0:00:12 > 0:00:16Tonight, I wear a hat...
0:00:16 > 0:00:18James wears a hat...
0:00:18 > 0:00:21and Richard is behind a low wall.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23APPLAUSE
0:00:26 > 0:00:32Thank you. Hello and thank you so much, everybody. Thank you.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34Thank you and welcome.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38Now, last week you may remember we asked James May to test
0:00:38 > 0:00:39an exciting, fast Vauxhall
0:00:39 > 0:00:43and he ended up reviewing a slow, small Fiat.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46Well, this week, we asked him to go to Florida
0:00:46 > 0:00:48and try out a new type of electric car.
0:00:48 > 0:00:53We said to him, "James, this time, can you try to stay on topic?"
0:01:03 > 0:01:06Here it is - it's called the Fisker Karma,
0:01:06 > 0:01:10and let's not be having any debate - it looks fantastic.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18But maybe that's not surprising, because the company that makes it
0:01:18 > 0:01:23was set up not by an engineer, as usual, but by a designer.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27He was responsible for the Aston Martin V8 Vantage
0:01:27 > 0:01:32and the BMW Z8 roadster, so obviously he knows his way around a pencil.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34'But it's not the looks we're interested in -
0:01:34 > 0:01:38'it's what goes on underneath that bodywork.'
0:01:43 > 0:01:45As with most electric cars,
0:01:45 > 0:01:49underneath here is a great big slab of batteries, and you can plug those
0:01:49 > 0:01:52into a socket at your house or your office and recharge them and then
0:01:52 > 0:01:57you have a range of 50 miles - which doesn't sound very good, does it?
0:01:57 > 0:02:00But then, if I just touch this lever here,
0:02:00 > 0:02:03I engage a two-litre petrol engine, which is under the bonnet.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06'But unlike, say, a Toyota Prius,
0:02:06 > 0:02:09'the engine isn't connected to the wheels.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12'Instead, it drives an electricity generator.'
0:02:12 > 0:02:15At this point, the display is telling me I only have nine miles
0:02:15 > 0:02:20of range left, and normally I'd be going, "Oh, God, will I make it?"
0:02:20 > 0:02:23But no, because I know with a touch of that paddle, or even leaving it
0:02:23 > 0:02:27to its own devices, the petrol engine will make more electric.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31'So, it's driven by electric motors,
0:02:31 > 0:02:35'but it has its own on-board power station.'
0:02:35 > 0:02:40You might be thinking you've sort of heard something like that before.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42Well, you have.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47'Yes, I'm talking about the Hammerhead Eagle i-Thrust,
0:02:47 > 0:02:50'which, I might point out, was also fitted with its own
0:02:50 > 0:02:54'electricity generator - and that was two years ago.'
0:02:56 > 0:03:02There is no polite way of putting this. Fisker have, very blatantly,
0:03:02 > 0:03:07brazenly, I'd say - copied my idea for a long-range electric car.
0:03:07 > 0:03:12Except they didn't have theirs styled by Jeremy, but the technology is exactly the same.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15As my lawyers will be making very clear quite soon.
0:03:15 > 0:03:20'Admittedly, the Fisker is much better built than the Eagle i-Thrust
0:03:20 > 0:03:25'and it's probably the most politically correct car on earth.'
0:03:25 > 0:03:28It has solar panels on the roof, because in the car,
0:03:28 > 0:03:31all this stuff here runs off electricity
0:03:31 > 0:03:36and that would drain the battery, but that can produce a sort of low-voltage circuit, if you like,
0:03:36 > 0:03:38that can drive the radio and the sat-nav,
0:03:38 > 0:03:44interior lights and your iPod, and even the little system
0:03:44 > 0:03:48that recognises this key - that's being powered by the sun.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51'And that is just the start of it.'
0:03:52 > 0:03:56This version I have here is called the EcoChic -
0:03:56 > 0:03:58they have actually called it that,
0:03:58 > 0:04:02because it embraces a lot of very right-on and ethically-sound materials.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05For example, the glitter in the metallic paint is made
0:04:05 > 0:04:09with ground-up minute particles of recycled glass
0:04:09 > 0:04:15and on the inside, we find a piece of wood trim that is only taken from
0:04:15 > 0:04:18trees that have been burnt down in forest fires or felled by storms
0:04:18 > 0:04:22and it's not varnished, because there is no varnish in nature.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26These glass inserts have in them a fossilised leaf -
0:04:26 > 0:04:29a leaf that has fallen of its own accord, not plucked.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32And all of the interior fabrics are very, very funky
0:04:32 > 0:04:37and most importantly, there are no animal products in there at all.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39The only animal product in this car is me,
0:04:39 > 0:04:44all of which ought to keep this chap here very happy indeed,
0:04:44 > 0:04:47and yet I'm told if I go any closer than this,
0:04:47 > 0:04:49he'll still probably have my leg off...
0:04:49 > 0:04:53which just goes to prove that animals are ungrateful.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58'Basically, if the Fisker was any more green,
0:04:58 > 0:05:02'it would be chaining itself to a Japanese whaling ship.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04'But I like being in it.'
0:05:04 > 0:05:07It's just a very nice place to be, the Fisker -
0:05:07 > 0:05:11it makes you realise that just putting leather on everything
0:05:11 > 0:05:16is a terrible old cliche - it's what the Romans would have done.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18'And on top of that, I like driving it.'
0:05:18 > 0:05:21It's a nice-handling car, this.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24It's not a Lotus, it's not a Ferrari 458, it's a GT car.
0:05:24 > 0:05:29It's a GT car for long journeys, but that's nice to drive.
0:05:29 > 0:05:35'And even though its arsenal of batteries mean it weighs 2.5 tonnes, it does shift along.'
0:05:37 > 0:05:42The car will do 0-60 in just a tad over six seconds.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46It doesn't have a very high top speed - only 125mph -
0:05:46 > 0:05:50but the point is, electric motors produce excellent torque -
0:05:50 > 0:05:541,000-pound-feet, in fact, which is more than a Veyron.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56I love electric-powered cars,
0:05:56 > 0:06:00just the sort of slight whining, spaceship noise.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06'Now, the price.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08'All electric cars are expensive,
0:06:08 > 0:06:12'and the Fisker - at £86,000 - is no exception.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15'This means it'll appeal only to the well-heeled petrolhead,
0:06:15 > 0:06:19'so since I was in Florida, I went to see one.'
0:06:19 > 0:06:23Hello there, James, me bonny lad. What brings you to this neck of the woods?
0:06:23 > 0:06:27'Yes, it's AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson.'
0:06:27 > 0:06:29It's the first car I think I've ever seen that actually
0:06:29 > 0:06:32looks like the drawings that you see before they come.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34Yeah, it's good-looking, isn't it?
0:06:34 > 0:06:38It really is a cracking-looking jam-jar, look at the state of that!
0:06:38 > 0:06:41- Do want to try it?- Absolutely! Do you want to try mine?- Yeah!
0:06:41 > 0:06:44All right, then. Well... Mine's different.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47HE LAUGHS
0:06:50 > 0:06:52This is fantastic!
0:06:53 > 0:06:59This is a 1928 Le Mans-bodied 4.5-litre Bentley.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01Brian really does use this every day -
0:07:01 > 0:07:05he uses it to go down the shops, like, for a pint of milk.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12HE GRINDS GEARS NOISILY
0:07:14 > 0:07:17Go on, me son! Born to do it!
0:07:17 > 0:07:19'Despite the mangled gear changes,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22'I was very much enjoying living in the past.'
0:07:22 > 0:07:25I can feel a moustache growing!
0:07:27 > 0:07:29God, the smell is tremendous.
0:07:29 > 0:07:30Hot castor oil.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32Well-known laxative,
0:07:32 > 0:07:34I'll have diarrhoea by the time we get there.
0:07:34 > 0:07:39'Brian, however, wasn't coping so well with living in the future.'
0:07:41 > 0:07:42Oh, Christ, now what happens?
0:07:42 > 0:07:45I'm getting near the bottom of me battery level, oh, my word.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48Right, now... And...
0:07:48 > 0:07:53That means I have to do something, and I'm...
0:07:53 > 0:07:55Bugger.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59Wh...? What the heck is that?
0:07:59 > 0:08:01I'm trying to follow James's instructions,
0:08:01 > 0:08:03which were as clear as mud.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05There he goes, flying by with his thumb up!
0:08:05 > 0:08:09He's having a whale of a time and I'm trying to figure out this computer thing.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14'Soon, the famous Geordie hat model wanted his Bentley back,
0:08:14 > 0:08:20'but before we parted, I offered to show him what AC and DC can really do.'
0:08:25 > 0:08:28I've put it in sport mode - that means as I pull away,
0:08:28 > 0:08:31every bit of electricity available to this car
0:08:31 > 0:08:35goes to maximum acceleration - 1,000-pound-feet of torque in the back wheels.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44Yellow, yellow, yellow...green!
0:08:46 > 0:08:49Johnson makes a good start, the Fisker takes it!
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Come on, you little bugger!
0:08:56 > 0:08:59I'm afraid Thunder Guts is a bit of a dwindling speck,
0:08:59 > 0:09:01ladies and gentlemen.
0:09:11 > 0:09:12Did you enjoy that, me son?
0:09:12 > 0:09:16I did, although to be honest, I felt a bit cowardly.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19Not as much as I enjoyed myself in this, I'll bet you.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23Tell you what, your car looks heroic in my rear-view mirror.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26- But also, I'm afraid, quite small.- Yes!
0:09:27 > 0:09:31- But it's starting to rain.- It is, isn't it?- And I don't have a hood.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34Well, I do, but it takes 45 minutes to erect.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38- See you back down the other end. - See you back down the other end. Thanks guys, for that.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41Got to start the BLEEP now.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44APPLAUSE
0:09:44 > 0:09:49- May!- What?- What's wrong with you?
0:09:49 > 0:09:51You've done it again!
0:09:51 > 0:09:54You're supposed to be driving a Fisker,
0:09:54 > 0:09:57then you're in a Bentley with a rock star!
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Next week, James is reviewing a Saab, OK, and halfway through,
0:10:00 > 0:10:04he'll break off for a spot of scuba diving with Fergal Sharkey.
0:10:04 > 0:10:09- Can I just... The Fister, right. - It's Fisker - it's a K. It's a K.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11LAUGHTER
0:10:11 > 0:10:13I THOUGHT that was a stupid name!
0:10:13 > 0:10:17- Let's just move on!- Fisker. Can I just clear it up?
0:10:17 > 0:10:19You have the traditional all-electric car,
0:10:19 > 0:10:22like a Nissan Leaf and a G-Wiz, now that's just batteries
0:10:22 > 0:10:25- and you have to charge them up at night, yeah?- Yes.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28Then you have stupid hybrids, like the Toyota Prius,
0:10:28 > 0:10:33- which are normal cars that have electric motors for a bit of extra power, yeah?- Yes.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35So the Fisker is...what?
0:10:35 > 0:10:38It's actually a petrol-engine car,
0:10:38 > 0:10:41but in a normal car, you get the power from the engine to the back wheels
0:10:41 > 0:10:43through a gearbox and shafts and so on.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47- On this one, you use the generator and the electric motors.- I'm lost.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51It's a more efficient way of tapping the energy in the fuel.
0:10:51 > 0:10:56That's why it accelerates like a 400 horsepower GT car, but it only uses as much fuel as...
0:10:56 > 0:10:58I just don't understand how it works.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02I can't dumb it down to your level, cos I'm scared of heights. That's the problem.
0:11:02 > 0:11:03No, listen...
0:11:03 > 0:11:07The energy, you use it to drive the wheels, you get more of it by using that system.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11People get confused - they talk about electric energy...
0:11:11 > 0:11:15Just tell him it's magic electric. It's magic electric pixies.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19- There are fairies in the car. - That's all you needed to say.
0:11:19 > 0:11:24- That's not actually how it works. - I'm not bothered, actually. I'm not interested. Let's do the news.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27Now, there are proposals this week in the corridors of power
0:11:27 > 0:11:30that anyone who passes their driving test
0:11:30 > 0:11:33must be accompanied for the first few years on the road
0:11:33 > 0:11:37by an experienced sober person who's over 25.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41You can kind of see why they think that's a good idea, can't you?
0:11:41 > 0:11:44That's the stupidest idea I've ever heard of. THE stupidest.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48I have spent 17 years ferrying my daughter about.
0:11:48 > 0:11:53Last month, she passed her driving test, which means it's now her turn to ferry me about,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56- specifically to and from the pub. - LAUGHTER
0:11:56 > 0:11:58OK, now, what's the point if she gets to the pub
0:11:58 > 0:12:01and she can't run me home if I've had a drink?
0:12:01 > 0:12:03It doesn't work.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07It's more complicated than that because she couldn't get to the pub to pick you up,
0:12:07 > 0:12:09she couldn't drive there on her own anyway.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12So she'd have to get an older boyfriend.
0:12:12 > 0:12:17- Yeah.- It'd be, "hello, Dad, have you met Keith? He's 53."
0:12:17 > 0:12:19Why are YOU looking so excited?!
0:12:21 > 0:12:25He's brought his teenager with him!
0:12:25 > 0:12:29Are you just her experienced driver? Cos this is properly embarrassing for you.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33Think of me as a kindly experienced driver, my dear. It works!
0:12:33 > 0:12:35Seriously, though. The Government ought to recognise
0:12:35 > 0:12:38that without the sort of young people who tear around in cars,
0:12:38 > 0:12:42we wouldn't have won the Battle of Britain, that is a fact.
0:12:42 > 0:12:43It is a fact, actually.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47Teenagers, they sleep and they tear about, it's what they do.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49Yeah, and they have more sex than us
0:12:49 > 0:12:52and they don't get fat and they don't get hangovers.
0:12:52 > 0:12:57Basically, everyone else, the rest of us are just old and bitter.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00- Yes.- Young is better. - Young is better,
0:13:00 > 0:13:03and the Government should, instead of saying that children have to
0:13:03 > 0:13:07have old people with them when driving around, should just say to my daughter,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10"go to the pub and pick your dad up".
0:13:10 > 0:13:13I've got some news. Cadillac has made a concept car and here it is.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16- It's called the CL.- ALL: Ah! Ooh!
0:13:16 > 0:13:17It looks astonishing.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21It's got a twin turbo, a V6 in it. They say it's going back to their roots.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25What, so it'll rock for five hours after you get out of it?!
0:13:25 > 0:13:28- No...- Does it have a 400-year-old woman from Florida in it?
0:13:28 > 0:13:31No, no - it's about the sort of grandeur and splendour and scale.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34It's 19 feet long, so it's enormous,
0:13:34 > 0:13:37but it's only 50 inches high, so it's long and low and mean.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39So they've built a plinth.
0:13:39 > 0:13:40LAUGHTER
0:13:40 > 0:13:41- Essentially.- Yes.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45- But it comes with a cigar humidor in it.- What, in America?
0:13:45 > 0:13:48That's like saying, this new car for Saudi Arabia, with a mini-bar!
0:13:48 > 0:13:50You couldn't use it, could you? No.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54This new car for Israel - the bonnet's made of...bacon.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58Yeah, don't smoke cigars in America, but a magnificent-looking thing.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01That is the end of the news.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05So, moving on, normally, when a new Ferrari is launched, we test it
0:14:05 > 0:14:07on our track, but with this,
0:14:07 > 0:14:11the new FF, we decided to push the boat out.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13So we decided to take it to the largest,
0:14:13 > 0:14:17most advanced automotive test facility in the world...
0:14:17 > 0:14:19Arjeplog.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28Arjeplog used to be a small Swedish mining town,
0:14:28 > 0:14:32slap-bang in the middle of Europe's last great wilderness.
0:14:32 > 0:14:37But since the 1980s, it's become the winter home of Mercedes, Volkswagen,
0:14:37 > 0:14:42Toyota, General Motors, Ford and Fiat and Peugeot and Renault.
0:14:42 > 0:14:48Whatever you drive, chances are, it was developed here.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Ordinarily, the population of this little town is 3,000,
0:14:51 > 0:14:57but every year, as the snows begin to fall, 9,000 car engineers descend on the place
0:14:57 > 0:15:01to make sure that next year's models start, stop, steer
0:15:01 > 0:15:08and continue to work even when the temperature falls down to minus 30 degrees.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14'So why have we brought this fragile thoroughbred here?
