07x05 - Jamie Lee Curtis' Automotive Life

[bunniefuu]

My kids will say
I'm a great driver.

I can back up really fast.

[Jay]
There's really no advantage
to backing up really fast.

- I mean, there aren't...
- I can back up really fast,

- Jay Leno.
- Unless you're getting away

- from kidnappers or something.
- My point.

[Jay]
Tonight on Jay Leno's Garage.

This is what
the future's gonna be.

[Jamie]
This is gorgeous!

[Jay]
Things get a little dangerous!

[Jeff]
We're sitting
underneath a live fire.

- Pretty much.
- That's great!

[Jay]
Actor Diego Boneta gives us

a high tech
slip and slide experience.

Whoa!

We feel the heat
with Jeff Dunham.

[Jeff]
Well, Jay, all I can tell you
is this isn't funny.

[Jay]
An American classic
gets updated

for the 21st century.

[man]
Electric is
a whole new frontier.

[Jay]
And we choose a dream car

- for Jamie Lee Curtis.
- I would reach over

and touch you, but I'm driving.

[Jay]
A Jay Leno's Garage
Car Exclusive!

So get in, buckle up...

- I'm so down.
- And sit still.

[yelling]

This is the best job
in the world, really.

[engine buzzing]

[dramatic music]

Welcome to another edition
of This is your Automotive Life

featuring movie star
extraordinaire,

Jamie Lee Curtis.

[electronic music]

Scream queen
and bona fide Hollywood legend

Jamie Lee Curtis
is what you call the real deal.

Whether saving the world,

fending off
a babysitter-k*lling maniac,

or letting
her comedic chops loose,

she can do it all
on the silver screen.

It's like she was born
to be a movie star.

She also likes cars

and has the automotive history
to prove it.

Jamie, nice to see you again.

- That's what this is called?
- Yes.

- This is your Automotive Life?
- These are cars

that have shaped you.

We find cars that have
affected you in some way

and you have to guess
which ones they are.

[Jamie]
Well, as you know, I'm a driver!

[Jay]
You are a driver, yeah.

I have to guess?

- It's like a test?
- We'll blow the horn,

we'll start the car,

see if you can guess
what the car is,

- and then we'll open the door.
- Will I know

how many cylinders it is?

[Jay]
I don't know, we'll find out!

Can we blow the horn, please?

[high-pitched beeping]

[Jamie]
That's not a very big car.

- Okay.
- That's a car that's smaller.

[Jay]
Smaller.
Well, let's start it up.

Maybe the sound of the engine
will bring back some memories.

[engine starting]

[Jamie]
That's smooth.

Oh, that's a smooth engine.

That's a really smooth engine.

Was that a Country Squire
station wagon?

[Jay]
No, not even close.

Maybe if I show it to you

that'll bring back
some memories.

Well, I hope it's my car!

Or a car that I rode in.

[Jay]
Wait till the door opens
and we'll turn around.

Okay, turn around,
what do you think?

So this was not my first car.

[Jay]
No, we're not... we're not
talking about your first car.

[Jamie]
This was the car I learned
how to drive a stick shift.

A non-synchromesh Beetle

on Loma Vista in Beverly Hills.

Hello!

Wow!

Yes.

[laughing]

[Jay]
Brings back some memories?

If this 1966 Volkswagen Beetle
convertible

doesn't scream
"Southern California,"

I don't know what does.

What it lacks in power

it more than makes up for
in charm.

If I squint, I can almost see
a young Jamie

cruising the streets
of Beverly Hills in this thing.

An affordable car
during its time,

this Beetle would go for
about, oh, $32,000 today.

- Oh, my...
- But it's you!

It's kinda matches.

I thought maybe this car
would bring back some memories.

[Jamie]
It does!

Bob Brandt, my Marine stepfather
teaching me how to drive,

- going uphill on Loma Vista.
- Okay.

Well, obviously you learned
the lesson well,

'cause you can still
drive stick to this day.

I am quite a good driver.

- Any accidents?
- No!

- No?
- I am a driver, Jay Leno.

- You've never had an accident?
- Not with me driving.

[Jay]
Not with you driving?
That's very good.

All right, look, let's move on
to the second car.

[Jamie]
I don't want to move on!

[Jay]
Yeah.

This happens with
a lot of older folks.

Let's move on
to vehicle number two.

Can we start the engine
and blow the horn?

[engine starting]

[horn blowing]

- Here's what I know.
- Yes.

I know that this is
not a big engine.

- That sounds like a small car.
- Right.

My first car was
a 1972 Mercury Capri.

It was a four-cylinder,
if I'm correct to remember.

Well, let's open the door
and see what it is.

[Jamie]
Is this my Mercury Capri 1972?

- And what color was yours?
- Mine was sort of sky blue.

It was a pretty blue.

It was a very pretty blue,
I remember it so well.

- Oh, my God!
- There you are!

[Jamie]
Wow, you know what?

First of all,
it's so much cooler now!

- Yeah.
- This looks like

a little Jaguar or something!

I think the Jaguar people
may take umbrage,

but okay, I'll give you that.

