24Just over 1,000 miles, in some of the nation's most iconic, cleverest
0:01:24 > 0:01:25and cutest cars.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28Oh, my God! Slow down!
0:01:28 > 0:01:30Day one, we're starting in Paris.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37From Paris, we head a little bit north-west to Poissy.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43From Poissy, south-west down to Chartres.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45This?
0:01:45 > 0:01:49From Chartres, we head south-west again to Le Mans.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56And from Le Mans, we had south all the way down...
0:01:57 > 0:01:59..to Clermont-Ferrand.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05Then on my final day, I'll be racing at Magny-Cours.
0:02:08 > 0:02:09What a view!
0:02:11 > 0:02:13It's going to be a giggle.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18Along the way I want to learn a little bit more about this country
0:02:18 > 0:02:20through its cars.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22What is that?
0:02:22 > 0:02:24Are the French eccentric?
0:02:24 > 0:02:25Why?
0:02:25 > 0:02:27Do they actually like cars?
0:02:27 > 0:02:30Honestly, I don't care. Really? Yeah.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32And do they even have a highway code?
0:02:32 > 0:02:36It's crazy, I know. How does this work? Don't be polite.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39Joining me will be some slim people,
0:02:39 > 0:02:42they'll teach me about France's relationship with cars.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45Having a flashy car would be an accoutrement of
0:02:45 > 0:02:46the bourgeoisie.
0:02:46 > 0:02:51While their cars teach me I could lose a few pounds!
0:02:51 > 0:02:54This could be a slight issue with the aerodynamics.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58This being France, there'll also be a fair amount of shrugging.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01A chef repeatedly saying, "Oh-la-la."
0:03:01 > 0:03:03Oh-la-la! Oh-la-la!
0:03:03 > 0:03:05And some very fresh ingredients.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07Oh, this is a nightmare!
0:03:10 > 0:03:15Six days and 1,000 miles for me to learn how to drive like the French.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24My road trip begins in the county's capital.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Paris is the most densely populated city in Europe,
0:03:27 > 0:03:31with over 20,000 Parisians squeezed into each square kilometre.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33Not surprising, then,
0:03:33 > 0:03:37that it has some of the world's worst traffic jams.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39In fact, France holds the record for
0:03:39 > 0:03:42the world's longest-ever traffic jam.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45It happened in 1980, between Lyon and Paris,
0:03:45 > 0:03:48and it was a staggering 109 miles long.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53To help me find my way through the inevitable Paris traffic,
0:03:53 > 0:03:55I've recruited a local resident.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59Philippe Lellouche is the host of Top Gear France,
0:03:59 > 0:04:02so he's French and he knows a lot about cars.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08Bonjour! Top Gear!
0:04:10 > 0:04:14We met up in a place guaranteed to get Philippe's car-loving,
0:04:14 > 0:04:16Gallic blood pumping.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21This is the Citroen Conservatoire,
0:04:21 > 0:04:25a private collection of pretty much every car Citroen have ever built.
0:04:27 > 0:04:33Founded in 1919, Citroen has always been the avant-garde carmaker,
0:04:33 > 0:04:35and there's no better place than this
0:04:35 > 0:04:39to see just how left-field French design can be.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42Although Philippe doesn't appear to be a big fan of
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Citroen concept cars.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46It's a kind of ugly buggy.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50Why? The yellow, green inside.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52It's ugly. Oh, my God!
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Where would you use this car? Where?
0:04:55 > 0:04:57I'm not a big fan of this kind of car.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01Do we really have to talk about it?
0:05:01 > 0:05:03A helicopter?
0:05:03 > 0:05:05You never know that Citroen built a helicopter?
0:05:05 > 0:05:08The problem is that this helicopter never flies.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10It's really ridiculous.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13I do actually like that. That's a nice car.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16Yeah, if you take drugs.
0:05:16 > 0:05:17But then...
0:05:17 > 0:05:20The Mehari. You know, I still love this car.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22A miracle, a car Philippe likes.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25They are trying now obviously to build this car again.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28Yeah? But with the new concept.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30It's BLEEP ugly!
0:05:30 > 0:05:32Oh.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34Now, you're going to teach me how to drive
0:05:34 > 0:05:35like a Frenchman around Paris.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38Yeah, it's going to be a mess. It's going to be a mess, Paul.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42It could get messy. Now, which car do you think we should use?
0:05:42 > 0:05:44If we have the choice, definitely the DS.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47I would have to agree.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50It's true that Citroen have created some real pigs,
0:05:50 > 0:05:53but then they also created this...
0:05:54 > 0:05:57The sublime DS.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00Philosopher Roland Barthes said that
0:06:00 > 0:06:04the DS looked as if it had fallen from the sky. I know what he means.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12Unfortunately for us,
0:06:12 > 0:06:16out on the road, all that's falling from the sky is a lot of rain.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20And our DS is leaking.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24A good car. Old car. It looks like you've peed yourself.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31It's dripping here now as well. You too? Yeah. Oh, good.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35Nicknamed the "goddess" the DS was launched in 1955,
0:06:35 > 0:06:38and nobody had seen anything like it before.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46When this car came out, it was very different,
0:06:46 > 0:06:48and the French just embraced it, didn't they?
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Oh, yeah. They loved it. It was really original because of the look.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54This car was really specific and new.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59This is what the French do in so many areas of life,
0:06:59 > 0:07:03whether it be art, movies, food or indeed cars -
0:07:03 > 0:07:04they don't follow the crowd.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08They're revolutionary, left-field, innovative,
0:07:08 > 0:07:12and when they get it right we get something as beautiful as this.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14It became a very popular car because
0:07:14 > 0:07:16I know when it went to the Paris Motor Show
0:07:16 > 0:07:18and they showed it off for the first time,
0:07:18 > 0:07:2112,000 orders were placed straightaway, which is incredible.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25It's probably the most comfortable car I've ever driven.
0:07:25 > 0:07:31In Top Gear in France, we have these seats on the stage. Really?
0:07:31 > 0:07:34Yeah. It is like driving whilst sitting on a sofa.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36It's good, huh?
0:07:36 > 0:07:39Predictably, after a whole five minutes of zipping along,
0:07:39 > 0:07:41we hit Paris traffic.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45So, how do I drive in Paris, tell me, how do the French drive?
0:07:45 > 0:07:48Forget all about your British relationship with each other.
0:07:48 > 0:07:53You know? You have to think about yourself. OK. Be the first.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56No rules. That's crazy. That's crazy.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58While their do things differently,
0:07:58 > 0:08:02"I know best" attitude of the French is good,
0:08:02 > 0:08:04when it comes to creating cars like the DS,
0:08:04 > 0:08:07it has a less positive effect on their driving.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10Whoa! What's this guy's problem?
0:08:10 > 0:08:13If you don't move he's going to... Look at him!
0:08:13 > 0:08:16Oh, come on!
0:08:16 > 0:08:18That's the way of French driving.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20Look, look, look. This guy.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23Jeez! That's the way.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25Be aggressive? It was so British.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27You have to... Oh! HORNS HONK
0:08:27 > 0:08:29Listen to that. They're all kicking off.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35Parisian traffic jams are a major contributor to
0:08:35 > 0:08:37the city's high pollution levels,
0:08:37 > 0:08:41which, on some days, are worse than Beijing.
0:08:41 > 0:08:46Something needs to change, but remember, this is France.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50I know they're trying to limit certain cars going into
0:08:50 > 0:08:53the centre of Paris on certain times of the week.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Has that worked, or...? A little bit. Of course,
0:08:56 > 0:08:59Parisian people said, "BLEEP you, I want to use my car
0:08:59 > 0:09:02"and I don't want to take Metros and bus and everything,"
0:09:02 > 0:09:05so we live in a mess.
0:09:05 > 0:09:10They've also tried banning all vehicles built before 1997.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13Nobody understood that. Oh, really?
0:09:13 > 0:09:15I can't explain you, I didn't understand still now.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18It's a mess. OK, so people ignore it anyway?
0:09:18 > 0:09:20That's very French, though, isn't it?
0:09:20 > 0:09:23In France, they all want to become the president
0:09:23 > 0:09:25and no-one wants to obey, you know?
0:09:25 > 0:09:28So, it's a mess every time.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30Well, at least we're moving now, Philippe.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33It's lunchtime. Ah, so all the roads are deserted?
0:09:33 > 0:09:36Being lunchtime, we are getting hungry.
0:09:36 > 0:09:41Despite some onboard snacks, we need to park and grab a bite.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44But parking in Paris is not easy.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48I've noticed that there's a lot of cars with bumps and scrapes
0:09:48 > 0:09:50and bumpers hanging off.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53When they park, they don't care about touching you.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Philippe decides I need a Parisian parking lesson,
0:09:56 > 0:09:58but not in the precious DS.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02Kindly, our fixer lends us her ten-year-old Vauxhall,
0:10:02 > 0:10:05which is sort of French now that Peugeot has bought that company.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09Forget your eyes, just... You're not... ..trust your ears.
0:10:09 > 0:10:10You're not serious?
0:10:10 > 0:10:13The space is just three inches longer than the car.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17Right.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20So, just a little bump, not a big bump. Just a little bump.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26OK. A bit more.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32This really isn't a city where you drive a valuable car.
0:10:36 > 0:10:37I'm trying here.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39That's good.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42It's OK. It's perfect.
0:10:44 > 0:10:45Time for lunch.
0:10:51 > 0:10:52On the road again,
0:10:52 > 0:10:55it's still raining and we're heading for trouble -
0:10:55 > 0:10:59the roundabout around the Arc de Triomphe.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03It's very frightening, but you have to do it. Go on.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06Go, go, go. Don't worry about it.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10OK, I'm... I know, it's really strange.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12People come like bombs.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14It's crazy. How does this work?
0:11:14 > 0:11:1712 roads converge at this point
0:11:17 > 0:11:20without a single road marking to help drivers out.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24Apparently, you should give way to the right.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26Look at them, look at them.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28But it seems no-one's told the French.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30He doesn't care!
0:11:30 > 0:11:33Don't be polite. Don't be British.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35Just be a rude guy. OK.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38Whoa! He's going to kill somebody.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40CAR HORN BLARES
0:11:40 > 0:11:44This junction is so bad that normal car insurance rules do not apply.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46It's mayhem!
0:11:46 > 0:11:50Any crash here means a straight 50-50 split in responsibility
0:11:50 > 0:11:52and costs, every time.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54That's not fair, though.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56If you're driving along and someone hits you up the arse,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59you've got to get charged half and half? Yes.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02And it comes from... It's crazy. It's crazy, yes.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07Thankfully, we escape with all panels intact,
0:12:07 > 0:12:08and relax.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13It's funny, huh? This is where the DS comes into its own.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16Cobbled streets, a few potholes
0:12:16 > 0:12:20and the car just glides over the top of them. Yeah.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24The DS has the most comfortable ride of any car I've ever driven.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28And that's because it possesses a revolutionary
0:12:28 > 0:12:30hydropneumatic suspension.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32Luckily, this isn't a science show,
0:12:32 > 0:12:35so I don't need to try and explain how the suspension works.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39It's complicated and revolutionary - like the French.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45And in 1962, it saved a president's life.
0:12:45 > 0:12:50General De Gaulle, he was victim of an assassination attempt.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53They put the bullet on the back wheel.
0:12:53 > 0:12:54Yeah.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57This DS drives exactly like she didn't have
0:12:57 > 0:13:01a bullet in the back wheel because of the hydraulic system.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04Ah, because of the suspension, so they punctured the tyre...
0:13:04 > 0:13:07Exactly. ..and because it was set, it wouldn't go down,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10so they could still carry on? Yes.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12The assassination attempt was accurately recreated
0:13:12 > 0:13:14in this famous scene from
0:13:14 > 0:13:18the classic 1973 film The Day Of The Jackal.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22At least 14 bullets hit De Gaulle's DS,
0:13:22 > 0:13:23but thanks to its suspension,
0:13:23 > 0:13:26the driver stayed in control and escaped.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29From that point on,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32De Gaulle always insisted on travelling in a Citroen DS.
0:13:35 > 0:13:40And suddenly the DS was the best car all over the world. Yeah.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43Now, I've heard that this suspension is so clever,
0:13:43 > 0:13:47the car can jack itself up and down when you change a wheel.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50That's pretty high, isn't it? It's very high.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53And Philippe agrees to help me test it out,
0:13:53 > 0:13:56although I'm not sure in what way he feels he's helping.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00So, when I let it down, you tell me, OK?
0:14:00 > 0:14:01I'll shout.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05Up. There you go.
0:14:08 > 0:14:09You all right there, Philippe?
0:14:09 > 0:14:12I'm a little bit tired, but I'm good.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18Hey, you're good.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22Now, you should be able to drive the DS around on three wheels,
0:14:22 > 0:14:24but we borrowed this car from Citroen
0:14:24 > 0:14:26and we don't want to risk breaking it,
0:14:26 > 0:14:32so we'll just put the wheel back on again. Well, I say "we"...
0:14:32 > 0:14:34I have to leave you, Paul.
0:14:34 > 0:14:35I'll sort this out, then.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38No, I don't care about your business.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41This is your road trip, it's not mine.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44Thanks, mate. You know, it's a mess. My God! Bye, Paul.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55Sometime later, it's raining again
0:14:55 > 0:14:58and I'm picking up my next, less presidential, wheels.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08Due to the congestion and the lack of parking and the pollution,
0:15:08 > 0:15:11Paris has become a world leader in car sharing.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17This is quite a cool car, actually, this is one of the electric cars.
0:15:17 > 0:15:18It's called Autolib'
0:15:18 > 0:15:23and you can pick them up from over 1,000 stations in and around Paris.
0:15:23 > 0:15:29There are 4,000 of these and they've actually displaced 40,000 cars
0:15:29 > 0:15:31that were coming into Paris.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33People are now using these cars.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37Autolib' is just one of the many car share schemes in Paris,
0:15:37 > 0:15:41with more than 350,000 subscribers in total.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43That's almost a third of the city's drivers.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46All you do is swipe your card, pick your car
0:15:46 > 0:15:49and then drop it off at a designated parking area,
0:15:49 > 0:15:51and they just take the money from your account. It's brilliant.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55And it's actually helped pollution in Paris.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59I think this is the future and the way that we're going to drive
0:15:59 > 0:16:01in the city centres all around the world.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04And it's fun to drive, and cheap.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07Car share is now a global phenomena,
0:16:07 > 0:16:11but Parisians have embraced it on a whole new, different level,
0:16:11 > 0:16:16clocking up over 60 million miles last year in these things.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18These things are purely from getting A to B.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20They treat it like anything practical.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23It's used, abused, and that's what they are there for.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29You can hire a car share vehicle any time, day or night.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33No wonder so many Parisians feel that owning your own car is a bit...
0:16:33 > 0:16:35Well, passe.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47My second day, and guess what?
0:16:47 > 0:16:51It's pouring with rain again.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53And it's ruining things now.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56Here I am in a Peugeot 205 GTi,
0:16:56 > 0:17:01the car that is wildly recognised as the greatest hot hatch of all time
0:17:01 > 0:17:04and I'm hardly moving.
0:17:04 > 0:17:05All dressed up and nowhere to go -
0:17:05 > 0:17:07that's what it feels like, driving this car
0:17:07 > 0:17:10because I'm stuck be behind a tracking vehicle that's in front
0:17:10 > 0:17:14that's doing 20mph, and I can't move.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17I'm in a little hot hatch that wants to go.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21If we go any faster the cameraman gets water all over his lens,
0:17:21 > 0:17:23can't see a thing and sulks.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26Come on!
0:17:26 > 0:17:28Move! It's only a bit of water.
0:17:30 > 0:17:31So frustrating!
0:17:35 > 0:17:38Now, this is how you drive a 205 GTi.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41It was just over six grand when launched in 1983.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45It had killer performance and fantastic handling.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48But however hard they worked in their adverts to make
0:17:48 > 0:17:50the car look flashy, it wasn't.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52It didn't shout, "Look at me!"
0:17:52 > 0:17:56It was subtle and understated, unlike this advert.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01And, you know, I'm starting to realise that this car
0:18:01 > 0:18:04says an awful lot about the French. Let me explain.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09I'm now in Poissy, about 20 miles north-west of Paris,
0:18:09 > 0:18:12where the French build a lot of cars.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15That is the Peugeot factory.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17Colossal.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20Worldwide French manufacturers produce around five million cars
0:18:20 > 0:18:24every year, and they all have one thing in common.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27You have Peugeot, you have Renault, you have Citroen, the big three.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31They make over 36 models, they make saloons, they make estates,
0:18:31 > 0:18:34they make SUVs, MPVs.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38But not one of those models is flashy.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42They just don't make flashy, "look at me," cars.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45Name me one French supercar.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48Yeah? Got one?
0:18:48 > 0:18:52You're thinking Bugatti Veyron or Chiron, aren't you?
0:18:52 > 0:18:54Well, they're not French.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59Ettore Bugatti, who started the company in 1909,
0:18:59 > 0:19:01was born in Milan, Italy.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04Bugatti built his factory in Germany, and only ended up in France
0:19:04 > 0:19:07when they moved the border after the Great War.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10And the Bugatti name is now owned by Volkswagen.
0:19:11 > 0:19:16The Veyron and Chiron are really VWs with a sexier badge on the front.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19They're not French.
0:19:19 > 0:19:24The French don't do supercars, or any other flashy cars.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Why is it? There's nothing wrong with them...
0:19:27 > 0:19:29or is it a French thing?
0:19:32 > 0:19:34Well, yes. You see,
0:19:34 > 0:19:38the French are very patriotic when it comes to buying cars.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42The majority of cars bought in France are still French,
0:19:42 > 0:19:46and I think the French just don't want flashy cars.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50This is a posh French golf club just outside Poissy,
0:19:50 > 0:19:53full of posh French people doing golf.
0:19:53 > 0:19:58I'm here to meet a man who could easily afford whatever car he wants.
0:19:58 > 0:20:03Thibault owns a string of language schools and is pretty well heeled.
0:20:03 > 0:20:04Listen, I'll prove it.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07What sort of house do you live in?
0:20:07 > 0:20:08It's a castle. A family castle.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12A chateau? Yes, it's a family castle from about one century now,
0:20:12 > 0:20:15a bit more. I imagine your house is probably bigger than this.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17Slightly, yes. Wow! OK.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19It's actually this place,
0:20:19 > 0:20:24sitting in 200 hectares of land comprising woods, fields and lakes.
0:20:24 > 0:20:29So, he could afford a flash motor... Well, a few flashy motors.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33But his only car is this - an old Renault Clio.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35So, tell me, how long have you had this car?
0:20:35 > 0:20:38For seven years now. Seven years? From new?
0:20:38 > 0:20:42Actually, I took it over from my mother, who bought a new one.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45You got this off your mum? Yeah, she bought it second-hand.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48She bought it second-hand? Life is a question of priorities.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50And I know, for you in the UK,
0:20:50 > 0:20:53the vision of successful means a nice car.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55For me, it's enough. I'm very happy with it.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58Really? Yeah. We're in quite an exclusive golf club,
0:20:58 > 0:21:00I've looked around the car park here,
0:21:00 > 0:21:02there's nothing really interesting there.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05If it was a colour, it would be beige.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08I expect to see Jaguars, Mercedes, Range Rovers.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11You need to pose a little bit, surely?
0:21:11 > 0:21:14It depends on what you're here for.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16If it's to show your car, then you should be in England,
0:21:16 > 0:21:19but if it's to play golf, then it's enough.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21Is that important to you, to be understated?
0:21:21 > 0:21:23It's more in the sense that for many people
0:21:23 > 0:21:26the wealth that you show is not your real wealth.
0:21:26 > 0:21:27It's not that important.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30When you are young, you want to have a small car to park in the city.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32When they are older, they have a family,
0:21:32 > 0:21:34they want a big car to bring them to holidays.
0:21:34 > 0:21:35Most of the people want to be efficient.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38I guess you are more into cars, I would say?
0:21:38 > 0:21:40Well, I do like cars, yeah.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42But for me, it's not the point.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45I don't mean I don't care but, honestly, I don't care.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48I think this shows that people of your stature that live in France,
0:21:48 > 0:21:51the people that live in the village who work every day
0:21:51 > 0:21:54and go out to the fields, everybody's the same.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56It's just your houses are slightly different.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59Slightly. Brilliant. Thank you very much.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09I'm finally leaving Paris behind me today, and it's stopped raining.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12Yeah, right(!)
0:22:15 > 0:22:19Today is all about the French relationship between cars and food,
0:22:19 > 0:22:23so I get to do two things I enjoy a lot -
0:22:23 > 0:22:25eating and driving.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28And I get to hang out with multiple Michelin-starred chef
0:22:28 > 0:22:31Jean-Christophe Novelli.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33Bonjour, madam. Bonjour.
0:22:33 > 0:22:40PAUL SPEAKS FRENCH
0:22:40 > 0:22:42Merci. Are you having anything?
0:22:42 > 0:22:45Can I have, please...? No, say...
0:22:45 > 0:22:49You say it in French, go on. I can't tell the difference.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53How do you say that? I'll tell you what I would like.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56JEAN SPEAKS FRENCH
0:22:56 > 0:22:58Merci. Merci, madame.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01Having grabbed some bread-based breakfast,
0:23:01 > 0:23:04the next challenge is getting into a small car.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07Jump in the little car. Of course.
0:23:08 > 0:23:09Brilliant.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18Look at you!
0:23:18 > 0:23:20Yeah, I'm officially in now.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23Well, this is snug.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27This is the Alpine A110.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30Yes, the French did once make sexy sports cars.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34I want to change gear, it looks like I'm stroking your leg.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37That's only when I go from third to fourth, though, it's a slight rub,
0:23:37 > 0:23:38but don't worry about that.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45I think this gorgeous little sports car was created in much
0:23:45 > 0:23:48the same way as the finest French cuisine.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50They have basic ingredients
0:23:50 > 0:23:53and come up with something that is truly fantastic.
0:23:54 > 0:24:00The A110 is made from basic parts, mostly from this, the Renault 8,
0:24:00 > 0:24:04but using simple ingredients, Alpine cooked up something delicious,
0:24:04 > 0:24:06so delicious, in fact,
0:24:06 > 0:24:11in rally guise the A110 won the very first World Rally Championship.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17I mean, look at it, the styling is incredible.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20For a country that doesn't now produce sports cars,
0:24:20 > 0:24:23this is a pretty sporty-looking car.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28As a Frenchman, what do you think of this car? Do you like the colour?
0:24:28 > 0:24:31Obviously, the colour reflects what the car was used for.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34Obviously, it was discerned for the gendarmes.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37Was it? Yeah, that's right, yeah. Are you kidding me? Yeah, yeah.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40So, the police used this as an interceptor? That's right.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44Where did you put that bread?
0:24:44 > 0:24:48Do you want some? Yeah, grab me a baguette traditional.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51It looks good, doesn't it? Oh, yeah.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54Look at the structure on that. That is fantastic.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00So, tell me, is that something the French do when they drive?
0:25:00 > 0:25:04No. The French don't eat in cars. Really? Why? I think it's an insult.
0:25:04 > 0:25:05To what? The baguette?
0:25:05 > 0:25:08I think it's an insult to take food outside your house.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11It seems rude because you're not taking your time and relaxing?
0:25:11 > 0:25:12Yeah, you have no class.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16You basically have no class. OK, that's me.
0:25:16 > 0:25:17I've got no class at all.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20You can't say that. No, I haven't.
0:25:20 > 0:25:25There is a more important reason to avoid eating at the wheel in France.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27It's illegal. That's 75 euro fine.
0:25:27 > 0:25:28Is it? Just doing this, yeah.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31Why, because it's against the law? Distractions.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37Put simply, scoffing a tuna sandwich and a bag of salt and vinegar at
0:25:37 > 0:25:40the wheel in France is both illegal and common.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44And it seems, potentially, life-threatening.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47Sorry. I'm just choking on a baguette.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53If you want to eat, you stop
0:25:53 > 0:25:55and take it seriously.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58I always find that the picnic areas on the autoroutes are beautiful.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01Yeah. And they encourage families to stop.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03A picnic is more than a sandwich.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06You actually put a towel, or a cloth on the floor,
0:26:06 > 0:26:10you will have your little rice salad and your wine, you know?
0:26:10 > 0:26:12Your marmalade and so on.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16And you are there for at least two hours, and you eat slowly.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19It's very rare you see a Frenchman standing up and eating.
0:26:19 > 0:26:20It's a culture.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26As it's still raining, we decide against a picnic
0:26:26 > 0:26:30and plump for the French equivalent of a trucker's caff.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32A Les Routiers.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35500 of these are dotted around France,
0:26:35 > 0:26:39and you won't find a sausage sarnie in any of them.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41First established in the 1930s,
0:26:41 > 0:26:45the Les Routiers is the food guide for the French truckers.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48In the early days, volunteer truckers even acted as
0:26:48 > 0:26:50the guide's inspectors.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54To get into the guide, restaurants need to offer a good reception,
0:26:54 > 0:26:58irreproachable quality, and affordable prices.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01And today, a three course meal in a Les Routiers
0:27:01 > 0:27:04would typically costs just 13 euros.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Want some more? I would, yeah. Thank you.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09So, I mean, we've just turned up at this place,
0:27:09 > 0:27:11but this is the quality of the food.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14It's fresh, it looks great.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16It's what people expect.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20You have a good glass of wine, proper water, excellent bread,
0:27:20 > 0:27:22even some good butter. Yeah.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24And it's cheap, it's value for money.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28Yeah, I know. Why? Because those people probably
0:27:28 > 0:27:30have been passed on the business, generation to generation.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34It's so much different to what we get in the UK.
0:27:34 > 0:27:38Why? What is it about the French? I think it's the culture.
0:27:38 > 0:27:43It's expectations of your customers, there's the sense of competition
0:27:43 > 0:27:49because they are one of many in the next 100km.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52I often feel sorry for some of the French truckers
0:27:52 > 0:27:55that when they get to Britain, and they go to our service stations,
0:27:55 > 0:27:57and they go, "What is this?"
0:27:57 > 0:27:59It goes back to the distributions.
0:28:04 > 0:28:05That was lovely, yeah?
0:28:05 > 0:28:08It was nice. Fantastic. You're going to be driving, yeah?
0:28:08 > 0:28:10We're not going in that, mate. Not this one?
0:28:10 > 0:28:14We're going in this one. This? In this box?
0:28:14 > 0:28:16Yeah. You're driving.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19I'm driving? Oh, my God!
0:28:22 > 0:28:26This is the Aixam Crossline Evo.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28A sexy, cool, racy name,
0:28:28 > 0:28:31which could hardly be less appropriate for a car packing
0:28:31 > 0:28:33just one horsepower.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39Yes, one whole horsepower.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43Are you actually putting your foot down, by the way? I am, I am.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45You can't be. That's flat to the floor?
0:28:45 > 0:28:48That's absolutely flat, look. I feel a little bit ashamed.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52Is this some kind of a punishment or...?
0:28:52 > 0:28:55Or is it some kind of humiliation? I think it's both.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58The maximum speed this will go is 28mph. Oh, my God!
0:28:58 > 0:29:01So, don't worry, we're not going to break any speed limits with this.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03Look at all these cars piling up behind us.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06It's embarrassing. It is actually embarrassing.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08It is, I hope people don't see us in this.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11This is what's known as voiture sans permis microcar.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14I think the handbrake's on. No, it's not. No, it's not.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17Basically, a car for which you don't need a driving licence,
0:29:17 > 0:29:21and they are proving very popular in France at the moment.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23The whole idea was you can drive
0:29:23 > 0:29:25this if you have, say, a scooter licence,
0:29:25 > 0:29:28so 14-year-old kids can drive this.
0:29:29 > 0:29:34They are popular with 14-year-old kids and old French people...
0:29:34 > 0:29:38who just need something to pop to the blanchisserie in.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41Look at the queue! Look, how embarrassing is that?
0:29:45 > 0:29:49But there is a more sinister side to these microcar's popularity.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52What's been happening is,
0:29:52 > 0:29:55people are using it when they've lost their license through drink.
0:29:55 > 0:29:59It's no secret that the French enjoy a tipple with their food,
0:29:59 > 0:30:01and for those who've had a few too many tipples,
0:30:01 > 0:30:05the microcar provides a convenient loophole.
0:30:05 > 0:30:07It doesn't need a licence in the first place,
0:30:07 > 0:30:10so losing your licence doesn't necessarily preclude you
0:30:10 > 0:30:12from driving one.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14I mean, welcome to France, you know.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16You can actually feel that in here.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19It nearly blew us over into the field. Yeah.
0:30:19 > 0:30:21After a very small glass of wine with lunch,
0:30:21 > 0:30:24us two are nowhere near the limit,
0:30:24 > 0:30:27so I can think of no reason at all to stay in here.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31I feel slightly emasculated just being in this car with you.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33In fact, to be honest, see this little junction here?
0:30:33 > 0:30:35Yeah. Just pull over here on the right.
0:30:35 > 0:30:37Just pull over here. Pull over here a second.
0:30:37 > 0:30:39Are you going to be driving? No, just pull over here.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41Sure. You going to throw up? I can't deal with this, mate.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44Honestly. I can't deal with it.
0:30:44 > 0:30:45I'm going to walk back to the pub.
0:30:45 > 0:30:49Are you serious? Yeah, absolutely. Sorry, mate. Oh-la-la!
0:30:51 > 0:30:53Oh, my God!
0:30:56 > 0:30:58Paul! Come on!
0:30:58 > 0:31:01No, mate, just go. Don't talk to me.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05No, I can't. You go. Come on. You go, mate.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12Having abandoned the Aixam...
0:31:12 > 0:31:14Oh! Oh, here we go.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17..we are back in a proper car
0:31:17 > 0:31:19and starting to think about dinner.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22Luckily, the French have something to help with that -
0:31:22 > 0:31:25the Michelin Guide.
0:31:25 > 0:31:29So, tell me, JC, how did the Michelin Guide actually start?
0:31:29 > 0:31:33I think, mainly, what we're trying to do is trying to influence
0:31:33 > 0:31:36the French people to buy more cars
0:31:36 > 0:31:37and to go about.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40In 1900, when the guide was first published,
0:31:40 > 0:31:43there were only 3,000 cars in France.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45To grow their tyre business,
0:31:45 > 0:31:49the Michelin brothers needed to make the French buy more cars.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52The answer was, of course, to appeal to their stomachs.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55Now, I know for sure that every single new car will have had this
0:31:55 > 0:31:56given free of charge.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59The first Michelin Guide listed the best restaurants
0:31:59 > 0:32:03right across France. It was an instant success.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06I mean, it worked. The Michelin Guide now is phenomenal.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08So, we're heading towards Chartres.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10OK. See if there's anything in the guide,
0:32:10 > 0:32:13anywhere we can go and eat tonight.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16It's funny because I notice in Chartres,
0:32:16 > 0:32:18there is Le Grand Monarque hotel.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21It happens to be there from the beginning,
0:32:21 > 0:32:22therefore it's still standing up.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25So, it's there now? That's right. Right, you're buying.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28Can I just change gear again, from third to fourth?
0:32:28 > 0:32:30You can. I love you, JC.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40Some driving later, we arrive at the Grand Monarque,
0:32:40 > 0:32:42complete with its Michelin-starred restaurant.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49What do you think, JC...it takes...
0:32:49 > 0:32:52to get a Michelin star? How do you do it?
0:32:52 > 0:32:53What you need is...
0:32:54 > 0:32:59You need about two or three 50 quid notes...
0:33:01 > 0:33:04..and when the inspector turns up... You shake his hand.
0:33:04 > 0:33:08..you do, "Achoo, achoo," then you drop the money on the floor.
0:33:08 > 0:33:09And then you get a star!
0:33:12 > 0:33:15Yeah, I'm not sure it works like that.
0:33:15 > 0:33:17I think Michelin is like a magnet
0:33:17 > 0:33:21because you know when you go to that restaurant it will be good.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23Mm-hm. It is the pinnacle of your career, isn't it?
0:33:23 > 0:33:24That's it, "I've done it.
0:33:24 > 0:33:28"I've been recognised by the best tyre manufacturer
0:33:28 > 0:33:31"that I am a great chef."
0:33:31 > 0:33:34Are you serious or not?
0:33:34 > 0:33:35You're winding me up?
0:33:37 > 0:33:40It's bloody Michelin tyres.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51I'm now driving in the rain again,
0:33:51 > 0:33:5775 miles south-west to a motor racing Mmecca - Le Mans.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59Home of the most famous race on Earth.
0:34:01 > 0:34:06The Le Mans 24-hour endurance race started in 1923.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09Typically, it was the French being different.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12At a time when Grand Prix racing dominated motorsport,
0:34:12 > 0:34:15Le Mans presented a new challenge for manufacturers to build
0:34:15 > 0:34:19sporty yet reliable cars capable of racing at speed
0:34:19 > 0:34:21for a whole day and night.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26These days, the top cars cover over 3,000 miles
0:34:26 > 0:34:29at similar speeds to an F1 car.
0:34:30 > 0:34:34But how come this place and this race are in France, a country that
0:34:34 > 0:34:38we've already established isn't keen on sexy, flashy cars?
0:34:38 > 0:34:41I mean, look at that one, that's really sexy,
0:34:41 > 0:34:43and it flies.
0:34:43 > 0:34:47Well, it's in which country motor racing started.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53Yes, the first-ever organised car race took place between Paris
0:34:53 > 0:34:56and Rouen in 1894.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58OK, being French,
0:34:58 > 0:35:01they did have a 90-minute lunch break in the middle of the race,
0:35:01 > 0:35:04but they had invented motorsport.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07Then they went on to give us the Paris Dakar Rally, Renault F1,
0:35:07 > 0:35:11the FIA, Alain Prost, Citroen and Peugeot WRC teams,
0:35:11 > 0:35:15the phrase, "Grand Prix," and, of course, Le Mans.
0:35:15 > 0:35:19Today, I'm meeting up with one of the greatest French racing drivers
0:35:19 > 0:35:23of all time in his favourite cafe right on the Le Mans circuit.
0:35:23 > 0:35:27This is Henri Pescarolo and his wife Madie.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30Hello, Henri. Hello. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32Henri won Le Mans four times.
0:35:32 > 0:35:37He is the most successful Frenchman ever at France's greatest race.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41For me, what you did in Le Mans was incredible.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44It was something for every driver, you know,
0:35:44 > 0:35:47the target was to be in Le Mans.
0:35:47 > 0:35:52I raced 33 times, and I won four times, so that's a...
0:35:52 > 0:35:55big part of my life, Le Mans is, you know.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59The 24 hours of Le Mans is one of the oldest race in the world,
0:35:59 > 0:36:01and it's very dangerous, of course.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03In 1955,
0:36:03 > 0:36:07Le Mans saw the most devastating crash in motorsport history.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10French driver Pierre Levegh lost control
0:36:10 > 0:36:12and crashed into the main stand.
0:36:12 > 0:36:16He died along with 83 spectators.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19Le Mans was always a very dangerous race.
0:36:19 > 0:36:24Every year, there was five, six or seven drivers killed in racing,
0:36:24 > 0:36:28Formula 1, you know. That was normal.
0:36:28 > 0:36:30Racing was dangerous,
0:36:30 > 0:36:35especially Le Mans because safety was not important, you know.
0:36:35 > 0:36:40In practice for the 1969 race, Le Mans almost claimed Henri's life.
0:36:40 > 0:36:45At over 150mph on the 7km-long Mulsanne Straight,
0:36:45 > 0:36:47his car took off.
0:36:47 > 0:36:51I had the most terrific crash that could happen because
0:36:51 > 0:36:54I was inside my car and it burns, you know.
0:36:54 > 0:36:59And you knew, that time, that after 15 seconds, you will not survive.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02Despite terrible burns, Henri survived,
0:37:02 > 0:37:06and, just two months later, he was back in a race car.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09The first race I had after my crash was on
0:37:09 > 0:37:11the most difficult track in the world,
0:37:11 > 0:37:15it was the Nurburgring, you know. Formula 1 Grand Prix.
0:37:15 > 0:37:19And I won. How did it feel, as a driver at Le Mans,
0:37:19 > 0:37:22that every week leading up to Le Mans
0:37:22 > 0:37:26you knew someone was going to be injured or die,
0:37:26 > 0:37:29how do you deal with that in your head?
0:37:29 > 0:37:34You know, if you start to think...
0:37:34 > 0:37:38what could happen to you, you are not able to drive
0:37:38 > 0:37:43because I don't know if we are different from other people,
0:37:43 > 0:37:48you know. You are! But it's something which we accept, you know.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51Everybody here will die one day, you know,
0:37:51 > 0:37:53and we don't think of that.
0:37:53 > 0:37:58If you start to think when that will happen and how it will happen,
0:37:58 > 0:38:01you are not able to go out of the restaurant.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04So, for a racing driver, the same,
0:38:04 > 0:38:08you know that could happen, but that's normal.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10Henri's laissez faire attitude to
0:38:10 > 0:38:12the dangers of motorsport maybe explains why
0:38:12 > 0:38:17the French are so damn good at this racing stuff.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20Thank you very much. It's been an absolute pleasure. Thank you. Merci.
0:38:22 > 0:38:27Next, I have a mammoth 4.5 hour drive from Le Mans all the way south
0:38:27 > 0:38:29to Clermont-Ferrand.
0:38:29 > 0:38:34And my car is the first-ever people carrier, the Renault Espace.
0:38:35 > 0:38:39A perfect example of that French tendency to be radical
0:38:39 > 0:38:41and practical at the same time.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46To demonstrate the Espace's multiperson capacity,
0:38:46 > 0:38:49the crew have decided to travel with me this afternoon.
0:38:51 > 0:38:52Great(!)
0:39:00 > 0:39:02OK. This is the Renault Espace.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04This particular model has five seats.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06This is the entry-level Espace.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10But we wanted to show you what it was like with seven seats,
0:39:10 > 0:39:15the two people sitting on the floor have actually got harnesses on.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18Has everyone got loads of space in the back?
0:39:18 > 0:39:19Jake's sitting on my foot.
0:39:21 > 0:39:26When the car was launched in 1984, it was truly revolutionary,
0:39:26 > 0:39:28but sales weren't good.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31Initially, because everyone in the general public thought,
0:39:31 > 0:39:34"What is it? What is it trying to do? What's its purpose?"
0:39:34 > 0:39:37They sold nine in the first month.
0:39:37 > 0:39:41However, by the time the Mark 1 was retired in 1991,
0:39:41 > 0:39:45Renault had shifted 200,000 of them.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48Five versions later, it's still in production today.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53Actually, the gearbox in this is fantastic.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55Five gears, it's smooth...
0:39:55 > 0:39:58Paul, do you want some cheese? ..it drives beautifully...
0:39:58 > 0:40:00Will you shut up, I'm trying to talk!
0:40:00 > 0:40:02And it drives beautifully.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05It is a proper car, but you can take massive family with it,
0:40:05 > 0:40:07or an annoying crew.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10Can someone chuck that cheese out the window?
0:40:10 > 0:40:13It stinks, and it's steaming up the windows.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16You know, you can do a steady 70mph.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19The engine's not even labouring. It's great on fuel.
0:40:19 > 0:40:23I understand why people bought these in the numbers that they did.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27Has someone farted?
0:40:27 > 0:40:30No! I need a wee. I need a wee. Oh!
0:40:34 > 0:40:37Ben's not here. Where's Ben? Here he comes.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43What does "Espace" mean in English?
0:40:43 > 0:40:45Space.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50What's your favourite cake, Paul?
0:40:50 > 0:40:52Shall we all play favourite cakes?
0:40:52 > 0:40:55Yeah. Mine's apple cake. Mine's pork pie.
0:41:00 > 0:41:04French ingenuity did invent a whole new category of cars,
0:41:04 > 0:41:07the MPV as we call it these days. And last year,
0:41:07 > 0:41:11six and a half million new MPVs were bought worldwide.
0:41:13 > 0:41:17Very fertile parents and Uber drivers everywhere
0:41:17 > 0:41:21can now benefit from the Gallic belief that they know best.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28Today starts brilliantly because it's not raining.
0:41:28 > 0:41:33I'm just south of Clermont-Ferrand at the town hall of Lempdes
0:41:33 > 0:41:36because this used to be the home of Pierre Boulanger,
0:41:36 > 0:41:40the man who developed the Frenchest car ever.
0:41:40 > 0:41:42It was known as the deux chevaux-vapeur,
0:41:42 > 0:41:46which in English means two steam horses.
0:41:46 > 0:41:49But you and I know it better as the 2CV.
0:41:54 > 0:41:59Heroically, I will now drive a 2CV from Lempdes to Lyon,
0:41:59 > 0:42:02which is over 100 miles.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05Alongside me is British comedian Alexis Dubus.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08Here we go. Life on the road, yeah?
0:42:08 > 0:42:10Alexis has studied the French in depth,
0:42:10 > 0:42:14and even went to clown school in Paris
0:42:14 > 0:42:17to create his on-stage persona - Marcel Lucont.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22FRENCH ACCENT: Thank you to those who actually cheered.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24It's known as etiquette.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28A little thing that we invented.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31You are welcome.
0:42:31 > 0:42:32LAUGHTER
0:42:32 > 0:42:35Alexis also has previous with the 2CV.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38Genuinely what I learned to drive in. Are you serious? Yes.
0:42:38 > 0:42:44My mum had one. My mum had a 2CV6 Special, plums and custard one.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47Nice. So, it was her way of making sure I didn't become a boy racer,
0:42:47 > 0:42:48pretty much.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53So, the girlfriends that you went out with...
0:42:53 > 0:42:55They were very forgiving.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59I'm not in gear here. Oh, for...!
0:43:02 > 0:43:07The 2CV was developed in the 1930s to replace the horse and cart...
0:43:07 > 0:43:10Come on! OK, I think I'm in!
0:43:10 > 0:43:12..which at that time was still
0:43:12 > 0:43:14the main form of transport in rural France.
0:43:17 > 0:43:21Look at the roll on it around the corner. I know.
0:43:21 > 0:43:23That's mental.
0:43:23 > 0:43:25That's a cracking start.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27Design requirements were simple -
0:43:27 > 0:43:33the car should be able to carry 50kg of farm goods to market...
0:43:33 > 0:43:37and drive a basket of eggs across a field without breaking them.
0:43:41 > 0:43:43It shows the sort of hierarchy, doesn't it?
0:43:43 > 0:43:46Food, let's get food to Marseille.
0:43:46 > 0:43:52During the 1930s, Citroen built and tested 47 prototypes of the 2CV.
0:43:56 > 0:44:00But before they could launch it, war broke out.
0:44:01 > 0:44:05Throughout the war, the Nazis tried to get hold of the 2CV.
0:44:09 > 0:44:12But Boulanger refused to cooperate.
0:44:12 > 0:44:16Working with the resistance, he hid his prototypes all over France.
0:44:18 > 0:44:21Three of the 47 originals were recently discovered
0:44:21 > 0:44:24still hidden in a barn near Paris.
0:44:26 > 0:44:29The Germans never got their mitts on the 2CV,
0:44:29 > 0:44:32and it was eventually launched properly in 1948.
0:44:35 > 0:44:40The most French car ever built stayed in production for 42 years
0:44:40 > 0:44:43and almost four million were sold worldwide.
0:44:47 > 0:44:51Its quirky, practical and not showy.
0:44:51 > 0:44:55It's very French. Yeah, I think it is very French.
0:44:55 > 0:44:58I mean, it's not very responsive, you know.
0:44:58 > 0:45:00It's like meeting a Frenchman for the first time, isn't it?
0:45:00 > 0:45:03Just... Just a shrug.
0:45:03 > 0:45:07The French love things that are made for the French.
0:45:07 > 0:45:11So, how did they react when you know a British guy comes on holiday,
0:45:11 > 0:45:14turns up in their village in his flashy car...?
0:45:14 > 0:45:17Having a flashy car would be an accoutrement of the bourgeoisie.
0:45:17 > 0:45:21Yeah. Maybe that's a sign of, like, a squandered existence,
0:45:21 > 0:45:23kind of thing, that you've worked and worked and worked
0:45:23 > 0:45:26to get your flashy car when you could have just been having
0:45:26 > 0:45:29a succession of nice meals and wines.
0:45:29 > 0:45:31I think they measure prestige in other things. Yeah.
0:45:31 > 0:45:34So, to them, if they say, "What do you want,
0:45:34 > 0:45:37"do you want a Jaguar or do you want a crate of the best wine?"
0:45:37 > 0:45:39They'll go, "Wine." Yeah.
0:45:39 > 0:45:42"Do you want a Lamborghini or a nice lamb shank?"
0:45:42 > 0:45:45THEY LAUGH
0:45:45 > 0:45:47I think the English, the Germans, the Italians
0:45:47 > 0:45:48are more interested in aesthetics.
0:45:48 > 0:45:52Yeah. I don't think the French are. I think this thing here proves it.
0:45:52 > 0:45:56Yeah. It's just a way of getting to the next meal. Yeah!
0:45:58 > 0:46:00We're building up a head of steam here.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03We're going downhill now, so we should be all right.
0:46:03 > 0:46:05They're taking the car.
0:46:05 > 0:46:08That's only because the car is being transported. Yeah, that's true.
0:46:08 > 0:46:12Peage. Peage. Oh, here we go.
0:46:12 > 0:46:14"Peage" is of course French for toll booth.
0:46:14 > 0:46:17Second. Nicely done.
0:46:17 > 0:46:21And peage plays a big part in making the French motorway system
0:46:21 > 0:46:22as good as it is.
0:46:23 > 0:46:29While all 7,383 miles of autoroute are owned by the French state,
0:46:29 > 0:46:33most of the ones with tolls are looked after by private companies,
0:46:33 > 0:46:35and they are brilliant.
0:46:35 > 0:46:39Clear, well maintained, drivers behave
0:46:39 > 0:46:41and there is a rest stop every 15km.
0:46:43 > 0:46:45CAR STRUGGLES
0:46:45 > 0:46:49Sounding good. Yeah, I think I started in second.
0:46:49 > 0:46:53I don't know what gear I'm in now. If I push that forward...
0:46:53 > 0:46:56Oh, that's second. OK, that's third.
0:46:56 > 0:46:58And then fourth is over to the right.
0:46:58 > 0:47:00There you go. Now we're cruising.
0:47:00 > 0:47:02Oh, no, it's the coppers. Here's the rozzers. Really?
0:47:02 > 0:47:05We're not going to get done for speeding.
0:47:05 > 0:47:08Definitely not going to get done for speeding.
0:47:08 > 0:47:12Bonjour. He's just stuck two fingers up at me!
0:47:12 > 0:47:15He's literally just stuck two fingers up!
0:47:15 > 0:47:17Cheeky...! CAMERA CLICK
0:47:17 > 0:47:20Two horsepower.
0:47:20 > 0:47:22Yeah, that's what it is.
0:47:22 > 0:47:25It was definitely a mark of respect.
0:47:25 > 0:47:27I think it was.
0:47:27 > 0:47:282CV club.
0:47:28 > 0:47:31THEY IMITATE FRENCH ACCENT
0:47:39 > 0:47:43Now, remember, the 2CV was created to replace the horse and cart
0:47:43 > 0:47:46and carry French goods across a field.
0:47:46 > 0:47:50The big question that I'm not sure anyone has ever attempted
0:47:50 > 0:47:53to answer is, was it better?
0:48:00 > 0:48:04Well, the best way to find out is, of course, a race.
0:48:07 > 0:48:10The first team to pick up 50kg of produce
0:48:10 > 0:48:13and bring it all back to the start line undamaged wins.
0:48:15 > 0:48:16Oh, here we go!
0:48:21 > 0:48:22Way ahead.
0:48:36 > 0:48:40We've got to try and get this back out. Yeah, right.
0:48:40 > 0:48:44Come on. Just throw it. Yeah.
0:48:44 > 0:48:45Get the stuff!
0:48:46 > 0:48:48Get the stuff in, quick.
0:48:54 > 0:48:55Get the chicken!
0:48:58 > 0:49:00This is a nightmare.
0:49:07 > 0:49:09How's that working out?
0:49:11 > 0:49:14So, what did that race teach us?
0:49:14 > 0:49:18Well, traditional French farm transport is outstanding in a field,
0:49:18 > 0:49:21and I shouldn't have turned my engine off when we stopped.
0:49:21 > 0:49:23Oh, dear.
0:49:27 > 0:49:32My final day in France and, yes, it's raining again.
0:49:32 > 0:49:37I've driven back north a bit to the magnificent Magny-Cours circuit,
0:49:37 > 0:49:43home of the French F1 Grand Prix for 17 years.
0:49:43 > 0:49:45This morning, this is my ride.
0:49:50 > 0:49:53It's an H125B3 Squirrel,
0:49:53 > 0:49:58and its single engine produces around 950 horsepower.
0:50:01 > 0:50:03Fantastic.
0:50:06 > 0:50:09Now, there's a reason why we've come to Magny-Cours.
0:50:09 > 0:50:12It's down on the track at the moment.
0:50:18 > 0:50:21This car is the RS 01,
0:50:21 > 0:50:28that is the first turbocharged Formula 1 Grand Prix car ever.
0:50:30 > 0:50:36In 1977, F1 rules changed and allowed teams to use turbocharges,
0:50:36 > 0:50:38a device which very simply forces more air into
0:50:38 > 0:50:41an engine's combustion chamber, creating more power.
0:50:41 > 0:50:44It was a relatively new technology for cars,
0:50:44 > 0:50:47and Renault were the only team to try harnessing it.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50They picked up the ball and ran with it.
0:50:53 > 0:50:55Well, more like ran with the ball for a few yards
0:50:55 > 0:50:58before tripping over and dropping it.
0:50:58 > 0:51:02By doing the French thing and being different, Renault took a big risk.
0:51:02 > 0:51:06And to begin with, that risk didn't pay off.
0:51:06 > 0:51:09The RS 01 had a single big turbo,
0:51:09 > 0:51:12which required high engine revs before it kicked in,
0:51:12 > 0:51:15and the engine overheated all the time.
0:51:15 > 0:51:17The car broke down in its first eight races,
0:51:17 > 0:51:20earning the nickname the Yellow Teapot
0:51:20 > 0:51:23because it spent most of its time standing still
0:51:23 > 0:51:24with steam coming out of it.
0:51:24 > 0:51:27Yellow Teapot, yeah, right.
0:51:34 > 0:51:37After the first year, they changed the turbo to two smaller turbos,
0:51:37 > 0:51:40and that prevented that lag...
0:51:40 > 0:51:42Wow! Look at that, the back end just stepped out.
0:51:42 > 0:51:44..and it worked beautifully.
0:51:44 > 0:51:49In fact, in 1979, two years after its initial hit onto the track,
0:51:49 > 0:51:52turbo won its first race.
0:51:52 > 0:51:53Where did it happen?
0:51:53 > 0:51:57At the French Grand Prix in 1979.
0:51:57 > 0:52:01The driver was a 36-year-old Jean-Pierre Jabouille.
0:52:01 > 0:52:04Jean-Pierre is now 74...
0:52:04 > 0:52:07Oh, and he's driving that Formula 1 car right below me.
0:52:09 > 0:52:11Now, you might be thinking,
0:52:11 > 0:52:13"That car doesn't look like it's going very fast,"
0:52:13 > 0:52:17and you'd be right. It's the bloody rain's fault again.
0:52:17 > 0:52:19It's a bit wet today. He's tiptoeing around.
0:52:19 > 0:52:22You can see the spray coming off the back.
0:52:22 > 0:52:25Remember, this is the original single turbo car.
0:52:25 > 0:52:29Despite pretty much blocking the car's intake with gaffer tape,
0:52:29 > 0:52:32in these conditions, Jean-Pierre just can't get
0:52:32 > 0:52:35the engine hot enough to make the turbo kick in properly.
0:52:38 > 0:52:42He's trying to get the engine up to temperature. It's crazy.
0:52:45 > 0:52:47There he is, just going into the pit.
0:52:48 > 0:52:50Fantastic. Fantastic.
0:52:51 > 0:52:56What makes the rain even more hateful is that JP had said
0:52:56 > 0:52:59I could drive this car if it was dry.
0:52:59 > 0:53:01Careful with this. I will.
0:53:01 > 0:53:05Although the rain may not be the only thing stopping me from driving.
0:53:07 > 0:53:11That's about as low as I'm going to get in this car.
0:53:11 > 0:53:14Yeah, this is comfortable. I can see everything.
0:53:14 > 0:53:17This could be a slight issue with aerodynamics.
0:53:17 > 0:53:19My arse...
0:53:19 > 0:53:21is a foot too wide.
0:53:23 > 0:53:24You... Oh!
0:53:27 > 0:53:29It's comfortable for you?
0:53:29 > 0:53:30It is, yeah.
0:53:30 > 0:53:34Is there any chance we can start the engine? Yeah.
0:53:37 > 0:53:39ENGINE ROARS
0:53:41 > 0:53:42ENGINE DROWNS OUT SOUND: Wow!
0:53:54 > 0:53:56Merci.
0:53:56 > 0:53:58HE SPEAKS FRENCH
0:53:58 > 0:54:00That is incredible.
0:54:02 > 0:54:06So, an F1 car that's going a bit slow, and that I can't drive.
0:54:06 > 0:54:10Potentially, a rubbish end to my road trip.
0:54:10 > 0:54:12Although...
0:54:12 > 0:54:16I think I've finally found a way to make the rain work to my advantage
0:54:16 > 0:54:19and make a boyhood dream come true.
0:54:19 > 0:54:22I'm going to race against an F1 car.
0:54:23 > 0:54:27Standing start, one lap of Magny-Cours.
0:54:27 > 0:54:32Jean-Pierre Jabouille will of course be driving the turbo F1 car.
0:54:33 > 0:54:37And I'll be driving this, Renault's latest sporty turbo,
0:54:37 > 0:54:39the Renault Sport Clio.
0:54:41 > 0:54:43220 brake horsepower.
0:54:48 > 0:54:51Normally, on a dry and warm circuit,
0:54:51 > 0:54:55the F1 car would be lapping me in the Clio.
0:54:55 > 0:54:58But today things may be a little different.
0:55:06 > 0:55:09Just sitting on the start line next to the F1 car, I can feel
0:55:09 > 0:55:11the vibrations coming through the engine.
0:55:11 > 0:55:15"Excited" doesn't really cover it.
0:55:18 > 0:55:20Come on, come on, come on!
0:55:20 > 0:55:23He easily burned me off at the start line,
0:55:23 > 0:55:26and that was him just being careful.
0:55:26 > 0:55:30But, you know, that was absolutely fine, because right here,
0:55:30 > 0:55:33chasing an F1 car, that was such a buzz.
0:55:38 > 0:55:41Out of the third bend, I actually floored it and, yes,
0:55:41 > 0:55:44I overtook an F1 car. Amazing.
0:55:44 > 0:55:45Oh, yes.
0:55:51 > 0:55:53Not so amazing on this bend, though!
0:55:55 > 0:55:57Whoa!
0:55:57 > 0:55:59It was so wet, JP lost it, too.
0:56:03 > 0:56:07Remember, though, he's 74, and driving an F1 car in anger.
0:56:07 > 0:56:10How he kept it on the track was just incredible.
0:56:10 > 0:56:12That track was a river.
0:56:17 > 0:56:20I got that little bit of grip, I took him again.
0:56:20 > 0:56:22I absolutely loved it.
0:56:22 > 0:56:23This is awesome!
0:56:32 > 0:56:35This is what it's all about. Come on!
0:56:45 > 0:56:49Back at the pits, I can't quite believe what's just happened.
0:56:51 > 0:56:53Right, Paul, be gracious.
0:56:53 > 0:56:56I know you're happy, but don't be obvious.
0:56:56 > 0:56:58HE LAUGHS
0:56:58 > 0:57:01OK. You laughed. Definitely stop celebrating now.
0:57:04 > 0:57:07Oh, Paul, all right, just go and shake JP's hand.
0:57:09 > 0:57:12To listen to you come past, with the sound of this engine,
0:57:12 > 0:57:15it's just fantastic, absolutely fantastic.
0:57:15 > 0:57:19Merci. Merci.
0:57:19 > 0:57:22Jean-Pierre just couldn't put the power down onto the track,
0:57:22 > 0:57:26unfortunately, but this thing could, but if we'd had a dry, warm day,
0:57:26 > 0:57:28that car would have spanked me.
0:57:28 > 0:57:32I'd be doing one lap, he'd be doing three. It's a given.
0:57:33 > 0:57:36Did I mention I love the rain?
0:57:38 > 0:57:44So, yesterday I lost to a horse, but today, I beat a Formula 1 car.
0:57:44 > 0:57:46C'est la vie.
0:57:46 > 0:57:49And what I learned on my six days crossing this country,
0:57:49 > 0:57:52the French are very, very...
0:57:52 > 0:57:54French. Oh-la-la!
0:57:54 > 0:57:56And, yes, they make fabulous bread.
0:57:56 > 0:57:58Look at the structure on that.
0:57:58 > 0:58:00Yes, their cheese can be very smelly.
0:58:00 > 0:58:03But their attitude to cars is different
0:58:03 > 0:58:06to every other country I've ever been to. It's ugly.
0:58:06 > 0:58:08It's embarrassing. I don't care.
0:58:08 > 0:58:12France is a nation where originality and thinking in revolutionary ways
0:58:12 > 0:58:14has always been celebrated,
0:58:14 > 0:58:18especially if everyone benefits from your ingenuity.
0:58:18 > 0:58:21The French are pragmatic dreamers.
0:58:21 > 0:58:25They get behind a car, it has to be different.
0:58:25 > 0:58:28The French people demand quirkiness.
0:58:28 > 0:58:33They demand to be different from the rest of the world.
0:58:33 > 0:58:34That's the French, really.
0:58:48 > 0:58:51Subtitles by Ericsson