0:00:09 > 0:00:13'Tonight, I audition for Countryfile.'
0:00:13 > 0:00:14Sorry to interrupt, very nice sheep.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17'Matt considers his Christmas list.'
0:00:17 > 0:00:20I feel like I need a captain's hat. Maybe a cannon.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23'And Harris has an Einstein moment.'
0:00:23 > 0:00:24There we go.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:00:33 > 0:00:35Hello and welcome to Top Gear!
0:00:35 > 0:00:38Yes, hello! Now, usually when you hear the term "lightweight",
0:00:38 > 0:00:41you think of bars and drink and vomit.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43LAUGHTER
0:00:43 > 0:00:45Thank you! But on this show, that term refers to
0:00:45 > 0:00:51a very small special group of British car enthusiasts.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55MUSIC: Land of Hope and Glory
0:00:58 > 0:01:01These are the great British super lightweights.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04They're raucous, they're uncomfortable
0:01:04 > 0:01:07and, most of all, they're totally impractical.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10Not that any of that really matters
0:01:10 > 0:01:14because the only thing that does is how exciting they are to drive.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17And the fast-track route to the most thrills per gallon
0:01:17 > 0:01:19is as little lard as possible,
0:01:19 > 0:01:24with as much oomph as your piggy bank will stretch to.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32On the race track, these super lightweights are an absolute riot.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35They're pure and honest, modest and humble.
0:01:35 > 0:01:40However, back in the real world, their lack of creature comforts
0:01:40 > 0:01:43means they can be a bit of a physical challenge.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48So, how does the new kid on the block compare?
0:01:48 > 0:01:51It's time to meet the Zenos E10.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59It's designed and built in Britain
0:01:59 > 0:02:02by two ex-Lotus and Caterham guys,
0:02:02 > 0:02:05who still promise a double helping of fun
0:02:05 > 0:02:09without the side order of scary.
0:02:17 > 0:02:18There are three versions of the E10.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21The entry level for 25 grand,
0:02:21 > 0:02:23the top of the range R, and this, the S,
0:02:23 > 0:02:27which boasts a two-litre turbo engine
0:02:27 > 0:02:29from Ford's hot hatch department.
0:02:29 > 0:02:3330 grand will buy you 250 brake horsepower,
0:02:33 > 0:02:38145mph and 0-60 in about four seconds.
0:02:45 > 0:02:50And all this in something that looks like Darth Vader's weekend wheels.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58The E10S is blessed with the gear box, engine
0:02:58 > 0:03:02and other mechanical hardware from the Ford Focus ST,
0:03:02 > 0:03:04which is not a slow car.
0:03:04 > 0:03:09But stick all of its guts in a four-wheeled bobsleigh Superleggera
0:03:09 > 0:03:12and this is what's going to happen.
0:03:24 > 0:03:29If Mo Farah were a car, he may well be a Zenos.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31Supreme performance with a bare minimum
0:03:31 > 0:03:34of skin and bone to slow him down.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48The E10S weighs a mere 725kg,
0:03:48 > 0:03:51about half the weight of the Ford Focus,
0:03:51 > 0:03:54partly because Zenos have done away with
0:03:54 > 0:03:57all those heavy non-essentials like...windows.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01Or a boot. Or a roof.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07But also because it's built of something
0:04:07 > 0:04:11called carbon fibre reinforced plastic, which is incredibly light
0:04:11 > 0:04:13and incredibly strong, too.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20Now, it could be said the E10S's panels look a bit flimsy
0:04:20 > 0:04:26and, frankly, they are, but it's all part of that grand plan.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30Think about these panels as more sacrificial than cheap.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34Zenos have gone all Lego on us, so if you run out of talent
0:04:34 > 0:04:38on a track day, it's so much easier to replace a bit than a lot.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Whoaaaa!
0:04:51 > 0:04:54Because the rest of the car is so solid and so light,
0:04:54 > 0:04:57it's the perfect platform for stability.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Enables the car to remain PLANTED...
0:05:07 > 0:05:08..almost all of the time!
0:05:12 > 0:05:16Woohoo, woohooo!
0:05:18 > 0:05:20The way this car's set up,
0:05:20 > 0:05:24it really will inspire the inner Hamilton in all of us.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26The steering is so tight and bright.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28Marvellous, joyous!
0:05:28 > 0:05:30Heavenly!
0:05:31 > 0:05:35I love the whooshing and the hissing and the oozing
0:05:35 > 0:05:36and the urging and the screaming
0:05:36 > 0:05:40and the "Come on, Christopher! Faster, my son."
0:05:42 > 0:05:44Here we go again!
0:05:48 > 0:05:51The Zenos, then, gives you all the thrills you want
0:05:51 > 0:05:54from a proper British super lightweight,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57but without feeling the need to have to beat you up.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00This car really doesn't want to fight you.
0:06:00 > 0:06:01It wants to be your friend.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07I mean, it has its downsides - the gear throw's a bit long,
0:06:07 > 0:06:10the brakes you've got to really sort of stand on at first,
0:06:10 > 0:06:11till you get used to them.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14But, compared to most super lightweights,
0:06:14 > 0:06:16it's like a bloomin' Rolls-Royce Corniche.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23When developing their mini masterpiece,
0:06:23 > 0:06:25Zenos invited potential customers
0:06:25 > 0:06:29to drive the prototypes and give their feedback.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32So this car is more of what super lightweight fans want,
0:06:32 > 0:06:36rather than what a manufacturer thinks they should get.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42But all those Ford bits means it's got parts supply sorted,
0:06:42 > 0:06:45reliability should be boringly excellent,
0:06:45 > 0:06:49fixing it should be easy and it's safe and it's noisy.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54But, most important of all, it's still respectfully impractical.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59Which it has to be because it's a super lightweight
0:06:59 > 0:07:02and that's the law!
0:07:08 > 0:07:11CHEERING
0:07:14 > 0:07:17Wow! I love it. That looked fun. That looked great, was it fun?
0:07:17 > 0:07:21No. Yes. What I meant... No, I meant yes. Yes, no.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24It is a lot of fun, but the thing about cars like this is,
0:07:24 > 0:07:25they are painful. They hurt.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28They hurt your back, they hurt your arms, they hurt your wrists.
0:07:28 > 0:07:29They really hurt your bum,
0:07:29 > 0:07:33and some people have been known to ache for the rest of their lives
0:07:33 > 0:07:36after driving a super lightweight for just five minutes.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38Yeah, but the people who love these cars,
0:07:38 > 0:07:40the people who own these cars, they worship them, right?
0:07:40 > 0:07:43They do, they do, er, because they're a bit mad!
0:07:43 > 0:07:44Ah.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47I salute them, but I wouldn't want to live next door to one.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49- That's all I'm saying, OK? - OK. All right. Fair enough.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53OK - so to see how fast a "Zeenos" goes around...
0:07:53 > 0:07:54Zenos.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57To see how fast a Zenos goes around our test track... LAUGHTER
0:07:57 > 0:08:01..it's time to hand it over to our tame racing driver.
0:08:01 > 0:08:07Some say that on a first date, he always clips the apex...
0:08:07 > 0:08:09LAUGHTER
0:08:16 > 0:08:19..and that he's touched every one of the Untouchables.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23All we know is, he's called...
0:08:23 > 0:08:25- ALL:- THE STIG!
0:08:25 > 0:08:30So, the Zenos E10S, then, a classically British lightweight
0:08:30 > 0:08:33in classically British conditions today...
0:08:35 > 0:08:40Into the first corner, the Zenos looking locked down as you like.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45The Stig, crafty, happening, happening, crafty.
0:08:45 > 0:08:46Chicago!
0:08:46 > 0:08:50Listen to the turbo engine suck and blow, hiss, pop, bang.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59Very neutral, through Hammerhead.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01Not a sniff of a slide there, immaculate.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06Happening, crafty, crafty, happening, the Zenos!
0:09:06 > 0:09:09For the honour of Norfolk!
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Bouncing past the tyre wall,
0:09:15 > 0:09:18sacrificial panels unsacrificed.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Bit of a squirm as Stig stomps on the brakes.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26Finally, through Gambon, little skid on the exit
0:09:26 > 0:09:28and across the line!
0:09:28 > 0:09:30CHEERING
0:09:31 > 0:09:32So...
0:09:34 > 0:09:38..before I post this time up on the Power Lap Time Board,
0:09:38 > 0:09:41we're looking at other lightweights, we've got the Caterham 620R,
0:09:41 > 0:09:441.22.3, and then we go up the board,
0:09:44 > 0:09:49the BAC Mono, the king or queen of the lightweights, 1.14.3,
0:09:49 > 0:09:52and the Zenos E10S, on a mildly moist and damp day,
0:09:52 > 0:09:55has come in at 1.25.1, which is just about there.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59It's OK. That's OK.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04While Chris was dealing with the pain of the Zenos,
0:10:04 > 0:10:08I was dealing with the pain of the new Rolls-Royce.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10LAUGHTER
0:10:16 > 0:10:19The Rolls-Royce Dawn.
0:10:22 > 0:10:3017 feet and £250,000 of very British convertible.
0:10:33 > 0:10:40And yes, 17-foot long, £250,000 convertibles can sometimes -
0:10:40 > 0:10:44sometimes - run the risk of being a bit attention-seeking.
0:10:45 > 0:10:46Shouty.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51Case in point - way, way out in front,
0:10:51 > 0:10:57a twin turbo 6.6 litre V12 engine will, at your request,
0:10:57 > 0:11:00serve up 563 horsepower.
0:11:00 > 0:11:06It'll proceed from a standstill to 60mph in under five seconds.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10Which is very invigorating.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23But the rest of the messy physics of driving
0:11:23 > 0:11:25are kept well and truly below deck.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28Generally, when you buy the convertible version
0:11:28 > 0:11:31of an expensive car with a large engine and many cylinders,
0:11:31 > 0:11:35it's so you can hear that large engine with many cylinders.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40But the Dawn is far too diplomatic for anything
0:11:40 > 0:11:43so uncouth as engine noise. Huh!
0:11:48 > 0:11:53And it's far too polite to concern you with nonsense like feedback.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57The steering tells you pretty much nothing
0:11:57 > 0:11:59about what's going on with the tyres.
0:12:00 > 0:12:05Just occasionally you get the merest hint through the chassis
0:12:05 > 0:12:08that you may have run over something fairly significant.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10Like a buffalo.
0:12:13 > 0:12:14And that's a good thing.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17If you want to feel every inch of the tarmac through your fingertips,
0:12:17 > 0:12:19buy a Lotus.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24And if it's all still a bit intrusive,
0:12:24 > 0:12:27you can always deploy the roof.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31You could hear a cricket fart in here.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33CHIRRUPING Oop!
0:12:37 > 0:12:41Even though the Dawn will do 155mph
0:12:41 > 0:12:43if called upon, you get the sense...
0:12:46 > 0:12:50..it would prefer to call ahead and let them know you'll be late.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56It's a car that'll go as fast as you'll ever need,
0:12:56 > 0:12:58but makes you want to take your time.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11Delve beneath its bold, sleek lines
0:13:11 > 0:13:14and you're met with a level of detail that is second to none.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24The doors open the wrong way because...
0:13:24 > 0:13:26Well, it seems like there's no practical reason
0:13:26 > 0:13:29other than the fact that it's really cool,
0:13:29 > 0:13:31but it makes it easier to access this.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35Your umbrella.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37And then when you're done with your umbrella,
0:13:37 > 0:13:43the Dawn circulates warm air around its little scabbard to dry it off.
0:13:43 > 0:13:44HE CHUCKLES
0:13:48 > 0:13:50Sweet!
0:13:54 > 0:13:56And if you think that's a bit over the top,
0:13:56 > 0:14:00how about this little gem from the promotional literature?
0:14:00 > 0:14:05"The rear passengers do not merely get out of a Rolls-Royce Dawn,
0:14:05 > 0:14:09"but rather stand and disembark as if from a motor launch
0:14:09 > 0:14:11"onto a glamorous private jetty."
0:14:13 > 0:14:14Let's give it a go.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23I can almost smell the ocean.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28And then there's the Dawn's most imposing feature.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31Oh, that's tight. Oh, wow!
0:14:31 > 0:14:35'And that's... Well, it's HUGE.'
0:14:35 > 0:14:37Sorry, buddy. Aah!
0:14:37 > 0:14:41And that leads to the small matter of parking it.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46Ooh, that's tight.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52Oop, let me try that again.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56She's definitely big. BEEPING
0:14:57 > 0:15:02Oh, I'm on the kerb. One more crack at that.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04Oop! Ooh...
0:15:04 > 0:15:08OK, be careful now. We don't want to scuff the wheels.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11They're about £2,000 a pop.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15Jeez! At least nobody saw that.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20'Not what you'd call "subtle", then.'
0:15:25 > 0:15:28But get the Dawn out on the wide - very wide - open road
0:15:28 > 0:15:31and it really starts to get under your skin.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41You don't drive this thing,
0:15:41 > 0:15:45you captain it, as you would a cruise liner.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49I feel like I need a captain's hat. Maybe a cannon.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54Delusions of grandeur?
0:15:54 > 0:15:55Perhaps.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58But that's what the Dawn does to you.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01OK, maybe it IS a bit attention-seeking, a bit shouty.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05But, hey, it's got PLENTY to shout about.
0:16:06 > 0:16:11So nice. So, so nice.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15I like it. Call me crazy.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18Call me...ostentatious.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22Call me whatever the hell you want, I'm driving a Roller down the road.
0:16:22 > 0:16:23Ha-ha-ha!
0:16:29 > 0:16:32CHIRRUPING Oop!
0:16:32 > 0:16:34CHEERING
0:16:39 > 0:16:42It does pain me to admit this, but he does suit the car, doesn't he?
0:16:42 > 0:16:44Thank you.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46This car is undoubtedly a five-star,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49magnificent example of British engineering.
0:16:49 > 0:16:50However, two glitches in my book.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52- Two?- Two.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55First of all, why do Rolls always insist
0:16:55 > 0:16:56on sticking their granny's brooch
0:16:56 > 0:17:00on the most beautiful, futuristic grilles imaginable?
0:17:00 > 0:17:02Why do they do that?
0:17:02 > 0:17:04What? The Spirit of Ecstasy? What's wrong with that?
0:17:04 > 0:17:06Well, why don't they make it more contemporary
0:17:06 > 0:17:08so you look at it and you think,
0:17:08 > 0:17:09"No, it's all part of the same thing"?
0:17:09 > 0:17:11- You don't like it?- No, I hate it.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16LAUGHTER
0:17:16 > 0:17:18CHEERING
0:17:18 > 0:17:20You don't have to look at it.
0:17:20 > 0:17:21I know it's still there.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24That's just like sweeping the problem under the carpet.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27That's the way you're supposed to deal with problems.
0:17:27 > 0:17:28Answer this question, then.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30Have Rolls come up with a button
0:17:30 > 0:17:33to make the whole back end of the car disappear?
0:17:33 > 0:17:36Look at this, it's awful, it's hideous!
0:17:36 > 0:17:38It looks like a blue wall
0:17:38 > 0:17:40that somebody's just stuck a number plate on.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42What's the matter with the back?
0:17:42 > 0:17:44The back is terrible.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46You won't know this, right,
0:17:46 > 0:17:48but the back of this brand-new Rolls-Royce Dawn
0:17:48 > 0:17:50looks like a Rover 75.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54- LAUGHTER - Look! What's that about?
0:17:54 > 0:17:58- That looks all right, too.- Really?!
0:17:58 > 0:18:01- What's the problem?- Look, you've got these gorgeous, sweeping lines.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03You've got these really muscular haunches,
0:18:03 > 0:18:06you've got a really tight torso for such a big vehicle, and then...
0:18:06 > 0:18:09they went home and the designers forgot to come back
0:18:09 > 0:18:10and we're left with this.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13- All right, so you don't like the back of the car?- Yes.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15OK, do you feel better now, getting that off your chest?
0:18:15 > 0:18:17- I'm OK for now. For now. - All right, well,
0:18:17 > 0:18:19- we'll come back to that.- Thank you.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21OK, I'm glad he's done with that.
0:18:21 > 0:18:22We'll be returning to the Dawn later
0:18:22 > 0:18:24as it takes on an icon from the past.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26Right now, it's special ops time
0:18:26 > 0:18:29as Top Gear's lone wolf, Chris Harris,
0:18:29 > 0:18:31comes to grips with BMW's latest tyre-slayer.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38If you lived in the 1990s and you wanted to buy a fast car,
0:18:38 > 0:18:43but you couldn't afford a Porsche 911, you bought one of these.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46A BMW M3.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51It was quick, it was rear wheel drive, it was affordable-ish,
0:18:51 > 0:18:55and, most importantly, on a wet roundabout, it would do big skids.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58It was therefore perfect.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03Fast forward 20 years, and you can still buy an M3.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05It looks like this.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09Yes, it's very fast and very impressive,
0:19:09 > 0:19:12but the M3 isn't really an M3 any more.
0:19:15 > 0:19:21It's become bigger, more complicated. Much more grown-up.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24So, what if you want your M3 like they used to be?
0:19:36 > 0:19:37This is the M2.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49Named in honour of one of Kent's finest stretches of motorway.
0:19:51 > 0:19:52Not really.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56It's called the M2 because it's based on the 2 Series,
0:19:56 > 0:20:00BMW's smallest coupe, and what BMW has done here
0:20:00 > 0:20:02is actually quite old-fashioned.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08Just like that old M3 from the '90s, there's a manual gearbox.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12You can have a paddle shift if you want, but, trust me, you don't.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14And just like that old M3 from the '90s,
0:20:14 > 0:20:16you get a three-litre straight-six engine.
0:20:18 > 0:20:23OK, it's turbo-charged now, but that does mean 365 horsepower
0:20:23 > 0:20:26and 0-60 in 4.5 seconds.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32A lot of modern turbo-charged engines have clever software
0:20:32 > 0:20:36that limits the torque at low revs to stop you spinning the wheels
0:20:36 > 0:20:38and to make it more manageable.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42The M2, however, is not interested in manageable.
0:20:42 > 0:20:43So, full torque,
0:20:43 > 0:20:46that's the stuff that gives you the big shove in the back,
0:20:46 > 0:20:50arrives at just 1500rpm and it stays there pretty much all the way.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53So, you don't have to find the M2's sweet spot,
0:20:53 > 0:20:55it's just there the whole time.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05And with all this torque on tap, you can slide about a bit.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08A lot, actually.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14It's a little angry pool of energy, this car.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17It's like the pent-up bloke in the pub who'll start a fight
0:21:17 > 0:21:20with just about anyone for staring at his pint the wrong way.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26You! What are you looking at?!
0:21:27 > 0:21:29Now, admittedly, this kind of attitude
0:21:29 > 0:21:33does tend to attract a certain type of buyer.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38There's no denying that fast BMW saloons
0:21:38 > 0:21:41still carry a faint suspicion
0:21:41 > 0:21:44of the "mobile phone salesman done good" about them.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48And the headlights actually have three different settings.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51There's dip beam, main beam
0:21:51 > 0:21:54and "Get out of my way, I'm on business! Deal, DEAL!"
0:21:57 > 0:22:03And, image problems aside, there are just a couple of other minor flaws.
0:22:03 > 0:22:04Complete geeks like me
0:22:04 > 0:22:07will notice that there is no oil temperature gauge.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10I always thought M cars had to have an oil temperature gauge,
0:22:10 > 0:22:13but this one doesn't, nor is the gear knob illuminated.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17I know, you're shocked at the depth of my sadness, aren't you?
0:22:17 > 0:22:20But it's one of those cars that makes you qualify everything
0:22:20 > 0:22:22with a, "But what else can you get for the money?"
0:22:22 > 0:22:24And also, "What more can you expect?"
0:22:29 > 0:22:32Well, it's not often you introduce an Audi as the budget option,
0:22:32 > 0:22:35but this is the RS3.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37It makes the same power as the BMW
0:22:37 > 0:22:41and, at £40,000, it's four grand cheaper.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47Because it's got four-wheel drive, it'll get from 0-60 much quicker.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51In fact, it'll get... anywhere much quicker.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54It is a deliriously, stupidly fast car.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58Has bigger back seats, too, if you care about that sort of thing.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02In fact, on paper, it's just a winner.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07But you don't drive cars on paper.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12Welcome, then, to the Top Gear One Corner Challenge.
0:23:13 > 0:23:18In just one single corner, I'm going to demonstrate to you exactly why,
0:23:18 > 0:23:20despite what the official stats might say,
0:23:20 > 0:23:25the RS3 is not the better car, which means I'll need to strap on
0:23:25 > 0:23:29the patented Top Gear Funometer 3000,
0:23:29 > 0:23:31harnessing science and numbers and stuff
0:23:31 > 0:23:33to actually quantify happiness.
0:23:39 > 0:23:40There we go.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45Right, then, the Audi RS3.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48And we've got, yeah, understeer,
0:23:48 > 0:23:51amusing parpy five-cylinder noises and understeer.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58Right, let's have a look at the scores. Er...76.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01That's...quite happy.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04And now the M2.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08So I scored 76 in the Audi.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15What did I score in the BMW?
0:24:17 > 0:24:19514!
0:24:19 > 0:24:21There you have it.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25The BMW makes you...um...
0:24:25 > 0:24:28very much more happy in the corners.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31There you are - science.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40It really is simply brilliant, the M2.
0:24:42 > 0:24:47It takes you back to when driving was still...brilliantly simple.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56It takes you back to the 1990s.
0:24:57 > 0:25:02In fact, BMW has made a mistake here.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06It's not really an M2.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13It's an M3. There you go.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20CHEERING
0:25:20 > 0:25:25OK, now it's time for tonight's Stars in a Rallycross Car.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28Please welcome Paul Hollywood and Jennifer Saunders.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32CHEERING
0:25:36 > 0:25:38How cool is this?
0:25:47 > 0:25:49Look at you two.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53- Already friends, come on.- Yes. - Well, this morning, we weren't.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57- Well, and we might not be at the end, I don't know.- Yes.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00- Look at the body language, isn't it perfect?- He just said to me,
0:26:00 > 0:26:03- "If you beat me, I can't go back to Bake Off."- No.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06Let's talk cars. Now your best first car - first of all,
0:26:06 > 0:26:08first car, Jennifer Saunders.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11The first car I bought was an Alfa Romeo Spider.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15- Whoa! Come on, let's look at that. Oh!- Really?!- Yeah.- Very nice.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17- Wow!- That's exactly why, and it was...
0:26:17 > 0:26:21Because it belonged to this guy who used to drive it down the street
0:26:21 > 0:26:24and my friends and I used to go, "Oh, do you see that car?"
0:26:24 > 0:26:26And he went, "Yeah, yeah." And he used to show off in it.
0:26:26 > 0:26:27And I'd go, "Oh, I love it."
0:26:27 > 0:26:29And one day he said, "Well, it's for sale."
0:26:29 > 0:26:31And I said, "How much?" He said, "£2,000."
0:26:31 > 0:26:34I only had £2,000 in the whole world
0:26:34 > 0:26:36and I just absolutely adored it.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38All right, so, Paul, good luck,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41your first car up against Jennifer's Alfa Romeo Spider.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43- You can't do that!- Sorry! - LAUGHTER
0:26:43 > 0:26:45Well, mine is an Escort 1.3.
0:26:45 > 0:26:46Sorry.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50- CHEERING - Let's have a look.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52You know what?
0:26:52 > 0:26:55Mine wasn't even the L model, so when I got the car,
0:26:55 > 0:26:58what I did was I bought the XR3 wheels, bumper overrides,
0:26:58 > 0:27:01the spoiler, front spoiler, stickers, everything on it.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03It did look like an XR3 at the end.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05And the stereo was so bad.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08I went and bought myself a really... I think it was a Kenwood,
0:27:08 > 0:27:11- it was quite expensive, you know, from down the shop.- But Kenwood's...
0:27:11 > 0:27:13Yeah, they don't just do mixers.
0:27:13 > 0:27:14Oh, all right, I thought they did.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17By the way, good baking credentials. Very good.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Yeah, I bought a KitchenAid, uh, music system for the car.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23And then when I put it in,
0:27:23 > 0:27:25because the speakers were so bad in these plastic doors,
0:27:25 > 0:27:28I got these speakers which were like cubes.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31And the only place I could put it was on a plastic dashboard.
0:27:31 > 0:27:32So every time I took a corner,
0:27:32 > 0:27:35it just slid along and smacked the passenger in the head.
0:27:35 > 0:27:36It was ruthless.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39So, er, here we have Paul's
0:27:39 > 0:27:42completely over-pimped 1983 Ford Escort.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44OK, let's hear it for that.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48CHEERING
0:27:48 > 0:27:50Up against Jennifer's Alfa Romeo Spider.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53LOUDER CHEERING
0:27:59 > 0:28:01Well, it's all going beautifully, isn't it, Paul?
0:28:01 > 0:28:04If I'd known then, I would have saved up and bought something else!
0:28:04 > 0:28:06All right, so, best car ever, Jennifer?
0:28:06 > 0:28:10The best car we ever bought, I think, was a Jaguar Sovereign.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12- Really?- Yeah. And I'll tell you why.
0:28:12 > 0:28:18It was because I was getting pregnant a lot and having babies
0:28:18 > 0:28:19and we needed a family car
0:28:19 > 0:28:22and I didn't want to go for estates for some...
0:28:22 > 0:28:25- We wanted to drive something a bit lovely.- Yeah.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29And we tried this out and all the kids fit in the back seat.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31Dogs in the footwells.
0:28:31 > 0:28:36Huge boot and, honestly, it was the nicest, softest drive ever.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38But that's not as good as your Alfa Romeo Spider.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40You can have your Alfa Spider if you like,
0:28:40 > 0:28:42cos it's about winning, it's about beating him.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44Oh, OK, if I was to actually choose my perfect car,
0:28:44 > 0:28:46it would be the Alfa, yeah.
0:28:46 > 0:28:47OK, the Alfa back then, please.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49Thank you very much indeed. OK, so here we go again.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52- Now, look at it, it's gorgeous. - You're a nightmare.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54Right, Hollywood, best car ever, please.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57Uh, the, the best car I've ever owned
0:28:57 > 0:29:00is the Aston Martin DBS Volante in quantum silver.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03There.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06Oh, for heaven's sake! Tongues off the floor, if you don't mind.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08OK, tell us about this one, then.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11Well, I'd always wanted, uh, a Bond car.
0:29:11 > 0:29:15And I saw this, um, for sale and it was the quantum silver again,
0:29:15 > 0:29:18so it was the Bond one from Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20But it was the soft top version.
0:29:20 > 0:29:21And I thought, "Oh, I've got to have that."
0:29:21 > 0:29:23And we go down to France a lot, the family,
0:29:23 > 0:29:26we'd go down to France, driving round and it's beautiful.
0:29:26 > 0:29:28All right, where'd you put the family? That's my only question.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31When you say "the family", are you towing them in a caravan?
0:29:31 > 0:29:33Because I don't see where the family goes.
0:29:33 > 0:29:34That's a very good question.
0:29:34 > 0:29:36You have no idea how big that boot is.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38Well, I can see it, it's hideous.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41The kids go in there, give them a couple of lollipops, away they go.
0:29:41 > 0:29:42OK, once again, it's up to the audience.
0:29:42 > 0:29:46Paul is 1-0 down. Best car ever - we have Paul's DBS Volante
0:29:46 > 0:29:49up against Jennifer's, once again, the Alfa Romeo Spider.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52Let's hear it for Paul's DBS Volante.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54CHEERING
0:29:59 > 0:30:02Let's hear it for an encore and the Alfa Romeo Spider.
0:30:02 > 0:30:03Come on!
0:30:03 > 0:30:05QUIETER CHEERING
0:30:05 > 0:30:07Paul, you just got it - 1-1.
0:30:07 > 0:30:11Perfect! It's down to the laps, my friends. Down to the laps.
0:30:11 > 0:30:16- Oh, no.- Paul Hollywood, you have a national A, B, and C racing licence.
0:30:16 > 0:30:17I've got an international C.
0:30:17 > 0:30:18What is that?
0:30:18 > 0:30:21Well, apparently it means he's done a lot of driving competitively...
0:30:21 > 0:30:23- I have a swimming certificate.- What?
0:30:23 > 0:30:25I have a swimming certificate.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28- Which is more useful today, I have to say.- 50 metres.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31Paul, I put it to you - is this or is it not true,
0:30:31 > 0:30:34as Jennifer's going round, and I don't know if you know this, Jen,
0:30:34 > 0:30:36Paul asked for a stopwatch so he could time your lap.
0:30:36 > 0:30:38I do believe that, I believe that.
0:30:38 > 0:30:39I was timing the lap, yeah.
0:30:39 > 0:30:43I know cos I looked and I saw your little face pale as I sped past.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46- LAUGHTER - I went, I went white.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50All right, now, these have been specified as the worst conditions
0:30:50 > 0:30:53anybody has ever seen on this track.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55So, basically, it's just between you two.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58It's your own special little competition, all right, OK?
0:30:58 > 0:30:59Would you like to see the laps?
0:30:59 > 0:31:01- AUDIENCE:- Yes!
0:31:01 > 0:31:04Jennifer first. Calm down, you two!
0:31:04 > 0:31:08- Oh, God!- It's OK. Jennifer on the start line, here we go.
0:31:08 > 0:31:13There she is, Jennifer Saunders in our mighty Mini Cooper.
0:31:13 > 0:31:15Come on now, I can see Paul Hollywood has come out to watch,
0:31:15 > 0:31:17so we've got to bloody take it to him.
0:31:17 > 0:31:21That's the spirit, Jen, a seriously soggy track,
0:31:21 > 0:31:25the wettest our rally cross course has ever been.
0:31:25 > 0:31:26It's into the horrid bit, into the mud.
0:31:28 > 0:31:30Now that's the water splash.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33Where it starts, where it ends, we don't know any more.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36That is so serious, it's not funny.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39Come on! That's it, back on the road.
0:31:40 > 0:31:44So focused into Hammerhead, back on dry land. Hammerhead, very tidy.
0:31:46 > 0:31:47Come on, put your foot down, woman.
0:31:50 > 0:31:53Approaching the hairpin, more water, look at this.
0:31:53 > 0:31:55Oh, my, yeah, come on, that's pretty impressive.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59Excellent control, great technique.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02Here comes the jump. Any air?
0:32:02 > 0:32:03No air.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05Sorry, uh, Jen, no air today.
0:32:07 > 0:32:09As fast as you can go... Ooh!
0:32:09 > 0:32:13Tyre wall, back on terra firma, OK.
0:32:13 > 0:32:18Into the next to last, nice apex cutting the corner.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21Into Gambon, how tidy will this be?
0:32:21 > 0:32:23Anything's easy after what you've been through.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26Was that a bit of counter-steering there, you naughty girl?
0:32:26 > 0:32:28CHEERING
0:32:32 > 0:32:35Very good, Jennifer Saunders.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37- Thank you. - How do you feel about that?
0:32:37 > 0:32:39Well, it looks a lot better than it felt.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41It felt really messy.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44We've actually classified Jennifer's conditions as "appalling"
0:32:44 > 0:32:47and Paul's, yours we have classified as "very wet"
0:32:47 > 0:32:48cos it was drying a little.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51- What?! What?! - LAUGHTER
0:32:51 > 0:32:54Well, look at the amount of water I displaced for you.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57- It was the same. - It wasn't the same.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59It was two hours later and the sun had been shining.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01Listen here, it was literally about...
0:33:01 > 0:33:02a minute after I followed you.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05The track had been in the oven for at least another hour.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07It was raining when I was out there.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10- It wasn't.- OK, would you like to see Paul's lap?
0:33:10 > 0:33:13- AUDIENCE:- Yes!- Here we go.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16Paul Hollywood on the start line in the rally cross Mini.
0:33:16 > 0:33:20Paul Hollywood, the Wizard from the Wirral, on our wickedly wet track.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22Let's go!
0:33:22 > 0:33:24Right, here we go! This is for the Bake Off team.
0:33:24 > 0:33:28He's not in the tent any more. He's in our rally cross Mini.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31It may be a bit drier than Jennifer's lap out there.
0:33:31 > 0:33:33Come on, you can see it's drier.
0:33:33 > 0:33:35It's just like a swimming pool!
0:33:40 > 0:33:42Mary would go mad if this was her garden!
0:33:45 > 0:33:48Hammerhead, very nice.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50Car draining off there.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53This is a little bit nasty.
0:33:54 > 0:33:57Now I've got to say Jennifer was very impressive
0:33:57 > 0:34:00around the hairpin and what about Paul?
0:34:01 > 0:34:03Not as dramatic, but very tight.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08No air, sorry, sorry, no air again.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10Come back another day for some air.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12Right, so here we go...
0:34:12 > 0:34:14Pfft!
0:34:15 > 0:34:17Through the tyre wall.
0:34:18 > 0:34:22The Follow-through and foot down all the way here now.
0:34:22 > 0:34:24Coming up to Gambon.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29Massive slide out the last corner, a Hollywood slide and across the line!
0:34:29 > 0:34:30CHEERING
0:34:30 > 0:34:32He's so chuffed with that.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36You should see your face! Oh, you lit up there.
0:34:38 > 0:34:42You so lit up at the end there. Let's look at the times.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44- So, forget all that, OK. That doesn't exist, all right?- OK.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47They don't exist, worst conditions of all time.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50Jennifer, if it's under three, I think you're doing really well.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53Jennifer Saunders in appalling conditions - two minutes...
0:34:53 > 0:34:55CHEERING
0:34:55 > 0:34:58..21.6, there you go!
0:34:58 > 0:35:00CHEERING
0:35:04 > 0:35:07Paul Hollywood, very wet conditions, not quite as wet,
0:35:07 > 0:35:10- it has to be said, as Jennifer. - Unbelievable.
0:35:10 > 0:35:14- True, c'est vrai? - No, it was appalling.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17- Paul Hollywood, two minutes again.. - CHEERING
0:35:17 > 0:35:20- ..16.4, there you go. - CHEERING
0:35:20 > 0:35:23Happy, happy together.
0:35:23 > 0:35:28Ladies and gentlemen, Jennifer Saunders, Paul Hollywood.
0:35:28 > 0:35:30CHEERING
0:35:38 > 0:35:41So, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, salt and vinegar.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45Gather round, it's Top Gear story time.
0:35:45 > 0:35:47Tonight, a true tale from many moons ago
0:35:47 > 0:35:50beginning in a mystical land far, far away -
0:35:50 > 0:35:53a place called Coventry.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14Let me tell you a story.
0:36:14 > 0:36:201961, the night before the Geneva Motor Show,
0:36:20 > 0:36:25Jaguar is preparing to reveal the E-Type.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29Excitement from the world's press exceeds all expectations.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34A second E-Type is needed.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37A driver is despatched.
0:36:37 > 0:36:4113 hours to reach Geneva,
0:36:41 > 0:36:47750 miles through the night -
0:36:47 > 0:36:50he makes it with ten minutes to spare.
0:36:50 > 0:36:57The rest, as they say, is history - a journey never to be repeated.
0:36:57 > 0:36:59- ENGINE STARTS - Until now.
0:37:03 > 0:37:09It is 55 years to the night since Jaguar test driver Norman Dewis
0:37:09 > 0:37:13burst out of the Coventry factory doors and onto this very road.
0:37:13 > 0:37:17And, in 13 hours at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show,
0:37:17 > 0:37:20Jaguar will unveil this car,
0:37:20 > 0:37:23the F-Type SVR convertible.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25And when I say "this car",
0:37:25 > 0:37:26I mean THIS car -
0:37:26 > 0:37:31this is the only F-Type SVR convertible in the world.
0:37:31 > 0:37:36If I don't get there, then the Jaguar boss will unveil...nothing.
0:37:36 > 0:37:37Fresh air.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46The F-Type is Jag's spiritual successor to the E-Type -
0:37:46 > 0:37:50a two-seat, rear-drive proper sports car.
0:37:50 > 0:37:54Now Jaguar's elite SVO skunkworks department
0:37:54 > 0:37:56has turned the F-Type into simply the fastest
0:37:56 > 0:38:01series production Jaguar ever created - the SVR.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06What they've done is they've taken the standard V8 F-Type,
0:38:06 > 0:38:08and made it nastier -
0:38:08 > 0:38:11more power, less weight, more rage.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17Hauling me across Europe is a 567 brake horsepower V8.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22It'll clock 0-60 in 3.5 seconds,
0:38:22 > 0:38:28on its way to a top speed of 195mph.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30And that is the kind of grunt you need
0:38:30 > 0:38:33when you're trying to outrun history.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36With twice the power of the original E-Type
0:38:36 > 0:38:39and 21st century motorways to help me on my way,
0:38:39 > 0:38:43matching Norman's time should be, on paper, a breeze.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46But I've also got 21st century traffic
0:38:46 > 0:38:49and 21st century traffic police.
0:38:49 > 0:38:53If there's one hold up, I'm not going to make this.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00And, as I arrived at the Channel Tunnel,
0:39:00 > 0:39:02I started to realise the magnitude of my task.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05I wasn't just trying to keep up with any old test driver -
0:39:05 > 0:39:08I was trying to keep up with a legend.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13After serving in the Second World War,
0:39:13 > 0:39:16Norman Dewis joined Jaguar as their chief test driver.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19There, for the next 30 years,
0:39:19 > 0:39:23he helped develop some of the most iconic sports cars ever created.
0:39:23 > 0:39:28In 1953, Norman set a new production car world record,
0:39:28 > 0:39:33reaching 172mph in a Jaguar XK120.
0:39:33 > 0:39:39Then in 1971, during development of the XJ13 prototype,
0:39:39 > 0:39:44a rear tyre blew out, causing the car to barrel roll three times.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46It was completely destroyed.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48Norman was back at work the next day.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53This was the man who drove the E-Type to Geneva,
0:39:53 > 0:39:56the man I have to keep up with.
0:39:56 > 0:40:00Tonight, I am following in the footsteps of an automotive pioneer.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04I'm standing on the shoulders of an absolute giant.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08And this, the most powerful of modern Jags,
0:40:08 > 0:40:12is being driven by an idiot off the internet...
0:40:12 > 0:40:13me.
0:40:13 > 0:40:19Yes, entering France, with an entire large country still to cross,
0:40:19 > 0:40:21I was definitely up against it,
0:40:21 > 0:40:23and the consequences of failure would be....
0:40:23 > 0:40:26significant.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29The Geneva Show is the centrepiece of the motoring calendar,
0:40:29 > 0:40:33and this car is Jaguar's big reveal.
0:40:33 > 0:40:34If I don't get there,
0:40:34 > 0:40:38I won't just have failed Top Gear, I'll have failed...
0:40:38 > 0:40:40Britain. I better get a move on.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45Oh, I should probably mention...
0:40:45 > 0:40:50That carbon fibre rear wing deploys automatically at 60mph.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53In fact, if there are any traffic cops watching this,
0:40:53 > 0:40:57the wing deploys automatically at 40mph.
0:40:57 > 0:40:58Make that 30.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03As the SVR ate up France,
0:41:03 > 0:41:08it was clearly more than capable of keeping pace with Norman.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11But with the night wearing on...
0:41:11 > 0:41:14Push the ticket button, there you go.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17..and only the occasional local for company...
0:41:17 > 0:41:20- HE SPEAKS IN FRENCH - I have no idea what you're saying.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24The car wasn't the problem - it was me.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28So tired, so, so tired.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31- NORMAN DEWIS:- It was tough.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34But you get on with it, don't you?
0:41:34 > 0:41:36You have to keep going.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40This is relentless.
0:41:40 > 0:41:45How the hell did Norman Dewis do this journey without energy drinks?
0:41:45 > 0:41:47The man's a god!
0:41:49 > 0:41:52And then, at last...
0:41:52 > 0:41:53Daybreak.
0:41:53 > 0:41:59Welcome relief from the darkness and the final stretch.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04There's tired, there's dead tired
0:42:04 > 0:42:07and then there's how I'm feeling right now.
0:42:07 > 0:42:11Fortunately, the SVR is packed with a handy pick-me-up.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14There's a new exhaust, which is made out of Inconel.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16That's the stuff they use to build space rockets.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20It saves 16kg over the exhaust on the standard V8,
0:42:20 > 0:42:21but, more importantly,
0:42:21 > 0:42:25it makes a noise like an industrial wood chipper...
0:42:25 > 0:42:27EXHAUST ROARS
0:42:27 > 0:42:31..being fed into another industrial wood chipper. Ha-ha!
0:42:31 > 0:42:35Somewhere in the small hours, though, my schedule had slipped
0:42:35 > 0:42:37and with just two hours
0:42:37 > 0:42:39until the SVR was due onstage,
0:42:39 > 0:42:41I had over 100 miles still to cover,
0:42:41 > 0:42:44most of them on mountain roads.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46All right, hold on to your hats.
0:42:51 > 0:42:55Unlike the ordinary V8 F-Type, the SVR is all-wheel drive.
0:42:55 > 0:42:59Right now, that's a good thing.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02The acceleration on this thing is just savage.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07- It's supercar fast. - EXHAUST ROARS
0:43:07 > 0:43:10- And that noise! - HE LAUGHS
0:43:10 > 0:43:11I'm loving this thing.
0:43:12 > 0:43:16The handling, you turn it in, it feels sharper,
0:43:16 > 0:43:19the throttle response - more instant.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22It just feels like a much more hard-core version
0:43:22 > 0:43:24of a car that is already pretty damn hard-core.
0:43:24 > 0:43:29That's exactly what I need right now. Oh, yes!
0:43:33 > 0:43:36With the press gathering on their show stand,
0:43:36 > 0:43:39Jaguar bosses in Geneva were getting nervous.
0:43:42 > 0:43:44Come on, MOVE! Thank you.
0:43:44 > 0:43:46Merci beaucoup.
0:43:46 > 0:43:47And my phone was going crazy.
0:43:47 > 0:43:49SPEAKERPHONE: The car has to be here, Rory.
0:43:49 > 0:43:51Yeah, no, no, I get it, no, I totally get it.
0:43:51 > 0:43:53- OK, bye-bye.- Bye-bye, bye-bye.
0:43:53 > 0:43:56I knew this was a bad idea, man. I knew this was a bad idea.
0:43:59 > 0:44:01Approaching Geneva, I had just ten minutes
0:44:01 > 0:44:03till the car was due onstage.
0:44:03 > 0:44:06There it is in front of me. I can see it, I can see Palexpo.
0:44:08 > 0:44:10Ladies and gentlemen,
0:44:10 > 0:44:14the Jaguar Land Rover press conference will shortly commence.
0:44:14 > 0:44:16I need to find gate D, gate D.
0:44:16 > 0:44:18Please let this be it.
0:44:18 > 0:44:20I'm delivering this car to Jaguar.
0:44:20 > 0:44:24Super urgent. Is this gate D? No? No.
0:44:24 > 0:44:26No! I need to back up.
0:44:35 > 0:44:41Ladies and gentlemen, the Jaguar F-Type SVR.
0:44:41 > 0:44:44APPLAUSE
0:44:48 > 0:44:50And there to welcome me...
0:44:50 > 0:44:52- Norman.- Hey!
0:44:52 > 0:44:54- Rory, lovely to meet you. - Nice to meet you.
0:44:54 > 0:44:59It's about determination, believing you'll do it.
0:45:02 > 0:45:04I never doubted for a second.
0:45:08 > 0:45:11CHEERING
0:45:11 > 0:45:13Truly magical.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16And, of course, there's one man we'd all love to meet.
0:45:16 > 0:45:17So, why don't we do that?
0:45:17 > 0:45:19Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome,
0:45:19 > 0:45:23with his new mate Rory Reid, the legendary Norman Dewis, OBE.
0:45:23 > 0:45:26CHEERING
0:45:28 > 0:45:32- How are you? Come over here. - APPLAUSE DROWNS OUT RESPONSE
0:45:32 > 0:45:36What an honour. Don't you agree, Rory?
0:45:36 > 0:45:38Definitely. This guy, massive respect.
0:45:38 > 0:45:42Look, I might have made it, but in the spirit of keeping it real,
0:45:42 > 0:45:46this guy back in 1961 did it and he beat me by ten minutes.
0:45:46 > 0:45:48- LAUGHTER - Ten minutes faster.
0:45:48 > 0:45:52Now, Norman has worked for Jag since 1952
0:45:52 > 0:45:54in research and development.
0:45:54 > 0:45:56And, now, because you were a test driver
0:45:56 > 0:45:59in the most dangerous era of motoring,
0:45:59 > 0:46:02technically, you shouldn't really be here, should you?
0:46:02 > 0:46:06Well...no. Uh, I had three big crashes.
0:46:06 > 0:46:10But, those days, we didn't have seatbelts or fireproof overalls
0:46:10 > 0:46:12or proper crash helmets.
0:46:12 > 0:46:15Uh, you just got in the car and got on with the job.
0:46:15 > 0:46:18Ladies and gentlemen, Norman Dewis, OBE.
0:46:18 > 0:46:20- Thank you. - CHEERING
0:46:24 > 0:46:27OK, wow, awesome.
0:46:27 > 0:46:31Earlier, you remember, I was driving this sublime Rolls-Royce Dawn -
0:46:31 > 0:46:35a car I loved and a car that Chris had a few issues with.
0:46:35 > 0:46:38Yeah, so here's the real issue with the Dawn, though, Matt,
0:46:38 > 0:46:40OK, here's the deal.
0:46:40 > 0:46:43With all brand-new Rolls-Royces, it's the same thing.
0:46:43 > 0:46:46Fresh out of the showroom, they're just too flashy.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49They rub people up the wrong way.
0:46:49 > 0:46:51I'm not saying it's fair on the car or the owners,
0:46:51 > 0:46:54it's just the way it... It's just a fact.
0:46:54 > 0:46:58You have to allow several decades between buying a new Rolls-Royce
0:46:58 > 0:47:02and then the Rolls-Royce becoming classic, classy and loved.
0:47:02 > 0:47:05- LAUGHTER - Seriously. Do you believe me?
0:47:05 > 0:47:07No.
0:47:07 > 0:47:10OK, look, here is what I'm talking about. Look at this.
0:47:10 > 0:47:14A 1976 Rolls-Royce Corniche. Isn't this beautiful?
0:47:14 > 0:47:15- AUDIENCE:- Yes.
0:47:15 > 0:47:16See? It's beautiful.
0:47:16 > 0:47:20Isn't this YOUR 1976 Rolls-Royce Corniche?
0:47:20 > 0:47:23Yes. It's also mine, but that's sort of precisely my point. Right?
0:47:23 > 0:47:25People can't fail to smile
0:47:25 > 0:47:29when this glides by even with a tool like me behind the wheel.
0:47:29 > 0:47:31LAUGHTER
0:47:31 > 0:47:34OK, and the funny thing is Chris actually believes that. All right?
0:47:34 > 0:47:38So what we decided to do was put it to the test,
0:47:38 > 0:47:39OK, by taking the Dawn
0:47:39 > 0:47:44and Chris's Queen Mary here on the campaign trail.
0:47:44 > 0:47:47We let the honest people of Dingle, West Ireland decide for themselves.
0:47:47 > 0:47:49Yes.
0:47:54 > 0:47:57So, welcome to the Rolls-Royce Corniche,
0:47:57 > 0:48:01one of the best of the very best.
0:48:01 > 0:48:04OK, it may only be half as powerful, not even,
0:48:04 > 0:48:08maybe a tenth as reliable on a good day, but you know what?
0:48:08 > 0:48:10None of that matters.
0:48:10 > 0:48:12In fact, it makes the Corniche more attractive,
0:48:12 > 0:48:15gives it vulnerability, you know, makes it more human.
0:48:19 > 0:48:21Chris Evans cracks me up.
0:48:21 > 0:48:24He's going to be going on and on about nostalgia
0:48:24 > 0:48:27and how cars were better in the old days.
0:48:27 > 0:48:30I'm here to tell you they weren't. They sucked.
0:48:33 > 0:48:34Now, on a road like this,
0:48:34 > 0:48:36do you have your traction control on or off?
0:48:36 > 0:48:38Well, it's sort of permanently off
0:48:38 > 0:48:41because I actually don't have traction control.
0:48:42 > 0:48:44What?
0:48:44 > 0:48:47Discussions like this are considered inelegant
0:48:47 > 0:48:49when it comes to Rolls-Royces, Matthew.
0:48:53 > 0:48:55The question - old Rolls versus new Rolls.
0:48:57 > 0:48:59The town of Dingle to decide.
0:48:59 > 0:49:02They would vote for their favourite at the end of the day
0:49:02 > 0:49:07so we had just a few hours to garner as much support as we could muster.
0:49:07 > 0:49:10CAR HORN HONKS
0:49:10 > 0:49:15And the campaign trail... kicked off here.
0:49:21 > 0:49:23Not knowing much about Gaelic sports,
0:49:23 > 0:49:26we waited for what we hoped was half-time...
0:49:26 > 0:49:29WHISTLE BLOWS
0:49:29 > 0:49:31..before targeting the most qualified people
0:49:31 > 0:49:35to judge between a couple of swanky cars - a load of footballers.
0:49:35 > 0:49:37Bring in the teams!
0:49:38 > 0:49:41What do you think, new or old?
0:49:42 > 0:49:45Come on, come on, ref, get in.
0:49:45 > 0:49:47Let me show you the boot.
0:49:47 > 0:49:49On this one, the transmission is hooked to the sat nav
0:49:49 > 0:49:52and it can tell what's coming and puts you in the right gear
0:49:52 > 0:49:53for what the road looks like in front of you.
0:49:53 > 0:49:56It became clear that I was going to struggle
0:49:56 > 0:49:59with Matt in full showroom mode.
0:49:59 > 0:50:01Push down.
0:50:03 > 0:50:05That sells the car right there, that button.
0:50:05 > 0:50:10And, even worse, I had that Hollywood charm to contend with.
0:50:10 > 0:50:13- Hi, how are you?- Good, how are you? - Good, good, good, good.
0:50:13 > 0:50:16Hang on, there's nobody in my car any more.
0:50:16 > 0:50:19Already confident about the evening's big vote,
0:50:19 > 0:50:22I called for an early opinion poll.
0:50:22 > 0:50:23What if we do this,
0:50:23 > 0:50:27let's say all the players go around the car that they'd prefer.
0:50:27 > 0:50:28Let's try that.
0:50:31 > 0:50:33LAUGHTER
0:50:38 > 0:50:40I think if it was a vote between me and you,
0:50:40 > 0:50:41you obviously would become president.
0:50:41 > 0:50:43I think it was the new Dawn.
0:50:43 > 0:50:46It was the Dawn of a new day, if you will.
0:50:46 > 0:50:48Oh, don't get all poetic on me, please.
0:50:52 > 0:50:56Gaelic football had been a disastrous start for the Corniche.
0:50:56 > 0:51:00The Dawn's flashy gadgets and the seemingly irresistible draw
0:51:00 > 0:51:02of a free umbrella had won people over.
0:51:02 > 0:51:04But I really think they were missing the point.
0:51:07 > 0:51:10See, the thing about a Rolls is you have to wait.
0:51:10 > 0:51:14You have to wait long enough for time to peel back
0:51:14 > 0:51:17that stigma of in-your-face ostentation,
0:51:17 > 0:51:20"Look at me, I'm Charlie Big Potatoes,"
0:51:20 > 0:51:24to reveal a beautiful patina riven into the leather
0:51:24 > 0:51:29and the walnut and the paint and the very spirit and essence of the car.
0:51:29 > 0:51:32It's those more characterful things about the Corniche
0:51:32 > 0:51:34that make me love it.
0:51:34 > 0:51:36I just needed to find someone in Dingle to agree.
0:51:36 > 0:51:40Luckily, our next stop seemed more likely to go in my favour.
0:51:40 > 0:51:42We'd been challenged to a smell test.
0:51:42 > 0:51:44Your car just smells of new, it's got that new smell.
0:51:44 > 0:51:46You know, the smell you can buy in a canister
0:51:46 > 0:51:48and just spray it for two quid.
0:51:48 > 0:51:49Does your nose work?
0:51:51 > 0:51:53To settle the dispute,
0:51:53 > 0:51:57we were meeting someone whose nose works very well indeed.
0:52:00 > 0:52:04Dingle's head distiller, chief whisky sniffer Michael.
0:52:04 > 0:52:09If one of your products here were to smell like an old wet dog,
0:52:09 > 0:52:11would you sell it?
0:52:11 > 0:52:13- No.- Perfect.
0:52:13 > 0:52:16So, we put our roofs up for maximum pungency,
0:52:16 > 0:52:19and seeing as that would take Chris until sometime next week...
0:52:19 > 0:52:20How you doing over there?
0:52:20 > 0:52:22Yeah, fine, thanks, I don't need any help.
0:52:22 > 0:52:24..Michael started in the Dawn.
0:52:24 > 0:52:27- HE SNIFFS - Hmm.
0:52:30 > 0:52:32He seems to be enjoying it.
0:52:32 > 0:52:36Turns out a quarter of a million buys you the luxurious smell of...
0:52:36 > 0:52:38Interesting.
0:52:38 > 0:52:40Interesting? What the hell does that mean?
0:52:40 > 0:52:41OK, time for a new approach.
0:52:41 > 0:52:43Let me tell you about the leather in there.
0:52:43 > 0:52:46The leather is made from 12 Bavarian bulls
0:52:46 > 0:52:50that are raised at altitudes too high for mosquitoes
0:52:50 > 0:52:53so that they don't put holes in the hide
0:52:53 > 0:52:56and treated with a special treatment that doesn't squeak.
0:52:56 > 0:52:58Move your butt around, it does not squeak.
0:52:58 > 0:53:01- Hmm. - HE LAUGHS
0:53:01 > 0:53:04- Is that nice?- Yeah.
0:53:04 > 0:53:07Michael didn't seem entirely convinced.
0:53:07 > 0:53:09Please.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12Careful the door doesn't fall off when you open it.
0:53:12 > 0:53:14What do you get?
0:53:14 > 0:53:16Well, there's the wood and the leather.
0:53:16 > 0:53:18It's deep, it's almost tobacco.
0:53:18 > 0:53:22It is... It is very...
0:53:22 > 0:53:26It's complex, but it's good. I like it. I'm impressed.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32OK, and...? Want to have another go?
0:53:32 > 0:53:35That was... It was nice.
0:53:35 > 0:53:37And the story with the Bavarian cows and everything
0:53:37 > 0:53:41- was beautiful, it's... - Bulls, to be...- Sorry, bulls.
0:53:41 > 0:53:44It's not always the case that older is better,
0:53:44 > 0:53:45but I think in this case, Matt,
0:53:45 > 0:53:48I'm afraid I'm going to have to go with Chris.
0:53:49 > 0:53:53Yes! I was back in the game. And Matt wasn't happy.
0:53:53 > 0:53:57He was drunk. He was swaying back and forth.
0:53:57 > 0:53:58Did you notice that?
0:53:59 > 0:54:03That last test made me realise even more why I love this car.
0:54:03 > 0:54:05Didn't realise so much that when I get in the car,
0:54:05 > 0:54:08it's already got me under its spell because of the way it smells.
0:54:08 > 0:54:09Isn't that brilliant?
0:54:14 > 0:54:17The heart and soul of the Corniche was my secret weapon
0:54:17 > 0:54:19so I was also looking forward to the next comparison -
0:54:19 > 0:54:21how they sound.
0:54:21 > 0:54:24This is a V8.
0:54:24 > 0:54:27There's no finer sounding engine note in the world than a V8.
0:54:27 > 0:54:28Everybody knows that.
0:54:28 > 0:54:34But that car has a terrible, terrible sounding engine, though.
0:54:34 > 0:54:39It really does sound like a portable hair drier.
0:54:42 > 0:54:45Hoping to avoid any stereotypes about Ireland,
0:54:45 > 0:54:46we picked the first group
0:54:46 > 0:54:49of average everyday people we could find...
0:54:53 > 0:54:56..and asked them which engine's voice spoke to them.
0:54:56 > 0:54:57OK, are you ready?
0:54:57 > 0:54:59ENGINE REVS SOFTLY
0:54:59 > 0:55:02Sounds like a hamster trying to stifle a cough.
0:55:02 > 0:55:04THEY LAUGH
0:55:04 > 0:55:06OK, now listen to this one.
0:55:06 > 0:55:07- You ready?- Yep.
0:55:07 > 0:55:10ENGINE REVS LOUDLY
0:55:10 > 0:55:11- THEY LAUGH - Yes?- Yeah.
0:55:11 > 0:55:15Woohoo! V8, baby!
0:55:15 > 0:55:19Dingle was beginning to fall for the charms of the Corniche
0:55:19 > 0:55:21and I was starting to wonder why I'd put so much faith
0:55:21 > 0:55:23in the taste of footballers.
0:55:23 > 0:55:24Which car, this car or that car?
0:55:24 > 0:55:27- Uh... Your one.- Yay!
0:55:27 > 0:55:29But the vote could still go either way.
0:55:29 > 0:55:32Excuse me, sorry to interrupt. Very nice sheep.
0:55:32 > 0:55:33- Yeah?- Which is the best car?
0:55:33 > 0:55:35Would you have this one or would you have that one?
0:55:35 > 0:55:37I think that one.
0:55:37 > 0:55:39I'm sure you're an amazing farmer
0:55:39 > 0:55:41but you've got a terrible taste in cars.
0:55:41 > 0:55:43With not long left till the polls opened,
0:55:43 > 0:55:45the people of Dingle were out in force
0:55:45 > 0:55:48so we hit the town for some last minute canvassing.
0:55:49 > 0:55:55Vote with your heart! Vote for smell, sound, class and quality.
0:55:56 > 0:56:00No need to vote for the Corniche - it'll only let you down.
0:56:00 > 0:56:04Vote brand-new technology at its finest!
0:56:04 > 0:56:06Cast your votes now, cast your votes now.
0:56:16 > 0:56:20With all the votes cast, there was nothing more we could do.
0:56:21 > 0:56:26As the day drew to a close, we made the most of the incredible road.
0:56:26 > 0:56:28And, for just a minute,
0:56:28 > 0:56:31the competition didn't seem quite so important.
0:56:31 > 0:56:33Look at that, wow!
0:56:33 > 0:56:37Do you know what corniche means? A road cut into a hill.
0:56:37 > 0:56:40The Corniche is now on a corniche.
0:56:45 > 0:56:48This is spectacular.
0:56:48 > 0:56:51And these two cars, 40 years apart, but together in spirit.
0:56:57 > 0:57:00Wow! Look at this.
0:57:00 > 0:57:03- It doesn't get any better. - It really doesn't. Fantastic!
0:57:07 > 0:57:09What a day!
0:57:09 > 0:57:10Amazing! Amazing day.
0:57:10 > 0:57:13You know, I've got to say when this whole thing started,
0:57:13 > 0:57:16I thought for sure, for me, it was going to be the new car.
0:57:16 > 0:57:20But after spending the whole day seeing your passion for it
0:57:20 > 0:57:25and seeing the people, how they love it, the smell and the sound of it
0:57:25 > 0:57:29and just the patina of the older car and your love for that
0:57:29 > 0:57:32and everything, at the end of the day,
0:57:32 > 0:57:33I...
0:57:33 > 0:57:35I still take the new one.
0:57:36 > 0:57:38HE LAUGHS I would.
0:57:38 > 0:57:40I can't lie to you, my friend.
0:57:40 > 0:57:43- Honestly?- Honestly.
0:57:43 > 0:57:44I thought we'd converted you.
0:57:44 > 0:57:45No.
0:57:45 > 0:57:48CHEERING
0:57:48 > 0:57:51Great scenery, great roads, great people.
0:57:51 > 0:57:54Yeah, sometimes paradise is just a ferry away.
0:57:54 > 0:57:56You don't have to go to the other side of the world.
0:57:56 > 0:57:58- Thank you, Ireland.- Yeah, thank you.
0:57:58 > 0:58:00OK, we'll find out the final result in a minute.
0:58:00 > 0:58:03But first, let's take a quick poll here. Chris, old or new?
0:58:03 > 0:58:07- Old.- Yes! All right, thank you very much indeed.
0:58:07 > 0:58:08Whatever. Rory, old or new?
0:58:08 > 0:58:11- You know what it is, new, all day. - That's what I'm talking about.
0:58:11 > 0:58:14Absolute crawler. Norman, Norman, new or old?
0:58:14 > 0:58:16It's got to be old.
0:58:16 > 0:58:19Of course it's got to be old! Norman knows.
0:58:21 > 0:58:24OK, well, thank God it doesn't matter what any of us think
0:58:24 > 0:58:27because it's down to Dingle.
0:58:27 > 0:58:30Let's cross to Ireland for the football referee
0:58:30 > 0:58:33and the teams back in the bar.
0:58:33 > 0:58:36I, Richie Williams, Gaelic football referee
0:58:36 > 0:58:41and returning officer for Dingle, hereby declare that the winner,
0:58:41 > 0:58:45with 68% of the vote, is the Rolls-Royce...
0:58:45 > 0:58:46- Dawn. - THEY CHEER
0:58:49 > 0:58:50I told you!
0:58:53 > 0:58:57Whatever! I'm going with Norman. Shall we go with Norman?
0:58:57 > 0:58:59- AUDIENCE:- Yes!
0:58:59 > 0:59:02Sorry, Dingle. On next week's show, a very special MGB,
0:59:02 > 0:59:06the brand-new Ford Mustang and Honda resurrects the NSX.
0:59:06 > 0:59:08- Goodnight, everyone! - Goodnight, everyone!
0:59:08 > 0:59:11CHEERING