- 4 months ago
Episode 4 is all about Lamborghini’s brilliance. See the iconic Miura, the immortal Countach, and the modern Gallardo. Experience raw Italian styling and motorsport heritage. Guest Rich Hall takes on the test track in the Reasonably Priced Car. If supercar dreams and history fascinate you, this episode is a visual feast.
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00:00Tonight, Richard drives a green Lamborghini, James drives a blue Lamborghini, and I drive a yellow Lamborghini.
00:18Hello! Now, don't worry, we have got some minis in the program as well, but it is Lamborghini's 40th anniversary this year.
00:26So we thought it would be a good idea to have a look at some of the cars they made over the years, and do a bit of a tribute to the maddest car company of them all.
00:45This is the origin of Lamborghini as we know it today.
00:50More than that, it's where the modern supercar begins. It's the first, the daddy, the Miura.
00:5813th of June, 1967. That was the day the first Miura arrived in Britain.
01:19And just imagine that body shape coming down your high street in 1967.
01:26Only the sight of Harold Wilson on LSD could have caused more of a stir.
01:36And as befits the decade that celebrated being young and groovy, youth created the Miura.
01:42The man who designed its gorgeous body was just 22.
01:46Think about that. What were you doing at 22?
01:51At that age, the cars I was drawing still had guns on them.
01:57The engineers behind it were in their 20s too.
02:00And the Miura wasn't even an official project.
02:03Just seven lads working after hours for the fun of it.
02:06They didn't realise it at the time, but those seven impetuous young engineers were about to spark a revolution.
02:22Until then, all seriously fast cars had their big, heavy engines here at the front.
02:31But the Miura had its V12 here in the middle, setting the template for all future supercars.
02:38They also mounted the engines sideways, rather than lengthways, to keep the car compact.
02:44Mind you, they nicked that idea from the Mini.
02:47But we'll let them have that one.
02:49There was other radical stuff that didn't see the light of day.
02:52The first design had a three-seater layout, like a McLaren F1.
02:55And it had a glass engine cover, like a Ferrari 360.
02:58This did make it, though, the shape of the doors.
03:04See?
03:04They're supposed to look like the horns of a bull.
03:08Nice.
03:16So, beautiful and ingenious it may have been.
03:19But in terms of driving, you were still at the wheel of a bit of a dog's breakfast.
03:24The fuel tank was over the front wheels.
03:28So, as it ran low on fuel, it went light at the front end, which meant you couldn't steer.
03:34Nice touch, that.
03:35Keeps you on your toes.
03:37The interior is, well, tiny.
03:40And every now and again, the carburettors would spit petrol onto the hot engine.
03:44And the whole thing would go up in flames.
03:47Good.
03:48It is not an easy car to drive.
03:54Woo-hoo!
03:56But it sounds...
03:59like that.
04:04Ah!
04:11Lamborghini knew their masterpiece wasn't perfect,
04:15and they steadily improved it throughout its life,
04:18culminating in this.
04:20The SV of 1971.
04:23It had a better gearbox,
04:25better differential,
04:26better tyres,
04:27better rear suspension,
04:29and these better gold wheels.
04:32Do you know what it was?
04:33It was better.
04:35And like all mirrors,
04:37it was the car of choice for a better sort of person.
04:40People like Frank Sinatra,
04:42Rod Stewart,
04:43and this bloke.
04:48That's such a glorious noise.
04:51Jamiroquai frontman JK is a huge Muirra fan.
04:57This car was so ahead of its time, you know.
05:00You can imagine sitting there in a, in a, in a,
05:03in a Wolsey 1800 or a TR6 in 1972,
05:06and this turns up with the lights, you know.
05:09Hopefully with Twiggy, innit?
05:12Which would have been delightful.
05:13I mean, can you imagine?
05:14I think I'd have fainted.
05:16Get your motor running.
05:18Head out on the highway,
05:20take whatever comes my way.
05:22It's a wonderful, wonderful thing.
05:24And I, I don't buy cars to speculate.
05:28I don't buy cars like these fools,
05:30and they hide them away.
05:32The kids today don't see them.
05:34They'll never know what it's like to see a Lamborghini Muirra
05:37busting past your 130, 40 miles an hour.
05:46This, to me, shouts out.
05:47Matchbox car, 1972.
05:50There I am, on the carpet.
05:51You can remember it.
05:53You know, I mean, that's when it shouts out to me.
05:55Now you've got a big one.
05:55And there it is.
05:56Now I've got a big one.
05:57J, I did notice there's, er, there's no window in there.
06:01Well, I'll tell you what I did with the window.
06:04Re-enact it for us.
06:04Oh, we'll re-enact it.
06:05Go on, then.
06:06Oh, you closed the door.
06:08You mad, impetuous rock star fool.
06:10You were asking for trouble, J.
06:10You know, I mean, that's rock and roll, hey?
06:12I'm just kidding.
06:12The Muirra lived a short life, just six years in production,
06:21during which time 761 were made.
06:24That's all.
06:25But it established Lamborghini in massive style.
06:29My journey in the Muirra has brought me from Shade JK to Duxford Air Base in Cambridgeshire,
06:40because the car has a kindred spirit living here.
06:44There are certain machines that are so radical,
06:48that make such an impact when you see them,
06:50that you know things will never be the same again.
06:55Machines like this.
06:56It's the prototype Concorde.
07:00Imagine how people felt the first time this flew overhead.
07:04It looked so different, so breathtaking,
07:07and the thinking behind it was so fresh that it changed the world.
07:15Concorde did it for planes.
07:18The Muirra did it for supercars.
07:20As a car, it was flawed,
07:22but as a concept, it was truly a masterpiece.
07:26So, is JK still smarting about his humiliating defeat on our track?
07:35I can't say for sure, but he went very, very fast in his Muirra, so...
07:39But you see, that's the thing.
07:40I went even faster with Jodie the other day.
07:42Jodie Kedden made 2,000 miles an hour on Concorde, in fact.
07:45Yeah, all right.
07:46So he managed to win that one, too,
07:47which actually brings me on to a good point.
