1 00:00:12,734 --> 00:00:15,413 Tonight, Richard Hammond buys a cup of coffee. 2 00:00:15,414 --> 00:00:19,293 James May slips on some snow. I hate snow. 3 00:00:19,294 --> 00:00:22,494 And we show a picture of Steve McQueen. 4 00:00:26,294 --> 00:00:28,414 CHEERING AND APPLAUSE 5 00:00:31,334 --> 00:00:35,933 Hello! Hello, everybody. We're back! 6 00:00:35,934 --> 00:00:40,613 Thank you so much. Thank you. 7 00:00:40,614 --> 00:00:46,093 It is a whole new series featuring many things. 8 00:00:46,094 --> 00:00:52,053 We go to Las Vegas, Italy, Monte Carlo, Albania, Loughborough... 9 00:00:52,054 --> 00:00:53,573 LAUGHTER 10 00:00:53,574 --> 00:00:58,453 But we start tonight with General Motors, which is a big company in America. 11 00:00:58,454 --> 00:01:04,853 Many people say that last year they stopped making the Hummer because it was too big and too silly. 12 00:01:04,854 --> 00:01:12,534 However, Richard Hammond says the reason it's gone west is because it wasn't big or silly enough. 13 00:01:22,214 --> 00:01:24,613 This is one of the deceased Hummers. 14 00:01:24,614 --> 00:01:26,133 The H3. 15 00:01:26,134 --> 00:01:31,573 And it is, you'll notice, a pretty sizable car. 16 00:01:31,574 --> 00:01:34,773 However, if you mourn its passing, 17 00:01:34,774 --> 00:01:39,094 don't worry because happily you can now buy something a bit bigger. 18 00:01:44,054 --> 00:01:49,133 It's called the Marauder, which is quite a scary sounding name. 19 00:01:49,134 --> 00:01:52,773 But, hey, Buttercup didn't feel quite right so, hey, live with it. 20 00:01:52,774 --> 00:01:57,693 I can't imagine it ever having one of those Christian fish symbols on the back bumper. 21 00:01:57,694 --> 00:02:02,933 The Marauder, which is built in South Africa, weighs ten tonnes. 22 00:02:02,934 --> 00:02:08,493 It's also 21 feet long and 9 feet high. 23 00:02:08,494 --> 00:02:11,014 So in traffic it does tend to stand out a bit. 24 00:02:20,014 --> 00:02:22,493 Ooh, don't people get out of your way! 25 00:02:22,494 --> 00:02:24,014 Don't they! 26 00:02:25,574 --> 00:02:28,133 CHUCKLES Yeah! Hmm... 27 00:02:28,134 --> 00:02:35,133 Tell you what, you do get some people telling you about how they feel a bit nervous in Johannesburg. 28 00:02:35,134 --> 00:02:36,654 I er... I don't, no! I don't. 29 00:02:39,694 --> 00:02:45,053 It's a weird feeling because I'm both worried about bumping into things because it's big, 30 00:02:45,054 --> 00:02:47,333 and NOT worried about bumping into things 31 00:02:47,334 --> 00:02:49,374 because, well, frankly, who cares? 32 00:02:52,454 --> 00:02:59,373 Like the original Hummer, the Marauder is a military-spec vehicle that ordinary civilians can buy. 33 00:02:59,374 --> 00:03:01,733 All you have to do is pass a background check 34 00:03:01,734 --> 00:03:06,573 to prove you're not a villain living in a hollowed-out volcano, 35 00:03:06,574 --> 00:03:10,014 and come up with a cheque for £300,000. 36 00:03:12,574 --> 00:03:14,933 That is Rolls Royce Phantom money, 37 00:03:14,934 --> 00:03:18,933 for a machine that's not exactly the last word in luxury. 38 00:03:18,934 --> 00:03:21,653 Take the back seats, for instance. 39 00:03:21,654 --> 00:03:24,093 There are eight of them, which is good, 40 00:03:24,094 --> 00:03:28,293 but I don't think you'll be renting this out as a wedding car any day soon. 41 00:03:28,294 --> 00:03:35,253 And as for the dashboard, they clearly decided not to go for the walnut and leather option on here, 42 00:03:35,254 --> 00:03:38,133 partly because they need to leave room for the switches, 43 00:03:38,134 --> 00:03:41,254 partly because the wood might clash with the machine guns. 44 00:03:43,214 --> 00:03:48,413 However, the Marauder does compensate in other areas. 45 00:03:48,414 --> 00:03:52,733 Take this annoying slow traffic that I'm stuck in now. 46 00:03:52,734 --> 00:03:58,093 Normally this is where you need some expensive sat-nav system to give you alternative routes. 47 00:03:58,094 --> 00:04:00,974 The Marauder doesn't need sat-nav. 48 00:04:08,494 --> 00:04:10,854 There you go. There you go. 49 00:04:13,054 --> 00:04:14,174 Oh, yeah! 50 00:04:15,734 --> 00:04:19,774 It really does control its immense weight very well. 51 00:04:21,414 --> 00:04:22,654 Yes! 52 00:04:25,534 --> 00:04:29,934 It really is like offroading quite a large building. 53 00:04:32,854 --> 00:04:34,094 Right, now... 54 00:04:38,174 --> 00:04:39,974 That gap's big enough. 55 00:04:44,014 --> 00:04:45,334 I-It is now. 56 00:04:51,614 --> 00:04:52,854 Oh, Lord! 57 00:04:56,054 --> 00:04:59,574 ALARM WAILS 58 00:05:02,534 --> 00:05:04,294 This is a good town car. 59 00:05:11,454 --> 00:05:16,214 In fact, the Marauder has several benefits as a city runabout. 60 00:05:18,414 --> 00:05:23,254 Imagine, for example, that you nip off to get a coffee and this happens. 61 00:05:26,654 --> 00:05:31,133 Oh! That's not nice, no. 62 00:05:31,134 --> 00:05:36,693 Now, normally the towaway people leave you powerless and penniless, 63 00:05:36,694 --> 00:05:38,493 but not this time. 64 00:05:38,494 --> 00:05:42,293 The Marauder has got 290 brake horsepower 65 00:05:42,294 --> 00:05:46,133 and a top speed of just 70 mph, which admittedly isn't brilliant. 66 00:05:46,134 --> 00:05:49,613 However, the torque figure is astonishing... 67 00:05:49,614 --> 00:05:53,933 1,100 Newton metres of it, which is... a lot. 68 00:05:53,934 --> 00:05:57,774 And that makes it pretty good in a towaway tug-of-war. 69 00:06:07,494 --> 00:06:09,174 We're going this way. 70 00:06:15,814 --> 00:06:17,774 Yes, there you go. 71 00:06:18,814 --> 00:06:20,453 Another everyday irritation, 72 00:06:20,454 --> 00:06:23,653 popping into the supermarket 73 00:06:23,654 --> 00:06:27,653 and coming out to find yourself blocked in. Again, 74 00:06:27,654 --> 00:06:32,053 no problem for the Marauder, thanks to its vertical climbing system. 75 00:06:32,054 --> 00:06:36,893 Low range, four-wheel drive, div lock, 76 00:06:36,894 --> 00:06:39,654 drive, handbrake off. 77 00:07:09,374 --> 00:07:13,014 It's really kind of the ideal shopping car. 78 00:07:15,494 --> 00:07:20,853 But let's not get carried away because, like everything, 79 00:07:20,854 --> 00:07:23,093 the Marauder has its weak points. 80 00:07:23,094 --> 00:07:26,173 Visiting a drive-through, for example. 81 00:07:26,174 --> 00:07:29,613 Normally at about this point you'd roll down the windows 82 00:07:29,614 --> 00:07:32,733 and get ready to say, "Cheeseburger and chips, please." 83 00:07:32,734 --> 00:07:37,453 But the problem is the Marauder's windows are for tough situations, 84 00:07:37,454 --> 00:07:42,013 they're 90 mm thick. They can shrug off an RPG 85 00:07:42,014 --> 00:07:45,814 and as a result you can't open them, so this is where it gets a bit awkward. 86 00:07:50,654 --> 00:07:53,053 Good morning, can I take your order please? 87 00:07:53,054 --> 00:07:54,693 Hello? If you're there... 88 00:07:54,694 --> 00:07:58,613 BOOMS OVER LOUDSPEAKER: ..I'd like a cheeseburger and some chips, please. 89 00:07:58,614 --> 00:08:01,173 This isn't a riot situation, don't be alarmed. 90 00:08:01,174 --> 00:08:07,294 But the real problem comes when you drive around to collect your order. 91 00:08:08,734 --> 00:08:10,134 Right. 92 00:08:12,374 --> 00:08:14,174 Don't be alarmed, I'm not shooting. 93 00:08:21,374 --> 00:08:24,053 So, a mark against the Marauder there. 94 00:08:24,054 --> 00:08:29,133 And if you happen to visit a safari park... 95 00:08:29,134 --> 00:08:33,814 you might find that the windscreen wipers aren't that tough. 96 00:08:35,414 --> 00:08:39,294 But is this the only weak spot? Let's see. 97 00:08:41,894 --> 00:08:46,933 Now, this is where we're going to do a little test you won't find 98 00:08:46,934 --> 00:08:52,373 in the NCAP ratings, and we start not with this but with that. 99 00:08:52,374 --> 00:08:54,534 Our old friend, the Hummer... 100 00:08:57,614 --> 00:09:02,734 whose underside was packed with seven pounds of plastic explosive. 101 00:09:04,894 --> 00:09:06,293 Oh, dear. 102 00:09:06,294 --> 00:09:12,053 Really not much point trying to see if it'll start because some pretty important bits are missing. 