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Top Gear (2002) Season 33 Episode 1
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00:30Hello, and welcome to Top Gear.
00:37We're back!
00:41And this is always my favourite time of the year.
00:44Everything feels nice and familiar.
00:47The clocks have gone by, Strictly's on the telly,
00:50and Eris has got his autumn socks on.
00:52100% Berino pad. Anything less, mugs game.
00:55It's that time of year, isn't it, for battering down the hatches and hunkering down.
00:59Oh, I do love a hunker.
01:01I've heard you in the dressing room. I've heard you.
01:04And, of course, we've got a brand new series of Top Gear.
01:07Take a look at this.
01:13Three, two, one.
01:17Watch this.
01:19Go!
01:20We're on the Astro Man!
01:22Woo-hoo!
01:25We're going in!
01:27Whoa!
01:29I love the fact that it revs to a level!
01:32Nothing revs to a level!
01:36It's like a giant game, I guess, isn't it?
01:39Listen to that!
01:43Just reminds me of being young and stupid.
01:47Wait!
01:47Hey!
01:49I've got a hobby!
01:50No!
01:50No!
01:50No!
01:50No!
01:52All the undies have gone again!
01:54No!
01:55The undies have gone!
01:56What is this, boys?
02:03The Transformer!
02:04Are you ready?
02:05Yeah!
02:05Yeah!
02:06Oh!
02:07Oh!
02:07Oh!
02:10Oh!
02:11Oh!
02:13Oh!
02:14Oh!
02:14Oh!
02:15Oh!
02:16Oh!
02:20Oh!
02:23Oh!
02:23It's a crazy taxi!
02:24Oh!
02:25Oh, my word!
02:26I hope you've got comprehensive YouTube and faddy.
02:33This is absolutely bonkers.
02:37Get it.
02:42It sort of worked.
02:48That's exciting.
02:50Exciting.
02:51Exciting.
02:53It's not that hard.
02:54Best bunch of cars we've had in ages.
02:57Yes, really good.
02:59All that's to come.
03:00But right now, we've got a cracking show in store.
03:03Later on, Chris Harris gets his Merino woolen mitts
03:06on that battery-powered beast over there.
03:10But we kick off by talking about this.
03:13The humble pickup truck.
03:15Fred, say some words.
03:17I will do that.
03:18Pickups are on the rise here in the UK,
03:20but pretty much everywhere else on the planet,
03:22they're already massive news.
03:23About four million of them are sold around the world every year.
03:27That's a lot of picking up.
03:29We wanted to dig a little deeper into this mysterious world,
03:33so we hopped on a flight to the spiritual home of the pickup,
03:36which, as it turned out, wasn't America.
03:39Get down.
03:46This is Thailand.
03:48Home to white sand beaches,
03:51lush jungle,
03:53and plenty
03:53of pickup trucks.
03:57Thailand buys more pickups per head than any other country in the world.
04:07And with a few grand each to see what we could pick up on the local market,
04:12let's just say I had absolutely nailed it.
04:16Look at this.
04:21I have not messed about.
04:24I've gone for a Toyota Hilux,
04:26the camel of the car world.
04:29Tough as old boots,
04:30because you see around here,
04:32pickups,
04:32they're not just for delivering trestle tables to the local village fates.
04:36These get things anywhere they need to go.
04:39As you can see,
04:40this one,
04:41not exactly standard.
04:43It's been raised.
04:44It's got big monster tyres.
04:46Got a winch at the front.
04:48This thing's been made Thailand ready.
04:51I smashed it out the park.
04:52Jeez.
04:54Not so fast.
04:56Because if you want a truly Thai truck,
05:01then look no further
05:03than the Isuzu D-Max.
05:06Oh, wow.
05:08Look at this.
05:11Morning.
05:12Good morning.
05:16D-Max.
05:17Yes.
05:18Most popular pickup truck in Thailand,
05:20that.
05:20150,000 sold every year.
05:23This is what they're all about.
05:24This is the culture.
05:25It's a big thing over here.
05:27Pimping up your pickup trucks.
05:28You've got a carbon bonnet pad.
05:29Is that a cab?
05:30Yes, I have.
05:31Carbon wrapped fibre.
05:32Don't ruin the illusion.
05:35No wheels?
05:36Yes.
05:37Have a look in.
05:38Lovely, isn't it?
05:39Bucket seats.
05:41Gear stick.
05:41Well, it's got the lot.
05:42I must admit,
05:44I think you've done all right, though.
05:45That's what it's all about.
05:46Stands out, doesn't it?
05:47Maybe.
05:48But to really appreciate Thailand's love affair with the pickup, you'll want something a bit
05:55more bespoke.
05:57Bucket seats.
05:59Ah.
06:00Tell you what, lad.
06:03Wow, Chris.
06:04An E30 BMW.
06:05What I've done here, chap.
06:06I was just going to say, talk us through it.
06:08Well, I mean, come on.
06:09I've taken a lovely old pre-series, which was nearing the end of its life, and I've transformed
06:14it into a performance pickup.
06:17Doesn't it look gorgeous?
06:18I'm just staring at its beauty.
06:19I'd like to say I transformed it myself.
06:20There's a man here who did it, because, frankly, they will turn anything into a pickup out
06:25here, and they'll do it with some style.
06:27I mean, this is a beautiful job, all done locally.
06:30Now, obviously, we can see what you've done to it, okay?
06:34Yeah.
06:34But pickup trucks, essentially, you're going to be off-roading.
06:38Yeah.
06:38We can see what you've done to it.
06:40What can we not see?
06:41What have you done to make it pickup-esque underneath?
06:44When you said off-roading.
06:46Yeah.
06:46I'm looking at these cars, and they're very much for different roads.
06:50You've just took a three-series.
06:52Yeah.
06:52Cut the back off.
06:53Yeah.
06:54That's it.
06:54Yeah.
06:56Wow.
06:59So, with two trucks and a chopped-up Beamer all ready to roll, we headed out to discover
07:07what Thailand and its pickup obsession was really all about.
07:20I love the Thai culture, lads.
07:22It's very bright and brash and in-your-face.
07:26It's a bit of a sense-is-overlord.
07:29Anywhere else, if we were driving around in the UK in this pickup, everyone would be looking
07:33at it.
07:34But over here, it's just part of the furniture.
07:36Do you know what the single most important law of the road is over here?
07:42It is actually illegal to drive without wearing a shirt.
07:47And, McGuinness, you are, let's say, pushing it slightly.
07:55Everywhere you look, those just pickup trucks.
07:59Thailand really is the pickup capital of the world.
08:02It's known as the Detroit of the Far East because they've built so many of the things,
08:07literally millions, a year.
08:11Look at this coming through.
08:18It's outrageous.
08:20And that is ridiculously overloaded.
08:25Now, to put our pickups to the test, we've been told to head north towards the capital.
08:31Bangkok.
08:33From there, we'd be striking out deep into Thailand's rural interior.
08:40What that would mean for my low-slung Beamer, we'd have to wait and see.
08:44But so far, it was looking very good indeed.
08:49If you want quality and durability, go mid-80s Germany.
08:54I mean, this is a, must be a 40-year-old car.
08:58And it's, it's superb.
09:01The trim's in great condition.
09:02I've got the optional sports seats.
09:05I still think that if BMW made a car that looked like this now, it'd be a runaway bestseller.
09:10Especially, as BMW already knows exactly how to build one.
09:19Behold, the original E30 pickup.
09:23Built back in the mid-80s to haul parts around the factory at BMW's slightly unhinged high-performance M division,
09:33it was surely the coolest pickup truck in history.
09:37And now, thanks to some genius local workmanship, there's another one.
09:47I've not budgeted for tarmac as good as this.
09:50You must be loving life in yours, Chris.
09:52Lovely BMW straight-six.
09:55It's all familiar in here.
09:56Yeah, she just cruises along.
09:58I don't want to burst your bubble, but whatever the road draws at me in this, I'm ready for.
10:03Anything.
10:07These days, everyone's rolling around in SUVs, but I've got to ask,
10:12what does an Audi Q7 give you that this doesn't?
10:15I'm up high.
10:16I can see everything.
10:19Now, it's a bit tatty inside, but it's going to be.
10:21These are workhorses.
10:24And don't forget, this workhorse is a Hilux.
10:28Over 50 years they've been building these, selling 18 million of them to every corner of the globe.
10:3620 years old, this car.
10:38207,000 kilometres.
10:41It'll go forever.
10:43Maybe it will.
10:45But in Thailand, they have different priorities.
10:51If you go to Holland, you'll expect to see a bicycle.
10:55Come to Thailand and expect to see a D-Max.
10:59It was made here, it was launched here, and it's capable, it's practical.
11:07They're the white t-shirt of the pickup world.
11:10Everyone's got one, and they do the job.
11:13And like any white t-shirt, there's always room for improvement.
11:17Bit of glitter.
11:18A few sequins, so or not.
11:21Really pimp them up.
11:24And to make that very point, we were soon told to stop off at a nearby circuit,
11:31where we'd be getting a taste of how the locals go racing.
11:34Racing.
11:36Look at this.
11:39Oh, wow.
11:41That is mega.
11:45Look at the trucks coming through.
11:46Look at these.
11:47Oh, D-Max's, lads.
11:49I told you, they absolutely love them round here.
11:52What a little circuit.
11:55Set on the edge of the Keng Kraken National Park,
11:59the KK Circuit is surely one of the more spectacular tracks
12:03that the world of motorsport has to offer.
12:08This is nice, Chris, isn't it?
12:10Look at this.
12:11What a track.
12:13And better still, it plays host to one of Thailand's favourite race series.
12:18Diesel D-Max's tuned to over 300 horsepower
12:24going wheel-to-wheel in a fully-fledged pickup truck championship.
12:39Wowzers.
12:42Sounded a bit different to yours, Pad.
12:44Yeah.
12:45Didn't it?
12:45Yeah.
12:45We weren't just here to watch, though.
12:49No.
12:50To give us the full performance pickup experience,
12:53we'd been invited to take part in our own special relay race.
12:59Each paired with a local pro
13:00whose first job was to jump on board our pickups
13:04to give us a quick look at the track.
13:07Here we go.
13:08A ride, it would be fair to say, some enjoyed
13:11more than others.
13:15Right line.
13:21Right line.
13:25That's got my own grip.
13:36Let me in, Kim.
13:38I think she likes the dress.
13:51With the pre-race entertainment done with,
13:54it was relay time.
13:57Having each been lent one of our teammate spur trucks to run in,
14:01the race itself would be fought over two stints,
14:05each with a grid of six cars.
14:08Our teammates would be up first,
14:11battling for four laps to put us in the best position they could,
14:15to then take on our own set of pros
14:17in another four-lap run to the finish.
14:22Hi, lad Pete.
14:23He's all over it.
14:24He loves it.
14:25This is your lad, 68.
14:28Come on, boss.
14:29There's my lad, San.
14:32He's called San.
14:33He's in Tommy.
14:34A bit confusing.
14:35You are.
14:35He's called San.
14:37His car's got the name Tommy on the side.
14:39He's not called Tommy.
14:39Is his car called Tommy?
14:41His car's called Tommy.
14:42Who's called Tommy?
14:43The car.
14:45So, our first pickup race was on.
14:49Go on, Sam.
14:59They shift, don't they?
15:00And it looks easy from out here.
15:02I don't think it's so easy in there.
15:03I don't think it looks easy, Chris.
15:04No, I don't know what you're watching, Chris.
15:09Can I make a production here, Paddy?
15:12We're going to be fifth and sixth.
15:13Come on, Tommy.
15:23Wind it up, son.
15:29Are you at the front, Fred?
15:30Second.
15:31Second, Chris.
15:32I'm third.
15:32Your lad is racing the race of his life here.
15:36He's going to get out to you and go, carry on.
15:38Oh, he nearly had the back end up then.
15:46With the pros now fighting over the last lap,
15:49we headed for our race trucks
15:51and got ready to take to the track.
15:56Wow, he's off to here.
15:59The Guinnesses would be handing over to him in fourth,
16:03mine second,
16:05while Harrises...
16:06Bloody hell of him first.
16:08What a drive.
16:10...had landed him in the lead.
16:13I'm off, I'm off.
16:17Come on.
16:18Six cars, four laps,
16:20and we were off to a flying start.
16:23This is a very intimidating vehicle.
16:26Might have bit off more than I can chew here.
16:30Although one of us would probably have liked
16:32a slightly smoother take-off.
16:36Oh, he's away here, Chrissie Harris.
16:37How am I going to keep with this on?
16:46There's enough straight away.
16:47That flints off.
16:50Get back out.
16:53Wow, that was different.
16:54This is sketchy.
16:56What is this I'm driving?
16:59I've spun out on the first corner.
17:02To be fair, though,
17:03up at the front,
17:04even our best driver
17:06was finding his truck tricky to master.
17:09Brakes are terrible.
17:10Brakes are terrible.
17:15This thing,
17:16I know it just looks like a pickup to you,
17:18but it's one of the most difficult cars
17:20I've ever driven.
17:23Oh, too much, too much, too much.
17:25Take it off a bit.
17:27Wow.
17:28Wow, Fred.
17:29Nice and easy.
17:30Oh, too much, too much.
17:32Come on, hold it up.
17:35You can't see me.
17:36I'm sorry.
17:38Despite his teething troubles,
17:41Paris was keeping the second-place pro at bay
17:44and was looking nailed on
17:46for the win.
17:48Come on!
17:49But as the laps ticked away...
17:51Yeah, baby!
17:54Tick to go.
17:55Come on.
17:56Flintoff
17:57was getting his eye in.
17:59Get round.
18:00Get round.
18:03Come on.
18:04Nice sprint.
18:05And that meant this race
18:07was now all about
18:09the battle for third.
18:12I'm glad he's turned it.
18:14Oh, you'll be feeling it now.
18:16Oh, Paddy,
18:17I'm going to make you
18:18make a mistake here.
18:27Oh, Smokey Joe!
18:31Power, power, power, power, power, power.
18:37Come on, old girl!
18:40Come on!
18:42Ah, victory!
18:44Get out, get out, get out!
18:49Let's go!
18:50Keep going.
18:51Come on, Fred.
18:52Here we go.
18:54Woo!
18:55Second flag.
18:56Over we go.
18:58He got me.
19:00Man, what a horse!
19:01So there we have it.
19:02So there we have it.
19:04Our first taste of Thai pickup racing
19:06and given our usual track record
19:08with this sort of thing,
19:10we had to chalk it up
19:11as a surprise success.
19:13Number one.
19:15Well done, Christopher.
19:16But I am absolutely
19:17rooted.
19:20I don't advise racing
19:21in the tropics.
19:22Thanks, Pete.
19:24Well done.
19:25You're wicked.
19:25Tell you what.
19:26Thanks for that Zeus, innit?
19:27These have a newfound respect
19:28for the D-Max.
19:29Yeah, amazing.
19:30Fantastic.
19:30The power?
19:31The power is amazing.
19:32Yeah.
19:33The brakes are not amazing.
19:34The brakes are either all on
19:36or nothing.
19:37But the real winner
19:37is the circuit.
19:39Yeah.
19:39The circuit is the best.
19:41Amazing.
19:41Fantastic.
19:45It was time
19:50to get back
19:51on the road north
19:52and see what else
19:53we could pick up
19:54about Thailand
19:55as we headed
19:56towards Bangkok.
20:06Dear God,
20:07have a look at this.
20:08That's got to be
20:10so heavy.
20:13The chassis is
20:13bowing in the middle
20:14and there's two lads
20:15sitting on top.
20:17It's bent that much
20:18he can't even
20:19shut his driver's door
20:20properly.
20:21Yes.
20:22In my many years
20:23of travelling the globe
20:24that is the ropiest thing
20:26I've seen car-wise.
20:38Look at the vista, lad.
20:49Welcome to Bangkok.
21:00You must have been here
21:01before, Chris.
21:02Did you not have a gap year
21:03when you was at uni?
21:04I might have had
21:06a gap year,
21:06did you?
21:07Did you spend it
21:08in Thailand?
21:10No, I did not.
21:12I went to Africa
21:12to teach,
21:13actually, Andrew.
21:15I went and found myself.
21:17I just went to Earth.
21:18It was amazing.
21:21What did you do?
21:22Rob shots?
21:22Lads, now we're in
21:29our first bit of traffic
21:30coming into the heart
21:32of the city.
21:33Last night,
21:34I was doing a bit of
21:35research on the old internet
21:36bugling Bangkok
21:38and I found us
21:40a very, very interesting
21:42backstreet venue.
21:45Remember,
21:46delete history, Patrick.
21:48No need for that
21:50because what I'd
21:51actually found
21:52was Pick Up Paradise.
22:02What have we got here, Pad?
22:04D-Max Nirvana.
22:06This is
22:07the mecca
22:09for all things Pick Up.
22:11Oh.
22:13Fellow D-Maxers.
22:14Look at these D-Max lads.
22:16Look at this.
22:18I think they've even got you
22:19covered here, Paddy,
22:19with graphics.
22:20Look at that one baking.
22:22How many turbochargers?
22:23That one's got
22:23two massive blowers on it.
22:27Look at this.
22:28It goes all the way around here.
22:29It carries on going.
22:31It's everything.
22:31I'll tell you what.
22:34This makes me feel a bit
22:35wistful for my past
22:36for the Max Power years.
22:38When I was younger,
22:39I couldn't leave stuff alone.
22:41If I bought a car,
22:42I had to add the bits.
22:44The fancy high-fiver rims,
22:45the lowering kit.
22:46It's just,
22:47it's a,
22:47it's a rite of passage,
22:50isn't it?
22:50You want to just add things.
22:53I've got to say, Pad,
22:53when I saw your pickup,
22:55I thought,
22:55that's a bit much, that.
22:57However,
22:58I get it now.
22:59I get it.
23:00Good Lord,
23:01I could waste days here.
23:05But the market
23:06was only the warm-up.
23:09And just around the corner,
23:11we found some of Thailand's
23:12proper Max Power
23:14petrol heads.
23:18Woesers.
23:20Check out the metal here.
23:26Look at that motors.
23:28Wow.
23:33Look at these.
23:36That might be the fastest jazz
23:39I've ever seen in my life.
23:41Turns out,
23:42Bangkok isn't just mad for mods, though.
23:45This is mega.
23:47They also love
23:48a bit of drifting.
23:52Whoa.
23:54Yes.
23:55Look at this behind.
23:56Look at this.
24:02Now this
24:03was what we'd come to see.
24:04Another corner of the world
24:07completely mad for tuning
24:09and tyre smoke.
24:23Fantastic.
24:25To get the full
24:27Thai Drift experience, though,
24:29come on then, McGuinness,
24:30we nominated
24:31our D-Max
24:32correspondent
24:33to go along
24:34for the ride.
24:36He's going to love this.
24:38He's going to love this.
24:39Here we go.
24:41I'm Christy.
24:42Hi, Christy.
24:43Nice to meet you.
24:45Where are we?
24:46Sorry,
24:47there's no belt for you.
24:49Oh, my God.
24:50Yep.
24:51No belts.
24:52Lots of exposed metal.
24:54Kids,
24:56do not
24:58try this at home.
25:14Whoa.
25:19Ha-ha.
25:20Ha-ha.
25:20Nice to meet you.
25:46Right.
25:47I'm just going to find a little spot
25:48So, why don't I have a cry?
25:52Is he okay?
25:54Oh, wowsers.
26:04Good, did you enjoy it?
26:06Okay.
26:08So, Pat, how did you enjoy your first experience of the Zed Drift scene?
26:14Well, schoolboy error, I had a Thai green curry before I got in the car.
26:19I just felt extremely queasy.
26:22Everything was spinning, hot sweats, but I wasn't on my own.
26:25No, you weren't, Pat.
26:25As the day went on, I was getting rougher and rougher.
26:28Did you have the curry as well?
26:29Oh, no, worse than that.
26:31I got COVID.
26:32Again, again.
26:33And I spent the rest of the trip all up in a hotel room, sweating and shivering, browsing the web.
26:38I bet you did.
26:39I bet you did.
26:41Well, there's plenty more of Thailand still to see and we'll get back to it later on in the show.
26:46But first, there's a shiny new electric supercar on the scene and we told Chrissy Harris to pop on his rubber wellies and go check it out.
26:53Here it is.
27:05It's called the Navira.
27:08It's powered by electricity and it doesn't come from Italy or Germany or Britain or Japan or even America.
27:19No, the Navira comes from Croatia.
27:32Now, Croatia.
27:34Lovely place, cracking seafood scene, but not one with any history of building fast cars.
27:40Or any history of building any cars.
27:45But this Navira could be the car to put Croatia on the car map because it's built by a company called RIMAC.
27:55RIMAC's barely a decade old, but it's already worked its electric wizardry for the likes of Porsche, Aston Martin, Ferrari and Koenigsegg.
28:06Last year, it took control of Bugatti.
28:10In short, RIMAC means business.
28:14And with the Navira, it's very much going it alone.
28:18See, normally, if you're a start-up car maker, you buy all your bits off the shelf.
28:25You get your headlights from Ford, steering wheel from Volvo, engine from GM and then you wrap it all in some fancy new bodywork.
28:34But RIMAC hasn't done that.
28:39The Navira is built completely from scratch.
28:44The only bits this car shares with any other on the planet are the tyres and a few bits of the aircon.
28:51Everything else, battery, motors, software, single-piece carbon fibre chassis, is bespoke.
29:01As business plans go, that's like opening your own pizzeria and deciding that instead of buying in any ingredients,
29:13you'll grow your own wheat, your tomatoes, your pineapple, your buffalo.
29:19I mean, it's a ruinously stupid idea and it's why no one does it.
29:23But somehow, RIMAC has made it work.
29:29And more remarkable still, they've actually made it rather well.
29:36It's comfy in here.
29:37I mean, the seat's pretty good.
29:39Everything's covered in expensive materials.
29:42I can see out of the thing perfectly well.
29:45I mean, I wouldn't call it a luxury motor car, but it's beautifully built.
29:50And it's practical-ish.
29:53I mean, it's fitted with the largest battery of any electric vehicle.
29:57So it'll do 300 miles on a single charge.
30:01As products from companies you've never heard of go, it's all very convincing.
30:07How much they want you to pay for it, on the other hand, might take a little more convincing.
30:13Because this upstart costs, wait for it, two million pounds.
30:21Now, that's not Ferrari money, that's not even Lamborghini money, that's Bugatti money.
30:26It's private jet money.
30:28That's... that's punchy.
30:30Luckily, the Navira does have a little trick up its sleeve that might go some way to justifying its enormous price tag.
30:42A little trick that requires a rather long runway to demonstrate.
30:47Now, I probably should have mentioned this earlier, but even by conventional supercar standards, the Navira is... it's quite powerful.
30:57You see, it's got one electric motor for each wheel, combined power output, just under 2,000 horsepower.
31:06That is... a lot.
31:10So what does it feel like?
31:12Oh, my Lord.
31:30That's 100.
31:33130.
31:34150.
31:36170.
31:38This is ridiculous.
31:39190.
31:40That's 200.
31:41And she's still pulling.
31:43That's... that's 200 and...
31:45212.
31:48Right.
31:48That is absolutely mind-scramblingly fast.
31:56Good Lord.
31:58That's not driving.
31:59That's an out-of-body experience.
32:01In fact, the Navira accelerates to 60 miles an hour in under two seconds.
32:07And whereas electric cars, up to now, have always run out of puff, the further north of 100 they go, this car is limited to 219.
32:19Now, what we need here is a bit of context.
32:22To my left, we have a Lamborghini Aventador SVJ.
32:28By any standards, a very, very fast car.
32:31Watch what happens now.
32:363, 2, 1, go!
32:44Oh, my.
32:46It's just disappearing.
32:48I can't begin to describe.
32:51He's not even there.
32:52He's gone.
32:53He's gone.
32:57I can barely see him in my mirror.
33:03Over the line.
33:07That speck in the mirror that I can hardly see is one of the fastest Lamborghinis ever made.
33:13It's not, it's not a beating, it's a mauling.
33:23Tell you what, the old guards better get ready for it, because this is, this is all new for me.
33:29It's all new for everyone.
33:31The remarkable thing about the Navira isn't that it's the fastest accelerating road car ever built.
33:39It's the sheer scale of the leap in performance it's made.
33:46Round two.
33:47Let's give the Aventador a better chance this time.
33:50It's 300 metres up the runway, and we're going to run over a standing mile.
33:55Oh, no.
33:57Watch this.
34:07Three, two, one, go!
34:11Here we go.
34:12He can't do it, can he?
34:13How could he possibly catch that Lamborghini?
34:19We're catching it.
34:20We're catching it.
34:22We're catching it.
34:24I can't believe this.
34:26It's absolutely absurd!
34:30Oh my lord!
34:34That's outrageous!
34:36I'm doing 218,219 miles an hour!
34:43Wow!
34:45And it doesn't stop there.
34:48In case all that straight line fun wears off,
34:52Rimac says they've been to town on the handling too.
34:56Each wheel's motor is independently controlled,
34:59so the way the Navira drives can be transformed at the flick of a switch.
35:05A switch that includes...
35:08drift mode.
35:09Drift mode.
35:16Dear me!
35:18Me!
35:20This is a drift beast like I've never been before.
35:26Ha ha ha ha!
35:27It's so easy!
35:41It's just wind the lock on.
35:43Bit of bottle.
35:48Oh, they're clever.
35:50They're clever and it's fun!
35:52It's fun and it's silly!
35:53This car slides.
35:55It feels fantastic when it's moving around.
35:57I know it doesn't have the noise, but...
35:59When you've got this performance,
36:01it's starting to wonder if you care.
36:03Of course, we have seen this sort of digital drifting before.
36:06In recent years, it's become pretty much the standard party mode for performance cars all over the market.
36:21But this being Rimac, in the Navira, there's also an after party.
36:34Four wheel drive.
36:36No traction control.
36:38All wheels spinning.
36:39All wheels spinning.
36:41Here we go!
36:49Good God!
37:02What is going on in this car?
37:04We just did a tire in one skit!
37:08That's just ridiculous.
37:10Mr Rimac, you are my kind of lunatic.
37:15Yes, you are!
37:21I don't quite know what to say about that.
37:23Wow!
37:30Mind blown, yes. Mind blown.
37:33That is absolutely bonkers.
37:35It went past that Lambo like it was standing still.
37:37It's extraordinary. It's not like anything I've ever driven before. It's that fast.
37:39The day after I drove it, I actually felt a bit queasy. I don't know if that's the high voltage cables or whether my kidneys are bruised. I mean, it's crazy.
37:58So, you're saying your innards have been Rimac'd. Not a nice sounding phrase, but it's correct.
38:09And these lads are now in charge of Bugatti?
38:12Yeah, they are. It's very businessy. They were bought by Porsche, who have now put them in charge of Bugatti.
38:17I mean, the whole world's been changed upside down in a matter of years.
38:20So, is that it? Electrics won. Should all petrol supercars just give up now?
38:25It's not as simple as that. They need to give up on the acceleration and speed race, because these things are so fast, there's no catching up.
38:31Petrol needs to trade on emotion now. Gear changes, sound, go lightweight. But don't try and accelerate this monster, because you will lose.
38:38Well, with that in mind, when are we going to get it on the track?
38:42Slight problem. It's so fast, we've got to update the software on the Stig, because you can't deal with it just yet.
38:46But hopefully next year. OK, watch this space.
38:51But now it's time to get back to Thailand, where Fred was properly in a bad way. Coughing, shivering the lot.
38:59So Chris and I did what any true mates would do. Left him to it and enjoyed the rest of our trip!
39:04Yeah!
39:05With Flintsoff left behind in Bangkok, me and Harris had pointed our pickups north.
39:23Our mission now was to haul a much needed cargo to a remote hill village near the border with Laos.
39:30Nice to have been given something useful to do.
39:34Plus, hauling for free meant we'd had to start doing things the local way.
39:40I've got to be honest, I'm happy with the extra weight in the back. It just gives the car a bit more stability.
39:56And whereas when we first saw something overloaded coming past us, we sort of whooped with joy.
40:03They're probably going, how much do we get another bale on that?
40:06Yeah!
40:08It's bonkers, innit?
40:10It was bonkers.
40:13Particularly given two important points.
40:16One thing praying on my mind though, Pat. I've never seen so much fresh grass.
40:23So why are we carrying grass?
40:26I've seen quite a few cows knocking about. Maybe we're taking them a bit of feed.
40:31Do cows eat hay, or is that horses?
40:36They do eat hay, yes.
40:40I reckon we're going feeding a lot of cows.
40:42Whatever the bales were actually for though, as the miles ticked up, the second more pressing issue was that the scenery was getting bigger.
40:56You look to your left, you've just got a tree and foliage covered mountain with a vast amount of weather coming off it.
41:04Look at the moisture coming off these hills.
41:07Can you say, look at the moisture coming off these hills again, but a little bit slower?
41:13This is ominous. We're climbing up a hill.
41:19Yeah, it's starting to get less time, Mackie, now.
41:24I've got a funny feeling this is more D-Max country.
41:39Oh, this is what the D-Max loves.
41:41Oh, this looks like it's too much for me.
41:56Come on then, little fella.
41:57Not standing good this. Oh my Lord. Oh God.
41:58The D-Max absolutely loves this terrain.
42:12Power, power, power. Power, power, power.
42:15Come on old girl. Come on old girl. Come on old girl.
42:21I know this is where the two wheel drivers have been found out, Chris.
42:24She's struggling now.
42:25This is like live Jenga.
42:27Oh, your load's looking a little bit wobbly there, Chris.
42:33Stop, you've lost a bale.
42:35You've lost a bale, son. Come back.
42:38I can't lose a bale.
42:40Right. Keep coming.
42:41How far back can I come?
42:43Keep coming.
42:44I'll do you.
42:50Shall we just knob it up?
42:52Ready? One, two, three.
42:58It sort of worked.
43:02Back on the move though, our oversized and badly lashed cargo
43:07was quickly becoming the least of Paris's concerns.
43:12I've got an issue.
43:13My aircon's gone.
43:14And also I've lost the front windows.
43:16I'm just sitting literally in an oven now.
43:19Sit rep on the old D-Max.
43:23Everything's fine.
43:25Aircon's blowing a bit extreme though.
43:28A bit chilly in here.
43:32Three series.
43:33With a black vinyl interior in this heat.
43:38And here's a hot place to be.
43:42I can't deal with this.
43:44This heat is just absurd.
43:50And so my slow coupe colleague
43:53set about redesigning the ventilation
43:56on his Beamer.
43:58What are you doing?
44:00I've broken the door but not the window.
44:06What are you doing?
44:09I'm just trying to deal with my ventilation issues at the moment.
44:14I'm just going to have a minute to contemplate it.
44:16It'll be there in my own pad.
44:18So the place to contemplate it is on a steep gradient
44:22on a gravel track.
44:24Oh my God, what are you doing?
44:26I've got to get rid of that glass.
44:27I can't breathe.
44:29What?
44:31Great work.
44:36I feel like this is a job for a man from Bolton.
44:40Watch yourself some.
44:42Thank you pad.
44:47There you go.
44:50Lovely.
44:52Would you like me to give you a little nudge?
44:55This is going to hurt isn't it?
44:56Yeah.
45:00Oh.
45:03There she goes.
45:04There she goes.
45:07Oh, go on.
45:09Go on the D-Max.
45:10That low range is doing the business.
45:14Right up your chuff.
45:15See, one of the biggest problems with the D-Max, Chris, when you're driving it is your fingers get cold.
45:27It's like driving a fridge, this thing.
45:32This isn't aimed at you, dear viewer. This is aimed at Paddy McGuinness.
45:38Rude.
45:40After all, the D-Max had got us both up to the top of the hill.
45:44And our destination was now just around the corner.
45:48Where are we going now?
45:49Oh, look at this.
45:51Look at this.
45:53This has got to be the place.
45:54That's a surprise, isn't it?
45:58Look at this McGuinness, a beautiful little village.
46:01Hang on.
46:03You're taking the bunting.
46:05Chris, you've got a man on the side of your car, Chris.
46:10Chris, you've got a man on the side of your car.
46:12Have I?
46:14You just draw all these on the side of your car.
46:17Are you still holding on to it? I can't see anything.
46:24Slightly embarrassing arrival notwithstanding, we had two flatbeds full of bales.
46:31Which, as the villagers set about unloading...
46:34Hello.
46:35..we would soon discover were definitely not for feeding the cows.
46:41Ah, no.
46:43Doesn't say it's Sherlock Holmes to work out.
46:46There's the harebells.
46:48That looks like a finish line.
46:51So it's a race track?
46:53Yep.
46:54And what they race around here...
46:57..are these.
47:01Known as Formula Homong,
47:03this traditional Thai downhill event is about as grassroots as motorsport gets.
47:10The braking is rudimentary.
47:12The steering is done by foot.
47:14The only fuel is gravity.
47:16And the machines themselves are, let's say, sustainably sourced.
47:21And, as a thank you for safely delivering their plant-based barriers,
47:26they were kind enough to let us...
47:30..have a go.
47:32You know what, I love his safety gear.
47:34White pumps, tracky pants.
47:36He's got some Melbourne protection on, but that lad there's got a spoiler.
47:39So we can alter his downforce.
47:41And he's got a pair of wellies on.
47:43And he's got a pair of wellies on.
47:45Gentlemen, start your legs.
47:47Oh no, they're gone. They're gone.
47:54Might work. There's not a lot of suspension is there.
47:56We'll be off though.
47:57Yeah, we're not going fast.
48:05Oh, he's off!
48:09Dear me.
48:11Dear me.
48:13And then, it was our turn.
48:18You're welcome to this win, by the way, McGuinness.
48:21The feeling is reciprocated.
48:26Formula Hmong.
48:28Good luck, brother.
48:30Good luck.
48:32Come on then, you horrible wooden bastard.
48:33Come on, mate.
48:34Come on, mate.
48:35Come on, mate.
48:36Come on, mate.
48:37Come on, mate.
48:38Ready?
48:39Yeah.
48:40Okay.
48:41Nun.
48:42Son.
48:43Son.
48:44Boy!
48:46I've got him!
48:47I've got him straight away!
48:49That's a jumpstart, we get it.
48:50Forward!
48:51There's a bloody brakes!
48:53He's getting away from me.
48:54He's running so quick.
48:56I can't steer it.
48:58Oh!
49:00My word!
49:02Oh!
49:03Where will?
49:04Oh, my God!
49:09I'm catching him!
49:10I'm definitely catching him!
49:13Oh, where's Harry?
49:14Where is Harry?
49:15He'll be sure to where he is.
49:16I can't see him!
49:17He's absolutely done.
49:18He's all over this thing.
49:20Oh, no!
49:21Oh, no!
49:22Oh!
49:27Excuse me.
49:37Oh.
49:38Oh!
49:40Oh!
49:42Oh!
49:44Oh!
49:45That was a shunt.
49:52You alright?
49:54My hand really hurts.
49:57Just going to smart in the morning, that is.
49:59So, with Harris' career in Formula Hemong
50:03ending as quickly as it started,
50:05it turned out the winner would now have the honour
50:09of running the course again.
50:11This time, against one of the local pros.
50:17Nice to meet you.
50:18I saw you oiling your wheels up.
50:20I'm not that big of a threat.
50:21You don't need that.
50:22Trust me.
50:26Here we go.
50:30Okay.
50:31Okay.
50:32Now, one, two, three, four.
50:40I'm taking it.
50:42I'm taking it.
50:42I've got it.
50:43I've got it.
50:45Oh, no, no, no.
50:47He's here.
50:47He's here.
50:48Come on, Pat.
50:51He's flying.
50:52I can't catch him.
50:54Come on, Pat.
50:58Come on.
50:58Come on, McGinnis.
50:59Come on.
51:02I can hear something.
51:03I can see a line.
51:05I'm going for it.
51:05I'm going for it.
51:07I can hear him now.
51:07I can hear him now.
51:09I'm going for it.
51:10Nearly there.
51:10Oh, I've got him.
51:12I've got him.
51:12Oh, no.
51:16Oh, Jesus.
51:20Mate, you all right?
51:22Oh, my God.
51:23You did it.
51:25I nearly had him.
51:25Come on.
51:26I nearly had him.
51:28Get over the line.
51:28Come on.
51:28Come on.
51:29Come on.
51:29Come on.
51:29Come on.
51:30Come on.
51:30Come on.
51:30Come on.
51:31Come on.
51:35Fantastic.
51:37Chalking up Formula Hamong, then, as one of our more painful motorsport failures,
51:43we left the winner with a parting gift of lightly-soled body armor.
51:51And then it was time to return to our pickups.
51:54Because having now proven their tie readiness to the local village, while we'd been busy getting
52:02battered and bruised, they'd been tasked with one last job.
52:08That job would take us to the next hilltop, where a new temple was under construction.
52:16Its exterior is covered in thousands upon thousands of tiles.
52:24And so, to help complete it, that was the cargo we'd bring, loaded up with a muddy road ahead, setting
52:37out to be useful once more.
52:40The pick-up.
52:53I know we've tried to joke around them, but these things are the workforce of humanity, aren't
52:58they?
52:58There's something about an honest pick-up.
52:59When you see one on the road, you know, ultimately, it's helping someone somewhere, or giving someone
53:04something.
53:05It just makes you feel good about yourself.
53:08And I'm telling you now, I know we're in the jungles of Thailand, but no matter where
53:15I'd be dropped in the world, I'd pick the D-Max.
53:19Yeah, it has served you well.
53:22And it's actually served me pretty well as well.
53:26By the word, I can see the temple on the hill.
53:32Come on, we're nearly there.
53:33So, are we awarding the victory to the D-Max, given that I'd turned up in a saloon car
53:39and hacked the back off it, and Flintoff is still in isolation?
53:43I think so.
53:54My word.
53:59This is mega, Chris.
54:00I'm going to have a soppy moment and say this is quite special.
54:07Wow.
54:09That is something else.
54:14Look at that.
54:15They climb up there and tile that.
54:18That's amazing.
54:21Each of those goes on that roof.
54:23Right, which is your good hand?
54:29Left.
54:30Got it?
54:30Yep.
54:31Sure?
54:31Yep.
54:32Let's go.
54:32Right, up we go.
54:43Wow.
54:44What a place.
54:48Amazing.
54:50These are stunning.
54:52Wow.
54:54That is a big, big statue.
54:58Look at the size of that guy, though.
54:59I know.
55:02Look at the size of him.
55:04I can't take it all in, you look up.
55:08It is so much.
55:10It is massive.
55:13He's waiting.
55:14It looks like he's waiting for us.
55:15Pop them down there.
55:16Pop them down there.
55:19So, Eddie, crap.
55:20Apparently, we need over 600,000 of them.
55:30600,000?
55:31600,000.
55:33Where's Flintoff when you need him?
55:36Flintoff!
55:37Back down to the pickup.
55:42Thank you, Thailand.
55:45Thailand.
55:45Kicking myself for not coming up without one.
55:53There's your body.
55:54Broken.
55:55Good.
55:56Good, good, good.
56:06Beautiful.
56:08Beautiful.
56:09Beautiful.
56:09Beautiful.
56:10Beautiful.
56:11Amazing.
56:12Amazing.
56:13Amazing.
56:13What a place that temple was, and what a pleasure to help out.
56:19And, Fred, I'm gutted you weren't there, pal,
56:21because it'd have been Andy carrying them towels up them steps,
56:23wouldn't it?
56:23Oh, cheers, thanks, yeah.
56:24Thanks, Pad, but I am upset, too.
56:26Firstly, because my Hilux would have smashed your two up the hill.
56:29Oh.
56:30Oh, come on, the Hilux.
56:31Yeah.
56:32And secondly, foaming her mum.
56:33Oh.
56:34That's my type of motorsport.
56:36Just falling.
56:37Yeah, yeah.
56:38Gravity is your specialist subject, to be fair.
56:40Exactly how to wipe the floor with you two.
56:42Yeah, we did a pretty good job of that ourselves, actually, Fred.
56:44Yeah, we certainly did.
56:45We certainly did.
56:45Great trip, though, and an amazing country.
56:48Thailand, thanks for having us.
56:50Well, that's it for tonight, but we're back next week
56:53as we head to Paris in some tiny cars
56:55and Germany in some very fast supercars.
56:59See you then.
56:59Thanks for watching.
57:00Good night.
57:00We'll see you then.
57:30Bye.
57:31Bye.
57:32Bye.
57:33Bye.
57:34Bye.
57:35Bye.
57:36Bye.
57:37Bye.
57:38Bye.
57:39Bye.
57:40Bye.
57:41Bye.
57:42Bye.
57:43Bye.
57:44Bye.
57:45Bye.
57:46Bye.
57:47Bye.
57:48Bye.
57:49Bye.
57:50Bye.
57:51Bye.
57:52Bye.
57:53Bye.
57:54Bye.
57:55Bye.
57:56Bye.
57:57Bye.
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