0:15:14 > 0:15:15'Well, that's simple -
0:15:15 > 0:15:20'because it's the first Ferrari ever to have four-wheel-drive.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23'This means you can take it onto the test track,
0:15:23 > 0:15:26'which is on an enormous frozen lake.'
0:15:27 > 0:15:30Ooh, scary.
0:15:30 > 0:15:35'And when you're there, you can do THIS.'
0:15:35 > 0:15:37ENGINE ROARS
0:15:41 > 0:15:43HE LAUGHS
0:15:44 > 0:15:48I'm pulling shapes, I'm pulling shapes now.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54Now, I have had more fun than this in my life, I know I have,
0:15:54 > 0:15:58I just can't remember the moment when that was.
0:15:58 > 0:15:59Whoo-hoo-hoo!
0:16:02 > 0:16:05Normally, you wouldn't dream of driving
0:16:05 > 0:16:11a 6.3-litre 650 horsepower V12 Ferrari, even in a light shower -
0:16:11 > 0:16:16they're for cruising around Juan Les Pins
0:16:16 > 0:16:18in your carefully designed topless swimsuit.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22But this?! You can take this to San Moritz!
0:16:22 > 0:16:26Drink Napoleon brandy without getting your lips wet. I'm on ice!
0:16:26 > 0:16:30I've got the traction control off and I'm doing 100 miles an hour.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33Yeah, that's what I'm doing.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38And thanks to the four-wheel-drive system, I'm fine.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46Although actually, I'm only sort of fine, because, if I'm honest,
0:16:46 > 0:16:50this thing does have some slightly odd characteristics.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53It's so...darting and... Aargh!
0:16:53 > 0:16:55God.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57This is very twitchy.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59It's a dead straight line,
0:16:59 > 0:17:03but look how much steering I'm having to do in this thing.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07I'm endlessly adjusting the throttle, endlessly sawing away
0:17:07 > 0:17:11at the wheel just to try and keep pointing in the right direction.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16'The reason it feels odd is because Ferrari's four-wheel-drive system
0:17:16 > 0:17:20'is unlike anything we've ever seen before.'
0:17:20 > 0:17:24I'm going to sound like James May now, but bear with me.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27In a normal four-wheel-drive car, the engine sends its power
0:17:27 > 0:17:31through the gearbox to a transfer box, mounted somewhere here.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33That splits the power.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36Some of it goes down the shaft to the back wheels,
0:17:36 > 0:17:39some of it down the shaft to those at the front.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42Obviously, the shaft going to the front has to go underneath
0:17:42 > 0:17:45the engine, which means the engine has to be raised.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48Ferrari say that if you raise the engine,
0:17:48 > 0:17:51that's bad for fuel economy, bad for styling,
0:17:51 > 0:17:56bad for handling, bad for everything which they say matters.
0:17:58 > 0:18:03'So in the FF, the power going to the back wheels comes out of the back of the engine
0:18:03 > 0:18:08'and the power going to the front comes out of the front.'
0:18:10 > 0:18:14This means it has to have two gearboxes.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17Because the one at the front is only very little,
0:18:17 > 0:18:20it can only ever handle 20% of the engine's power
0:18:20 > 0:18:23and if you go into fifth, it shuts down completely.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28'What it all means though, is that for the first time ever,
0:18:28 > 0:18:32'you can do THIS with a Ferrari.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42'But is Ferrari's very complicated solution really worth it?
0:18:45 > 0:18:48'Bentley would argue that it isn't.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54'This is the new Continental GT.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57'It's a lighter, nimbler,
0:18:57 > 0:19:01'sportier version of the car Wayne Rooney drives.'
0:19:04 > 0:19:06Instead of the massive, thirsty,
0:19:06 > 0:19:12heavy six-litre twin turbo W12 engine in his car,
0:19:12 > 0:19:18this has a positively microscopic twin turbo four-litre V8.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21'It also has a conventional four-wheel-drive system,
0:19:21 > 0:19:25'so does that mean the engine's in the sky
0:19:25 > 0:19:30'and the car wallows about like an elephant perched on a beach ball?'
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Tell you what - let's find out.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Right now, it's very hard to see why Ferrari has gone to all
0:19:45 > 0:19:49the trouble of reinventing the wheel, because...if I'm honest,
0:19:49 > 0:19:53this does not handle like the Natural History Museum.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58For a big, old bruiser like this, it's bloody good.
0:20:01 > 0:20:07I've never been a fan of the Continental, but I'm loving this.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11Makes a good noise as well - a dirty, dirty noise. That is a rude sound.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19So what we have here are two cars that appear to be very similar.
0:20:23 > 0:20:24They're both red,
0:20:24 > 0:20:26they both have two doors,
0:20:26 > 0:20:29four seats and four-wheel-drive -
0:20:29 > 0:20:31but there are some differences.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33One sings baritone,
0:20:33 > 0:20:36one sings tenor.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40The interior of the Bentley is simple, classical, elegant.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45The interior of the Ferrari is a mess - all the knobs
0:20:45 > 0:20:48are on the steering wheel, there's a rev-counter
0:20:48 > 0:20:52in front of the passenger and most of the dials make no sense at all.
0:20:53 > 0:20:58Weirdly though, the Ferrari is the most practical.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00It's got a bigger boot than a Renault Scenic
0:21:00 > 0:21:02and if you fold the back seats down,
0:21:02 > 0:21:06it's long enough to accommodate what pass these days for skis.
0:21:06 > 0:21:12However, the Ferrari is £227,000 -
0:21:12 > 0:21:16that's £100,000 more than the Bentley.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21'So, what about speed?
0:21:21 > 0:21:24'Well, the next day, we carved a quarter-mile drag strip
0:21:24 > 0:21:27'into the lake to find out.'
0:21:29 > 0:21:32If this were a dry piece of Tarmac, the Ferrari would monster it.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34REVS THE ENGINE
0:21:34 > 0:21:37650 horsepower, this has 500.
0:21:37 > 0:21:42Ferrari has more torque and it's lighter. Much, much lighter.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44REVS THE ENGINE
0:21:44 > 0:21:47Three, two, one - go!
0:22:00 > 0:22:03Yes, traction control working well
0:22:03 > 0:22:06for a blinding start for the Bentley.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10Oh, my word, it's in the lead!
0:22:13 > 0:22:16Come on, Bentley, come on!
0:22:16 > 0:22:17Ooh...
0:22:17 > 0:22:21Getting a bit wobbly now, and the Ferrari's coming!
0:22:23 > 0:22:26Oh, no, I can't deal with that power.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29Oh, he's got ten-slapper on!
0:22:29 > 0:22:31He is wobbly.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34But it's closer than I thought!
0:22:36 > 0:22:40'In a straight line, then, the Ferrari is the quickest,
0:22:40 > 0:22:43'but how would they compare on a circuit?
0:22:43 > 0:22:46'Well, to find out, we need a track,
0:22:46 > 0:22:49'and luckily, we have one - because what you see here,
0:22:49 > 0:22:55'bulldozed from the snow, is an inch-perfect replica of Silverstone.'
0:23:07 > 0:23:09Copse, flat-out in a Formula 1 car,
0:23:09 > 0:23:11I'm doing 47...
0:23:11 > 0:23:13and I've got a big slide on.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15Whoo-hoo!
0:23:15 > 0:23:17Come on!
0:23:17 > 0:23:19Right, Chapel.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21Chapel's a long right,
0:23:21 > 0:23:27followed by a gentle left onto the Hangar Straight - this is uncanny.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33Why don't they have Formula 1 races here?
0:23:33 > 0:23:35That would be proper comedy!
0:23:37 > 0:23:38Silverstone on ice.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Breaking point's a lot earlier here....
0:23:44 > 0:23:47Argh, surely not!
0:23:47 > 0:23:52Don't get stuck... Oh, you stupid, STUPID thing! Man.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56'Having established that our ice version of Silverstone was all in order,
0:23:56 > 0:24:00'we could now see which car could get round the fastest.'
0:24:00 > 0:24:07To find out, we need a man skilled in the potent cocktail of big horsepower and little grip.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11And luckily, just such a man is arriving now.
0:24:11 > 0:24:16He's not the Stig's Alpine cousin, he's just the Stig.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19MUSIC: "Super Trouper" by Abba
0:24:23 > 0:24:26Apparently he's come all the way across the North Sea in that.
0:24:26 > 0:24:31'Soon, we had him out of the hovercraft and into the Ferrari.'