Oh, it's really cool-looking!

Originally built
as Ford's version

of a European sports car,

the Mercury Capri might not
exactly hit that mark,

but it does put out those vibes.

This one from 1972
packs a capable four-cylinder,

two-liter inline engine,

so a little bit of sporty fun
can still be had.

And although Capris
are hard to come by,

one like this would still
only set you back

about $13,000.

How did you get the Capri?

Did you buy it? Was it a gift?

- Jay Leno.
- Did somebody give it to you?

- I was 16 years old.
- Okay.

It was given to me
by my parents.

I'm a born and raised
California girl,

so for me, this was freedom.

- This is a Mercury Capri!
- Let's put you inside.

Oh, my God!

- Was yours a stick or...
- Mine was not a stick,

- it was an automatic.
- Okay.

[Jamie]
Oh, my goodness me.

[Jay]
You know what you should do,

you should get one
and convert it to electric.

Okay, Jay.

You're a nice man.

Am I touching something
appropriate?

- Yeah, yeah.
- Well, I'm reaching,

- I don't know.
- Let's move on now

to car number three,

another car
that helped shape you

become the person you are today.

- Ooh, that sounds ominous.
- Yeah, it does.

- Let's blow the horn.
- Okay.

[Jay]
Let's start the engine
so you can hear the engine.

[engine starting]

[revving]

[Jamie]
That's a smooth engine.

- Smooth.
- Yeah.

And this is not necessarily
a car that I owned.

Well, it is a car
that you owned.

I read how you talked
about this car.

It was a part of you.

[Jamie]
I've completely boned you then.

[Jay]
We can talk about what
we're doing later, but yeah.

[Jamie]
Is this a little BMW?

[Jay]
Well, right country.

- Oh, an Audi!
- No.

- I'm completely boned.
- You've hit every

- German manufacturer except one.
- I know, I'm so sorry.

Oh! Oh, it was
my 300E Mercedes.

So it was champagne colored.

[Jay]
Well, let's take a look,
let's open the door.

[Jamie]
Oh, I loved this car,
this was the best car.

I gave it to my mother-in-law

when I finished with it.

Oh, it was such a great car.

This was a great,
great, great car.

- Yes, it is!
- There it is.

[Jamie]
Oh, it was so great!

Oh, I loved this car.

- I loved this car.
- Okay.

[Jamie]
And this is the car I had...
I had children,

and so it's also very safe
and super easy.

- See how it's just on/off?
- Right, right.

- I love that.
- The Mercedes-Benz 300E

is a big, reliable car.

With a three-liter,
six-cylinder engine

churning out 177 horsepower,

it could run
with the best of them.

And with plenty of
passenger space to boot,

it could haul the kids
and everybody else too

for about $4,000 today.

Quite a bargain, if you ask me.

[Jamie]
Love this car.

The next car...
Let me shut this door.

Come out here, the next car

is a car I think
you should drive.

In fact, you'll be
the first person

outside of the manufacturer
to drive this car.

- What are you talking about?
- I have a dream car for you.

This is a car
I think you will like.

[Jamie]
Now you're flirting, Jay.

[soft music]

Later, we help Diego Boneta
acquire a new set of skills!

Well, I know what
Diego's gonna be doing

on the ride home.

Coming up first,

the rebirth of a legendary ride.

[engine buzzing]

[engine humming]

We love the evolution
of automobiles on this show.

New technology, comfort...

It'll give you
a hot stone massage.

Electrification, you name it!

And I'm back at
the wonderful Burbank Airport

to meet a few people
who have plans

to resurrect
an iconic American vehicle,

the Meyers Manx,

the original,
one and only dune buggy.

And here they are now,
Manx owners Phillip Sarofim

and CEO
and Chief Creative Officer,

Freeman Thomas.

Oh, I know this plane well!

We have history!

[Phillip]
I bet you do!

[Jay]
Boy, do I have history
with this 1951

Grumman Albatross.

The last time I took a flight
in this thing, it went viral!

But we're not here
to fly this plane today.

Today is about
the electric future

of this classic American brand.

Created by World w*r II veteran,
bulk builder, artist,

and all-around Renaissance man,
Bruce Meyers

in a small Newport Beach,
California garage,

the Meyers Manx was born in 1964

and helped define 1960s
Southern California style.

Built from a VW Beetle chassis
sporting a brand new,

game-changing one-piece
fiberglass body,

the Manx could be found
on the streets,

but due to its low weight,

it really shined in the dirt
and the sand.

It was a legitimate
off-road vehicle

that won a lot of races, too!

- Come on, let's go for a ride.
- I thought you'd never ask!

[dramatic music]

[engine buzzing]

[Jay]
Freeman, you're a designer
by trade.

This looks like something,

oh, I could sketch
in my living room,

but no, because sometimes
the stuff that seems simplest

is the most complex, isn't it?

[Freeman]
This is a masterpiece.

It's well-engineered,
it's well-designed,

but it's timeless.

[Jay]
I mean, it's hard
to believe today,

but when I was a kid,
you could buy used Volkswagens

for $50 from a junkyard.

And you could build
a car like this.

It's what Bruce Meyers did,

and he built a competition car

that broke the records,
it beat motorcycles

with a stock Volkswagen engine.

It's built on the shoulders
of true Baja wins.

Bruce set a record
where he beat the motorcycles.

He went from La Paz to Tijuana

in 34 hours and 45 minutes.

[Jay]
Everybody thought, "Nothing's
gonna beat a motorcycle,"

'cause you're off road
and a motorcycle,

you do jumps and everything,

and he went down with this car
that he built himself

using a 40 horsepower engine
that's not modified, really,

- and beat the bikers.
- And he designed it

so that it was simple,
easy, and rugged.

I mean, it was so well-made
with this fiberglass shell.

Plus you had that
old racecar thing

of lighter weight
means more horsepower.

[Freeman]
A typical Manx like this
weighs 1,300 pounds,

which is nothing, and you get
so much power out of it.

And you can drive
this thing anywhere.

You can drive it on
the Pacific Coast Highway

or you take it up a dune.

It had that California dreamin'.

You knew Bruce when
he was in his 90s, correct?

- That's correct, yeah.
- In fact, he was on my show too,

Jay Leno's Garage on YouTube
about seven, eight years ago.

And he was like a guy
who was in his 40s,

- I mean, hysterical!
- He was a very youthful guy.

[Jay]
A lot of people
with a good idea,

other people came along
and stole it.

And let's face it,
once you see this,

it's pretty easy to copy,
and that's what happened.

People put out things

and other people assumed
they were Meyers Manx

and they weren't.

Well, they came to be known
as what we call "dune buggy."

Somebody must've copied that,
but he didn't copyright it.

Other people have produced
a dune buggy.

Oh, it's just like this,
but it wasn't.

But the cool thing, you guys
are bringing this brand back,

and you're doing an electric
version as well, correct?

[Freeman]
The electric is really exciting.

We're packaging all of
the battery packs, the motor,

so literally,
if you were to look at this,

you wouldn't see it,

and that's gonna be
really the secret sauce.

This is a legacy brand,

and people are willing
to put a line in the sand

of what that is.

It means something
to a lot of people.

So Freeman,
ready to go for a ride?

[Freeman]
Yeah, but I really think
you should take Phillip,

because Phillip needs
to experience this with you

- in this original Manx.
- And this is the original one.

- All right, fine!
- Yeah.

[Jay]
The Manx I'm driving today
named Sunshine

is equipped with a simple


four-cylinder Volkswagen engine.

It might not seem like much,
but, well, just wait and see.

And this thing was cheap
to build back in the day.

A Manx kit and used Beetle

could easily cost
less than $1,000 in the '60s.

But today, this vintage
unrestored 1964 Manx

is valued at about $45,000.

Hold on to the hat!

[laughing]

[rock music]

It'll take all kinds of bumps.

[Phillip]
Look how much fun we're having
with 40 horsepower.

[Jay]
It's just so light,
all the controls.

You can steer it with one finger

and stop it with
hardly any pressure at all.

Whoa!

[engine buzzing]

So how did you get
involved with this?

Did you own one and...

[Phillip]
Well, in my childhood,
there was a great place

- that rented Meyers Manxs.
- Oh, is that right?

[Phillip]
They were always a part

of my automotive journey
and life.

[Jay]
Well, a lot of celebrities
had these, too.

[Phillip]
Steve McQueen drove one
in the Thomas Crown Affair.

- Oh, that's right, that's right!
- Very special car, too.

[Jay]
So which one are you
more excited about,

the gas version or the electric?

[Phillip]
Electric is
a whole new frontier

in terms of automotive design,

and changing the packaging

so we can put things
where we want them...

So another way we'll innovate
is with material science.

One of the companies
we're working with

is Ecovative,
a mycelium company.

Mycelium is
a fabric of mushrooms.

And we're working with them
to create synthetic plastics

- or leathers.
- Oh, that's interesting.

[Phillip]
Different materials
that you can grow.

[Jay]
Well, Phillip, thank you
very much, my friend!

Both you and Freeman,

you've got your work
cut out for you.

It's hard starting
a car company,

but when you've got
a product like this,

which is sort of
a proven entity,

it's great that
you're keeping it alive

and bringing it back,
so good luck, my friend!

[Phillip]
Well, thank you so much!

This is a lot of fun
from the passenger seat, too.

- Exactly!
- Yeah.

[Jay]
I wonder what
Freeman's doing now.

Woo! Woo-hoo!

This is so much fun!

Peace, baby! Peace!

Woo-hoo!

Amazing!

[Jay]
Coming up:

A dream car for a superstar.

[Jamie]
Are they gonna let me drive it?

[Jay]
A Jay Leno's Garage
Car Exclusive!

And now back to This is
your Automotive Life

with guest Jamie Lee Curtis.

[dramatic music]

I have a dream car for you.

This is a car I think
you will like.

[Jamie]
Now you're flirting, Jay.

- I am flirting.
- Which would be the name

of my autobiography,

if I ever wrote one,
which I won't.

No, I've done my research here.

- I appreciate that.
- We thought, "What would be

a dream car you would like?"

It had to be something
practical...

- Electric.
- Sensible.

- Let's find out.
- Well, no, it must be,

because it's the future.

[Jay]
Can we blow the horn?

- That's a good, strong...
- Good, strong horn.

- That's a good, strong horn.
- Okay.

- Let's open the door...
- More pressure.

It's hard enough being a woman.

Over 60.

[Jay]
Let's turn around.

[Jamie]
Ooh, shut it!

And it's Mommy's color!

[Jay]
You know what this is?

[Jamie]
No, I do not.

[soft music]

[Jay]
Jamie didn't really
have a dream car,

so we picked one for her,

and I think we made
the right choice.

The all-new electric 2023
Cadillac Lyriq

really is the next step forward
for Cadillac.

Beautifully packaged,
the Lyriq is equipped

with rear-wheel drive motor,

provides all the power
and torque one expects

from an EV today

all for about $63,000.

And best of all,

Jamie is the first person
outside of Cadillac

to actually drive the Lyriq,

a Jay Leno's Garage
Car Exclusive!

This is what
the future's gonna be.

All electric Cadillac,

gets well over


[Jamie]
Are they gonna let me drive it?

[Jay]
You will be the first person...

[Jamie]
And then are they gonna
let me buy it?

[Jay]
And it's made in America!

[Jamie]
Shut it!

Oh, this is gorgeous!

[Jay]
Yeah, it's very pretty!

And, you know,
the cool thing is,

Cadillac's always known
for being quiet and smooth,

and that's really
what electric's all about,

so you take the best features
of the Cadillac

and you just put them
in an electric vehicle.

[Jamie]
So... but we can order this soon?

[Jay]
You can order this right now,

you're the first person
to drive it.

- You ready to go for a ride?
- Where's Cadillac?

Cadillac, I'm down.

Right now, I'm so down.

Let's do this.

[mellow music]

Oh, this is beautiful.

This is Mommy's kind of car now.

- This is a smooth ride.
- Well, you know, it's funny,

'cause this is what Cadillac
always aspired to be,

- the silent car, you know.
- This is... this is like butter.

- I know it.
- I mean, I now remember

why Cadillacs were the car.

They were the car, right?

[Jay]
And you have all
the Cadillac luxury features.

[Jamie]
Oh, look at
the acceleration, Jay.

- You know, this visor...
- Jay!

Feel the acceleration?

[Jay]
Well, yeah, it goes good!

[Jamie]
This goes good!

By the way it has 267 miles...

No, you know what that may be?

Is that how much range I have?

That's how much range I have!

[Jay]
That's how much range
you have left, yeah,

- that's probably what it is.
- That's a lot!

[Jay]
Yeah, well, it's over 300,
it's about 312.

If you want to earn more miles,

you can pull that lever on the...

- Would you with the levers?
- Okay, all right.

- I just... seriously.
- Yeah.

- I appreciate you.
- Got it, got it!

[Jamie]
I really do, you're a dude.

You guys are all about levers.

Now tell me about
this Cutlass you had.

So I was on a movie
called Grandview, U.S.A.

[Jay]
I do remember that movie!

- What was it about?
- I was a demolition derby owner,

and as I do, I ask the teamsters
to rent me a car

for my time on the movie,

and instead of
whatever they would spend,

I would say just
give me the cash.

And I went out and bought

a 1972 Olds Cutlass convertible
from a farmer,

and at the end of the movie,

I gave the car as a gift
to John Cusack,

who was a young actor
on the movie.

[Jay]
Oh, yeah, he was unknown
at that time.

[Jamie]
He was virtually unknown,

and I said,
"You're gonna have a big career

and you need a car!"

And I gave him the car
and he crashed it,

I think, within a week.

[laughing]

[upbeat music]

I am a driver.

My kids will say
I'm a great driver.

I can back up really fast.

We have a dirt road
in our house.

There's really no advantage
to backing up really fast.

I can back up really fast,
Jay Leno.

Unless you're getting away
from kidnappers or something.

- My point.
- Right, I guess that's true.

I feel sorry for the people
that would kidnap you,

but they're going...
"All right, thank...

All right, enough! Thank you!

Let her go, will ya?

And I will cut the ransom
in half, just please!"

[Jamie]
So you've done this trip before.

- Yeah, well...
- I'm not your first.

- No.
- Oh, see,

- I thought I was special.
- They're all special, baby.

[Jamie]
Oh, okay, thank you.

[Jay]
Jamie, thanks
for doing the show,

- I appreciate it.
- Are we done?

Do I have to leave you now?

- Oh, Jay Leno.
- I'll leave the car with you

- and you can go...
- You leave this... car with me,

I will be very happy.

It was very nice to see you
again, as you know.

- It was nice to see you.
- The truth is,

I would've shown up
just to do anything with you.

[Jay]
You were one of
my most frequent guests ever

on The Tonight Show,

so I just want to say thanks.

[Jamie]
Sweet you.

I would reach over
and touch you,

touch your face
and say thank you,

- but I'm driving.
- And then I would sue you

- for harassment.
- Yes, you would.

Yes, you would.

[Jay]
Later, the return
of Jeff Dunham.

Sounds like fun.

But up next...

Okay, drifting!

We get wet and wild
on the track.

Whoa!

[soft rock music]

[engine revving]

Well, this is what I love
about my job.

I'm at the Porsche
Experience Center

in Carson, California.

I'm on the Porsche
performance handling course.

You know, to fully appreciate
a Porsche,

you can't just drive it
on the street,

you have to bring it
to the track

just to show you what it can do.

[engine revving]

You know, this is the best job
in the world, really.

The car I'm driving
is a Porsche 911,

the most iconic Porsche
there is, of course.

Three-liter, 443 horsepower.

This is
the two-wheel drive model,

this is my favorite,

and I like two-wheel drive,

'cause you can kind of
hang the tail out a little bit,

which is a lot of fun.

And this iconic sports car
can be yours

for a cool 135 grand.

[mellow music]

I'm on my way
to meet Diego Boneta.

He's a huge Porsche guy.

We'll get him an instructor
and they'll take him out

and show him what his Porsche
can really do.

[engine buzzing]

[soft music]

Actor and singer Diego Boneta
might seem like a rising star,

but he's been in
the entertainment game for years

starting as a child actor
in Mexico.

He made the transition

to big budget Hollywood fare
with ease.

Movies like Rock of Ages,

Terminator: Dark Fate,

and the recent
Father of the Bride remake

highlights Diego's charm,
versatility,

and command of the screen.

And we wanted to add
"expert driver"

to his resume as well,

so we figured a day at the track
would do just that.

- How's it going, Jay?
- Good to see you, my friend!

- How you been?
- Good to see you too!

- So pumped to be here.
- All right, let's get down

to the reason we're here now.

You've never had
any track experience, have you?

No, not... not like this.

[Jay]
Not like this,
not with a professional.

- No.
- 'Cause that's the thing,

you know, a lot of times,
guys like us buy these cars

and you just pick up bad habits.

Let me introduce you

to the Chief Instructor,
Johnny Kanavas.

- Johnny, come on in.
- Hi, guys!

- How are you, Johnny?
- How are you? Johnny.

- Nice to meet you.
- Good to see you.

[Jay]
See, he'll correct
any bad habits we have here.

- What do we do first?
- First thing we're gonna do

is launch control, so getting
a very aggressive start

from a dead stop.

You're gonna be behind me,

we're gonna travel
down that straightaway,

drop into the carousel together,

and then head back to this end.

From there, we'll go
into the handling circuit

and then some
car control exercises.

- Wow.
- Yeah.

- Ready to give it a shot?
- Yeah!

[Jay]
All right, so we'll follow you.

You'll be in the blue car,
we'll be in the orange car.

- Right.
- Let's do it, you're driving.

[Johnny]
All right, let's do it.

Okay, we're gonna go ahead

all the way up here
to the north end.

That'll point us back
to the southbound side,

and from there, we will set up
for that launch control

and overall acceleration run.

[Jay]
Originally developed for racing,

launch control is now found

mostly in high-performance
street cars.

Simply put, launch control
allows an equipped car

to reach maximum power
from a dead stop

with no wheelspin.

To engage launch control
in this 911,

first you put the car
in Sport Plus mode.

Next you put our left foot
on the brake,

and then push the accelerator
all the way to the floor

with our right foot.

It might sound weird,
but both pedals need to be down.

Once the gauge cluster reads
"Launch Control Activated,"

let go of the brake and feel
the g-force acceleration.

[mellow music]

Now, launch control
isn't exactly necessary

in every day life,

but it sure makes life fun.

Right to the floor,
as hard as you can.

[engine buzzing]

Okay, here we go.

Three, two, one, go.

[Diego]
Whoa-h*-h*-h*!

Woo!

[Jay]
Almost 100, almost 100.

Bit of carousel.

[yelling]

[Diego]
How you doing, Jay?

[Jay]
I'm doing great!

[Diego]
Am I making you dizzy?

[Jay]
No, not at all!

The straightaway
in Nürburgring like Carousel

are a nice warm-up,

but let's see what Diego
is really made of.

One of the highlights
of the Porsche Experience Center

is the kick plate.

Flush with the pavement,

its computer controlled
hydraulic plates

that cause skids, spin-outs,

and all the fun stuff.

Once the car passes the cones,

sensors randomly kick the plates
to the left or right,

'causing the driver
to lose control

across the waterlogged red zone.

The goal is to regain control
and make it across.

With a little help from Johnny,
Diego might just do it!

- Ready to go, give it a shot?
- Ready to go,

let's see what happens, Jay.

[Johnny]
Three, two, one, go.

[engine buzzing]

- There you go!
- There you go, woo!

[Johnny]
All right.

Good save at the end there.

[Jay]
Hey! It was his first try!

- Nice job!
- We'll have you pull off

one more time,
we'll loop back around,

do it again.

[soft rock music]

[Jay]
Yeah, yeah, there you go!

Yeah, we bad!

Okay, drifting.

[yelling]

It's a weird feeling
when it spins.

- It is.
- Okay, so Diego,

now that you know
what it feels like,

try not to overreact
to that correction.

If you turn into the skid
too early,

the car's just gonna drive
in that direction,

so you want to feel
that rotation

and then react to it,

but be quick with
that steering input.

All right, I'm ready
when you are.

Go ahead.

Go ahead and accelerate up.

[engine revving]

When you get to the place,
feet off the pedals

and correct it.

[Jay]
There you go, there you go!

- There you go!
- Yay!

The kid learned fast!

I think Diego's a natural.

Someone cast him
as a racecar driver right now.

[Johnny]
That was 26 miles an hour,
nice job, Diego!

Nice fluid, smooth movements.

[Diego]
This was so much fun, Jay.

- Oh, yeah.
- Such a blast.

[Jay]
No, it's great,
well, you're a natural!

You really did terrific!

I know what Diego's gonna be
doing on the ride home.

Thanks for being part
of this, my friend.

[Diego]
Thank you,
thank you for having me.

[Jay]
Don't shake hands
while you're driving!

Coming up:

Jeff Dunham and I get
a little hot under the collar!

[Jeff]
Well, Jay, all I can tell you
is this isn't funny.

Wow, you know, look at that.

[solemn music]

[expl*si*n, siren blaring]

[man]
Emergency!

We've had an expl*si*n!

Gas is leaking everywhere!

Get Leno and Dunham
in there now!

This is heavy!

[spraying]

[metal squeaking]

[dramatic music]

[Jay]
If you thought
that gas leak was real,

then the Los Angeles County
Fire Department Training Center

is serving its purpose
quite well.

I'm here today to do
a little firefighting training

and I brought along
my longtime friend and nemesis,

Jeff Dunham, for the ride.

I know, I know, Jeff and I
usually duke it out

in some sort of
friendly competition.

Oh, we got beat by Dunham!

And like last season's sh**t-out

with the LA County
Fire Department Boats.

[Jeff]
Jay, I'm gonna feel bad
if I beat you again!

[Jay]
Jeff, you're like the guy
in Titanic

who put on the dress
so he could get in the lifeboat!

But not to worry,
a competition is coming

as long as the fire department
doesn't k*ll us first.

[firefighter]
Jay and Jeff,
thanks for being here today.

Del Bell offers everything
in the firefighting world.

In fact, we serve
the entire region of LA County

and Greater Los Angeles Area.

Anything in the all-risk,
all-hazard world

that we can train for,
we do it here.

Well, you guys kind of have
a Hollywood connection

- with this whole setup, right?
- Yeah, actually, we do.

The company that built
the Backdraft prop

for the Backdraft ride
down at Universal

came out and built
this facility for us.

This came to us in about 2011.

Behind you is a tank farm,

and we can actually
get live fire

coming out of those tanks,

teach our people
how to fight a tank farm fire.

You guys experienced
a chemical release

inside the warehouse.

We also can simulate
radiological

or nuclear release as well,

and it covers all hazards
and hazardous materials.

[Jay]
That chlorine thing
was unbelievable.

How often does that happen?

It doesn't happen very often,
but when it does, we're ready.

LA County is ready to serve
and fix the problem,

and it is a dangerous problem
when it does occur.

You guys did a great job
on that today.

[Jeff]
What's the average age of guys
that come here and get trained?

Average age can range anywhere
from the brand new firefighter

between 22 to 28 years of age

all the way up to
our very seasoned people

who continue to train
to the end of their career,

and that could be
up in their 50s.

- 50s, wow.
- I'm glad he said it,

not me, sir.

He said it, not me.

[Jay]
Well, what do we do now, boss?

[Jason]
What we're gonna do now
is we're gonna go down

and see a flashover container

and we're gonna show you
the phases of fire.

You guys are gonna be sitting
in the environment of live fire,

understanding everything
we deal with

when we fight a fire
inside of a home

or a commercial building.

I have two very seasoned
instructors in there.

They're gonna start a fire

that'll be three feet above you

and 20 feet away from you.

[Jeff]
So the fun is that we're sitting
underneath a live fire.

- Pretty much.
- That's great!

- Sounds like fun, doesn't it?
- Yeah! You didn't tell me

- about this part, but thanks!
- Yeah, cool, let's do it!

Okay, time to suit up

and get the full
firefighting experience.

That gas leak was fake,

but the fire in this modified
shipping container

will be 100% real.

Jeff and I will sit on one end

while a wood-burning fire
is created

on the opposite side.

These fire suits are built
to filter the air we breathe

and withstand 500 degrees
of direct flames

for up to five minutes.

[Jason]
Fire in the hole!

[Jay]
So let's see if we can take
the physical toll

without cracking under pressure.

[Jason]
Go for it.

[Jay]
Now, normally oxygen is great,

but in a fire, it's bad news.

Combine oxygen
with heat and fuel

and it creates
the fire triangle,

a perfect environment
for a fire to burn.

But if firefighters
can take away

at least one of those elements,

the battle can begin.

[Jay]
Shutting the door limits
the flow of oxygen to the fire,

causing it to die down.

That can buy firefighters
a little time

to find a victim
or maybe gain a foothold.

[Jay]
Once the door is open,

the oxygen starts
feeding that fire again.

Wow.

[Jay]


That's our cue to leave.

But Jeff and I aren't done yet.

In fact, I'm a little rare
on the left side.

[soft music]

Buckle up, folks,
it's time to Assess & Caress

with Donald Osborne.

[bell dinging]

Okay, today we are featuring
three Japanese classics.

Donald, tell us what we have.

Today we've got
a 1970 Subaru 360 Deluxe,

a 1970 Datsun 240Z,

and a 1994 Toyota Supra
Twin Turbo Targa.

Which one do you want
to start with?

[Donald]
Well, let's start
with this Subaru.

It was completely inappropriate

for the entire
North American market

and, of course, it was designed

to the size of the kei cars
in Japan.

[Jay]
We should explain,
"kei car" people might think

has something to do
with the Chrysler K-car.

- I think it's K-E-I.
- K-E-I, yes.

And what they call a city car.

Because Tokyo, very crowded,
parking spaces were premium,

cars that were small
paid less tax

because they didn't take up
as much space.

[Donald]
One of the things
that really put the nail

in the Subaru 360

is that the car was
actually too small

to have to qualify
for safety rules.

And even though
it did not have to meet

federal safety requirements,

Consumer Reports Magazine
tested one

and they branded it
"unacceptable."

- Right, right.
- Which was the kiss of death.

Subaru certainly learned
very quickly

about the American market
and built cars

that indeed have proven
their success around the world,

but to think about 1970
and Japanese cars,

we'll look at something
rather different:

- the Datsun 240Z.
- This was the car

that was less than an XK-E,

less than a Corvette.

To show you how long ago


I remember when this came out,

one of the selling points
was a sports car

with roll-up windows.

'Cause you still got
the British cars

with the plastic windows
you put in

and you had to fight

and assemble the top
in the rain.

I mean, this was a car built
for the American market.

I don't think anybody
who was thinking

about buying a Jaguar E-Type

said, "Oh, I'm gonna
save some money

and buy a Datsun instead."

[Jay]
These were from Nissan,

but when they sent
the cars to America,

they titled them as Datsun,

because they were afraid

that if the car did not
make it in America

and could not withstand

the American pounding
on the roads

and the high speeds,

the Nissan name would be shamed.

For the first
probably five years,

six, seven years,
they were Datsuns.

And this has those elements
of Corvette, XK-E,

big engine, manual shift,
yeah, just a wonderful car.

[Donald]
Exactly, and speaking
of adapting and adopting

and moving forward,

our third car is
a great example of that.

The Toyota Supra.

Toyota made a real commitment

to building
a true performance car.

In 1994, this Twin Turbo

performed as well as
the Acura NSX

and the Porsche 928 GTS.

This is a car which is
very interesting to drive,

because it has a bit of
that sort of turbo shock,

shall we say,
when you put your foot in it,

but it still delivers power
in a way

that is almost unimaginable
for a 1994 car,

which was not very expensive
when new.

Ars,

and true Japanese classics,

one, because it's so bad

and the other two
because they're so good.

So do you want my opinion now?

I would love to hear
what your thoughts are

on where the market
values these cars

in the last five years.

[Jay]
This was the car,
as a young man or a young woman,

you aspired to.

It's sophisticated
like European cars

and it was good-looking
and it had all this technology,

so this would probably be first.

The 240Z, when this came out,

even that was getting
a little long in the tooth.

So this would be
the height of sophistication,

certainly among these three,

so I'd go with this first,

the Datsun second,

and of course, the Subaru third.

Coming up!

Jeff and I have
our long anticipated rematch.

[Jeff]
Yeah, if there was a fire
in my backyard,

I think I might call Tim Allen.

For more cool cars,
go to jaylenosgarage.cnbc.com.

And we're back
with Donald Osborne.

[Donald]
So, of our three cars
we have here today,

the 1970 Datsun 240Z,

the 1970 Subaru 360 Deluxe,

and the 1994 Toyota Supra
Twin Turbo,

this is how they fared
in the market

in the last five years.

Five years ago,
an early 240Z like that one

might've been bought
for about $35,000.

Today, that would cost you
$85,000.

- Okay.
- Five years ago,

a 1994 Twin Turbo Supra
like this,

and this one has very low miles,


might have been bought
for about $75,000.

Today, it would take $185,000
to buy this car.

Our Subaru five years ago,

probably $15,000
would've bought it

- all day long.
- Don't make me stab you now.

- Go ahead.
- Well, bring in the EMTs.

Right now, $40,000
would be required

to buy one of these cars.

- So that's the most...
- That is the win...

Listen, listen,
it makes perfect sense.

How many of these
were pushed off of a dock

- when they were brand new?
- Right.

So there are actually
fewer of these around

than there are
Toyota Twin Turbos...

[Jay]
So what you're saying is
if I can find the remaining ones

and smash each one
with a hammer,

this one will go up in value.

To about four
or five hundred thousand.

And the car which has
appreciated the most

in the last five years,

rewarded by market enthusiasm,

is an unacceptable car,
the Subaru 360.

[Jay]
All right, that's it,
I'm out of here.

Turn the camera off.

That's it, we're out,
we're gone,

it's closed, we're over.

[beeping]

[electronic music]

Jeff and I have
really gotten a feel

for the extreme situations

that firefighters face
every day,

and we tip our hats to them.

But this wouldn't be
a proper Jeff Dunham appearance

without a little competition.

This time, we're going big

and slow.

So this is what you use
to cut the fire off.

Yes, we take it, we get out,

we try to get out
ahead of the fire,

try to pinch the fire off
if we can,

if everything's right.

We use this big heavy machine,
it weighs 90,000 pounds.

[Jay]
Caterpillar bulldozers
are some of the most reliable

and versatile heavy machinery
workhorses out there.

And this 2000 D8R is
no exception.

With an inline-six
four-stroke diesel engine,

it can generate a very healthy


while fighting infernos.

This one sports
a 16-foot wide blade

and some extra modifications,
including a two person cab,

so it would probably
set you back

a few hundred thousand dollars.

So for the simple people,
basically what you're doing

is when there's fuel
for the fire,

you cut through it all,
get rid of the fuel,

and the fire's supposed to stop

right where you did
the cut line, right?

- Take it down to minimal earth.
- Doesn't always work that way,

but that's
what's supposed to happen.

[David]
We work in correlation
with our crews, our copters,

and everybody involved.

It's a joint effort.

[Jeff]
So the big giant fire is coming

and it's moving,
I mean, how wide a swath

do you have to cut
to really be effective?

Sometimes we can hold it
with one blade width,

sometimes we have to have


Sometimes that
won't even hold it.

[Jeff]
What are the nicknames
for the guys?

There's gotta be
some sort of nickname

that you don't use
for public knowledge

for the guys that drive these.

Well, we're
the Heavy Equipment Unit.

We're referred to a lot
as Heavy Junk.

- There you go.
- Heavy Junk!

- That's what I'm looking for!
- We get a lot of that.

[Jay]
Always have to find
the lowest level.

[Jeff]
All right, Heavy Junk,
that's you, Jay.

[Jay]
All right,
then we got Lil' Junk

It's Heavy Junk and Lil' Junk...

- See? I set myself up.
- Let's give it a shot.

- Lil' Junk, you ready to go?
- Yeah, sure, Big Junk.

So it's accuracy and time.

- Yeah, sure, why not?
- Okay.

- Go ahead, knock 'em out.
- I'll do it.

[Jay]
So enough with
the dangerous stuff.

Let's have some fun.

The goal here is simple,
we each get a chance

to put out a fire
with this bulldozer.

The quickest
and most accurate wins.

The dozer controls are
actually pretty straightforward.

At Jeff's feet are the gas
and brake pedals.

The stick on Jeff's left
controls the dozer,

forward, reverse, and steering.

The other stick
operates the blade,

up, down, left, and right.

[rock music]

[David]
All right, let's go.

[engine revving]

[David]
Bringing it right, tilt right.

Right, right, right.

[Jay]
Jeff looks like
a crash test dummy

bouncing around in there.

[David]
More left, left, left.

Left, a little more down,
there you go.

Accelerate and start coming up.

Up, up, up.

And stop.

Perfect.

[Jay]
Two minutes and 21 seconds.

I can beat that all day long.

[David]
Now you're off to the races.

[Jay]
Okay, I'm steering it here,
this way.

[David]
Right there.

Feel it out.

[Jeff]
Now, see, he needs some dirt.

There's no dirt.

You can't put out a fire
with no dirt!

You know, I think
one of Jay's problems is

it's difficult to see that blade
cutting in the ground.

What it is, he's looking down

and his chin is
getting in the way.

[David]
There you go.

[Jeff]
Yeah, if there was a fire
in my backyard,

I think I might call Tim Allen.

[David]
And stop.

[Jay]
A tie, no way!

The chief is
a very sensible man,

I'm sure he'll give
this win to me.

[Jason]
I will tell you guys,
we don't really compete

in the fire service,
it's about teamwork.

Dozers, copters, handcrews,
so my take on today

is you're both losers.

Sorry to tell ya.

- Hey!
- Oh, he doesn't know

what he's talking about.

- I think I won.
- I won.

[Jay]
I'm gonna win in editing.

[triumphant music]

And now, ladies and gentlemen,
time for outtakes.

[Jamie]
Coming up on your right.

[Jamie]
Yup. I've been in the movies
a little bit.

- I like you.
- I appreciate that.

I think you're very nice.

- I think you're funny.
- We'll fix that.

All right, we'll move on
to the second car.

Let's shut
the garage door again.

[Jamie]
Oh, this is just gonna be
a long day.

I'm glad I dressed
appropriately.

[Jay]
Yeah, and you look very lovely,
by the way!

You looked quite fetching
when you came in,

I said,
"I'm strangely attracted,"

and I realized it's the outfit.

[Jamie]
Yeah, and the hair.

This is pretty out here.

Where the... am I?