- 5 months ago
📺 Don’t miss Top Gear Season 1 Episode 9 – full episode available now!
A thrilling mix of high-performance reviews, celebrity guests, and raw driving excitement.
🚗 Episode highlights:
Jeremy Clarkson puts the Ford Focus RS to the test — performance, handling, and the ultimate hot hatch feel.
Hammond covers the Morgan Aero 8, blending retro styling with serious power.
The team showcases the best of supercar exotica, featuring Porsche, Ferrari, and more.
Star in a Reasonably Priced Car: Tiff Needell takes the wheel—Top Gear meets Fifth Gear in a head-to-head showdown!
Top Gear Season 1 Episode 9 full, Ford Focus RS review, Morgan Aero 8 Top Gear, supercars 2002, Tiff Needell Top Gear, Clarkson Ford RS, best of early Top Gear
A thrilling mix of high-performance reviews, celebrity guests, and raw driving excitement.
🚗 Episode highlights:
Jeremy Clarkson puts the Ford Focus RS to the test — performance, handling, and the ultimate hot hatch feel.
Hammond covers the Morgan Aero 8, blending retro styling with serious power.
The team showcases the best of supercar exotica, featuring Porsche, Ferrari, and more.
Star in a Reasonably Priced Car: Tiff Needell takes the wheel—Top Gear meets Fifth Gear in a head-to-head showdown!
Top Gear Season 1 Episode 9 full, Ford Focus RS review, Morgan Aero 8 Top Gear, supercars 2002, Tiff Needell Top Gear, Clarkson Ford RS, best of early Top Gear
Category
🚗
MotorTranscript
00:00In tonight's top gear, the ultimate family cars.
00:08What is the best hot hatchback?
00:12And the Stig meets his match on our track.
00:19Hello. Now, when I was growing up, doing the school run was very simple.
00:24You just hammered children into a car until you couldn't close the doors anymore.
00:29Some of them got stuck in the ashtray, some of them suffocated.
00:32In an accident, some of them died.
00:36We used to put the fat ones at the front to act as a sort of primitive airbag.
00:41But nowadays, you wouldn't dream of putting a child in a car
00:45unless it had its own monogrammed, personalised airbag and its own seatbelt.
00:51So that means each child needs its own seat.
00:55And that's where one of these comes in.
00:57A people carrier.
01:01This is the new Renault Espace.
01:05It's the latest version of the car, which in Europe at least,
01:09started the people carrier ball rolling.
01:12Like all new Renaults, it has odd, angular, futuristic styling,
01:19which conceals an odd, angular, futuristic interior.
01:24But no amount of Star Trek trickery can mask the car's sole function,
01:32to be as practical as possible in the smallest possible space.
01:37There are endless permutations to the way you can arrange the seats,
01:46but the upshot is that all your children and all their friends
01:49can travel in comfort and safety.
01:52So there we are, the Renault Espace.
01:56A bit pricey, but the perfect family car.
02:00Except for one small thing.
02:03May I draw your attention at this point to our cool wall?
02:06We divide all cars into Sub-Zero, that stuff like the Vanquish,
02:10cool, uncool, and then seriously uncool,
02:13which is the Beetle, the Chrysler PT Cruiser,
02:16and anything with a Skoda badge.
02:18Now, this is a handful of people carriers, okay?
02:22And they all go in uncool.
02:24Doesn't matter which one you've got.
02:25New Espace, uncool.
02:27Citroen C8, uncool?
02:30Uncool, definitely.
02:32Seat Alhambra, uncool.
02:34Peugeot 807, uncool.
02:36Toyota Previa, uncool.
02:39What's that?
02:40Chrysler, thing.
02:42Voyager, thank you.
02:43Uncool, what's that then?
02:45Hyundai, what's the Hyundai people carrier called?
02:48What?
02:49The Hyundai seriously uncool.
02:51We may have a point on that.
02:54Kia?
02:55Kia garbage.
02:56No, you're right.
02:57Put it there.
02:58What the hell?
02:59You see, the thing about people carriers is,
03:01they're not like normal cars.
03:03Normal cars, you buy one because you want one.
03:05These, they're like washing up bowls.
03:07You buy them because you need them.
03:09And that's where these come in.
03:11Off-roaders.
03:12You still get seven seats, so there's plenty of room.
03:15And you get cool looks.
03:16And it's as safe as traveling to school in Fort Knox.
03:20Just look what happens when you crash a 4x4 into a normal car.
03:24Look at that.
03:25The normal car, absolutely destroyed.
03:30You wouldn't want to be in that.
03:31If you were going to be anywhere, you'd want to be in the 4x4.
03:34So there we are.
03:35Big Tonka toy like that.
03:37The perfect family car.
03:38It is.
03:39Well, look, this one, obviously, it's a discovery.
03:41It'll break down.
03:42Well, quite, absolutely.
03:43Watch this.
03:43I'm going to close this door.
03:44Watch the glove box lid.
03:46It'll work.
03:46Hey, hey!
03:47It's like a clown's car.
03:48I reckon if you start it, the wings will just spring off.
03:51So not this one.
03:53That one.
03:54Toyota Land Cruiser.
03:55In the leafier parts of Britain, the Land Cruiser has become standard-issue school-run transport.
04:07It has everything you could possibly want.
04:10Legendary Toyota reliability, eight seats, and enough boot space for a cameraman.
04:16This, however, is the new Toyota Land Cruiser.
04:28It's more of the same, only it's bigger, better looking, and better equipped.
04:36It also has a better ride.
04:38For a big off-roader, it's pretty comfortable.
04:41And if you go for the diesel engine, which you must, really, it's quite economical, too.
04:46Good boy.
04:50Well done.
04:51George.
04:52Daddy.
04:56Inside, you get a blend of wood and metal.
05:00There are lots of knobs, too, and satellite navigation.
05:04Which means that for £36,000, it's not bad value.
05:10So there we are, the new Toyota Land Cruiser.
05:14Cool, strong, and dependable.
05:16The perfect family car.
05:19Except for one small thing.
05:22To find out what it is, we need to step inside.
05:25Well, we find that it's got a low-range gearbox.
05:28Now, that's very useful in the Kalahari Desert, but pretty unnecessary in Guildford.
05:35And the same goes for the height-adjustable suspension and the locking discs.
05:38Basically, you're paying for a whole load of stuff that you'll never need.
05:42And that's where these come in, grass and gravel 4x4s, the BMW X5 and the Audi Allroad.
05:49The point is, these things haven't got all that off-road kit, so you're not lugging around tons of excess engineering.
05:55Perfect.
05:56Except for one small thing.
06:00They've only got five seats, so you may as well have a normal family hatchback.
06:04So let's recap, okay?
06:06People carriers, uncool.
06:07Big off-roaders, wasteful.
06:09Grass and gravel off-roaders, impractical.
06:13So we're stuck.
06:14Not anymore, we're not.
06:22This is the new Volvo XC90.
06:25It's such an important car.
06:27We had one shipped over from Sweden before it goes on sale in Britain to see what it's like.