07:49What is the best-looking machine ever made by men?
07:55Spitfire.
07:56Spitfire?
07:57Beautiful-looking thing.
07:57Anyone else got any thoughts?
07:59Hold on a minute.
07:59Say that again.
08:00The Blackbird.
08:01The Blackbird.
08:02The SR-71.
08:03The SR-71, the spy plane.
08:04You familiar with that?
08:05Yes, I am.
08:06It is an immensely good-looking thing.
08:08What about cars?
08:09Come on, best-looking cars, then.
08:11TBR.
08:11TBR.
08:12TBR.
08:12What?
08:12TBR.
08:13You can't just say.
08:15Who said TBR?
08:16Oh, it's Ray Charles has joined us this week.
08:19We think we've worked this one out.
08:21Three best-looking cars ever.
08:22Ford GT40.
08:24I do agree with that.
08:25Yes, all nod.
08:27Yes.
08:27Aston Martin DB7.
08:29Yeah, again, you're right.
08:31What do you mean?
08:31Who said no?
08:33Order.
08:33Who said...
08:34You said no.
08:34Why?
08:35Well, because you're always on about it.
08:37You like it too much.
08:38You know, it's an Aston and it's Ford, you know.
08:40This is a man with a two-tone beard who's come along here to tell us about style.
08:48Anyway, let's get back to it.
08:50My point is DB7, Ford GT40, and this.
08:55I think you're right.
08:55Reluctively, I think you're right.
08:56Yes, thank you.
08:57This.
08:58And the reason, the reason why it's so graceful, if you look at it in profile, is because it's
09:04the exact same shape as an airplane's wing, which is another reason why it tends to
09:10take off once you get to, like, 80 miles an hour.
09:13It generates its own lift.
09:14In fact, remember the Italian job at the beginning of it, the bloke bulldozer?
09:18In real life, the car would probably have just flown straight over the bulldozer and missed
09:23him completely.
09:24Probably even right over the mountain.
09:25Another Alp.
09:26So if you were to buy one of these, and you buy one now for how much?
09:29Good SV, the better one, would cost you about 100,000, something like that.
09:33Okay, if you were to spend 100,000 pounds on a car like this, you wouldn't really drive
09:37it anywhere.
09:38Oh, heavens, no.
09:39What I would do, put it in the garden.
09:41Good idea.
09:42An ornament.
09:42Oh, nice.
09:43Because what's that program, Gardening Force?
09:46They put gravel everywhere.
09:48Yeah, they put gravel, what's it called?
09:49Change it.
09:50Ground Force, that, with Charlie Demick's features.
09:52Oh.
09:54What?
09:54Anyway, forget the gravel, forget the fountains, get one of these, put it in your garden, look
10:00at it.
10:01It's even better to look at in the bushes than a lightning jet fighter.
10:07Back in 1980, I was a mere lad with a bedroom to decorate.
10:11Now, of course, in those days, there was no changing rooms and no Mediterranean hues.
10:14All you could really do was slap a poster on the wall.
10:17And what's more, there were only two to choose from.
10:20The first one was this one of a lady playing tennis.
10:24And the other one was this, the Lamborghini Countach.
10:31The early 80s were a troubled time.
10:34The miners' strike, John Lennon's shot, and the Falklands' war.
10:38But that was just the stuff on the news.
10:40The really important issue of the day was, which was cooler, the Ferrari Boxer or the
10:46Lamborghini Countach?
10:47Lamborghini had succeeded in dividing the loyalties of pubescent British schoolboys.
10:58Bikes were breaking out behind bike sheds.
11:00People were defacing one another's posters.
11:03That was the impact this thing had.
11:05Here's how they squared up.
11:09Ferrari had absolutely nothing to prove.
11:12It had a long history, the race breeding, the pedigree.
11:15And it was run by Enzo, a godfather figure with purple ink in his fountain pen.
11:21The Voxer had a flat 12 engine and styling by Pininfarina.
11:25It was a true thoroughbred.
11:27And now the Countach.
11:32Oh, by the way, I've never actually driven one of these before.
11:36I've been waiting 20 years to pop me Countach cherry.
11:44Where the Ferrari was an aristocrat, the Countach was an upstart.
11:49Lambo may have done the Mura, but they still weren't quite pucker.
11:53So to make up for that, it had to be flashy.
11:56Quite simply, it had to be the world's most outrageous supercar.
12:02And it was.
12:04This wasn't just a car, it was a pin-up.
12:06And you might like to know that Countach is a bit of Italian slang.
12:10It translates roughly as foie.
12:23This is Letchworth.
12:24It was the first garden city in the world, and the site of the world's first roundabout.
12:30A model of English middle-class suburbia.
12:33For a long time, it didn't even have a pub.
12:40The Countach fits in with all this, like a youth, with a bad haircut and a can of spray paint.
12:46But even here, there was a time in the early 80s when every boy's bedroom would have had a piece of pornography on the wall.
12:54In the Countach boxer battle, places like Letchworth were a landslide victory for the Lambo.
13:03It just looked so much cooler.
13:06Oh, sure, more and more cosmetic bits were added during its 18-year life.
13:13But so what?
13:16This was the 80s.
13:17We thought Kevin Keegan's perm was cool.
13:19I was always in the Countach camp, and I can tell you off the top of my head that this one's an LP400S.
13:37It does 180 miles per hour and 0-60 in 4.6 seconds.
13:44It also has some of the fattest rear tyres ever fitted to a production car at 345 millimetres.
13:54Listen to that.
13:56I absolutely knew it would sound like that just by looking at the pictures.
13:59So, it looks fantastic, and it sounds fantastic, and that's what matters when you're 15 and dreaming.
14:15But I'm not 15 anymore, and after an hour at the wheel in 2003, my dream car turns out to be a bit of a nightmare.
14:23It never occurred to me, for example, that I'd need a hammer to change gear,
14:34or that depressing the clutch would be a lot easier if I got a friend to help me.
14:38It's absolutely baking hot in here, but I've got the window fully open.
