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00:04In tonight's programme, a supercar from a shed in Leicestershire.
00:10A rock star in our reasonably priced car.
00:13And how many motorbikes can you jump with a bus?
00:22But first, the 1960s.
00:25Now, it was possible to go fast back then, if you had enough money to buy a Ferrari or a
00:31Maserati.
00:32But then one day, Ford thought, hang on a minute, we've got all these cars flooding down our production lines,
00:37why don't we fit some of them with big engines?
00:41Now, if you think about it, this was an incredibly important moment,
00:44because suddenly everyone could afford to go fast.
00:47They actually created the boy racer.
00:51Suddenly, Mr Barrington Smythe was going down the motorway, he got overtaken by Barry Smith.
00:55And we've actually been joined tonight by several members of the Ford RS Owners Club.
01:01Here they are.
01:03Now, let me give you a flavour of the kind of people who drive RS Fords, okay?
01:08Your name is...
01:09Lee.
01:09Lee, okay?
01:11Now, standing at the back there, we've got Wayne, okay?
01:14Now, Wayne's girlfriend, anyone want to hazard a guess what Wayne's girlfriend...
01:18Tracy!
01:20Yay!
01:21That's all right.
01:27A word of warning, though.
01:29A word of warning, okay, which I've learned over the years.
01:31Never, ever slag off a fast Ford.
01:35Because these people don't write polite letters saying,
01:37Dear sir, I strongly disagree with what you said on Top Gear the other night.
01:41It's like a brick.
01:41Yeah, a brick, with git written on it, comes through the window.
01:46And bearing that in mind, Ford should be worried.
01:49Because when they dropped the RS Escort Cosworth here,
01:52they said there would be an RS version of the Focus.
01:56They promised us it would have 300 horsepower and four-wheel drive.
02:01And here it is.
02:02Now, it is quite a looker.
02:05Well, it's better looking than your hair, actually.
02:08Sorry, mate, but have you got an RS?
02:10I have, mate, yes.
02:10RS hairdo, there.
02:11Fantastic.
02:13Anyway, disappointingly, this doesn't have 300 horsepower and four-wheel drive.
02:17It has front-wheel drive and only 212 brake horsepower.
02:22Still, we're going to be testing it out on our track,
02:24but first of all, we thought it'd be a good idea to have a look at the competition.
02:28Most obvious contender is this, the Subaru Impreza.
02:32So, we fitted it with the Stig and launched him onto our test track.
02:39Whereas the Ford is a jumped-up road car, this is a scaled-down rally car.
02:44Turbo-charged engine, four-wheel drive.
02:46Not the best-looking car in the world, I admit.
02:49And he crosses the line in...
02:52Here we come now.
02:54One minute, 39 seconds.
02:58Next up is the Honda Civic Type R.
03:01Well, what you need to know about the Civic, most of all, is that my mother has one.
03:06It's a motherly sort of car.
03:07Except, of course, for this one, which is a mother of a car.
03:12Is he going to beat the Subaru?
03:13Is he going to be faster?
03:15Crosses the line in...
03:16One minute, 38.06.
03:18So, the Honda was faster than the Subaru.
03:21Much to the disappointment of the Subaru Owners Club here, or five of them,
03:25who have been pointing out that if it was raining, it all would have been different.
03:27But it wasn't.
03:28And you're lost.
03:29You're lost.
03:31Anyway, now is the time to find out how the watered-down Ford gets on.
03:37Direction control switched off.
03:49On the left there, we've got a map of the circuit.
03:52On the right, in the centre there, there's a G meter that shows us how much G we're getting.
03:56Down for acceleration, up for braking, right and left, obviously, for cornering.
04:00And that was nearly one G through there, the first corner.
04:02It's amazing.
04:04That's about as much as you could possibly generate.
04:06Corvettes used to generate that much.
04:08Now he's going through the steady straight corner, 45 miles an hour.
04:1350, 60, 66 on the exit.
04:16Foot hard down.
04:16Now a really fast car is topping the ton before he has to brake.
04:2090, oh, don't he lie.
04:23He didn't quite make the ton as he brakes hard and into the hammerhead.
04:27To the left and then a really hard right.
04:29It's going to make understeer.
04:30Everything understeers.
04:31So Honda didn't.
04:32And, oh, wow.
04:34He's gone a bit wide, though.
04:35He's wide on the way out.
04:36That's okay now.
04:37Flat out.
04:37Is he going to reach 100 here?
04:38Is he going to lift?
04:39Is he going to lift for the follow-through?
04:42Changed up into fourth.
04:43And, yes, lifted there.
04:45Down to 80 miles an hour for the follow-through.
04:47So he didn't follow through.
04:48Into Bentley Bend.
04:49Into Bentley Bend.
04:51And, again, this is going to be the fastest part of the track.
04:54He's flat out through there.
04:56Flat out still.
04:57100 miles, 102 miles an hour.
05:00That's very quick.
05:00The Suzuki Liana is only doing 87.
05:02Through Bacharach.
05:03Into the really tricky one where you spin all the power away.
05:06Is it going to waste all that power?
05:09How tidy is he?
05:10Let's look.
05:11That's very tidy.
05:13Well, there's one thing for sure.
05:15The RS Owners Club won't be poking dog mess through the Stig's letterbox after that performance.
05:21One minute, 33.8.
05:23That's nearly four seconds faster than the Honda.
05:26Four seconds.
05:27That's a week.
05:29If you're a dog.
05:30So, plainly, I had to go and drive this car in the real world.
05:35But where?
05:37Obviously, it had to be somewhere with miles and miles of empty roads.
05:41And that means finding somewhere on there where no one wants to live.
06:07Whales.
06:13Sheep.
06:18There are so many empty roads out here, it's hard to know where to start.
06:25Welcome, then, to RS Country.
06:28Nothing but the odd woolly maggot to spoil the fun.
06:38Sitting here, there's no evidence that I'm in something which can nuke a Subaru Impreza.
06:43Apart from the sporty seats and the start button and this hideous steering wheel, which appears to have come from
06:51a Southall motorist discount store for £9.99.
06:54It just feels like a normal three-door focus and sounds like one, too.
07:02And, like a normal focus, there's no cup holder.
07:05There's no way to put my can of piping hot coffee.
07:16Even when you bury the throttle into the Dagenham deep pile, there are still no real clues.
07:25Obviously, it's fast.
07:27I mean, anything with a two-litre turbo-charged engine pumping out 212 brake horsepower isn't going to mooch around
07:35like a Saturday shop girl.
07:40But it doesn't have the same straight-line oomph as a Subaru Impreza.
07:46In fact, from 0 to 100 miles an hour, this is two seconds slower.
07:53The reason why it was so fast round our track is simple.
07:57This thing corners like it's in a cartoon.
08:02Between the front wheels, there's a new type of differential.
08:06I won't bore you with how it works, but I will tell you this.
08:10You can turn into any corner at seemingly any speed and the front just goes.
08:16Poof! Poof!
08:17There's no fuss, no drama, no understeer, just endless grip.
08:25It's rather like one of those American marines in a Hollywood movie.
08:30No matter how suicidal the order, no matter how stupid, it just obeys.
08:34Sir, yes, sir!
08:36Run in front of all those enemy guns over there.
08:40Sir, yes, sir!
08:42Go round this hairpin bend at 150 miles an hour.
08:45Sir, yes, sir!
08:47And it gets away with it. That's the joke.
08:49It does go round hairpin bends at 150 miles an hour.
08:55I have never driven a front-wheel drive car that drives so well.
08:59I can't think of any car that grips so well.
09:01And yet, this one is yours for less than £20,000.
09:05So, once again, Ford has delivered a supercar for supermarket prices.
09:10This car does what all good RS Fords should do.
09:13It brings power to the people.
09:15I mean, look at the badges you get in this one tiny area.
09:20Brembo, RS, Alls Racing.
09:23In clothing terms, that's like going around in a pair of trousers
09:26that have been jointly designed by Oswald Boateng, Alexander McQueen and Paul Smith.
09:32So, a fantastic car in every way, then.
09:37No, afraid not.
09:45It's not the very firm ride.
09:48I don't mind the very firm ride.
09:52In fact, the only people who are going to mind the very firm ride
09:55are people with osteoporosis.
09:57And people who are old enough to have osteoporosis
10:00will never buy a car that has a steering wheel like this.
10:05Especially as it won't pick up Radio 2.
10:11The horror.
10:12I might have to listen to Radio 1.
10:17The radio and the ride, though, are nothing compared to what happens
10:21when you turn off a nice smooth A-road like this
10:23and head for somewhere like...
10:28On a bumpy, twisty road like this one,
10:31the differential causes the front wheels to squirm and ride.
10:34It's awful.
10:35It's like riding around on an angry horse.
10:42That's not me making it duck and weave.
10:45It's doing it itself.
10:48Relax your grip or your concentration for a second on a rural road
10:53and you'll end up in a sheep.
10:56I used to have an Escort Cosworth.
10:59I'm a huge fan of RS Fords
11:01and I respect what they've done with this.
11:03As a piece of engineering, it's brilliant.
11:06It's so good, in fact,
11:07that I'm going to let the cameraman take it back to the Top Gear bunker.
11:11And me,
11:12I'm going to go
11:14in the Subaru.
11:15Or, as they say in Wales,
11:16where, of course, they're allergic to vowels,
11:18the...
11:27What's wrong with it?
11:28I'll tell you what's wrong with it.
11:29Is that the diff, okay?
11:31When you accelerate,
11:33say to pull out to overtake someone,
11:34you're going around a corner,
11:35and you give it full throttle,
11:36the diff just grabs the front wheels
11:38and you go in whatever direction they're pointing.
11:41You're joking.
11:41No, you have no control.
11:43You just sit there and go,
11:43I'm not strong enough to turn this wheel.
11:45And then,
11:46if you run over a camber change
11:47or even a white line,
11:49it grabs the wheels and pulls you the other way.
11:50Super torque steer.
11:51Yeah, so you lift off
11:52and then it goes,
11:53I'm not doing that anymore.
11:54And you just wobble up out.
11:55Honestly,
11:55if you had one of these,
11:57okay,
11:57and then someone said,
11:58where do you work?
11:59You'd have to say,
12:00well, wherever it takes me.
12:01The thing is,
12:01no dealers in the UK
12:02have got these as demos.
12:03So if you want to buy one,
12:04if you go into an RS,
12:05you know,
12:06I want to buy an RS Focus,
12:07but before I give you the money,
12:08I want to drive one,
12:09you can.
12:10But I saw an ad the other day,
12:11someone was saying,
12:12buy an RS Focus,
12:12what, 1,200,
12:13something like,
12:141,200 quid off list.
12:16No?
12:16Obviously,
12:17this is a bad plan.
12:18I can't see that happening.
12:19It wouldn't have been a Ford dealer
12:19for sure,
12:20because talking to the Ford dealers,
12:21their Ford sold till
12:22March,
12:23April,
12:24that's probably a broker.
12:25And to be honest,
12:26that's a spoof ad.
12:27It's what we used to do
12:28all the time.
12:28Really?
12:29Yeah,
12:29advertise something you haven't got.
12:30The phone will be red hot.
12:31Oh, my phone...
12:32So he hasn't got any focuses
12:33to sell.
12:34I can't comment on
12:35the specific incident,
12:36but I'd be very surprised.
12:38So how's it work?
12:38You phone up,
12:39say,
12:39I want the car.
12:40What's he going to say?
12:41Oh,
12:41thanks very much for phoning.
12:42Yeah,
12:42let me take your name
12:43and number.
12:44I'm very busy.
12:45I'll phone you back.
12:45Then they've got you.
12:46And then they'll phone you back.
12:47Oh,
12:47phone you back the RS phone.
12:48Okay,
12:48right,
12:49okay.
12:50Take your credit card deposit
12:51and then we'll phone you back
12:52with a shat...
12:53All this kind of stuff.
12:54Basically,
12:54all they want you to do
12:54is phone them.
12:55And at that point,
12:56as it gets closer and closer
12:57to delivery,
12:58chances are they'll say,
12:59oh,
12:59well,
12:59actually,
12:59we've got a slight delay
13:00and that car's been put back.
13:01But I have got the option
13:02on another one,
13:03but it's going to be
13:03close to the list price.
13:04You're not going to lose
13:05the car for £1,000,
13:06are you?
13:07And that's it,
13:07you suck it in.
13:08What are you going to do
13:09March,
13:09April when they say,
13:10we've got your new car
13:11but it's list price?
13:12You take it.
13:12You take it
13:13because you go somewhere else
13:14and you're back of the queue again.
13:15In the news this week,
13:17more news of Americans
13:19becoming very,
13:20very gullible.
13:21This is a bit worrying,
13:22actually.
13:22I'm going to quote
13:23direct from the press here.
13:24The popularity
13:25of television broadcasts
13:26of live high-speed car chases
13:28has led to a dramatic rise
13:30in criminals
13:30trying to out-race
13:32pursuing officers.
13:33This is in Los Angeles.
13:33In other words,
13:35they're surprised
13:36that when you put
13:37these guys stealing cars
13:39and driving really fast
13:39on the telly,
13:41more people do it.
13:42No, you can buy a beeper
13:44and it goes off
13:45when a chase is happening.
13:47You'll be,
13:48what?
13:48There's one eye
13:48with that turnover
13:49and watch that.
13:50And the Americans
13:51are surprised
13:51that more people
13:52are stealing cars to this.
13:53They've actually got people,
13:54there are cases of offenders
13:56waving to helicopters,
13:57filming the pursuit
13:58and attempting spectacularly,
13:59get a load of this.
14:00Oh, you're untelling.
14:01And the thing is,
14:02of course,
14:02they've got those
14:02big, powerful police cars.
14:03They wouldn't work here.
14:04I don't think.
14:05Because it would be like
14:06your beeper going off.
14:07There's a medium-speed police chase.
14:09Chapin and Astra.
14:11Anyway,
14:11other items in the news.
14:13Car news.
14:15Vauxhall.
14:16Wee!
14:18Vauxhall.
14:19I love Vauxhall.
14:22The one I particularly like
14:24is the Zephira.
14:26It's the sort of
14:27Astra-sized estate thing
14:28with seven seats.
14:29You can fold the back seats
14:30into the boot.
14:31Well, now,
14:31they've done it again
14:32with an even smaller one.
14:33It's called the Meriva.
14:35An unpronounceable,
14:37meaningless name.
14:38There it is.
14:39That's a Meriva.
14:40Only got five seats,
14:41but the ones in the back
14:42will fold into the floor
14:44completely.
14:44Or you can take the middle one out.
14:46Oh, there's some shots of it here.
14:46Look, from the Motor Show,
14:48which is happening at the Neck
14:49in Birmingham.
14:50Apparently so, yeah.
14:50Longy cars.
14:51Look, they just fold into the floor
14:52and you can take the middle ones out.
14:53It's a fantastically clever
14:55piece of design.
14:55Vauxhall,
14:56hopeless at everything,
14:57but very good at seats
14:59would be very good.
15:00Maybe they should just
15:01make a range of furniture
15:02and forget the whole car thing.
15:04Because your seats
15:05could fold into your floor
15:06in your living room
15:07and you'd have loads of space
15:08and then if loads of people
15:09came around,
15:09you could fold them all out.
15:12It's a very good idea,
15:13Vauxhall seating
15:14in your dining room.
15:15I've got a nice car coming up.
15:16Mazda RX-8,
15:18which is going to be glorious.
15:19It's a rotary engine again,
15:21which of course means
15:21it's only 1.3
15:22and it develops
15:23250 brake horsepower.
15:25Of course, it's rote, yeah, no.
15:26Well, it's a Wankel thing, isn't it?
15:28It is.
15:30It's a Wankel thing.
15:31Just get the whole school bit.
15:32There's nothing funny
15:33about Wankel.
15:34Wankel's cool.
15:36It says here
15:37that as a safety measure,
15:39a safety measure,
15:40the rear doors,
15:41because it's got
15:42these rearwards opening doors,
15:44the rear doors
15:45can only be opened
15:46when the front doors
15:47are open
15:49as a safety measure,
15:50which if you think about it,
15:52that's not a safety measure.
15:54That's a really nasty design fault.
15:56Because it's shiny side
15:58down in a ditch.
15:59You want to open
16:00all the doors pretty quick.
16:02What I like is the optimism here
16:03in the press release.
16:04It says,
16:05they're talking about the engine,
16:06right,
16:06with a name derived
16:07from the word Genesis,
16:09derived from,
16:10so not similar,
16:11they've called it the
16:12Renesis.
16:15What do they do?
16:16Start with A.
16:17Oh, Enesis, Benesis.
16:19Could have started with a P.
16:21Could have been bad.
16:21Couldn't they?
16:22Oh, very good.
16:23That close.
16:24The VW
16:27Tuareg.
16:28We did evolve a technique
16:29for actually saying.
16:30Yeah, yeah.
16:32Tuareg.
16:33Can you not know
16:34it's a Saharan tribe
16:36of people?
16:37The Tuareg.
16:38Yeah.
16:39I don't want to say it,
16:39that's what it is.
16:40It's the
16:41Tuareg.
16:43The Tuareg.
16:44I tell you what it is,
16:44it's a Porsche Cayenne
16:46with the word
16:47Porsche crossed out
16:48and Volkswagen
16:49written in in crayon.
16:50The most amazing thing
16:51about that
16:51is a V10 diesel engine.
16:53Yeah.
16:53Oh, nodded off.
16:55I've just not said diesel.
16:57Oh.
16:59That'll be fun.
16:59Oh, wait a minute.
17:00Can you say the word diesel
17:01and my seat goes
17:02into recline mode?
17:07You're not going to get
17:08that fixed again now.
17:09You need...
17:10Stop everything.
17:11At the NEC
17:11this week...
17:13Actually, stop everything.
17:14I'll tell you what I saw
17:15this morning.
17:16What?
17:16Ready?
17:17I saw a bus
17:18on the M4 bus lane.
17:21An actual busing?
17:22First time in five years.
17:24It was an airport bus
17:26taking some stewardesses
17:27for a little light sex
17:28in London.
17:28But...
17:30It was a bus.
17:31Oh, that was...
17:32It's a bus.
17:33You can see everyone
17:34crammed into those two lanes
17:35been there for four and a half years.
17:37Finally one comes by.
17:38That's worth the money then.
17:39I mean, it's being used.
17:40Yes, exactly.
17:41It's a million quid that cost.
17:42Anyway, listen.
17:43The most important thing
17:44of the week
17:44apart from the bus
17:46is...
17:46MG.
17:47Okay?
17:48They have got a new car
17:50at the motor show
17:51this week.
17:52Here it is.
17:53God, it's smoking badly.
17:55It's like an earlier...
17:57Anyway, this is it.
17:58Now, I think that
17:58that is a fabulous-looking car.
18:01I think it's desperately,
18:03desperately ugly.
18:04But, hey, that's my view.
18:06You know those glasses
18:07you wear occasionally?
18:09Where are you on?
18:10No, I'm...
18:11Jeremy's there.
18:12There.
18:13It's all lanky fella over there.
18:15Do you like it?
18:17Uh...
18:18I don't see it in flesh.
18:20There's too many grills.
18:21Look at it.
18:21It's like something
18:22designed by a heating engineer.
18:23It is.
18:24Anyway, it's a fantastic-looking car.
18:26It's...
18:27It's a fantastic-looking car.
18:29Let's have a show of hands.
18:30Where are we?
18:31Here's a show of hands.
18:32Who thinks it's a fantastic-looking car?
18:34Who thinks it's ugly
18:36and got too many radiator grills?
18:38That's kind of a split, Jeremy.
18:39That's 50-50.
18:40Anyway, okay,
18:41well, I'm going to bring them round.
18:42Would you like to know
18:43about its engines?
18:45Yes.
18:47Well, it's got a Mustang V8 under there.
18:49Not...
18:50No, it's not a very good engine, that.
18:51However,
18:52you can get one,
18:53standard tune,
18:54and there's about three different levels of tune, okay?
18:56You can get one,
18:58410 horsepower.
18:59Wow.
19:00That's plenty.
19:0165,000 pounds, 410.
19:02This is MG coming back.
19:04However,
19:05they are selling a range of accessories
19:07which will allow you to take that power up to...
19:10Anyone want to guess?
19:14965 brake horsepower.
19:17That's 100 more than Michael Schumacher has in his Ferrari.
19:20In an MG.
19:22In an MG.
19:23This is astonishing.
19:25Do you know what they...
19:26I mean,
19:27what staggers me about that car
19:28is they can't possibly have designed it
19:31in the time it's taken...
19:33since BMW left.
19:34No, they have...
19:35They must have...
19:35They must have had an underground production line
19:37that BMW, when they were running it,
19:39never knew about.
19:41What are they doing
19:42in the parade grounds?
19:43Oh, keeping quiet.
19:44Not doing anything like it.
19:45Just...
19:48Just...
19:49What is this vaulting horse you have here?
19:52They're all underneath.
19:53They're knocked underneath as a stove.
19:55They had one that...
19:56And it was just about BMW leaving.
19:58You know,
19:59the day where we have tried
20:00and we have failed with you people.
20:02So, they're all right.
20:03So, they're all right.
20:03So, they're all right, mate.
20:04Take care, be good.
20:05Thanks for coming.
20:06Right.
20:06Right.
20:07Break out that V8.
20:08Get the supercharger.
20:09Kick the nitrous.
20:10We're going here, then.
20:11It's finally getting started.
20:12They had that lot.
20:14All those cars they've done.
20:15The ZTs and the ZRs and the ZSs.
20:17Because they have that lot ready to go
20:20as soon as BMW are out the door.
20:24Good on them.
20:26Right.
20:26I feel the need for some science
20:28coming on now, okay?
20:29Now, how many times in our lives
20:31are we going to have to watch
20:32some insane loon
20:34jumping over buses on a motorbike?
20:36You know, the buffer ramp.
20:37It would be much more interesting
20:39rather than jumping buses in a bike.
20:41Big wow.
20:42To see how many bikes
20:44you can jump
20:45with a bus.
20:46So, we did.
20:47We must nearly all of us remember
20:49in 1978,
20:51Eddie Kidd,
20:52legendary stunt motorcyclist
20:54and the inspiration
20:55behind a million scuffed elbows
20:56and bent pushbikes,
20:58jumped 14 buses.
21:05But we wanted to do it differently.
21:07We wanted to see
21:08what would happen
21:09if you jumped a bus
21:10over 14 bikes.
21:12Now, that would be something.
21:1714 bikes.
21:18That's about 30 feet.
21:21Okay, Eddie Kidd's jump
21:23was nearer 200 feet,
21:25but then he wasn't doing it
21:26in a bus.
21:31It's a 1970s Daimler fleet line,
21:3411-litre engine
21:35in cream and green,
21:37the Ipswich livery.
21:38And it's a beauty.
21:45And that's the setter.
21:46We honestly have no idea
21:48what's going to happen.
21:50But then that's often
21:51the way with science.
21:52Sometimes you've just got to
21:53have faith in your ideas.
22:02Ah, the joy of prolonging that.
22:06We're going to do it.
22:07We're going to do it later on,
22:08okay, so we'll put you
22:09out of your misery.
22:10But I just thought,
22:11I mean, how many bikes
22:12do you actually reckon it cleared?
22:15I reckon...
22:15A million.
22:16A million.
22:16No, I reckon...
22:18I don't know this, actually.
22:19I reckon five.
22:21Five, okay.
22:22Let's have a couple more
22:23more suggestions.
22:25There were 14...
22:26There were 14...
22:27It's going to struggle.
22:28It went back and did them again.
22:30That wouldn't count.
22:31Right, well, look,
22:31we will take your bets
22:32over the next few moments.
22:34We'll write some down.
22:34And you can win a...
22:36something.
22:37Package of Werther's Originals.
22:38Nice.
22:39Yeah, exactly.
22:40Now, this down here
22:42is the Noble M12 GTO.
22:45Its plastic body
22:47is made in South Africa
22:49by a company
22:49that makes plastic replicas
22:51of ACs
22:52for the American market.
22:53It's then flown
22:54in an aeroplane
22:56to Leicestershire
22:56where it's taken to a shed
22:58where a man
22:59called Lee
23:00fits it
23:01with a Mondeo engine.
23:03Not a particularly
23:04promising start, then.
23:06But it's not a bad car.
23:08It's not a bad car at all.
23:25It's quite a dainty-looking little thing,
23:27but that huge wing on the back
23:29suggests it's no fairy cake.
23:37It's much the same story in here.
23:40It's very comfortable,
23:41lovely ride.
23:42I've got tons of space.
23:44I've got air conditioning.
23:45Steering wheel adjusts.
23:46It's nicely trimmed.
23:47Look, they've even covered
23:48the roll cage in Alcantara.
23:51But listen.
23:59Sounds like Darth Vader's
24:01in the boot.
24:04Where are the plugs
24:05of the Rebel base?
24:08Sister!
24:10Obi-Wan was wise
24:12to hide this from me.
24:16What an extraordinary noise!
24:21Oh, I like that!
24:23Actually, that's the sound
24:25of two turbos
24:26which have been glued
24:27onto the Mondeo engine
24:28to give it a bit more punch.
24:32A lot more, actually.
24:33If you floor the throttle,
24:35there's a bit of a pause
24:36while the turbos build up
24:37and then...
24:38Whoa-ho-ho-ho!
24:400-60.
24:41Takes 4.4 seconds
24:43and then it'll wheeze its way
24:45to 165 miles an hour,
24:47which it's doing now!
24:51This is a quick car.
24:54But actually,
24:55it's not the power
24:56or the looks
24:57which set the Noble apart.
24:59It's the way
25:00it goes round corners.
25:13You've probably heard people
25:15prattling on
25:15about the Ferrari 355
25:19or the Lotus Elise.
25:20Well, you've probably heard me
25:21prattling on about them, actually.
25:23But this is in a different league.
25:26It doesn't feel like
25:27the steering wheel
25:28is connected to the tyres
25:29by anything so mundane
25:31as mechanics or engineering.
25:34It's like driving
25:35using the force.
25:37Use the force, Jeremy!
25:40Use the force!
25:42Ha-ha!
25:44And it absolutely
25:46will not understeer.
25:50There's just tonnes
25:51and tonnes
25:52and tonnes
25:52and tonnes
25:52of grip
25:53and then
25:54when it does let go
25:56it's the back
25:57which just gently
25:59calmly
26:00steps out of line.
26:03You know,
26:03I've driven
26:05some pretty good cars
26:06in my time.
26:07Well, to be perfectly honest,
26:09I've driven every car
26:09in my time
26:10but
26:11this,
26:12as far as handling
26:13is concerned,
26:14purely as a driver's car,
26:16I think it's my favourite.
26:19I really do.
26:26Listen to that sound!
26:32I don't know
26:33another car like this!
26:35Just so love it!
26:38I shall go after
26:40Skywalker!
26:41Get me my noble!
26:44It's better than
26:45stuff costing
26:46ten times as much.
26:48£40,000?
26:52It's a bargain!
26:58Now, you may have noticed
26:59in that film just there
27:01that the brake lights
27:02were flicking on and off
27:03all the time.
27:03That wasn't me
27:04left foot braking.
27:04I don't know
27:05how to left foot brake
27:06and if I tried,
27:07I'd crash.
27:08So there's obviously
27:08a loose connection.
27:10And there are some
27:11other things wrong with it.
27:11Look at this, for instance.
27:12To open the front
27:13or the back,
27:13you need a screwdriver.
27:14Then, we've got
27:15the window.
27:16That's noble's idea
27:17of down.
27:19And you should see
27:20its turning circle.
27:21Right, this is a,
27:23well, the V word,
27:24the double V word,
27:24in fact,
27:25doing a U-turn.
27:26There we are.
27:26That's how much space
27:27it needs.
27:28Here's the noble.
27:29Full lock.
27:30And,
27:32oh, Lord.
27:36That's not
27:37completely brilliant,
27:38is it?
27:38You need Belgium
27:39to turn round in.
27:42Jeremy, stop it.
27:43That's dirty.
27:45It's also not
27:45very nice to look at,
27:46actually.
27:47Seriously,
27:47apart from the turning
27:48circle,
27:48which is disastrous,
27:50is it really that good?
27:51Yes.
27:52Do we all like it?
27:53Everyone?
27:54Anyone not like it?
27:56I'm wondering,
27:56so it's a fantastic car.
27:58It's very good.
27:58Well,
27:59every fast car
27:59that we test here
28:00is going to go round
28:01our test track
28:01and set a lap time
28:03so we can evaluate
28:03them all against one another
28:04and it's all fair
28:05so the Stig drives them.
28:06The times go up there
28:07on our power car
28:08lap time board,
28:09so let's see
28:10what the Stig did with it.
28:13The problems
28:14of the British weather.
28:15Look at that track.
28:16It's absolutely soaking wet,
28:18but the Stig
28:19has no fear at all.
28:20as he heads on down
28:21to that nasty little jump
28:23just before the first corner.
28:25It really unsettles
28:25a bad chassis,
28:26but it won't
28:27unsettle that.
28:27Believe me.
28:28Look at him.
28:29And he goes,
28:29how fast was that?
28:30There was 100 miles an hour
28:31pretty much.
28:32No,
28:32it wasn't.
28:33Yes,
28:33it was almost 100 miles an hour.
28:35Very,
28:35very light.
28:36Great lights on.
28:37That doesn't mean anything.
28:39Through there.
28:39Look,
28:40not even...
28:41What is he listening to in there?
28:44Do you want to catch that?
28:46Sound of silence.
28:48And here we go,
28:49down the main straight,
28:4997,
28:50100,
28:50100,
28:50and 205.
28:51That was 105 miles an hour.
28:54Let's remember
28:54the Ford Focus earlier
28:55was only doing 99
28:56and that was on a dry track.
28:58Right,
28:58through the Hammerhead,
28:59no need to worry about understeer there.
29:01It doesn't do that,
29:02even when it's raining.
29:03And down the main straight,
29:04brake hard,
29:05because he's never going to get
29:06through the follow-through
29:07flat out.
29:07Is he?
29:08Is he 94?
29:09No,
29:09he's lifted,
29:10but he's got 100 miles an hour.
29:12That is seriously quick.
29:15That is so fast.
29:16This is going to be a fast lap time,
29:18even on a wet track.
29:23Now he's on to the main straight.
29:25And what speed are we going to do?
29:26Look at this speed,
29:27106.
29:28That was 106 miles an hour.
29:29And the braking tire,
29:30that's three times
29:31the braking distance.
29:32Turn it to Bacharach Bend.
29:34He's going to have to brake again
29:35for carpenters.
29:36Is he going to get that tail out?
29:37Is he going to keep it nice and smooth,
29:38maximum power?
29:39And across the line
29:41in one minute,
29:4332.9
29:43on a wet track.
29:45Do you think it's brave,
29:46the Stig,
29:47or just a bit stupid?
29:48It's a racing driver.
29:49It doesn't understand fear.
29:50I really wouldn't do that.
29:52Just,
29:52that's,
29:53I'm going to round that up,
29:54because I'm going to put it to 1.33,
29:55but I'm going to put a W,
29:56because it was wet,
29:57and then we'll remember.
29:58And do you know,
29:59the extraordinary thing is,
30:00wet,
30:00and this is a £40,000 car,
30:02and the Zonda,
30:03that was a £310,000 car.
30:06That's not at all bad, is it?
30:08Now,
30:08let's talk about rock stars.
30:10Most of them today
30:11wouldn't know a good car
30:12if it offered to pleasure them
30:14in the back of a limo.
30:15All they want, really,
30:16is to get invited on Anton Lard
30:19and be picked up
30:19in a sponsored Citroen.
30:21They're pathetic.
30:22But,
30:22my guest tonight,
30:23he's a proper rock star.
30:25You gave him
30:26a car like this,
30:27he'd probably lose it.
30:29or drive it into his moat.
30:30Ladies and gentlemen,
30:32Jamiroquai front man,
30:33JK!
30:33Thank you, Jamiroquai.
30:39Thank you, Jamiroquai.
30:41How are you?
30:42I'm very well.
30:43Have a seat.
30:47Actually, you are quite a car fan,
30:48aren't you?
30:49Just a bit.
30:50Really serious.
30:51Yeah.
30:52Because we were going through
30:52the office the other day
30:53and I was working on my perfect garage
30:55and it would have
30:55a Mercedes Pullman,
30:58Ferrari 550,
31:00Lamborghini Miura,
31:01SV.
31:02SV.
31:03You got any of those?
31:04Yeah.
31:05All of them.
31:08And what else?
31:09There's a 360 Spyder,
31:11which is outside,
31:12DB5,
31:14Concourse 2002 Turbo,
31:1674.
31:17That one actually interests me.
31:19What have you got?
31:20A 2002?
31:21Because I've always had two 002s.
31:23I started off,
31:24my first car was a 1602,
31:26which is a little underpowered job.
31:27Well, your very first ever car.
31:28My very ever first car,
31:29which I brought off
31:29two old ladies
31:31with some letters with it
31:32and they said,
31:32we did 1,500 miles in it this year.
31:35When I did 1,500 miles a week,
31:37you know.
31:37And that was a 72 car.
31:39I had all the original stickers
31:40and everything.
31:41And then I went up to TI's,
31:43Turing International,
31:44Turing Injection Internationals.
31:45Then I had a dog of a turbo
31:46because some of them are real dogs.
31:48I only did about 1,572 of them.
31:51And now I've got a concourse
31:52ex-BMW car club winner.
31:54Oh, a really good one.
31:55Because you're more of a fan
31:56of like the 3-liter CSLs.
31:59I used to have
32:00an original Batmobile, yeah.
32:01Oh, really a 3.2?
32:03I had a 3.2 CSL, yeah.
32:04See, how boring can we get
32:06on numbers here?
32:07Yeah, yeah.
32:07Where did it all come from,
32:08your love of cars?
32:10My mum had a
32:13Triumph Herald 1360 convertible.
32:16Best turning circle
32:19of any car.
32:21Well, I was something
32:22in its favour.
32:23Yeah, no, it was,
32:24I just spent most,
32:26I spent all my life
32:27on the road.
32:28And, you know,
32:29when you're in the back,
32:30I mean, in those days,
32:31they didn't really,
32:31you know,
32:32not everything had a motorway.
32:35And, you know,
32:35I spent my whole time
32:37on the back of the car
32:37and just looking at my car.
32:38I mean, I knew every car
32:39on the road, you know.
32:40But this is when you were a kid?
32:41That was when I was tiny.
32:42Oh, really?
32:42I mean, I was about 4 and 5,
32:43I knew every car on the road,
32:45everything.
32:45Because your mum was an entertainer.
32:46I mean, now I don't know anything
32:46because they all look the same.
32:47Your mum was an entertainer as well,
32:48wasn't she?
32:49Yeah, yeah, my mum was singing.
32:50So there was a lot of miles
32:51all the time.
32:51Anyway, listen,
32:52we've got a little game.
32:53Yes.
32:55I haven't seen this
32:56because I'm going to play it with you.
32:57Because I was,
32:58I could say Maserati
32:59before I could say Mum.
33:00But we're going to put some
33:01pictures of bits of cars
33:03on the screen.
33:04Oh, I like these games.
33:04And all join in, okay?
33:05I love these games.
33:06We'll see if we can see
33:08what sort of car it is.
33:09Because I'm such a sucker for this.
33:10I sit and watch
33:11old 70s movies
33:12like the Sweeney.
33:13Oh, look, my...
33:14Okay, then, here's one for you.
33:16What's that?
33:16That's part of a Ferrari Enzo.
33:18It is.
33:19It's the rear wing
33:19on a Ferrari Enzo.
33:20We right?
33:21Yes?
33:23I thank you.
33:25Yes, you can speak.
33:27Ferrari Enzo.
33:28Yeah, all right.
33:29One nil to you.
33:29Go on, then.
33:30Second one.
33:30Coming soon
33:31at a highway near you.
33:32I've got to have it.
33:34Anything go...
33:34Why?
33:35Why?
33:36It's not a pretty car.
33:37It's a stunning-looking thing.
33:40You know why?
33:40I mean, because,
33:41because, you know,
33:42that's...
33:43and there's going to come
33:43the day they won't make
33:44cars like that anymore.
33:45So let's not even go there.
33:46Let's bring up the next one.
33:47What is it?
33:52It's a Mini,
33:52the new Mini.
33:53If that is...
33:56He's so good at this.
34:01I told you I like this game.
34:03You didn't believe me, did you?
34:05No, no.
34:05Do you know something really funny?
34:07Absolutely true.
34:08We didn't tell you
34:08we were going to do this.
34:10It's not prepared.
34:10I didn't know we were going to do this.
34:12Come on, let's have another one.
34:15Oh, that could be lots of things.
34:16It's a golf.
34:17Oh, my word.
34:18Actually, that's not a golf.
34:19It's not a golf.
34:21What is it?
34:23Vectra.
34:23A what?
34:25If that's a Vectra,
34:26oh, I said the word.
34:30Oh, I still don't know.
34:32It is.
34:33It's a Vectra.
34:34That is a phenomenon.
34:36That's a phenomenon.
34:38It's a phenomenon.
34:39Ladies and gentlemen.
34:39Ladies and gentlemen.
34:40I believe this car is a phenomenon.
34:43Yeah.
34:43It's not really a phenomenon, is it?
34:45It's rubbish.
34:49It's not as bad as the other one.
34:51It's just rubbish.
34:52Anyway, last one.
34:54I'm on nought,
34:54which means we will be swapping jobs.
34:56That means we swap cars,
34:58houses,
34:59and have your Enzo.
35:02And have the Enzo.
35:03And have your house with a moat.
35:04And have the moat,
35:05which you, too,
35:06can drive your G-Wagon into.
35:07Have you driven your car?
35:08You have driven a car into a moat?
35:10I did, yeah.
35:11I got it all wrong.
35:11Oh, this is fantastic.
35:13Well done, now.
35:14I came around the corner in the G-Wagon
35:16and I sent him in two guys
35:17I was taking around the land.
35:18It's 80 acres, you know.
35:19And I got, I started off really nicely
35:21and I said,
35:22well, you want to go?
35:22And he said, no, it's all right.
35:23You know the land.
35:24I mean, famous last words, isn't it?
35:25You know the land.
35:26It's all right.
35:26I'll let you do it.
35:27Came around the corner, 60.
35:28G-Wagon in a big old
35:29thumping great Vermax G-500
35:32and I looked, oh, 60.
35:34Oh, oh, oh, oh, understand.
35:35Oh, oh, oh.
35:36Oh, look, bank.
35:37Oh, river.
35:38Oh, oh.
35:41And the guy looked around at me
35:43and he just went,
35:45what are you doing?
35:48And then I looked around again
35:49and then the other one went
35:50in the back big building
35:50and went,
35:51we're sinking.
35:53And that was that.
35:55You know what I mean?
35:56Let's have a look at this picture.
35:59That's just a black hole.
36:01What's that?
36:02What's that there?
36:03I don't know.
36:04I'm trying to work this out.
36:04Can we just...
36:05Is anyone here...
36:06This is Top Gear.
36:07They all come to a gardening program.
36:09What is it?
36:10What's that?
36:11Anyone look at the...
36:11What?
36:12Lamborghini.
36:13What?
36:14Lamborghini what?
36:15Mercy Lago.
36:16Mercy Lago.
36:16I must say,
36:17that did cross my mind.
36:18It's something to do with the vents
36:19that come up, isn't it?
36:20Well, the slidey things.
36:21Can you pull back?
36:22Let's have a look.
36:22Oh, yeah, all right.
36:23Yeah, yeah, yeah.
36:24Clear as day.
36:25There's that little...
36:26There you go.
36:26There it is.
36:27Mercy Lago.
36:28Oh, God.
36:30I tell you what,
36:31he did well, though,
36:32with the little square.
36:33That was...
36:33I'm impressed by that.
36:34It's a great car.
36:35Don't show us up next time, yeah?
36:37Well done, you.
36:38Have you driven one?
36:39No, I haven't yet.
36:40Because you are a fairly wicked driver.
36:42You know, because of the work,
36:45you know, the type of job I do,
36:46which I want to get rid of
36:47and swap for this one now.
36:48I'm going to swap it for your job.
36:50Anytime.
36:50Yeah.
36:51I'll swap with you anytime.
36:52You wouldn't like it,
36:53I can assure you, but, you know...
36:54No, your fans wouldn't like it.
36:56No, yeah, that's true.
36:56They wouldn't like it.
36:58You know, it's...
36:58You're doing obviously...
37:01Who's that croaking?
37:04No, you know, I don't get
37:06as much track time as I'd like to,
37:09you know, and I mean...
37:10What's the fastest you've ever been, then?
37:12I don't like to say this
37:13because everybody thinks
37:13I'm just some thug on the road,
37:15but I did do Rome to Calo in 13 hours
37:17and at 190.
37:20That's really good, actually.
37:22Did the mental...
37:22Yeah, Rome to Calo.
37:24That's really properly fast.
37:25The needle didn't drop below 140, really.
37:28Even in the petrol stations?
37:29Yeah, in the petrol stations.
37:31I presume you visited
37:32a few.
37:32I visited a few, yeah.
37:34Well, it's always that balance, isn't it?
37:35Do I go a bit slower
37:36and not visit so many?
37:37No, go fast.
37:38And then you wonder
37:38why that bloke in the Morris Minor
37:39is ahead of you still.
37:41You know, because the other thing
37:43is that every petrol station
37:44you stop in Europe,
37:44you go,
37:45oh, I'll have that cuddly toy
37:46and there's an interesting
37:47interior light thing on the thing.
37:49I'll have one of those
37:49and even though I've got 10 of them
37:51at home and something
37:51to stick on the window
37:52and all this rubbish.
37:53Anyway, of course, as you know,
37:55you haven't just come down here
37:56to chat and play silly kids games.
37:59Reason that we have
38:00a celebrity guest every week
38:02is so that they go out
38:03and play star
38:05in a reasonably priced car.
38:06They drive round our track
38:08in our Suzuki Liana.
38:09Now, you did that earlier today, yes?
38:11I did.
38:12Tell me something quite funny.
38:13We had Harry Enfield here last week.
38:14He drove the car in standard tune.
38:17Heard it was JK.
38:17We put a roll cage in it.
38:20We're going to be seeing later on
38:22how you did.
38:23Yes, okay.
38:23Actually, have you driven
38:24the RS Focus?
38:26I have.
38:27I was given one just last week, yes.
38:30Did you like it?
38:33I can't say I did like it much.
38:35Really?
38:36No.
38:37You found all that?
38:38Yeah, I mean, it was like,
38:40oh, there he goes.
38:41Oh, there he goes again.
38:42Absolutely terrifying.
38:43It's quite, you know,
38:45I mean, nicely put together.
38:47Nice thing.
38:48Looks nice.
38:49I like the wheels.
38:49So, it's RSs.
38:51We're going to get on
38:51and talk a bit more about RSs.
38:53We were talking about them earlier
38:53because what interests me,
38:55by putting those big engines
38:57in like normal family cars,
38:58it was like when Marks and Spencer
39:00started selling pumpkin and ricotta soup.
39:03You could go in there and think,
39:04I can afford this exotic food.
39:06That's great.
39:07I can do it.
39:08And that's what it was like with RSs.
39:09If you think about it,
39:10whenever a TV producer
39:12wants to sort of portray his detective
39:14as soft and gentle,
39:15like Bergerac gets that old triumph
39:17and Morse gets the jag,
39:19but then when he wants him
39:20to be a hard, gritty,
39:21you know, tough guy.
39:23Professionals type guy.
39:24You get the professionals
39:25and you get Spender.
39:33The thing about the professionals is
39:35that I still maintain,
39:36even now,
39:37over many years down the line,
39:38it still has an effect.
39:39If you put someone in an RS Ford,
39:43horns, grow out of that.
39:44Look, I'll tell you what happened, okay?
39:45All these RS people,
39:46they came down here this morning.
39:47We said,
39:48and they were going to have
39:48a drive around the track,
39:49if you like.
39:50This is their idea
39:51of a drive around the track.
39:59Look at this.
40:00What's this?
40:01Is he going to drive
40:02through here quietly?
40:03No.
40:04No.
40:04No.
40:04Minor amount of squint.
40:07It's quite funny how
40:09we never said drive fast.
40:10We said we just want to get some soft.
40:11It's just their idea
40:12of normal driving.
40:14Look at that.
40:15Look at that.
40:18Excuse me.
40:19This is your Capri, isn't it?
40:21Yeah.
40:22You're wanted on the phone.
40:24Yeah, it's just over there.
40:26Okay, I'll go.
40:27There it is.
40:30It's never driven one.
40:32Are you actually going to...
40:33Jeremy, that's the man's car.
40:35He's looking for the phone.
40:47Of course, Jeremy,
40:48you didn't drive this,
40:50the RS200, did you?
40:51No, I didn't.
40:52No.
40:53Probably just as well for it, really,
40:54because they're quite rare
40:55and you have driven one.
40:57I did in the summer, actually,
40:58yeah, for a video I was making, I did.
41:00Didn't go so well, did it, Jeremy?
41:02Would you like to have a look?
41:03I think we shall.
41:05Let's have a look.
41:06The RS200 was always a tricky goal to drive.
41:11It's never really...
41:13It feels like you're in control.
41:18Here comes the power.
41:20Oh, wow, that's...
41:22Awesome.
41:38You can't...
41:39You can't clap him.
41:42You can't clap him for that.
41:44It's a secret thing.
41:45I've been humiliated by JK.
41:48Now you've humiliated...
41:49And how long after setting off did you do that, Jeremy?
41:52Not long.
41:53No, it was the first corner, wasn't it?
41:54It was the first corner.
41:56And you broke it.
41:56I did break it.
41:57Anyway, we're going to move on now, okay?
41:59We're going to humiliate some other people.
42:01When we were putting this series together, we were looking for new...
42:05God knows how we ended up with you, actually.
42:06But we were looking for a lot of new presenters.
42:08People send their tapes in, right?
42:09Now this one is from a chap called Gaz, okay?
42:12Let's show you what Gaz's tape looked like.
42:36Gaz was heroically dull, wasn't he?
42:40So, you see, you just got the job, but it was close.
42:42And this week's Insider Dealing got a couple of real bargains for you.
42:45What are they?
42:46Ah, well, last week's cheap Citroens.
42:48We've got another one for you.
42:50C5, not a bad car, but it's up against a lot of really good ones.
42:55It is quite a bad car.
42:57It's not that bad.
42:58It's not.
42:59It's great spec.
43:00Well, it's like treading in dog dirt.
43:01It's not as bad as having your leg chopped off, but it's still pretty unpleasant.
43:05Okay, well, the base model, the petrol-based model, just isn't selling.
43:08The car's about 14 and a half grand new retail.
43:11I was offered one this week, brand new, for 10 grand.
43:1410,000 quid?
43:15Yeah, 10 grand.
43:161.8.
43:17You've got air-con, you've got CD, electric windows, power steering, trick suspension.
43:2110 grand.
43:23Rover 75, not a bad car.
43:25Probably the best Rover they've made for a number of years.
43:27Not much competition.
43:27Not much competition.
43:292-litre V6, good engine, but they've just dropped it.
43:32They replaced it with a 1.8 turbo.
43:34It's a little bit more efficient on fuel, lower emissions and so forth.
43:38What it does mean is dealers with 2-litre V6s are out there doing a deal.
43:42So if you want a cheap Rover 75 and you can find a 2-litre V6, you're going to get
43:46a bargain.
43:47How much of a bargain?
43:48Talk to your dealer.
43:49There's no official figures, but they will do a deal, I guarantee.
43:51Big deals.
43:52Big deals.
43:53Oh, nice.
43:53Used car bargain.
43:54If anybody here fancies a supermini, now is the time to buy one.
43:58Things like Citroën Saxo's, Fiat, Sargento's, all the kind of small stuff.
44:03And there's a very good reason for it.
44:05Because this is the time of year that the dealers change their courtesy cars.
44:08The loan cars are the kind of thing you get when your car's in for service.
44:10And they tend to run superminis.
44:13Why do they change them this time of year?
44:14Well, it's a good reason for it.
44:16They build those cars in Europe.
44:18Most of them are built in Europe.
44:19And in July and August, they shut the factory and retool.
44:23To prepare for the new models, next year models.
44:26This is the time of year the new models hit the UK.
44:29So basically what they're doing is changing.
44:30So they bought them a year ago.
44:31Yeah.
44:32Now they're flogging them on.
44:33Yeah, flogging them on.
44:33There'll be base cars, three doors, non-metallics and that kind of thing.
44:37But you can get a 12-month-old car for four grand.
44:41Four grand.
44:42Four?
44:42That's seriously cheap.
44:43That is cheap, actually.
44:45Another used car bargain at the moment.
44:47BMW 7 Series.
44:48You know what the new one's like.
44:49Pretty ugly.
44:51New sales on that are not good.
44:52But the impact of that is the new one's made the old one look really, really old.
44:56Really old-fashioned.
44:57So the prices are dropping big style.
44:59Really?
45:00Really, really dropping massively.
45:02If you've got one, it's bad news because it's going to be worth peanuts.
45:04But if you want to go and buy one, it's great news.
45:06Give you a little example.
45:07This car was offered this week.
45:087 to 8i with a bit of spec on it.
45:102001 on a Y.
45:11So that car's 18 months old.
45:13The guy paid nearly 46 grand for it new.
45:16Today he's selling that car without doing a deal, without even negotiating, he'll take
45:2024 grand for it.
45:21It's a half-priced car.
45:23Do we feel sorry for him?
45:53No.
45:55You can buy a Mercedes-Benz estate car, C200, something like that, with average mileage
45:5950,000 miles.
46:00It'll cost you nine and a half grand.
46:01Yeah.
46:02Okay?
46:02Not a bad car.
46:03Yeah.
46:03Or you could buy one with higher mileage, say 80,000 miles, and you could get a 2,000 model
46:07year, a car three years newer, for the same money.
46:10Really?
46:10Absolutely.
46:11So if you're doing low mileage, you run it for a couple of years.
46:13Because those engines will last 150,000, probably even 200,000 miles.
46:17Absolutely.
46:18This is the thing.
46:18So don't be afraid of the mileage, basically.
46:2080,000, 90,000-mile car, you're still going to have 60,000 miles left in it.
46:23So that means in the last two minutes, you've saved everyone about 25,000 pounds.
46:28Hopefully, yeah.
46:29Thanks very much for that.
46:30Now, Jay, good news.
46:33You were once told that you could be a rally driver.
46:36Now we're going to find out how good you are, or bad, on a track.
46:39We've got the tape.
46:40Okay.
46:41You want to see it?
46:42Might as well.
46:43Run it.
46:51Okay.
46:53I like this third gear business.
46:55I like this third gear business.
46:58Right, I must get this right.
47:01I must learn to drive properly.
47:06And it's a turn in there.
47:07And it's there.
47:08It's there.
47:09That's better.
47:10That's better.
47:11That's better.
47:12That's better.
47:14That's there all the way.
47:18That's the one.
47:22Don't be punished.
47:23Don't be tempted to put too much power on.
47:26That's beautiful.
47:28I'm going to get this down even further.
47:30Get it out of reach of Clarkson and his henchmen.
47:34This is the one.
47:35This is the punisher.
47:3770, 70, 70, 70, 80, 80, 80, 80, 82.
47:41Bang it in there.
47:44And flat we go.
47:46That's flat in third.
47:48Come on.
47:48In third?
47:49Yeah, but...
47:49Right to the north gear corner.
47:50Yeah, but then you'd never keep the revs up.
47:53No, you keep speed up.
47:55And flat through there.
47:55Flat!
47:56Flat through there.
47:56Flat!
47:58Okay, how fast did you get along here?
48:00This is a crucial bit.
48:01Well, I think...
48:02I don't know.
48:03I'm tired.
48:0387, I once hit there.
48:05Have you ever driven anything as cheap as this in your life?
48:07Listen, before we say this is cheap, okay?
48:10This is 10,000 pounds for that level.
48:139,995.
48:14Oh, I saw it.
48:14And here we go.
48:15And you're across the line.
48:16Across the line.
48:16In the 9,995 car.
48:18And I...
48:19Oh!
48:19Hold on.
48:20What are you doing here?
48:20I don't know.
48:21What happens?
48:22Have you lost it?
48:24Oh, look at that.
48:26Ladies and gentlemen, a handbrake turn.
48:28Side-beat and journey.
48:30I've beaten journey.
48:31Paxing on the side.
48:33Now, these are the times so far.
48:37Can we get a camera nice and tight on, Jay?
48:39Because I've got your lap time, okay?
48:42Are we going to get nice and tight?
48:44Jay, Kay, okay?
48:48One minute.
48:5248.1 seconds.
48:59That's astonishing.
49:02Get it up there.
49:04Get it up there.
49:04Straighten it up.
49:05Straighten it up.
49:08Genuinely happy about that.
49:10It's not that I'm a sore loser or anything.
49:13You're just gutted.
49:14You're smarting inside.
49:17I'm hurt.
49:18I know.
49:18So hurt that I'm going to humiliate you by showing everyone a little clip of you doing some practice
49:24in the Suzuki.
49:26In the Suzuki.
49:39Ladies and gentlemen, Jay Jay.
49:46Right. Right. I'm gonna say it. I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna say it.
49:53I don't like all our S's. Okay?
49:56I'm sorry. I just don't. There were some I couldn't get on with. Let me explain.
50:18The whole 80s RS thing. Huge bonnet scoops and spoilers. I don't know. It all kind of left me behind
50:24a bit.
50:25Left me a bit cold. No. For me, the RS legend wears sideburns and a rally jacket.
50:31So I look back in lust at this. The Ford RS 1800.
50:36It was only made for two years and was killed off in 1977.
50:41Of course, you might have missed that. 77 was quite a busy year.
50:57I was six and I howled with desire every time I saw one. I wanted one.
51:04And no, I didn't just want one. I really, really needed one.
51:08It had absolutely everything you could want. Alloy wheels, Recaro seats, tons of racing pedigree, even a wing on the
51:16back. Wow.
51:21If all that sounds a bit neat next to today's rather more spectacular stuff, let me put it into context
51:27for you.
51:30The RS 1800 is Ford's most successful rally car ever.
51:35It's still used today in Clubman and International Rallies. And it still wins.
51:55This had proper credibility. Real pedigree. It didn't earn its stripes joyriding and you didn't judge its success by the
52:03size of the insurance claims.
52:04I always, always, always wanted to drive one. And I'm going to drive this one. Oh, boy.
52:20This is every bit as delicious as I thought it would be. It's a machine, a proper machine. It's got
52:26moving parts and it's not ashamed of it.
52:30It may only boast 115 brake horsepower now. Sure, you can get scooters with that much. But underneath at the
52:36front, there's an 1800cc double overhead cam, 16-valve, alloy-blocked Cosworth engine.
52:42And in 1975, that was the equivalent of cruise missile technology. This was clever high-tech stuff. Really, it was.
52:56Mind you, as soon as you go through anything like a chicane, you're well aware of the fact that we've
53:00got old car springs at the back. Body control really wasn't what it is today.
53:114.9 million escorts were sold in the UK, of which 109 were RS-1800s. That tells you something about
53:20the rarity. There are 25 of them left running today.
53:24Interestingly, two of the 109 made were red, of which one survived. So if you're digging around in your shed
53:30and you find a red one, look after it. It's worth a couple of quid.
53:41See, mark my words, there is going to be a huge market for 1970s cars because people like us grew
53:50up with them, couldn't afford them then, couldn't drive them then.
53:53Now we can. And if we're lucky, we can afford to buy them.
54:13Do you know, in an odd way, it's getting to feel like an antique. And I don't mean because of
54:19the age. I think it's to do with the controls.
54:21They're somehow finer, more delicate to operate. They haven't got the engineered-in chunkiness you get in modern car controls.
54:28But don't let the antique thing fool you. In its day, that was a potent force. That, if you ask
54:33me, is a proper RS.
54:38See, I like RS's as well. Can I explain something about that? I wasn't really going, well, I wasn't going
54:44very fast.
54:45No, you weren't. I thought you were being a bit light in your loafers.
54:49The guy who owned it was there. And he's really big and scary, so I drove like Sister Wendy. I'm
54:55sorry.
54:56Anyway, action. Serious action now. Buses jumping over motorbikes. There's no particularly good reason why we did this.
55:02I don't think you need one. It's just a fun thing to do. So here's what happens, finally, we promise
55:06you this, when you try and jump a bus over 14 motorbikes.
55:22Explosions
55:22Explosions
55:22Our
55:22Clear
55:22Bird
55:24Turn
55:42Level
55:54Oh, that was almost too much fun.
56:04If anybody's interested, do you want to know how many bikes it cleared?
56:07Yeah, how many did it clear?
56:08It did actually clear three.
56:11Three bikes.
56:12Who said three?
56:13Did anybody say that?
56:14Who said three?
56:15You said three.
56:16Werther's Originals.
56:18Well done.
56:21Three.
56:21Three.
56:22Three of them.
56:24Destroyed 14 others.
56:25I know, I hate motorbikes.
56:27I'd do a load of them.
56:28If I'd have been driving the bus, I'd have backed up.
56:30Reverse them.
56:31There we go, that's got those three as well.
56:33And that, sadly, is all we've got time for this week.
56:39More motors next Tuesday at the same time.
56:41Well, up next on BBC Prime, will humans one day live forever?
56:46We'll examine the possibilities next.
56:50The reality is, tryin' back to Earth.
56:54See you next week.
56:54Bye.
56:58Bye.
57:02Bye.
57:02Bye.
57:03Bye.
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