103 00:09:12,054 --> 00:09:17,813 So the H3 is, like Hummer itself, very dead. 104 00:09:17,814 --> 00:09:21,693 But the important question is what happens to the Marauder 105 00:09:21,694 --> 00:09:25,614 when you put the same amount of explosives underneath it? 106 00:09:45,294 --> 00:09:48,173 Right, well, clearly, what has happened here is there was a fight 107 00:09:48,174 --> 00:09:53,893 between the Marauder and the earth, and the earth lost and the explosives have just dug a big hole. 108 00:09:53,894 --> 00:09:58,813 The question is, can it still be driven? 109 00:09:58,814 --> 00:10:02,373 OK, fingers crossed. 110 00:10:02,374 --> 00:10:04,493 ENGINE STRUGGLES 111 00:10:04,494 --> 00:10:05,533 ENGINE STARTS 112 00:10:05,534 --> 00:10:07,053 Ha-ha-ha-ha! 113 00:10:07,054 --> 00:10:12,054 That was definitely an inconvenience but really nothing more. 114 00:10:22,414 --> 00:10:23,934 Oh, yeah. 115 00:10:27,654 --> 00:10:28,734 APPLAUSE 116 00:10:34,334 --> 00:10:36,173 Good car. 117 00:10:36,174 --> 00:10:38,814 It was great. 118 00:10:40,574 --> 00:10:43,493 Useful bit of consumer advice there. 119 00:10:43,494 --> 00:10:46,013 Can I just say, though, I was looking carefully. 120 00:10:46,014 --> 00:10:52,173 The last little bit there as it came out of the hole, I noticed the rear tyre had been blown off the rim. 121 00:10:52,174 --> 00:10:55,813 Seven pounds of plastic explosive and all it did was below the tyre off. 122 00:10:55,814 --> 00:11:00,693 But a car with the tyre blown off is as useless as a car that has been blown to smithereens, really. 123 00:11:00,694 --> 00:11:03,733 Well, no, seven pounds... He's right because it's like saying, 124 00:11:03,734 --> 00:11:06,533 "My watch survived the explosion completely unscathed. 125 00:11:06,534 --> 00:11:08,814 "The hour hand has come off, but apart from that..." 126 00:11:08,815 --> 00:11:12,733 It's like saying, "I survived the explosion apart from my head, which is over there." 127 00:11:12,734 --> 00:11:16,093 Would you two please just stop saying things? 128 00:11:16,094 --> 00:11:18,973 I think it's an excellent car, and now the news. 129 00:11:18,974 --> 00:11:22,733 Yes, news. Yes, it's the news. For people who think there's literally 130 00:11:22,734 --> 00:11:29,653 too much room in the back of a standard Mini, don't worry because there's now a coupe. There it is. 131 00:11:29,654 --> 00:11:32,893 Whoa-ho-ho! 132 00:11:32,894 --> 00:11:38,373 Any details? I can tell you it's, er... It's between £18,000 and £24,000 133 00:11:38,374 --> 00:11:41,973 and the top model has 208 horsepower. 134 00:11:41,974 --> 00:11:44,853 A lot of people have been talking about its roof, unsurprisingly. 135 00:11:44,854 --> 00:11:52,013 Mini themselves say it's styled to look like a baseball cap being worn backwards. 136 00:11:52,014 --> 00:11:53,494 Why would I want that as my roof? 137 00:11:53,495 --> 00:11:56,773 I think this is a car that, probably, at night when you leave it, 138 00:11:56,774 --> 00:11:59,254 entertains itself by spitting at the elderly. 139 00:12:01,454 --> 00:12:04,093 They should have called it the Lout. The Slob. 140 00:12:04,094 --> 00:12:07,093 Steal its own wheels and put itself on bricks. 141 00:12:07,094 --> 00:12:11,173 I like the idea of the Slob. Now, hey, you know when you're pregnant? 142 00:12:11,174 --> 00:12:15,334 Er, no. No. Yours is coming on nicely. 143 00:12:16,854 --> 00:12:19,973 And you go for a scan and they're able to tell the sex? Yes. 144 00:12:19,974 --> 00:12:23,893 Well a very kind lady has sent us a photograph of a scan she's had done 145 00:12:23,894 --> 00:12:31,293 of her forthcoming arrival, and it seems to suggest she's giving birth to a Stig. Look here. 146 00:12:31,294 --> 00:12:35,053 She is! Oh, look! 147 00:12:35,054 --> 00:12:37,693 All curled up, that's nice. 148 00:12:37,694 --> 00:12:42,093 We're worried about this because we've told him time and again to stop impregnating people. 149 00:12:42,094 --> 00:12:46,813 It's awkward. He made Michael Gambon pregnant twice. 150 00:12:46,814 --> 00:12:51,213 If there's any consolation, it'll probably be a fairly quick birth, I imagine. 151 00:12:51,214 --> 00:12:54,053 Unless it comes out sideways, like that. 152 00:12:54,054 --> 00:12:58,333 Good news! Actually, it's not good news, it's just some news, OK? 153 00:12:58,334 --> 00:13:01,293 MG is back. This is the new car, here he is. 154 00:13:01,294 --> 00:13:06,093 It's called the MG 6, you can have it as a saloon or as a hatchback. 155 00:13:06,094 --> 00:13:09,013 It's supposed to be very modern in every way but I don't think 156 00:13:09,014 --> 00:13:15,093 the factory where it's being made in Longbridge is modern at all because I've got the press release 157 00:13:15,094 --> 00:13:21,653 they sent out here and it says the first car was driven off the line by the only woman who works there. 158 00:13:21,654 --> 00:13:24,773 That's not very modern, is it? No. Did they go on to say, 159 00:13:24,774 --> 00:13:27,493 "And best of all she has a smashing pair of knockers!"? 160 00:13:27,494 --> 00:13:28,853 Very modern. 161 00:13:28,854 --> 00:13:32,053 Don't tell me. It says next, "Don't worry, chaps, we'll let her 162 00:13:32,054 --> 00:13:36,733 "drive it off but we won't let her park it." Oh, God! Welcome to 1950! 163 00:13:36,734 --> 00:13:41,214 The thing is, the car has gone away for some reason. That's not a joke. 164 00:13:42,894 --> 00:13:48,613 The thing about this is, OK, we know this is made in China 165 00:13:48,614 --> 00:13:51,813 by the lin-king wan-king don-king non-king... 166 00:13:51,814 --> 00:13:56,893 Them. Yeah. Them. Keep going. 167 00:13:56,894 --> 00:13:59,493 Heavy corporation industry, right, OK? 168 00:13:59,494 --> 00:14:03,933 It's shipped over to Birmingham, where they fix an MG badge on it and sell it. 169 00:14:03,934 --> 00:14:06,653 But they say in the actual brochure, which I've got here, 170 00:14:06,654 --> 00:14:09,813 it talks about Le Mans and breaking land speed records. 171 00:14:09,814 --> 00:14:13,493 It says the MG embodies British sporting style. 172 00:14:13,494 --> 00:14:15,973 It doesn't. No, it doesn't. 173 00:14:15,974 --> 00:14:20,093 I think the only British sportiness in that is the glue they use 174 00:14:20,094 --> 00:14:24,973 to fix on the badge is made from a dead British racehorse. 175 00:14:24,974 --> 00:14:28,453 That's the only sporty thing in that car, I reckon. 176 00:14:28,454 --> 00:14:32,373 Wait a minute. I should add, the press release they sent us has got a typo on it. 177 00:14:32,374 --> 00:14:36,213 Here it is, look. "Ear"? 178 00:14:36,214 --> 00:14:40,573 MG ear. I think this indicates the car will be a bit hit. 179 00:14:40,574 --> 00:14:44,453 It might be complete rap. 180 00:14:44,454 --> 00:14:46,013 Absolute ollocks! 181 00:14:46,014 --> 00:14:48,533 Yes. 182 00:14:48,534 --> 00:14:52,173 Now, I've always wondered, I've always thought there was someone 183 00:14:52,174 --> 00:14:56,573 in Britain now driving around in, let's just say, a Renault Fuego Turbo. OK? 184 00:14:56,574 --> 00:15:02,733 How do they know that's not the last Renault Fuego Turbo in the whole country? 185 00:15:02,734 --> 00:15:07,053 Well now there's a website called howmanyleft.co.uk, 186 00:15:07,054 --> 00:15:11,293 where you can go on it and find out precisely how many examples 187 00:15:11,294 --> 00:15:14,453 of each model are left in existence, OK? 188 00:15:14,454 --> 00:15:16,253 It's unbelievable. 189 00:15:16,254 --> 00:15:19,533 So how many Fuego Turbos are there? I went on it, there were three. 190 00:15:19,534 --> 00:15:22,013 Just three? There were only three Fuego Turbos. 