14:43And there's also a really alarming smell of petrol.
14:47And here's another thing.
14:48We're here driving through leafy Hertfordshire, and I'm told it's very pretty.
14:52And it looks very pretty through the windscreen, but you can't be quite so sure out of the side.
14:57And there is a rear-view mirror up there, and there is, in fact, a rear window, but it's very small.
15:03It's sort of like watching your television through your letterbox.
15:09God in heaven, this is hard work.
15:12I'm going to stop for a cup of tea.
15:14Three, six, nine, the goose drank wine, the monkey to the back on the street bar line.
15:23The line broke, the monkey got choked, and they all went to heaven in a little old boat.
15:28Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap.
15:35Clap your hand, pat it on your partner's a ham.
15:38Clap, clap, clap your hand, slap your thigh, and sing a little song.
15:42Let's go.
15:44Right.
15:45Let's have a quick recap on my dream car.
15:49The seat is crippling.
15:51The controls are murderous.
15:53I'm too hot, I'm deaf, I've been poisoned, I can't see, and I can't park.
16:00This is what going to hell in a hand cart probably feels like.
16:03And it looks so good on the poster
16:07In fact, I wish it had stayed there
16:10I'm absolutely gutted
16:12But you know what, it's not the car's fault, it's mine
16:14I've broken a golden rule
16:16You never, ever meet your childhood heroes
16:19Roger Moore, Lamborghini Countach, Brian Kant
16:22Stick with the memories
16:24They're just better
16:25So you're a shattered man
16:30That's my youth, gone
16:31And I've got even worse news for you
16:34Oh no
16:35Do not tell me that that's a ladyboy
16:38Her name is Stephen
16:40Stephen
16:43Stephen
16:44Actually, it's even worse than that
16:48Because until now, I've had a Nobel Peace Prize for parallel parking
16:52And obviously I made a complete hash of it in that
16:54But, we have put a camera where the mirror is
16:57And I just want you to be sure that you understand
16:59See, just how difficult that was
17:02Steve, or whatever her name is
17:04Could actually be sunbathing naked on here
17:06And, you know, I wouldn't have seen that either
17:08You wouldn't have a clue
17:09Well, the thing is, James
17:10I can park a Countach
17:12Can you?
17:13And I've got a couple of cones here
17:14And I'm going to prove it
17:15We're going to put one there, okay
17:17And I'm going to put the other one over here
17:20And I will be able to get that car into this space
17:25No problem at all
17:26Right
17:28You don't think so?
17:30You don't think so?
17:31Right
17:31This could be a bit of a laugh
17:34Right
17:36I'm in
17:38And you can see the problem
17:39You certainly can't see out of the back
17:41But, the extraordinary thing about a Countach is
17:44That
17:45Oh, that's a good sound
17:49You can actually drive it
17:51While not being in it
17:53And we're off
17:56How about that?
17:59This was a technique
18:00Developed at the Lamborghini factory
18:03Which I've modified slightly for use here
18:06I'm not wearing sunglasses
18:07That's the difference
18:09I am in
18:12And that
18:20Is how you park a Countach
18:23Now
18:24Now
18:26Time for a confession
18:30A confession
18:31Because when we first started Top Gear
18:34We thought it would be a really good idea
18:35In the interests of fairness
18:37To make sure our test track was always wet
18:39So it was the same for all the cars we tested
18:42Thing is
18:42Good idea
18:43But we made a complete hash of it
18:45All we were left with is a really big bill
18:47For a water tanker that wasn't big enough
18:48To soak the whole track
18:50Seriously
18:50It was just like all dry
18:51With some strategically placed deep puddles
18:53At odd corners
18:54And that is why
18:56In the first programme
18:57The Lamborghini Merchelago
18:59With dead Stig at the wheel
19:00Set a time of 1 minute 29
19:02Now
19:03We always knew
19:05It could do better than that
19:07So
19:07We sent fresh Stig out
19:08Onto a dry track
19:10To see what the Merchelago
19:11Can really do
19:12So we're off the line
19:14It's four wheel drive
19:15Remember
19:15So not much will spin
19:16But once it's moving
19:17Look at it go
19:18Up to the first corner
19:19Look how flat
19:21It corners
19:22Down towards Chicago
19:23And it's practically level
19:25Hard on the brakes
19:25Down here
19:26Go down through the gears
19:28That is looking fast
19:29And smooth
19:30And stable
19:31That's a lovely bit of bar
19:38Let's see the Stig of course
19:39And it's the music
19:40From the Cigar Advert
19:41Now down towards the Hammerhead
19:42Will it understeer?
19:44Will it heck?
19:45Absolutely
19:46Listen to that
19:47Oh that's magnificent
19:49Heading towards the follow through
19:51Of course now
19:51Will he lift?
19:53Will he take it?
19:57Flat out
19:58I think slight dab
19:59On the brakes maybe
20:00Already
20:01Well upon its previous time
20:03Will Frechstig
20:04Keep the pace
20:04Up into the penultimate corner
20:06Absolutely flat
20:08Level
20:08The grip's astonishing
20:09Through Gambon
20:10And across the line
20:12In
20:12Well now this is important
20:14Because the Zonda
20:16Which is our fastest car ever
20:17Is a 123.8
20:19Which is a fantastic
20:20And the Koenig
20:20Zig Zig Zig Zig
20:22It is 123.9
20:24So
20:24It's close at the top
20:25One minute
20:2620
20:273
20:283
20:290.7
20:31It's done it
20:32It's the fastest car ever
20:36Round the top rear test track
20:38That is amazingly fast
20:41We always knew it would be
20:43And I was really looking forward
20:45To the moment
20:45Because of course
20:46You now can't put that
20:48On there
20:50You'd love to think so
20:52Big fella
20:52But you're wrong
20:53Because look
20:53I wondered why we were doing it
20:56In this corner today
20:57I had a word
20:57There you go
20:58Look at that
20:59The only thing faster
21:00Than the Merchelago
21:00At 123.7
21:02Is a jet fighter
21:03That's a quick thing
21:04Absolutely
21:05Now
21:06It's time to meet our guest
21:07He's a comedian
21:08He's an actor
21:09And he made his name
21:10Over here
21:11By pretending to be
21:13A sort of American
21:14Country boy
21:15From the deep south
21:16So please feel free
21:17To whoop
21:18And fire your guns
21:19In the air
21:20And develop
21:20An unnatural attraction
21:22Toward your sister
21:23Ladies and gentlemen
21:24Rich Hall
21:24How are you?
21:32Have a seat
21:33Now
21:37Before we get cracking
21:39On the whole car business
21:40I don't think anybody here
21:42Could guess
21:42If we gave them
21:43A million years
21:44What your first job was
21:47I was
21:47I worked for the United States
21:50Meteorological Service
21:51As a hurricane namer
21:52So your job
21:55Was to wait for a hurricane
21:56To come
21:57And then give it a name
21:58Very high stress job
22:00I held the position
22:03For two years
22:04We really wouldn't
22:05Get busy
22:05Until about September
22:06The reason I was fired
22:09Was for giving them
22:10Names
22:10Jugs
22:11I called one Jugs
22:12I was really trying
22:14I was trying
22:15To give the hurricane
22:17Names
22:17You know
22:18Something
22:18It's not as easy
22:20As it sounds
22:20Because
22:21You've got to study
22:22The hurricane
22:23And
22:24Each one has
22:25Its own personality
22:26And then you have
22:27To attach a name
22:27To it
22:28That seems to
22:29Fit the personality
22:30So that people run
22:31They have to fear
22:32These things
22:33Because they're dangerous
22:33So
22:34What's a fierce name
22:35Thor
22:36Yeah
22:37Thor
22:37Or
22:38Killer
22:39Bush
22:39Yeah
22:40Anyway
22:43Last week
22:44We had Rob Brydon
22:45On
22:46Who I thought
22:47Would have had
22:48The worst car history
22:49Ever
22:50He just owned
22:50The worst selection
22:51Of cars
22:52You can imagine
22:52Yeah
22:53Lo and behold
22:54This week
22:54You've come along
22:55And it
22:56Looks like
22:56You've beaten him
22:57Your first car
22:59Was
22:59A Corvair
23:01This was the car
23:02That was described
23:02In America
23:03As unsafe
23:04At any speed
23:04Or provoked that
23:05Inspired a book
23:06It inspired a book
23:07Due to its danger
23:08And your uncle
23:09Sold it to you
23:10My uncle sold it to me
23:11There were beer cans
23:12In the back
23:13Seat empty
23:14Which he called
23:14Floor chimes
23:15And
23:17It's completely
23:19Asymmetrical
23:20The Corvair
23:20So you never really
23:22Knew if it was
23:22Coming or going
23:23Fortunately
23:23Mine had bad
23:24Suspension
23:25It would come up
23:25The road sideways
23:26Like a crab
23:27So you could
23:28You could see it coming
23:29And I had a Vega
23:30For a while
23:31Which is another car
23:32Which was
23:33It had some
23:34Design problems
23:35The bumper
23:37Was actually
23:38Beneath
23:39The taillights
23:40So the taillights
23:41Extended over the bumper
23:42And the fuel tank
23:44And the fuel tank
23:44Was in the back
23:45So basically
23:46You could reverse
23:46And explode
23:47Or someone could
23:48Hit you again
23:49So how long
23:50Did it take you
23:50To have a pickup truck
23:51Two weeks ago
23:54I purchased
23:54A pickup truck
23:55Your first one
23:56My first new car
23:57Ever
23:57Yeah
23:57PJ O'Rourke
23:59Once described
24:00The pickup truck
24:01As the world's
24:02First beer guided vehicle
24:03Yeah
24:04And that's pretty much true
24:05I mean
24:06Everybody at the
24:07Wheel of One
24:07Is drunk
24:08Once you get out
24:08Of the cities
24:09Well yeah
24:10That's mandatory
24:10Because I live in Montana
24:14Where literally
24:15It's not illegal
24:17To drive and drink
24:18You can't be drunk
24:20But you can drink
24:21And drive
24:21You can also
24:22Shoot off a pistol
24:23While driving
24:24While driving
24:25As long as it's not
24:25Aimed at anyone
24:26But you have to wear
24:29A seatbelt
24:30Montana dropped
24:33The speed
24:34They had a
24:35They dropped
24:35Speed limits
24:36At one point
24:36They had no speed limit
24:37And now they do
24:38Have a speed limit
24:38Again
24:39Because somebody
24:40Moved there
24:41And uh
24:42It's astounding
24:44I've been pulled over
24:44In Montana
24:45Because the policemen
24:46Were lonely
24:46I thought you crashed
24:50One of your old cars
24:51Um
24:52Oh I've crashed
24:53A number of cars
24:54Well who took
24:55Your door mirror off
24:56That was my fault
24:57That was back
24:57When I was about 20
24:58And I was in college
24:59At the University of Washington
25:00In Seattle
25:01And I
25:01I had no money
25:02And I
25:03I clipped the wing mirror
25:04Of another pickup truck
25:06Driven by this
25:06Guy
25:07And uh
25:08It turned out to be
25:09A bit of a con artist
25:11And I
25:12I didn't have any insurance
25:13Of course
25:13And I was working
25:15For a student newspaper
25:16And so um
25:16The guy kept sending me bills
25:18For about eight or nine hundred dollars
25:19Clearly trying to
25:21Screw me
25:22You know
25:22And uh
25:22And I didn't have any money
25:24So I went up to the
25:25Linotype machine
25:26And I printed up
25:27A fake news story
25:28Saying I died
25:29In a horrible car crash
25:30And I
25:32And I
25:33And I forged a letter
25:34From my parents
25:35Saying please stop
25:36Torturing us
25:36We lost our son
25:37In a car crash
25:38Uh
25:39Several months ago
25:40We don't know
25:40Who you are
25:41But uh
25:42He's gone
25:43And we just like
25:44A little peace
25:44And you faked
25:45Your own death
25:46I faked my own death
25:47And
25:48About a month later
25:49Um
25:50My parents got a sympathy card
25:51From the guy
25:52You do have good names
25:55Over there though
25:56For cars
25:57Yeah
25:57Oh yeah
25:57Oh fantastic
25:58Fantastic
25:58Thunderbird
25:59Yeah
26:00Mustang
26:00Mustang
26:01And this does I think
26:03Help rock and roll guys
26:04Over there
26:04It does make writing about songs
26:06Because when you've got cars
26:07Like Maestro
26:08Right
26:08And Metro
26:09Well daddy took the T-bird away
26:12It's
26:12Daddy took the TR7 away
26:15Yes
26:15It's not gonna work
26:16Is it
26:17Little Red Chevette
26:18No I suppose not
26:20But could you get British
26:21Car names
26:22Because you do do songs
26:23Don't you
26:24Yes
26:24I've tried to romanticize
26:26British cars before
26:27It just didn't work
26:29Could you try
26:30And get
26:30The Rover 25
26:32Into a song
26:35The 1.4
26:36Don't want to get
26:37All the GTRs
26:38Oh that's important to know
26:39Yeah
26:39A 1.4 from about
26:4119
26:41Say let's say
26:4292
26:43Something like that
26:44To write
26:45Yeah
26:45To
26:45The basis of any
26:48Romantic car song
26:49Is
26:49The 1st verse
26:50Describes the car
26:522nd verse
26:53Puts it into
26:54Some kind of
26:54Dangerous situation
26:55Yeah
26:56It's a Rover
26:56What is it
26:57Rover
26:57Rover 25
26:58It's got a
27:13Healthy MOT
27:14It's a Rover
27:17Driven by an OAP
27:20It's a Rover
27:21It's a Rover
27:23Two wheel drive
27:26Guy behind it
27:28Is barely alive
27:29And it rolled off
27:32The production line
27:34In 1992
27:36It was a monster
27:38Of design
27:39You could hear
27:41The pistons
27:42Throbbing
27:43When the company
27:45Had some kind
27:46Of internal
27:47Management problem
27:48And they rolled
27:53It off the track
27:54And it came out
27:55A hatchback
27:56It's a Rover
27:59The engine
28:01Won't turn over
28:02It's a Rover
28:04Driven by someone
28:06Slightly older
28:07It's got
28:09A single
28:11Paint coat
28:13It's been towed
28:15So many times
28:16It thinks it's a boat
28:17There wasn't
28:22How do you do that?
28:36It's just
28:37All country songs
28:39That was a country song
28:40By the way
28:41In my head
28:42But it had all
28:43The relevant bits
28:43About rovers
28:44Are driven by people
28:45Older than perhaps
28:47Than anyone else
28:47You've ever seen
28:49Anyway
28:50Of course
28:50You came down here
28:51To drive our Suzuki
28:52Liana
28:52Our reasonably priced car
28:54Around the track
28:55Shall we see how it went on?
28:56Alright
28:56Can I just say
28:57In defence
28:58Well I'm assuming it
29:00The windshield wiper
29:02The windscreen wipers
29:03Kept coming on
29:03And you'll see me
29:04Swerve a lot
29:05And that's because
29:05Of the windscreen wipers
29:07Moving back and forth
29:08And creating
29:09Some lateral thrust
29:10This is a remark
29:11You should get a job
29:12In Formula One
29:12With excuses like this
29:13Yeah
29:14And?
29:15And I only hope
29:15I did better
29:16Than the other American
29:17David Soule
29:18Yes
29:18One minute 54
29:19One minute 54
29:19He broke two gearboxes
29:20When he came
29:21Because the stick shift
29:22Confused him
29:22Yeah
29:23You were okay
29:24You're used to
29:25The stick shift
29:26Yeah
29:27You can drive a stick shift car
29:28I can now
29:30Let's have a look
29:32At your lesson
29:32Wheel spin star
29:35Nice
29:35Big sky here as well
29:37Oh yeah
29:38About 50 miles an hour
29:40Over the American speed limit
29:42Too fast
29:44Too fast
29:47Room service
29:48Now I bet you the stick told me not to go around
29:53They're too fast again
29:54Look how you're miles away from now
29:55I'm the king of third gear
29:57Don't get through here
30:01Very brave
30:01Oh look
30:02There they go
30:03That's a pretty dead clown face
30:09And a terrifying sound
30:10Oh that's so brave
30:13Because you're going far too fast
30:15Again through that corner
30:17And too
30:18Slowly around that one
30:21And there we are
30:24Now
30:26I think I was slowed down
30:34By the child safety lock
30:35No
30:36You've had your excuses
30:38And now we're going to tell you
30:40How fast you went
30:41You wanted to beat David Soule
30:43At one minute 54 seconds
30:45Right
30:45So who
30:46Where do you think you came?
30:48If you could turn all those upside down
30:50I'd be ahead of David Soule
30:52Yep
30:52You did it
30:53In one minute
30:5554 seconds
31:00Exactly the same
31:02As David Soule
31:04Ladies and gentlemen
31:08Rich Hall
31:08That's good
31:12Fantastic
31:12That's tremendous
31:14Right
31:17Now everyone knows that the Mini is cool
31:22More than that
31:23The Cooper S
31:24The hot version of it
31:25Is right up here
31:26In the clear air of
31:27Sub-zero
31:29It is a phenomenon
31:30Everyone wants one
31:32But that's a bit of a problem
31:33Because it's so popular
31:35What can you do to make your Cooper S
31:38Stand out from the crowd?
31:40This should do it
31:46It's the works Mini Cooper S
31:51The latest hot Mini
31:53And with close to 200 brake horsepower
31:56About time too
31:58Because up until now
31:59The most powerful Mini
32:00The standard Cooper S
32:02Only had 163 brake horsepower
32:04And with a current crop of hot hatches around
32:07That frankly
32:07Is a bit lightweight
32:09The extra power comes from a swishier supercharger
32:17A new cylinder head
32:18And a tweaked engine management system
32:21And for that you get 0-60 in 6.7 seconds
32:24A top speed of 140 miles an hour
32:27Oh and a bill
32:28For 18,000 pounds
32:29Which makes it 3,500 pounds more
32:33Than the previous most powerful Mini
32:35That's not cheap
32:41But it's a full-on in-house BMW conversion
32:45With input from Mike Cooper
32:47Whose dad, John
32:48Invented the original
32:50This gives the car something very cool
33:03Pedigree
33:05All that sounds fantastic then
33:09A complete no-brainer
33:11Except for one small thing
33:16If the S-Works thought it was safe
33:18To settle back and read the paper
33:20Wrong
33:21Because there's a whole load of hot tune Minis
33:24Banging on the lavatory door
33:26Like this
33:27The Hartger Cooper S
33:29Hartger are German tuners
33:35They've beefed up the supercharger
33:37And fitted with the engine management
33:39To give almost the same 200 brake horsepower
33:41To boot up the backside as the works
33:43Total cost of the car
33:4516,370 pounds
33:48Then there's this
33:50The Digitech Cooper S
33:52Again Digitech have fiddled with the engine management
33:55And the plumbing
33:56To give you 210 brake horsepower
33:59Total cost
34:0016,000 pounds
34:01So there we are
34:08The Digitech
34:10The Hartger
34:15And the works Mini Cooper S
34:19And the works Mini Cooper S
34:21And that leaves one question
34:25Which is best
34:28One of the cheaper German jobs
34:30Or the BMW approved works
34:32But since all these cars
34:35Have exactly the same chassis
34:37When it comes to handling
34:39I'm looking for differences
34:40Between the same car
34:42And there's not much between the engines either
34:45The Hartger feels much like the works
34:47And the extra 10 or so horsepower
34:49Of the Digitech
34:50Isn't enough
34:51To take it to a different planet
34:52But sitting on this fence
34:56Is really starting to hurt my bottom
34:59So I'm going to plump for the one
35:00That feels like the best all-rounder
35:03The works Mini Cooper S
35:05It's still got all the usual Mini Cooper S attributes
35:11So it's quick to turn it in
35:12It feels quite solid and chunky
35:15It doesn't feel at all flimsy
35:16And you can chuck it in
35:18Lovely
35:23What a fun toy
35:26I've not forgotten that the Cooper S works
35:29Is at least two grand more than the others
35:32But besides that better drive
35:34It's also the only one
35:35To keep that blast-proof BMW warranty
35:38So for me the Cooper's the best
35:44And I'm also in no doubt
35:46That the Mini can handle 200 brake horsepower
35:49But some people's faith
35:53Runs even deeper
35:54Yes I'm afraid it's another silver one
35:59So let's get rid of the others
36:00And concentrate on this one
36:02This is the BBR Cooper S
36:06Not 200 brake horsepower
36:09Not 220
36:10But a massive 275 horsepower
36:15This feels very different
36:22Immediately it feels rougher
36:25It feels harder
36:26It's quite slow to respond at first
36:28There's not a lot happening
36:29And then there's a lot happening
36:31It actually sounds more like an old rally car
36:36It feels a bit more wayward
36:41Suddenly
36:43I'm actually starting to feel the limits
36:46Of what the suspension can cope with
36:48I'm wondering if
36:50We're asking about as much of this
36:52As it's going to give us
36:53275 brake horsepower
36:57This is a Mini
36:58Richard, forgive me for bringing this up
37:09But that looks suspiciously like a crash there
37:12No, no, just parking vigorously at the end of the tape there
37:15You see, the problem is, ladies and gentlemen
37:17He's not really tall enough to see over the dashboard in most cars
37:20Large ones like the Mini
37:22I don't even want to go there, okay
37:24The point is, we established
37:25The Mini really can actually handle 275 brake horsepower
37:30And you reckon the works one is the best
37:32Well, it's really, really difficult
37:33I've got to say, that BBR, the last one I drove
37:35Was a full five or six seconds faster
37:38Around the track than the others
37:39And the Hartga was the next quickest
37:41That was a good couple of seconds quicker than the works
37:43So you've gone for the most expensive, third slowest
37:46Yeah, well, it's the best compromise
37:48It's the one made by BMW
37:49And for me, I've just got that little bit of peace of mind
37:52They're all great fun, to be honest
37:53Was it worth an extra £3,500?
37:55Well, I mean, if you gave me £3,500
37:58And said you can spend it on making your Mini go faster
38:00Or £350,000 penny tubes
38:03I'd pick the faster car
38:05Put it that way
38:05Right, so in other words
38:07The works Cooper S is better for you than sweets
38:10Well, better for your teeth
38:11Dentists would recommend it
38:13That's the Top Gear conclusion
38:14Yes, exactly
38:15While we're on the subject of modified cars
38:17Before we move on
38:17We asked you to send in pictures of cars
38:20That you, or people you know, have had a go at modifying
38:23We've got some more
38:24Does anybody want to see them?
38:25Yeah
38:26Okay
38:26Um, this first one is a Corrado
38:29A VW Corrado
38:30There it is
38:31Have a look at that
38:32What?
38:35Where was he going?
38:37Well, he can't see, I suppose
38:38I mean, no idea
38:39No, he doesn't know where he's going with that
38:40No, clearly not
38:41It would get you home faster
38:42But I suspect you wouldn't know that you were at home
38:45No
38:45You're sitting in there going
38:46I can only see the, uh, the lipstick
38:48Did he fix the engine to the car?
38:51Or the car to the engine?
38:53Uh, now our search also goes on for the most ludicrous exhaust pipes in Britain
38:58And we've been sent, uh, this week a photograph of a Renault Clio
39:01Uh, check that out
39:03So if you've had your dustbin stolen in the last couple of weeks
39:08Green Clio, check it out
39:09There's your culprit
39:10Right
39:11May
39:13Back to Lamborghini
39:14And believe it or not
39:16This is one
39:18It's an LM002 from the 1980s
39:20It's a sort of military Jeep thing
39:23But it has the V12 engine from the Countach
39:25Now these days you could get one of these for about £35,000
39:29Which sounds like a bargain
39:30And it does look like fun
39:32However, we would urge caution
39:36Absolutely
39:36When I started in this business writing about cars
39:39I was earning about £40 a week
39:42Okay, I borrowed one of these
39:44Took it into a petrol station
39:45To fill it up, £147
39:48And, and you had to reset the pump halfway through
39:54So you go like, pump stopped you to go in and pay
39:56Then come out and recommence the filling process
39:59And actually, it's no better today
40:01In fact, it's worse
40:02Because the tyres are, how much are they?
40:05£550 each
40:06Each?
40:07Yep
40:07Each
40:08And, if you were to fill this up now
40:10£63, £64 gallon tank
40:13£220 in petrol
40:17Look at that for a face
40:18Unbelievable
40:21And, let me ask you a quick question
40:23Have you ever seen a cathedral go round our test track?
40:27No
40:27Would you like to see it?
40:30Yes
40:30Show it
40:31Here we come
40:34Up to Chicago
40:34Look at that for lean
40:37Look, he's gonna roll it
40:38He's gonna roll it
40:40It looks so comical
40:41In fact
40:41That when he's going round the hammerhead
40:43Which is coming up now
40:44You can actually hear the cameraman
40:47Burst out laughing at it
40:49Listen
40:49And, now, you're probably dying to know what its lap time was
40:59Sorry, it ran out of petrol
41:01And we certainly can't afford to refill it
41:05Due to the unique way the BBC is funded
41:08Which is very badly
41:10Now, the problem with this is
41:13That it's like the Contas and the Miura
41:16It's yet another car for a 12-year-old bedroom wall
41:20The only people who ever actually bought Lamborghinis are rock stars
41:25I've got some of them here, okay
41:27Keith Moon
41:28Blake from ACDC
41:29Phil Lynette
41:30John Bonham
41:30Ronnie Van Zant
41:32John Entwistle
41:33And, anyone know who this is?
41:35Dwayne Allman
41:36Dwayne Allman is the right answer
41:38And what's his association with this programme?
41:40The theme music
41:41He wrote the theme music
41:42They're very knowledgeable today
41:44He didn't actually write it
41:45But he performed the theme music of this programme
41:47Now, problem is
41:49What do all of these people have in common?
41:52They're all dead
41:54They all went west in a puddle of vomit
41:58Except for him and him who died in a fireball
42:02That is a problem for Lamborghini
42:06Because, if we look at who are replacing this lot
42:08There's Will Gates
42:10Or whatever he's called
42:12Gareth Young
42:13Kylie Minogue
42:14Can you see Dido in a Murcielago?
42:18No
42:19And look at this
42:20This is Nora Jones
42:21Imagine, if you will
42:22Nora Jones
42:23Turning up to a party
42:25Okay
42:25Halfway through
42:26Getting into an LM002
42:28And crashing it into the swimming pool for fun
42:30It's not going to happen
42:33So, if Lamborghini were to survive
42:36They had to stop making dinosaurs
42:39This then is the £117,000 Gallardo
42:52Lamborghini's idea of being sensible
42:55The wild wings and flared wheel archers of yesteryear are gone
43:02So too have the protruding buttresses
43:05And the complex V12 has been replaced by a 5 litre V10
43:09Which is almost economical
43:11And look at this door
43:13Look at that
43:15See, unlike the doors on previous Lamborghinis
43:18It doesn't open outwards and upwards
43:20In a scissor dodecahedron fashion
43:22Like a gull's wing
43:23It's just a door
43:25Inside, things get even more normal
43:29I've got headroom
43:30I've got legroom
43:31I've got air conditioning
43:32That actually works
43:34You have to search very hard
43:37To find any evidence of Lambowness
43:39But don't worry
43:40Because I've found some
43:42The ashtray lid is broken
43:44And although this car has only done 5,000 miles
43:48Look at the gear lever
43:49It's been given a certain patina
43:51By all those bejeweled Italian fingers
43:55Overall, though, the Gallardo does seem to have cleaned up Lambo's act
44:09They should have called it the primary
44:10It's easier to drive as well
44:14When you thumped around the track in an old Diablo
44:18It was like bull running in Pamplona
44:20Whereas this is more like walking through a field of cows
44:23It's not even slightly scary
44:27Steering's light
44:29When you press the clutch pedal
44:30It's like stepping into the launch
44:33And what's more
44:35For the first time ever in a Lamborghini
44:37I can see where I've been
44:40And no prizes for guessing who's garnished it
44:44With such a thick veneer of common sense
44:46It was, of course, the Germans
44:50Yep, shock, horror, skid, slide, smoke
44:56Lamborghinis are now made by Audi
44:59Now, I've searched the history books
45:02For examples of these two great nations
45:04Working together in the past
45:05And there really aren't that many
45:07Putting them together is a bit like
45:09Blending sausages with ice cream, I suppose
45:14In fact, the only time the two nations
45:17Did work together was in the 1930s
45:20And things didn't turn out well
45:22So, how's it worked this time round?
45:27Well, let's see, first of all
45:29How it compares to the other Ferrari wannabes
45:32There's the Porsche 911 Turbo
45:36The endless thorn in Ferrari's side
45:39And the Aston Martin DB7 Zagato
45:43Basically a restyled, power-crazed last hurrah
45:47Before the DB9 comes along
45:49These cars are very fast
45:58But the Lambo, despite the new one-cal styling
46:02Looks like it's going even faster
46:04Even when it's standing still
46:07It's no illusion either
46:16With a 0-60 time of 4.3 seconds
46:19And a top speed of 192
46:21The Gallardo blitzes the Porsche and the Aston
46:24And with 100 brake horsepower
46:27More than you get in the Ferrari 360
46:29It nukes that too
46:32It seems then that the German-Italian alliance
46:38Has been a success with this car
46:40And we haven't even got to the best bit yet
46:43The handling
46:45This is where a Ferrari 360 gets tricky
46:52Drive too fast round a bend in it
46:55And it turns into a small dog
46:58Spinning round your legs
46:59And wagging its tail
47:01This is in a different class
47:04This is epic
47:05It's like a big Lotus Elise
47:07This is the first four-wheel drive car I've ever driven
47:13That has no understeer
47:15At all
47:16It is fantastic
47:19Turning
47:21Oh, that is lightning reactions
47:23Changes direction like a fly
47:26I wanted to hate the Gallardo
47:34I wanted to say that Lambo had sold its soul to the devil
47:38And ended up with a glorified Audi TT
47:40But it's wonderful
47:41Except for exactly the same thing
47:44That nailed the Bentley Continental
47:46In last week's programme
47:47The problem is
47:49They've got rid of the Lamborghini idiocy
47:51But some of the magic has gone as well
47:54Some of the X Factor
47:56That makes a car special
47:57Let me put it this way
48:01There are many children's stories
48:03Mog
48:04Kipper
48:05Spot
48:06The famous Seven
48:07The Secret Five
48:08Paddington the Pooh
48:09Bob the Tank Engine
48:10Thomas the Builder
48:12But there's only one
48:13Harry Potter
48:15There's only one Ferrari too
48:18And this isn't it
48:20Having thought about this
48:23Not much of a tribute to Lamborghini really
48:26Is it?
48:27This show
48:27Why?
48:28Well if you think about it
48:29I demonstrated that the Mura was deeply flawed
48:33You hated the Countach
48:35And now you don't like their new car
48:38No, no, no, no, no, no
48:39The thing about this is
48:40Is that I do truly believe
48:42It's a better car than a Ferrari 360
48:45But when you buy a Ferrari
48:48You're getting so much more than just a car
48:49You're getting that whole kind of golden glow
48:52Of 50 years of Ferrari ownership
48:54That's exactly what I was trying to say
48:56In that Countach piece
48:57Because a Lamborghini isn't a Ferrari
48:59It has to be ridiculous
49:02Exactly
49:03What does everybody think?
49:04What's the best Lamborghini of them all?
49:08Hands up, you got any thoughts?
49:09What do you reckon?
49:10Diablo
49:10The Diablo's the best of them all
49:13That was pre-German
49:14Right?
49:15Anyone over here got any thoughts
49:16On what they think?
49:18The what?
49:19Mura
49:19The Mura
49:20Mura, yeah
49:21Mura
49:21Mura
49:22And do you know something quite interesting here, guys?
49:24They're all wrong
49:25I thought that might be coming, Jeremy
49:26We're back in Jeremy's democracy
49:28This is the best Lamborghini of them all
49:31Because what you've got here
49:33Is you've got the kind of Germans building it
49:36Making sure that it actually comes out of the factory on time
49:39But you've got Italian engine
49:40Italian four-wheel drive
49:41Italian styling
49:42Sprouty things coming out of the back
49:44That, for me, is the perfect Lamborghini
49:48It's the peak
49:49And now, sliding down a bit
49:52Let me put it this way
49:54A picnic, okay?
49:56If you went, you'd want the Germans to make the hamper
49:59So the handles don't fall off
50:01But you'd want the Italians to make the food
50:03Yes?
50:05That's what you get with that
50:07It's a German-Italian picnic
50:08Where the Italians have done what they're good at
50:10And the Germans have done what they're good at
50:12With this, the Germans have done the food
50:15All of that aside
50:19The fact remains
50:21How does the guiado do on the track?
50:23Now, the Stig has already been out in the Merchia Lago
50:25So he should have absolutely no trouble with its baby brother
50:28Okay, Stig's ready
50:31And away he goes
50:33Now, track does look pretty wet
50:34But of course the guiado has four-wheel drive
50:36So it should be a match for the conditions
50:38Let's see, first corner coming up
50:40Slithering just a little bit
50:42Oh, he has got some understeer actually there
50:44But he's held it beautifully
50:45Inspired by what he knows as the music from the Cadbury's Fruit and Nut advert
50:54And round Chicago, little wobble there
50:57Yes, he's got the power down beautifully there
50:59And he's coming into the Hammerhead
51:01Will this catch it out?
51:02Yes, it has caught it out
51:04But he's held it well
51:05Good job
51:06Fresh Stig
51:07And here we go
51:09Guiado has the optional flappy paddle gear shift
51:12Which is claimed to be faster on a track than manual gearbox I drove earlier
51:15Certainly looks quick down there
51:17Oh, and very quick through there
51:19Now, amazingly, over the first half of the lap
51:21The guiado was quicker than the Porsche GT3's time
51:23Also in the wet
51:24Can it beat a 911 to the end?
51:27Can it?
51:28Oh, he's coming around Gambon
51:30Absolutely, beautifully online
51:32You want to know how fast that was?
51:34Oh, yes
51:34Go on
51:36This is the GT3
51:37Similar conditions
51:381 minute 27.2
51:39Now, we thought that was quick
51:40It's a fabulous car
51:41Yeah, very quick
51:42127.2
51:43This has just done it
51:44In 125.8
51:47Whoa
51:47It was unbelievable
51:53That's incredible
51:56Now, next week
51:57Next week
51:58We have another
51:59Two-seater
52:00Four-wheel drive car
52:01It is, in fact
52:02A Toyota pickup truck
52:04And what we do to it
52:05Defies belief
52:07Do please tune in
52:08See you then
52:09Good night
52:10Your extras back on Sunday
52:13And again next Tuesday
52:14Here on BBC Prime
52:16We'll next tonight
52:17Meet the people
52:18Facing a daily battle
52:19Living with a stammer
52:20Lost for words
52:21Tells their story
52:22In a few moments
52:23I just
52:33You're welcome Nak 밑 to the game
52:36Connect to the game
52:37I just
52:38Have a çok
52:40I just
52:41You're welcome
52:42I just
52:42ed you
52:42Subtit
52:43To the game
52:44You're welcome
52:44See you then
52:45See you then
52:45See you then
52:45Suitor
52:46牛
52:46yêu
52:47And see you then
52:47His name is
52:47Next choose to be
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