0:24:33 > 0:24:345,
0:24:34 > 0:24:364.7,
0:24:36 > 0:24:382.3,
0:24:38 > 0:24:40one, go!
0:24:40 > 0:24:42'So, here we go.
0:24:43 > 0:24:48'A genuine 208mph racehorse
0:24:48 > 0:24:51'on one do-or-die lap.'
0:24:54 > 0:24:57CAR STALLS
0:25:07 > 0:25:10Did you go into fifth gear?
0:25:11 > 0:25:14You went into fifth, didn't you?
0:25:14 > 0:25:18I said, "don't go into fifth, it'll just become rear-wheel drive",
0:25:18 > 0:25:20and then this'll happen.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27'Eventually, we had him back on track and look how hard he's having to work.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32'The Ferrari has incredibly complex electronics
0:25:32 > 0:25:36'and that weird four-wheel-drive system, but this is not a car
0:25:36 > 0:25:41'in which you can relax - you have to drive it, you have to work.'
0:25:45 > 0:25:48So, four minutes and four seconds.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51'Then, it was the turn of the Bentley.'
0:25:51 > 0:25:535,
0:25:53 > 0:25:544.8,
0:25:54 > 0:25:552.7,
0:25:55 > 0:25:57one - go!
0:26:02 > 0:26:06'The Continental is so much easier to drive,
0:26:06 > 0:26:10'partly that's because it had better studded tyres than the Ferrari,
0:26:10 > 0:26:11'but mostly cos it's simpler.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14'It has that conventional four-wheel-drive system
0:26:14 > 0:26:19'and a normal automatic gearbox, rather than a flappy paddle manual.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21'This is a car in which you can sit back
0:26:21 > 0:26:23'and let the machine do the work.
0:26:23 > 0:26:28'It's V8 will even run on just four cylinders to save fuel,
0:26:28 > 0:26:30'but not here - not with Stig at the wheel.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32'Look at him! Not doing anything.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36'But will it be faster? Can it be faster?
0:26:36 > 0:26:39'Coming round Club now, so we'll know soon enough.'
0:26:44 > 0:26:46You hateful imbecile!
0:26:46 > 0:26:47Wow!
0:26:49 > 0:26:53Now that is actually a surprise - the Bentley did it in 3.51,
0:26:53 > 0:26:57so that's 9...13 seconds quicker.
0:27:02 > 0:27:08When you are dancing on ice in Lapland, the Bentley is the fastest.
0:27:08 > 0:27:13And I am glad about that because, of the two, this is my favourite.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15I like it a lot.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19However, if I was going on a skiing holiday,
0:27:19 > 0:27:23I would not use either of these.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29Because, if I wanted a car that would get me to St Moritz,
0:27:29 > 0:27:32and then keep on working when I got there,
0:27:32 > 0:27:35I would use what the crew has been using to film me here.
0:27:37 > 0:27:38A Range Rover.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49CHEERING
0:27:49 > 0:27:52That was about as much fun as you can have.
0:27:55 > 0:27:5813 hours to get there but, God, it was fun.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00Interesting conclusion, though.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03I have actually driven the Ferrari on a dry track,
0:28:03 > 0:28:06and to be honest, it is not really a driver's car.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08Neither is the Bentley,
0:28:08 > 0:28:10and this is why I arrived at that conclusion.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13If you don't want the last word in handling precision -
0:28:13 > 0:28:16you just want four seats and something that works on snow -
0:28:16 > 0:28:18you might as well have the Range Rover.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21Fair enough. Can I get back to the Ferrari?
0:28:21 > 0:28:26They have given it that wantonly complicated four-wheel-drive system,
0:28:26 > 0:28:28just to lower the engine a bit?
0:28:28 > 0:28:32I will not dumb it down any more for you, but that is the essence of it.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34- It does seem a bit mad.- It is.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37I think this is too complicated for its own good.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41Too big and expensive. It will depreciate like a chest of drawers falling off a cliff.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43From some angles, it looks like an accident
0:28:43 > 0:28:45in a Russian tractor factory.
0:28:45 > 0:28:46It is not their finest hour.
0:28:46 > 0:28:51They should have called it the Ferrari India Special. Erm...
0:28:51 > 0:28:55Anyway, it is now time to put a star in our reasonably-priced car.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58My guest tonight has appeared in Inglourious Basterds, Shame,
0:28:58 > 0:29:00X-Men, Haywire, in fact,
0:29:00 > 0:29:04pretty well every film that has come out in the last six months.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07He is half-German and half-Irish, so, ladies and gentlemen,
0:29:07 > 0:29:12please say, "top of the morgen", to Michael Fassbender.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14CHEERING
0:29:16 > 0:29:20How are you? Have a seat.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22Have a seat.
0:29:26 > 0:29:30Now, in the olden days, and I know children watching will not
0:29:30 > 0:29:33believe this, it was possible to go to the cinema
0:29:33 > 0:29:38and see a film that did not have Michael Fassbender in it.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41You first came to my attention, at least,
0:29:41 > 0:29:44in Inglourious Basterds, with your...
0:29:45 > 0:29:47Does everyone do that to you in the street?
0:29:47 > 0:29:50Yes, exactly, and I still think, "What is he doing?"
0:29:50 > 0:29:52"I have done 18 films since then!"
0:29:52 > 0:29:54But Shame is the one people are talking about.
0:29:54 > 0:29:59You had to do, honestly, a full frontal nude scene. Was it hard?
0:29:59 > 0:30:02No. LAUGHTER
0:30:04 > 0:30:07I mean, this is an impressive sausage.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13I don't know what to say to that! Yes!
0:30:13 > 0:30:16- So, can you say to your mum, "Would you like to see my new movie?"- Yes.
0:30:16 > 0:30:20Exactly, she was actually going to come and see it in Venice
0:30:20 > 0:30:23and I said to my mum, "Sure, come and we will watch it together."
0:30:23 > 0:30:27Enough months had passed for me to think it wouldn't be that bad.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31Luckily, her back was playing up, she has a bad lower back,
0:30:31 > 0:30:34and whether that was psychosomatic or not, I do not know.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37But, thankfully, she didn't make it,
0:30:37 > 0:30:40because the first thing my dad said, because he was behind me,
0:30:40 > 0:30:44he leaned over and said, "Thank God your mother isn't here."
0:30:44 > 0:30:46LAUGHTER
0:30:46 > 0:30:49I have been doing this show for ten years,
0:30:49 > 0:30:52and I think in all of that time, only three or four
0:30:52 > 0:30:54of my friends have ever asked for tickets for the show.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58This week, when people discovered you were coming on,
0:30:58 > 0:31:00I had to get a minibus, and they're all girls.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02"Can we come and look at his...?"
0:31:02 > 0:31:04Lap time.
0:31:04 > 0:31:05LAUGHTER
0:31:05 > 0:31:07Yes, exactly.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10Anyway, you have just done Shame,
0:31:10 > 0:31:13where you spend the entire time naked.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16Now you are in a film where you get to spank Keira Knightley.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18Yes.
0:31:18 > 0:31:22- That is called Dangerous Method? - Dangerous Method.- What is that about?
0:31:22 > 0:31:28It is sort of focusing around Freud and Jung,
0:31:28 > 0:31:33and one of their mutual patients, Sabina Spielrein, played by Keira,
0:31:33 > 0:31:35and basically, that sort of relationship,
0:31:35 > 0:31:41the meetings of minds between Freud and Jung, and then the fracturing
0:31:41 > 0:31:45of that relationship, and she is kind of in the centre of it all.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48I think we have a clip of the trailer, let us have a look.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52- Sex?- Male. - Family?- Child.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54- Divorce?- No.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57Why should we put so much effort
0:31:57 > 0:32:01into suppressing our most basic natural instincts?
0:32:01 > 0:32:04There is a rumour you've taken one of your patients as a mistress.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11- Don't you think we should stop? - Do you want to stop?
0:32:12 > 0:32:15Sometimes you have to do something unforgivable
0:32:15 > 0:32:17just to be able to go on living.
0:32:17 > 0:32:18CHEERING
0:32:18 > 0:32:21I'll have some of that. I like a bit of psychoanalysis.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27When you were reading the script for that and you got to the bit
0:32:27 > 0:32:31where you spank Keira Knightley, how much more did you read
0:32:31 > 0:32:33before you rang your agent to say you'd do it?
0:32:33 > 0:32:34LAUGHTER
0:32:34 > 0:32:38It wasn't in the script. I sort of insisted. "Then I'll do it!"
0:32:38 > 0:32:42But you began, I think I am right in saying, on Holby City.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44- And then you were in a Guinness advert.- Yes.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48Which must have been, well, perfect for you.
0:32:48 > 0:32:49Yeah, I mean, I said to them,
0:32:49 > 0:32:52"Is there anyway you could give me a Guinness credit card,
0:32:52 > 0:32:54"with a white line along the top,
0:32:54 > 0:32:58"which means I can have free Guinness for the rest of my life?"
0:32:58 > 0:33:01- And did you get it?- Negative.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03- That is annoying.- Yes, it was.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06- Because you are not wholly Irish. - I am half-German.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09Half-German, half-Irish. That is quite an odd combination.
0:33:09 > 0:33:13Like, "This must be done absolutely perfectly...tomorrow."
0:33:13 > 0:33:16LAUGHTER
0:33:16 > 0:33:19It is that slightly different...
0:33:19 > 0:33:22One part of me wants to, you know, be very efficient
0:33:22 > 0:33:25and the other side is a little bit reckless.
0:33:25 > 0:33:29- And you're a Formula 1 fan?- Yes. - So, is it Irvine or Schumacher?
0:33:29 > 0:33:34- Schumacher.- Schumacher?- Yes.- So the German side comes out?- Yes, exactly.
0:33:34 > 0:33:36Still Schumacher, or have you no switched?
0:33:36 > 0:33:40You know, I am still, I have to say, a Schumacher man.
0:33:40 > 0:33:42I mean, I would still like to see him
0:33:42 > 0:33:48get the car that he wants underneath him and really... I don't know
0:33:48 > 0:33:53if it would be possible for him to get up to Vettel's level.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56He has got it in him. He is seven time world champion. I am with you.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59I think he is brilliant. Have you met him?
0:33:59 > 0:34:04I was lucky to get invited to Silverstone last year
0:34:04 > 0:34:08and he did come out of the Mercedes garage and I was running behind him, like a stalker.
0:34:08 > 0:34:12And I was like, "Schumacher, Schumacher?" And he kept walking.
0:34:12 > 0:34:16I was like, "Michael!" He turned. "I still think you're the best."
0:34:16 > 0:34:21And he was kind of looking at me with a bit of a smile and there was a lot of fear in his eyes.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23So, I did get the chance.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26- He didn't do that?- No, he didn't know who the hell I was.
0:34:26 > 0:34:27LAUGHTER
0:34:27 > 0:34:30Obviously, you are a big Formula 1 fan.
0:34:30 > 0:34:34- As far as I can work out, you have only ever had one car?- Yes.
0:34:34 > 0:34:39It was a Peugeot 306 turbo diesel Spinnaker special edition.
0:34:39 > 0:34:40LAUGHTER
0:34:40 > 0:34:43What is that? Was that just a local dealer
0:34:43 > 0:34:46putting "Spinnaker" on it and charging an extra £500?
0:34:46 > 0:34:49Pretty much. I think it had different coloured seats.
0:34:49 > 0:34:51Wow! Has it gone now?
0:34:51 > 0:34:54- I crashed it. I did it in. - And that's that?- Yes.
0:34:54 > 0:34:59And I said to the guy when I brought the car up, "These damn Peugeots".
0:34:59 > 0:35:04He was like, "Well, the fellow at the Peugeot said they're not designed to go over the kerb at 50mph."
0:35:04 > 0:35:06LAUGHTER
0:35:06 > 0:35:09What do you get around on then if your car has been crashed?
0:35:09 > 0:35:10I use the motorcycle.
0:35:10 > 0:35:14I knew you would be happy about this(!)
0:35:14 > 0:35:17I started with a Speed Triple,
0:35:17 > 0:35:20and then I got the GS 1200 BMW Adventure.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24- May's got one of those.- Yes. It's an amazing piece of equipment.
0:35:24 > 0:35:28For the weight of it, when it is moving, it is so well-balanced.
0:35:28 > 0:35:32Are you allowed to ride bikes if you are involved in films all the time?
0:35:32 > 0:35:34Cos I would say, "No. They're too dangerous."
0:35:34 > 0:35:39Sometimes. I drove the Speed Triple to Berlin for Inglourious Basterds.
0:35:39 > 0:35:41They were like, "We have the ticket..."
0:35:41 > 0:35:44And it was, "No, he will make his own way there."
0:35:44 > 0:35:45They were like, "OK."
0:35:45 > 0:35:49And I turned up on the bike, and they went, "What the (BLEEP)!"
0:35:49 > 0:35:53So, I couldn't ride when I was filming that.
0:35:53 > 0:35:57No, I just wouldn't allow anybody I knew and liked to ride a motorcycle.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01That is why I encourage May and Hammond to ride theirs as much as possible.
0:36:01 > 0:36:02LAUGHTER
0:36:02 > 0:36:06Obviously you came here to do your lap. How was the Stig out there?
0:36:06 > 0:36:07He is amazing.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10I think he was probably getting a bit fed up of me
0:36:10 > 0:36:13because he's giving me the information
0:36:13 > 0:36:15and I'm not putting it to use.
0:36:15 > 0:36:19He's jealous, because your helmet is now more famous than his.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21LAUGHTER
0:36:23 > 0:36:28- I am talking about the one he wears in X-Men, the Magneto helmet.- Yes.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31Before you arrived, we had a bit of a problem.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33We have some footage of the preparation
0:36:33 > 0:36:35which we have never had to do before.
0:36:35 > 0:36:40This is the second to last corner and it was just sheet ice.
0:36:40 > 0:36:45We sent our boys out there to try to get rid of most of it
0:36:45 > 0:36:46and it didn't help.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49Well, I mean, I can't blame the ice, to be honest.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51Who would like to see the lap?
0:36:51 > 0:36:52ALL: Yes.
0:36:52 > 0:36:53Let's have a look.
0:36:56 > 0:36:58It looks dry. Was it slippery?
0:36:58 > 0:37:00Sweating!
0:37:00 > 0:37:02'It was only really the second-to-last corner
0:37:02 > 0:37:05'where the ice was really playing.
0:37:05 > 0:37:10'A few times, there was a bit too much squealing, it was like a pig.'
0:37:10 > 0:37:14That's good. Keeping that tidy, very tidy, actually.
0:37:14 > 0:37:16This is always a tricky one.
0:37:18 > 0:37:22- A little bit wide.- Yeah, way wide on that.- A little bit. Not too bad.
0:37:22 > 0:37:24HE SINGS
0:37:24 > 0:37:26LAUGHTER
0:37:26 > 0:37:29And Hammerhead. How are we going to cope there?
0:37:29 > 0:37:32'I cut that a bit by the looks of it. A bit wide again.'
0:37:32 > 0:37:34I would say that was all right.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38I reckon. Yes, all looking smooth as hell.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41Sweating like a cornered nun. LAUGHTER
0:37:41 > 0:37:44Sweating like a cornered nun?! Where did you get that from.
0:37:49 > 0:37:53Yep, two wheels off. Ooh, you can't cut that corner, can you?
0:37:53 > 0:37:57- No, that's tricky.- 'I kept cutting that. That was a problem.'
0:37:57 > 0:38:00That was all right through Gambon. And across the line!
0:38:00 > 0:38:03APPLAUSE AND CHEERING
0:38:09 > 0:38:16- Where do you reckon?- I said I would be happy at about 1:45.
0:38:16 > 0:38:20- OK, 1:45.- Somewhere around there. I don't think it will happen now.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23Well, it was... That ice on the second to last corner...
0:38:23 > 0:38:26Letting me down gently, I like it.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30Michael Fassbender, you did it in 1...
0:38:30 > 0:38:3240...
0:38:33 > 0:38:352...
0:38:35 > 0:38:36AUDIENCE: Woo!
0:38:36 > 0:38:39..point 8.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:38:42 > 0:38:44That is...
0:38:44 > 0:38:49the third fastest time we ever had!
0:38:49 > 0:38:50That's all right!
0:38:51 > 0:38:55With ice on the second-to-last corner!
0:38:55 > 0:39:00- Wow! I was not expecting that at all.- That is a fantastic time.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03- I am happy with that. - I am thrilled you could come.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06Ladies and gentlemen, Michael Fassbender.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:39:08 > 0:39:11Thank you. Thank you.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15Excellent.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19Now, in this country we like to do everything
0:39:19 > 0:39:22we possibly can to make life more pleasant for disabled people.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25We have pelican crossings that beep,
0:39:25 > 0:39:29ramps in front of public buildings, and buses that kneel down.
0:39:29 > 0:39:33Yes, and there is even a range of off-road mobility scooters
0:39:33 > 0:39:37so people with disabilities can get into the countryside and do rambling.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40The problem is they don't look very off-roady to us.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43This is hardly a Toyota Land Cruiser, is it?
0:39:43 > 0:39:48- And they are fantastically expensive.- This one is £6,500.- Yes.
0:39:48 > 0:39:49And that gave us an idea.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53Could we do something genuinely worthwhile for once?
0:39:53 > 0:39:58Could we build an off-road mobility scooter that doesn't cost a fortune?
0:39:58 > 0:40:03Well, the producers told us we should go and do exactly that
0:40:03 > 0:40:07and then meet up in Wales for a series of tests.
0:40:07 > 0:40:09This is exactly the sort of damp,
0:40:09 > 0:40:13muddy countryside that ramblists love.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16Ideal conditions to test our machines.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21This is what I have created. I built this from two scooters,
0:40:21 > 0:40:24so I have ended up with two engines, four-wheel-drive -
0:40:24 > 0:40:27the four at the back - and four-wheel steering -
0:40:27 > 0:40:29the four at the front.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32It's got chunky off-road lawnmower tyres, a sound system,
0:40:32 > 0:40:38and binoculars for birdwatching. With that in mind, check this out.
0:40:38 > 0:40:42This is a hide that fits over the top of the scooter,
0:40:42 > 0:40:46so I can sneak up silently without frightening even
0:40:46 > 0:40:50the most timid birds, a bird such as the pied wagtail, and the...
0:40:51 > 0:40:54..the coot. Crikey!
0:40:55 > 0:40:57'Stephen Hawking has arrived.'
0:40:59 > 0:41:02- Were you not listening to the challenge?- Yes.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04It said, "mobility scooters, off-road."
0:41:04 > 0:41:07Well, forgive me for taking it maybe a bit too seriously,
0:41:07 > 0:41:09but as far as I can make out,
0:41:09 > 0:41:13mobility scooters are for people who have difficulty walking.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16I am concerned with people who have no choice but to be in this,
0:41:16 > 0:41:18which is a wheelchair.
0:41:18 > 0:41:22Why shouldn't people in wheelchairs be able to go rambling?
0:41:22 > 0:41:25Right. I was with some disabled children the other day
0:41:25 > 0:41:28and they are all confined to wheelchairs, all electric.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31And they all say they wished they were a bit more "spunky",
0:41:31 > 0:41:34was the word they used. "Fast" was actually the word they used.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37This isn't fast. But it is versatile. That is the idea.
0:41:37 > 0:41:41It can go anywhere. Once you get into the countryside...
0:41:41 > 0:41:43- Don't do that. - You have a coffee machine!
0:41:43 > 0:41:49Yes, I've got everything. I've got drinks, satnav and comms, an electronic tablet.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51- You mean an iPad?- Exactly.
0:41:52 > 0:41:53What's on the back?
0:41:53 > 0:41:58A gravel dispenser that puts gravel under the wheels. I got the idea from railways.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01- If you're a bit stuck... - What is this handle for?
0:42:01 > 0:42:04That is very clever, you see. When you are going up a steep part,
0:42:04 > 0:42:08but want to remain level, that changes the angle of seat.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10Then the peace of the morning was shattered
0:42:10 > 0:42:13by the arrival of the local boy.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15ENGINE RUMBLES
0:42:15 > 0:42:19- That is him making that noise, isn't it?- He looks like an idiot.
0:42:19 > 0:42:23He is an idiot. He has built a half-track.
0:42:23 > 0:42:24Hello!
0:42:26 > 0:42:27I know.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30Surely it is supposed to be A - electric,
0:42:30 > 0:42:31and B - not for invading France?
0:42:31 > 0:42:34Where did it say that it is supposed to be electric?
0:42:34 > 0:42:36Isn't it in the regulations?
0:42:36 > 0:42:38No, it isn't. Let me talk you through this.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41The chassis is composed of two different vehicles.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44A mobility trike here at the front end.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47Then it is mated to one of those powered wheelbarrows builders use
0:42:47 > 0:42:50for carting huge amounts of stuff over rugged terrain.
0:42:50 > 0:42:54Obviously that gives it tremendous off-road capability,
0:42:54 > 0:42:58- and in such an environment, you will need extras so I fitted a winch.- Yes.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01Not again! Have you mounted it to the front wings?
0:43:01 > 0:43:04No, it is to the chassis this time. I have learned.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06I have an inclinometer
0:43:06 > 0:43:09because this can achieve incredible angles of lean.
0:43:09 > 0:43:11This way and that way.
0:43:11 > 0:43:15- Jerry cans for extra fuel.- Can I just say - this is actually important -
0:43:15 > 0:43:17We not only had to build machines that worked better
0:43:17 > 0:43:21than what you could buy off-the-shelf off-road, but were cheaper.
0:43:21 > 0:43:26This is the most important thing. Mine, all in, £2,700.
0:43:26 > 0:43:30£2,400.
0:43:30 > 0:43:321,200 for the trike, 1,200 for the wheelbarrow,
0:43:32 > 0:43:34the rest was just sweat and work.
0:43:34 > 0:43:41- Interesting.- What was yours?- 2,000, so that represents a massive saving.
0:43:41 > 0:43:42There we are.
0:43:42 > 0:43:48If you were disabled and wanted to go into the countryside... Exactly.
0:43:48 > 0:43:53Obviously we would test our machines in the hills later
0:43:53 > 0:43:56but first we had to make sure they worked in town.
0:43:57 > 0:44:01This is very important.
0:44:01 > 0:44:03A Range Rover doesn't just work in the countryside.
0:44:03 > 0:44:08It has to work in the city as well. And so must this.
0:44:10 > 0:44:13LOUD RUMBLING
0:44:17 > 0:44:21I will do what I normally do in town which is go to the bakers.
0:44:21 > 0:44:24Good morning. Do you have an iced finger?
0:44:27 > 0:44:29Morning.
0:44:29 > 0:44:34There are many regulations, as you would imagine,
0:44:34 > 0:44:37this being Britain, governing the use of mobility scooters,
0:44:37 > 0:44:39and this meets almost all of them.
0:44:39 > 0:44:44I am good for width, good for length, and good for speed.
0:44:44 > 0:44:49But I do have a problem with weight, and so does my scooter.
0:44:50 > 0:44:54Excuse me. I hate to do this, because...
0:44:54 > 0:44:58I am trying to get down there and I am a bit stuck. So sorry.
0:45:00 > 0:45:06Sorry, sorry. It is not quite as easy as it looks. Sorry. Goodbye.
0:45:06 > 0:45:07STAFF: Goodbye.
0:45:09 > 0:45:12Policeman. I have to be careful of the speed limit.
0:45:12 > 0:45:15I'm only allowed to do 4mph in built-up areas.
0:45:17 > 0:45:20- That is more than four! - Feel the speed!
0:45:20 > 0:45:22The speed!
0:45:22 > 0:45:244mph, officer.
0:45:24 > 0:45:26You look really uncomfortable.
0:45:26 > 0:45:29- It is my first time. - Well, there you go.
0:45:29 > 0:45:30I have done that a few times.
0:45:30 > 0:45:33- Your feet are going like this all the time, aren't they?- Yes.
0:45:33 > 0:45:37But it is all on this little wizard's hat thing.
0:45:37 > 0:45:42Just down there? Come on! All right. OK, OK.
0:45:42 > 0:45:45Three, two, one... Go!
0:45:45 > 0:45:46Ha!
0:45:48 > 0:45:49Oh, come on!
0:45:53 > 0:45:54That's all I've got.
0:45:54 > 0:45:58Here is the big test. Will it fit in a disabled lavatory?
0:46:00 > 0:46:01Yep.
0:46:01 > 0:46:03HE GASPS
0:46:03 > 0:46:05Morning. Just browsing.
0:46:06 > 0:46:09Oh, that's bad. Agh! I'm sorry!
0:46:09 > 0:46:12ENGINE ROARS
0:46:15 > 0:46:17Despite the mishaps...
0:46:20 > 0:46:24..we decided our machines worked well in an urban environment.
0:46:24 > 0:46:30So we headed back out to the fields, where my half-track was even better.
0:46:30 > 0:46:35It seems able to tackle quite steep slopes, which is potentially good.
0:46:35 > 0:46:39Easy. Plenty of torque from that petrol engine.
0:46:40 > 0:46:43Adaptive suspension is working. Look at that.
0:46:43 > 0:46:46That has just climbed up there as if it wasn't there.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49Check my wildlife screen. I think that is a blackbird.
0:46:49 > 0:46:52OK, I am driving now in stealth mode.
0:46:52 > 0:46:54Of course, you can't see that
0:46:54 > 0:46:58because I am so well camouflaged, and silent.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02I have to say the four-wheel-drive system
0:47:02 > 0:47:04is working magnificently well.
0:47:04 > 0:47:07The ride is good. The grip is good. I have built a Land Rover, here.
0:47:10 > 0:47:13Oh, no! I have run over my hide.
0:47:13 > 0:47:16Since the hide clearly needed more work...
0:47:16 > 0:47:17HE SHOUTS
0:47:17 > 0:47:18BLEEP!
0:47:18 > 0:47:23..the producers told me to get rid of it and then gave us a challenge.
0:47:23 > 0:47:25You will now report to...
0:47:28 > 0:47:30ATTEMPTS TO SAY WELSH PLACE NAME
0:47:30 > 0:47:31- No.- It's a Welsh name.
0:47:31 > 0:47:33CLARKSON GAGS IN ATTEMPT TO SAY NAME
0:47:33 > 0:47:36It is not clearing up, that, is it?
0:47:36 > 0:47:40...where you will take part in an off-road race.
0:47:40 > 0:47:42- Hey, hey!- Hang on. It gets worse.
0:47:42 > 0:47:46You will work as a team against a group of wounded servicemen
0:47:46 > 0:47:50who will be using the off-the-shelf off-road scooters.
0:47:51 > 0:47:54The terrain we would have to cross was brutal.
0:47:54 > 0:47:57Wet grass, mud and steep, wooded slopes.
0:47:57 > 0:48:01The finish line was on a mountain 3km away
0:48:01 > 0:48:04and this is who we were up against.
0:48:07 > 0:48:09You're Nick.
0:48:09 > 0:48:10- Mark.- Mark.
0:48:10 > 0:48:12- Ben.- Ben.
0:48:12 > 0:48:14So, let's just get the wounds worked out.
0:48:14 > 0:48:16- Spinal injuries.- Spinal injury.
0:48:16 > 0:48:20- Right leg blown, amputee. - Right leg... so that's nothing.
0:48:20 > 0:48:23- There's... - Yeah, kick as much as you want.
0:48:23 > 0:48:27- Gone. And you are? - Left arm, right leg.
0:48:27 > 0:48:30- Left arm, right leg?- Yeah. - How did you do that?
0:48:30 > 0:48:33As I was spinning down, I landed on the ground,
0:48:33 > 0:48:34landing on my arm first,
0:48:34 > 0:48:36- which just crumbled. - Was it a bomb?- Yeah.
0:48:36 > 0:48:40Despite their injuries, though, they were feeling confident.
0:48:40 > 0:48:42- Do you think you're going to beat us?- Definitely.- Yeah.
0:48:42 > 0:48:46- Just playing mental games with us, don't listen.- Put some beers in it.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49- All right then.- How many? - A case of beers.
0:48:49 > 0:48:51- A case of beers. - I was going to say three!- Cheers.
0:48:51 > 0:48:53A case of beers. A case of beers.
0:48:53 > 0:48:57'The military boys used their orienteering skills
0:48:57 > 0:49:01'to map out a manageable route for their scooters.'
0:49:01 > 0:49:05Take it easy on the rocky bit, then burn up when we can.
0:49:05 > 0:49:08'We, however, were so confident in our engineering,
0:49:08 > 0:49:11'we decided to go as the crow flies.'
0:49:11 > 0:49:15We're being started with a traditional Welsh hunting horn.
0:49:15 > 0:49:19REVVING
0:49:24 > 0:49:26FEEBLE TOOT
0:49:26 > 0:49:28- Go!- Yeah!
0:49:29 > 0:49:31Yes!
0:49:31 > 0:49:33Yes!
0:49:33 > 0:49:34Go, go, go.
0:49:36 > 0:49:40Come on! James, we're a team!
0:49:40 > 0:49:42This is full speed!
0:49:42 > 0:49:46I hate it when they make us do a race. I should have known.
0:49:46 > 0:49:48All right, boys?
0:49:48 > 0:49:49THEY LAUGH
0:49:49 > 0:49:52Let's get up this hill. Go, go, go.
0:49:54 > 0:49:57There's no question mine is faster than yours.
0:49:57 > 0:50:00And quieter. Ah!
0:50:00 > 0:50:03Ha, ha, ha!
0:50:03 > 0:50:05Oh, no, my steering's jammed.
0:50:05 > 0:50:07I'm losing traction completely.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10Go forward, go forward. Do a bit of convoy formation here, lads.
0:50:10 > 0:50:11- That's a good effort.- Go!
0:50:11 > 0:50:14Yes! All right, now I can just...
0:50:16 > 0:50:19..engage seat angle alteration.
0:50:24 > 0:50:26Oh.
0:50:26 > 0:50:29CHAIR BEEPING
0:50:29 > 0:50:35'While Sir Randolph May was stuck, I went to help the orang-utan.'
0:50:35 > 0:50:37Try and get the bodywork off the wheel.
0:50:37 > 0:50:40If you try and turn the wheel to the left.
0:50:40 > 0:50:43- This is teamwork now, isn't it? - We're actually doing teamwork.
0:50:43 > 0:50:45What am I thinking of?
0:50:45 > 0:50:48I've got my gravel system to deploy.
0:50:48 > 0:50:49Watch this.
0:50:49 > 0:50:53Pulling the string dispenses gravel from the hopper
0:50:53 > 0:50:56in front of the wheels, improving traction.
0:50:56 > 0:50:57Deploy...
0:51:00 > 0:51:02Hang a right.
0:51:02 > 0:51:04Right, go, go, go!
0:51:05 > 0:51:07Having mended Jeremy's scooter,
0:51:07 > 0:51:11Thunderbird One then had to rescue me.
0:51:11 > 0:51:13Oh, yes. Yes, yes, yes!
0:51:13 > 0:51:18- Oh, this is just...glorious. - Tremendous!
0:51:19 > 0:51:21Stop it.
0:51:23 > 0:51:25Ow!
0:51:32 > 0:51:34They're down there, look. There.
0:51:34 > 0:51:36WHISTLE
0:51:36 > 0:51:39- Losers.- How did you get there?
0:51:40 > 0:51:42We'll see you at the end.
0:51:42 > 0:51:45I feel a crate of beer coming on.
0:51:45 > 0:51:47Who...Hammond!
0:51:47 > 0:51:48They're ahead of us!
0:51:48 > 0:51:50Go.
0:51:51 > 0:51:54Left here, Ben! Go on, go, go, go.
0:51:54 > 0:51:56'Worried by the progress of our rivals,
0:51:56 > 0:52:00'Hammond and I stopped to discuss our colleague.'
0:52:00 > 0:52:03I mean, look at him. He's pretty pointless.
0:52:03 > 0:52:04CHAIR BEEPING
0:52:04 > 0:52:05There is a bit of a...
0:52:05 > 0:52:07a bit of a rise in the terrain, there.
0:52:09 > 0:52:10Nope.
0:52:10 > 0:52:12CHAIR BEEPING
0:52:12 > 0:52:17- Do we, in these unique circumstances, merely leave him?- Mm-hm.
0:52:17 > 0:52:19Or shoot him and leave him?
0:52:19 > 0:52:21'Because we were working as a team,
0:52:21 > 0:52:25'we decided to just leave him.'
0:52:25 > 0:52:28I feel bad. I do. I feel bad.
0:52:28 > 0:52:30I'm getting better.
0:52:33 > 0:52:34Right...
0:52:34 > 0:52:37I think...that way.
0:52:38 > 0:52:42The Pro Rider Road King is doing well here.
0:52:42 > 0:52:44A moment of actual progress.
0:52:46 > 0:52:48Mate, we're rolling.
0:52:48 > 0:52:50'I was rolling, too,
0:52:50 > 0:52:53'and had left Jeremy far behind.'
0:52:53 > 0:52:56It's getting very muddy now, but that's OK.
0:52:56 > 0:52:59This is where tracks are absolutely perfect.
0:53:00 > 0:53:05JEREMY WHEEZES
0:53:07 > 0:53:10BANGING
0:53:13 > 0:53:15SCREAMS
0:53:15 > 0:53:17Bloody Nora!
0:53:17 > 0:53:19- Nav check.- Be careful, man.
0:53:19 > 0:53:22That was that road we saw on top of the ridge.
0:53:22 > 0:53:25We're doing well, we're doing well.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28- It's going to get tricky up there, them contour lines.- Yeah.
0:53:28 > 0:53:30Keep doing what we're doing.
0:53:31 > 0:53:35Sportster, this is Pro Rider Road King, come in.
0:53:35 > 0:53:38'I may need your winch a tiny bit.'
0:53:38 > 0:53:39Oh, God.
0:53:39 > 0:53:44'Once again, I had to abandon my pursuit of our rivals
0:53:44 > 0:53:46'to go and rescue the orang-utan.'
0:53:46 > 0:53:48What have you done?
0:53:48 > 0:53:49Let it rock.
0:53:49 > 0:53:51Go on!
0:53:52 > 0:53:53Yeah, that's much better.
0:53:53 > 0:53:55That isn't. Oh, no!
0:53:57 > 0:53:59Lovely jubbly!
0:53:59 > 0:54:01Go, go, go.
0:54:01 > 0:54:04'The Pro Rider was eventually righted.'
0:54:04 > 0:54:06Ha, ha, ha!
0:54:06 > 0:54:10'But this teamwork nonsense wasn't getting us anywhere.'
0:54:10 > 0:54:11Ram me.
0:54:17 > 0:54:18Jeremy...
0:54:18 > 0:54:22Go. It's going to be dark by the time I get there.
0:54:22 > 0:54:23- Mate, I'm going to.- Go.
0:54:23 > 0:54:27- Be the team.- For the team. - And beat the soldiers.
0:54:27 > 0:54:30- On the Top Gear thing that has suddenly become.- Yes.
0:54:30 > 0:54:34I'm not giving in, but I don't want you to wait any more.
0:54:36 > 0:54:37So long, Pro Rider.
0:54:37 > 0:54:40'Obviously, the servicemen were in the lead,
0:54:40 > 0:54:43'but they were still taking the long way round.'
0:54:43 > 0:54:46If I'm going to stand a chance of preserving my team's honour,
0:54:46 > 0:54:49I'm going to have to go straight up.
0:54:49 > 0:54:50Come on.
0:54:52 > 0:54:56'To help me, my rivals were starting to struggle.'
0:54:57 > 0:54:59Oh!
0:54:59 > 0:55:01Mate... And my leg's fallen off.
0:55:07 > 0:55:09We're through.
0:55:09 > 0:55:12Lesser vehicles would have been just stumped by that.
0:55:13 > 0:55:15- Are you stuck?- Agh!
0:55:15 > 0:55:17THUMP
0:55:17 > 0:55:18SIGHS
0:55:18 > 0:55:20Landed right on my GPS.
0:55:20 > 0:55:22LAUGHTER
0:55:22 > 0:55:25'Meanwhile, much further back...'
0:55:25 > 0:55:29Now that my weight is on the back wheels,
0:55:29 > 0:55:31I have traction.
0:55:31 > 0:55:32Oh, yeah.
0:55:32 > 0:55:35I'm surfing now.
0:55:35 > 0:55:36If we bend it outwards.
0:55:36 > 0:55:40'Mark's control panel had snapped off in the fall,
0:55:40 > 0:55:43'and getting it fixed again had cost them precious time.'
0:55:43 > 0:55:46- Did you hear that? - Yeah, I can hear some engine.
0:55:46 > 0:55:48- I can hear Hammond.- Hammond?
0:55:48 > 0:55:51- There's no BLEEP way he could have got up here that fast.- Go, go.
0:55:55 > 0:55:58Come on, don't stop, old Sportster!
0:55:58 > 0:56:02I've got to pick my lines, keep it as level as I can.
0:56:03 > 0:56:06- That's it, the summit's there. - That's it, that's the summit.
0:56:06 > 0:56:08Wahey!
0:56:08 > 0:56:09It's a race to the finish line.
0:56:11 > 0:56:14That's got to be the summit up there.
0:56:15 > 0:56:16Come on! Ha, ha, ha, ha!
0:56:18 > 0:56:19Last push now, boys.
0:56:22 > 0:56:24I'm going to make it!
0:56:24 > 0:56:28- Keep going, keep going.- Go, go, go. Last little bit.
0:56:30 > 0:56:32Yes! This is it.
0:56:32 > 0:56:33This is the summit.
0:56:33 > 0:56:35LAUGHS
0:56:36 > 0:56:37Oh.
0:56:39 > 0:56:41- All right, lads?- Welcome.
0:56:41 > 0:56:44- Well done, mate. - Well done, well done.
0:56:44 > 0:56:46It's just me.
0:56:46 > 0:56:49'Meanwhile, far, far away...'
0:56:49 > 0:56:51Now, look at this.
0:56:51 > 0:56:54It's a 17th-century pub.
0:56:54 > 0:56:56And look at that step there.
0:56:56 > 0:56:59If you were in a normal conventional electric wheelchair,
0:56:59 > 0:57:02that would be game over and no pint.
0:57:02 > 0:57:04But now, watch this.
0:57:06 > 0:57:07Full power.
0:57:11 > 0:57:12Hang on.
0:57:12 > 0:57:15CHAIR BEEPING
0:57:22 > 0:57:24Oh, cock.
0:57:24 > 0:57:26'Still, could be worse.'
0:57:27 > 0:57:29Fenton! Fenton!
0:57:31 > 0:57:33Fenton!
0:57:33 > 0:57:34Oh, Jesus Christ!
0:57:37 > 0:57:39APPLAUSE
0:57:39 > 0:57:41Mine was terrible.
0:57:41 > 0:57:45I'm glad I pushed it down the hill and made Fenton jokes about it.
0:57:45 > 0:57:48- Because it was rubbish. - Mine was a lot worse.
0:57:48 > 0:57:50I don't know.
0:57:50 > 0:57:53- I have to say, mine was brilliant. - Er, it wasn't!- It was.
0:57:53 > 0:57:55I was the only one who made it.
0:57:55 > 0:57:56I don't think you were, Hammond,
0:57:56 > 0:57:58because you were beaten by these chaps.
0:57:58 > 0:57:59I was, I was.
0:57:59 > 0:58:02So, James, have you got something for them?
0:58:02 > 0:58:04Yes, it is an absolute pleasure, gentlemen,
0:58:04 > 0:58:06to give you, as promised, beer.
0:58:06 > 0:58:10- APPLAUSE Well done, guys.- Well done, chaps. You've earned it.
0:58:12 > 0:58:16Now, can I just ask, because, as you know,
0:58:16 > 0:58:20Top Gear is famous throughout the world for its consumer advice,
0:58:20 > 0:58:23so which one of these three would you say was the best?
0:58:23 > 0:58:25- This one wins hands down. - The trike?
0:58:25 > 0:58:28- But that's still expensive. What is it, five...- £5,000.
0:58:28 > 0:58:31- It's £5,000.- I think I've got the answer to this, actually.
0:58:31 > 0:58:34It's carmakers. Because you know how they are always branching out
0:58:34 > 0:58:37and they make things like trendy designer kettles
0:58:37 > 0:58:39and overpriced carbon fibre mountain bikes,
0:58:39 > 0:58:42why don't they just stop all that and concentrate on making
0:58:42 > 0:58:45an affordable, off-road wheelchair or scooter that works?
0:58:45 > 0:58:48If you think about it, this is a really good idea.
0:58:48 > 0:58:51Carmakers making wheelchairs. It's a good idea.
0:58:51 > 0:58:54It is a good idea. And it's on Top Gear.
0:58:54 > 0:58:58And that IS a bombshell, so let's end, quickly. See you next week.
0:58:58 > 0:58:59Take care, good night!
0:59:02 > 0:59:05Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd