0:00:20 > 0:00:23CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:00:23 > 0:00:25Hello! And welcome to Top Gear.
0:00:25 > 0:00:29Tonight, we're all about one place - Japan.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31A country that has brought us some of the coolest,
0:00:31 > 0:00:33fastest cars of them all.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36But in recent years, Japan's suffered a sort of
0:00:36 > 0:00:39reverse mid-life crisis.
0:00:39 > 0:00:44It's stopped being crazy and fun and got all boring and Prius-y.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48But now there's a couple of signs Japan might just be getting its mojo
0:00:48 > 0:00:51back, so Chris went to investigate.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08First up is a new two-door rear-wheel drive coupe from Lexus.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13It's called the LC500,
0:01:13 > 0:01:15and while it might look as sharp as a samurai sword...
0:01:18 > 0:01:21..this version is powered by an appealingly blunt instrument.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27ENGINE REVS LOUDLY
0:01:31 > 0:01:33Woo-hoo-hoo!
0:01:34 > 0:01:36Have some of that!
0:01:40 > 0:01:44Seriously, who needs a stereo when you've got a soundtrack like that?
0:01:47 > 0:01:51This retro anthem isn't being played by a clever, futuristic hybrid.
0:01:52 > 0:01:57Underneath the bonnet is a proper, old school, electric-free V8.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07O to 60, less than five seconds,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10top speed, nearly 170mph.
0:02:14 > 0:02:20We keep being told the fuel-gargling petrol engine is dead,
0:02:20 > 0:02:24but if responsible, conscientious Lexus still thinks it has legs,
0:02:24 > 0:02:26we might be good for a few years yet.
0:02:30 > 0:02:35Especially when that engine is kept in check by four-wheel steering,
0:02:35 > 0:02:38and has been bolted to the stiffest chassis Lexus has ever produced.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43So when you get to a corner, yeah, it can handle those, too.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47TYRES SCREECH
0:02:50 > 0:02:53It turns nicely, grip builds,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56good traction, but it's rear-wheel drive, so it's playful.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00That engine's power and torque is perfectly matched to the amount of
0:03:00 > 0:03:03grip available, so I'm getting those lovely, little delicate slides
0:03:03 > 0:03:05in the exit of the corners.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07It encourages you to behave like a bit of a wally.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09TYRES SCREECH
0:03:14 > 0:03:17It's so un-Lexus, it's wonderful!
0:03:21 > 0:03:25But it is a Lexus, so it's not all good news.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29It starts at £76,000, which is too much.
0:03:29 > 0:03:30It weighs nearly two tonnes,
0:03:30 > 0:03:33so on a track it doesn't stop very well,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36and it is a bit...overcomplicated.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39Four, five, six, seven...
0:03:39 > 0:03:41Ten gears?!
0:03:41 > 0:03:44Now I'm all for getting more for your money, but if you have to
0:03:44 > 0:03:46deploy long division to work out what gear you're in,
0:03:46 > 0:03:48that might be overkill.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51But while the LC500 isn't perfect...
0:03:53 > 0:03:56..I do admire it.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58It stands out from the crowd.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05It's not trying to be a Porsche, or a Jaguar, or a BMW
0:04:05 > 0:04:07or any other European coupe.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11It's Japan doing its own thing,
0:04:11 > 0:04:13and it's not the only one.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17Because...
0:04:17 > 0:04:19..there's also this.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22The new Civic Type R.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26Honda's not-so-subtle antidote to all of Europe's very fast...
0:04:28 > 0:04:30..very samey hot hatches.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37But the question is,
0:04:37 > 0:04:41does it have the trousers to back up the mouth?
0:04:44 > 0:04:46Oh, yes, it does!
0:04:46 > 0:04:47Yes, yes, yes!
0:04:47 > 0:04:49TYRES SCREECH
0:04:52 > 0:04:55This is a cracker of a hot hatch.
0:04:55 > 0:05:00It's got a two litre turbo-charged motor, 316 horsepower,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03and it weighs just under 1,400 kg.
0:05:03 > 0:05:04That is potent.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09Hitting 60 in 5.8 seconds,
0:05:11 > 0:05:14and with a top speed of 169mph,
0:05:17 > 0:05:20this will give any hot hatch a run for its money.
0:05:25 > 0:05:26I just love it!
0:05:26 > 0:05:29And it's got a proper manual gearbox.
0:05:29 > 0:05:34Look at this stick down here with a perfect Type R aluminium gear knob,
0:05:34 > 0:05:36and it has a sensible number of gears, too.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40And while more and more hot hatches now turn up with sensible,
0:05:40 > 0:05:42grippy four-wheel drive,
0:05:42 > 0:05:45the Civic still sends all of its power to the front.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50And it's all the better for it.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53It's so much more fun than a four-wheel drive hot hatch,
0:05:53 > 0:05:56because it's got grip when you want it,
0:05:56 > 0:05:58but when you don't, it'll do this.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01# One, two, three, four, five, break down. #
0:06:01 > 0:06:03TYRES SCREECH
0:06:08 > 0:06:10You get in it, and you grow horns.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14Woohoohoo!
0:06:15 > 0:06:20What we have here, then, is a car that Japan should be truly proud of.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24Except, that is, for one tiny detail.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28You see, the Type R's not actually made in Japan at all.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30It's made in...
0:06:30 > 0:06:32- WHISPERS- ..Swindon.
0:06:32 > 0:06:33And there's nothing wrong with Swindon -
0:06:33 > 0:06:37you just don't really associate it with excitement, do you?
0:06:39 > 0:06:42And then, of course, there's the way it looks.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46Clearly, it's been designed only to appeal to children.
0:06:48 > 0:06:49But here's the issue -
0:06:49 > 0:06:53this thing costs over 30 grand.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55£30,000!
0:06:55 > 0:06:58So even if you were young and daft enough to think it
0:06:58 > 0:06:59looked good enough to buy,
0:06:59 > 0:07:02you wouldn't be able to afford to buy one.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04But look at it another way,
0:07:04 > 0:07:07if you're in the market for a new Japanese performance car...
0:07:08 > 0:07:12..this Honda might just be a bit of a bargain.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15It may have 150-something horsepower less,
0:07:15 > 0:07:20but I suspect this Civic might be about as quick around this track
0:07:20 > 0:07:22as that LC500.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Time, then, for a race.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35Which means we need a driver for that Lexus.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38No, it's not the Stig, it's the Stig's ninja cousin.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43Where is he?
0:07:49 > 0:07:51Yes, most impressive.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53I think you're being silly now.
0:07:53 > 0:07:54Get in the car.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56Kuruma!
0:07:57 > 0:07:59Whoa!
0:08:17 > 0:08:22Player One, Lexus LC500, versus
0:08:22 > 0:08:26Player Two, Honda Civic Type R.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29One lap, winner takes all!
0:08:29 > 0:08:30Let's do this.
0:08:40 > 0:08:41He's got me off the line.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48Come on, Ninja Stig. Look at him, he's sideways everywhere!
0:09:03 > 0:09:05I sort of want to beat him, but I sort of don't want to beat him.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08What does a Ninja Stig do if he gets beaten?
0:09:13 > 0:09:16Let's get up the inside of him. Oh, he's looking lively!
0:09:16 > 0:09:18Now I've got to outbrake him.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22I've got him, I've got him, I've got him on the brakes!
0:09:22 > 0:09:23I've done him!
0:09:23 > 0:09:25What fantastic brakes.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30Now he's got grunt!
0:09:36 > 0:09:38There he goes!
0:09:44 > 0:09:46He's got traction issues.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51This is so impressive for a hatchback!
0:09:51 > 0:09:54TYRES SCREECH
0:09:54 > 0:09:56I've got brakes, I've got grip, I've got turning.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59Oh, he's running wide, he's running wide! This is my chance, my chance!
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Come on, little Honda! Come on, little Honda!
0:10:02 > 0:10:04ENGINE REVS LOUDLY
0:10:08 > 0:10:10Yes!
0:10:10 > 0:10:14Player Two, Honda Civic Type R, wins!
0:10:14 > 0:10:17Well done, little Honda!
0:10:22 > 0:10:25CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:10:25 > 0:10:28So the Honda beat the Lexus?
0:10:28 > 0:10:31Wow! Impressive. And you really liked the Civic, right?
0:10:31 > 0:10:34It's brilliant. The chassis is fantastic, and it's SO fast.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37It really is the best hot hatchback you can buy.
0:10:37 > 0:10:38What? Whoa, wait a minute.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41We said the Ford Focus RS was the best you could buy,
0:10:41 > 0:10:43so I went out and bought one.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45Well, you'll have to buy one of these now.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47No, I can't do that.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50I mean, look at it. It's hideous.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53OK, I admit it. I mean, it's disgusting.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56- Yeah.- But it's so good to drive, I can forgive the way it looks,
0:10:56 > 0:10:58and the best thing about being behind the wheel -
0:10:58 > 0:11:01you don't see how it looks from the outside.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03They should put that in the commercial.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06OK, now, earlier today we put both cars around our test track in the
0:11:06 > 0:11:09hands of the Stig. Not great conditions out there,
0:11:09 > 0:11:12but the Lexus did it
0:11:12 > 0:11:14in a 1:25:6,
0:11:14 > 0:11:16so that goes there,
0:11:16 > 0:11:18and the Civic did it
0:11:18 > 0:11:22in a 1:25:6.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26The exact same time, so that goes right there.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29Oh... That's great work.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31It goes in there.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33- Or down the bottom, who gives a- BLEEP!
0:11:40 > 0:11:42I told you they were close.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45- Yep, very close.- And that time makes the Civic
0:11:45 > 0:11:47the fastest front-wheel drive car,
0:11:47 > 0:11:51and the fastest hot hatchback ever around our track,
0:11:51 > 0:11:53- and that's got to be worth a round of applause.- Oh, yeah.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56APPLAUSE
0:11:58 > 0:12:00Well done, you guys. OK, come on.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02Let's talk about '90s Japanese sports cars,
0:12:02 > 0:12:04because they were awesome.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07A golden era of fast, affordable performance.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11Problem is, the ones that made it to the UK have been mostly crashed or
0:12:11 > 0:12:16modified, and the ones that haven't are now annoyingly expensive.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18That's right. Look at this lovely Honda NSX.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21A couple of years ago? 30 grand.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23Today, 60 grand.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27But it turns out there is a place you can pick up immaculate, old
0:12:27 > 0:12:30Japanese sports cars for a fraction of the price.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32That's right. It's called Japan.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39We've been sent to Tokyo,
0:12:40 > 0:12:45where we've been told to go and find two of Japan's finest classic
0:12:45 > 0:12:47'90s sports cars.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49Oh, how cool is this, huh?
0:12:49 > 0:12:53Three days in Japan, and all we have to do is buy a couple of old cars.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57That leaves us plenty of time to do cool Japanese stuff, like temples,
0:12:57 > 0:12:59and swords, and ninjas, and sushi.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02- Well, I've got a list of sights I want to see, too.- Oh, yeah?
0:13:02 > 0:13:03Yeah, yeah, Toyota Century.
0:13:03 > 0:13:09- Uh-huh.- Honda S660, maybe even a first-generation Estima.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12Yeah, OK, so hold on, these sights you're talking about,
0:13:12 > 0:13:13are they all cars?
0:13:13 > 0:13:16Well, technically the Estima was a minivan, but you'll see cars
0:13:16 > 0:13:19here you won't see anywhere else on the planet, man.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22Japan's like its own weird little car ecosystem.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25Yeah, look, I know this is a car show, and I know you love cars,
0:13:25 > 0:13:28and you know I love cars, but I think...
0:13:28 > 0:13:31- Cars are everything...- I think you think about them way too...
0:13:31 > 0:13:34- Hi.- Oh, wow, a challenge already, huh?
0:13:34 > 0:13:37"Here, have one million yen each."
0:13:37 > 0:13:39- Oh, wow, look at that. - My kind of challenge.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41- OK. Thank you.- Thank you.- Thank you.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43Thank you.
0:13:43 > 0:13:44Thank you.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47OK, ready, last one, here we go.
0:13:47 > 0:13:48Right, I'm done. We're done.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50Oh, he got me on the way out. Did you see that?
0:13:50 > 0:13:52Oh, oh-oh, oh...
0:13:53 > 0:13:57OK, "With this cash you will now head to the USS Tokyo car auction
0:13:57 > 0:14:02"in Chiba Ken and each buy a sports car to ship back to Britain and sell."
0:14:02 > 0:14:05- Oh, yes!- "The presenter who clears the most profit on their car is the
0:14:05 > 0:14:09"winner. Oh, and by the way, the auction has already started.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12- "Better get a move on before all the good cars go."- Oh, OK.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16- Right, subway's this way. - But, but, all right...
0:14:16 > 0:14:19Well, two things. First of all, I'm just going to pretend
0:14:19 > 0:14:21I didn't see that thing you're carrying your money in,
0:14:21 > 0:14:24and two, why take the subway? This is a car show, not a train show.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27The most efficient public transport system on the planet
0:14:27 > 0:14:31versus rush-hour in the busiest city on the planet.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33OK, but if we take a taxi,
0:14:33 > 0:14:35we might get to see one of your Toyota Enemas.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38- It's an Estima, and the tube's faster. Bye!- OK...
0:14:40 > 0:14:43So if it was a race Chris wanted, then fine,
0:14:43 > 0:14:47because while he became acquainted with Tokyo's very Japanese
0:14:47 > 0:14:48subway system...
0:14:48 > 0:14:50Er...
0:14:50 > 0:14:52Oh, dear.
0:14:52 > 0:14:53Taxi!
0:14:53 > 0:14:57I discovered the city has the world's sharpest-dressed cab drivers.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08Yep, this would be my most relaxing win yet.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10Nice, comfortable taxi.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13My man here, white hat, white gloves,
0:15:13 > 0:15:15so he can never leave any fingerprints.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22Yeah, that's probably just a cultural thing.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24I'm sure it's no big deal.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28I haven't got a clue where I am now.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32Excuse me, do you speak English?
0:15:32 > 0:15:34No, OK, sorry. Chiba Ken?
0:15:34 > 0:15:35- Chiba Ken.- Chiba Ken.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39And while Chris was busy unnerving the locals...
0:15:39 > 0:15:41Oh, sorry, sorry.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45..my driver was slicing through Tokyo's sticky rush-hour traffic,
0:15:45 > 0:15:48and we were getting along like a house on fire.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52MATT ATTEMPTS JAPANESE
0:15:56 > 0:15:58THEY CHUCKLE
0:15:59 > 0:16:00Do you like that one?
0:16:00 > 0:16:02I'm just kidding, I'm not really pregnant.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06Oh, just killing time in the tunnel, you know.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09In fact, it wasn't so much a question of who was going to win,
0:16:09 > 0:16:13but whether there'd be anything left at the auction by the time Chris got there.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17Here he goes. The driver's taking his time, a nice, steady stop,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20so it's smooth, and then the driver opens the doors.
0:16:20 > 0:16:21That takes too long.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23And then we count to, what, seven?
0:16:23 > 0:16:26One, two, three...
0:16:26 > 0:16:31So, unsurprisingly enough, I was first to the auction.
0:16:31 > 0:16:32Wow!
0:16:34 > 0:16:37And it was massive.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41Oh, man, there's just so much great stuff,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44and it just goes on for miles.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49The USS Tokyo car auction is one of the biggest in the world,
0:16:49 > 0:16:53selling around 15,000 cars in a day,
0:16:53 > 0:16:57including hundreds of mint condition '90s sports cars.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59GTR, there's a good car right there.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03But with only one hour left until closing,
0:17:03 > 0:17:05I needed to start bidding.
0:17:05 > 0:17:06Jeez...
0:17:06 > 0:17:08But how?
0:17:08 > 0:17:14Here, over 2,500 bidders can compete with up to 12 cars selling
0:17:14 > 0:17:16every 20 seconds.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20And with a million yen at stake, this was less of an auction,
0:17:20 > 0:17:23and more some sort of weird casino.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25Oh, yeah.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34Oh...
0:17:34 > 0:17:36Did I just buy something?
0:17:36 > 0:17:39Well, well, well, better late than never,
0:17:39 > 0:17:42but he still had to cross the world's most distracting car park.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46Oh, Supra! Now, that... That might be right in my price range.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48The Evo 7.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52Oh, look at this! I mean, where do you turn?
0:17:52 > 0:17:54Shall I get that one?
0:17:56 > 0:17:58It's huge!
0:17:58 > 0:17:59Ah!
0:18:00 > 0:18:02Hey, there you are. Where you been?
0:18:02 > 0:18:03Under most of Tokyo.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07- What are you bidding on? - Ah, well, I'm not really sure.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09I think this is the price going up, obviously, and that's
0:18:09 > 0:18:11the lot number, and what does that say?
0:18:11 > 0:18:14- Can you read that?- No. - That must be what the car is, right?
0:18:14 > 0:18:16If I can't read that, why would I be able to read that?
0:18:16 > 0:18:19Well, if you look, this is the same in all of them.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21But there's only... There are fixed...
0:18:21 > 0:18:22Maybe that means...
0:18:23 > 0:18:25Have you got an idea of what you want to buy?
0:18:25 > 0:18:28I want something fast, manual, fast,
0:18:28 > 0:18:30maybe like a Skyline GTR.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32That would be nice. Yeah, I'm sure you'll find one.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36He wouldn't. 1 million yen is, in fact, about seven grand.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39- Oh, what's this?- That one, that one, that one, that one, that one.
0:18:39 > 0:18:40Ah, missed it!
0:18:40 > 0:18:43So while Matt was set for a disappointment,
0:18:43 > 0:18:46at least he'd worked out his own bidding strategy.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Are you trying to buy the entire auction?
0:18:48 > 0:18:50No, no, I want that one, I want it, I want it, I want it, I want it,
0:18:50 > 0:18:53I want it. Come on! There we go, there we go.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57I got it. I got it!
0:18:57 > 0:19:00- I think I got it. Did you get one? - Yep.- You did?
0:19:00 > 0:19:02- What did you get? - It's gone now. You can't see it,
0:19:02 > 0:19:05but I am now the proud owner of a car.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08The question was - what did he buy?
0:19:08 > 0:19:11In fact, what did I buy?
0:19:12 > 0:19:15It's like ordering food in a foreign restaurant when you don't speak
0:19:15 > 0:19:17the language, you know what I mean?
0:19:17 > 0:19:19It's like, I'm really hoping I got the grilled fillet,
0:19:19 > 0:19:21and not the poached anus.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23- Come on.- What?
0:19:23 > 0:19:26- Oh, here we go.- Oh...
0:19:26 > 0:19:28- Now that is my car! - That's yellow.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30And there was nothing anus-y about it.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33Mazda RX-7.
0:19:33 > 0:19:34Wow.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37That's the one with the twin turbo rotary engine, right?
0:19:37 > 0:19:39Yep, absolutely right.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42Yep, the incredibly unreliable twin turbo rotary engine?
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Come on, don't buy into that. They can be a little bit temperamental,
0:19:45 > 0:19:46but that's the whole point.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48- What, what, what? - When you go abroad,
0:19:48 > 0:19:52you don't order a pint of John Smith's, you order the local beer.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54This, here, is the local beer.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56Only Japan could have made this car.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59Only Japan shouldn't have made this car.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01The rotary motor was junk.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04They rev beautifully, they're sweet, they're lovely little things.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07They wear out in ten minutes!
0:20:07 > 0:20:12Nonsense. She was a minter, and, at an easy 15 grand in the UK,
0:20:12 > 0:20:14I had hit the jackpot.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16Question was, had Matt?
0:20:16 > 0:20:18Oh, yeah!
0:20:18 > 0:20:20That's me, right there.
0:20:20 > 0:20:26The Nissan Skyline R34 GTR, huh?
0:20:26 > 0:20:29That is a classic. Everyone knows the GTR.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31Everyone apart from you, Matthew.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34- What do you mean? - That's a GTT.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36- GTT?- GTT.- I thought it was a typo!
0:20:36 > 0:20:38No, no, no...
0:20:39 > 0:20:42So, do you know what makes a GTT special?
0:20:42 > 0:20:44- I, I don't. What?- That it's missing a turbocharger,
0:20:44 > 0:20:48it's missing the front-driven axle, so it's only two-wheel drive,
0:20:48 > 0:20:50it's missing a load of power.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53- It's like a GTR, but just a bit- BLEEP.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55Cheaper, too.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59A GTR could have fetched 40 grand in the UK, but annoyingly,
0:20:59 > 0:21:03my GTT was worth about the same as Chris's RX-7.
0:21:03 > 0:21:04Am I crazy about the body?
0:21:04 > 0:21:08No, and even on the GTR, I wasn't crazy about the body shape.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10- I think it's...- It's not even the car you thought you'd bought!
0:21:10 > 0:21:13- Well, I didn't know what I... I was surprised I got a car...- Hi.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15- Sorry. How are you? Thank you.- Thank you.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18Thank you.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20"Well done on buying some cars."
0:21:20 > 0:21:22- OK.- "We've laid on the transport to get them home."
0:21:22 > 0:21:26- That's nice of the producers. - "The transport leaves in two days' time from Enbu.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29- "Please drive there."- So we have to take them on a trip now?
0:21:29 > 0:21:31- Yes.- It's a good thing you bought a reliable car.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35- Can I trade it back in...? - No, you can't, nope.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40On the road, and our destination at Enbu
0:21:40 > 0:21:44was just a couple of hundred miles to the north of Tokyo.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46But with two days to reach it,
0:21:46 > 0:21:50we'd been told first to make a detour towards the hills,
0:21:50 > 0:21:54and that left us with plenty of time to get to know what we'd bought.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59Three reasons why the RX-7 rocked.
0:21:59 > 0:22:00First of all, the styling.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03It must be one of the best looking Japanese cars ever.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07Look at this bodywork. It's just shrunk over the shape of the car
0:22:07 > 0:22:09in the most lovely shapes.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12Second of all, pop-up headlights.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Everyone loves a pop-up headlight.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19Thirdly, this was the first-ever sequentially turbo-charged
0:22:19 > 0:22:24rotary engine production car, and it made close to 300 horsepower.
0:22:24 > 0:22:29Now, it didn't exactly start a rotary engine revolution.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32In fact, the unique design of the Wankel engine, as it's known,
0:22:32 > 0:22:34drinks so much fuel and oil
0:22:34 > 0:22:37that no other manufacturer has ever followed suit.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41But, when they were working well, as this one is now,
0:22:41 > 0:22:43there's nothing like them.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45It just revs perfectly.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49And while the RX-7 and I were getting on famously,
0:22:49 > 0:22:51over in his low-spec Skyline,
0:22:51 > 0:22:55Matt has had time to put a positive spin on things.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57OK, so I may not have chosen the car that I thought I'd chose,
0:22:57 > 0:23:00but it turns out I accidentally made a pretty good choice.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02This is basically a GTR.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04It's got one turbo, instead of two,
0:23:04 > 0:23:06one fewer thing to go wrong,
0:23:06 > 0:23:09it's got rear-wheel drive instead of four-wheel drive,
0:23:09 > 0:23:11so it's the purist's choice,
0:23:11 > 0:23:14and this car has four-wheel steering.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17Now that's the kind of technology you really only find on your latest
0:23:17 > 0:23:20Ferraris and Porsches and Mercedes.
0:23:22 > 0:23:23I'm accidentally awesome.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Before long, we reached the hills.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32And pulling off the main highway,
0:23:32 > 0:23:35our sports cars started to feel right at home.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39These are great roads.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42Now it becomes quite touge-like.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46Japanese for mountain pass, touge roads are legendary.
0:23:48 > 0:23:49Narrow, twisting tarmac,
0:23:49 > 0:23:54where Japan's sports car enthusiasts have always come to play.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58Oh, what is this? There's a guy in the road, guy in the road up here.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02ARM SQUEAKS
0:24:02 > 0:24:04I think he needs a little lube on his arm.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06He is, um, squeaky.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09All right, challenge.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12"To test your car's performance before export to the UK,
0:24:12 > 0:24:16"you will now race around the famous Gunsai touge road
0:24:16 > 0:24:18"while each carrying a passenger."
0:24:18 > 0:24:21Is that where we are now, the Gunsai touge?
0:24:21 > 0:24:23- I guess so.- I have wanted to come here all my life.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27- Have you?- This is where the Japanese best motoring guys used to skid
0:24:27 > 0:24:30S2000s, MX-5s, sorry, Miata, for you.
0:24:30 > 0:24:35Yeah. OK. All right, don't look now, but there are two very large,
0:24:35 > 0:24:38mostly naked, men standing right behind you.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41Yes, sumo wrestlers.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44From a sport which actually bans its stars from driving,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47they make ideal passenger seat ballast
0:24:47 > 0:24:50to really put our sports cars to the test.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54- Hi.- They're never going to fit in the cars, are they?
0:24:54 > 0:24:59Ahead of us lay a 1.4 mile loop of closed touge road.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Designed to test our cars' handling,
0:25:02 > 0:25:06we'd be racing two laps of this fast, technical course.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11Who would win in a fight between you two guys?
0:25:17 > 0:25:20You. Ha-ha, that's what I'm talking about!
0:25:20 > 0:25:22ENGINES REV
0:25:22 > 0:25:24OK, we're a team...
0:25:25 > 0:25:27We're a team?
0:25:34 > 0:25:36TYRES SCREECH
0:25:37 > 0:25:39What a start!
0:25:39 > 0:25:40Yes!
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Come on, baby, come on!
0:25:46 > 0:25:49Tuck in behind me, Le Blanc. Get used to being there.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02He can't overtake us here. He can't get us here!
0:26:03 > 0:26:06Wrong, Harris, very wrong.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08You cheeky little...
0:26:09 > 0:26:12That's what I'm talking about! Woohoo!
0:26:14 > 0:26:15Oh, a little too hot...
0:26:23 > 0:26:25Nah!
0:26:25 > 0:26:26I like that. We're through!
0:26:26 > 0:26:29I'm sorry about that, he got me!
0:26:29 > 0:26:31All right, come on, think light, big boy, think light!
0:26:33 > 0:26:35With the road running out...
0:26:35 > 0:26:38Feel that smooth, rotary power, my friend.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40The RX-7 had just enough...
0:26:40 > 0:26:42Come on, come on.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44..to keep the GTT at bay.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46It's a victory!
0:26:58 > 0:27:01I would have had you if I didn't blow it in the hairpin down there.
0:27:01 > 0:27:02It was close, it was close.
0:27:02 > 0:27:07Do you think sumo mid-90s slightly ropey sports car racing
0:27:07 > 0:27:09is a new sport?
0:27:09 > 0:27:13I think absolutely, right? That's what my guy says.
0:27:14 > 0:27:19With the day drawing to a close, leaving the touge roads behind,
0:27:19 > 0:27:21we got back on the highway.
0:27:21 > 0:27:22Well...almost.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29- Oh, no.- Chris, why are you stopped at the toll?
0:27:29 > 0:27:32Why do you think I'm stopped at the toll?
0:27:32 > 0:27:36I don't know why you're stopped at the toll, that's why I'm asking you.
0:27:36 > 0:27:37MUFFLED VOICE
0:27:37 > 0:27:39He's just shouting at me.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43My Japanese is very weak.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46It extends to... Honda.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48Now, see, this is interesting.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51This is where we find out how impatient Mr Harris is.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53You watch what's going to happen here.
0:27:53 > 0:27:54He has the patience of a gnat.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56ANGRY VOICE ON TANNOY
0:27:56 > 0:27:58I've got three people behind me now.
0:27:58 > 0:27:59Back? Back?
0:27:59 > 0:28:01Back?
0:28:01 > 0:28:03TOLL OPERATOR SHOUTS
0:28:03 > 0:28:06- BLEEP- hell!
0:28:06 > 0:28:10Finally free of the toll booths, the next challenge was dinner.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15And we soon discovered that, no matter how far you travel,
0:28:15 > 0:28:17food from motorway services...
0:28:17 > 0:28:18Let's see what we've got here...
0:28:18 > 0:28:19..sucks.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21Oh!
0:28:21 > 0:28:23Oh, that's not nice!
0:28:24 > 0:28:28That's bad. Wow, I'm going to close that back up, OK?
0:28:28 > 0:28:31That's going to get in the "wish we didn't get those" pile.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34That was rank.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37What about these? What are these? Some kind of egg thing.
0:28:39 > 0:28:40Yeah.
0:28:42 > 0:28:43- Come on.- Eat that!
0:28:43 > 0:28:46- Is it that bad? - Eat that!
0:28:55 > 0:28:58Suffice to say, the meal was an education.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03So, after a hungry night,
0:29:03 > 0:29:08the next morning we hit the road early for another day of discovery.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11The Japanese are the masters of the weird car name.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13Allow me to give you some examples.
0:29:13 > 0:29:17The Suzuki Every Joypop Turbo - how about that one?
0:29:17 > 0:29:22Or an Isuzu Mysterious Utility Wizard.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25Or the Honda Lovely Lady Garden.
0:29:27 > 0:29:29Those aren't real car names.
0:29:29 > 0:29:33Yeah, you're right, I made the last one up, but the others, I promise you, are real.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35But the last one was my favourite one.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40We picked up the route to Enbu,
0:29:40 > 0:29:42following the main highway north
0:29:42 > 0:29:45and soon our journey took us into new territory.
0:29:46 > 0:29:50Hey, Chris, look at this sign. What is that? Is that a Geiger counter?
0:29:50 > 0:29:52That's a radiation meter. Look at that.
0:29:52 > 0:29:56Oh, crikey. So we're actually quite close to, erm...
0:29:56 > 0:29:59Fukushima, where they had the big disaster in 2011.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04We were approaching the Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
0:30:05 > 0:30:09Critically damaged by a tsunami in the wake of one of the largest
0:30:09 > 0:30:11earthquakes ever recorded in Japan,
0:30:11 > 0:30:15a 20km exclusion zone was set up around the plant.
0:30:15 > 0:30:19In one day, the entire local population
0:30:19 > 0:30:23was evacuated to escape the dangers of radiation.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26Experts predict the clear-up operation at Daiichi
0:30:26 > 0:30:28could take up to 40 years.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33For now, the area remains largely uninhabited.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44An area that we were granted special permission to witness first-hand.
0:30:49 > 0:30:53We're 5km from the reactor that blew here.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56Are we really that close?
0:30:57 > 0:30:59You read about it and you see the pictures,
0:30:59 > 0:31:04but until you come here and just see the way people have abandoned
0:31:04 > 0:31:06their lives involuntarily...
0:31:08 > 0:31:11It doesn't really hit you until you see it, does it?
0:31:11 > 0:31:13No, it doesn't.
0:31:15 > 0:31:18You think about all the people that got displaced over this.
0:31:18 > 0:31:22There were 160,000 people here.
0:31:22 > 0:31:26That's the population of Oxford and they were just gone in one day.
0:31:26 > 0:31:27Gone, bye.
0:31:29 > 0:31:31Just terrible.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43Just seems that somebody saved up their pennies and bought their dream
0:31:43 > 0:31:46Porsche and they've driven it home one night from work,
0:31:46 > 0:31:48parked it up and then never got to see it again.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51You don't own a car like this unless you love cars
0:31:51 > 0:31:54and yet the dangers here were so great that they were willing
0:31:54 > 0:31:56to just leave it behind and run.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05Kids' shoes and...
0:32:05 > 0:32:07Dishware and...
0:32:07 > 0:32:09Whoa.
0:32:09 > 0:32:11I mean, this was probably a family lived here
0:32:11 > 0:32:14and just, their whole lives were just gone.
0:32:16 > 0:32:17MATT SIGHS
0:32:19 > 0:32:22This is awful.
0:32:22 > 0:32:23It was time to move on.
0:32:28 > 0:32:29That's a hard one to shake.
0:32:30 > 0:32:32That's a hard one to shake.
0:32:37 > 0:32:38I've got to say, that was eerie.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40I mean, the size of the exclusion zone...
0:32:40 > 0:32:42I don't think I'll ever forget that.
0:32:42 > 0:32:46The scale of the clean-up is just absolutely immense.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49It's one of the biggest engineering challenges of our time.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52They're talking 30, 40 years.
0:32:52 > 0:32:54I've never seen anything like it.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57Yeah. Right, well, we'll pick up the rest of that road trip
0:32:57 > 0:32:58a little later in the show.
0:32:58 > 0:33:02- Rory.- Now, while Matt and Chris were off filming that,
0:33:02 > 0:33:04I was on a Japanese mission of my own.
0:33:07 > 0:33:12Back in Tokyo, I'd been given just one night to delve into the more
0:33:12 > 0:33:15unusual side of Japanese car culture.
0:33:16 > 0:33:21And I thought I'd begin with the very USUAL Daihatsu Tanto.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26If you really want to understand Japan,
0:33:26 > 0:33:28this is where you need to look.
0:33:34 > 0:33:35The Kei car.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38Because in the world's most populated city,
0:33:38 > 0:33:43Tokyo's 38 million inhabitants have long been torn between a love
0:33:43 > 0:33:45of cars and a lack of space.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48And for many, these are the answer.
0:33:49 > 0:33:53Kei cars make up about 40% of the cars on the road over here.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56There's one. There's another one.
0:33:56 > 0:33:57They're all Kei cars.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01And they're all built to a set of regulations
0:34:01 > 0:34:05that makes the Formula 1 rule book look laid-back.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08The engines are all exactly 660 cc.
0:34:08 > 0:34:12They're all limited to 63 horsepower
0:34:12 > 0:34:15and they're all incredibly slow.
0:34:17 > 0:34:22It was introduced in 1949 as an affordable post-war alternative to
0:34:22 > 0:34:25the motorcycle. And as the Japanese population boomed,
0:34:25 > 0:34:29the Kei car's frugal and compact formula was future-proof.
0:34:31 > 0:34:35You see, in Tokyo, because space is so tight,
0:34:35 > 0:34:39you can't actually buy a car unless you can prove you actually have the
0:34:39 > 0:34:42space to park it. That's why these things are so popular.
0:34:44 > 0:34:49The Kei car is all about sacrificing the individual for the good of the
0:34:49 > 0:34:51many. Everything in order.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54Button-down. To hell with creativity.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57But here's the thing about creativity.
0:34:57 > 0:35:03No matter how tightly you button it down, it always finds a way out.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06And the tighter you button, the weirder it comes out.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12Because after dark, while the rest of the city sleeps,
0:35:12 > 0:35:16Tokyo's less conventional drivers come out to play.
0:35:21 > 0:35:23Oh, yes!
0:35:23 > 0:35:25Bosozoku style!
0:35:27 > 0:35:30A small corner of automotive self-expression
0:35:30 > 0:35:32that's all about extremes.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34Sick!
0:35:35 > 0:35:39I'm not going to lie - this is a little bit intimidating.
0:35:39 > 0:35:41I don't really want to say the wrong thing.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44These guys come with a certain reputation.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47With its origins in gang culture,
0:35:47 > 0:35:51Bosozoku style today takes once stock Japanese classics
0:35:51 > 0:35:53and wildly remodels them.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55Look at this!
0:35:55 > 0:35:56What is this, metal?
0:35:57 > 0:35:59That looks dangerous, man.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02Its trademarks are flamboyant exhausts,
0:36:02 > 0:36:06extreme flared arches and snowplough ground clearance.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09- This yours?- Yeah, street racer.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11This is nice.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13But what are they like to drive?
0:36:13 > 0:36:18Well, after a bit of negotiation, I was given the chance to find out.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20I can drive? You sure?
0:36:20 > 0:36:21Arigato. Arigato, arigato.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23Oh, my God. Come on!
0:36:26 > 0:36:29Oh, mate!
0:36:29 > 0:36:32- Yeah!- Enjoy.- Oh, I will enjoy, don't you worry.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55This is more my style. I want one of these.
0:37:00 > 0:37:04Bosozoku is everything a Kei car isn't -
0:37:04 > 0:37:07anti-social and on the fringes of legality.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10The story goes that in the '50s,
0:37:10 > 0:37:15kamikaze pilots coming back from war kind of needed a new hobby.
0:37:15 > 0:37:19So they took to modifying their motorcycles with crazy exhausts and
0:37:19 > 0:37:23all kinds of ornaments, generally getting up to havoc in city centres,
0:37:23 > 0:37:25creating high jinks.
0:37:25 > 0:37:29Occasionally organised crime-flavoured high jinks.
0:37:31 > 0:37:36Anyhow, the Bosozoku tuning style moved away from gang culture and
0:37:36 > 0:37:40into cars and so many definitely law-abiding years later,
0:37:40 > 0:37:42we end up with these.
0:37:44 > 0:37:46Argh!
0:37:49 > 0:37:51I'm pretty sure this is not legal.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59If you want to show off, you couldn't do much better.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03Except, of course, this is Tokyo.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05Oh, hello! Lambos!
0:38:05 > 0:38:07Oh, yes!
0:38:08 > 0:38:10Yes!
0:38:10 > 0:38:13Oh, yes!
0:38:13 > 0:38:15Oh, that is nuts.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18Oh, yes!
0:38:18 > 0:38:19- Yeah!- Yeah!
0:38:19 > 0:38:21Loving your style, mate.
0:38:21 > 0:38:23Loving your style.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26I am completely out of my depth here.
0:38:30 > 0:38:32Let's work, come on.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35I'm pretty sure that's fine.
0:38:35 > 0:38:36Wait for me, wait for me!
0:38:45 > 0:38:48Oh, my lord!
0:38:48 > 0:38:49Yes!
0:38:51 > 0:38:53In Japan's underground car scene,
0:38:53 > 0:38:57even the deepest pockets are out to make a statement.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01For this lot, the supercar is just the start.
0:39:01 > 0:39:03And I had to blag a go.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07Oh, my
0:39:07 > 0:39:08God!
0:39:18 > 0:39:23I'll be honest, this is turning into one of the stranger nights
0:39:23 > 0:39:24of my life.
0:39:27 > 0:39:32Again, if you're asking why, why cover a Lambo in neon lights,
0:39:32 > 0:39:34glitter and fake bullet holes?
0:39:36 > 0:39:39Japan's answer is quite simply, why not?
0:39:42 > 0:39:45The world is all about uniqueness these days.
0:39:45 > 0:39:49You buy a brand-new mini and there are literally millions of options
0:39:49 > 0:39:52for customisation. Union Jack roof, bonnet stripes.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54This is the same thing.
0:39:54 > 0:39:55It just takes it a little bit further.
0:39:56 > 0:40:00But there's more to it than that because the people who run these
0:40:00 > 0:40:03kaleidoscopic supercars say they have a grander mission.
0:40:03 > 0:40:07You see, the number of under-30s with a driving licence is falling
0:40:07 > 0:40:11every year in Japan, down by a third since the turn of the century.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15And they reckon it's all the boring Kei cars that are the problem.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18Make more stuff like this, they say,
0:40:18 > 0:40:20and the kids will come flooding back to cars.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24And, to be fair, they may have a point.
0:40:24 > 0:40:26Yeah, go ahead - Instagram it, come on!
0:40:27 > 0:40:28I know you want to.
0:40:30 > 0:40:35Like them or not, you can't deny the sheer flamboyance of these cars does
0:40:35 > 0:40:37make for a spectacular sight.
0:40:37 > 0:40:42But the problem with neon Lambos out here is that they're just a bit...
0:40:42 > 0:40:48A bit common. If you want something that's genuinely, utterly unique,
0:40:48 > 0:40:50you've got to dig a little bit deeper.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21This is the Porsche 962.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26Three-time winner of the 24 hours of Le Mans,
0:41:26 > 0:41:29it was one of the most dominant race cars of its day.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34But what is really special about this 962
0:41:34 > 0:41:37is that it isn't just a race car.
0:41:37 > 0:41:42Here in Japan, this 962 is road legal.
0:41:42 > 0:41:44And I'm going to drive it.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56With my one night in Tokyo coming to an end,
0:41:56 > 0:41:59it was time to leave the city sprawl behind
0:41:59 > 0:42:01and head for the hills.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05Because a car like this deserves -
0:42:05 > 0:42:08no, demands - a proper road.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19Listen to the noise!
0:42:19 > 0:42:21Oh!
0:42:22 > 0:42:26This is nuts! This is absolutely nuts.
0:42:26 > 0:42:31I'm driving a Porsche Le Mans car on the road!
0:42:33 > 0:42:37The engine is a twin turbo-charged flat six
0:42:37 > 0:42:40that makes about 630 horsepower.
0:42:40 > 0:42:45That might not sound like an awful lot in today's crazy world,
0:42:45 > 0:42:48but you've got to remember two things.
0:42:48 > 0:42:52First of all, this car only weighs 800kg.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55That's about as much as air weighs.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57And secondly,
0:42:57 > 0:43:00you've got to remember that the traction control system
0:43:00 > 0:43:02is this guy!
0:43:17 > 0:43:18This is insane.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26What a day. What a day!
0:43:28 > 0:43:30Whoo!
0:43:36 > 0:43:40If, like me, you've ever worried the world's roads are becoming lost
0:43:40 > 0:43:44to beige SUVs and anonymous hatchbacks,
0:43:46 > 0:43:48don't.
0:43:48 > 0:43:49Come to Japan.
0:43:49 > 0:43:52The world of cars is alive and well
0:43:52 > 0:43:56and weirder than you could ever hope.
0:43:58 > 0:44:01And that is worth travelling for.
0:44:06 > 0:44:08CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:44:08 > 0:44:09So jealous.
0:44:09 > 0:44:11- Yeah.- Wow.
0:44:11 > 0:44:15I have to say, that did look great. A Porsche 962 on the road?
0:44:15 > 0:44:18- It's proper bucket list stuff. - I know. Honestly, it really was.
0:44:18 > 0:44:20It was just the most incredible 12 hours.
0:44:20 > 0:44:22What about the 13th hour?
0:44:22 > 0:44:25Do you want to show what happened when you were driving the very rare,
0:44:25 > 0:44:28very expensive Porsche back from the shoot?
0:44:28 > 0:44:29No. No, I don't.
0:44:29 > 0:44:32Well, we have some footage.
0:44:32 > 0:44:33Look at this.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42Yeah, I think something's broken in this.
0:44:44 > 0:44:46Yeah, I've got smoke, I've got smoke.
0:44:51 > 0:44:53APPLAUSE
0:44:53 > 0:44:55Please don't clap that.
0:44:55 > 0:44:57That looked significant.
0:44:57 > 0:44:58- Yeah.- What was wrong?
0:44:58 > 0:45:02Well, we kind of narrowed it down to the engine region.
0:45:03 > 0:45:06- So what did you do?- I legged it!
0:45:06 > 0:45:09Great, so if any of you out there fancy a broken Le Mans Porsche,
0:45:09 > 0:45:12head to the Hakone turnpike just outside of Odawara.
0:45:12 > 0:45:14Yeah, and bring a spanner.
0:45:15 > 0:45:18Right, time to get back to our big Japanese road trip.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21As you'll remember, Chris and I had been tasked with buying a couple of
0:45:21 > 0:45:25'90s sports cars and shipping them back to the UK
0:45:25 > 0:45:26to try and turn a profit.
0:45:26 > 0:45:30You rejoin us the following morning when we'd been told to head to a
0:45:30 > 0:45:32local race circuit for another challenge.
0:45:37 > 0:45:41The racetrack we'd been sent to was buried deep in the forest.
0:45:44 > 0:45:46And as we'd come to expect from Japan,
0:45:47 > 0:45:51it wasn't quite what we'd expected.
0:45:53 > 0:45:56What is this? Are we in the right place?
0:45:58 > 0:46:01What kind of a racetrack has large statues of monkeys?
0:46:03 > 0:46:06Is it a racetrack, or a zoo?
0:46:06 > 0:46:09Perhaps it was a bit of both.
0:46:09 > 0:46:11Because this was Ebisu -
0:46:15 > 0:46:18home to the wilder animals of Japanese motorsport.
0:46:21 > 0:46:23What is that?
0:46:28 > 0:46:30Yes, this is drifting.
0:46:40 > 0:46:42You know that moment when you're about to crash that seems to last
0:46:42 > 0:46:45forever? They've taken that moment and stretched it out
0:46:45 > 0:46:48- and turned it into a motorsport. - What could be better?
0:46:48 > 0:46:49Nothing.
0:46:52 > 0:46:54Starting out as an illegal race scene
0:46:54 > 0:46:57on Japan's touge mountain roads back in the '90s,
0:46:57 > 0:47:00drifting has evolved into disciplines like this.
0:47:04 > 0:47:07Known as Tsuiso, drivers run in pairs,
0:47:07 > 0:47:10drifting as close and as fast as possible in parallel.
0:47:13 > 0:47:16And, worryingly, it was just then that our challenge arrived.
0:47:16 > 0:47:18Hi. Hi.
0:47:18 > 0:47:19- A challenge.- Thank you.
0:47:19 > 0:47:21Thank you.
0:47:21 > 0:47:22What have we got? What have we got?
0:47:22 > 0:47:26Nice helmet design. "Because you've both bought rear-wheel drive Japanese sports cars,
0:47:26 > 0:47:29"it's time for you to team up for a drift challenge against a
0:47:29 > 0:47:31"team of Japanese aces."
0:47:32 > 0:47:36- Those guys? - Not those guys, those guys.
0:47:36 > 0:47:38Well, which guys are those guys?
0:47:41 > 0:47:43Yep, these guys.
0:47:43 > 0:47:48Matchbox-sized Kei car pick-ups from the shallower end of the drift pool.
0:47:52 > 0:47:54So, issued with beginners' safety goggles...
0:47:54 > 0:47:56Looking good!
0:47:56 > 0:48:00..and a set of super-skinny rear tyres to help us slide,
0:48:00 > 0:48:02we headed out for some practice.
0:48:06 > 0:48:08This is brilliant!
0:48:10 > 0:48:15And, OK, some of us needed more practice than others.
0:48:16 > 0:48:19It's so tricky.
0:48:19 > 0:48:21Keep going. It's going to come. I know it is!
0:48:23 > 0:48:25I can't see with those stupid things on.
0:48:25 > 0:48:26Oh, there's the road.
0:48:31 > 0:48:34That's it, Matt. Keep it going, Matt. Keep it going, Matthew.
0:48:37 > 0:48:38That's better! That's better!
0:48:39 > 0:48:42But getting the hang of the drift was only half the battle.
0:48:44 > 0:48:47To compete, we'd need to do it in tandem.
0:48:51 > 0:48:52It's so hard to stay together.
0:49:04 > 0:49:06I lost a wheel. Lost the wheel.
0:49:07 > 0:49:10With no time left to practise, there was only one way to make sure
0:49:10 > 0:49:13we'd nail the art of the parallel drift.
0:49:16 > 0:49:18Problem solved.
0:49:18 > 0:49:20And starting at the front of the grid,
0:49:20 > 0:49:23the aim of this challenge would be to stay ahead
0:49:23 > 0:49:27of the Kei car drifters for two laps of sideways action.
0:49:27 > 0:49:29Any tips?
0:49:29 > 0:49:32Take it nice and smooth, instigate the transition positively,
0:49:32 > 0:49:35and try and stay alive.
0:49:35 > 0:49:37OK.
0:49:37 > 0:49:40Three, two, one...
0:49:45 > 0:49:48Now, in a stroke of genius,
0:49:48 > 0:49:52lashing our cars together had turned us into a rolling road block.
0:49:52 > 0:49:55- You've got to steer!- I am steering!
0:49:55 > 0:49:58So, while the other teams struggled to get past,
0:49:58 > 0:50:00we were free to concentrate on our technique.
0:50:00 > 0:50:02- OK, ready?- OK.
0:50:02 > 0:50:04Steer, steer!
0:50:07 > 0:50:09And, unbelievably...
0:50:11 > 0:50:15Our improvised answer to the perfect tandem drift actually worked.
0:50:20 > 0:50:22That's what I'm talking about, baby!
0:50:22 > 0:50:25Woohoo!
0:50:27 > 0:50:28OK, get ready.
0:50:28 > 0:50:30- Go!- Steer, steer!
0:50:33 > 0:50:36- Nice!- Yeah, we've got it.
0:50:36 > 0:50:39Ready, ready, ready?
0:50:39 > 0:50:40Handbrake.
0:50:43 > 0:50:46Against the odds, with the Kei cars still at bay,
0:50:46 > 0:50:49we were looking good for the win.
0:50:49 > 0:50:51Right, ready, ready, ready? Full power, full power.
0:51:00 > 0:51:02It's going great!
0:51:02 > 0:51:05But with just half a lap between us and victory...
0:51:07 > 0:51:09Whoa!
0:51:09 > 0:51:10It broke!
0:51:22 > 0:51:24It was working so well.
0:51:24 > 0:51:26I don't understand why it went wrong.
0:51:28 > 0:51:32Out of the race, we handed the Kei car pick-ups a solid one-two finish.
0:51:33 > 0:51:36But frankly, we had bigger things to worry about.
0:51:38 > 0:51:41- My car is shagged.- Wow.
0:51:41 > 0:51:45Now, is it the goal to buy these for a million yen...
0:51:45 > 0:51:49- Yeah.- ..get them back to the UK and sell them and make a profit?
0:51:49 > 0:51:51Ooh, what do you think?
0:51:51 > 0:51:56Well, it's often said that a racing car that's enjoyed huge success
0:51:56 > 0:51:58like, win the Le Mans 24 hours,
0:51:58 > 0:52:01if you leave it after the race untouched, you don't clean it,
0:52:01 > 0:52:04- you leave all the patination and the life, it's worth more money.- Uh-huh.
0:52:04 > 0:52:06So, what race is this?
0:52:06 > 0:52:10The near the weird zoo drift place...
0:52:10 > 0:52:11- Challenge.- Yes!
0:52:13 > 0:52:15- That adds value.- Yeah. - I think that adds value.
0:52:15 > 0:52:20Now, a busy morning "adding value" does build an appetite,
0:52:20 > 0:52:22so we left Ebisu behind
0:52:22 > 0:52:25and this time Matt sensibly suggested we skip
0:52:25 > 0:52:29the service station eggs and go for one of his favourite local dishes.
0:52:29 > 0:52:31- What's this? - Oh, have you ever had wanko soba?
0:52:31 > 0:52:33No, I like a couple of beers first, normally.
0:52:33 > 0:52:35No, no, it's a Japanese delicacy.
0:52:35 > 0:52:38Honestly, I love wanko.
0:52:38 > 0:52:40Sit down.
0:52:41 > 0:52:42Wanko soba?
0:52:44 > 0:52:45Hey.
0:52:46 > 0:52:49Sure.
0:52:49 > 0:52:50Yeah.
0:52:50 > 0:52:51Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:52:53 > 0:52:55Mmm. That's good.
0:52:55 > 0:52:57They're quite plain, aren't they?
0:52:57 > 0:52:58Mm-hm.
0:53:02 > 0:53:06It's customary to keep eating - eat as many bowls as you can, you know?
0:53:06 > 0:53:09- Is it?- And the record is held by this little skinny Japanese girl.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12- She ate 700 bowls.- 700 bowls?
0:53:12 > 0:53:15- A little skinny Japanese girl. - Well, it's not a competition, is it?
0:53:15 > 0:53:17We'll have a couple and then we'll move on.
0:53:17 > 0:53:19I mean, it really isn't a competition, is it?
0:53:19 > 0:53:21ORIENTAL GONG
0:53:41 > 0:53:43Oh, OK... I'm...
0:53:43 > 0:53:44I'm full.
0:53:47 > 0:53:49- It was good though, right? - That is fantastic.
0:53:49 > 0:53:51And... And... I know it wasn't a competition,
0:53:51 > 0:53:53but if it was, I, you know...
0:53:53 > 0:53:55- Yeah, you would have won. - I would have won, yeah.
0:53:55 > 0:53:57Thank you. Oh, look at that.
0:53:59 > 0:54:04OK. "We forgot to mention, we only sorted the shipping for one car.
0:54:04 > 0:54:08"The transport leaves in one hour from the airport in Enbu.
0:54:08 > 0:54:11"Please decide between yourselves which car you're taking back to the UK."
0:54:11 > 0:54:13Oh, well, obviously you'd take the RX-7.
0:54:13 > 0:54:17It's a beautiful example, a special car, rotary engine, not many left.
0:54:17 > 0:54:18But they're a dime a dozen.
0:54:18 > 0:54:21- What do you mean a dime a dozen? - They're all over the place.
0:54:21 > 0:54:23- A GTT...- You don't see anywhere. - You do!- I've never seen one.
0:54:23 > 0:54:25It's the cockroach of Japanese cars.
0:54:25 > 0:54:27- They're everywhere. - Why would we take the RX-7?
0:54:27 > 0:54:31- Quite right, we're taking the RX-7. - Oh, you'll want some of that. Look at that over there.
0:54:31 > 0:54:33Oi!
0:54:35 > 0:54:37With only one car heading back to the UK...
0:54:37 > 0:54:39Oh, no, no, no, no, you don't.
0:54:39 > 0:54:42..and just an hour to reach the airport,
0:54:42 > 0:54:45we each had our own take on how to get there first.
0:54:45 > 0:54:47I don't know what Chris's plan is to get there, but my plan,
0:54:47 > 0:54:49I'm going to head to the highway,
0:54:49 > 0:54:51stay off these windy roads and then let it rip.
0:54:51 > 0:54:56He's got a march on me, the little swine.
0:54:56 > 0:54:58I'm going to save time. I'm going the windy route.
0:54:58 > 0:55:01I've got an RX-7 - why wouldn't I go the windy route?
0:55:02 > 0:55:06With our destination at Enbu just 20 miles to the north,
0:55:06 > 0:55:09my highway route might have been slightly further,
0:55:09 > 0:55:11but it was definitely faster.
0:55:12 > 0:55:14The race was on.
0:55:16 > 0:55:19Right, so I've got more power and, frankly, a better car,
0:55:19 > 0:55:23so I should be able to carry more speed, especially since I'm taking the highway.
0:55:23 > 0:55:26I should be able to get there quicker.
0:55:26 > 0:55:27And I'm home free.
0:55:31 > 0:55:34I still reckon I've got the faster car.
0:55:34 > 0:55:36I still reckon this is the RX-7's to lose.
0:55:38 > 0:55:41And, frankly, the odds were with me,
0:55:41 > 0:55:44because for Matt to take advantage of his superfast highway...
0:55:44 > 0:55:46Hi, can you open the gate?
0:55:46 > 0:55:48Open the gate, please?
0:55:48 > 0:55:51First, he'd have to get on it.
0:55:51 > 0:55:55Who? Who? No, I just need you to open the gate so I can get on the highway. Highway?
0:55:55 > 0:55:57Highway. Kado, kado.
0:55:57 > 0:56:00No, I'm not going to Chicago.
0:56:00 > 0:56:02The gate, the gate, the gate!
0:56:02 > 0:56:03You need to open the gate.
0:56:04 > 0:56:07Just open it. There must be a button.
0:56:07 > 0:56:09Are you kidding?
0:56:09 > 0:56:10Buddy!
0:56:10 > 0:56:12This was a setback.
0:56:12 > 0:56:17And annoyingly, pocket rocket Harris was flying.
0:56:17 > 0:56:21There is so much to love about this car.
0:56:21 > 0:56:23That rotary engine is so light,
0:56:23 > 0:56:27it means the front of the car doesn't have too much weight so it doesn't understeer,
0:56:27 > 0:56:29it doesn't push, it just grips and goes.
0:56:30 > 0:56:34It is the perfect weapon in which to beat Matt LeBlanc.
0:56:37 > 0:56:39Open the gate!
0:56:40 > 0:56:42- No, no.- No, no, what?
0:56:42 > 0:56:44How do I get in?
0:56:44 > 0:56:46SPEAKS IN JAPANESE
0:56:46 > 0:56:48- ETC?- Yeah. - I have the ETC.
0:56:48 > 0:56:51Yeah, I have it. I have it somewhere. I don't know where it is.
0:56:51 > 0:56:54Yeah, I have it. I don't know.
0:56:54 > 0:56:55Yeah, the ETC.
0:56:55 > 0:56:57What's an ETC? I don't know what that means.
0:56:57 > 0:57:00But while I was still negotiating hard with the keeper
0:57:00 > 0:57:01of the plastic gate...
0:57:01 > 0:57:03Come on!
0:57:03 > 0:57:07Thankfully, Chris soon discovered that local roads means local traffic.
0:57:07 > 0:57:09Get out of the way.
0:57:09 > 0:57:10Come on!
0:57:10 > 0:57:12And while he was held up...
0:57:13 > 0:57:15Here we go. Open road, open road.
0:57:15 > 0:57:18I had finally overcome my language barrier.
0:57:18 > 0:57:22I have no idea what that guy was talking about but, hoo, boy,
0:57:22 > 0:57:24was he angry.
0:57:26 > 0:57:28Move!
0:57:28 > 0:57:31Yes. The Skyline and I were in the hunt.
0:57:31 > 0:57:32I love this car, I really do.
0:57:32 > 0:57:37It's really grown on me. I've got to win this and get it back to the UK.
0:57:37 > 0:57:38Come on!
0:57:40 > 0:57:43With less than ten miles to go to reach the airport finish,
0:57:43 > 0:57:46the gap to Harris was closing fast.
0:57:46 > 0:57:48And as I left the highway behind...
0:57:48 > 0:57:50Yes! That's what I'm talking about.
0:57:52 > 0:57:55..it would be a straight sprint up a private road to reach the waiting
0:57:55 > 0:57:59transport and, for one of us, victory.
0:57:59 > 0:58:02This is GTT territory, my friend.
0:58:07 > 0:58:11There is no way LeBlanc is going to get here before me. No way!
0:58:14 > 0:58:16There's no way he'd beat me here.
0:58:16 > 0:58:17No way!
0:58:24 > 0:58:27All right, come on, come on.
0:58:27 > 0:58:30Right, got to be getting near the top now.
0:58:35 > 0:58:38Oh, he's there already!
0:58:38 > 0:58:40Oh, man!
0:58:42 > 0:58:44That sucks.
0:58:45 > 0:58:48- How did you get here so fast? - I had a Mazda RX-7.
0:58:48 > 0:58:51- What took you so long? - I got hung up at a toll booth.
0:58:51 > 0:58:54- What's that? - I got hung up at a tollbooth.
0:58:56 > 0:58:58Come on, let's chase him.
0:59:02 > 0:59:04Look at him go.
0:59:09 > 0:59:11All right, end of the line.
0:59:14 > 0:59:16There he goes.
0:59:16 > 0:59:17How did you beat me?
0:59:17 > 0:59:18I mean, how did you...
0:59:18 > 0:59:20What is that? What are you doing?
0:59:20 > 0:59:23It's Ichiban. Lipstick for men.
0:59:23 > 0:59:26You need a little more on the side there.
0:59:29 > 0:59:31You're an asshole.
0:59:31 > 0:59:33THEY LAUGH
0:59:34 > 0:59:36CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:59:36 > 0:59:38That was mega. That was awesome.
0:59:38 > 0:59:40Awesome, awesome.
0:59:40 > 0:59:42That was a hell of a trip.
0:59:42 > 0:59:44Japan, great country.
0:59:44 > 0:59:46Weird as hell, but great.
0:59:46 > 0:59:48You know what really blew my mind?
0:59:48 > 0:59:50The toilets, am I right?
0:59:50 > 0:59:51- Oh!- Back me up.- They were amazing.
0:59:51 > 0:59:55Heated seat and that little probe thing that comes out and washes...
0:59:55 > 0:59:58- Let's not use the word "probe". - Oh, come on.- No, no, no.
0:59:58 > 1:00:02Let's call it a telescoping wash nozzle thing.
1:00:04 > 1:00:07- It cleans you.- No, no, can we get back to the point of the film here, right?
1:00:07 > 1:00:09- OK.- Which was to make money on a Japanese sports car.
1:00:09 > 1:00:11Let's do the maths on this. You paid, what,
1:00:11 > 1:00:13Seven grand at auction, right?
1:00:13 > 1:00:15- Right.- OK, and then there was the cost of flights.
1:00:15 > 1:00:17- What's that, a grand? - Little bit more.
1:00:17 > 1:00:19- And then the cost of shipping the car?- Yeah, don't forget fuel.
1:00:19 > 1:00:21Then there was that night at the sake bar.
1:00:21 > 1:00:23- That was a great night. - That was mega.
1:00:23 > 1:00:24So let's cut to the chase on this.
1:00:24 > 1:00:29How much would you have to sell this car for to break even?
1:00:29 > 1:00:30About 52 grand.
1:00:31 > 1:00:36But... But I've had a couple of very strong nibbles, Rory.
1:00:36 > 1:00:38- Yeah?- And I'm hopeful.
1:00:38 > 1:00:39What's your highest bid so far?
1:00:39 > 1:00:41- 800 quid.- 800 quid?
1:00:41 > 1:00:43Yeah, but I'm going to squeeze a bit more out of him. It's fine.
1:00:43 > 1:00:46It's not exactly the strongest business model, is it?
1:00:46 > 1:00:47Now, look, look, in Chris' defence...
1:00:49 > 1:00:52No, I've got nothing. I'm sorry, no, no.
1:00:52 > 1:00:54OK, look, that's all we've got time for this week.
1:00:54 > 1:00:57See you next week. Goodnight.