191 00:15:22,014 --> 00:15:26,293 That makes them really special. It's an incredibly rare car. 192 00:15:26,294 --> 00:15:31,813 No, I went on it, and did you know - because somebody doesn't - there's somebody driving around 193 00:15:31,814 --> 00:15:39,453 in an Austin Maxi 1750 automatic and probably doesn't realise it's the last one? 194 00:15:39,454 --> 00:15:43,093 Only one Maxi 1750... One. He's not here, are you? 195 00:15:43,094 --> 00:15:48,413 It's a Maxi 1750 automatic and it's unique. Still crap though, isn't it? 196 00:15:48,414 --> 00:15:51,213 It's terrible. It's uniquely crap because there's only one. 197 00:15:51,214 --> 00:15:56,893 Whenever we're told there's one Amazonian green-backed nose turtle left... 198 00:15:56,894 --> 00:16:00,133 God, is there? We're all supposed to have these candlelit vigils 199 00:16:00,134 --> 00:16:06,013 and eat mud and not drive cars and turn our central heating down to save it because it's going extinct. 200 00:16:06,014 --> 00:16:11,133 There's only one Vauxhall Chevette GL automatic left, that's it. 201 00:16:11,134 --> 00:16:13,413 There's only one left. Look at it! 202 00:16:13,414 --> 00:16:16,493 What's being done to save this car? 203 00:16:16,494 --> 00:16:20,213 I put it to you, nothing is being done. 204 00:16:20,214 --> 00:16:25,373 Actually, in the Victorian era, chaps used to go off, when something was about to become extinct, 205 00:16:25,374 --> 00:16:29,693 they would go off, find it and shoot it as a trophy. 206 00:16:29,694 --> 00:16:34,533 "The very last one, blam! Ha-ha!" And then nail its head to the wall. 207 00:16:34,534 --> 00:16:37,293 Are you suggesting then we go out and hunt? 208 00:16:37,294 --> 00:16:41,333 Yes, nail its head to our wall in here. The last Chevette, like that. 209 00:16:41,334 --> 00:16:45,093 We've just thought of something to do in programme six of this show. 210 00:16:45,094 --> 00:16:50,533 We're going hunting the Chevette GL automatic. It's out there. 211 00:16:50,534 --> 00:16:54,973 Moving on, there was a poll recently to find the most important car 212 00:16:54,974 --> 00:16:59,573 from the 20th century, and I went for the Golf GTi 213 00:16:59,574 --> 00:17:04,373 because it was fast and practical, and classless. 214 00:17:04,374 --> 00:17:09,653 And it's been much the same story with all the models that have come along subsequently. 215 00:17:09,654 --> 00:17:15,693 But none of them have ever managed to capture, somehow, the magic of the original. 216 00:17:15,694 --> 00:17:17,374 Until now. 217 00:17:23,774 --> 00:17:29,453 Now, I'll admit it's not actually a GTi 218 00:17:29,454 --> 00:17:31,133 or a Golf, 219 00:17:31,134 --> 00:17:32,454 or even a Volkswagen. 220 00:17:33,534 --> 00:17:38,574 What it is a BMW - the new 1M. 221 00:17:42,094 --> 00:17:48,813 What BMW has done to create this is take a standard one-series and pump it up a bit. 222 00:17:48,814 --> 00:17:56,014 The wheel arches are flared, the car is slightly lowered, and, at the back, there are extra pooh chutes. 223 00:17:57,974 --> 00:18:02,693 Inside, there's a splash of suede on the dash with some orange stitching. 224 00:18:02,694 --> 00:18:06,053 Otherwise, it's humdrum, normal. 225 00:18:06,054 --> 00:18:07,654 Not showy at all. 226 00:18:10,974 --> 00:18:15,614 Apart from the orange paint, you simply wouldn't guess that it can do this. 227 00:18:21,214 --> 00:18:26,694 Whoo! Whoo, yes! Blimey, this is good. 228 00:18:29,934 --> 00:18:32,213 So what have we got here? 229 00:18:32,214 --> 00:18:36,213 Well, there's a straight-six engine at the front, 230 00:18:36,214 --> 00:18:40,853 a manual gearbox in the middle, and drive goes to the back. 231 00:18:40,854 --> 00:18:46,974 That's page one, chapter one from the petrosexual handbook. 232 00:18:52,974 --> 00:18:57,254 It just feels so... beautifully balanced. 233 00:18:59,694 --> 00:19:04,413 Of course, all BMW M cars feel this way, they just feel 234 00:19:04,414 --> 00:19:09,493 better than Mercs, better than Audis, better than pretty much anything. 235 00:19:09,494 --> 00:19:14,773 And just when you think it can't possibly get any better than this, 236 00:19:14,774 --> 00:19:18,174 you push the little M button on the steering wheel... 237 00:19:19,934 --> 00:19:21,813 and the whole car shimmies. 238 00:19:21,814 --> 00:19:24,173 It's like a shiver of excitement. 239 00:19:24,174 --> 00:19:31,694 The feeling you get if someone suddenly gave you permission to set fire to Piers Morgan. Ooh, yes! Ooh! 240 00:19:34,734 --> 00:19:38,414 In M mode, it's even more of a tyre-smoking mentalist. 241 00:19:45,774 --> 00:19:48,613 Honestly, I haven't driven anything 242 00:19:48,614 --> 00:19:51,293 this sort of perfect since... 243 00:19:51,294 --> 00:19:54,574 I don't know, since the original Golf GTi, in fact. 244 00:19:58,894 --> 00:20:05,973 And what makes that quite surprising is that the 1M is like a turkey curry on Boxing Day. 245 00:20:05,974 --> 00:20:08,694 It's made from leftovers. 246 00:20:10,534 --> 00:20:13,213 The door mirrors are from the current M3, 247 00:20:13,214 --> 00:20:16,853 the rear axle is from the old one, 248 00:20:16,854 --> 00:20:19,453 the engine is from a Z4. 249 00:20:19,454 --> 00:20:22,933 It's a recipe that shouldn't work, but it does. 250 00:20:22,934 --> 00:20:24,934 As we shall now see. 251 00:20:27,254 --> 00:20:34,813 What we have here is a new, lighter, more powerful Porsche, the Cayman R. 252 00:20:34,814 --> 00:20:40,013 And this is the new supercharged Lotus Evora S. 253 00:20:40,014 --> 00:20:43,893 Both these no-compromise ground-huggers are purpose-built 254 00:20:43,894 --> 00:20:49,773 to go like hell, so they should cream the sit-up-and-beg Beemer. 255 00:20:49,774 --> 00:20:54,693 However, while the three-litre engine in this is from a Z4, 256 00:20:54,694 --> 00:20:59,734 it's boosted to 340 horsepower with two tiny little turbochargers. 257 00:21:06,734 --> 00:21:10,214 So, let's see how we get on. 258 00:21:21,174 --> 00:21:26,133 So, £50,000 Porsche, £60,000 Lotus, 259 00:21:26,134 --> 00:21:33,134 and the £40,000 BMW is showing them its many pooh chutes! Ho-ho-ho! 260 00:21:39,014 --> 00:21:41,934 A bit depressing if you've just bought a Lotus. 261 00:21:44,254 --> 00:21:46,693 And there's more. 262 00:21:46,694 --> 00:21:53,333 The Porsche and the Lotus are effectively two-seaters and there's hardly any luggage space at all. 263 00:21:53,334 --> 00:21:56,173 You get the speed at a price. 264 00:21:56,174 --> 00:22:00,293 But there's no price to pay with the 1M. 265 00:22:00,294 --> 00:22:06,493 There's space in the back for two children, and room in the boot for two more. 266 00:22:06,494 --> 00:22:08,694 It's a family saloon. 267 00:22:11,494 --> 00:22:19,053 This, then, does to today's sports cars what the original Golf GTi did to the MG and the Triumph Spitfire. 268 00:22:19,054 --> 00:22:22,534 It renders them... pointless. 269 00:22:24,694 --> 00:22:26,934 Drawbacks? 270 00:22:28,254 --> 00:22:30,893 Pfff, erm... 271 00:22:30,894 --> 00:22:37,533 Maybe the sat-nav screen is a bit far away, and perhaps the ride 272 00:22:37,534 --> 00:22:44,373 is a tad firm, but that said it's not as uncomfortable as my AMG Mercedes. 273 00:22:44,374 --> 00:22:49,293 Actually, falling down a flight of stairs isn't as uncomfortable as my Mercedes. 274 00:22:49,294 --> 00:22:53,694 Sustained machine-gun fire would be better than popping to the shops in that. 275 00:22:55,454 --> 00:22:59,733 And anyway, you won't really notice the stiff suspension, partly because the seats 276 00:22:59,734 --> 00:23:06,454 are so comfortable and partly because you'll be having such a good time. 277 00:23:09,534 --> 00:23:14,254 This is a brilliant, brilliant, brilliant car, 278 00:23:16,254 --> 00:23:20,214 and that's all, really, I've got to say. The end. 279 00:23:33,974 --> 00:23:36,094 Unbelievably good. 280 00:23:38,934 --> 00:23:42,613 It's one of the most spectacular cars I've driven in a long time. 281 00:23:42,614 --> 00:23:46,133 Fair enough, but hang on, hang on, hang on! 282 00:23:46,134 --> 00:23:49,013 £40,000 for a one-series! 283 00:23:49,014 --> 00:23:51,893 I'm sorry, were you not listening? 284 00:23:51,894 --> 00:23:55,653 I just said it's a brilliant car and that was the end. There was nothing more to say. 285 00:23:55,654 --> 00:23:58,893 Yes, but that's a big price tag. There's nothing more to say. 286 00:23:58,894 --> 00:24:02,133 But there's something more to do. We have to find out how fast it goes 287 00:24:02,134 --> 00:24:06,413 round our track and that of course means handing it over to our tame racing driver. 288 00:24:06,414 --> 00:24:10,573 Some say he doesn't know what dogs are for, and that he recently 289 00:24:10,574 --> 00:24:14,853 took out a super-injunction to prevent us from revealing that he... 290 00:24:14,854 --> 00:24:19,653 SILENCE 291 00:24:19,654 --> 00:24:21,774 ..with an enormous goat. 292 00:24:23,974 --> 00:24:26,334 All we know is he's called The Stig. 293 00:24:28,694 --> 00:24:31,933 And he's off. Wipers on, it's drizzling out there. 294 00:24:31,934 --> 00:24:34,293 Hopefully that won't hurt the time too badly. 295 00:24:34,294 --> 00:24:37,693 Let's see, coming up to the first corner. 296 00:24:37,694 --> 00:24:40,413 Very tidy on the way in, 297 00:24:40,414 --> 00:24:43,693 tidy through the middle, tail out, there it is. 298 00:24:43,694 --> 00:24:46,693 The limited slip diff allowing him perfect control. 299 00:24:46,694 --> 00:24:49,453 ♪ Ro-mah, rom-ma-ma 300 00:24:49,454 --> 00:24:50,694 ♪ Gaga, ooh la... ♪ 301 00:24:50,695 --> 00:24:55,453 For some reason the Stig is listening to Lady Gaga in French. 302 00:24:55,454 --> 00:24:59,613 Weird. OK, tidy through Chicago now, down to Hammerhead. 303 00:24:59,614 --> 00:25:02,133 I have a sneaking suspicion BMW have tried to 304 00:25:02,134 --> 00:25:06,373 make this car slow so it doesn't go faster than the more expensive M3. 305 00:25:06,374 --> 00:25:09,293 Look at that, tail really out there. 306 00:25:09,294 --> 00:25:12,254 Stig looking where he's going out of the side windows. 307 00:25:16,054 --> 00:25:18,933 OK, follow-through. 308 00:25:18,934 --> 00:25:21,173 He's even sideways through that. 309 00:25:21,174 --> 00:25:26,853 BMW only bringing 450 1Ms to Britain, 300 of them already sold. 310 00:25:26,854 --> 00:25:32,933 OK, hard on the brakes, penultimate corner, still very greasy out there. 311 00:25:32,934 --> 00:25:36,134 Into Gambon and there he is across the line. 312 00:25:37,934 --> 00:25:41,493 I have the time here. 313 00:25:41,494 --> 00:25:45,213 It did it in 1 minute 25 dead 314 00:25:45,214 --> 00:25:50,093 so, even though it was a damp track, it was faster than an M3. 315 00:25:50,094 --> 00:25:55,093 Very good, but hang on, because I think there was a bit of film there we didn't see. No, there wasn't. 316 00:25:55,094 --> 00:25:59,573 There was, from the final run. I think the audience would like to see it. No, they wouldn't. 317 00:25:59,574 --> 00:26:02,133 Yes, they would. Let's have a look. 318 00:26:02,134 --> 00:26:04,573 There he is, you see, just past the tyres. 319 00:26:04,574 --> 00:26:08,333 He's doing about 115 mph and, oh, look, it's spat him off! 320 00:26:08,334 --> 00:26:11,213 But even on the wet grass it's still in shape. 321 00:26:11,214 --> 00:26:14,813 No, that's just how good The Stig is, not the car, you fool. 322 00:26:14,814 --> 00:26:18,093 It spat him off. AUDIENCE: Oooh! 323 00:26:18,094 --> 00:26:22,414 Big price, small car, big price, fell off. 324 00:26:24,494 --> 00:26:26,613 LAUGHTER 325 00:26:26,614 --> 00:26:29,973 Now time to put a star in our reasonably priced car. 326 00:26:29,974 --> 00:26:32,693 My guest tonight was christened Vincent 327 00:26:32,694 --> 00:26:40,373 but then he became a rock star and decided he needed a rock-starry name so he changed it to Alice. 328 00:26:40,374 --> 00:26:44,854 Ladies and gentlemen, we're not worthy. Please welcome Alice Cooper! 329 00:26:49,734 --> 00:26:52,093 I can hardly believe you're here. 330 00:26:52,094 --> 00:26:54,773 Alice Cooper! 331 00:26:54,774 --> 00:26:58,094 A legend. Have a seat. 332 00:27:00,094 --> 00:27:01,453 Thank you. 333 00:27:01,454 --> 00:27:03,013 Why is it Alice? 334 00:27:03,014 --> 00:27:05,733 Why Alice? You know, 335 00:27:05,734 --> 00:27:10,093 you had to come up with a name that was going to piss off every parent in America. 336 00:27:10,094 --> 00:27:16,453 It translated across the ocean so, you know, and Mary Whitehouse just hated us. Because you were banned. 337 00:27:16,454 --> 00:27:20,853 Oh yes, she banned us for no apparent reason but it was the best thing that ever happened to us. 338 00:27:20,854 --> 00:27:25,213 School's Out came out, we went right to number one, sold out... 339 00:27:25,214 --> 00:27:29,933 Because the British public said, "How dare you tell us what we can see and what we can't see!" 340 00:27:29,934 --> 00:27:34,773 So the British public was all for us but there was the one lady and we sent her flowers... 341 00:27:34,774 --> 00:27:40,173 Mary Whitehouse - in essence, she was the Daily Mail but in a pearl necklace really. 342 00:27:40,174 --> 00:27:41,933 She was a terrifying woman. 343 00:27:41,934 --> 00:27:45,093 It was the stage shows, I think, that made everybody say, 344 00:27:45,094 --> 00:27:47,893 "Hang on a minute, why are these people coming here?" 345 00:27:47,894 --> 00:27:52,053 There was the story, which I don't believe is true, that you ripped a chicken in half. 346 00:27:52,054 --> 00:27:56,013 No, that was Colonel Sanders. Made a chicken die anyway. 347 00:27:56,014 --> 00:27:58,973 Somebody threw a chicken on stage in the middle of a concert. 348 00:27:58,974 --> 00:28:04,373 I'm from Detroit, I've never been on a farm in my life, so I picked it up. 349 00:28:04,374 --> 00:28:06,814 It had feathers, it was a bird, it should fly. 350 00:28:10,694 --> 00:28:14,293 I threw it and it didn't fly as much as it plummeted 351 00:28:14,294 --> 00:28:17,693 into the audience, and the audience tore it to pieces. 352 00:28:17,694 --> 00:28:22,533 Then the next day it was "Alice Cooper rips a chicken apart and eats it." 353 00:28:22,534 --> 00:28:27,773 Because in your shows, you often got decapitated, hung. 354 00:28:27,774 --> 00:28:31,893 I got killed four times in my last show, but I play the villain. 355 00:28:31,894 --> 00:28:34,893 I always play the villain, so the villain has to get it in the end. 356 00:28:34,894 --> 00:28:37,893 The Darth Vader, the Hannibal Lecter, always has to get it in the end. 357 00:28:37,894 --> 00:28:40,134 So when's the next time we can see you in the UK? 358 00:28:40,135 --> 00:28:44,493 We'll be here in Halloween, of course because I own Halloween, it's mine. 359 00:28:44,494 --> 00:28:48,013 It is. The Prince of Darkness. We're doing a big show at the Ally Pally. 360 00:28:48,014 --> 00:28:50,414 I think it's kind of interesting, Alice at the Palace. 361 00:28:50,415 --> 00:28:52,533 Will you be killed many times? 362 00:28:52,534 --> 00:28:56,533 Just once in this show, one good one. 363 00:28:56,534 --> 00:28:59,533 Although you've been killed many times, obviously on stage, 364 00:28:59,534 --> 00:29:05,733 you didn't die in the '60s and '70s when so many of your contemporaries did. 365 00:29:05,734 --> 00:29:11,093 Yeah, well my big brothers were Keith Moon, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix. 366 00:29:11,094 --> 00:29:13,653 I can go right down the list of everyone that died 367 00:29:13,654 --> 00:29:17,853 at 27 years old, and I was the little brother trying to keep up with them. 368 00:29:17,854 --> 00:29:22,773 It almost got me. Who was the biggest? Nobody can compete with Keith Moon. 369 00:29:22,774 --> 00:29:25,813 I've heard this many times, that Keith Moon was the maddest. 370 00:29:25,814 --> 00:29:28,653 If you think of it this way, about 40% of what you've heard 371 00:29:28,654 --> 00:29:33,053 about me or Iggy or Ozzy or anything like that is probably true. 372 00:29:33,054 --> 00:29:36,333 Everything you've ever heard about Keith Moon is true. 373 00:29:36,334 --> 00:29:40,213 LAUGHTER And you've only heard a tenth of it. 374 00:29:40,214 --> 00:29:44,053 He'd come to Los Angeles and stay at the house for a week, you know. 375 00:29:44,054 --> 00:29:50,053 And I'd go out to a recording session, come back and he'd be dressed like a French maid. 376 00:29:50,054 --> 00:29:53,173 And your car was in the swimming pool. 377 00:29:53,174 --> 00:29:56,093 And my wife would go, "Who is this?!" 378 00:29:56,094 --> 00:30:00,053 How did you manage to survive, then, when obviously so many people didn't? 379 00:30:00,054 --> 00:30:05,773 I woke up one morning, and instead of just throwing up beer, it was blood. 380 00:30:05,774 --> 00:30:09,813 But real blood. I mean, not...? Yeah, it wasn't fake blood. 381 00:30:09,814 --> 00:30:16,613 You know, throwing up blood on stage is very theatrical and it looks great. 382 00:30:16,614 --> 00:30:19,893 In your Holiday Inn room, you know, 383 00:30:19,894 --> 00:30:21,973 where the only person who can see is the maid 384 00:30:21,974 --> 00:30:25,613 and she's really not impressed because she has to clean it up, 385 00:30:25,614 --> 00:30:28,493 that was a good message for me that this is really it now. 386 00:30:28,494 --> 00:30:32,813 If I keep drinking, I'm going to die. So what did you replace it with? 387 00:30:32,814 --> 00:30:34,334 Golf. 388 00:30:36,214 --> 00:30:39,214 That would clear Keith Moon up. Golf and cannibalism. 389 00:30:40,854 --> 00:30:43,773 I don't want to talk about golf. 390 00:30:43,774 --> 00:30:47,733 I want to talk about Detroit, which is where you're from. Yep. 391 00:30:47,734 --> 00:30:54,613 A lot of people think of it as the music town, obviously Motown and the Motown acts, but the amount of 392 00:30:54,614 --> 00:30:58,373 rock-and-roll stars that have come out of Detroit is simply unbelievable. 393 00:30:58,374 --> 00:31:03,613 Iggy Pop, Ted Nugent, Bob Seeger, Madonna is Detroit, which a lot of people don't realise. 394 00:31:03,614 --> 00:31:04,854 The MC5. White Stripes. 395 00:31:04,855 --> 00:31:08,893 Bits of the Eagles, everyone thinks they're from California. They're Detroit. 396 00:31:08,894 --> 00:31:13,493 Detroit, yes. Behind this music, which was huge, 397 00:31:13,494 --> 00:31:19,973 obviously cars were also big and there's no question, you're a big car freak. Massive petrolhead. 398 00:31:19,974 --> 00:31:24,213 Yes, I love cars. And they give me a Kia to drive! 399 00:31:24,214 --> 00:31:27,893 Yes, we do. Down-to-earth, it's the star in the REASONABLY priced car. 400 00:31:27,894 --> 00:31:33,373 How many cars do you think you've owned over the years? At least 100. 401 00:31:33,374 --> 00:31:36,933 I'm assuming most of your cars you've had over the years, 402 00:31:36,934 --> 00:31:39,413 I guess are American. Would that be the case? 403 00:31:39,414 --> 00:31:42,493 Yeah, well, we were always addicted to the Mustangs and Camaros. 404 00:31:42,494 --> 00:31:44,173 Detroit. 405 00:31:44,174 --> 00:31:49,373 Yeah, the Detroit muscle cars. And you know, of course the Hemi Cudas. 406 00:31:49,374 --> 00:31:52,973 What's the Alice Cooper Corral that you read about all the time? 407 00:31:52,974 --> 00:31:58,693 I'm so into the cars and in Phoenix, Arizona, where I live, we build cars and then... This is the Corral. 408 00:31:58,694 --> 00:32:02,133 Yeah. Then we put my name on it and I go and help sell it. 409 00:32:02,134 --> 00:32:03,973 So we have a picture of... 410 00:32:03,974 --> 00:32:06,973 That was a Lincoln Zephyr. 411 00:32:06,974 --> 00:32:10,773 That's billion-dollar bills burning up the flames 412 00:32:10,774 --> 00:32:13,973 and we said, "Who would buy a car, the billion dollar babies car?" 413 00:32:13,974 --> 00:32:16,333 We said, well, Trump, maybe? 414 00:32:16,334 --> 00:32:18,693 What would make it 415 00:32:18,694 --> 00:32:20,293 really appealing to them? 416 00:32:20,294 --> 00:32:23,813 You open the trunk in this car and there's your own private ATM machine. 417 00:32:23,814 --> 00:32:28,013 Oh really? Yes, your own bank money machine. 418 00:32:28,014 --> 00:32:31,893 A cash machine in the trunk. Yeah! You open it up and... 419 00:32:31,894 --> 00:32:35,973 So when you're touring, are you looking for these unusual cars to buy? 420 00:32:35,974 --> 00:32:42,013 I just found a really nice little '65 Mustang that looks like it came out of 421 00:32:42,014 --> 00:32:45,053 the shop in Nashville. I drove by it every day going to the studio 422 00:32:45,054 --> 00:32:50,213 and I finally went in and said "What do you want for this car?" They said 22,000. 423 00:32:50,214 --> 00:32:52,533 Because that's cheap. Absolutely. 424 00:32:52,534 --> 00:32:57,453 You didn't have the heart to say, "You do realise cars like that are worth a lot more these days"? 425 00:32:57,454 --> 00:33:00,693 I didn't tell them. LAUGHTER 426 00:33:00,694 --> 00:33:04,653 OK, so, anyway, you came over here to try your hand at a lap 427 00:33:04,654 --> 00:33:09,013 and I guess a lap is quite unusual with corners for an American. 428 00:33:09,014 --> 00:33:13,093 Yeah. No, you're really right because in America we drag race. 429 00:33:13,094 --> 00:33:16,533 We go from light to light. You pull up next to a car. 430 00:33:16,534 --> 00:33:18,493 This is the sign, this means race. 431 00:33:18,494 --> 00:33:25,093 Really? You go, OK, you rev it up, put it in first gear and whoever gets to that light next is the winner. 432 00:33:25,094 --> 00:33:30,293 But you burn rubber up, it's just drag racing so you don't even think about turning. 433 00:33:30,294 --> 00:33:34,013 But this was interesting for me to get in a car, 434 00:33:34,014 --> 00:33:35,653 the shift on the left side. 435 00:33:35,654 --> 00:33:38,293 It was like dyslexic driving 436 00:33:38,294 --> 00:33:42,893 because I'm going 3rd, 9th? Opening the door, no, it's not there. 437 00:33:42,894 --> 00:33:47,054 So they gave me an automatic and it was a really, really fast Kia! 438 00:33:50,414 --> 00:33:54,054 Who would like to see Alice's lap? Yeah. 439 00:33:55,774 --> 00:33:59,653 Here we go. Let's have a look. 440 00:33:59,654 --> 00:34:01,373 Oh, that's pouring with rain. 441 00:34:01,374 --> 00:34:04,293 Look at that thing go. 442 00:34:04,294 --> 00:34:08,573 Come on now. All right. That's an intense stare you've got going on there. 443 00:34:08,574 --> 00:34:11,093 Clint Eastwood for a second. 444 00:34:11,094 --> 00:34:13,613 And into the first corner. 445 00:34:13,614 --> 00:34:16,853 This can go as a very, very wet lap. 446 00:34:16,854 --> 00:34:19,653 No brake lights there, that's good. 447 00:34:19,654 --> 00:34:21,373 Trundling. 448 00:34:21,374 --> 00:34:22,734 Come on, you pig. Keep going. 449 00:34:22,735 --> 00:34:24,853 Did I say "Come on, you pig"? 450 00:34:24,854 --> 00:34:26,653 Yes, I think you probably did. 451 00:34:26,654 --> 00:34:28,733 The Cee'd gripping well as it... 452 00:34:28,734 --> 00:34:31,733 Where are you going? I've no idea. 453 00:34:31,734 --> 00:34:34,133 It's tricky. Now the Hammerhead, was this OK? 454 00:34:34,134 --> 00:34:36,493 You managed to stay between the lines? 455 00:34:36,494 --> 00:34:38,573 Yes, come on, get the back around. TYRES SQUEAL 456 00:34:38,574 --> 00:34:43,173 A bit of understeer and some tyre squeal despite the conditions. 457 00:34:43,174 --> 00:34:46,133 Yes, you're moving, just. 458 00:34:46,134 --> 00:34:47,414 Come on, come on, come on! 459 00:34:47,415 --> 00:34:50,213 Come on, Kia. 460 00:34:50,214 --> 00:34:55,493 How many people say "Come on, Kia?" Now where are you going? 461 00:34:55,494 --> 00:34:58,973 Left! Left! Left! I was getting a big... 462 00:34:58,974 --> 00:35:02,053 That's not fast there, 463 00:35:02,054 --> 00:35:04,053 not fast at all. 464 00:35:04,054 --> 00:35:06,213 I was floored right there. I had it floored. 465 00:35:06,214 --> 00:35:10,213 There's obviously something stuck behind the accelerator pedal. 466 00:35:10,214 --> 00:35:12,613 Come on, spin a little bit. Come on! 467 00:35:12,614 --> 00:35:15,173 Where are you now? 468 00:35:15,174 --> 00:35:20,694 And you're being a rock star there, all over the place. But across the line, there we are! 469 00:35:24,854 --> 00:35:26,094 So... 470 00:35:29,854 --> 00:35:33,613 here is the board with many, many names on it. 471 00:35:33,614 --> 00:35:35,213 Where do you think you've come? 472 00:35:35,214 --> 00:35:36,933 Oh, man, I have no idea. 473 00:35:36,934 --> 00:35:41,013 If I broke two minutes I'd be the happiest guy in the world. 474 00:35:41,014 --> 00:35:44,373 I can make you the happiest man in the world. 475 00:35:44,374 --> 00:35:46,653 But not by much. LAUGHTER 476 00:35:46,654 --> 00:35:52,933 Because, Alice Cooper, rock legend, all-round unbelievably nice guy, 477 00:35:52,934 --> 00:35:55,334 you did it in one minute... 478 00:35:56,854 --> 00:36:02,614 56.3. Oh, yes! 479 00:36:12,974 --> 00:36:17,093 I don't know, really, what to say about that other than it was terrible. 480 00:36:17,094 --> 00:36:20,413 But, you know what? I'm proud of that. Do you know what I am? 481 00:36:20,414 --> 00:36:23,253 I'm so grateful to you for coming on because it's been 482 00:36:23,254 --> 00:36:26,413 such an honour to meet you. You were nothing like I was expecting. 483 00:36:26,414 --> 00:36:29,853 I thought you'd eat the television and kill someone in the audience. 484 00:36:29,854 --> 00:36:31,733 Come and see the show, I do that. 485 00:36:31,734 --> 00:36:36,614 I'd love to see it. Ladies and gentlemen, Alice Cooper. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE 486 00:36:46,976 --> 00:36:51,975 Now, as you know, here on Top Gear it's our job 487 00:36:51,976 --> 00:36:55,335 to keep you up-to-date with all that's new and cutting edge 488 00:36:55,336 --> 00:36:58,096 in the ever-changing world of modern motoring. 489 00:37:01,976 --> 00:37:07,295 Hello, viewers. James Paddy May Hopkirk here, 490 00:37:07,296 --> 00:37:12,656 driving a rally version of the original Mini Cooper S. 491 00:37:12,936 --> 00:37:17,295 And that's quite a special feeling because, even though it rose to fame 492 00:37:17,296 --> 00:37:24,936 because of all that Swinging '60s stuff, the Mini is actually the most iconic rally car of all time. 493 00:37:26,536 --> 00:37:29,335 If you're one of our younger viewers or were hoping 494 00:37:29,336 --> 00:37:36,415 to watch the Antiques Roadshow but you can't find the remote, let me give you a quick history lesson. 495 00:37:36,416 --> 00:37:40,975 This tiny machine shocked the rally world by winning the prestigious 496 00:37:40,976 --> 00:37:48,335 Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, '65 and '67. 497 00:37:48,336 --> 00:37:53,455 The 0 - 60 time might have been a dreary 13 seconds but its light, 498 00:37:53,456 --> 00:37:57,256 compact body meant it cornered like a go-kart. 499 00:38:01,496 --> 00:38:03,736 It's bloody brilliant! 500 00:38:05,336 --> 00:38:09,375 Everybody should drive a Mini, everybody should own a Mini 501 00:38:09,376 --> 00:38:12,376 at some point or you're incomplete as a human being. 502 00:38:15,056 --> 00:38:21,055 Now, like any form of motorsport, rallying needs cars that are stars in their own right. 503 00:38:21,056 --> 00:38:24,415 It's why Formula 1 needs Ferrari. 504 00:38:24,416 --> 00:38:28,376 And that's why modern rallying needs another Mini. 505 00:38:29,496 --> 00:38:32,776 And now, at last, it's got one. 506 00:38:37,896 --> 00:38:43,056 This is the brand-new World Rally Championship Mini. 507 00:38:45,216 --> 00:38:51,415 But whereas the old car was something of a giant slayer, this new one is really... 508 00:38:51,416 --> 00:38:55,095 just a bit of a giant and it's because it's based on this car, 509 00:38:55,096 --> 00:38:58,015 the Mini Countryman which isn't really a Mini at all. 510 00:38:58,016 --> 00:39:01,255 It's more of a trendy school-run car with four-wheel drive. 511 00:39:01,256 --> 00:39:06,935 But if you look down here, you'll see it says Mini. 512 00:39:06,936 --> 00:39:08,895 So it must be true. 513 00:39:08,896 --> 00:39:12,535 Let's not get bogged down in that now... 514 00:39:12,536 --> 00:39:16,535 because this is the modern Mini we're interested in. 515 00:39:16,536 --> 00:39:17,735 ENGINE ROARS 516 00:39:17,736 --> 00:39:19,976 Yes, what a racket! 517 00:39:22,296 --> 00:39:28,255 Whereas the original Mini had 70 horsepower, this one has around 300. 518 00:39:28,256 --> 00:39:31,176 It does 0 - 60 in 3.5 seconds. 519 00:39:35,056 --> 00:39:39,175 And this brilliant sequential gearbox, look at this. 520 00:39:39,176 --> 00:39:41,375 And go! 521 00:39:41,376 --> 00:39:45,775 In fact, I got a bit carried away with the gearbox. 522 00:39:45,776 --> 00:39:50,895 Bang! Oh! Go! Yes! 523 00:39:50,896 --> 00:39:53,055 Oh! Yee! 524 00:39:53,056 --> 00:39:56,495 By the time you watch this film, 525 00:39:56,496 --> 00:39:59,695 the Mini will have taken part in its first proper rally. 526 00:39:59,696 --> 00:40:01,455 No, I've buggered it! 527 00:40:01,456 --> 00:40:06,536 But, as I drive it today, it's yet to turn a wheel in real anger. 528 00:40:11,096 --> 00:40:14,815 So, we're here to find out how good it is and we're going to do that 529 00:40:14,816 --> 00:40:21,616 with a typically unscientific yet informative and hopefully invigorating Top Gear race. 530 00:40:23,696 --> 00:40:27,535 And to do that, we've come back to one of our old Top Gear stomping grounds... 531 00:40:27,536 --> 00:40:31,376 the Winter Olympics site of Lillehammer in Norway... 532 00:40:32,656 --> 00:40:38,255 where, several years ago, we raced a rally car against Richard Hammond in a bobsleigh. 533 00:40:38,256 --> 00:40:42,296 And on that occasion it was the men in tights who came first. 534 00:40:45,336 --> 00:40:50,215 So the motor car was given a bloody nose and has come back with a score to settle. 535 00:40:50,216 --> 00:40:53,695 And because of that, the rally mechanics here have told 536 00:40:53,696 --> 00:40:58,415 Captain Paddy Slow to get stuffed and make way for their driver. 537 00:40:58,416 --> 00:41:05,016 He's Kris Meeke, intercontinental rally champion and quite possibly the fastest ginger on the planet. 538 00:41:07,216 --> 00:41:10,096 And as for the bobsleigh team... 539 00:41:12,616 --> 00:41:14,375 They're not here. 540 00:41:14,376 --> 00:41:19,376 Instead, the ice-sliding community is fielding one of its biggest guns. 541 00:41:25,736 --> 00:41:30,136 Olympic skeleton gold medallist Amy Williams. 542 00:41:36,336 --> 00:41:40,215 Right, in case you can't get Dave on your telly, or for some other reason 543 00:41:40,216 --> 00:41:46,535 you haven't seen the original race between Hammond and me, here is why Lillehammer is the ideal venue 544 00:41:46,536 --> 00:41:49,535 for a rally car versus skeleton bob shoot-out. 545 00:41:49,536 --> 00:41:53,975 We begin here, and this red line is the bob track, 546 00:41:53,976 --> 00:41:59,295 almost two kilometres of twisting, turning, icy terror. 547 00:41:59,296 --> 00:42:02,695 And this blue line is the road - almost exactly the same length, 548 00:42:02,696 --> 00:42:08,815 nearly two kilometres - and it too is twisting, turning, yumping, icy terror. 549 00:42:08,816 --> 00:42:13,735 And they both end here at the finish line. 550 00:42:13,736 --> 00:42:17,495 The first person there is the winner. You realise that the car must win this one 551 00:42:17,496 --> 00:42:19,335 because the car is 1-0 down. 552 00:42:19,336 --> 00:42:24,295 The car that has been around for 125-odd years now is being challenged by... 553 00:42:24,296 --> 00:42:26,175 My two year-old sled. 554 00:42:26,176 --> 00:42:30,975 A tea tray. Do you mind if I...? I don't think people will have seen one of these close-up. 555 00:42:30,976 --> 00:42:33,055 This is a skeleton bob. 556 00:42:33,056 --> 00:42:37,215 Your face goes that way. Face this end and I steer here and here. 557 00:42:37,216 --> 00:42:40,415 By doing what? By pushing my shoulders in and moving the sled. 558 00:42:40,416 --> 00:42:43,015 So your face is actually over the end. 559 00:42:43,016 --> 00:42:47,415 My chin and head and helmet will be scratching the ice on the way down. 560 00:42:47,416 --> 00:42:50,895 70 mph with your face... Scraping the ice. 561 00:42:50,896 --> 00:42:53,735 Our faces aren't going to scrape along the road, are they? 562 00:42:53,736 --> 00:42:57,655 Hopefully not. That's only if we're going upside-down, which we don't plan to do. 563 00:42:57,656 --> 00:42:59,456 Right, let's do it. 564 00:43:20,176 --> 00:43:23,775 As Amy imagined her way down the run, 565 00:43:23,776 --> 00:43:29,776 I imagined Kris going too fast in the dark and the pair of us rolling end-over-end in a huge fireball. 566 00:43:38,056 --> 00:43:41,376 OK, here we go! Three, two, one. 567 00:43:46,736 --> 00:43:48,536 And we're off. 568 00:44:03,336 --> 00:44:05,496 Go! Go! Go! 569 00:44:06,616 --> 00:44:09,375 For Amy, the start is everything. 570 00:44:09,376 --> 00:44:14,775 Just a tenth to slow at the top and she'll be two seconds off the pace at the bottom. 571 00:44:14,776 --> 00:44:17,976 Sadly for us, she had a great start. 572 00:44:20,896 --> 00:44:22,656 To the left. 573 00:44:28,336 --> 00:44:30,815 No sign of Williams at the crossover. 574 00:44:30,816 --> 00:44:34,216 That's because Williams was ahead. 575 00:44:37,376 --> 00:44:40,056 Go! Go! Go! 576 00:44:47,936 --> 00:44:52,375 At the halfway point, both Kris and Amy were losing precious time. 577 00:44:52,376 --> 00:44:55,815 Kris because of the slushy ground, 578 00:44:55,816 --> 00:44:59,855 and Amy because of rough ice. 579 00:44:59,856 --> 00:45:02,456 Fortunately, Kris could rise above the problem. 580 00:45:20,376 --> 00:45:23,416 Here we go. Whoa! 581 00:45:26,736 --> 00:45:30,216 Less than a kilometre to go, Kris had closed the gap. 582 00:45:32,536 --> 00:45:34,816 Yes, sir! Loving that. 583 00:45:38,456 --> 00:45:39,576 Right. 584 00:45:42,336 --> 00:45:44,936 Here it is, here we go. 585 00:45:47,536 --> 00:45:49,016 Rrr! 586 00:46:03,136 --> 00:46:05,536 AMY PANTS 587 00:46:13,576 --> 00:46:15,896 Oh, no! What did you get? 588 00:46:18,256 --> 00:46:20,335 Amy Williams, you did it in... 589 00:46:20,336 --> 00:46:22,455 What is it? What is it? 590 00:46:22,456 --> 00:46:26,295 You did it in 61... 591 00:46:26,296 --> 00:46:29,975 Point? 61.04. Yeah? 592 00:46:29,976 --> 00:46:32,815 We did it in... 593 00:46:32,816 --> 00:46:34,695 59.73! No! 594 00:46:34,696 --> 00:46:38,775 Sorry! Fair enough. 595 00:46:38,776 --> 00:46:42,495 Congratulations to you too. It's traditional, I'm really sorry... 596 00:46:42,496 --> 00:46:46,175 It's bad manners, but... loser. 597 00:46:46,176 --> 00:46:48,335 Well done. 598 00:46:48,336 --> 00:46:51,616 Disappointing. Well done, Mini. 599 00:46:55,736 --> 00:46:58,135 I hate snow. 600 00:46:58,136 --> 00:46:59,896 CHEERING AND APPLAUSE 601 00:47:04,416 --> 00:47:07,695 So, Kris... Amy! Amy! 602 00:47:07,696 --> 00:47:14,775 Can I first of all just say what a pleasure it is for me to have you back here on our show. 603 00:47:14,776 --> 00:47:17,975 You always bring... a touch of joy to my heart. 604 00:47:17,976 --> 00:47:20,095 Thank you. 605 00:47:20,096 --> 00:47:26,015 This steering thing - you say you use your shoulders - how does that actually work? 606 00:47:26,016 --> 00:47:33,015 So the inside of a sled pretty much is like a pivot point in the middle so, if I steer one shoulder there, 607 00:47:33,016 --> 00:47:36,775 the pivot point will move and the runners grip the ice. 608 00:47:36,776 --> 00:47:39,296 Do you have to do that really fast? 609 00:47:41,896 --> 00:47:43,455 Sometimes, yes. 610 00:47:43,456 --> 00:47:45,295 Sometimes slow, sometimes fast. 611 00:47:45,296 --> 00:47:48,055 Is your hair naturally curly? 612 00:47:48,056 --> 00:47:49,695 Yes, this is normal. 613 00:47:49,696 --> 00:47:52,096 It's normal? Very lovely. 614 00:47:54,216 --> 00:47:56,855 What's your favourite song? Oh, for God's sake. 615 00:47:56,856 --> 00:47:59,336 Kris. Sorry, we don't have time to talk to the man. 616 00:47:59,337 --> 00:48:04,015 No, we do have time to talk to the man. How did it get on, the Mini, in its first proper rally? 617 00:48:04,016 --> 00:48:06,655 Well... Well, there we are, good. Now I want to talk 618 00:48:06,656 --> 00:48:10,335 about planning permission because, if you want to change your house 619 00:48:10,336 --> 00:48:13,975 in this country, you have to go to the council for permission. 620 00:48:13,976 --> 00:48:20,655 This is to stop people putting up pink conservatories and generally ruining the heritage of Britain. 621 00:48:20,656 --> 00:48:26,416 It all makes sense but I think the planners have overlooked an important detail. 622 00:48:28,616 --> 00:48:33,056 This is the pretty little village of Chilham in Kent. 623 00:48:35,616 --> 00:48:41,375 And careful planning means all of the houses are still very lovely. 624 00:48:41,376 --> 00:48:44,855 But look here. The owner of this house wouldn't be allowed 625 00:48:44,856 --> 00:48:52,095 by the planners to fit uPVC windows or stone cladding, but he's allowed to festoon 626 00:48:52,096 --> 00:48:58,295 the parking space outside his house with a hideous Chrysler PT Cruiser. 627 00:48:58,296 --> 00:49:00,256 It makes no sense. 628 00:49:02,176 --> 00:49:07,735 If I had my way, only one car would be allowed in a village as lovely as this. 629 00:49:07,736 --> 00:49:12,175 A car that, this year, is celebrating its 50th birthday. 630 00:49:12,176 --> 00:49:16,535 The beguiling, bewitching, beautiful 631 00:49:16,536 --> 00:49:18,296 E-type Jag. 632 00:49:22,976 --> 00:49:28,056 Over the years, there have been many pretty cars. 633 00:49:30,096 --> 00:49:35,416 But Enzo Ferrari described the E-type as the prettiest of them all. 634 00:49:38,896 --> 00:49:43,335 And what makes that extraordinary is that it was shaped at night 635 00:49:43,336 --> 00:49:47,215 in a rudimentary early-days wind tunnel that used so much electricity 636 00:49:47,216 --> 00:49:51,736 it could only be operated when the rest of the country was asleep. 637 00:49:54,136 --> 00:49:58,335 And everyone was still asleep when the car itself was tested 638 00:49:58,336 --> 00:50:05,735 because the only place where they could actually run it up to its 149 mph top speed 639 00:50:05,736 --> 00:50:07,336 was at 5am on the M1. 640 00:50:09,496 --> 00:50:13,695 It was on one of those high-speed runs they discovered the roof 641 00:50:13,696 --> 00:50:15,255 would flap about so, 642 00:50:15,256 --> 00:50:20,215 to weigh it down, a string of lead shot was sewn into the canvas. 643 00:50:20,216 --> 00:50:23,775 And there was a similar make-do-and-mend attitude to the rear suspension. 644 00:50:23,776 --> 00:50:29,975 The chief engineer was given just a month to design an entirely new system. 645 00:50:29,976 --> 00:50:34,055 The boss, Sir William Lyons, bet him a fiver he couldn't do it. 646 00:50:34,056 --> 00:50:40,776 He did, and Jag used exactly the same set-up for the next 25 years. 647 00:50:42,256 --> 00:50:46,015 Lyons, in fact, was completely underwhelmed by the finished product. 648 00:50:46,016 --> 00:50:51,175 He didn't like the look of the back end and didn't think it would sell. He was wrong. 649 00:50:51,176 --> 00:50:58,215 Because when the E-type was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1961, 650 00:50:58,216 --> 00:50:59,776 it was an instant hit. 651 00:51:01,536 --> 00:51:05,535 Such was demand for test drives that a second demonstrator 652 00:51:05,536 --> 00:51:09,935 was driven through the night from the factory in Coventry to Switzerland. 653 00:51:09,936 --> 00:51:13,856 And this is that very car. 654 00:51:21,256 --> 00:51:23,335 OK, let's see what the old girl can do. 655 00:51:23,336 --> 00:51:28,495 I know it's genesis, I know this is the very first convertible E-type ever, 656 00:51:28,496 --> 00:51:32,376 but I have to find out what it's like when we give it some noise. 657 00:51:34,416 --> 00:51:36,016 Oh-ho-ho! 658 00:51:37,416 --> 00:51:39,456 Ha-ha! Ha-ha-ha! 659 00:51:42,216 --> 00:51:45,975 Can you imagine what it must have been like in 1961? 660 00:51:45,976 --> 00:51:51,135 You've been to the bakery, you've queued for a week for a loaf of bread, you're on your way home 661 00:51:51,136 --> 00:51:56,735 in black-and-white in your Humber and you were overtaken by one of these. 662 00:51:56,736 --> 00:51:59,735 It must have been staggering. 663 00:51:59,736 --> 00:52:01,296 "What was that?!" 664 00:52:02,696 --> 00:52:07,535 It's the same age, this car and me, give or take. 665 00:52:07,536 --> 00:52:09,135 It has aged better. 666 00:52:09,136 --> 00:52:11,136 Still looks good. 667 00:52:12,336 --> 00:52:17,935 But it wasn't just the looks that astonished everyone back in 1961. 668 00:52:17,936 --> 00:52:23,655 Back then, the equivalent Ferrari or Maserati was £6,000. A little bit more, in fact. 669 00:52:23,656 --> 00:52:28,855 This was £2,098, and this, 670 00:52:28,856 --> 00:52:34,576 thanks to its 3.8 litre straight-six engine, was faster. 671 00:52:36,776 --> 00:52:38,336 Oh-ho-ho! 672 00:52:40,056 --> 00:52:41,856 This is just heaven. 673 00:52:44,696 --> 00:52:48,416 Even by today's standards, that's a lot of go. 674 00:52:55,096 --> 00:53:00,055 Small wonder the E-type became a must-have accessory for the jet set. 675 00:53:00,056 --> 00:53:04,935 Princess Grace, Steve McQueen, Tony Curtis, 676 00:53:04,936 --> 00:53:08,215 Britt Ekland, Frank Sinatra, George Best, 677 00:53:08,216 --> 00:53:12,375 Roy Orbison, Charlton Heston, Count Basie. 678 00:53:12,376 --> 00:53:14,976 They all had E-type Jags. 679 00:53:17,696 --> 00:53:22,175 No car before ever caused such a stir 680 00:53:22,176 --> 00:53:24,256 and no car has since, really. 681 00:53:29,456 --> 00:53:31,296 Until now. 682 00:53:35,176 --> 00:53:38,295 This is called the Eagle Speedster. 683 00:53:38,296 --> 00:53:44,135 Made by a small engineering company in Sussex, it looks like an E-type. 684 00:53:44,136 --> 00:53:48,175 It's even based on an E-type but there have been some changes. 685 00:53:48,176 --> 00:53:51,295 The aluminium body is deeper, 686 00:53:51,296 --> 00:53:54,775 the windscreen is lower and more steeply raked. 687 00:53:54,776 --> 00:53:58,855 The wheels are new, and the tyres, and the brakes. 688 00:53:58,856 --> 00:54:01,296 And the interior. 689 00:54:04,016 --> 00:54:08,375 If someone had come to me asking for planning permission to alter 690 00:54:08,376 --> 00:54:13,175 an E-type Jaguar, I'd have said no, don't be stupid, you'll mess it up! 691 00:54:13,176 --> 00:54:15,855 But they haven't. 692 00:54:15,856 --> 00:54:23,056 I think this, by a long way, is the most beautiful car I've ever seen. 693 00:54:25,056 --> 00:54:29,136 It might actually be the most beautiful THING I've ever seen. 694 00:54:33,016 --> 00:54:36,455 And the surgery isn't just cosmetic. 695 00:54:36,456 --> 00:54:41,855 Under the bonnet there's a fuel-injected 4.7 litre straight-six 696 00:54:41,856 --> 00:54:49,336 which sends its power to the rear wheels through a five-speed gearbox and an aluminium differential. 697 00:54:53,936 --> 00:54:57,455 As a result of all the aluminium, which doesn't weigh very much, 698 00:54:57,456 --> 00:55:01,335 this has a better power-to-weight ratio than a Porsche 911 Turbo, 699 00:55:01,336 --> 00:55:05,896 and, as a result of that, it can do 0 - 60 in 5 seconds. 700 00:55:06,896 --> 00:55:10,016 Flat out, it'll do 160. 701 00:55:12,776 --> 00:55:17,576 And then there's the noise. ENGINE ROARS 702 00:55:21,016 --> 00:55:24,176 Ha-ha-ha! 703 00:55:25,976 --> 00:55:28,775 It's spitting fire. 704 00:55:28,776 --> 00:55:32,136 It's a spitfire! That's what it is. 705 00:55:38,656 --> 00:55:40,936 The looks, the noise! 706 00:55:53,256 --> 00:55:55,815 This, to me, is... 707 00:55:55,816 --> 00:55:59,896 absolute perfection. 708 00:56:01,136 --> 00:56:04,015 I'll put my hand on my heart and say here and now 709 00:56:04,016 --> 00:56:09,816 I've never ever driven a car, ever, that I've wanted more than this one. 710 00:56:16,376 --> 00:56:19,136 I yearn to have it. 711 00:56:26,136 --> 00:56:30,735 There is, however, a problem. 712 00:56:30,736 --> 00:56:36,695 Because every single piece of this car, pretty much, was hand-made, 713 00:56:36,696 --> 00:56:38,455 the price is fantastic. 714 00:56:38,456 --> 00:56:40,495 Enormous. Eye-watering. 715 00:56:40,496 --> 00:56:47,215 I didn't know numbers went this high, but it turns out they do, so sit down, I'm going to say it. 716 00:56:47,216 --> 00:56:49,896 Here we go. The Eagle Speedster... 717 00:56:50,976 --> 00:56:56,696 is half a million pounds. Half a million. 718 00:56:59,016 --> 00:57:04,015 That's a lot for a toy. A car that doesn't even have a roof. 719 00:57:04,016 --> 00:57:07,015 But this is more than a toy. 720 00:57:07,016 --> 00:57:10,055 It's a modern take on the E-type Jag. 721 00:57:10,056 --> 00:57:12,855 And the E-type, with the possible exception of Concorde, 722 00:57:12,856 --> 00:57:17,816 is almost certainly the last truly great thing Britain made. 723 00:57:19,936 --> 00:57:25,375 I think we should be more proud of it than we actually are. 724 00:57:25,376 --> 00:57:31,135 Its 50th birthday was marked by a small piece on page 16 of the Daily Telegraph 725 00:57:31,136 --> 00:57:36,815 and I don't think that's right, which is why I've organised something a little more substantial. 726 00:57:36,816 --> 00:57:42,455 BAND PLAYS I've organised something which recognises that this is the soul, 727 00:57:42,456 --> 00:57:47,135 the spirit, the beating heart of all that we can be. 728 00:57:47,136 --> 00:57:55,135 The E-type isn't a plucky Brit that's happy to come home second, it wouldn't be humiliated by Barcelona. 729 00:57:55,136 --> 00:57:58,295 It wouldn't simply wave Sebastian Vettel by. 730 00:57:58,296 --> 00:58:02,495 And if you asked an E-type to organise a royal wedding, 731 00:58:02,496 --> 00:58:06,495 it wouldn't ferry the guests to Westminster Abbey in a fleet of minibuses. 732 00:58:06,496 --> 00:58:10,855 The E-type doesn't know what a minibus is. 733 00:58:10,856 --> 00:58:13,175 Every country has an icon. 734 00:58:13,176 --> 00:58:17,935 The great nation of France has the big brown pylon in the middle of Paris. 735 00:58:17,936 --> 00:58:19,615 Australia has a rock. 736 00:58:19,616 --> 00:58:22,775 The Belgians have a urinating infant. 737 00:58:22,776 --> 00:58:25,895 Well this, I put it to you, is ours. 738 00:58:25,896 --> 00:58:30,495 Our Jerusalem, our chariot of fire, the maypole around which the people 739 00:58:30,496 --> 00:58:35,415 of this funny little rock in the North Atlantic can gather, to remind ourselves 740 00:58:35,416 --> 00:58:38,536 that, once upon a time, we really were as great... 741 00:58:40,296 --> 00:58:41,776 as we think we are now. 742 00:59:16,816 --> 00:59:19,976 ENGINE FAILS 743 00:59:21,176 --> 00:59:22,935 It won't start. 744 00:59:22,936 --> 00:59:27,496 APPLAUSE 745 00:59:34,696 --> 00:59:38,175 A stirring but nicely understated tribute there, I thought. 746 00:59:38,176 --> 00:59:42,175 But you said something that worried me - with the possible exception of Concorde, 747 00:59:42,176 --> 00:59:45,575 the E-type was the last great thing Britain made. Is that right? 748 00:59:45,576 --> 00:59:50,615 Can you think of anything we've made since which you go, "that's a world-beater"? 749 00:59:50,616 --> 00:59:55,095 The E-type was a third the price of the Ferrari, as I said, and faster, and better-looking. 750 00:59:55,096 --> 01:00:00,175 The only thing I can think that even gets close really is Monty Python, that moved the world on. 751 01:00:00,176 --> 01:00:02,815 What about those vacuum cleaners with no bags in them? 752 01:00:02,816 --> 01:00:05,375 We invented those and they're pretty good, they're clever. 753 01:00:05,376 --> 01:00:08,615 Hammond, I'm not sure that, in 50 years' time, people will be having 754 01:00:08,616 --> 01:00:12,935 a big birthday party on Beachy Head with people going, "These Dysons are brilliant!" 755 01:00:12,936 --> 01:00:15,575 I'm not sure that's going to happen. 756 01:00:15,576 --> 01:00:21,175 Moving on, the Eagle Speedster - is it really that good? Look at it. 757 01:00:21,176 --> 01:00:23,575 Seriously, just look at it. 758 01:00:23,576 --> 01:00:28,255 It's beautiful to behold, yes, but how can it really be worth 759 01:00:28,256 --> 01:00:31,095 five times more than an immaculate original E-type? 760 01:00:31,096 --> 01:00:32,855 I can demonstrate that, Hammond. 761 01:00:32,856 --> 01:00:36,696 I can demonstrate that because, if I step in here, OK? Listen. 762 01:00:39,216 --> 01:00:40,495 ENGINE FAILS 763 01:00:40,496 --> 01:00:42,575 LAUGHTER 764 01:00:42,576 --> 01:00:43,615 ENGINE STARTS 765 01:00:43,616 --> 01:00:46,615 CHEERING 766 01:00:46,616 --> 01:00:48,215 It starts. 767 01:00:48,216 --> 01:00:50,335 On that bombshell, it's time to end. 768 01:00:50,336 --> 01:00:52,696 Thank you very much for watching. Good night! 769 01:01:04,536 --> 01:01:07,575 Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd 770 01:01:07,576 --> 01:01:10,616 E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk