31x05 - Episode 5

[bunniefuu]

APPLAUSE

Hello, hello.

Hello, welcome to Top Gear, where we
have some sad news,

because tonight is the last show of
the series, everyone.

Oh, no.

But we also have some good news,

because tonight we are on a public
service mission.

We're going to be fighting injustice

and tackling one of the biggest
disgraces in modern motoring.

And that's the sheer expense of
being a new driver.

What young people have to fork out
nowadays just to be on the road,

it's a disgrace, Pad. Scandalous.

You see, according to recent
research,

new drivers have to shell out on
average close to £5,000

on their first car, plus another
1,900 quid on insurance.

That's nearly seven grand straight
off the bat, Fred.

And for your seven grand, you'll
probably get something like this.

A Corsa with a few miles on the
clock. Yeah. Now, it's fine...

It's a bit Vauxhall Corsa, innit?

It is very Vauxhall Corsa, it is.

But don't worry, though, because for
that sort of money,

there are some far better options
out there,

as we shall now demonstrate.

Cars for new drivers?

Head to Plymouth, they said,

recently declared the UK's top city
for young adults.

# Sunshine came softly through my

# Window today. #

All right, on this particular
Friday,

it was also the UK's windiest city.

But no matter because the big news
is that with a seven grand budget

for car and insurance, you can have
something a bit special.

Ah.

The MGB GT.

Oh, yes, I have gone classic and
what a classic this is!

£5,000 to buy.

And if I was a young 17-year-old
Paddy from Bolton,

it'd be 1,300 quid to insure.

All in all, that's £6,300 for a
great British sports car

that's dripping with 60's style.

And with a 1.8-litre four-cylinder
engine,

plus rear-wheel drive, it is genius.

I mean, there was even enough left
over

to give it a trendy lick of paint.

And while I'm giving you the
McGuinness money saving tips,

this car is over 40 years old,

which means it's officially classed
as a historic vehicle,

which means it's exempt from road
tax and MOT.

Oh, I'm like a sexy Martin Lewis.

HORN BEEPS

Oh!

PSYCHEDELIC ROCK PLAYS

The love bug.

Oh, whoa! I nearly lost me door.

I picked the wrong day to roll me
sleeves up.

It's not a day for hair neither, is
it?

See, this is where I've top trumped
you today.

This is one that bodes in your
favour.

Love it! Go on, give us the numbers.

It's obviously a Beetle. Yeah.

It cost me five grand...

..and a 17-year-old Fred from
Preston - 870 quid to insure.

But there's more. Don't start.
There's more, there's more -

Cos it's over 40 years old...

..no tax, no MOT.

Yeah, I've already told them that.
Huh?

That's cheaper than most of these
modern city cars.

Oh, yes, for just 5,800 odd quid,

you could get the original Urkel
four-cylinder icon,

whose timeless looks just get better
with age.

It's an absolute beauty! I love it
in white as well.

People from our era - Herbie.

HORN BEEPS

Oh, what? What's this?

Has he left an SUV in the wash?

Oh, I don't know, Paddy. I think
he's done it again.

That's a Lada.

Lads...

..I'm excited!

The Lada Niva, the Soviet
four-by-four legend.

Look at it!

I like it, when you're smiling. Only
a five and a half grand to buy.

What?! OK?

Under a grand to insure for the
17-year-old me.

Why would you want a Corsa, when you
can have this?

Look at it!

Forget the Land Rover Defender.

This pint-sized hero of the off-road
world

has been in production longer than
any other four-by-four,

and for just six and a half grand
all in, it is a total...

..bargain.

Oh, I want to hammer you.

But, no, I love it. I love it.

I think this is the first time we're
all kind of like...

..happy with these three motors.

Oh, one more thing. Go on. Yeah.

Because it's 40 years old... Yeah.

..don't need an MOT, don't have to
pay for tax. Yeah.

He said that, I have told...

Three times, they've heard that.

It's a good money saving tip. Oh.

Now, most importantly, that looks
like a factory colour,

a factory off-white. Yep.

I can imagine that in...in period.

Is that a factory colour? What
colour is that?

Oh, this is like, you know, like the
fancy Audi and the Porsche colours?

Yeah. I think they call it potty
grey.

What colour was it originally? Well,
it was British Racing Green.

What, so you painted over BRG for
that?! Please, please, please.

Classic. What colour's that?

Berocca wee?

If I were doing it for you, I'd do
it burgundy red

but we're appealing to the youth.

Look, we could've argued about the
colour all day.

The point is, when it comes to
choosing your first car,

this little trio makes for one hell
of a menu to pick from.

Oh, I do love the Beetle.

Just driving it for the first time,

it's everything I thought it would
be.

It's lovely.

I'll make no secret of the fact that
I've always wanted a Niva.

Always.

It's joyous.

It was actually known as the poor
man's Aston Martin, this,

when it came out.

No-one's calling the Corsa a poor
man's Aston Martin.

Have you got an MG in the
collection, Chris?

I don't, but looking at yours,
there's something about the shape,

that sort of hatchback shape that I
love.

What about the Beetle, Chris? Have
you got a Beetle?

No, I don't have a Beetle. You were
either a Mini man or a Beetle man,

when I was young, and I was a Mini
man.

You still are.

Now, we might've been happy with our
motors

but the producers weren't convinced,

so to prove their first car
credentials,

we'd be taking them on a tour
through Devon and Cornwall...

..starting...

..with Dartmoor.

What do you see a lot of on
Dartmoor?

Is it, um...

Oh, what are they called?

Um... Panthers.

Did you say panthers, Paddy?

Panthers?

Yeah, there's one roaming around
here, ain't there?

Is it not... Did I not read summat,
the Beast of Dartmoor or summat?

It's the Beast of Bodmin, you big
berk.

So, you've just passed your driving
test and you're buzzing,

what do you get?

Well, you want something speedy...

..something sporty...

..something to really show off to
your mates.

Sadly, you can't afford to get
insured on anything like that,

unless you go old.

The MGB was launched in 1962

and soon became one of Britain's
favourite sports cars.

Half a million, they built and it's
easy to see why.

So, for your first taste of
driving...

..honestly, why wouldn't you?

It's light, it's nimble, it's
rear-wheel drive.

It ticks all the boxes.

And this car actually forces you to
drive.

I mean, look. Look at that.

You've got to wind the window down
on this thing.

You've got to drive it.

If the head gasket goes, you've got
to change it.

It's a learning curve, this car.

PSYCHEDELIC ROCK PLAYS

One of me neighbours used to have a
Beetle as a kid.

Liz Smith lived across the road with
her six kids,

running around with one of these.

I remember being in it one day.

It was a real novelty. It was
lovely.

The one thing which I learnt -

other Beetle drivers, they all wave
at each other.

You'll be driving down the road,
they either pomp,

flash of the lights or a wave.

You're part of something.

The Beetle was built for over 60
years

in every corner of the world.

And if you want to talk numbers,
they made 20 million of them.

Every single one offering that same
affordable, economical,

cheap to run recipe.

So if you buy one of these, you're
not just buying your first car,

you're buying a piece of history.

And the thing that makes these
perfect for new drivers is

they're really slow.

Peaceful, you just slow down.

Where's the downside?

Well, probably the windscreen wipers
at this point and...

..and a windscreen that I've just
got to keep wiping.

But I'm smiling.

I'm really am smiling.

Maybe.

But not as much as I was.

What a cool, cool vehicle.

I have so clearly got the coolest
car of the three.

This is...

..my 17-year-old dream.

RUSSIAN FOLK MUSIC PLAYS

The Lada Niva is the exception to
the rule

that all Soviet era cars were
terrible.

Designed as a workhorse for the
villagers

and farmers of rural Russia,

it was built to operate in some of
the toughest conditions on the
planet.

And as a result, it has endured like
almost no other car in history.

Nivas have been everywhere - North
Pole, South Pole, Everest Base Camp.

They are indestructible.

It's simple, it's practical, it's
tough.

I love it. I absolutely love it.
It's a hero car of mine.

But before we get too carried away
with the whole

old car for new driver pitch,

there are a couple of things you
need to know.

First - insurance.

Now, we've all rang round insurance
companies,

trying to get the best quotes.

You can ring one day, it'll be a
decent quote,

ring back the next day, it will
totally change.

And the other thing is it all
depends on where you live, too.

So if you live in London, you're
paying a premium,

which you should be used to.

You pay a premium on your houses,

you pay premiums on drinks, food,
everything down south.

But if you go with the classic car,

there's some really competitive
quotes out there.

Now...

..I say competitive,

providing you're not going for
something fast, expensive or rare...

..you should be OK.

So basically, what we're saying is -

buy something slow, cheap and
readily available

and move yourself to Preston.

You will save yourself a packet on
car insurance.

And then, there's the whole
40-year-old car thing.

Just because it doesn't need an
MOT and you don't have to tax it,

you still need to keep it
roadworthy.

No bald tyres.

Look after it.

And remember, it's an old thing.

Take some pride, cherish it.

One note of caution, though - just
before you go out and buy...

Oh, hello.

I'm free-wheeling here. Me engine's
cut out.

Unbelievable.

Come on!

Just having a couple of technicals
with the Beetle.

Go on, Fred. Go on, Beetle.

It's gone.

Oh, you... No, he's died. He's died.

Now, I know what you're thinking.

And, no, you don't want your first
car breaking down on you...

Of all the days. I don't need to be
pushing this car around Cornwall.

..but this isn't a breakdown.

This is just a VW Beetle, giving its
new owner some exercise.

HE SIGHS

Urgh!

After all, these cars are over 40.

Oh, hang on. She's gone a bit back.

Everyone over 40's the same.

We're back on!

I think it just needed a rest, the
old girl.

We all need a rest at 40 odd, don't
we?

Go on, the Beetle. We're moving
again.

Good work, boys!

Now, for some reason, the producers
could yet see the brilliance

of our old car, new driver theory.

Oh, oh, oh!

Oh, God.

And in a shameless bid to disprove
it further,

they soon told us to pull off the
road for a test.

What the hell's this place?

Quarry.

Yours will be a home here, Chris,
won't it?

This is Niva country.

It's like you've got a cloaking
device around here, Paddy.

Look at you.

Oh, lads.

I spy...

..a Corsa.

Hang on, it's being driven by The
Stig.

What's he doing?

Who knows with him?

He's out of the car.

He's out of the car. He's walking
off.

Someone approaching my window in
high vis.

Thank you very much, Boss. No
problem.

Unsurprisingly, it's a challenge.

Having spent so much on their first
car,

the next challenge facing new
drivers

is getting as far as they can on
what little fuel they can afford.

On £1 of petrol, The Stig has just
driven a Vauxhall Corsa flat out

until it ran out.

He managed 11 laps in 6 minutes and
14 seconds.

You will now have the same amount of
fuel

to see how far your cars can go in
the same time.

Oh.

How many laps did he do?

11.

I'd take three at this point.

To see which of our classics was
best suited

to a new driver's frugal lifestyle,

with our tanks drained and filled
back up

with just one quid's worth of fuel,

we would now take turns seeing how
far we could go

within the 6 minutes 14 seconds set
by The Stig

in the UK's most popular first car.

Do you know what? Actually, this
challenge is right up my street,

cos when we were all younger in
Bolton and we got our first cars,

that's what we put in it - £1 of
juice -

and it kind of ran for a while.

I remember me brother, his first car
was a Fiesta Mk2

just under 1.0-litre engine,

and he used to put £2 in it at a
time.

It used to go forever.

Oh, yes.

It was time to summon up all those
penny-pinching years of experience,

as Flintoff and his Beetle lined up
first.

Here we go, Fred.

Three, two, one, go.

Come on.

I should open the window, I'm
steaming up.

Windscreen wipers on.

I've got to say that this don't
really feel right.

Chris, I'm not sure if he's got his
foot down in that or not.

I can't find the gears.

Get round.

Now, look, we all know speed is not
the Beetle's forte.

Have you got your foot down there,
Fred?

What's the tactic?

Every foot on floor there, lads.

No-one was expecting it to beat the
Corsa.

Wrestling it around.

He is crawling round.

I can't see!

And while it did somehow manage to
put in ten valiant laps...

Oh, oh, oh, oh!

She's dying.

..in the end, it didn't disappoint.

It's starting to go, boys.

I've gone.

Look at Fred, straight out in
puddle. No messing.

I've got wet feet, now.

Look at him! He's out of his mind.

As Flintoff got stuck into his
second workout of the day,

amazingly, his Beetle had lost out
to the Corsa by just one lap.

But our classics were still in with
a shot

because next to of a crack was the
expert car journalist

and his legendary Niva.

He's going to have a theory, isn't
he?

He's going to have a theory, this
lad.

He'll have worked out the times, the
cornering.

Don't hold me on the line,
McGuinness.

Here we go.

Three...

..two...

Come on!

..one, go.

Now, it turns out Harris did have a
theory.

So, nice and slowly.

Strong start, Fred.

The only problem was it was totally
wrong.

You're going to run out of time,
Chris.

There's a time limit on it as well.

Come on!

You've already done over 1 minute
20 seconds and you've done one lap.

It's not hard - to get anywhere near
the Corsa's 11 laps in the time,

you'd have to drive fast.

Third gear. Can I get into
fourth?

Do something, man! Just do
something.

Christopher, that was your fifth
lap.

Fifth lap and you have 2 minutes 50
seconds left.

This is top fun.

But with Harris still none the
wiser...

Yes.

..eventually his time ran out.

Three, two, one and stop.

It's still going. It's still going.
It's a little fuel miser.

Chris, the time is up.

Listen.

TIMER BEEPS

He's still going.

What's he doing?

This is embarrassing.

And she's just died, boys.

After an amazing victory, the Niva
dies.

Did you not understand the
challenge, Chris?

Harris had failed his Lada with just
eight laps in the time.

So, last to have a crack at the
Corsa's 11-lap benchmark

was the mighty MG.

Are you ready to go, Patrick?

Yes.

Three, two, one, go.

Go on, MGB.

He's taking this very seriously,
isn't he?

Yeah.

Woohoo!

Stirling Moss set a land speed
record in an MG.

Granted, it weren't around a quarry

with a quid's worth of petrol in it,
but...

..it's got racing DNA in its blood,
this thing.

Under three minutes now, Pad. Keep
going.

Under three minutes.

Right, come on, MG. Let's go.

That was almost oversteer.

Come on!

Under a minute. Go on, see if you
can eke it out.

Oh, it's got a bit jittery.

This is ridiculous.

The old MG's going to prove to be
more efficient than the Corsa.

Under 30 seconds.

Still going!

Go on. I hope you're watching this,
kids.

Keep going!

Ten, nine, eight... Keep going!

..seven, six, five... Go on!

..four, three... Go on!

..two, one.

Oh, just gone at the end, boys!

Oh!

That were a lot of fun.

It looked so much better, when you
were having a go.

Right, here we go, Pad.

Stig did 11 laps and you were about
to complete your 12th,

so you beat him.

Fantastic!

Not just a victory for the MGB, but
a victory for the classics, lads.

And with the winner rightly treated
to a bit of help off the field,

fuelled up and point well and truly
proven,

we got back to enjoying the drive in
our old school heroes.

Lads, so if you go back over 40
years,

that takes us to 1981.

40 years ago, lads!

My daughter's nearly 17.

I can't imagine that I'm going to be
teaching her to drive.

I'm not sure I'm the man for that
job.

My kids don't listen, when I tell
them about cricket.

I've got no chance with driving.

Well, they're not on their own
there, Fred, let's be honest.

Look at the way we behaved, when
we're 17.

Everyone was out to go fast.

If I start saying, "You can't do
that",

I'm just being a hypocrite cos
that's what I did.

I think that's quite a good selling
point

for all three of these cars, isn't
it?

You know, the kids can't go fast in
them.

But despite the compelling weight of
this argument,

the producers were apparently still
not convinced

by the genius of our first car
classics.

Because we were soon told to make
a stop at an abandoned RAF base

with an unlikely history...

..of speed.

Back in the early 1950s, Davidstow
Airfield played host..

..to Formula 1.

As venues go, it was about as far as
you could get

from the glamour of Monte Carlo.

But nevertheless, the Cornish Grand
Prix ran three times

and even saw Lotus in its first-ever
race.

But remarkable as that may be...

..sadly, it had nothing to do with
our next test.

It's paint, is it, that's coming
at us?

Cos I can't cover my head properly.

I'm just worried about me hair.

People pay a lot of money for this
hair.

Don't worry about that, lads.

I'm worried about me hair.

If that doesn't go in the edit, I'm
resigning.

So, because speed is the biggest
cause of accidents

among new drivers,

with our speedos and pretty much
everything else taped over,

We would now see who could get
closest to exactly 50mph.

Go over and we'd be out of the game,

as naturally, a paint b*mb would go
off inside the car.

So, I'm going to use the logic of
when these cars were new,

0 to 60 in around about 14 seconds
on mine and Fred's.

So, if I do the one Mississippi, two
Mississippi till I get to about...

..ten Mississippi, I reckon that'll
be the cut-off point.

That'll be about 40 odd.

Right, are we ready?

Yeah, go on, then.

ENGINES REV

Three, two, one...

..best of luck.

Oh, God, here we go.

This is horrendous.

One Mississippi, two Mississippi,
three Mississippi...

Third.

Come on, the Beetle.

I'm flat out. Whatever happens, I'm
flat out.

..six Mississippi, seven
Mississippi...

..Oh, God, eight Mississippi.

I've got to be up near 30 or 40
here.

McGuinness is taking liberties,
there.

Nine Mississippi.

Ten... Oh, I reckon...I reckon...

..I reckon that's about...

I mean, I'm well in front of them
two.

HE LAUGHS INCREDULOUSLY

You were nearly getting sprayed,
there, I reckon, Pad.

If they tell me I got to 48, then
that's me out.

First run down, we crawl back to the
start line for the results

and we would have to decide whether
to stick with the speed we'd hit

or run again to try and get closer
to the magic 50.

Here we go, lads.

h*, h*, h*!

Chris in the Lada...

..38mph.

Damn!

Freddie in the Beetle...

..37mph.

37?

Mr McGuinnes in the MGB...

..44mph.

Oh, no!

I'm sticking, boys!

No!

PADDY LAUGHS

I'm last. I'm going again.

Mr Harris?

Well, I've got to twist and I don't
want to.

I'll count you off, boys.

Come on, then, Chris.

CHRIS SIGHS

Three, two, one, go!

Flintoff.

Right, first, that's got to be about
20.

A bit more than I had last time.

Second gear.

Oh, Harris has gone for it.

They're moving a bit!

It's a bit bumpy. I've got me foot
on the floor in third.

There.

Not sure I could've gone any faster,
there, Chris.

This is ridiculous.

What are you thinking, lads?

I reckon that was around 45 for me.

I don't reckon I can go much quicker
than that without risking it.

I think I would've got over 40, Pad,
but I had me foot on the floor.

I need flatter ground.

Thank you.

Oh, my days!

Mr Flintoff...

Yeah.

..42.

HE GROANS

Still under McGuinness's time of 44.

But Mr Harris...

..maximum speed to hit before the
paint goes off - 50mph.

Christopher Harris, you did it in...

..49mph.

No!

I'm not having that.

I'm not having that. We've got to
go, Pad.

No.

Oh, no, it's a northern off.

Harris and his Niva had a thrown
down the gauntlet,

meaning McGuinness was back at the
table against me

and the stakes were getting higher.

Paddy, I'm going to back up and give
myself a run up.

Oh, God, here we go.

The chips are in the middle, Paddy.

I'm going all in.

I think he's going to the next
county.

It's cos it's uphill.

HE SIGHS

Boys, I'm off. I'm off.

Count me in, Chris.

Three, two, one...

..go!

Oh, he's gone!

Oh, Flintoff, flying into it.

Come on!

49, that is crazy.

Come on.

Oh, I'm not doing me Mississippis.
I've lost myself!

Come on, come on.

Oh, no. Oh, that's feeling fast.

Come on.

PADDY MOANS

Come on, the Beetle!

There. Right...

Jesus BLEEP!

FRED LAUGHS

Oh, no!

Paddy's gone, Chris. Paddy's
disqualified.

PADDY LAUGHS

That is not good.

Eventually, I found me way back to
the start line...

I can't see. Where am I?

Oh, God!

I've hit a cone, lads.

..and the results we're in.

Thank you.

Oh, h*-h*!

I was doing 51.

Chris Harris, your time was 49mph.

Here we go.

Mr Flintoff in the Beetle...

..your time is...

..49mph.

We've got a twist off, boys.

Oh, no!

Oh, yes, it was Beetle versus Niva
for one final showdown.

So, what have you got, Harris?

Push them chips in the middle, son.

What have you got?

And to make sure the VW could
definitely hit 50,

we'd be lining up from the other
end, pointing downhill.

This is it, boys.

This is for the big one.

Go hard or go home.

Here we go.

Three, two, one...

..best of luck!

Don't be backing off on it, Chris.
Come on.

Come on, then, Flintoff. Come on,
then, Flintoff.

Come on, then, Flintoff.

Oh, it's looking quick, lads.

50mph coming in, Harris.

That's enough for me.

Keep going, Fred!

Come on.

I'm running out of runway.

Whoa, whoa.

Come on, Paddy. What's the numbers?

Oh!

h*-h*, boys!

Chris Harris...

50mph.

Yes!

Oh! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!

Mr Flintoff...

..50mph. Whoa!

It's a draw, boys.

Does that mean I'm the winner cos
Chris was following me,

trying to keep up with my speed?

We can argue the toss about that
after I've had a shower.

APPLAUSE

I was not wrecking the interior of
my car. I was not wrecking it.

That paint b*mb going off.

I don't mind admitting I was
genuinely nervous.

It took me a week to get it out of
every nook and cranny,

and then, I started on the car.

You've only got yourself to blame,
though, Pad,

because myself and Fred, we're more
at one with our vehicles.

We tend to be. Yeah. You can't teach
it, it's natural.

It's car synergy.

There's nothing to boast about.

You literally had two cars that
wouldn't get to 50mph.

That is true. All right, Tony Hart,
listen to Morph.

Anyway, we'll get back to film
later.

IN HIGH-PITCHED VOICE: Hello.

It's time to move on.

Yes, yes, it is.

Tonight, we're celebrating the
brilliance of old cars.

And if you're talking brilliant old
cars,

there's one that stands head and
shoulders above the rest.

Take a look at this...

This is the story of the Lamborghini
Miura.

It was introduced to the world in
1966...

..and it remains one of the most
beautiful,

most important cars of them all.

This is supercar genesis.

Oh, yes.

Yes!

What did this look and feel like in
the mid '60s?

Before the Miura, there were fast
cars.

Before the Miura, of course, there
were beautiful cars,

but there was nothing as outrageous
as this.

And like all the great inventions,

of course, it was born out of a
feud.

A feud that begins in late '50s
Italy,

where a businessman by the name of
Ferruccio Lamborghini...

..has become rather successful in
the world of tractors.

Ferruccio is making so much money,
he's bought himself...

..a few Ferraris.

Trouble is, they keep breaking down
and costing a b*mb to repair.

So, he takes one apart and discovers
that his beautiful Ferrari

actually uses the same cheap clutch
as his tractors.

Ferruccio is not best pleased.

Tracking down the boss, Enzo
Ferrari,

he says, "You build your beautiful
cars with my tractor parts."

"My cars are the best in the world",
Enzo replies,

before adding, "You are just a
tractor driver, a farmer."

Now, Ferruccio doesn't take this too
well.

Incensed, he vows to seek revenge on
Enzo

by starting his own car company,
Automobili Lamborghini.

First out of the factory was the 350
GT.

It was very nice, but it was also a
bit...

..Ferrari.

To really stick it to Enzo,

Ferruccio and his team of brilliant
young engineers

needed to change the game.

They needed a car that would make
the entire world...

..stop and stare.

And, boy, did they nail it!

This...

..is a masterpiece of design.

But even more amazingly,

it seems no-one can agree on who
actually designed it.

There's a big plaque that says it
came from Bertone styling house,

but within that styling house, there
were two young designers -

Gandini and Giugiaro.

Gandini claims he was the one that
drew it,

but Giugiaro stuck his hand up as
well and said, "I did it."

I mean, imagine not knowing who
painted the Mona Lisa.

That's what we're talking about
here -

one of the most beautiful cars ever,
ever drawn.

And we still don't quite know who
did it.

One thing is certain, though -

the look of the Miura was only the
beginning

of Lamborghinis out-there approach.

Take the engine -

to make sure the car also had the
pace to embarrass Ferrari,

it was a 3.9-litre V12.

But inspired by the original Mini,

that engine shared its casing with
the gearbox to save space

and was mounted sideways behind the
driver

for better weight distribution.

And what an engine it was!

Bizzarrini V12 - smaller, lighter

and more powerful than anything
Ferrari had at the time.

It had 350 horsepower.

This later SV car - 385 horsepower.

Big numbers back then

and I can see the carburettor and
the throttles moving behind me.

Every time I push the pedal, you can
see it moving.

It feels like I'm just off the side
of the engine because I am.

It's about 16 inches away from my
shoulder.

ENGINE REVS

And the noise...

h*-h*!

Top speed - well, in true
Lamborghini fashion,

nobody quite knows that either.

But it was at least 170mph...

..which crucially made them the
Miura faster

than anything Ferrari was selling at
the time.

Wing mirrors were optional in 1966.

Why did you need them?

Who was going to overtake you, if
you were driving a Miura?

This was the fastest road car in the
world.

There were no questions, it was the
fastest.

Or at least...

..it was when it worked.

Early Miuras were built using steel
less than 1mm thick.

They were fragile, temperamental
cars, and they broke a lot.

The headlights were borrowed from a
Fiat and they were rubbish.

One owner apparently confronted
Ferruccio,

saying his car was lethal to drive
at night,

to which Ferruccio replied,

"What gentleman will want to spend
his nights in the car?"

Caddish retorts were all well and
good,

but in fact, the headlights were the
least of the Miura's problems.

The V12's carburettors had this
habit

of dripping fuel down to the spark
plugs,

which occasionally resulted in a
massive fire,

which kept owners on their toes.

As did the handling at very high
speeds,

because the fuel tank's in the
front, so when it was low on fuel,

the front would...lift.

So, yeah, your Miura could become
an aeroplane.

And it was hardly surprising.

Lamborghini's engineers hadn't had
test tracks or wind tunnels.

It was only once the car got onto
the road

that they could see if their great
experiment had worked.

This was a car born out of
improvisation and passion...

..bravery, and it would seem quite
a lot of stupidity as well.

This interior is completely bonkers.

The speedometer's obscured,

the rev counter's hidden behind the
steering wheel.

I can't see any of this stuff. It's
too low.

It was just designed to look great,
to make you feel great.

It doesn't matter if it works or
not.

It just makes you feel special.

It was a neat trick.

The Miura felt so special that it
quickly became...

..the ultimate superstar accessory.

Miles Davis had one.

Frank Sinatra, Twiggy...

Rod Stewart had two.

But for the rest of the world, it
was in 1969's The Italian Job

that the Miura truly became an icon.

# Questi giorni quando vieni il
bel sole. #

There's no decade in modern history

that's more romanticised than the
1960s,

and this is the supercar of the
'60s.

You just imagine the way it was
developed, the passion.

There's nothing logical or pragmatic
about it at all.

It's just a piece of green
ridiculousness on wheels

and I absolutely adore it for that.

# On days like these when skies are
blue

and fields are green. #

The Miura proved for the first time
that a car could be admired,

not because it was practical or
comfortable or safe,

nor even, like its great rivals from
Ferrari,

because it had racing pedigree to
match its pace.

Instead, the Miura proved that a car
could be admired

simply for being...extraordinary.

Every supercar since - Ferrari F40,
McLaren F1, Pagani Zonda -

they all owe their existence to
this car.

This is where it all started.

This...

..is the original.

# It's on days like these

# That I remember

# Singing songs and drinking wine

# While your eyes play games
with mine. #

APPLAUSE

Love it, love it.

That is a stunning car. Yeah.

Stunning car.

I do love a proper Chris Harris deep
dive.

You really come away feeling like
you've learned something.

Yeah, a lot of information, there.

Not a lot of laughs, but a lot of
information.

And 1966 - what a year!

Birth of the Miura, England winning
the World Cup

and Doritos were invented.

Doritos? Yes.

'66 - Doritos, '73 - Hula Hoops.

75 - Frazzles.

Oh, I've got facts, too.

Yeah, and don't even get me started
on biscuits.

I'm moving on before you start on
Quavers.

Anyway, it's time to get back to our
West Country road trip,

where we were about to find out

whether our old cars for new drivers
idea

was really the brilliant brainwave
we thought it was.

Bathed as it was in sunshine and
blue skies,

as we arrived the next morning at
the Cornish coast,

the Car Gods were clearly smiling
on our course.

Oh, look at the ocean, boys.

The Atlantic, that, I think.

Beautiful.

But the producers were still not on
board with our

old cars for new drivers concept.

And at Perranporth Airfield,

they said it was time to sort things
out once and for all.

Who have got here?

Lads, I spy young people.

Oh, here we go.

Oh, dear.

Yes, to find out what some actual
new drivers made of our cars,

we'd each been paired with one to
take on a driving test.

Hello!

Hiya, pal, I'm Fred. Hi, how are
you? I'm Sanath.

Sanath, nice to meet you, mate.

I'm Charlotte. Hello, Charlotte. I'm
Chris.

Hi, nice to meet you.

What's your name, pal? Heathcliff.

Heathcliff, love it. Great name!

Get your seat belt on, son. Where is
the seat belt?

Can you see it? Yeah. That's it.

It's not coming over. You got it?

Nice and easy, Heathcliff. Nice
and gentle.

Have you got it? I think so, yeah.

There you are, son. Get it in that,
there.

Hold on.

Right, so while the young'uns get
familiar with our classics...

It just seems to get stuck there.

..let's have a look at the
irresponsibly designed test

we'll be taking with Stig in his
trusty Corsa.

Naturally, we kick off with a hill
start.

Then, there's a roadblock block,

where you get on the horn to clear
the van out of the way.

Up next is a reverse around a
roundabout,

before a toll barrier that once
open, of course, means...

..you can g*n it.

Then, it's a slalom through a
traffic jam of stationary cars,

slamming on the anchors for an
emergency stop,

where we would swap drivers.

Standard.

The final stint would see our teens
use their phones to sat nav us

ten miles down the road to that
first car road trip driving Mecca...

..Newquay.

The winner will be whoever reached
the Hedland Hotel

in the fastest time.

But with both team and car needing
to work in perfect harmony...

..it'd be fair to say, we hadn't got
off to the best of starts.

What, are you a fan of cricket?

Yeah. Do you watch IPL?

Yeah.

What team do you support?

Like, preferably. Chennai Super
Kings.

My guy. Are you Chennai? Yeah, cos
of Tamil, innit.

Tamil in the heart. Are you a big
fan?

Yeah, big fan. I played for Chennai
Super Kings.

Really? What year?

2008.

I mean, I was a baby at the time,
so I didn't watch cricket back then.

Right.

So, the gear shift, actually, when
you concentrate on it, is lovely.

It's only four gears - one, two,
three, four and an H.

So, like the car you drove... Right.

..back to four. The clutch and the
pedals you'll find really weird...

Yeah. ..because the throttle is
really far back...

Oh, my God.

And the thing about this is it's
only four gears... Yep.

..so you'll soon get used to it.

But they're just very close
together. Yeah.

And I tell you now... When did you
pass?

A month and 15 days ago.

I started getting into cricket when
I was like 15 or about 13, 14.

Right, yeah.

Yeah.

You know what, Fred?

What about the 2005 Ashes? Have you
heard of that?

Not even.

Do you know what, when I get home...
No?

The first time England won the Ashes
for 21 years?

OK.

Has the game moved on that much?

Before his young team mate could
answer,

mercifully, it was time for the test
to begin,

where, lined up for a staggered
start a few minutes apart,

Team Beetle would be up first.

Go on the lights here, Sanath. Are
you ready?

Hill start.

Go, go, go.

Get the handbrake down.

Whoa, wheel spin. Whoa!

Whoa, whoa, whoa!

Nicely done. That's a nice start.

Here we go. Got a left.

Get that steering wheel round. It's
heavier than you think.

Move him out of the way, sound it.

HORN BEEPS

There we go.

Into reverse.

I am in reverse. Go on, try it.

A bit of gas, a bit of gas.

Oh, oh. Stop, stop, stop!

Here we go.

Oh, lovely!

A 90 left, Heathcliff. That's what
we say in the racing game.

Where's the horn? Right, so, give
him a pip.

Get out of the way! Get out of the
way, you bellend!

That's a word you use a lot, when
you start driving - bellend.

Left hand down. Left hand down.

Down, down all the way around.

Keep moving. There you go.

Keep it in there. Keep moving.

Perfect.

No stress.

No stress. No stress.

This is going to be fun.

OK.

WESTERN MUSIC PLAYS

g*nsh*t

OK, we're going. Yes! Argh!

SHE SCREAMS

Whoa, whoa, now, back off a bit.

Second.

Brake now, brake now.

OK, sound the horn. Sound the horn.

Move! Get him out of the way. First
gear again. First gear again.

Well done.

Toll road. I'll lend you £1.

Hello, mate. Thank you.

Oh, he's stalled. He's stalled.

Get that clutch in.

Here we go. Traffic jam coming up.

Here we go. Give it some gas.

You're good, you're good, you're
good. OK.

Get it in second. In second.

Now, go that way. That way, reverse?

Oh, oh, oh, oh! Argh!

Who reverses round a roundabout?

Oh!

Look at this! It's just two brothers
out on the road.

Here you are. There's a quid.
Get your window down.

Wind it down, first. Wind it down.
Oh, I can't get it!

Go, go, go. This is old school,
Heathcliff. Give it him.

Oh, my word.

Nice and smooth, Sanath.

Blooming heck!

See, just... That's my casual
styling, man.

Oh, is this your style? You're
all right now, ain't you?

You weren't like this back there.

Two hands, two hands! Two hands,
yeah?

Emergency stop.

Whoa!

Nice.

Well done, mate.

So, Team Beetle had reached the end
of the first leg,

and having swapped drivers, were on
their way out of the airfield...

Oh, that's better.

..and onto the final ten-mile
navigation dash to Newquay.

Here we go. Which way am I going?

So, we are going...left.

But Team MG were also now flying
towards the end of the course.

# Heathcliff, it's me, I'm Cathy
I've come home

# I'm so cold
Let me in your window

I can't believe you've only passed
your test a month ago, son!

This is very impressive.

I'm going to stop!

Whoa!

Heathcliff!

And as McGuinness and his young
Padawan swapped

for their next stint...

Get me seat belt. It's OK.

..despite the GT's ongoing attempts
to hold them up...

Oh, no!

It's not having it. No, take your
time.

..before long, they were back on the
move.

Right, we're in. Are you in?

Let's go! All right.

Team Lada, meanwhile, was bringing
up the rear...

A bit more gas. Go, go, go!

I've got it. Ready?

..but coming in...fast.

Whoa! What a stop!

Right, now, jump out and swap. OK.

Come on.

How are we looking?

We're going at 49mph. 49? Yeah.

That's practically rapid in this.

Oh, my God! My hair.

Lob it back there. Don't worry about
your hair.

I've got hat hair. At least you've
got hair.

Yeah. Come on!

Be sensitive for a minute.

All right. 1.5 miles on this road.
All right.

A bit of that.

Oh, let's have it!
That's what we want!

Here we go!

Paddy Makinen and his new co-driver
were right in the zone.

Right. 0.5 miles on this.

Good navigating, Heathcliff!

And it looked like the fight
for first car glory

would be between Britain
and the USSR.

We're on the limiter.

We're flying! Come on!

The Niva is flying!

Especially as the Cornish
countryside was now asking

more and more questions
of Fred's sluggish Beetle.

So the speed limit is
60 miles an hour on this road.

Not a chance I can get to 60.

What, this car can't reach 60?

No way. Not a chance.

It's got 50 horsepower.

OK. That was when it was new.

Now, this is an experience.

Yeah, it is.
Look at the beautiful view.

I like this, you're on the map
properly. Embrace the scenery.

One mile we're going right.

You happy with your hair?
Yeah, my hair's looking great. OK.

Do you want the mirror?
Are you happy with your hair?

Oh, wait! Oh! Oh, there's no...

There's no need for any of that!

All right.

So the other two might have been
having an easier run of it.

Right, five minutes, 1.8 miles.

What, to the destination?
To the destination.

We are nailing it, pal.

But this is Cornwall.

And just when you think
you're going well...

Come on, the Niva.
Come on, the Niva.

In 1.6 miles, we're going right.

That's in 1.6 miles.

..you soon realise
you're never far...

Oh, no! Oh, Jesus.

..from a bit of holiday traffic.

Oh, my lord!

Look at this.

Look at this, come on!

The delays looked costly.

You wouldn't expect it.
Oh, my word.

Or at least they would have,

if the competition didn't still have
their own hills to conquer.

Oh, my God!

It's going to be not easy. Come on!

Up the hill! Pump it up! Pump it up!

You can do it, little babe. Come on.

Come on, doing well, come on.

Come on! Let's go.

Oh, come on, son!

Yeah! Come on!

Ooh, ooh!

Urrrgh!

Oh, my God, look at that view.

The finish line was now
just a stone's throw away.

Oh, look at that for a view
down there.

Look at that. I can smell
the fish and chips already.

Oh, good lad.

And with two of us
closing in fast...

Here. Left up here?
Yeah. We've smashed this.

We have smashed this. We have!

Sadly for Team Beetle,

it turned out that somewhere along
the sightseeing crawl of Newquay,

they'd also gone the wrong way.

Is this the same road?

This is the same road here.

Yeah, and then left. Left? Yep.

Why did you take us that way?
Yeah, well...

Is that you there,
taking your pictures? Yes, come on.

I think the navigator told me
to go for a scenic route.

And that meant, with
a few extra valuable minutes lost,

as the scenic route finally brought
them round to the finish line...

Yeah. Oooh!

Yes!

..Team MG was right behind.

THEY CHEER

My lad, Heathcliff!

Sorted. Lads are here.

Oh, my word!

How did you get here so fast?

Love that, Heathcliff.

Some navigation there, pal.

Which way did you come?
The way it told us to go.

We did the scenic route.

We went round that way first
and then came back.

Did you? Here we go.

LAUGHTER

It's the g*ng.

ALL: Ohhhh!

THEY CHEER

Girl power! Girl power!

I've got to tell you,
you were not far behind us.

Smashed it. I've got a feeling
you might have done it.

Well played.

Oh, hello, there. Thank you.

Right, OK.

Freddie and Sanath.

27 minutes and 12 seconds.

I don't think...
I think we're last here.

Chris and Charlotte.

21 minutes and 32 seconds?!

Which way did you go?

So Chris and Charlotte,
21 minutes and 32 seconds.

Paddy and Heathcliff.

Also, 21 minutes and...

..28 seconds!

Good lad!

We got close.
That's my boy! That's my boy.

Hey, go on, get yourself in there,
son, you've earned it.

Get in, big man.
That was...that was good fun.

You'll be having a shave next.
Good lad.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Good lad, Heathcliff!

They were all great, weren't they?

They were all great.

So, we set out to find cars
for new drivers that were affordable

and more interesting than
a Vauxhall Corsa.

I've got to say, boys,
I think we've nailed it.

Cracking trio.
I have to stop you there, Pad.

I admit they are brilliant,
but I found a few issues with them.

No ABS, no airbags.

Don't steer straight. No brakes.

Sounds like me, now.
I have to on this one, Chris.

I feel for this one because...
because the more I drove this,

the more I realised,
there's not a chance

I'm putting a child of mine in it.
No way.

He's got a point. They're charming,
but they just serve to remind you

how far the motor car's come.

Correct. So what we're saying is,
if you've just passed your test

and you want something affordable
to buy and insure,

ignore everything we've just said
and get a Corsa.

Exactly. Correct.

And that's it for the show
and the series. What?!

Well, don't worry,
because we'll be back very soon

with a bonus Christmas episode.

h*-h*-hope to see you then!

A little Christmas gag.

Thanks for watching. Goodnight!