06:32Well, in many ways, it's like a BMW X5.
06:43You get the four-wheel drive, you get the high-driving position, which is what you really want.
06:48But you're not burdened with low-range this and locking that.
06:55This means it'd be no good on the plains of Africa.
06:59The meerkats would laugh at it.
07:00It would fail in the Antarctic wasteland, too, and don't think it would get you out of Death Valley, Oliver.
07:11However, here in temperate, undulating Britain, why should we care about any of that?
07:18What matters more is that it doesn't work terribly well here either.
07:23Obviously, being a big, tall, heavy Volvo estate, it comes as no surprise at all to find that it isn't very sporty.
07:33The ride is fidgety and busy, and through the corners, being so tall, it handles like a giraffe.
07:40There's something else, too. It was designed in America, so it's huge.
07:51Now, that might work in downtown Houston, but here in Britain, driving around in something the size of a town hall can be a bit intimidating.
08:05Threading it through a village street, like trying to thread an elephant through the eye of a needle, it's enormous.
08:11Park this up for five minutes, and they'd want you to pay pole tax on it.
08:21And I haven't finished yet.
08:23This model has a 2.9-litre, twin-turbo, six-cylinder petrol engine, which chews fuel.
08:30You'd be lucky to get 15 miles to the gallon.
08:33So, really, you have to have the diesel.
08:38To conclude, then, it doesn't work off-road.
08:41It's vast, it's thirsty, and it's not very nice to drive.
08:48So, what's the big deal?
08:50Well, to understand, I've come to Jurassic Park, in the Cotswolds.
08:55You see, this is the sort of place that families come to.
08:58And this, believe me, is the kind of car they'll want to come in.
09:04Let's start at the back, where we find a split-folding rear tailgate, such as you get on a Range Rover.
09:12Now, the advantage of this system is that you have somewhere to sit at point-to-points or gymkhana's or whatever.
09:18And this is a Volvo estate, of course, so the back is huge.
09:24It'll take anything in here, up to a horse.
09:26So, it has no problem at all with my lizard.
09:30OK, Sally, out.
09:32Out.
09:32Come on.
09:34Oi, come on, out.
09:36Sally, out.
09:37This is the trouble with monitor lizards.
09:39They are so disobedient.
09:41You can't teach them anything.
09:4317 years old, she doesn't even understand sit.
09:46I want to show everyone how the seats work.
09:48Guys, look, I'm sorry.
09:49Could you come and help me out here?
09:52See, that is a big boot.
09:53That's a really properly big boot.
09:56You can get a crocodile in there.
09:58No matter what sort of pet you've got in mind, you get it in the back of the Volvo.
10:01Easy peasy.
10:02Right, so we've seen it's good for lizards.
10:08Now, let me show you how good it is for people.
10:13Right, this row of seats lifts up like so.
10:18And this one, actually, is particularly clever because there's a lever down here.
10:22And if I pull it, see, it converts itself into a child's booster seat,
10:26which, should the child feel it's a bit left out back here, can be slid right forward,
10:31so it's part of the action in the front.
10:34In fact, all these seats can be moved backwards and forwards.
10:39And that on its own is great.
10:41But it's got more tricks up its sleeve because hidden under the boot floor are two more seats.
10:48And they're not occasional little chairs either.
10:52Look, they've got proper three-point seatbelts.
10:56There's lots of cubby holes there and there.
10:59You can operate the air conditioning system from back here.
11:02And look at this.
11:04This enables people sitting in the back to listen through headphones to a CD or watch a DVD
11:11that slides down out of the roof, while the people in the front, the grown-ups basically,
11:16listen to Radio 4.
11:17They even get their own remote controller to operate the stereo from back here.
11:21This car is incredible.
11:25And look, even with the back seats in place, let me pull this one up as well to show you,
11:31you still get a decent-sized boot.
11:35You know, most car designers are about 26 years old, black polo-neck jumpers, yellow rectangular glasses.
11:44Whoever did this had children.
11:47And now, for the best bit, the price.
11:56The diesel is £30,000 and the petrol, £33,000.
12:02That's £12,000 less than a BMW X5.
12:07It's not like they've skimped on standard equipment, either.
12:10I've got satellite navigation, which slides in a James Bond fashion out of the dashboard.
12:17I've got mini-desk, CD.
12:19It's like driving around in a branch of Dixon's.
12:21They haven't skimped on safety, either.
12:28Even people in the back row of seats have their own airbags.
12:31And because it's a tall car, which is more likely to roll than a shorter one, the roof is made from specially strengthened steel.
12:38So, on the plus side, it's very, very safe.
12:50It's more practical than just about any car on the road today.
12:54It's well-equipped and it's good value.
12:56On the downside, it's not that nice to drive.
13:01You choose.
13:01Those seats really do look absolutely fantastic.
13:11Brilliant.
13:11They're a brilliant, brilliant piece of design, there.
13:14But, the drive, how bad is it, really?
13:16It's not bad.
13:17It's just, it's not as good as an X5.
13:19You know, an X5 does feel quite like a car.
13:21This just doesn't.
13:22It feels like a wild animal, really.
13:24It's very fidgety and rolls.
13:26So, no, not really.
13:27Not really a brilliant drive, but a great car.
13:29Which is a disappointment, but I've got to worry about 4x4s generally.
13:32It's only a small one.
13:34I like them.
13:34I get them.
13:35I get the big thing.
13:36I like them big.
13:37And I like the height.
13:37I like high.
13:38You would?
13:39It's kind of a contrast.
13:40I can't see why you'd like that.
13:41I do enjoy that bit.
13:42I'm used to it.
13:43Yeah.
13:44For me, it's a new experience.
13:45Sometimes quite scary, actually.
13:47But, what I worry about, and I've got one.
13:50Drive around in it with my family, and I'm just always aware, it's a little guilty nag,
13:54that if I suddenly have to change direction, it could topple.
13:57They can.
13:58Tall cars can.
13:59And the fact that, as you said, they've reinforced the roof on this, makes it even more worrying.
14:04Because it's like Volvo saying, yes, it really could.
14:07That worries me.
14:08It is.
14:08But there's two types of safety.
14:09There's active safety, which is like a small, nimble car in which you can avoid having an
14:14accident in the first place.
14:15And then there's passive safety, which is what this has got.
14:17You know, they say, you might have a crash.
14:20Yes, you might.
14:20Accidents do happen.
14:22We'll take care of you if that happens.
14:23So if you roll over, then it's got the reinforced roof, which is more likely to happen.
14:27But the fact of the matter is, as we saw earlier, big, tall cars are better in crashes.
14:31Frontal impact, rear impact, side impact.
14:33You're better off with one of these.
14:34Good passive safety.
14:35The simple fact of the matter is, if I wanted to put my children anywhere, I'd put them
14:40in one of these.
14:41Because basically, the odds are better.
14:43Yeah.
14:43Right, weight.
14:44We've got to think about weight on top gear.
14:45We were talking about this the other night in the pub.
14:47We noticed that cars are getting heavier.
14:50And yet, the fastest cars around our track were light.
14:53Clearly, the heavier they are, the slower they're going to be.
14:55And the more fuel they're going to use, the more they'll cost to run.
14:58So we thought, what if you took a normal, heavy car and then took out of it all the spare
15:03stuff that you don't need to make it lighter?
15:04How much faster could you make it go?
15:07Well, we had to find out.
15:08Because of the unique way the BBC is funded, we had a budget of 500 quid and got us this.
15:14Yep, it's a 1985 Jaguar XJS V12, 5.3 litre engine, 300 brake horsepower.
15:21Now, earlier on, we sent the Stig out in this, and he clocked up a remarkable 0-60 time of
15:258.6 seconds.
15:34This car wasn't slow in its day, and it's still pretty quick.
15:46OK, but what would happen if we put it on a diet?
15:49If we strip out as much weight as we can?
15:51Will it go any faster?
15:52Well, that's what this lot are here for.
15:54Guys, they've come from Cornwall.
15:55That's your stamping ground, so you'll probably kind of understand what they're talking about.
15:59Yeah, I can translate if it gets messy.
16:01That's useful.
16:01Well, to start, can you just tell them to crack on?
16:03OK, crack on.
16:09Right, we'll see how that gets on later on in the show, but for now we've got a problem.
16:14Go on.
16:15The Stig is saying he doesn't want to drive around because he wants to promote.
16:18He's done this CD, OK, a sort of Christmas hit, so he's easy listening.
16:23And he wants to promote it, and we've said, it's the BBC, you can't promote it.
16:27So he's having a strop.
16:29Ah, right, a cross stick.
16:30Yeah.
16:30Don't give him, fair enough.
16:31Anyway, let's do the news.
16:34Morgan, they're going racing again, which is good news, good for them,
16:37but it's an expensive business, obviously.
16:39Recession on the way.
16:40There's their car at Le Mans.
16:41It's a very expensive game, and sponsorship is hard to come by at Recession on the Way,
16:45so they've come up with a good idea to raise a few quid to do this.
16:47Best way to explain it, do you remember the Beano Club?
16:50Did you join that?
16:52Or is it just me, isn't it?
16:55Well, I remember it.
16:56And it costs you about 5p, and you sent it off, and you've got a little membership card
16:59and a badge with little googly eyes on it.
17:02So, Morgan have launched the Morgan Club, and you can join this.
17:06It is a bit more expensive than 5p.
17:08It's 1,000 pounds.
17:09Ooh.
17:09Yes, but for that, you do get...
17:13And this helps, that's basically instead of sponsorship, they just get people...
17:15Yeah, essentially, yeah.
17:16All these people join 1,000 pounds, that goes in the kitties so they can go racing.
17:19Right, OK.
17:20And for 1,000 pounds, you drive yourself over to the circuit, obviously, to go and watch the racing.
17:23But when you get there, if you remember, you get entrance to the circuit and a seat in the grandstand.
17:28A seat?
17:29Yeah.
17:29What sort of seat?
17:30That'd be like a red plastic thing.
17:32Not a throne, then.
17:33Which is what I'd want for 1,000 pounds with tiger skin and...
17:37Sunscreen over the top.
17:38Exactly.
17:38And some half-naked Fijian girls, chilling me.
17:42No, it doesn't say anything about any of that, Jeremy.
17:43But you do get to put your name on a list of other people who've given Morgan 1,000 pounds.
17:47You get private access to the team, which, considering it's a 24-hour race, and they'll be on the circuit for...
17:52Three-quarters of an hour.
17:53Yes.
17:5523 hours to grill about what went wrong.
17:58Do you not get, like, you know, access to, like, a clubhouse, like a, you know, a treehouse or something with a ladder?
18:03We go and talk about Morgan.
18:05Afraid not, but you do get to buy limited edition clothing.
18:07Buy?
18:08It's a bit steep, isn't it?
18:09Maybe I won't.
18:11I found the perfect investment, OK?
18:13It's a house, south of France, and it's currently for sale.
18:16Now, this is the house, all right?
18:18There it is.
18:19Beautiful house.
18:20Very nice.
18:20And then in the grounds, there's the racetrack.
18:24Nice!
18:25I kid you not, it's got a full-on racetrack in it.
18:29Every hope should have one.
18:30Look at that, look at that.
18:31I mean, and that's all yours, so it's not like anyone's going to complain.
18:35This is a motorcyclist called Leon Humphreys, who has been taken to court by the DVLA because he forgot to tell them that his Suzuki was off the road, OK?
18:44He has claimed that under medieval law, he's entitled to settle the dispute in a trial by combat.
18:52Oh, yes!
18:52Well, he says that under medieval law, which is still on the statute books, he's entitled to fight a champion nominated by the licensing agency.
19:03The DVLA champion.
19:05Yeah, exactly.
19:05Well, it is in Swansea.
19:07Oh, then I'll do it.
19:08Yeah, then I'll be.
19:08I'll take it, Bob.
19:10A few fly-hards, I'll have him.
19:12Except, what they ought to remember, the DVLA have to remember, it is a fight to the death.
19:17It's quite strict.
19:19And you're allowed to use swords, knives or blacksmith's hammers.
19:23Nice.
19:23Now, that's good television.
19:24It is.
19:26That's something I'd want to watch.
19:28And that's the end of the news.
19:31But we do have a bit of a treat in store, because look what we've got here.
19:35It's the new MG SV.
19:37And this is the new car from MG Rover, now that BMW have left them alone.
19:43Yippee.
19:45Of course, MGs in the past have always been a bit Johnny-go-like.
19:48They're a bit delicate in the Dunlops.
19:52This is different.
19:53If Oliver Reed and Russell Crowe made mad man love on the set of Gladiator, in an angry brawl, this would be the result.
20:04This is the spawn of something momentous.
20:07It's even got somewhere to rest your helmet.
20:11No, no, honestly, it's got helmet holders in the back.
20:15Would you like to hear it?
20:16Oh, yeah.
20:16Yes?
20:17The sound of V8 thunder.
20:19We all like a spot of that on Sunday evenings.
20:21So, here we go.
20:22Go to DEFCON 3.
20:25Engage.
20:27And fire.
20:27Now, um, this will be going on sale next year, priced at around £60,000, or more if you want the 1,000 horsepower nitrous kit.
20:45Oh, but you do, don't you?
20:47You just do.
20:50Very, very nice.
20:52Now, obviously, they're not going to make a family version of that.
20:54No, family man is doomed to drive Volvos, like the one we saw earlier on, to wear slippers and to slowly go beige.
21:01Or, you could have one of these, a Subaru Forester.
21:05Annoying, isn't it?
21:24You can remember the 80s like they were just a couple of decades ago.
21:27And you can remember steering a sharp car just through feeling what was going on through your bum.
21:31And you could probably still do it, too, if you could get your bum in the seat.
21:36This might fit rather neatly into your life, though.
21:39No, not the house, the car.
21:40It's the new Subaru Forester.
21:42Which, at first glance, is family car heaven.
21:46It's got a really big boot with lots of useful storage spaces to put all the things that you now need, like kids, books, apples.
21:55It's sensibly high off the ground, so nothing expensive gets damaged and broken underneath.
22:02It's got everything you need.
22:04Oh, and it can do this.
22:06Without a doubt, it really does take years off the family man.
22:27It's got an Impreza chassis, Impreza turbo engine, Impreza drivetrain.
22:44There's 177 brake horsepower available at 5,600 RPM.
22:49It'll hit 60 in 7.9 seconds.
22:52It's got permanent four-wheel drive and a limited slip differential.
22:55You'd have to be trying very, very hard indeed to break it.
22:59It rocks.
23:08This is superb.
23:10It's a sit-up-and-beg Imprezza turbo with a basket on the front and a kiddy-see on the back.
23:15It uses so many of the turbo nutter's bits and pieces, they could almost have stuck an Imprezza badge on it.
23:25It does offer real-life advantages over the Imprezza, though.
23:28There's more space in the back, the boot's much bigger, and that extra height will please the kids.
23:33Now, if you're old enough to have been around for the first hot hatches, you're probably a bit worried about your weight by now.
23:46Well, Subaru are watching their weight as well, but they're more concerned about where to put it.
23:51Now, having the Imprezza's engine here in the Forester is good news, and not just for the power.
23:58It's a flat four, which, apart from anything else, means it's low.
24:02And it's mounted low in the car, too.
24:04And that, in turn, keeps the centre of gravity low, which all helps the handling.
24:08Which means where it really wins out is as an all-rounder.
24:21Plenty of off-roaders claim to be good on the road.
24:25Well, in honesty, they really are not.
24:27This is.
24:28The ride is smoother and more comfortable than on many cars built just to cruise the motorways.
24:36That low centre of gravity helps cut out the usual off-roader wobbliness.
24:40It's civilised, but without losing the ability to cut it off-road.
24:46On the downside, it is thirsty.
24:48And the interior is, well, not exactly inspired in terms of decor.
24:53But then the previous Forester was truly awful inside, and this one isn't.
24:57So that's good.
24:59The radio is clearly aimed at buyers of the Impreza.
25:02It's got loads of tiny little buttons, and it lights up like an oil rig at night.
25:06But it is dead loud, so that's good, too.
25:11So they put the DNA of an Impreza Turbo into a family car.
25:16And it works.
25:18It's not an in-your-face off-roader, the Forester.
25:21Compared to CRVs, Freelanders, RAV4s and the like, it looks, well, perhaps a little bit quiet.
25:27But believe me, it really is the best of the bunch.
25:30You know the other thing about the Forester?
25:35Subaru always, always win those reliability surveys.
25:38That's true.
25:38Absolutely.
25:39So you've got that in its favour, and the fact that it'll do everything you want for the family.
25:42It is very quick.
25:43And it won't fall over like a tall 4x4.
25:46Exactly.
25:46Fantastic.
25:47And, best thing of all, here's a photograph.
25:50It goes in the cool section of our board.
25:54Yeah.
25:54Cool car.
25:55What do you mean, no?
25:56Wrong.
25:57Hold on.
25:58Have you seen the interior?
25:59Yes.
26:00Well, he's bland and boring and dull.
26:03He just hasn't got the idea of this at all.
26:05What is he an interior designer, baby?
26:06That's not the point.
26:07Lauren Swelling Bowen without the cuffs.
26:09It's cool.
26:10You missed it.
26:11TVR.
26:13Cool.
26:14No, again, you're wrong.
26:17Uncool.
26:17And I'll explain why, if I may, okay?
26:21TVRs, as we know, are for men whose trousers are creeping up a bit.
26:25You know the time of life?
26:27That then.
26:27The time of life.
26:28The gap between the nipple and the waistband is just starting to come down a little bit.
26:34So I'm afraid that's why it's uncool.
26:37Anyone else got any objections to that?
26:39Yes.
26:40Yeah, you again.
26:42Who is it now?
26:44Look at it.
26:44It's lovely.
26:45You can't say that's uncool.
26:46And it comes in yellow.
26:47What?
26:48I was just saying.
26:50So do bananas.
26:52Everything yellow is cool.
26:54No, it's not.
26:54Talking of yellow.
26:56Where do we put this?
26:57It's a polo.
26:59It's cool.
27:00No, that's a cool car.
27:01Wrong, wrong, wrong.
27:03Cool car.
27:03Euro chic.
27:04Euro chic.
27:06Don't take it.
27:08Agree with me.
27:09It's cool.
27:10Very cool.
27:11What do you drive?
27:12Cheap Wrangler Sport.
27:13I did have a polo before.
27:15Cheap Wranglers are dreadful cars, but cool.
27:18See, that's what we keep trying to explain, isn't it?
27:20It doesn't matter what they're like to drive or look at.
27:23It's whether they're cool or not.
27:24Oh, what color they are.
27:25Exactly.
27:26Forget color.
27:27Look, you see, you've got your Fiat Punta, you've got your Golf, as long as it's a petrol,
27:30obviously.
27:30Anything little in your appearance, Citroen C3, goes in the cool section.
27:34Are you sure about the M3?
27:35It's just, I've wandered past, and there it is, and I've just, I still part of me thinks
27:39that's the wrong place.
27:41What do you reckon?
27:41M3, is that cool or not?
27:43The only way to put that is down.
27:45I can't.
27:47I'm really not convinced.
27:49Please leave the M3 down there, really.
27:51It's a great car, make no mistake.
27:53We'll discuss that one later.
27:54It's a great car, man.
27:55Ferrari 575.
27:59Sub-Zero.
28:00No, that's...
28:01Who's put this?
28:04Who's put a Porsche Boxster in the Sub-Zero?
28:07It's you, isn't it?
28:09It's you because you've got one?
28:11That's such a cool car.
28:13I had one.
28:14You had that in Uncour.
28:15It is...
28:16You can't put that in.
28:19No, you see, I had one last week.
28:21Boxster S, new car, fantastic, really.
28:23The most beautifully balanced...
28:26But you look like a prat.
28:29No, it's not that bad.
28:31It's not that bad, really.
28:33Don't put the M3 in cool.
28:36I can't...
28:36I've gone with you on most of this.
28:38Will somebody please back me up on the M3, please?
28:40We'll have a vote on the M3.
28:42Forget what it's like to drive.
28:46Hands up if you think it's cool.
28:49Hands up if you think it's uncool.
28:51Precisely, that's more for cool.
28:52I win, thank you.
28:53Yes, but this isn't a democracy, this is top.
28:57Now, it's a lose-lose.
28:59You're going to lose.
29:00Now, time to put our star in a reasonably priced car.
29:04Now, this one's got a restaurant.
29:05He's got three of them.
29:07From a tyre company.
29:08Shall we meet him?
29:09Ladies and gentlemen, Britain's best chef,
29:11apart from Ainsley Harrier's, obviously,
29:13Gordon Ramsay.
29:17How are you, Gordon?
29:19Ainsley Harrier.
29:20Ainsley Harrier?
29:21Ainsley's not a chef.
29:23What?
29:23He's a comedian.
29:24I'm sorry, Ainsley Harrier's not a chef.
29:28He doesn't even have a restaurant, Jeremy.
29:30He's a comedian and a presenter.
29:33He can knock up supper for a fiver.
29:35He can barbecue food.
29:37He gets the contents of a tin and a hoover bag,
29:40knock them together, five pounds.
29:42You can feed a family for a month.
29:43You, five pound for a sprig of parsley.
29:48Anyway, listen, in between opening like 25,000 restaurants,
29:52you've managed to dish up four children.
29:55Yes.
29:55So, under four.
29:57All under four?
29:57Four under four, yeah.
29:58Nightmare.
29:59What a mess.
30:01Whoa.
30:02Something to do.
30:04Look at that.
30:05Thank you, thank you, thank you.
30:06My little be empty by now, I should imagine.
30:09Have you got a cushion?
30:10Yeah, four under four.
30:12So, what do you do for a family car?
30:15Family car, it turned out a bit of a problem with the Range Rover
30:18because you couldn't never get all four seats in the back.
30:21So, Tarno came up with the idea of buying a new Mercedes
30:24and got one of those ML six-seaters.
30:27Yeah.
30:27But there's no boot in the back of that.
30:29There's definitely no boot in the back, no,
30:30but I don't really get sort of over-involved with those sort of, you know.
30:33You don't do the school run?
30:35I did once, and it was an absolute nightmare.
30:38Go on, talk me through it.
30:39Well, it's, you know, 20 past 8 in the morning,
30:42and you're driving along the sort of Monsworth Road towards Battersea.
30:46And the women now, the mums, don't double park.
30:52They treble park.
30:53I have to say, though, rather amusingly,
30:55is that a few years ago, I was making a programme
30:59about women doing the school run in Chelsea.
31:02Turn up with a film crew outside a little school in Sloan Square.
31:05Who should pull up and treble park but Mrs. Gordon Ramsay?
31:10I thought you'd forgotten about that.
31:12No, of course.
31:12How could I possibly forget?
31:14She's very attractive.
31:15Which is my key for not doing the school run, chaps.
31:17What you do, volunteer, okay?
31:21I'll do the school run this morning.
31:23Do it.
31:23The next morning, do it again.
31:25Next morning, do it again.
31:27Fourth morning, say to your wife,
31:29a lot of those mums at the school,
31:30quite slim, aren't they?
31:34Let's do it again.
31:36That's my key.
31:37Women drivers and vegetarians.
31:38And if we could just forget these congestion charges
31:41and have alternate days,
31:43one for women drivers, one for vegetarians,
31:46London would be a dream to drive around, no?
31:48How would this play?
31:50Is this good, do you think?
31:51Well, I'll go to London.
31:52Vegetarian, I'll go to London.
31:53You're a vegetarian?
31:54Get out!
31:56Hey, he does not look like a vegetarian.
32:00What the hell are you doing?
32:01It's like this gardener's world.
32:02He's in Hampshire, I'm trying to explain this.
32:05What are you doing for vegetarians?
32:06I quite like that idea.
32:08But, I mean, they drive, you know, 50 miles an hour.
32:10Who vegetarians do?
32:11Yes.
32:12And they sort of don't look where they're going.
32:13They never indicate.
32:14And the minute there's a problem on the road,
32:16they sort of let go of the steering wheel.
32:17How are you able to tell that they're vegetarians?
32:20This is the one thing I like to think now, of course.
32:22Yeah, because they just look rather dodgy.
32:26What, is it a pale and warm?
32:28And they need a bit...
32:28In need of a good bloody fillet steak and sort of, you know.
32:32Now, while we're on the subject of things that annoy us on the road,
32:35and motorway service stations, we've all been there.
32:39What do you think of the food?
32:41Shockingly, disgustingly fad, pretty dismal, plastic.
32:48And expensive.
32:49Gross, imitation food.
32:51And before you go on any motorway, eat before you drive.
32:55No, actually, funny enough, no need to eat before you drive.
32:58We had a bit of an idea.
33:00We thought, hang on a minute, you're driving along in a car
33:03which has a big, hot engine in the front.
33:06Why not use that to cook your food as you drive along?
33:10So, this morning, we had an idea, okay?
33:14Okay, let's run some tape here.
33:15I'll show you what we did.
33:16This is a Subaru Forester.
33:18And strapped to its flat-four engine,
33:20we have a succulent turkey breast
33:24and a reduction of porcini mushrooms and red wine
33:26garnished with winter sprouts.
33:28And what could be more delicious than that?
33:30Okay, this is the larder.
33:32We turned into a lotus the other day.
33:34And that's being used to cook a baby rack of lamb
33:37with market vegetables.
33:39Dressed in olive oil and Mediterranean herbs, right?
33:43Now, the Suzuki Liana,
33:44which will be cooking a wild salmon
33:46on a bed of lemon thyme
33:48accompanied by Pond's Top Gear.
33:51Vegetarian option there.
33:53Now, because we recognise,
33:54we know that fish is justifiable homicide.
33:57Meet the murderous thing.
33:58You actually cook them on there?
34:00Yeah, no, they're on the engines now
34:01as they're trundling along.
34:02Don't forget gas mask six or 450 degrees.
34:06The measurement here is red.
34:07We recommend 3,000 RPM for about two hours, okay?
34:14So after two hours, I pulled one of them in.
34:18Okay, here it is.
34:19Let's have a little look how we're doing.
34:25It's still a bit pink.
34:26I'll add some seasoning,
34:29see if we can mask the smell of engine oil in there
34:33and send it back out again, I suspect.
34:36Best thing to do.
34:37There we go.
34:40Go back on the track.
34:41Or the rotisserie, as we like to call it.
34:43So really, we've kind of worked it out that if you were to set off from London,
34:50from where you live, going to Leeds,
34:53by the time you get to Woodall Services near Sheffield,
34:56lunch should be about ready, okay?
34:58So they were trundling around our track this morning for two hours
35:02and is the Stig here?
35:05We've finally allowed him to come out of the cold
35:07and we've allowed him into the base.
35:09Can you bring the food over?
35:10Here he is, ladies and gentlemen,
35:12for the first time ever in the studio,
35:14the Stig.
35:15Here it is.
35:16Now, why don't you sample some of that salmon
35:27and tell me what you think?
35:29This was actually cooked on the engine.
35:31That was genuinely all of this food
35:33was cooked on the engine of a car.
35:35Tell me if that matches up to motorway service cooking.
35:38It certainly matches it, yes, definitely.
35:44That is slightly dry, a little bit overcooked,
35:46and it takes...
35:48So not worthy of three stars, two stars?
35:51I wouldn't even give that...
35:53One star?
35:54I wouldn't even give that one star, definitely.
35:55Not even one star?
35:56No.
35:57Oh, well, try a bit of lamb.
35:58Try a bit of lamb.
35:58Now, just to remind everybody,
36:00this was cooked on the larder market vegetables
36:04dressed in olive oil, Mediterranean herbs.
36:07That's your sort of food, mate.
36:10What do you think of his sort of food?
36:16I think Gordon is about to be sick.
36:20You have some.
36:23Have some sprouts.
36:29Not even the vegetarian likes it.
36:32That taste of petrol.
36:36Castrol, oily, greasy...
36:38Yes, it was cooked on an engine.
36:40That's why.
36:41And that's what tends to happen.
36:43The lamb, sadly, is overcooked.
36:45So 2,000 revs for two hours is far too long.
36:47That's the problem.
36:49You see, we cooked it on a four-speed car.
36:52Here's a tip.
36:53If you're cooking lamb,
36:54make sure it's five-speed, preferably six-speed.
36:57Okay.
36:58Who would like to say Gordon's lap?
37:01Yes!
37:01Yes!
37:02Let's play it!
37:04Come on.
37:06Looking cheerful.
37:08That's an aggressive start.
37:09That's the most aggressive start we've seen in all series.
37:12Come on, you.
37:13Cut the trade.
37:15Bloody hell, I could have swore
37:16a traffic ward.
37:19That's the whole point of this track there are now.
37:22Now, let's just see how tight you are on that line.
37:23Look, that's precision driving, mate.
37:27That is precision driving.
37:33That's about 85 through there, and then that's it.
37:35And brake at the numbers.
37:36And turn.
37:37Brake.
37:38Turn.
37:39Gently.
37:40Too early.
37:42That's where most of the lads come off,
37:44but not across the line.
37:45And...
37:46And...
37:47Gordon.
37:56Gordon R.
37:57Now, these are the sort of times you're looking to be.
38:00It was a dry day, so you should be somewhere near the top.
38:02Okay?
38:03Mm-hmm.
38:03One minute...
38:04One minute...
38:0550 seconds.
38:09Same as me, ladies and gentlemen.
38:13That's an epic time.
38:18That is an epic time.
38:20I'm obviously not going to put you above me.
38:22Just be rude.
38:23Alphabetical order.
38:24Yeah, alphabetical order.
38:26And, um, yes, G comes after J.
38:29On that wall chart, it does.
38:31Anyway, Gordon Ramsay, it's been an absolute riot having you here.
38:34Thanks very much.
38:41Now...
38:42That's enough about food, okay?
38:46Let's see how the Jag's diet's getting along.
38:52Over the next three hours,
38:54the Cornish crew stripped every piece of excess fat
38:57from our beautiful XJS.
38:59Out came the spare wheel,
39:00the back seats,
39:01bumpers,
39:01and the soundproofing.
39:03As they say at fat clubs,
39:04no pain,
39:05no gain.
39:06But Jag fan Jason
39:07wasn't happy.
39:09No!
39:11Oh, mate, this is sacrimage.
39:14There goes the electric window motor.
39:19Oh, that's the headlamp wiper motor.
39:21All that's up.
39:22Everything the guys have pulled off the car
39:33has been weighed,
39:34and it's all made a nice big pile.
39:36Yeah, they took off the rear bumper.
39:38That was 20 kilograms.
39:40Passenger seat,
39:40that was another 16 kilograms.
39:42Even the speakers,
39:43six kilos each.
39:45Apparently, the ashtray was 0.27 of a kilo.
39:47But every beat counts,
39:48and it's come to a total of 223 kilograms.
39:52That should make a difference
39:53when we get it back out on the track.
39:55I don't care.
39:55Look, boys, you've ruined it.
39:57It was a lovely car.
39:58I don't know.
39:59I think it looks better,
39:59kind of rugged and manly.
40:00Anyway, let's get it out on the track
40:02and see what the Stig makes of it.
40:03So let's recap.
40:28Before we put our Jag on a diet,
40:31we tested it.
40:310-60 it did in 8.6 seconds.
40:34Then we put it on the diet,
40:35we stripped out a fifth of a ton of stuff,
40:38and we lost so much out of it.
40:39Well, pretty much everything.
40:40Took out the seats,
40:41took out the trim,
40:42took out the bumpers,
40:43spare wheel.
40:44Don't bother looking in there.
40:45There is nothing to see.
40:45Nothing.
40:47Shell.
40:47Then we tested it again.
40:490-60 time came down to 7.4 seconds.
40:52That's 1.2 seconds better.
40:54I think that's pretty incredible.
40:55No more power,
40:56just less weight.
40:57Yeah, but if you think that's quick,
40:58how much time do you reckon we save?
41:000-100 before and after.
41:02This car was seconds quicker.
41:04Five seconds.
41:06This car was five seconds quicker
41:07after we stripped it out.
41:09I think that's quite an achievement.
41:10That is a lot.
41:11So we have proved the point.
41:13But weight is the enemy,
41:15not just of performance.
41:16It's the enemy of economy, too.
41:18You waste a lot of fuel
41:19just lugging it around,
41:20so it costs you money.
41:22So, light is good,
41:23light is right,
41:24and light works.
41:26Anyway, this week's
41:26Insider Trading News,
41:28there's still deals out there
41:29to be done.
41:30One that turned my head this week.
41:31Four by fours, right?
41:32Nissan do the X-Trail,
41:34but they still do the Toronto.
41:35Yeah.
41:36It's all right.
41:36It's okay.
41:37It's been around for a while.
41:38Yeah.
41:382.7 diesel,
41:405-doll,
41:40that's normally 20 grand.
41:42But at 15 and a half,
41:43it's a bargain.
41:44Yeah, that money,
41:45it makes sense.
41:4515 and a half,
41:464 and a half grand off that car.
41:47Nothing wrong with it.
41:48That's a brand new car.
41:49Now, Toyota Avensis,
41:51you're a fan.
41:52It's a foul car.
41:54You've got a big problem, mate.
41:55It's disgraceful.
41:56It's not the best car in the world,
41:58but...
41:58It's not the best.
41:59It should come with a taxi light
42:00on the top.
42:02It's hot.
42:03All right, listen.
42:04Secondhand,
42:04they are really,
42:05really seriously good news.
42:06I should hope so.
42:07Honestly,
42:07three, four-year-old ones,
42:08they're fetching over book
42:09at the minute.
42:09Yeah.
42:10But there's a new one
42:10coming out next year,
42:11early part of the year.
42:12And what will happen,
42:13this is a tip for next year,
42:14what will happen is,
42:15January, February,
42:16the old stock,
42:17the dealer's going to start
42:18discounting them.
42:18So, if you're the kind of person
42:20that has a car
42:20and keeps it
42:21for four, five, six years,
42:22runs it into the ground,
42:24no, that's the car to buy.
42:25I don't want to keep it
42:25events just for five years,
42:26I'd rather have it for five days.
42:28Mate, you can buy one,
42:30buy one of the early part
42:30of next year,
42:31you'll get a discount on the one,
42:32run it for six years,
42:33it won't go wrong,
42:33it's a Toyota.
42:34That's very true.
42:35And when you come to sell it,
42:36it will hold its value.
42:37Will it?
42:38Yeah, it's a good car to buy.
42:40Now, if you buy a new car,
42:41you pretty much accept the fact
42:42you're going to lose money on it.
42:43Yeah.
42:43With the possible exception
42:44of this year, the Mini.
42:46Yeah, you pointed that out.
42:47Yeah, run it for 12 months,
42:48make a profit.
42:48Now, my prediction is
42:49there's two or three cars next year
42:51that the same thing's
42:52going to happen on.
42:53Okay?
42:53Number one, BMW Z4.
42:56Nice car.
42:56Fantastic car.
42:57Buy one of those,
42:58run it for six months,
42:5912 months,
42:59chances are when you come to sell it,
43:01you'll either get your money back
43:02or you might make a small profit.
43:04Do you reckon?
43:04That's just because
43:05it's going to be difficult
43:05to get a hold of it.
43:06Absolutely.
43:06They won't build enough,
43:08so demand will outstrip supply
43:09as it always does.
43:10So that's a good one for you.
43:11Second one,
43:12VW Beetle Cabriolet.
43:15What's wrong with you, man?
43:17Now, I know the Beetle's
43:18not everyone's cup of tea,
43:19but when they bring out
43:19the Cabriolet,
43:20wow, I think that's just going
43:21to have such a good effect
43:22on the whole brand.
43:23I think that car's going
43:24to hold its value fantastically.
43:25You'll probably make a profit
43:26if you buy one.
43:27And the third one
43:28is the Nissan 350Z.
43:30Okay?
43:3122 grand that car,
43:32a seriously good value.
43:33I reckon people are going
43:34to queue up for that car,
43:35come out of TTs and all sorts.
43:36That'll be a car
43:37I think you can make a profit on.
43:39Now, since this programme
43:40has a family car,
43:42flavour,
43:42we thought it'd be a good idea
43:44to catch up at this point
43:45with all that's new
43:46and exciting
43:47in the world
43:48of the hot hatchback.
43:53I've always been
43:54a big fan of hot hatchers
43:56because they were cheap,
43:57simple,
43:58and you got two cars
43:59for the price of one.
44:00On the one hand,
44:03they were as practical
44:04as a normal hatchback.
44:05You could use them
44:06for taking the children
44:06to school.
44:07But then,
44:08thanks to their big engines,
44:10you could drive home
44:11like your trousers
44:12were on fire.
44:13recently, however,
44:24things have got all muddy
44:26and complicated.
44:27This Volkswagen Golf R32
44:29costs £22,000,
44:32so it's not cheap
44:33and it's not simple either.
44:35Quite apart from the safety
44:37and emissions stuff
44:38that all cars have to have
44:39these days.
44:40I've got traction control,
44:42seedy changer control,
44:43climate control,
44:45and heated seats,
44:46which, of course,
44:47are hemorrhoid control.
44:49All very nice,
44:51but luxuries like this
44:53add weight.
44:54So much, in fact,
44:55that this car weighs
44:56exactly twice as much
44:57as the original Golf GTI
44:59from 25 years ago.
45:03So, to move around
45:05at anything more than a trot,
45:07it needed twice the engine.
45:09And that's what it's got.
45:11The original had 1.6 litres.
45:13This has 3.2.
45:17The original developed
45:18110 brake horsepower.
45:20This develops,
45:21well, slightly more than twice
45:22that, actually,
45:23240 brake horsepower.
45:26Because it has twice the engine
45:28and twice the weight,
45:29that led to another problem.
45:31It needed twice as much grip.
45:34So, the original was front-wheel drive.
45:36This is four-wheel drive.
45:39This is four-wheel drive.
45:39So, you're probably imagining
45:55at this point,
45:55I'm going to say
45:56it's twice the car.
45:58Well, it's twice as substantial,
46:00that's for sure.
46:01It's twice as luxurious,
46:02it's twice as well-made,
46:03it's twice as quiet.
46:06And, bearing in mind
46:07the original didn't have
46:08power steering,
46:09it's twice as easy to drive.
46:14But it doesn't have
46:16the spirit of the original Golf.
46:18It's less fun somehow.
46:21It's like the new Mini,
46:22a better car than the original,
46:24but not as important.
46:25As a historical monument,
46:37then, it's thrashed.
46:39But as a 21st century flying machine,
46:42how does it stack up?
46:44In this market,
46:46in the blue corner,
46:47you have the Ford Focus RS.
46:49In the red corner,
46:53there's the Honda Civic Type R.
46:58And in the yellow corner,
47:00the Seat Leon Cupra R.
47:03This is a world of fat tires
47:06and aluminium add-ons,
47:08where the show matches the go.
47:16The Golf tries to compete.
47:18It has two exhausts, for instance,
47:21and lowered suspension
47:22and big wheels,
47:23but I don't know,
47:24somehow,
47:25it looks like the nominated driver
47:27at a New Year's Eve party.
47:29It's sober and restrained
47:32in a rainbow whirl
47:33of streamers and noise.
47:45Sure, the R32
47:46is very, very fast.
47:490-60 takes six seconds.
47:51The top speed is 153.
47:54But I suspect it's more
47:55of a long-distance cruiser
47:57than a B-road barnstormer.
47:59The engine doesn't really like to be revved
48:09and the gearbox doesn't like to be rushed
48:11and the steering doesn't like to be rushed either.
48:14If you're quick with the wheel,
48:15you can actually beat the power assistance.
48:18It all suddenly gets very heavy,
48:22which is weird.
48:23And those of you
48:25of a tail slide disposition
48:27are going to be disappointed as well
48:30because it really won't play ball,
48:32no matter what you do.
48:33I don't know,
48:47it's not brutal like the Ford.
48:49It's very soft, actually,
48:52and very forgiving.
48:54Think of it more in terms of being
48:56a long-term companion
48:58rather than a fiery one-night stand.
49:02So there we are.
49:04The oldest hot hatch of them all
49:06is acting its age.
49:09You know what?
49:11I feel as though I've grown up with the Golf.
49:13I was 17 when the Golf GTI came out.
49:16We've matured together,
49:17so that now we're...
49:18Fatter?
49:19Fatter, yes.
49:20But wiser.
49:21A wise head on a fat body.
49:24More importantly,
49:26how does it compare
49:27with obvious direct competitor,
49:28the Ford Focus RS?
49:29Well, we're men, okay?
49:31So we have to quantify that.
49:33Therefore, engage Stig Drive.
49:36The Ford Focus RS came here a few weeks ago
49:39and was four seconds faster around our track
49:41than a Subaru Impreza.
49:42And here it is again,
49:44blitzing the track.
49:45What's the time?
49:47What's the time?
49:48Here's the line.
49:48One minute and 32 seconds.
49:51So how does the Golf compare?
49:54One minute and 33 seconds.
50:20Well, that's only one second behind the Ford.
50:22I know.
50:22And that means it's still three seconds quicker
50:25than an Impreza.
50:26It's an astonishing car.
50:28It really is.
50:29But you've got to admit,
50:30that Ford is incredible.
50:31Then again, you did have reservations.
50:33Well, exactly.
50:34The very thing that makes the Ford
50:35incredible on a track,
50:37its front differential,
50:39makes it useless on the road.
50:40It's so twitchy.
50:41There's so much torque steer.
50:42Now this,
50:43yes, it's a second slower on a track.
50:45A big deal.
50:46But on the road,
50:47it's so much more civilised.
50:49This,
50:50this is the car for me.
50:51Right, we are getting towards the end of the series.
50:55And still,
50:55the Westfield XTR
50:56is at the top of the tree.
50:58It was the quickest car
50:59to get round our test track.
51:00But now it's coming under threat
51:02from two directions.
51:03First of all,
51:03there's this.
51:04It's the Radical SR3.
51:06And like the Westfield,
51:07it's got a 1.3 litre bike engine.
51:09But in the Radical,
51:11it's more powerful.
51:12So that's one threat.
51:14Then we heard from this guy,
51:16Tom.
51:16Now he got in touch
51:17and said,
51:17I've got something
51:17that can thrash anything
51:19round your test track.
51:20To be honest,
51:21we get a lot of challenges like that.
51:22And most of the time,
51:24well, they're rubbish.
51:25But this time,
51:26he may have a point.
51:32OK,
51:32so here's the Stig
51:34warming up the Radical.
51:36And this
51:37is what he'll be racing.
51:38It's a super light,
51:39super fast aerobatic plane.
51:41And Tom,
51:42the Stig's challenger,
51:43is the British aerobatic champion.
51:49Now,
51:49since the Stig
51:50isn't one for words,
51:52I'll be the go-between.
51:53Have a look at the opposition,
51:54OK?
51:55This is it.
51:55It's a Radical SR3.
51:57Now,
51:57it's powered by a bike engine,
51:581,300 cc,
52:00but it puts out
52:00about 200 brake horsepower.
52:02That's compared to
52:02your plane's,
52:03what,
52:03300?
52:04300.
52:04But this is the amazing bit.
52:06This only weighs
52:07500 kilos,
52:09but your plane
52:09only weighs 600 kilos.
52:11So with the extra weight,
52:12they're quite evenly matched.
52:13Top speed here,
52:14about 150 miles an hour.
52:16Your plane?
52:16200.
52:17But although the plane
52:19is going to be faster
52:19along the straights,
52:21it will lose out
52:21in the corners.
52:22A plane has a big
52:23turning circle,
52:24and our track
52:25is very tight.
52:26So to stay within the lines,
52:28Tom's going to have to
52:28climb violently
52:30and throttle back
52:31to lose speed,
52:32and that gives Stig
52:33the edge.
52:34This here,
52:35I'm going to have to climb
52:36to lose speed
52:38to get back down
52:39to the track here.
52:40So I'm going to be
52:41covering more distance.
52:42And round here,
52:43we're going to be
52:44drifting wider.
52:45But you reckon
52:46you can stay pretty
52:47close to the track?
52:47I think so, yes.
52:48OK.
52:49Is this going to work?
52:51We'll see.
52:52Have you done it before?
52:53No.
52:53Neither have we.
52:54The Radical can hit 60 miles
53:03an hour in 3 and a half seconds,
53:05100 in 8.8 seconds,
53:06so it has the edge
53:07from the start.
53:13It carries that lead
53:14into the first corner,
53:15because as soon as Tom's airborne,
53:17he's got to start climbing.
53:19He's going to have to
53:19throttle back straight away
53:20to make it round
53:21that first bend.
53:23Bear in mind the G-forces here.
53:24That Radical can generate
53:262G in the corners.
53:27That's a lot.
53:28The plane can manage 9.2.
53:30Once again,
53:31on the straights,
53:32he starts to catch up,
53:33but as soon as he gets
53:33near to the Stig,
53:34he's got to climb.
53:35Again!
53:36Losing speed.
53:38That means he can make the turn,
53:39but that means
53:39the Stig is ahead.
53:44Both of them
53:44pushing these things
53:45about as far
53:46as they're going to go today.
53:47That plane's acceleration
53:48is awesome,
53:49but every time
53:50he gets near to the Stig,
53:51every time he's got to
53:52climb again
53:53to make that corner.
54:10It's hard work on the ground,
54:12and it's nothing
54:12to what Tommy's having to do.
54:14Again,
54:14he swoops down on the Stig.
54:15Now we are getting close
54:16towards the end here.
54:17We're on the final straight.
54:19I think Tom's feeling
54:20more confident.
54:20He should be able to...
54:21And he is!
54:22He's edging past the Stig!
54:28But not for long,
54:29because this might be
54:30the final straight.
54:31It's not the final corner.
54:32There are two bends yet,
54:33and that means the Stig
54:34could get ahead.
54:35Can he make it round faster?
54:36The plane's got to climb
54:37so high there
54:38to lose speed.
54:39That means the Stig
54:39is inching across.
54:40Will he get over the line first,
54:41or will Tom
54:42swoop down on him?
54:43And there he swooped,
54:45and he's won!
54:46Stig comes second!
54:57Oh, cool!
55:00Tom's my new hero,
55:02definitely.
55:02That was very cool.
55:03But hang on a second.
55:05It was a plane.
55:06We specify everything
55:07that goes on our board here
55:09has to be road legal.
55:10Yeah.
55:10If you took that plane
55:11to the shops,
55:12the police would stop you.
55:14Yeah.
55:14It's got no indicators,
55:16no brake lights,
55:17it's got no brakes.
55:18It's got wings,
55:18somebody would notice.
55:19You can't park it either
55:20in the town centre.
55:21You'd just cause a menace.
55:23This is true.
55:24So what matters here
55:25is the radical.
55:27How did it do?
55:28Here's the Westfield XTR,
55:291 minute 23,
55:30the Zonda 1 minute 23.
55:31Where's it going to go?
55:32Where do we think?
55:33Faster?
55:34Higher?
55:341.22?
55:37I'll tell you what it is.
55:38This is 1 minute 19.
55:4019 seconds.
55:4219 seconds.
55:4219 seconds.
55:4319 seconds.
55:4319 seconds.
55:4419 seconds.
55:4419 seconds.
55:4419 seconds.
55:4519 seconds.
55:4619 seconds.
55:47Fast.
55:48Fast.
55:50The thing is though,
55:51next week,
55:53the Germans are coming here
55:54with a couple of cars
55:56that they think
55:57will beat the radical.
56:00We'll have a laugh at it.
56:01I mean, we'll see.
56:02Obviously,
56:02we'll see in a fair way
56:04how they get on.
56:05We're also going to be
56:06naming our car of the year
56:08and our quest
56:10to find Britain's fastest faith
56:12goes on.
56:13Remember,
56:13the Church of England
56:14currently hold the title,
56:15but will the Druid
56:17beat the Muslim?
56:19Will the Rastafarian
56:20win through?
56:22Good night.
56:27And there's more next week
56:28at the same time.
56:29Next on BBC Prime,
56:30on the edge of adulthood,
56:31teen species
56:32at 16.
56:33.
56:33.
56:34.
56:48.
56:51.
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