Episode 3 Best of Top Gear


Episode 3

Similar Content

Browse content similar to Episode 3. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!

Transcript


LineFromTo

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

0:00:170:00:19

Thank you so much. Hello.

0:00:190:00:21

Hello, everybody, and welcome.

0:00:210:00:24

Thank you very much, Thank you. Now...

0:00:240:00:26

Now, a few years ago, bosses at a Cheshire-based engineering

0:00:270:00:33

company called BAC decided they'd like to make a car.

0:00:330:00:37

Now, because they're from Cheshire, I assumed it would be made

0:00:370:00:40

from onyx and have Bullseye glass in the windows

0:00:400:00:43

and then door mirrors made out of Wayne Rooney's ears.

0:00:430:00:46

-LAUGHTER

-But, no.

0:00:460:00:48

They decided it should have the four-cylinder engine

0:00:480:00:51

from a Ford people van,

0:00:510:00:53

the gearbox from a Formula 3 racing car,

0:00:530:00:56

and that it should be upholstered in the same

0:00:560:00:59

stain-resistant and waterproof material that they use to line

0:00:590:01:04

furniture in old people's homes.

0:01:040:01:07

And then they turned their attention to how it should look.

0:01:070:01:10

Now, most car designers, for their inspiration,

0:01:100:01:13

go to big cats and bats and jet fighters.

0:01:130:01:16

But the men from Cheshire decided they didn't want any of that.

0:01:160:01:21

They decided to take their inspiration from this.

0:01:210:01:25

MUSIC: "All Is Full Of Love" by Bjork

0:01:250:01:27

# You'll be given love... #

0:01:320:01:35

So, the styling of an Icelandic robot from a Bjork pop video,

0:01:350:01:40

the gearbox from a racing car

0:01:400:01:42

and the engine from a van.

0:01:420:01:44

Bring them all together and this is the result.

0:01:450:01:49

It's called the Mono,

0:02:010:02:03

and it's amazing.

0:02:030:02:04

The engine may be from a Ford people carrier

0:02:060:02:09

but it's been fettled by Cosworth, so now it produces 280 horsepower.

0:02:090:02:14

And fitting a 280 horsepower heart

0:02:170:02:19

in a car which weighs just half a tonne is...

0:02:190:02:22

Well, the effects are going to be profound.

0:02:230:02:26

ENGINE ROARS

0:02:300:02:32

I can see why they lined it with

0:02:340:02:37

material designed to resist trouser accidents.

0:02:370:02:42

Because my bladder's gone.

0:02:420:02:45

It's completely gone.

0:02:450:02:48

I've wet myself.

0:02:480:02:49

0-60 takes just 2.8 seconds.

0:02:590:03:02

And, in theory, the top speed is 170.

0:03:040:03:07

But in reality it isn't,

0:03:070:03:09

because the Mono has the same problem as the Ariel Atom -

0:03:090:03:13

no windscreen.

0:03:130:03:14

At 70mph, your face starts to move about.

0:03:160:03:21

And then when you get to 80,

0:03:230:03:26

it starts to come off.

0:03:260:03:27

'At 90, you're forced to accept that, really, you need a helmet.'

0:03:310:03:35

With a lid on, you can start to appreciate

0:03:460:03:49

just how clever this car is.

0:03:490:03:51

First of all, I fit. I mean, only just, but I do actually fit.

0:03:530:03:57

And even though it has

0:03:580:04:00

Formula 1-style pushrod suspension,

0:04:000:04:02

the ride is sublime.

0:04:020:04:04

You could almost call it comfortable.

0:04:040:04:07

Although, that said, at high revs,

0:04:070:04:10

everything starts to tingle and vibrate.

0:04:100:04:13

I don't want to go into too many details but let me put it this way -

0:04:140:04:18

if I were a girl, I'd like it VERY much.

0:04:180:04:21

Strangely, even cross-eyed women can drive this car legally on the road.

0:04:240:04:29

But realistically, it's built for the track.

0:04:290:04:32

So - let's see what's what.

0:04:320:04:34

It's not really about straight-line speed.

0:04:430:04:45

It doesn't actually feel that fast.

0:04:470:04:50

And when you get used to it,

0:04:530:04:55

it's not that scary either.

0:04:550:04:57

If I'm honest, it's not really like driving, this,

0:04:580:05:01

it's like I'm conducting an orchestra of parts that know...

0:05:010:05:06

..certainly what they're doing, they're very well rehearsed...

0:05:070:05:09

There goes the French horns and here are the violins.

0:05:120:05:15

The brakes, yeah, they're good.

0:05:200:05:22

Gearbox is fantastic.

0:05:220:05:25

It really is an absolutely instant change.

0:05:250:05:28

Bang, bang, bang - ready.

0:05:280:05:30

And there's more.

0:05:320:05:33

Because all the heavy stuff - the engine, the gearbox and the driver -

0:05:380:05:42

is all in a line, low down in the middle of the car,

0:05:420:05:45

it has the same centre of gravity

0:05:450:05:47

as a worm.

0:05:470:05:49

Couple that to the F1 suspension and the specially made tyres,

0:05:510:05:55

and the cornering speeds are simply immense.

0:05:550:05:59

To demonstrate how immense,

0:06:030:06:05

we've set up a radar trap on the Follow-Through

0:06:050:06:07

and coming through it now, as fast as possible,

0:06:070:06:10

is a Peugeot 208.

0:06:100:06:12

83 and a half miles an hour.

0:06:190:06:22

Then it was the turn of a BMW M3.

0:06:230:06:27

TYRES SCREECH

0:06:280:06:30

Ooh, now, look at that. 90.25mph.

0:06:300:06:34

After a Nissan GTR had a go...

0:06:340:06:36

..we unleashed the Mono.

0:06:380:06:40

See my point?

0:06:440:06:45

It is very fast, then, and it's fun.

0:06:470:06:50

But what about reliability,

0:06:500:06:51

traditionally not a strong point for small volume British sports cars?

0:06:510:06:57

The first time I drove a Mono, it set fire to itself.

0:06:570:07:00

The second time, the engine went wonky

0:07:000:07:02

and the third time, it broke down before it had even left the factory.

0:07:020:07:06

So I thought of it, really, as

0:07:060:07:08

another typically British, badly executed good idea.

0:07:080:07:13

But, since all those calamities

0:07:130:07:16

they've had 12 months to work on the design and the detailing,

0:07:160:07:20

and I have to say it looks not just very well thought out...

0:07:200:07:25

..but absolutely beautifully made.

0:07:260:07:29

And it's not just the detailing that's beautiful, either.

0:07:320:07:35

When you stand back,

0:07:350:07:37

that's one of THE most exciting shapes I've ever seen.

0:07:370:07:42

The Mono is the nicest thing to come out of Cheshire

0:07:440:07:48

since the cheese.

0:07:480:07:49

But it does cost £102,000,

0:07:510:07:54

and that, for a twice-a-year toy, is a lot.

0:07:540:07:57

In many ways, then, this is a bit like an iPad,

0:08:040:08:07

cos that's not cheap either, and you certainly don't need one.

0:08:070:08:11

But you want one, cos it's such a lovely...

0:08:110:08:15

thing.

0:08:150:08:16

-It does feel well-made.

-Feel how well-made it is.

0:08:310:08:35

-It is.

-It's gorgeous.

-I know.

-And beautifully made.

0:08:380:08:41

-It's a piece of jewellery. But...

-What?

-£102,000?

0:08:410:08:48

I know. It is expensive, especially when you bear in mind

0:08:480:08:51

all the other brilliant track day cars you can buy for a lot less.

0:08:510:08:54

You know, the KTM, Radical, Ariel Atom...

0:08:540:08:56

Morgan Three Wheeler.

0:08:560:08:58

No, I said brilliant.

0:08:580:08:59

All right, the Caterham R500.

0:08:590:09:01

That's a brilliant track day car and that's half the price of this.

0:09:010:09:04

Yes, and that is enormously fast.

0:09:040:09:06

But will this be faster?

0:09:060:09:08

Well, to find out, we shall hand it over to our tame racing driver.

0:09:080:09:12

Some say that he breaks into people's houses at night and

0:09:120:09:15

leaves two mysterious extra keys in a kitchen drawer.

0:09:150:09:20

LAUGHTER

0:09:200:09:21

And that, as a result of buying Pirelli condoms this week,

0:09:210:09:25

he now has 17 children.

0:09:250:09:26

All we know is he's called The Stig.

0:09:270:09:30

Stig snaps to attention and he's off.

0:09:310:09:33

Flicking off the line like a flea,

0:09:330:09:35

even though the start/finish line was damp.

0:09:350:09:37

Hopefully the rest of the track's dry.

0:09:370:09:40

Flying into the first corner.

0:09:400:09:42

He came in very hot there but sorted it out...

0:09:420:09:44

no problem at all.

0:09:440:09:46

ENGINE ROARS

0:09:460:09:48

No stereo, of course, just the sound of that Cosworth-tuned engine

0:09:480:09:52

as he zips round Chicago.

0:09:520:09:54

Absolutely rock-solid.

0:09:540:09:56

Now, Hammerhead. what will this reveal about the mid-engine balance?

0:09:560:10:01

No drama.

0:10:010:10:02

That is properly nailed down.

0:10:020:10:05

Oh, but look, a well-orchestrated drift on the way out.

0:10:050:10:08

High revs now. The vibrations will be stimulating his lady parts.

0:10:100:10:14

Follow-Through. And, yes, he actually changed up through there.

0:10:140:10:18

Stig is brave, even on the brink of a crisis.

0:10:180:10:22

OK, controlling it beautifully into the second-to-last corner.

0:10:220:10:26

Screams up to Gambon, racing gearbox whining.

0:10:260:10:29

Slides it through and across the line.

0:10:290:10:32

CHEERING

0:10:320:10:35

Now, here we have the Caterham R500,

0:10:370:10:41

which did it in 1.17.9, yeah?

0:10:410:10:45

BAC Mono...

0:10:450:10:47

..1.14.3.

0:10:510:10:54

-No way!

-The second fastest car we've ever had.

0:10:540:10:58

That is something else.

0:10:580:10:59

Now, as I'm sure you know, after 13 years

0:11:040:11:07

the British military forces are pulling out of Afghanistan.

0:11:070:11:09

What you may not know is that that operation has been the biggest

0:11:090:11:13

deployment of British military vehicles since World War II.

0:11:130:11:17

Now, bringing that lot home is quite a big job

0:11:170:11:21

so I packed my tin helmet and went out there to...

0:11:210:11:24

get in the way.

0:11:240:11:25

If you want to get a sense of just how big

0:11:300:11:33

the British involvement in Afghanistan has become...

0:11:330:11:35

..you just have to look at the size of its main base -

0:11:360:11:40

Camp Bastion.

0:11:400:11:41

In 2006, when British forces arrived here,

0:11:470:11:50

it was just a scrap of desert with a few tents in it.

0:11:500:11:53

But now look - it's the size of Reading.

0:11:530:11:57

And inside its 25 miles of blast-proof perimeter wall,

0:12:050:12:10

alongside the few comforts of home,

0:12:100:12:12

you'll find a vast armada of vehicles.

0:12:120:12:15

At its peak, the number was 5,000.

0:12:210:12:25

We've got a few of them here.

0:12:270:12:29

Their names will be dimly familiar from news reports.

0:12:290:12:31

That is a Ridgeback.

0:12:310:12:33

That is a Mastiff.

0:12:330:12:35

Then you have a Foxhound,

0:12:350:12:36

the pale-coloured one is a Husky,

0:12:360:12:38

and that weird-looking thing with the tracks on over there,

0:12:380:12:41

that is a Warthog.

0:12:410:12:42

Don't expect cute and cuddly names like Panda or Fiesta,

0:12:420:12:45

everything here is named after a dog.

0:12:450:12:48

Except the Warthog...

0:12:480:12:50

which is named after a warthog.

0:12:500:12:52

To keep the wheels turning

0:12:540:12:55

the Army has built this enormous workshop,

0:12:550:12:58

which, at full strength, carries £60 million worth of spares

0:12:580:13:02

and employs 150 mechanics.

0:13:020:13:05

Bastion even has its own

0:13:090:13:11

purpose-built driver training ground,

0:13:110:13:13

approved by a squad of driving instructors.

0:13:130:13:16

The sheer size of this operation is truly impressive,

0:13:190:13:22

but equally fascinating is what the Afghanistan campaign has done

0:13:220:13:27

to Britain's military vehicles.

0:13:270:13:29

It has brought about the biggest change in a generation.

0:13:300:13:35

When the British first arrived here, their staple patrol vehicle,

0:13:350:13:38

the Snatch Land Rover, offered woeful protection against IEDs.

0:13:380:13:43

In 2009 alone, 79 soldiers fell victim to such devices.

0:13:430:13:49

BUGLE PLAYS

0:13:490:13:51

The 29-tonne American-made Mastiff offered a quick fix.

0:13:540:13:59

But in Leamington Spa,

0:13:590:14:00

a small British firm devised a more 21st-century solution.

0:14:000:14:04

This is a Foxhound.

0:14:110:14:13

And it's very clever because it's actually made out of armour,

0:14:130:14:16

it's not a normal vehicle to which armour plate has been added.

0:14:160:14:19

It's a sort of armour monocoque, if you like.

0:14:190:14:22

The Foxhound also has a V-shaped hull to deflect mine blasts,

0:14:240:14:28

and, thanks to its state-of-the-art armour, it weighs just 7.5 tonnes,

0:14:280:14:34

which makes it a featherweight around these parts.

0:14:340:14:36

To drive, it's pretty much like an off-road car.

0:14:390:14:42

It's a positive mountain goat, this thing.

0:14:450:14:49

Now, history will record

0:14:490:14:50

that Government bureaucrats dragged their heels

0:14:500:14:53

over the military vehicle crisis in Afghanistan.

0:14:530:14:56

But the boffins who developed the Foxhound certainly didn't.

0:14:560:15:00

This machine was designed, engineered, tested, proved

0:15:000:15:03

and got on the ground in large numbers

0:15:030:15:05

in just over three years.

0:15:050:15:07

Try doing that with a small hatchback or something.

0:15:080:15:11

Alongside the Foxhound...

0:15:150:15:17

..the military drew on a policy

0:15:200:15:21

called Urgent Operational Requirement, or UOR,

0:15:210:15:25

which saw them combine operational demands and

0:15:250:15:27

the best vehicle-related suggestions from soldiers on the ground.

0:15:270:15:31

Here's a very simple example of UOR. This is a Mastiff.

0:15:340:15:37

It's got cameras mounted on the sides.

0:15:390:15:42

The commander here can look at the pictures on his screen.

0:15:420:15:44

Now, on the early ones, they were rigidly mounted.

0:15:440:15:46

When you went through things like villages, they got smashed.

0:15:460:15:49

So somebody said, "Why not put them on a hinge?"

0:15:490:15:51

So they did.

0:15:510:15:53

Soldiers also needed their vehicles to be more stealthy in the dark,

0:15:570:16:01

so a night vision system was developed that would allow them

0:16:010:16:04

to switch off their headlights.

0:16:040:16:05

I'm now driving the Mastiff completely blacked-out

0:16:070:16:10

but using the night vision system suspended in front of my face,

0:16:100:16:14

and this is quite amazing. This is actually my eyes,

0:16:140:16:16

I can't see a single thing through the windscreen.

0:16:160:16:19

These lamps on the outside are infrared

0:16:220:16:25

and illuminate the surrounding area.

0:16:250:16:27

Our camera can see the light they emit,

0:16:270:16:29

but it's invisible to the naked eye.

0:16:290:16:31

We ought to point out that normally we wouldn't even have these red interior lights on,

0:16:320:16:36

those are there so that our cameras are working properly. But actually

0:16:360:16:39

-we could be completely black in here, couldn't we?

-Complete blackout, yeah.

0:16:390:16:43

Right, so I've missed those, what are those? Are they rocks?

0:16:450:16:47

Yeah, they're just mounds in front of you.

0:16:470:16:49

-Straightening up, sir.

-See that compound ahead of us?

-Yeah.

0:16:500:16:54

We want to be going round to the left of that.

0:16:540:16:57

I can see that as clear as day.

0:16:570:16:59

-It's a good piece of kit.

-It's brilliant, isn't it?

0:17:000:17:02

Now, on a machine as heavily armoured as a Mastiff,

0:17:020:17:06

the protection against roadside bombs is good.

0:17:060:17:09

But Afghanistan threw up another issue that needed sorting.

0:17:090:17:12

What if the vehicle is blown over? How do you train for that?

0:17:130:17:17

MEN: Brace! Brace! Brace!

0:17:170:17:20

Well, what you do is you build one of these.

0:17:200:17:23

It's a RODET - roll over drill egress trainer.

0:17:230:17:29

Ah!

0:17:290:17:31

I think we're upside down.

0:17:310:17:32

All these improvements have had a dramatic effect on military motoring out here.

0:17:370:17:41

Since the new generation of PMVs was introduced -

0:17:410:17:45

that's protected military vehicles,

0:17:450:17:47

the Mastiff, the Foxhound, the Husky, the Warthog,

0:17:470:17:52

all those things -

0:17:520:17:53

there have been over 1,000 survivors of IED strikes on vehicles.

0:17:530:17:59

And a senior British officer admitted to me the other day

0:17:590:18:03

that in the old days,

0:18:030:18:05

when we had the soft-skin vehicles, the Snatch Land Rover and so on,

0:18:050:18:08

that might have been more like three casualties per vehicle.

0:18:080:18:12

With our troops now coming home,

0:18:190:18:21

this stuff is too valuable to leave behind.

0:18:210:18:24

So a massive operation is under way to bring it back to Britain.

0:18:240:18:28

At forward bases like this one, all the vehicles and spares

0:18:280:18:31

are being gathered up for the drive back to Bastion.

0:18:310:18:34

Which meant that in the middle of the night, I found myself

0:18:360:18:38

in a convoy of returning vehicles in full Ross Kemp mode.

0:18:380:18:43

We're in a Mastiff, we're in a convoy of 31 vehicles.

0:18:430:18:46

These legs belong to Sue,

0:18:460:18:48

who's up the top on the gun keeping lookout.

0:18:480:18:50

-Hello.

-Morning.

-Morning, ma'am.

0:18:500:18:53

-Is there room for two of us up there?

-We can give it a go.

0:18:530:18:56

Hang on, I'll move this way a bit.

0:18:560:18:57

-Up we go.

-Ow.

-I don't think we're going to fit on.

0:18:570:19:01

I've pulled something off...

0:19:010:19:03

I'm not fat.

0:19:080:19:10

What's to stop somebody out...

0:19:130:19:14

because we can't really see very much out there,

0:19:140:19:16

what's to stop somebody out there just taking a shot at you?

0:19:160:19:20

-Absolutely nothing at the moment.

-So they're out there somewhere?

0:19:200:19:23

They are. They're not that far away.

0:19:230:19:26

When was the last time a roadside bomb went off on this bit,

0:19:260:19:29

do you know?

0:19:290:19:30

Very, very recent.

0:19:320:19:34

-Very recent.

-Very recent.

0:19:340:19:36

Daylight found us still in one piece,

0:19:420:19:44

and back within the walls of Bastion the packing-up process could begin.

0:19:440:19:48

Alongside a stripped-down service,

0:19:480:19:51

each vehicle gets a 24-hour-long jet wash,

0:19:510:19:55

a biological decontamination and, at the very end, its own passport.

0:19:570:20:02

And look at the size of it.

0:20:040:20:05

All these pages, all these signatures, everything signed off -

0:20:050:20:10

every single vehicle and piece of equipment has one of those

0:20:100:20:13

and there are over 3,500 of them.

0:20:130:20:17

So don't complain next time you have to tax and MOT your car.

0:20:170:20:20

For some poor souls, the new machinery came too late.

0:20:260:20:31

But the military has responded to the brutality of this conflict.

0:20:340:20:38

And the vehicles we're bringing home from Afghanistan

0:20:460:20:49

are much better than the ones we went out with.

0:20:490:20:52

My guest tonight is an Australian who lives in Britain,

0:21:190:21:22

but unusually, he doesn't work in a pub.

0:21:220:21:25

Instead, he works in the marketing department

0:21:260:21:29

of a large energy drinks company,

0:21:290:21:32

and he's just handed his notice in.

0:21:320:21:34

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Mark Webber!

0:21:340:21:36

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

0:21:360:21:39

Mark Webber! How are you?

0:21:410:21:43

Have a seat.

0:21:460:21:47

Have a seat.

0:21:480:21:50

One of the most popular figures, I say, in Formula 1.

0:21:520:21:56

Now, we have so much in common.

0:21:560:21:58

We have the same body fat index, I know that.

0:21:580:22:01

LAUGHTER

0:22:010:22:02

Why are you laughing? Exactly the same.

0:22:020:22:04

But the main thing we have in common,

0:22:040:22:07

apart from the same body fat index is...

0:22:070:22:10

TITTERING

0:22:100:22:12

..is cycling. I'm now a cyclist.

0:22:120:22:15

I hear. I hear, mate, it's a new passion for you.

0:22:150:22:19

And you, of course, are well known as a cyclist.

0:22:190:22:21

I've done a little bit of cycling over the years.

0:22:210:22:24

Somebody said you are the fittest of all the drivers.

0:22:240:22:26

I'm in reasonable shape. I think all the guys are fit now, but...

0:22:260:22:29

If you're the fittest Formula 1 driver,

0:22:290:22:31

-you've got to be one of the fittest athletes.

-I'd like to...

0:22:310:22:34

If we did lots of different challenges, yeah.

0:22:340:22:36

-That would be good, to get you all playing all the different sports. Do you play football?

-Yeah.

0:22:360:22:40

-Our football or your silly football?

-I don't get on the lines like the Wallabies. We'll leave that alone.

0:22:400:22:45

-A SPECTATOR CHEERS

-Somebody's here.

0:22:450:22:47

Somebody understands what you're on about.

0:22:470:22:49

-How much mileage have you done on the bike?

-On the bike?

-Yeah.

0:22:490:22:51

I do... I've done...

0:22:510:22:53

-three.

-Three miles.

0:22:530:22:54

LAUGHTER

0:22:540:22:56

One thing I will say about cycling is it is pretty dangerous,

0:22:560:23:00

because over the years you've had a number of car accidents, let's be honest.

0:23:000:23:03

If you're going to race cars, you're going to crash cars.

0:23:030:23:06

We've got a photograph here of a crash. I believe it was at Le Mans.

0:23:060:23:09

-A still. This is you in a Mercedes.

-Yeah.

0:23:090:23:12

-I say car crash. That is a plane crash going on.

-Yeah.

0:23:120:23:15

How did that happen?

0:23:150:23:16

Actually, in that era, in the late '90s, the cars were super-unsafe

0:23:160:23:20

so a lot of cars were flying. Just the regulations.

0:23:200:23:23

So you're sitting in there thinking...

0:23:230:23:26

I'm thinking, obviously, I'm now out of control.

0:23:260:23:29

Believe it or not, I'm now out of control.

0:23:290:23:31

LAUGHTER So even, as arrogant as us boys are,

0:23:310:23:35

I have now lost control of that car. That's gone. But...

0:23:350:23:38

Do you find yourself, in a situation like that, braking?

0:23:380:23:41

The brake lights will still be on, probably, yeah.

0:23:410:23:44

"Why isn't it slowing down?"

0:23:440:23:47

Now, the thing is, you walk away from those accidents

0:23:470:23:50

which of course is remarkable,

0:23:500:23:51

and yet you go cycling in when was it, 2008?

0:23:510:23:53

-Yep.

-Bump into a Nissan Terrano, I believe was the vehicle.

0:23:530:23:57

-It won, mate, it won.

-It won. And you broke your leg.

-Yeah, shoulder...

0:23:570:24:04

Because this is one I think we need to impress upon children watching,

0:24:040:24:07

is that, don't get a bicycle, because they're dangerous.

0:24:070:24:11

LAUGHTER

0:24:110:24:13

Now, obviously, you've, just as we said in the introduction,

0:24:130:24:17

-handed your notice in.

-Mmm.

0:24:170:24:19

Why? Where are you going? What are you going to do?

0:24:190:24:22

Timing's right for me, mate. Bit of a break

0:24:220:24:24

from what I've been doing for the last 14 years,

0:24:240:24:28

so I'm going to race with Porsche, actually.

0:24:280:24:30

I know you love Porsches, don't you, mate?

0:24:300:24:32

Oh, the 911 is such an interesting car.

0:24:320:24:35

LAUGHTER

0:24:350:24:37

Do you think you're getting out at the right time, Formula 1?

0:24:370:24:41

Now that we've got the tyres going off like they do, is that just getting a bit wearisome?

0:24:410:24:45

You're in the car, the car's going well, you know the track,

0:24:450:24:48

you're in the groove, and you know that if you push hard,

0:24:480:24:51

your tyres will simply wear out and you can't win.

0:24:510:24:54

It is very different, mate, from how it used to be.

0:24:540:24:56

But that's the way it is, we've got to learn and get on with it.

0:24:560:24:59

We're supposed to be at the top of our game,

0:24:590:25:01

but you've got to be able to push. In Formula 1 it's about us boys

0:25:010:25:04

-absolutely on the limits all the time.

-It should be, yeah.

0:25:040:25:07

It should be. There's a big regulation change next year.

0:25:070:25:10

We're going to have to save fuel.

0:25:100:25:11

-1.6-litre engines.

-Yeah. So...

0:25:110:25:15

My Ford Cortina had a 1.6-litre engine.

0:25:150:25:18

So are you going to miss your team-mate?

0:25:180:25:20

Um... LAUGHTER

0:25:200:25:24

Am I going to miss Seb?

0:25:280:25:30

Uh...probably not a huge amount. No.

0:25:300:25:35

I think in a competitive environment

0:25:350:25:37

there's always going to be a bit of needle.

0:25:370:25:39

There's a lot of history between us, obviously, that's gone before.

0:25:390:25:42

-Mmm.

-And...

0:25:420:25:44

Did it start in Malaysia when he suddenly lost the ability to hear?

0:25:440:25:48

Yeah.

0:25:480:25:50

It was basically, "Don't overtake Mark,"

0:25:500:25:52

and then he heard...

0:25:520:25:54

-Well, he heard everything apart from the "don't".

-Mmm.

0:25:540:25:57

I mean, you're an Aussie. Have you never felt tempted to...

0:25:570:26:00

-VOICES:

-Yeah!

-This is for Gallipoli. Blam.

0:26:000:26:03

A lot of people are saying yes. I'm really concerned.

0:26:030:26:06

I think, my dad always says, "You shouldn't hit boys, mate."

0:26:060:26:10

Good one.

0:26:140:26:16

-Now, you're here for the second time, in fact.

-Different studio.

0:26:170:26:20

Everything's a bit different. I was a bit nervous today.

0:26:200:26:23

-Were you in the old studio?

-Yeah, mate.

0:26:230:26:25

You actually looked half-decent back then.

0:26:250:26:27

I've gone. I've absolutely gone.

0:26:310:26:34

I've gone grey too, mate, you've gone grey.

0:26:340:26:37

-Richard Hammond hasn't gone grey. It's really weird.

-That's incredible.

0:26:370:26:40

-I don't know how he's keeping it at bay.

-It's perfect.

0:26:400:26:43

Anyway, let's find out how you got on on your laps.

0:26:430:26:46

You came here once before, and let's be honest...

0:26:460:26:49

-It was chucking it down, and I was nowhere.

-You were 1.47

0:26:500:26:53

but it was the wettest day in human history. Well, today was...

0:26:530:26:57

-Very good. Very good conditions, I would say.

-Good conditions.

0:26:570:27:00

The right temperature for a Suzuki Liana.

0:27:000:27:03

Who'd like to have a look at this lap?

0:27:030:27:05

-AUDIENCE:

-Yeah!

0:27:050:27:07

-Come on, Mark, let's have a look at the lap.

-Right-o.

0:27:070:27:10

TYRES SCREECH

0:27:100:27:12

Right-o, here we go.

0:27:120:27:13

Coming to get you.

0:27:150:27:17

Lewis and Sebastian.

0:27:170:27:19

Right, those are the two targets,

0:27:190:27:21

and the first corner, nice and wide on the way in.

0:27:210:27:24

It is interesting how you lot all do that.

0:27:240:27:26

Look at the Liana. What a machine. You all drive that.

0:27:280:27:31

What is it about Formula 1 drivers?

0:27:350:27:37

Kimi was looking at the helicopters and the planes,

0:27:370:27:39

and now you're adjusting your clothing. Where are you going?

0:27:390:27:43

-Pay attention.

-Steering's very responsive.

0:27:440:27:47

That'll help with your time. Right, Hammerhead. Keep it tight.

0:27:470:27:52

-It's horrible, Hammerhead!

-What's that?

0:27:520:27:55

You pick the grip up. There's new asphalt there.

0:27:550:27:57

It's good grip on that. Really good grip.

0:27:570:28:00

Don't scrub any speed through these fast ones.

0:28:030:28:06

Turning lightly, here we go.

0:28:070:28:09

Here we are. Ooh... That's cutting it nicely.

0:28:140:28:18

How much speed have you got going into that? That's impressive.

0:28:200:28:24

Well, you're bound to be, really.

0:28:240:28:26

And here... Oooh, no, I wouldn't have changed down there.

0:28:260:28:29

But there we are, across the line.

0:28:290:28:31

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

0:28:310:28:33

I just said I wouldn't have changed down there to you!

0:28:330:28:36

-That second gear last corner?

-Yeah.

-Second?

-Yeah.

0:28:380:28:43

-I use third in Gambon.

-Do you?

0:28:430:28:45

On the basis that it's the end, so it doesn't really matter

0:28:450:28:48

-if you roll it or...

-There's no weight transfer in third.

0:28:480:28:51

I want to get the weight on the front tyre.

0:28:510:28:54

You want to get the weight on the front? I trail brake.

0:28:540:28:56

-Trail brake into it?

-A little bit.

-There's still not enough inertia.

0:28:560:28:59

Well, it gets the weight of the nose...

0:28:590:29:01

-I'll give you some lessons after.

-LAUGHTER

0:29:010:29:04

Least I can do.

0:29:040:29:06

Anyway, where do you think...

0:29:060:29:08

Obviously you said you were going for Sebastian and Lewis

0:29:080:29:10

who are at the top.

0:29:100:29:12

-That was the goal.

-That was the goal.

0:29:120:29:14

Well, I've got the time here, I shall have a look. Hang on a minute.

0:29:140:29:18

I love the way that Formula 1 drivers actually...

0:29:180:29:21

It's like you really care about this.

0:29:210:29:24

Because it is quite funny, I mean, Rubens was dead chuffed -

0:29:240:29:28

when he was fastest, he was absolutely...

0:29:280:29:30

He was running around, handing out

0:29:300:29:31

-"I Beat The Stig" T-shirts.

-He was, he gave me one.

0:29:310:29:34

Anyway, Mark Webber...

0:29:340:29:36

..you did it... Well, I'm going to start with the bad news.

0:29:380:29:43

-Really?

-Yeah. You're not the fastest.

0:29:430:29:46

Ah! AUDIENCE: Aw!

0:29:460:29:48

So, once we've got that one out of the way, the big question is...

0:29:480:29:53

ze German.

0:29:530:29:54

Did you beat ze German, who did a 1.44 dead?

0:29:590:30:04

-It's quite tight between those three.

-It is very tight.

0:30:040:30:06

In the 1.44s, it's all very tight. So, Mark Webber, you did a 1...

0:30:060:30:11

-..40...

-The next number's important.

0:30:130:30:16

-..3...

-Oh!.

-Point one.

-CHEERING

0:30:210:30:23

You beat Seb.

0:30:230:30:25

Only 0.2 off Lewis.

0:30:280:30:30

Mate...

0:30:300:30:32

That...

0:30:370:30:38

I reckon that did it.

0:30:400:30:41

I reckon if you'd just taken my advice about

0:30:440:30:46

-third at the final corner.

-Yeah.

0:30:460:30:48

The thing is, you're not faster than Lewis,

0:30:480:30:50

-but you don't have an earring.

-OK.

0:30:500:30:52

That's worth three-tenths, isn't it?

0:30:520:30:54

It's got to be three-tenths, with his earring...

0:30:540:30:56

But you have beaten Sebastian Vettel in the same car.

0:30:560:31:01

Ladies and gentlemen, Mark Webber.

0:31:010:31:04

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

0:31:040:31:07

Now...now, if you want a car that's fast, you're spoilt for choice.

0:31:120:31:18

Same story if you want a car that's economical

0:31:180:31:21

or cheap or has a big boot.

0:31:210:31:23

But what if you're a massive show-off, and your main requirement

0:31:230:31:26

is for a car that makes you stand out in your home town?

0:31:260:31:30

Well, that can be a lot trickier,

0:31:300:31:32

depending upon the town where you live, as I shall now demonstrate.

0:31:320:31:36

Welcome to the United Arab Emirates, where, as you can see,

0:31:470:31:51

it takes quite a lot to stand out on the car front.

0:31:510:31:55

Out here, your common or garden Ferrari or Lamborghini

0:31:580:32:02

can no longer cut the mustard.

0:32:020:32:05

So what do you do if you want to turn heads?

0:32:050:32:08

Well, I think I may have the answer.

0:32:080:32:12

ENGINE ROARS

0:32:120:32:14

You see, everyone thinks about blinging their wheels.

0:32:160:32:20

But nobody ever thinks of adding MORE wheels.

0:32:200:32:22

This is the new six-wheeled version of Mercedes's iconic G Wagon.

0:32:280:32:34

And beside the extra wheels, it also ticks the rarity box,

0:32:340:32:39

because it's one of only two in existence.

0:32:390:32:43

More will be built, though I suspect not many

0:32:430:32:46

when you consider the price, which is a trouser-troubling £370,000.

0:32:460:32:53

The six-wheeled G Class was originally built

0:32:570:32:59

for the Australian Army,

0:32:590:33:01

who demanded standard equipment like seats and doors.

0:33:010:33:06

In this civilian version, however, you get heated and ventilated

0:33:060:33:10

electric leather chairs,

0:33:100:33:13

a leather-trimmed dashboard,

0:33:130:33:15

and a bamboo-lined cargo bay.

0:33:150:33:18

You really do get a lot of car for your money, as in a lot of car.

0:33:180:33:23

I mean, look at it.

0:33:230:33:25

It's nearly a metre longer than a Range Rover,

0:33:250:33:27

and it's got 37-inch wheels.

0:33:270:33:29

I reckon I could get my head in the gap between the wheel

0:33:290:33:32

and the wheel arch.

0:33:320:33:34

Yeah, I can. Try doing that in a Range Rover.

0:33:350:33:39

The 6x6 also weighs 3.75 tonnes,

0:33:460:33:51

or the same as three VW Golfs.

0:33:510:33:54

So, engine-wise, it can't afford to mess about.

0:33:540:33:59

It's actually got a 5.5-litre, 536 horsepower, twin turbo V8,

0:33:590:34:05

from Mercedes' in-house nutterists, AMG.

0:34:050:34:08

Oh, we're getting a move on!

0:34:110:34:12

560 pounds-feet of torque.

0:34:140:34:17

0-60 in under six seconds.

0:34:180:34:21

That's sports car stuff, in something the size of a shopping centre.

0:34:240:34:28

Fuel economy?

0:34:300:34:31

Well, I doubt this will be the official transport

0:34:310:34:33

at the next Greenpeace annual conference...

0:34:330:34:35

All I'll say is, they thought it best to fit two fuel tanks.

0:34:370:34:40

You change over using this switch, up here.

0:34:400:34:44

And everybody loves an overhead switch.

0:34:440:34:47

If I drove this down Ross-on-Wye high street,

0:34:470:34:49

I would be lord of all I survey.

0:34:490:34:51

The undisputed king of Herefordshire.

0:34:530:34:55

Never mind Herefordshire, this thing attracts attention even round here.

0:34:550:35:01

SIREN WAILS

0:35:010:35:03

Seriously?

0:35:030:35:05

Really?

0:35:060:35:08

Yeah, he's serious.

0:35:080:35:10

As it turned out,

0:35:100:35:11

the policeman had never seen such an unusual car before.

0:35:110:35:14

There's six wheels. And guess what, it's the same on the other side.

0:35:140:35:20

And was on his way again after he'd had a look.

0:35:200:35:23

Bye!

0:35:230:35:25

Lamborghini Aventador police car.

0:35:250:35:27

They don't have those in Ross-on-Wye.

0:35:270:35:29

Or these.

0:35:300:35:33

Ferrari FF.

0:35:330:35:34

SLS AMG.

0:35:360:35:38

What a funny day.

0:35:390:35:40

Now, although the 6x6 is seriously quick on tarmac,

0:35:440:35:47

and turns policemen's heads,

0:35:470:35:50

where it's really built to shine is as an off-roader.

0:35:500:35:54

Let me give you an example.

0:35:550:35:57

A Land Rover Defender can wade through half a metre of water,

0:35:570:36:01

and that's very good. This can wade through twice that.

0:36:010:36:06

However, this being the desert, water is quite hard to find.

0:36:070:36:12

So if you want to test it, you do have to improvise.

0:36:120:36:16

Morning, sorry.

0:36:300:36:31

Sorry.

0:36:330:36:35

This is, unless I'm very much mistaken, a metre of water...

0:36:350:36:38

..and the 6x6 is wading through it.

0:36:400:36:43

Even dealing with the rubber rings.

0:36:450:36:47

Yeah, not having any difficulty with this at all.

0:36:480:36:51

But how does it cope with sand?

0:36:510:36:54

Well, the good news is, sand is one thing we're really not short of.

0:36:540:36:59

Welcome to the Empty Quarter.

0:37:020:37:05

The largest sand desert in the world.

0:37:070:37:11

Covering some 250,000 square miles.

0:37:110:37:14

Out here, temperatures hit 50 degrees centigrade.

0:37:160:37:19

And there are dunes more than 800 feet high.

0:37:190:37:24

OK. We have six-wheel drive

0:37:340:37:37

with the power split 30-40-30 across the axles. Check.

0:37:370:37:41

Stronger front springs from the armoured version of the G Class.

0:37:410:37:44

Check.

0:37:440:37:45

Locking diffs. Oh, we've got those.

0:37:450:37:48

The most you'd expect normally would be three. On here, five.

0:37:480:37:51

And you lock them using these buttons in different ways.

0:37:510:37:55

Right, let's go.

0:37:550:37:58

These are big, big dunes,

0:38:040:38:06

this is more of a sand mountain I'm on right now.

0:38:060:38:09

Oh! 3.75 tonnes of Mercedes

0:38:150:38:19

is doing this.

0:38:190:38:21

It just doesn't feel right.

0:38:210:38:23

This extra axle, these two extra wheels,

0:38:330:38:36

it changes the way the 6x6 travels over the ground.

0:38:360:38:40

It undulates, it feels supple.

0:38:400:38:42

It's like blasting through the desert dunes...

0:38:440:38:47

..riding a sinew.

0:38:480:38:50

Come on!

0:38:530:38:54

Oh...!

0:38:540:38:57

BLEEP

0:39:000:39:02

I got some air. Sorry, everybody.

0:39:030:39:05

Intoxicated by what the Merc could do,

0:39:090:39:12

I drove deeper and deeper into the Empty Quarter.

0:39:120:39:16

Right, where does it go now?

0:39:160:39:17

Oh, my God! Oh!

0:39:190:39:22

Oh, for crying out loud!

0:39:300:39:33

I wouldn't SKI down that!

0:39:350:39:36

OK.

0:39:400:39:41

Oh! Ah! Ah!

0:39:440:39:47

Over the top. Oh!

0:39:470:39:50

All very unpleasant. Not nice.

0:39:500:39:53

HE LAUGHS

0:39:530:39:55

It's vertical.

0:39:550:39:57

I'm in a car, I'm having a plane crash.

0:39:590:40:01

I'm still going down!

0:40:030:40:05

Oh, what a stupid place, I hate it.

0:40:100:40:13

Ahead, I saw a nice, flat desert floor

0:40:150:40:18

and decided that was a much safer place to be.

0:40:180:40:22

Ha-ha-ha! It's drifting.

0:40:260:40:29

Now it's a rally car. A gigantic rally car.

0:40:290:40:33

And let's not forget, I'm not having to shout over this,

0:40:380:40:42

it's not "rarrrhh!" in here. I'm still cocooned in luxury.

0:40:420:40:46

It's an amazing device.

0:40:470:40:49

Now, when you take an off-roader across sand,

0:40:540:40:58

the standard practice, as I've done,

0:40:580:41:00

is to let some air out of the tyres to give them a bigger footprint.

0:41:000:41:05

Now I'm going back on tarmac, so I need to reinflate them.

0:41:050:41:09

All I've got to do is operate these overhead switches.

0:41:090:41:13

I feel like a jet pilot.

0:41:130:41:14

Compressor on.

0:41:140:41:16

Going up.

0:41:160:41:18

They can reinflate all of these tyres in under a minute.

0:41:190:41:24

Oh, I love this.

0:41:240:41:27

If I did this in Ledbury I'd be mobbed by now.

0:41:270:41:29

Leaving the Empty Quarter behind,

0:41:320:41:34

I headed back towards civilisation.

0:41:340:41:37

I'm not going to pretend this is anything less than

0:41:410:41:44

a preposterous machine.

0:41:440:41:46

It's a six-metre, 3.75 tonne, £370,000 six-wheeled dinosaur.

0:41:460:41:54

But as dinosaurs go, it is a magnificent one.

0:41:540:41:57

Magnificent to behold, magnificently made.

0:41:570:42:01

It's one of the car world's mad moments.

0:42:010:42:04

A day off from Priuses and Leafs.

0:42:040:42:07

Even in a country as chock-full of showy-offy cars as this one,

0:42:090:42:14

it's still really rather special.

0:42:140:42:16

You can forget your chrome wraps and whatever -

0:42:180:42:21

I don't think you can beat

0:42:210:42:23

just having more wheels than anything else.

0:42:230:42:25

And I can say with absolute confidence that I have more wheels

0:42:250:42:29

than any other... Oh.

0:42:290:42:31

No matter.

0:42:380:42:39

One thing I can say for sure is that this is

0:42:390:42:42

the most extreme Mercedes out here.

0:42:420:42:45

I doubt there's anything with a Mercedes badge in these parts

0:42:450:42:48

that can draw as much attention...

0:42:480:42:50

as that.

0:42:500:42:52

All right, so I don't have the most wheels,

0:42:580:43:01

it's not the most extreme Mercedes out here

0:43:010:43:04

but the 6x6 does have size on its side.

0:43:040:43:07

Bigger than any Range Rover, bigger than any Land Cruiser,

0:43:070:43:11

bigger than that old Jeep up there.

0:43:110:43:13

And that's the thing -

0:43:130:43:15

a car can be beautiful, but when it's big, it's got presence,

0:43:150:43:18

and they don't come much bigger than...

0:43:180:43:20

Oh, my...

0:43:220:43:25

God!

0:43:250:43:26

I want this one.

0:43:460:43:48

Now...

0:43:570:43:59

this is the brand-new £866,000 McLaren P1,

0:43:590:44:06

probably the most advanced and jaw-dropping car

0:44:060:44:10

the world has ever seen.

0:44:100:44:12

Mmm. The attention to detail in this thing boggles the mind,

0:44:120:44:16

it is... It's almost science fiction.

0:44:160:44:18

And so there was only one place on Earth

0:44:180:44:22

where I could test it properly.

0:44:220:44:24

Belgium.

0:44:240:44:26

LAUGHTER

0:44:260:44:27

This is Bruges.

0:44:400:44:41

It's a quiet, friendly, cobbled sort of place.

0:44:450:44:50

And it's just a stone's throw from Brussels,

0:44:500:44:52

home to all the environmental EU law-makers.

0:44:520:44:56

All of which makes it an ideal starting point

0:44:560:45:00

for my test of the new McLaren.

0:45:000:45:02

Because behind the front seats there are 324 laptop-style batteries,

0:45:060:45:12

which power a silent, polar-bear-friendly electric motor.

0:45:120:45:18

This means that even the most frizzy-haired sandal enthusiast

0:45:190:45:24

would welcome this car into their city centre.

0:45:240:45:27

It's like that other two-seater electric car, the G-Wiz.

0:45:270:45:31

It's Al Gore with a windscreen wiper.

0:45:310:45:34

Do not think, however, that it has the get-up-and-go of Jabba the Hutt.

0:45:370:45:41

Because the electric motor in this

0:45:430:45:45

produces a whopping 176 horsepower.

0:45:450:45:50

And that's about what you get from a Volkswagen GTI.

0:45:510:45:54

So it's pretty nippy.

0:45:540:45:56

The only problem is that after just six miles,

0:46:010:46:05

the batteries will be flat.

0:46:050:46:07

So you'll need to plug your car into the mains

0:46:070:46:10

and sit about eating a chocolate shoe for two hours

0:46:100:46:13

until they're charged up again.

0:46:130:46:16

Or, if this doesn't appeal,

0:46:190:46:22

there is an alternative.

0:46:220:46:24

Because, you see, the P1 is fitted as standard

0:46:250:46:29

with an onboard petrol-powered generator.

0:46:290:46:33

And it is quite a big one.

0:46:330:46:35

In fact, it's a 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged

0:46:350:46:39

722 horsepower V8.

0:46:390:46:43

If we push this button...

0:46:430:46:46

There it is, firing up.

0:46:460:46:48

And the great thing is,

0:46:480:46:50

it's not just charging the batteries.

0:46:500:46:52

It's also working alongside the electric motor

0:46:520:46:56

to power the wheels.

0:46:560:46:58

So the P1, then, is not like a G-Wiz at all, in any way.

0:47:000:47:06

Thanks to that generator,

0:47:060:47:08

you can take this out of the city centre

0:47:080:47:10

and onto the open road.

0:47:100:47:13

And that's another reason I've come to Belgium.

0:47:220:47:26

Because there are so many roads to choose from.

0:47:270:47:29

Belgium has three times as many roads

0:47:310:47:34

and 50% more cars per square mile

0:47:340:47:37

than we do in Britain.

0:47:370:47:39

And the stats from this remarkable country

0:47:390:47:43

just keep on coming.

0:47:430:47:46

There are so many miles of street-lit motorway here

0:47:460:47:48

that Belgium is officially the brightest country on Earth.

0:47:480:47:53

It's a little-known fact that Buzz Aldrin's first words

0:47:540:47:57

when he set foot on the moon were,

0:47:570:48:00

"Good God! You can see Belgium from up here!"

0:48:000:48:02

I made that up.

0:48:040:48:05

On the road I chose, there was rain.

0:48:120:48:16

There was sunshine.

0:48:170:48:19

There were clear stretches.

0:48:210:48:23

And there were traffic jams.

0:48:230:48:25

And the McLaren was quiet and comfortable through it all.

0:48:270:48:31

But it was not what you'd call luxurious.

0:48:330:48:37

It is, frankly, as well equipped as a pair of monk's underpants.

0:48:380:48:42

And that's because this car was designed to be as fat as Iggy Pop.

0:48:490:48:55

Inside, there's no glove box, and no carpets.

0:48:560:48:59

The glass is just 3.5mm thick,

0:49:010:49:04

1.5mm thinner than the glass in normal cars,

0:49:040:49:08

except in the back windows...

0:49:080:49:09

where there's no glass at all.

0:49:090:49:12

No lacquer is added to the carbon fibre trim

0:49:120:49:16

to save 1.5kg.

0:49:160:49:18

The whole chassis weighs less than James May.

0:49:180:49:22

The trimmings are titanium,

0:49:240:49:25

and the body is made from just five panels,

0:49:250:49:29

which means less glue and fewer bolts are needed

0:49:290:49:32

to hold it all together.

0:49:320:49:34

All of this means that, despite the bank of batteries

0:49:350:49:39

and the fact it has two engines,

0:49:390:49:41

this car weighs less than a Vauxhall Astra.

0:49:410:49:45

That, of course, makes it economical.

0:49:470:49:49

And fast.

0:49:490:49:51

Really fast.

0:49:510:49:53

Mind-blowingly fast.

0:49:540:49:56

Oh, my God!

0:50:110:50:13

Ohhh!

0:50:150:50:17

HE CHUCKLES

0:50:170:50:19

The speed, in fact, is the main reason

0:50:210:50:24

I've brought this car to Belgium.

0:50:240:50:26

Because Belgium is home to this place.

0:50:260:50:30

Spa - the longest, wildest racetrack on the F1 calendar.

0:50:330:50:39

How do they make something go this fast?!

0:50:430:50:45

OK. OK, let me just slow it down while I explain

0:50:490:50:53

what's going on here.

0:50:530:50:54

The electric motor and the big V8 generator

0:50:540:50:57

are working together

0:50:570:50:59

so that I have at my disposal

0:50:590:51:03

903 brake horsepower.

0:51:030:51:06

Ohh!

0:51:090:51:11

Obviously I've driven a Bugatti Veyron

0:51:130:51:16

that has more than that,

0:51:160:51:18

but a Bugatti Veyron...

0:51:180:51:20

Oh!

0:51:220:51:24

..it has four-wheel drive

0:51:240:51:26

and it weighs more than most mountains.

0:51:260:51:29

This is rear-wheel drive,

0:51:290:51:32

and the only significant weight comes from the air

0:51:320:51:35

passing over the body.

0:51:350:51:37

Right, Eau Rouge.

0:51:380:51:40

Flat in a Formula 1 car.

0:51:410:51:43

Not flat in this.

0:51:430:51:44

Oh, they should have called this the widow-maker!

0:51:460:51:50

The throttle is a hyperspace button.

0:51:530:51:56

Step on it...

0:51:560:51:58

and you're gone.

0:51:580:51:59

And yet, somehow, even in this appalling weather,

0:52:020:52:06

it got round all of the corners

0:52:060:52:08

without crashing once.

0:52:080:52:10

So, how?

0:52:110:52:13

Well, that's partly because it's made of stuff from the future.

0:52:170:52:22

And partly because it's clever.

0:52:260:52:29

It adapts. It moves around to suit its environment.

0:52:300:52:35

As the speed climbs, the rear wing rises

0:52:370:52:40

to generate more downforce,

0:52:400:52:42

but as you go past 156mph

0:52:420:52:45

it starts to go back down a little bit,

0:52:450:52:48

otherwise the weight of the air passing over it

0:52:480:52:51

would be so enormous it would break the suspension.

0:52:510:52:55

Then you have the exhaust, which works with the rear diffuser

0:52:550:52:59

to generate an area of low pressure

0:52:590:53:01

into which the back of the car is sucked.

0:53:010:53:05

The wheels are made from military-grade aluminium,

0:53:050:53:09

the brake discs from a material that's only ever been used

0:53:090:53:12

in the Ariane space programme.

0:53:120:53:14

And they're coated with something called silicon carbide.

0:53:140:53:18

Apparently it's the hardest substance known to man.

0:53:180:53:21

Apart from dried Weetabix, obviously.

0:53:210:53:24

And then, the whole thing sits

0:53:240:53:26

on four tyres that were designed and made by Pirelli.

0:53:260:53:31

All of this means you really have the confidence to open it up.

0:53:320:53:37

This thing goes from 0 to 160mph

0:53:440:53:48

faster than a Golf goes from 0 to 60.

0:53:480:53:52

130, 140, 150,

0:53:530:53:55

160, 170, 180, 190...

0:53:550:53:59

Bloody hellfire!

0:53:590:54:01

And, as you hurtle round in a puddle of your own faeces,

0:54:030:54:08

gurning like an infant,

0:54:080:54:10

the car is working on ways of going even faster.

0:54:100:54:14

Let me give you an example.

0:54:190:54:21

The electric motor is used

0:54:230:54:26

to fill in the little gaps when the petrol engine

0:54:260:54:29

isn't working at its best - like, for example,

0:54:290:54:32

during gear changes or

0:54:320:54:35

while the massive turbos are spooling up.

0:54:350:54:38

And what I find hysterical about that is that

0:54:400:54:42

McLaren has taken this hybrid technology,

0:54:420:54:46

which is designed to reduce the impact

0:54:460:54:49

of the internal combustion engine,

0:54:490:54:52

and is using it to INCREASE the impact.

0:54:520:54:55

That's like weaponising a wind farm.

0:54:550:54:59

Or buying the Rainbow Warrior and turning it into an oil tanker.

0:54:590:55:03

For years, cars have all been basically the same

0:55:100:55:14

but this really isn't.

0:55:140:55:16

It's a game-changer. A genuinely new chapter

0:55:160:55:20

in the history of motoring.

0:55:200:55:23

In a town, it's as eco-friendly as a health food shop.

0:55:240:55:28

On a motorway, it's comfortable and produces no more carbon dioxide

0:55:280:55:31

than a family saloon.

0:55:310:55:33

And on a track, it can rip a hole through time.

0:55:330:55:37

And it's all been achieved using something that's been around

0:55:380:55:41

for centuries - brilliant British engineering.

0:55:410:55:45

You could argue that it doesn't have

0:55:470:55:49

the passion or the flair of a Ferrari,

0:55:490:55:52

and I'd probably agree with you.

0:55:520:55:54

But look at it this way.

0:55:550:55:57

It was passion and flair that built the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

0:55:570:56:01

And it was British engineering that built

0:56:020:56:05

the plumb-dead-straight Westminster Abbey.

0:56:050:56:09

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

0:56:340:56:36

Hair on end.

0:56:430:56:46

But weren't we supposed to test that against the hybrids

0:56:460:56:48

-that Porsche and Ferrari are developing?

-The Ferrari isn't ready.

0:56:480:56:51

-The Porsche is.

-But it wasn't when I filmed that.

-But it is now,

0:56:510:56:54

-and I shall be driving it on the show in a few weeks' time.

-Yes,

0:56:540:56:57

and after you've done that, we're going to put The Stig

0:56:570:57:00

in both of them, and do some timed laps around our track.

0:57:000:57:04

Now, that should be quite something, I think.

0:57:040:57:07

-I don't think it will be.

-Eh?

-Why not?

0:57:070:57:10

-Well, because... Were you not listening to the film?

-Yeah.

0:57:100:57:13

The speed of this is beyond anything I've ever experienced.

0:57:130:57:15

It's animal savagery. It's beyond belief.

0:57:150:57:19

-Yes, yes, yes, but the Porsche might be faster.

-It won't be.

0:57:190:57:22

-Yeah, but it might be.

-No, but it won't be.

0:57:220:57:25

But...it might be.

0:57:250:57:27

-I guarantee it won't be.

-But it might be.

0:57:270:57:29

Hammond, I'll do you a deal.

0:57:290:57:32

If the Porsche is faster round our track than this,

0:57:320:57:36

I will change my name, by deed poll,

0:57:360:57:40

to Jennifer.

0:57:400:57:41

LAUGHTER

0:57:410:57:43

-Really?

-Yes.

-Promise?

-Yes.

0:57:430:57:45

And on that potential bombshell, it is time to end.

0:57:450:57:49

Thank you so much for watching. Good night!

0:57:490:57:52

Download Subtitles

SRT

ASS