1 00:00:05,560 --> 00:00:06,480 (ENGINE REVVING) 2 00:00:06,520 --> 00:00:08,440 (TRAIN WHISTLE BLASTS) 3 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:55,880 (CHEERING) 4 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:02,520 Hello, everybody. Hel-lo! 5 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:04,520 (WHISTLING) 6 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:07,520 -Hello! -Thank you. 7 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:09,560 -Thank you, everybody. -Hello! 8 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:11,280 Thank you, thank you, thank you. 9 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:12,920 RICHARD: Hello! 10 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:16,040 Thank you so much, everybody. Thank you. Now... 11 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:19,520 Coming up in this week's show: 12 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:22,040 A supercar is dismantled for no reason. 13 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:26,120 A man with no shirt on. 14 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:28,600 And my whole tongue is wrapped up in intestine. 15 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:30,960 My whole tongue is wrapped up in intestine. 16 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:35,480 Those are the highlights. 17 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:36,960 -Those are the best bits. -Yep. 18 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:38,280 They really are. 19 00:01:38,320 --> 00:01:42,920 Anyway... over here in the West, 20 00:01:42,960 --> 00:01:46,920 we tend to think that at £360,000 21 00:01:46,960 --> 00:01:50,080 a Rolls Royce Phantom is quite expensive. 22 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:54,760 But this week, The Grand Tour is focusing mostly on China. 23 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:57,920 And over there, things are a bit different. 24 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:06,520 (INSECT BUZZING) 25 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:11,720 JEREMY: Not that long ago, China was full of old, bent-over rice-farmer ladies, 26 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:14,120 up to their ankles in mud. 27 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:20,120 But these days, things have changed a bit. 28 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:30,280 (DRAMATIC MUSIC) 29 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:43,080 As recently as the 1980s, 30 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:45,720 people here would lie awake at night 31 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:47,760 dreaming of having enough money... 32 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:50,760 ...to buy a mule. 33 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:56,680 Whereas now, just 30 years later, 34 00:02:56,720 --> 00:03:00,000 they dream of being able to buy a Hongqi. 35 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:03,440 Specifically this Hongqi - the L5. 36 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:10,520 In Chinese, Hongqi means "the red flag", 37 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:13,560 the symbol of communism. 38 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:16,520 But there's nothing at all communistical 39 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:18,560 about this monster's price tag. 40 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:23,720 Which is £880,000. 41 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:29,360 The interior is an exquisite work of art 42 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:33,080 with rosewood panelling and cream leather. 43 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:37,560 The dashboard and centre console are fully digital. 44 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:39,600 There's jade in the door handles 45 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:42,720 and golden sunflowers everywhere else. 46 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:47,560 I only saw this thing for the first time a few moments ago 47 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:49,880 and already I'm in love. 48 00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:54,720 I love the way each door weighs the same as a medium-sized mountain. 49 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:57,600 I love the red flags here and on the bonnet. 50 00:03:57,640 --> 00:03:59,080 I love the flagpoles. 51 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:02,760 It's like... it's like a cartoon baddie's car, 52 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:05,640 cos in real life nobody could be that bad. 53 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:07,760 I mean, it's impossible! 54 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:15,440 One thing the Hongqi doesn't have is armour plating, 55 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:17,000 but even so, 56 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:22,200 it weighs just shy of 3.2 tons. 57 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:27,440 Now to move this enormous weight around, 58 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:31,200 it's fitted with a six-litre V12 engine 59 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:34,200 which turns petrol into silence. 60 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:37,920 It's not particularly comfortable, though. 61 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:40,440 The seats especially are very hard. 62 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:43,360 And the steering wheel adjuster button is broken 63 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:44,920 and there are no cup holders. 64 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:47,760 And it certainly isn't fast. 65 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:53,240 In fact, it has the same power-to-weight ratio as a Peugeot 308 diesel. 66 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:57,800 Hongqi won't say what the 0 to 60 time is. 67 00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:00,800 I suspect because it won't actually do 60. 68 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:05,200 You know what, though? I don't care about any of that, 69 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:08,360 because it is just magnificent and evil. 70 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:09,880 (LAUGHS EVILLY) 71 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:13,000 Gloriously, brilliantly evil. 72 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:17,240 Despite its villainous presence, though, 73 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:19,360 the price is mad. 74 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:22,360 So, I called May and Hammond 75 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:24,720 and we came up with an idea. 76 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:38,440 If you are a Chinese businessman or businessman-woman, 77 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:40,600 and you want a car that reflects your status, 78 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:43,280 you don't need to spend £880,000. 79 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:45,480 You can simply pop over to Europe 80 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:47,960 and buy a Mercedes S-Class, like this one. 81 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:55,800 And even though this is the 6-litre V12, 82 00:05:55,840 --> 00:05:59,200 it cost me just £8,800. 83 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:05,280 In other words, you could have 100 of these for the price of a Hongqi. 84 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:08,560 At this point, my colleague Richard Hammond arrived in... 85 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:10,040 something or other. 86 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:12,400 What is that? 87 00:06:12,440 --> 00:06:15,640 This is a Cadillac STS and you can shut up. 88 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:18,200 -I wasn't gonna say anything. -Good. 89 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:20,840 Because this is fitted with one of the best engines of all time. 90 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:25,320 The creamy smooth, 4.6-litre Northstar V8. 91 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:28,360 Making 300 all-American horsepower. 92 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:31,320 That engine was designed so it can run for up to 100 miles 93 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:32,800 with no coolant in it at all, 94 00:06:32,840 --> 00:06:36,040 by shutting down one bank of the V8 until it cools 95 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:38,520 and then the other one, and then the other one. That is clever. 96 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:42,280 -And front-wheel drive? -Yeah? 97 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:44,720 It's a luxury car. Who cares what wheels are being driven, James? 98 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:49,480 Well, people who care about torque steer, weight distribution, 99 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:51,200 -dignified engineering, doing things properly. -All right. 100 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:53,520 I'll cancel all the track days I've entered in it 101 00:06:53,560 --> 00:06:56,080 and I'll just drive around in it as a luxury car. 102 00:06:56,120 --> 00:06:59,360 Anyway, this is the Mercedes S-Class, which, as we know, 103 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:01,760 is really a sort of paradigm for the luxury car 104 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:04,120 and it's a pioneer of many things that are new on cars 105 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:06,280 and that we come to see as standard some years later. 106 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:08,480 For example... 107 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:11,320 -first car to have... -Soft-close doors. 108 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:12,560 How many miles has it done? 109 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:14,840 180...000. 110 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:16,880 RICHARD: Yeah, well, I figured. 111 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:18,840 -Where did your car come from? -Germany. 112 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:20,520 -A German... -Mm-hm. 113 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:22,320 ...bought a Cadillac? 114 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:24,160 We were then interrupted 115 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:28,560 by the arrival of Clarkson in a BMW. 116 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:32,560 Ooh, I see you've bought the long car. 117 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:36,280 -Yours is long as well. -Are you two beamed from the 1970s? 118 00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:39,080 -No, they're long-wheel base and this is long. -It is long. 119 00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:43,880 This is the BMW 750 IL, 120 00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:46,280 as Q called it in the Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies. 121 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:47,720 JAMES: Did he? BOTH: He did. 122 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:50,240 -Nobody told him? -Nobody on set said, 123 00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:52,080 "Desmond, that's not what it says." 124 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:54,040 You would think, wouldn't you? Oh, well. 125 00:07:54,080 --> 00:07:56,800 And in the film, they use 740s rebadged. 126 00:07:56,840 --> 00:07:59,320 JAMES: Do they? -Yeah. This is the real deal. 127 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:02,320 -The 5.4 litre V12. JAMES: Hmm. 128 00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:06,120 And all I paid for it was £8,400. 129 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:08,560 That is one hell of a lot of car. 130 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:12,960 I only paid £3,000 for my Cadillac. 131 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:14,440 That's a Cadillac. 132 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:18,400 Yes, the point I'm gonna make is what kind of a moron 133 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:20,080 in Germany said, 134 00:08:20,120 --> 00:08:23,480 "Zere's Audi, zere's BMW, zere's Mercedes. 135 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:24,920 I should buy a Cadillac." 136 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:27,640 In fact, I know exactly. You know those Germans 137 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:29,320 you see that think they're Hell's Angels? 138 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:31,720 -They're dentists, but they have Harley Davidsons. -Yes? 139 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:34,320 And they go to the Oktoberfest and they drink Budweiser. 140 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:36,720 Yes, well, I know the Germans you mean. 141 00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:38,240 No, it... You're wrong. 142 00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:39,720 Because the previous owner of that car 143 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:42,000 was an American general living in Germany. 144 00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:43,400 -Was he? -A general? 145 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:45,040 An American general and he bought that because 146 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:47,400 he recognised what Cadillac intended with that car, 147 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:50,080 which is to take on Audi, BMW, Mercedes, 148 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:52,280 directly with that car with the Northstar engine. 149 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:55,600 Oh, yes, they were very successful with that, Europe is full of Cadillacs. 150 00:08:55,640 --> 00:08:57,840 -Yeah, you see them everywhere. -You never see an Audi. 151 00:08:57,880 --> 00:09:01,640 JEREMY: Tripping over these. -Rarity and exclusivity are part of luxury. 152 00:09:01,640 --> 00:09:04,520 -Let's have a look at yours. -Mine, honestly, is in perfect nick. 153 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:07,040 -It's um...absolutely fine. -I saw that. I saw that. 154 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:10,280 -Saw what? Nothing to see. -That's got double glazing in it and has gone wrong. 155 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:12,000 Oh, wait a minute, is your... Come on! 156 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:13,600 What's the disease? It's got... 157 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:16,160 -James, is that between the panes? -Yeah, it's got mumps. 158 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:20,120 That's the most depressing - a double-glazed window with mildew in-between it. 159 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:23,160 -What's the matter? -You've got mildew inside your windows. 160 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:24,520 -Where? -There. 161 00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:27,040 -Well, it's just, it's... -That's really poor. 162 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:31,200 Oh, my God! Basically, it's disappearing before your eyes. 163 00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:33,520 JAMES: How can a German car... Sure it's a real one? 164 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:35,400 Was it parked in the sea when you bought it? 165 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:38,520 Let's not get bogged down with the oxidisation of my car. 166 00:09:38,600 --> 00:09:42,120 Because a lot of Chinese people, as we know, come to Europe these days. 167 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:44,640 Mostly to go to the Mr Shopping Village. 168 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:48,120 Which is now a bigger tourist attraction for the Chinese in England 169 00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:49,720 than Buckingham Palace - true fact. 170 00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:52,280 -Anybody else find that faintly depressing? -Very depressing. 171 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:55,200 If Chinese people are going to come to the UK 172 00:09:55,240 --> 00:09:57,880 and buy Western soap and Western frocks, 173 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:00,480 why would they not buy Western cars when they're there? 174 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:03,520 RICHARD: Yeah, you can't buy these cars second-hand over here. 175 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:05,640 -No, this vintage isn't available here. -No. 176 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:09,040 JAMES: No. -Because when these cars were new, everyone in China had... 177 00:10:09,080 --> 00:10:10,880 -Bicycles. -Yes! Or oxen. 178 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:12,240 -Yeah. -And what we're saying is, 179 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:13,840 you can buy one of these 180 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:17,000 for a lot less than a luxury Hongqi. 181 00:10:17,040 --> 00:10:20,520 -A lot, lot less. -And that's what we're here to prove, people of China. 182 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:27,600 JEREMY: We couldn't have chosen a better location for our test - 183 00:10:27,640 --> 00:10:32,640 the absolutely mind-blowing city of Chongqing. 184 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:51,000 Let me give you a few facts and figures, if I may, about Chongqing. 185 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:54,080 Population in the municipal area of around 30 million, 186 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:57,120 so it's one of the biggest cities in the world. 187 00:10:57,160 --> 00:11:00,400 14 different car makers here, so it's China's Motown. 188 00:11:00,440 --> 00:11:03,880 And it's the capital of the Chinese motorcycling industry. 189 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:07,400 And they made 100 million laptops here last year. 190 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:20,360 Apparently the city is twinned with Leicester and you can see why. 191 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:23,520 Apart from... everything about it. 192 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:28,440 Oh, look, a train going through a building. 193 00:11:29,520 --> 00:11:30,720 Obviously. 194 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:35,520 It's an amazing-looking place. 195 00:11:35,560 --> 00:11:38,520 The people of Dubai think they're good at knocking up a building quickly, 196 00:11:38,560 --> 00:11:40,480 but look at the stuff being built here. 197 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:48,400 JEREMY: Of course when a city gets this big, this fast, 198 00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:51,880 there are many ways to make money. 199 00:11:53,640 --> 00:11:55,760 There's steel 200 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:57,240 and glass 201 00:11:57,280 --> 00:11:58,560 and concrete. 202 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:01,440 But one man thought, "Hold on, 203 00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:04,640 every one of the rooms in every one of those buildings... 204 00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:09,240 ..is going to need a door." 205 00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:11,120 Genius. 206 00:12:11,160 --> 00:12:16,960 No brainer on the Dragons' Den, that's for sure. 207 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:21,840 It was such a good idea, he now has a drive-through door factory. 208 00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:33,560 RICHARD: Security doors, 209 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:37,200 front doors, interior doors... 210 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:39,320 ...really fancy-shmancy doors. 211 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:41,080 Ornate doors, bank vault... 212 00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:43,040 Car doors. 213 00:12:43,080 --> 00:12:47,880 JEREMY: Five million of them last year: five million doors. 214 00:12:47,920 --> 00:12:49,840 Well, that's not very interesting, is it? 215 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:54,640 Yes, but now I'm the richest man in the world. 216 00:12:54,680 --> 00:12:57,120 "If employee is angel overtime, 217 00:12:57,160 --> 00:12:59,920 it is not devil when they get salary." 218 00:12:59,960 --> 00:13:03,920 OK, he's not a brilliant writer, but what a maker of doors! 219 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:11,280 JEREMY: The most noticeable thing about Chongqing, though... 220 00:13:12,440 --> 00:13:14,560 ...is the heat. 221 00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:19,360 This is called the furnace of China. 222 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:24,120 Average daily temperatures, this time of year, which is, mid-July, 223 00:13:24,160 --> 00:13:26,080 45 degrees. 224 00:13:26,120 --> 00:13:28,040 With 80% humidity. 225 00:13:29,680 --> 00:13:31,760 This place is hot. 226 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:33,520 Like mega hot. 227 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:37,760 It's so hot and so sticky 228 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:40,320 that five minutes after putting up a building, 229 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:43,680 the jungle is growing out of it. 230 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:45,520 And this is OK 231 00:13:45,560 --> 00:13:47,760 if you're in an air-conditioned BMW 232 00:13:47,800 --> 00:13:49,040 or Cadillac. 233 00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:51,760 However... 234 00:13:51,800 --> 00:13:53,920 I'm gonna have to tell you that the air-conditioning 235 00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:55,960 simply doesn't work in my car. 236 00:13:57,720 --> 00:14:00,600 Please, no. Not here. 237 00:14:02,280 --> 00:14:05,600 Have you heard the news? James's aircon. 238 00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:07,240 -What? -(MOUTHS) 239 00:14:07,280 --> 00:14:09,960 Oh, dear. 240 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:11,480 -(LAUGHS) -Oh! 241 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:13,360 Oh, that... he's gonna feel that. 242 00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:15,320 -Ho-ho! -(LAUGHS) 243 00:14:17,320 --> 00:14:19,000 JEREMY: Aircon issues aside, though, 244 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:22,000 it did seem like we were on to something with our 245 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:24,240 pre-owned Western limousines. 246 00:14:27,160 --> 00:14:30,240 Cars here cost round about 247 00:14:30,280 --> 00:14:32,200 twice as much as they do in the UK 248 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:34,240 because of taxes and... 249 00:14:34,280 --> 00:14:36,280 profiteering from the car companies. 250 00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:40,480 So if you see someone in a Range Rover Velar as I just did, 251 00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:43,200 that here is £140,000. 252 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:49,960 Yeah, I mean, that S-Class there, if that's a tasty one, 253 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:52,320 that's a £300,000 car in China. 254 00:14:52,360 --> 00:14:56,800 And that's why this BMW makes sense. 255 00:14:56,840 --> 00:14:58,320 You could come to Europe, 256 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:02,160 pick up a 750IL like this for £8,500, 257 00:15:02,200 --> 00:15:04,880 pay for the shipping to China, pay the taxes, 258 00:15:04,920 --> 00:15:09,880 and it would still cost you less than a Honda Civic. 259 00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:13,000 And it's not like this is on its last legs. 260 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:16,400 I don't have a single thing in here that's broken. 261 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:18,000 Steering wheel adjuster, 262 00:15:18,040 --> 00:15:20,280 unlike in the Hongqi, is working. 263 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:24,320 Indicators, lights, stereo - everything. Everything works. 264 00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:25,440 Windows. 265 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:28,680 I've even got a cassette player. 266 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:30,200 Look at that. 267 00:15:32,320 --> 00:15:35,280 RICHARD: All my electrics were working too. 268 00:15:35,320 --> 00:15:38,520 But actually, in this superheated-city, 269 00:15:38,560 --> 00:15:41,400 there's an even better reason for buying a Cadillac. 270 00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:44,920 When Americans build a car, 271 00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:47,320 they start with the air-conditioning unit 272 00:15:47,360 --> 00:15:49,760 and then say, "Right, let's fit a car to it. 273 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:52,560 It's top priority." 274 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:54,160 Speaking of which... 275 00:15:54,200 --> 00:15:56,760 What this is, viewers, if you were wondering, 276 00:15:56,800 --> 00:15:58,440 is something called an ice towel. 277 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:02,440 You soak it in water and it remains cool for up to two hours. 278 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:05,520 Borrowed it from one of the crew. It's fantastic. 279 00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:09,360 JEREMY: Eventually, we decided to leave 280 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:12,120 the centre of the biggest city you've never heard of. 281 00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:15,000 So we negotiated 282 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:17,760 this gentleman's sausage-shaped junction 283 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:20,200 to try our cars on the freeway. 284 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:23,960 Where, immediately, we had a problem. 285 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:25,920 (CLICKING) 286 00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:32,160 Every few hundred yards, 287 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:35,360 there's a gantry with cameras covering all the lanes. 288 00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:38,960 And every single car is photographed. 289 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:43,640 And every single photograph is then analysed by... 290 00:16:43,680 --> 00:16:48,920 ..an official in a room to make sure the driver is smoking. 291 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:51,800 Because as far as I can work out, 292 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:54,480 that is still compulsory here. 293 00:16:54,520 --> 00:16:56,320 Other things - well, they're making sure 294 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:58,840 that you have your seatbelt done up, 295 00:16:58,880 --> 00:17:01,280 that you're not talking on a mobile phone. 296 00:17:01,320 --> 00:17:02,920 And that you're not... 297 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:04,920 Oh, how can I put this? 298 00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:08,160 ...touching either yourself or your passenger. 299 00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:10,040 Apparently that's a thing in China. 300 00:17:10,080 --> 00:17:15,320 Quite a few people are prosecuted for pleasuring themselves, 301 00:17:15,320 --> 00:17:17,200 or one another, on a long journey. 302 00:17:19,080 --> 00:17:21,680 JAMES: Yes! Oh, yes. 303 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:24,760 Ohh! Oh, yes. 304 00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:26,720 That is... that's actually really nice. 305 00:17:30,040 --> 00:17:33,560 Ow! Shit, I've fanned my todger. 306 00:17:37,960 --> 00:17:40,080 JEREMY: Eventually, we arrived at the location 307 00:17:40,160 --> 00:17:42,280 for our first test. 308 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:46,240 It's one of 78 centres around Chongqing 309 00:17:46,280 --> 00:17:50,880 where teenagers can learn to drive away from the traffic. 310 00:17:50,920 --> 00:17:54,320 To us, however, it looked like a racetrack. 311 00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:57,680 Which made it perfect for an ingenious handling test 312 00:17:57,720 --> 00:17:59,280 that I'd just thought of. 313 00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:04,520 Now, to do this, we're gonna use drones, like this one, 314 00:18:04,560 --> 00:18:06,960 which have been fitted with flamethrowers. 315 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:11,320 They actually use these in China for clearing um... 316 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:14,640 litter that's got stuck on overhead power cables. 317 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:19,800 Right. So how are we going to use airborne flamethrowers, like this, 318 00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:22,880 to test the power and agility of our cars? 319 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:25,680 Good question. Each of our cars has, as you can see, 320 00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:28,280 been fitted with three chains of firecrackers. 321 00:18:28,320 --> 00:18:31,560 One on the bonnet, one on the roof, one on the boot lid. OK? 322 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:33,320 So you drive round a special course here, 323 00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:36,280 while you're attacked by the airborne flamethrowers. 324 00:18:36,320 --> 00:18:39,440 And then you score a point when you've finished 325 00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:42,800 for every one of the targets that haven't gone off. 326 00:18:46,640 --> 00:18:49,520 Since we were up against two geeky millennials 327 00:18:49,560 --> 00:18:53,040 and we'd be driving powerful Western saloons, 328 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:55,080 we figured we could outrun and outsmart 329 00:18:55,160 --> 00:18:57,560 the drones easily. 330 00:18:57,640 --> 00:19:00,800 ♪ Flight Of The Valkyries 331 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:04,760 -(TYRES SCREECH) -Sadly, though, it was a massacre. 332 00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:11,560 -Ah, fire from the sky! -(FIRECRACKERS POP) 333 00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:13,040 Agh! Agh! 334 00:19:13,080 --> 00:19:14,440 (POPPING AND FIZZING) 335 00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:20,000 (TYRES SCREECH) 336 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:22,920 -(POPPING) -Agh! Agh! 337 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:26,640 There's the drone on my left. The first one. 338 00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:30,280 (TYRES SCREECH) 339 00:19:31,760 --> 00:19:33,440 -(POPPING AND FIZZING) -Ah, God. 340 00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:38,200 God's truth! 341 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:41,320 -(POPPING) -Ohh! 342 00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:47,880 Fire everywhere. Oh, God. 343 00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:51,560 Bandit at ten o'clock. 344 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:54,240 (TYRES SCREECH) 345 00:19:57,640 --> 00:20:00,720 Oh, no! Oh, shit! 346 00:20:00,760 --> 00:20:03,160 -That will have alarmed him. -It will have slightly, yeah. 347 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:05,520 -You know, dogs don't like fireworks? -No, they hate it. 348 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:10,880 -(FIRECRACKERS POPPING) -Agh! Aagh! Arghh! Aaargh! 349 00:20:22,560 --> 00:20:23,800 (APPLAUSE) 350 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:26,640 JEREMY: That was such a good laugh. 351 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:29,920 Belting around with airborne flamethrowers. 352 00:20:29,960 --> 00:20:32,320 -Really good afternoon, that was. -Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. 353 00:20:32,400 --> 00:20:33,640 -What? -Hang on. 354 00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:38,080 -Yeah? -That was a totally useless test. 355 00:20:38,080 --> 00:20:40,280 -Why was it? -Well, we did nothing 356 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:42,080 to convince Chinese business people 357 00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:44,080 that our second-hand limos were a good idea. 358 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:46,160 And we all scored nought. 359 00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:49,560 -Yeah, and we all ruined our paintwork as well. -Yes, but it'll buff out. 360 00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:51,040 -No, it won't. -Well, it might. 361 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:53,160 Anyway, we shall pick that up later on. 362 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:56,000 But now, it is time for us 363 00:20:56,040 --> 00:20:58,440 to splash in some puddles of chat... 364 00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:01,200 -(LAUGHTER) -...left by the drizzle of debate 365 00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:04,320 that falls on Conversation Street. 366 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:06,320 (MELLOW JAZZ) 367 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:10,280 (LAUGHTER) 368 00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:12,800 RICHARD: I like that one. I like that one. -Yeah, I know. 369 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:14,160 Damn. 370 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:19,040 We'll stick with China. If we may. 371 00:21:19,080 --> 00:21:22,240 Um...before we were allowed to drive over there, 372 00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:24,440 we all had to sit Chinese driving tests. 373 00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:26,400 Now, we've seen driving tests around the world. 374 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:28,400 I remember one in India I encountered once, 375 00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:32,720 where a woman passed, even though she was in the back of the car. 376 00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:35,160 And her examiner was in another car 377 00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:37,160 -following along behind. -Yeah. 378 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:40,560 Used to be in Egypt that you had to drive six feet forwards, 379 00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:43,320 but then six feet backwards and then you'd pass. 380 00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:45,640 -And that was it. -I'd love to meet somebody who failed that. 381 00:21:45,680 --> 00:21:48,560 Yeah. Anyhow, so we figured that to get a Chinese driving test 382 00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:50,800 it would be, you know, quite an easy test. 383 00:21:50,880 --> 00:21:53,440 However, we were in for a bit of a surprise. 384 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:56,760 Now, um...I actually got some footage of Hammond taking his test. 385 00:21:56,800 --> 00:21:59,360 -Does anyone wanna see it? AUDIENCE: Yes! 386 00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:02,360 It's poor quality, it's on my phone, but here we go. 387 00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:05,120 JEREMY: Test centre. 388 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:10,560 Right, so he has to ball his fists. 389 00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:13,960 Then a squat. There he goes. There he goes. 390 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:17,160 And then he has to get on some weigh scales. 391 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:19,400 Tense moment here, tense moment. 392 00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:21,360 Still tense. 393 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:25,320 You passed! Hammond has passed! 394 00:22:25,360 --> 00:22:27,600 -(LAUGHTER) -Seriously... 395 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:29,120 -(APPLAUSE) -Well done. 396 00:22:29,160 --> 00:22:31,120 -That was it. -Yes! 397 00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:34,280 It was nothing. I made it look easy. 398 00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:37,840 That was, well, it was the easiest driving test I've ever heard of. 399 00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:40,480 Basically I passed because I proved that my hands do that 400 00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:42,280 and I'm affected by gravity. 401 00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:45,080 -That's it. -I think it is actually just a test to check 402 00:22:45,120 --> 00:22:47,080 that you are a human being and not a dog. 403 00:22:47,120 --> 00:22:49,480 -Cos they can't... -Sure it was. However, afterwards, 404 00:22:49,520 --> 00:22:51,240 we were taken in to a sort of lecture theatre 405 00:22:51,280 --> 00:22:53,560 by a man who... 406 00:22:53,600 --> 00:22:56,280 talked us through the perils of the road in China. 407 00:22:56,320 --> 00:22:59,000 And he said that we had to look out for a number of things 408 00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:00,960 running out into the road, in front of us. 409 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:03,240 Including, and I'm not - this is a quote, yes? 410 00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:05,320 You will back me up on this. This is what he said. 411 00:23:05,360 --> 00:23:08,160 Including dogs, children, and women. 412 00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:10,160 -(LAUGHTER) -That's what he said. 413 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:12,320 -He said that. -"Be careful, they run out into the road." 414 00:23:12,360 --> 00:23:14,280 "You never know, they're unpredictable." 415 00:23:14,320 --> 00:23:15,600 (LAUGHTER) 416 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:18,280 I don't think the #MeToo movement 417 00:23:18,320 --> 00:23:20,040 has reached Chongqing just yet. 418 00:23:20,080 --> 00:23:21,720 No. Mind you, you say that, 419 00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:26,560 there are 78 self-made billionaire women in the whole world. 420 00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:29,680 -And 49 of them are Chinese. -Yeah. 421 00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:32,120 Well, there would be more, but some of them got run over. 422 00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:33,720 (LAUGHTER) 423 00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:36,320 Anyway, look, can we talk about that Hongqi for a bit? 424 00:23:36,360 --> 00:23:37,840 I knew you'd want to talk about that. 425 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:39,920 -It's so you. -It's interesting. 426 00:23:39,960 --> 00:23:42,000 -It's so you. -It's got him written all over it. 427 00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:44,480 Bad news, though, you can't have it in brown. 428 00:23:44,520 --> 00:23:46,280 Why would I want it in brown? 429 00:23:46,320 --> 00:23:48,760 -Oh, yes, you would. -You love a brown car. 430 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:50,760 Your cars are grey and dark green. 431 00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:53,320 Mine are blue, metal fake, red, and orange. 432 00:23:53,360 --> 00:23:55,960 I can't see into your mind. 433 00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:58,360 God knows I'm not sure I want to. 434 00:23:58,400 --> 00:23:59,800 But...I know James May, 435 00:23:59,840 --> 00:24:02,680 as you drift off to sleepy bobos tonight, 436 00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:05,840 a brown Hongqi will be driving... 437 00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:07,200 (LAUGHTER) 438 00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:08,920 "But I don't like brown cars." 439 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:10,680 -It's like him saying, "I love horses." -Ha-ha. 440 00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:14,000 Things that aren't true. Things that aren't true. 441 00:24:14,040 --> 00:24:16,040 You love a brown car and you can't have it in brown. 442 00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:17,440 I've never had a brown car and I am interested in the Hongqi. 443 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:19,280 -So tell us more about it. -OK. 444 00:24:19,320 --> 00:24:21,520 Something I didn't say in the film, which is quite interesting, 445 00:24:21,560 --> 00:24:25,840 is that when you order one, they send a tailor round to your place of business. 446 00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:27,760 And he measures you up for a suit 447 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:30,600 that you then wear when you take delivery of the car. 448 00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:32,360 -Really? -Yeah. 449 00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:34,120 I'd actually quite like to be the tailor 450 00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:35,440 who made the suit for you 451 00:24:35,480 --> 00:24:37,680 when you take delivery of your Hongqi. 452 00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:39,440 It would have some writing on it. 453 00:24:39,480 --> 00:24:42,640 -Would it? -Not in Chinese, it would be in English. 454 00:24:42,680 --> 00:24:44,960 Would it be a pithy description of the wearer? 455 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:46,520 Yes, that's what it was. 456 00:24:46,560 --> 00:24:48,400 It's funny you should say that, because... 457 00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:51,760 in China there's a tendency for people to wear clothing 458 00:24:51,800 --> 00:24:53,880 with English words, you know, written on them. 459 00:24:53,920 --> 00:24:56,840 They've obviously got no idea what those words say. 460 00:24:56,880 --> 00:24:58,640 I was sitting in a traffic jam one day there 461 00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:01,800 and there was a woman on a bus next to me. 462 00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:04,400 And she was a perfectly respectable, 50-something woman 463 00:25:04,440 --> 00:25:06,800 on her way obviously to an office job or whatever. 464 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:09,040 She was wearing a white blouse with red flowers on it. 465 00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:11,360 Now, I took a picture. Here it is. 466 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:15,000 And what that says is, "He was a (BLEEP) asshole." 467 00:25:15,040 --> 00:25:16,240 (LAUGHTER) 468 00:25:18,160 --> 00:25:20,960 I would love a picture of her face when somebody 469 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:22,920 explained to her what it said on her shirt. 470 00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:25,440 Do you know what's really amazing about that? 471 00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:28,520 That's exactly what I was gonna have put on your Hongqi suit. 472 00:25:28,560 --> 00:25:31,520 -She knew. -She knew! 473 00:25:31,560 --> 00:25:34,080 I wanna get back to cars, if I may. 474 00:25:34,120 --> 00:25:37,480 Because there's some truly astonishing stats, really, 475 00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:39,040 about cars in China. 476 00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:41,960 We've got a graph here of global car production, yes? 477 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:43,240 There's the UK in tenth place. 478 00:25:43,280 --> 00:25:46,880 We made 1.67 million cars here in 2017. 479 00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:49,760 Japan 8.35 million. 480 00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:52,360 China, let's put it up. 481 00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:57,080 RICHARD: Mind-blowing! -24.8 million cars they made there. 482 00:25:57,120 --> 00:26:01,760 And what's extraordinary is that you can't just buy a car and then use it. 483 00:26:01,800 --> 00:26:05,000 You have to apply to a government-run lottery 484 00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:07,560 for a registration plate for your car. 485 00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:09,560 Now here's one, OK? 486 00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:12,720 In Beijing last year, for every thousand people 487 00:26:12,760 --> 00:26:14,960 who applied for a registration plate 488 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:16,360 for a car they intended to buy... 489 00:26:16,400 --> 00:26:17,840 For every thousand who applied, 490 00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:19,760 how many do you think actually got one? 491 00:26:19,800 --> 00:26:21,960 -500. -200. 492 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:23,680 -600. BOTH: 300. 493 00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:25,280 -Three. -Three people? 494 00:26:25,320 --> 00:26:27,160 For every thousand people who applied, 495 00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:29,920 only three actually got a registration plate, 496 00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:32,040 were allowed to buy a car. 497 00:26:32,080 --> 00:26:35,840 This is good conversation, this whole issue actually. It's really interesting. 498 00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:41,040 Would you like to guess what was the bestselling car in China in 2017? 499 00:26:41,080 --> 00:26:46,360 Well, Volkswagen have been there forever, so I'm gonna say the Passat. 500 00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:49,080 I'm gonna say it's a mid-sized Hyundai 501 00:26:49,120 --> 00:26:52,360 -of some sort, sort of boxy thing. -And you're both wrong. 502 00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:54,680 It's the Wuling Hongguang. 503 00:26:54,720 --> 00:26:56,320 -(LAUGHTER) -What, that? 504 00:26:56,360 --> 00:26:58,200 Yep, there it is. That's the fella. 505 00:26:58,240 --> 00:26:59,600 That's the bestselling-car in China? 506 00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:02,920 They sold half a million of them in China in 2017. 507 00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:05,720 -Really? -Half a million of those were sold, yeah. 508 00:27:05,760 --> 00:27:08,600 They sold... Well, half a million of...Wu... 509 00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:10,160 -Wuling Hongguang. -Those. 510 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:12,160 That's more than the Ford Focus. 511 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:14,640 Yeah, and don't forget the Ford Focus is sold globally. 512 00:27:14,680 --> 00:27:16,800 That's just sold in China. 513 00:27:16,840 --> 00:27:19,880 The car, the Chinese car, that caught my eye, I must say, 514 00:27:19,920 --> 00:27:22,120 was the Bestune T77. 515 00:27:22,160 --> 00:27:24,040 -Familiar with it? -Oh, the Best... No. 516 00:27:24,080 --> 00:27:25,280 -Never heard of it. -No, exactly. 517 00:27:25,320 --> 00:27:27,160 We've got a picture of it here. 518 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:30,480 It looks a bit like the Lamborghini from last week, the Urus. 519 00:27:30,520 --> 00:27:34,160 But it's much smaller, 1.2-litre engine SUV. All quite normal. 520 00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:38,320 Except it comes with something called a dashboard assistant. 521 00:27:38,360 --> 00:27:40,680 Which is a little holographic figure that pops up 522 00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:42,960 and you talk to it and it helps you set the satnav 523 00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:45,200 -and make phone calls and so on. -That's very hi-tech. 524 00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:49,480 Except the little holographic figure is of a Japanese - 525 00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:51,920 a Japanese schoolgirl. 526 00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:56,400 And then you can choose what colour miniskirt you'd like her to wear. 527 00:27:56,440 --> 00:27:58,760 Got a picture... I'm not making it up. There's a picture here. 528 00:27:59,840 --> 00:28:02,480 (LAUGHTER) 529 00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:04,160 I'm not sure about that. 530 00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:06,720 I'm not either, but here's the thing, James, 531 00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:10,240 the Chinese don't care what we think, anybody. 532 00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:13,240 Cos they look at us like we look at cows. 533 00:28:13,280 --> 00:28:16,480 We're just big daft things standing around. 534 00:28:16,520 --> 00:28:19,360 Only instead of milk, we give them luggage and watches. 535 00:28:19,400 --> 00:28:21,280 (LAUGHTER) 536 00:28:21,320 --> 00:28:23,480 That's actually the end of Conversation Street. 537 00:28:23,520 --> 00:28:25,720 It's not the end, however, of the Chinese stuff. 538 00:28:25,760 --> 00:28:29,960 Because we had a call the other day from a Chinese car manufacturer called NIO. 539 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:35,600 And they said, "We have built a blisteringly fast, all-electric supercar. 540 00:28:35,640 --> 00:28:38,800 And would one of you like to try it out?" 541 00:28:38,840 --> 00:28:41,920 Yeah, now after his escapade going up a Swiss hill 542 00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:44,600 in a blisteringly fast, all-electric supercar, 543 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:48,440 Richard Hammond said that he really didn't think he was the man for the job. 544 00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:50,520 However, it turned out 545 00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:52,600 that the car was only available for one day 546 00:28:52,640 --> 00:28:55,320 and unfortunately on that day, I had the boiler man coming round. 547 00:28:55,360 --> 00:28:58,240 -Yeah. And I had a dental appoint... -Dentist. 548 00:28:58,280 --> 00:28:59,680 Dental appointment, yeah. 549 00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:01,680 Yep. So, guess what? 550 00:29:11,840 --> 00:29:13,560 (GLASS TINKLING) 551 00:29:15,160 --> 00:29:16,840 RICHARD: Here it is. 552 00:29:19,520 --> 00:29:22,560 It's called the EP9. 553 00:29:22,600 --> 00:29:26,960 And it's pretty clear that this is no Nissan Leaf. 554 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:30,320 Because a Leaf doesn't have giant head restraints 555 00:29:30,360 --> 00:29:32,800 to stop G-forces from snapping your neck 556 00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:34,760 during hard cornering. 557 00:29:36,800 --> 00:29:39,120 And that's just the start of it. 558 00:29:42,720 --> 00:29:44,640 What I have here is a comparison 559 00:29:44,680 --> 00:29:47,040 between this NIO EP9 560 00:29:47,080 --> 00:29:49,240 and the Rimac Concept One, 561 00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:51,760 in which I had my little, um... 562 00:29:51,800 --> 00:29:55,200 tumble down a Swiss mountainside. 563 00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:57,360 So in the Rimac Concept One, 564 00:29:57,400 --> 00:30:02,680 power: 1,207 brake horsepower. 565 00:30:02,720 --> 00:30:09,200 In this NIO, 1,341 brake horsepower. 566 00:30:09,240 --> 00:30:14,240 Power to weight: in the Rimac is 652 brake horsepower per ton. 567 00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:15,840 In this NIO, 568 00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:19,440 773 brake horsepower per ton. 569 00:30:21,040 --> 00:30:23,080 Oh, good. 570 00:30:27,720 --> 00:30:29,640 So, no pressure, then. 571 00:30:31,880 --> 00:30:35,600 Right. The high voltage system is active. 572 00:30:35,640 --> 00:30:38,520 So here goes. To launch, it's gotta be in drive. 573 00:30:38,560 --> 00:30:41,960 -(WHOOSH) -Left foot on brake, right foot mash the throttle. 574 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:45,000 Right hand hold that back for one, two, three, four, five. 575 00:30:45,040 --> 00:30:47,240 -Come off the brake. -(ENERGY PULSES) 576 00:30:47,280 --> 00:30:48,680 Urgh! (SCREAMS) 577 00:30:48,720 --> 00:30:51,200 (ENERGY PULSES AND WHINES) 578 00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:57,160 -(TYRES SCREECH) -Sweet Mary Mother of Jesus! 579 00:30:57,200 --> 00:30:58,640 (POUNDING TECHNO) 580 00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:01,880 It's just insanity! 581 00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:08,120 They say it'll do 0 to 60 in 2.7 seconds. 582 00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:13,960 0 to 125 in 7 seconds. 583 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:15,280 7 seconds! 584 00:31:24,560 --> 00:31:27,960 That direct, immediate power you get from these electric supercars 585 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:29,440 is like nothing else. 586 00:31:32,560 --> 00:31:36,200 It's like one minute I'm here and then bam! I'm over there. 587 00:31:39,320 --> 00:31:41,920 It's like driving a jet engine. 588 00:31:41,960 --> 00:31:44,600 Something else about which I have bad memories. 589 00:31:44,640 --> 00:31:47,400 This is a bad place. 590 00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:51,520 However, there is some good news for people like me. 591 00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:53,160 The brakes. 592 00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:55,120 -(SCREECHING) -Whoa! 593 00:31:58,800 --> 00:32:00,960 That's put everything back where it should be. 594 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:02,480 My eyes have come forward. 595 00:32:02,520 --> 00:32:04,920 My lungs are on the front again. 596 00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:05,960 Oh. 597 00:32:11,800 --> 00:32:16,120 Now if you want to experience this phenomenal speed for yourself, 598 00:32:16,160 --> 00:32:18,520 you will need two things. 599 00:32:21,360 --> 00:32:22,720 First of all, a lot of money. 600 00:32:22,760 --> 00:32:25,800 Because this costs £1.15 million. 601 00:32:27,400 --> 00:32:29,240 Secondly, a racetrack. 602 00:32:30,760 --> 00:32:33,560 Because it works like that Ferrari FXX - 603 00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:36,320 where you buy the car, they deliver it to a track for you 604 00:32:36,360 --> 00:32:37,880 along with a support team. 605 00:32:37,920 --> 00:32:40,000 You drive it, crap yourself, 606 00:32:40,040 --> 00:32:42,520 then they take it away and hose it out for you. 607 00:32:43,640 --> 00:32:45,200 Since it's an electric car, 608 00:32:45,240 --> 00:32:47,520 you'll be wondering about range. 609 00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:50,160 Obviously if you hammer it round a track, 610 00:32:50,200 --> 00:32:52,760 you are gonna wear those batteries out pretty quickly. 611 00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:54,840 However, on the plus side, 612 00:32:54,880 --> 00:32:56,600 they only take 45 minutes to charge. 613 00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:07,440 On the minus side, 614 00:33:07,480 --> 00:33:10,560 you have to take the batteries out to do it. 615 00:33:10,600 --> 00:33:14,160 And as they weigh 317 kilograms each, 616 00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:16,000 you won't be doing that on your own. 617 00:33:18,600 --> 00:33:22,560 It is a bit more of a faff than say, a can of petrol. 618 00:33:29,800 --> 00:33:32,000 However, if you're an electric petrol head 619 00:33:32,040 --> 00:33:34,040 and you're tempted by the NIO, 620 00:33:34,080 --> 00:33:35,520 you might be interested to know 621 00:33:35,560 --> 00:33:38,080 that it's not short of pedigree. 622 00:33:38,120 --> 00:33:40,360 There's evidence that the people behind this thing 623 00:33:40,400 --> 00:33:42,320 really know what they're doing. 624 00:33:44,440 --> 00:33:47,120 For starters, the outfit that makes the EP9 625 00:33:47,160 --> 00:33:50,360 also runs a Formula E team: 626 00:33:50,400 --> 00:33:54,120 one which won the inaugural championship in 2015. 627 00:33:57,000 --> 00:33:59,120 And until recently, 628 00:33:59,160 --> 00:34:03,800 the EP9 itself held a lap record around the Nurburgring, 629 00:34:03,840 --> 00:34:05,360 with an astonishing time of 630 00:34:05,400 --> 00:34:08,920 6 minutes 45.9 seconds. 631 00:34:11,160 --> 00:34:14,160 Which means it isn't just about going fast 632 00:34:14,200 --> 00:34:15,800 in a straight line. 633 00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:17,800 (ELECTRICAL WHINE) 634 00:34:17,840 --> 00:34:21,960 It has active suspension, active aerodynamics, 635 00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:25,160 torque vectoring - and all of that means only one thing. 636 00:34:25,160 --> 00:34:28,000 (THUDDING DANCE BEAT) 637 00:34:30,120 --> 00:34:31,680 Grip, grippity, grip! 638 00:34:31,760 --> 00:34:33,160 (TYRES SCREECH) 639 00:34:37,600 --> 00:34:39,960 It has a motor in each of the four wheels 640 00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:42,160 for a four-wheel drive system that can be monitored 641 00:34:42,160 --> 00:34:45,480 and controlled constantly by the car's on-board brain. 642 00:34:52,680 --> 00:34:56,520 Add to that, the active aerodynamics on that vast wing 643 00:34:56,560 --> 00:34:59,400 and a diffuser running the length of the car, 644 00:34:59,440 --> 00:35:02,480 it produces more down-force than an F1 car. 645 00:35:04,520 --> 00:35:06,560 (TYRES SQUEAL) 646 00:35:06,600 --> 00:35:08,520 Jesus! 647 00:35:08,560 --> 00:35:10,640 It's like driving an octopus. 648 00:35:13,160 --> 00:35:15,960 There's no doubt that as a piece of engineering, 649 00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:18,480 the NIO is deeply impressive. 650 00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:21,800 And into slingshot! 651 00:35:25,040 --> 00:35:27,600 Ha-ha-ha! 652 00:35:27,640 --> 00:35:30,320 But what I love about it most is that, 653 00:35:30,360 --> 00:35:32,080 thanks to its phenomenal grip, 654 00:35:32,120 --> 00:35:34,960 I could hammer it round our track all day 655 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:36,960 and still be the right way up. 656 00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:38,080 And from me... 657 00:35:41,800 --> 00:35:43,680 ...there is no higher compliment. 658 00:35:48,840 --> 00:35:50,200 (LOW CHATTER) 659 00:35:50,280 --> 00:35:51,680 Yeah, yeah, whatever. 660 00:35:51,760 --> 00:35:54,640 Thanks for sticking me with that. 661 00:35:54,640 --> 00:35:56,600 You know, um... it's interesting. 662 00:35:57,960 --> 00:35:59,920 Watching that has convinced me 663 00:35:59,960 --> 00:36:03,960 that I will never buy an electric car as long as I live. 664 00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:07,400 -Why not? -Because why on Earth 665 00:36:07,440 --> 00:36:09,800 would I want to employ a team of men 666 00:36:09,840 --> 00:36:12,880 and buy a forklift every time I need to go anywhere? 667 00:36:12,920 --> 00:36:14,880 Yeah, that's all very well, but a lot of people 668 00:36:14,920 --> 00:36:16,840 are more enlightened than you, including me, in fact. 669 00:36:16,880 --> 00:36:18,360 -So, Hammond? -Yes? 670 00:36:18,400 --> 00:36:21,800 Tell me, what are the... how does it compare with the Rimac? 671 00:36:21,840 --> 00:36:23,800 -Nobody's interested. -Yes, they are. Shut up. 672 00:36:23,840 --> 00:36:26,640 The NIO, it's just, the NIO is just more of everything. 673 00:36:26,640 --> 00:36:28,960 It's more power, more grip, more speed. 674 00:36:29,000 --> 00:36:31,640 I have to say, that looked painfully fast, that car. 675 00:36:31,640 --> 00:36:34,400 It is. It is astonishingly fast. 676 00:36:34,440 --> 00:36:36,440 But it is a novelty. 677 00:36:36,480 --> 00:36:39,160 An amazing powerfully fast one, but a novelty nevertheless. 678 00:36:39,160 --> 00:36:42,360 And we should make it absolutely clear you can't drive it on the road at all. 679 00:36:42,400 --> 00:36:44,120 -It's not road legal. -No, you can't. 680 00:36:44,160 --> 00:36:46,400 The Rimac, you can, that's what makes it so amazing. 681 00:36:46,440 --> 00:36:48,920 And there's a new Rimac coming out soon 682 00:36:48,960 --> 00:36:52,520 that'll have more than 1900 horsepower. 683 00:36:52,560 --> 00:36:54,520 But imagine the size of the internal combustion engine 684 00:36:54,560 --> 00:36:56,640 you would need to make 1900 horsepower. 685 00:36:56,680 --> 00:36:58,440 -It would be... -It'd be massive. 686 00:36:58,480 --> 00:37:02,880 That's why the future of supercars like that is electric. 687 00:37:02,920 --> 00:37:04,920 -It is. -What? 688 00:37:04,960 --> 00:37:07,080 -It just isn't. RICHARD AND JAMES: It is. 689 00:37:07,120 --> 00:37:09,480 That's the way it's gonna go. It's the way it is going. 690 00:37:09,520 --> 00:37:12,920 OK, then, let's find out how fast your beloved NIO 691 00:37:12,960 --> 00:37:15,040 goes around the Eboladrome. 692 00:37:15,080 --> 00:37:16,880 (WHOOSH) 693 00:37:16,920 --> 00:37:20,520 And it's off to the sound of the spin cycle. 694 00:37:20,560 --> 00:37:23,920 Jiggling around on its racing car suspension, 695 00:37:23,960 --> 00:37:25,880 as it powers onto the Isn't. 696 00:37:26,960 --> 00:37:29,200 That's exciting. 697 00:37:29,280 --> 00:37:31,640 A lift and then building up speed again. 698 00:37:32,920 --> 00:37:36,120 That is looking pretty brisk. 699 00:37:36,160 --> 00:37:39,640 Right, now down into Your Name Here. 700 00:37:39,680 --> 00:37:42,680 Sparks flashing off the rear diffuser. 701 00:37:42,760 --> 00:37:46,560 Torque vectoring should be doing its stuff round here to keep it in place. 702 00:37:46,600 --> 00:37:48,440 (HIGH-PITCHED WHINE) 703 00:37:48,480 --> 00:37:50,440 And now back to full voltage 704 00:37:50,480 --> 00:37:53,560 for the frantic whirr back down the Isn't. 705 00:37:53,600 --> 00:37:55,040 Sounding more like a jet fighter 706 00:37:55,080 --> 00:37:56,800 and less like a Zanussi now. 707 00:37:59,200 --> 00:38:02,440 OK, hard braking for Old Lady's House. 708 00:38:02,480 --> 00:38:04,160 More milk floaty noises. 709 00:38:04,160 --> 00:38:08,520 And now the run to Substation. 710 00:38:08,560 --> 00:38:11,120 If it crashes here, there really will be a lot of sparks. 711 00:38:12,400 --> 00:38:14,640 OK, two corners left. 712 00:38:14,680 --> 00:38:17,800 Very tidy through there. Just Field of Sheep to go. 713 00:38:17,840 --> 00:38:20,320 Keeps it neat and across the line. 714 00:38:20,360 --> 00:38:22,480 RICHARD: That looked good. JEREMY: She did well there. 715 00:38:22,520 --> 00:38:24,440 -She did do well. -She did well. 716 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:28,520 So exciting with those noises. 717 00:38:28,560 --> 00:38:31,800 -I like the noises. -What? You can't like those... 718 00:38:31,840 --> 00:38:34,320 -There's a whole new set of noises, you pillock. -(LAUGHTER) 719 00:38:34,360 --> 00:38:35,800 -OK. -It's the future. 720 00:38:35,840 --> 00:38:39,320 OK, let's see how fast your elegantly entitled N ten, 721 00:38:39,360 --> 00:38:40,880 -no, NIO... -NIO. 722 00:38:40,920 --> 00:38:42,280 -...EP9... -Yes. 723 00:38:42,320 --> 00:38:43,800 ...got round, shall we? Here we go. 724 00:38:43,840 --> 00:38:45,800 JEREMY: Top ten? RICHARD: Come on. 725 00:38:45,840 --> 00:38:48,840 There you go. Oh, yeah. Oh, yes, oh, yes! 726 00:38:48,880 --> 00:38:50,920 -Come on. Come on! -(AUDIENCE GASPS) 727 00:38:50,960 --> 00:38:53,280 -Yeah! -Yeah. 728 00:38:53,320 --> 00:38:54,440 That... 729 00:38:56,320 --> 00:38:58,160 That is faster... 730 00:38:58,200 --> 00:39:00,640 faster than the Aston Martin Vulcan. 731 00:39:00,640 --> 00:39:02,080 You're absolutely right, Hammond. 732 00:39:02,120 --> 00:39:04,120 It is a very impressive car. 733 00:39:04,160 --> 00:39:05,760 And it is faster than a Vulcan. 734 00:39:05,800 --> 00:39:07,600 But it's slower 735 00:39:07,640 --> 00:39:10,280 than the petrol-powered McLaren Senna, 736 00:39:10,320 --> 00:39:11,760 which is road legal. 737 00:39:11,800 --> 00:39:13,920 -So that is petrol: one... -Yes. 738 00:39:13,960 --> 00:39:15,680 Electricity: zero! 739 00:39:15,760 --> 00:39:17,000 All right, don't do that face. 740 00:39:17,040 --> 00:39:18,760 Don't do that face! 741 00:39:19,880 --> 00:39:21,080 -No. -Smug face. 742 00:39:21,120 --> 00:39:23,280 Not the smug face. I don't... 743 00:39:23,320 --> 00:39:26,920 James, just move it on, quick. 744 00:39:26,960 --> 00:39:30,160 Yes, in this show we are explaining to the people of China 745 00:39:30,200 --> 00:39:32,360 that they don't need to waste huge sums of money 746 00:39:32,400 --> 00:39:35,280 on new luxury cars when they could buy something used 747 00:39:35,320 --> 00:39:37,400 from Europe for a lot less. 748 00:39:37,440 --> 00:39:39,840 Now so far, we've done city driving. 749 00:39:39,880 --> 00:39:41,480 We've done motorway driving. 750 00:39:41,520 --> 00:39:44,080 And we've done a completely pointless handling test 751 00:39:44,120 --> 00:39:45,800 -that Jeremy devised. RICHARD: Yep! 752 00:39:45,840 --> 00:39:47,760 And now we had to get to a rally stage 753 00:39:47,800 --> 00:39:49,960 to take part in another test that he dreamt up 754 00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:52,440 whilst enjoying another night on the pneumonia. 755 00:39:52,480 --> 00:39:53,920 (LAUGHTER) 756 00:39:53,960 --> 00:39:55,480 Whatever, OK. However, listen, 757 00:39:55,520 --> 00:39:58,360 before we left the test centre where we did the flamethrower - 758 00:39:58,400 --> 00:40:00,160 the flamethrower handling test - 759 00:40:00,200 --> 00:40:04,520 we popped next door to something called the Zunyi Conference centre. 760 00:40:07,680 --> 00:40:11,400 It was on this very spot, in 1935, 761 00:40:11,440 --> 00:40:14,200 that Chairman Mao unveiled the plans 762 00:40:14,280 --> 00:40:16,480 for the future of his country. 763 00:40:18,680 --> 00:40:22,600 This then is the birthplace of Communism in China, 764 00:40:22,640 --> 00:40:26,960 and today it stands as an anti-Capitalist shrine. 765 00:40:30,200 --> 00:40:33,520 Naturally we headed straight for the gift shop. 766 00:40:33,560 --> 00:40:36,160 -(CASH REGISTER BEEPING) -Oh, that is exquisite. 767 00:40:36,200 --> 00:40:38,680 Yes, I'll definitely have a Chairman Mao snow globe. 768 00:40:40,920 --> 00:40:42,480 RICHARD: That one. 769 00:40:42,520 --> 00:40:44,000 -Oh, look. -(WOMAN GIGGLES) 770 00:40:44,040 --> 00:40:46,080 How much are these? 771 00:40:46,120 --> 00:40:47,400 (CASH REGISTER BEEPS) 772 00:40:47,440 --> 00:40:50,080 So that's 230. 773 00:40:50,120 --> 00:40:52,160 JEREMY: It's Donald Trump. 774 00:40:52,200 --> 00:40:54,760 -I'm absolutely starving. -Yeah, me too. 775 00:40:54,800 --> 00:40:57,600 -Oh, that's handy. -That'll do. 776 00:40:57,640 --> 00:41:01,160 Having paid our respects to Communism... 777 00:41:01,200 --> 00:41:05,360 ...we got back on the road in our fire-damaged cars 778 00:41:05,400 --> 00:41:10,480 with James still moaning about his temperature issues. 779 00:41:10,520 --> 00:41:13,480 The air conditioning is now so broken that it's permanently hot, 780 00:41:13,520 --> 00:41:18,160 even when I turn it to low and press every auto button. 781 00:41:18,160 --> 00:41:21,480 I decided there was only one thing I could do about this. 782 00:41:21,520 --> 00:41:22,520 Ignore him. 783 00:41:23,640 --> 00:41:24,840 Jesus! 784 00:41:24,880 --> 00:41:26,560 Look at that. 785 00:41:26,600 --> 00:41:28,360 They're actually building another motorway 786 00:41:28,400 --> 00:41:29,960 with viaducts and tunnels 787 00:41:30,000 --> 00:41:32,840 on the other side of the valley. 788 00:41:32,880 --> 00:41:36,520 You've got one motorway. Why would you need another one over there? 789 00:41:36,560 --> 00:41:39,400 Still, all these motorways did mean we could prove 790 00:41:39,440 --> 00:41:43,760 that our cars work well, as long-distance cruisers. 791 00:41:45,160 --> 00:41:47,760 If you gloss over the slightly worn, 792 00:41:47,800 --> 00:41:50,160 interior trim on this car, 793 00:41:50,160 --> 00:41:52,840 I am staggered at how comfortable it is. 794 00:41:52,880 --> 00:41:55,280 Every inch the Cadillac. 795 00:41:55,320 --> 00:42:00,360 It's fitted with something called continuously variable road-sensing suspension. 796 00:42:00,400 --> 00:42:02,200 Or suspension. 797 00:42:03,320 --> 00:42:05,560 And there's more. 798 00:42:05,600 --> 00:42:07,640 In Britain, this car was described as 799 00:42:07,640 --> 00:42:09,640 astonishingly reliable. 800 00:42:09,680 --> 00:42:13,160 Not my words, the words of the RAC. 801 00:42:13,200 --> 00:42:15,360 The Royal Automobile Club. 802 00:42:15,400 --> 00:42:18,680 The Queen herself as good as commended 803 00:42:18,760 --> 00:42:22,560 this car's reliability. 804 00:42:22,600 --> 00:42:24,880 RICHARD: Meanwhile, in the stuck record. 805 00:42:26,040 --> 00:42:28,200 Lovely engine, silky smooth. 806 00:42:28,280 --> 00:42:30,080 Seats are comfortable, 807 00:42:30,120 --> 00:42:33,040 everything works, except the air conditioning. 808 00:42:35,080 --> 00:42:37,160 I'm running out of fuel. 809 00:42:37,200 --> 00:42:40,480 There's... That's happened very suddenly. 810 00:42:40,520 --> 00:42:44,480 Er...This is May, how's everyone doing for fuel? 811 00:42:44,520 --> 00:42:48,200 I have...about a quarter of a tank. 812 00:42:48,280 --> 00:42:53,120 I'm gonna need more fuel. The mighty North Star has drunk it. 813 00:42:53,160 --> 00:42:57,440 JAMES: Happily, we soon saw signs for a service station. 814 00:42:57,480 --> 00:43:00,760 That's excellent. I was just about to start panicking. 815 00:43:03,480 --> 00:43:04,600 Oh. 816 00:43:06,520 --> 00:43:08,640 Small problem here. 817 00:43:09,680 --> 00:43:11,120 It's not open. 818 00:43:11,160 --> 00:43:13,640 JAMES: So we drove on to the next one. 819 00:43:14,760 --> 00:43:16,640 Oh, thank God. 820 00:43:18,520 --> 00:43:19,600 Where is it? 821 00:43:21,400 --> 00:43:22,800 Where's the fuel? 822 00:43:23,920 --> 00:43:27,320 Oh, it's not finished. 823 00:43:27,360 --> 00:43:29,640 They could even be fuel tanks waiting to go in. 824 00:43:31,280 --> 00:43:34,120 JAMES: So, we drove on to the next one. 825 00:43:35,160 --> 00:43:38,280 Please let this one be open. 826 00:43:38,320 --> 00:43:41,440 But that didn't have fuel either. 827 00:43:41,480 --> 00:43:45,640 How much money are they spending on service stations? 828 00:43:45,640 --> 00:43:48,840 Well, a lot, but they're not earning any from them, I can tell you that. 829 00:43:50,920 --> 00:43:55,640 The problem China has is it's building motorways so fast 830 00:43:55,680 --> 00:43:58,680 that the people building the service stations 831 00:43:58,720 --> 00:44:03,120 to supply the motorway with fuel...can't keep up. 832 00:44:03,160 --> 00:44:07,400 Chaps, my fumes are running out now. 833 00:44:07,440 --> 00:44:11,040 After passing two more unfinished service stations, 834 00:44:11,080 --> 00:44:13,440 we finally got lucky. 835 00:44:13,480 --> 00:44:16,280 Oh, thank God. 836 00:44:16,320 --> 00:44:18,440 Ooh, that's a relief. 837 00:44:18,480 --> 00:44:21,880 JEREMY: However, our problems weren't quite over. 838 00:44:24,360 --> 00:44:26,760 I mean, is that petrol or diesel? 839 00:44:26,800 --> 00:44:29,040 What... What's that? 840 00:44:29,080 --> 00:44:32,160 Does green mean petrol or diesel? 841 00:44:33,800 --> 00:44:35,360 -(JEREMY LAUGHS) -Oooh! 842 00:44:35,400 --> 00:44:37,080 (WOMAN SPEAKS CHINESE) 843 00:44:37,120 --> 00:44:39,560 -Oh, hello. -How do you know which fuel is which? 844 00:44:39,600 --> 00:44:43,360 Well, we've no idea. She just comes. This is what she just did with mine. 845 00:44:43,400 --> 00:44:46,600 -She just put that in and I'm going, "Is it petrol--" -(SPEAKS CHINESE) 846 00:44:46,640 --> 00:44:50,160 She's putting it in whatever it is. 847 00:44:50,200 --> 00:44:52,360 JEREMY: With the lucky dip fill-up complete, 848 00:44:52,400 --> 00:44:54,760 we were ready to roll. 849 00:44:54,800 --> 00:44:58,400 However, in the RAC-approved Cadillac... 850 00:44:58,440 --> 00:45:01,920 -(CLICK, BEEPING) -Er...my car won't start. 851 00:45:01,960 --> 00:45:04,520 It's the battery. 852 00:45:04,560 --> 00:45:07,240 Or have you filled it up with Ribena? 853 00:45:07,280 --> 00:45:08,520 (CAR HORN BEEPING) 854 00:45:08,560 --> 00:45:10,560 As the rest of China was keen 855 00:45:10,600 --> 00:45:13,760 to use this one completed service station, 856 00:45:13,800 --> 00:45:17,720 I had to push Hammond clear of the pumps. 857 00:45:17,760 --> 00:45:22,360 JEREMY: It's not really the message we want to be sending out to... 858 00:45:22,400 --> 00:45:24,720 the people of China, that our cars have broken. 859 00:45:24,760 --> 00:45:27,840 -(CAR HORN BEEPS) -I'm doing manual labour. 860 00:45:27,880 --> 00:45:30,840 -I've found the battery. -(BLEEP) 861 00:45:30,880 --> 00:45:32,880 (ENGINE STARTS) 862 00:45:32,920 --> 00:45:34,560 (ENGINE REVS) 863 00:45:34,600 --> 00:45:36,560 RICHARD: Success. JAMES: Very good. 864 00:45:36,600 --> 00:45:39,720 Hammond, quite a lot of Chinese people looking. 865 00:45:42,400 --> 00:45:44,640 Well, that's the jump leads test done. 866 00:45:44,680 --> 00:45:46,160 We've done the jump leads test. 867 00:45:46,200 --> 00:45:48,200 If ever we needed them, we can do it. 868 00:45:48,240 --> 00:45:51,400 -Those Chinese-made jump leads were excellent. -Excellent. 869 00:45:51,440 --> 00:45:53,840 Excellent. Not that we needed them. 870 00:45:55,000 --> 00:45:56,680 RICHARD: Back on the road, 871 00:45:56,720 --> 00:46:00,160 I was wondering if the battery wasn't the only issue. 872 00:46:00,200 --> 00:46:03,800 I can't understand the German messages on the dash, 873 00:46:03,840 --> 00:46:07,200 but the engine warning light is on. 874 00:46:07,240 --> 00:46:11,000 I'll be very disappointed if my glorious North Star engine lets go. 875 00:46:13,400 --> 00:46:15,080 It's not going to, it's tough. 876 00:46:16,160 --> 00:46:18,480 It'll be fine. 877 00:46:20,280 --> 00:46:22,120 JEREMY: In fact, we all had issues. 878 00:46:22,160 --> 00:46:26,360 Chief among which was trying to understand the road signs. 879 00:46:27,960 --> 00:46:30,600 Don't "dring" when... What? 880 00:46:30,640 --> 00:46:33,240 Don't "drmng" when tired. "Drmng." 881 00:46:33,280 --> 00:46:36,160 JEREMY: Descent length surplus. 882 00:46:36,200 --> 00:46:38,800 Over-speeding prohibition. 883 00:46:38,840 --> 00:46:40,760 Don't drmng when tired, again. 884 00:46:40,800 --> 00:46:45,120 (LAUGHING) We've got a lot of don't drmnging when tired. 885 00:46:45,160 --> 00:46:46,960 There was another problem too. 886 00:46:47,000 --> 00:46:49,440 The roads had no drainage. 887 00:46:49,480 --> 00:46:51,760 So, even in a shower... 888 00:46:52,880 --> 00:46:55,120 JAMES: Look at that. 889 00:46:55,160 --> 00:46:59,200 The cars on the other side are sending fountains of water onto this one. 890 00:47:03,000 --> 00:47:04,240 Whoa. 891 00:47:05,400 --> 00:47:06,480 Aquaplaning. 892 00:47:09,840 --> 00:47:12,160 Holy moley. 893 00:47:12,200 --> 00:47:15,280 That man's dropped... His crash helmet's actually come off his head. 894 00:47:17,720 --> 00:47:21,560 Still, at least when it got dark, things got worse. 895 00:47:21,600 --> 00:47:22,920 (CLICKING) 896 00:47:26,080 --> 00:47:30,040 Whoa! Whoa! 897 00:47:30,080 --> 00:47:33,280 They'll give you epilepsy, these cameras. 898 00:47:33,320 --> 00:47:35,320 Constantly being flashed. 899 00:47:39,200 --> 00:47:42,000 JEREMY: After this long and difficult journey, 900 00:47:42,040 --> 00:47:44,840 we reached the overnight halt... 901 00:47:44,880 --> 00:47:49,440 ...where we were hoping to unwind with some relaxing comfort food. 902 00:47:49,480 --> 00:47:51,080 (SIZZLING AND BUBBLING) 903 00:47:52,640 --> 00:47:54,760 Holy cow, that is hot! 904 00:47:56,840 --> 00:47:58,120 How... Oh, jeez. 905 00:47:58,160 --> 00:47:59,480 RICHARD: Oh...oh... 906 00:47:59,520 --> 00:48:02,480 -What...what... -That's goose intestines. 907 00:48:02,520 --> 00:48:04,040 Goose intest... Do you want some? 908 00:48:04,080 --> 00:48:07,240 I've seen more appetising things than that 909 00:48:07,280 --> 00:48:09,160 stuck to the back of my terrier. 910 00:48:09,200 --> 00:48:12,080 A rub... Ooh! ...rubber hosepipe... 911 00:48:12,120 --> 00:48:14,400 -Nice. -...coated in napalm. 912 00:48:14,440 --> 00:48:16,680 (BLEEP) hell! 913 00:48:16,720 --> 00:48:20,640 As our mouths melted, I brought up another idea I'd had. 914 00:48:20,680 --> 00:48:25,520 We really should be in the back of these cars, because... 915 00:48:25,560 --> 00:48:28,560 -I agree, yeah. -...if you're a Chinese businessman 916 00:48:28,600 --> 00:48:31,160 you're not gonna drive a car, a 750IL or a Cadillac, are you? 917 00:48:31,200 --> 00:48:32,760 You're gonna be in the back. 918 00:48:32,800 --> 00:48:35,040 Actually it's more relevant here anyway, isn't it? 919 00:48:35,080 --> 00:48:37,400 -That's what people care about. -It's all they care about. 920 00:48:37,440 --> 00:48:39,080 The rear seat accommodation, leg room. 921 00:48:39,120 --> 00:48:42,880 Now, Jaguar, Audi, Mercedes and BMW 922 00:48:42,920 --> 00:48:44,960 all make long cars 923 00:48:45,000 --> 00:48:48,920 specifically for the Chinese market. 924 00:48:48,960 --> 00:48:51,680 So, look, why don't we... I'm sure we could do this. 925 00:48:51,720 --> 00:48:55,040 Why don't we hire some local chauffeurs to drive our cars 926 00:48:55,080 --> 00:48:58,000 and we'll ride in the back, which is what we should be doing. 927 00:48:58,040 --> 00:49:00,800 -That's a proper place to assess them. -Mm, that is a good idea. 928 00:49:00,840 --> 00:49:04,440 And how's this for taking it one step further? 929 00:49:06,000 --> 00:49:09,800 Why don't we, tonight, modify our cars... 930 00:49:09,840 --> 00:49:13,080 ...to make them more relevant and luxurious 931 00:49:13,120 --> 00:49:16,000 for the Chinese business community? 932 00:49:16,040 --> 00:49:19,200 OK, and while we're at it, 933 00:49:19,240 --> 00:49:23,840 if you two dress less like tramps and more like gentlemen of commerce, 934 00:49:23,880 --> 00:49:27,160 the ladies and gentlemen of China might take us more seriously. 935 00:49:27,200 --> 00:49:28,920 JEREMY: (MUFFLED) So we've gotta get changed? 936 00:49:28,960 --> 00:49:30,400 -Sorry. -Yes. 937 00:49:30,440 --> 00:49:32,960 Sorry, my whole tongue is wrapped up in intestine. 938 00:49:33,000 --> 00:49:34,920 (SIZZLING AND BUBBLING) 939 00:49:39,240 --> 00:49:41,440 JEREMY: The next morning we reconvened 940 00:49:41,480 --> 00:49:44,320 after buying ourselves some business suits. 941 00:49:51,440 --> 00:49:54,160 We're supposed to be sending out a message that we're important, 942 00:49:54,200 --> 00:49:56,680 and that people should listen to what we have to say. 943 00:49:56,720 --> 00:49:59,320 -Now I've done that. -I think we are doing that well. 944 00:49:59,360 --> 00:50:01,560 No, I am. No, you just look like 945 00:50:01,600 --> 00:50:04,480 you've got a sub-machine gun in a violin case. 946 00:50:04,520 --> 00:50:06,840 -Have you seen James, by the way, this morning? -No. 947 00:50:06,880 --> 00:50:09,280 No, I haven't seen what he's gone for, but let's be honest... 948 00:50:09,320 --> 00:50:10,560 -Brown. -Yes. 949 00:50:10,600 --> 00:50:12,080 BOTH: It'll be brown. 950 00:50:12,120 --> 00:50:14,560 -Nothing is more certain than brown. -Sombre, severe. 951 00:50:14,600 --> 00:50:17,280 -Yeah. -It's not brown. 952 00:50:17,320 --> 00:50:19,120 That's not... Ohhh! 953 00:50:19,160 --> 00:50:22,320 JEREMY: (YELLS) Good morning, Vietnam! 954 00:50:22,360 --> 00:50:24,520 That is bold. 955 00:50:24,560 --> 00:50:27,000 Now don't pretend you did that on purpose. 956 00:50:27,040 --> 00:50:29,000 -Well, shall I be honest? BOTH: Yes. 957 00:50:29,040 --> 00:50:32,880 I ordered it using a translation app I got for my phone. 958 00:50:32,920 --> 00:50:34,680 And you mistook green for grey. 959 00:50:34,720 --> 00:50:36,920 I don't know if I did, or they did, or it doesn't work, 960 00:50:36,960 --> 00:50:39,480 but I said "light, grey", 961 00:50:39,520 --> 00:50:41,520 meaning lightweight, grey. 962 00:50:41,560 --> 00:50:42,960 But I got green. 963 00:50:43,000 --> 00:50:44,560 Yes, and you look ridiculous, 964 00:50:44,600 --> 00:50:47,480 and nobody's going to listen to a word you say. 965 00:50:47,520 --> 00:50:51,560 The fact is, though, we were all suited up. 966 00:50:51,600 --> 00:50:55,680 So it was time to get into the back of our modified cars and get going. 967 00:50:58,760 --> 00:51:01,520 RICHARD: What's that? -That's one of my modifications. 968 00:51:01,560 --> 00:51:03,680 -It's Giovanni. -No, it's Cato. 969 00:51:03,720 --> 00:51:07,240 See, I ask him for something and then he passes it through the ski hatch. 970 00:51:08,680 --> 00:51:11,840 -Absolute genius. -It's barbarous. 971 00:51:11,880 --> 00:51:16,080 Having agreed that my manservant was a brilliant idea, 972 00:51:16,120 --> 00:51:20,680 we introduced ourselves to our chauffeurs and then set off. 973 00:51:27,440 --> 00:51:30,360 My driver is the excellent Mr Hoo. 974 00:51:30,400 --> 00:51:33,160 I wonder if he's a doctor, actually. 975 00:51:33,200 --> 00:51:35,200 Dr Hoo is not a particularly tall man, 976 00:51:35,240 --> 00:51:38,480 but nevertheless, the space in the back of the S Class is fantastic. 977 00:51:38,520 --> 00:51:40,960 I've got all this leg room, I can adjust the seat. 978 00:51:41,000 --> 00:51:43,000 I can recline myself a bit. 979 00:51:43,040 --> 00:51:45,720 I can make myself a bit more upright. It's quite warm. 980 00:51:45,760 --> 00:51:50,440 The air conditioning still doesn't work. I should actually warn Dr Hoo of that. 981 00:51:50,480 --> 00:51:55,160 Doctor, I apologise, the air conditioning is broken. 982 00:51:55,200 --> 00:51:57,240 (TRANSLATOR APP SPEAKS CHINESE) 983 00:51:57,280 --> 00:52:00,880 Doctor, the hair in the college has not been spoken. 984 00:52:02,720 --> 00:52:05,840 Obviously our cars were built before Bluetooth 985 00:52:05,880 --> 00:52:09,280 and internet connectivity had been invented. 986 00:52:09,320 --> 00:52:13,720 But that's OK, because it means you're forced to spend your time in the back, 987 00:52:13,760 --> 00:52:17,320 doing something interesting. 988 00:52:17,360 --> 00:52:22,120 What I'm gonna do, instead of watching CNN drone on about Donald Trump, 989 00:52:22,160 --> 00:52:24,200 or checking on Nasdaq prices... 990 00:52:25,280 --> 00:52:28,320 ...is er...make a model... 991 00:52:28,360 --> 00:52:33,120 a matchstick model of the Eiffel Tower. 992 00:52:33,160 --> 00:52:35,800 My colleagues had also decided to make the back seat 993 00:52:35,840 --> 00:52:38,800 a place of learning and self-enrichment. 994 00:52:40,560 --> 00:52:42,480 I've said many times on this programme 995 00:52:42,520 --> 00:52:45,320 how I can't cook anything other than baked beans, 996 00:52:45,360 --> 00:52:47,680 but I'm gonna use this journey, 997 00:52:47,720 --> 00:52:51,480 together with this simple stove, this wok, and these ingredients, 998 00:52:51,520 --> 00:52:54,440 to put that right and learn how to make supper. 999 00:52:54,480 --> 00:52:59,280 I've got my cookery book here. 1000 00:52:59,320 --> 00:53:02,440 Steamed razor clams with black beans and chilli sauce. 1001 00:53:04,520 --> 00:53:08,080 JAMES: I, meanwhile, had decided to try my hand at painting. 1002 00:53:09,200 --> 00:53:11,200 Now this is an ideal studio 1003 00:53:11,240 --> 00:53:15,000 because I can paint the things that I'm going to see out of the window. 1004 00:53:15,040 --> 00:53:19,720 Sort of montage, if you like, of typical roadside sights, 1005 00:53:19,760 --> 00:53:22,280 on a chauffeur-journey through China. 1006 00:53:24,120 --> 00:53:25,760 Trees... 1007 00:53:25,800 --> 00:53:28,560 Trees right here, there. 1008 00:53:31,200 --> 00:53:34,000 (LIT MATCH CRACKLES) 1009 00:53:34,040 --> 00:53:35,960 Lovely, lovely. 1010 00:53:37,040 --> 00:53:38,960 (CLINKING) 1011 00:53:39,000 --> 00:53:40,440 Not now, Cato. 1012 00:53:40,480 --> 00:53:43,240 I could be sitting here now... 1013 00:53:43,280 --> 00:53:46,560 ...answering pointless emails from pointless people 1014 00:53:46,600 --> 00:53:48,840 with nothing better to do all day. 1015 00:53:48,880 --> 00:53:50,640 Not now, Cato. 1016 00:53:50,680 --> 00:53:55,040 But, no... I'm doing something useful, 1017 00:53:55,080 --> 00:53:57,880 something joyous, something pleasurable. 1018 00:53:57,920 --> 00:54:01,400 (TAPPING) 1019 00:54:01,440 --> 00:54:04,280 Not now, Ca... No, Cato, no, that's inappropriate. 1020 00:54:05,400 --> 00:54:07,320 -(SIZZLING) -Oh, yeah. 1021 00:54:07,360 --> 00:54:08,840 Oh, yeah. 1022 00:54:10,040 --> 00:54:13,480 Watercress. Bit of that. 1023 00:54:13,520 --> 00:54:16,600 Spend enough time on the motorway in the back of your luxury car 1024 00:54:16,640 --> 00:54:20,040 and you could turn yourself into a part-time professional chef. 1025 00:54:20,080 --> 00:54:22,680 -We could improv... -(CLATTERING) 1026 00:54:22,720 --> 00:54:24,200 Oh. 1027 00:54:25,520 --> 00:54:27,600 JEREMY: Meanwhile, in the BMW... 1028 00:54:27,640 --> 00:54:30,600 Cato, my suit. My suit jacket. 1029 00:54:30,640 --> 00:54:32,360 Cato, fire extinguisher. 1030 00:54:32,400 --> 00:54:33,920 Cato, now! 1031 00:54:33,960 --> 00:54:35,920 -(WHOOSH OF FIRE EXTINGUISHER) -Thank you. Yeah. 1032 00:54:38,080 --> 00:54:41,160 After a few more mostly fire-free miles, 1033 00:54:41,200 --> 00:54:43,920 we pulled over to compare our work. 1034 00:54:46,160 --> 00:54:49,120 May we see, James May, what you have achieved, 1035 00:54:49,160 --> 00:54:51,000 instead of doing emails? 1036 00:54:56,600 --> 00:54:57,800 Well, it's naive. 1037 00:54:57,840 --> 00:54:59,320 If I were your mum or dad, 1038 00:54:59,360 --> 00:55:00,960 I'd put that on the fridge door 1039 00:55:01,000 --> 00:55:02,360 and I'd be very proud of you. 1040 00:55:02,400 --> 00:55:04,280 This is going on the wall at home. 1041 00:55:05,360 --> 00:55:06,560 Can we taste your soup? 1042 00:55:06,600 --> 00:55:08,560 Well, you'll have to suck my tie. 1043 00:55:08,600 --> 00:55:10,280 That's where it all ended up. 1044 00:55:10,320 --> 00:55:13,240 Were you expanding your mind by setting yourself on fire? 1045 00:55:13,280 --> 00:55:16,440 -Is that all you've done? -No, no, no, no, no, it's matches. 1046 00:55:16,480 --> 00:55:20,080 One snapped and went into my sleeve. 1047 00:55:20,120 --> 00:55:21,800 JAMES: You've ruined that beautiful suit. 1048 00:55:21,840 --> 00:55:23,600 -I wanna see what you've done. -Let's have a look. 1049 00:55:23,640 --> 00:55:24,840 I'm a bit embarrassed by it. 1050 00:55:24,880 --> 00:55:27,200 Is it... It's a burnt wreck, isn't it? 1051 00:55:27,240 --> 00:55:28,600 It's not my best work. 1052 00:55:28,640 --> 00:55:30,600 This was gonna be your birthday present, 1053 00:55:30,640 --> 00:55:32,760 but now you've said it's crap you're not having it. 1054 00:55:32,800 --> 00:55:35,760 Please don't laugh. 1055 00:55:35,800 --> 00:55:38,400 Oh, right. And you made that, did you? 1056 00:55:38,440 --> 00:55:40,880 -Really? -In the back of your car. 1057 00:55:40,920 --> 00:55:43,680 Yeah, I know, but I... Look... At great cost. 1058 00:55:43,720 --> 00:55:45,640 Yeah. Yeah. 1059 00:55:48,000 --> 00:55:49,520 JEREMY: For the next leg of our journey 1060 00:55:49,560 --> 00:55:52,880 we tried out the modifications we'd made to our cars, 1061 00:55:52,920 --> 00:55:58,040 so they'd suit the world of modern commerce. 1062 00:55:58,080 --> 00:56:01,480 Businessmen always want a flat bed when they're on an aeroplane, 1063 00:56:01,520 --> 00:56:04,920 so why wouldn't you want one if you're in your car? 1064 00:56:04,960 --> 00:56:07,520 Very simple to achieve this. 1065 00:56:07,560 --> 00:56:08,880 Recline the front seat, 1066 00:56:08,920 --> 00:56:11,720 put a mattress on it, duvet, pillow. 1067 00:56:11,760 --> 00:56:15,480 Take off what's left of your jacket and into bed. 1068 00:56:17,000 --> 00:56:18,920 Oh, it's gone dark. That's nice. 1069 00:56:20,800 --> 00:56:24,400 In the Cadillac, Hammond had been a little more ambitious. 1070 00:56:29,640 --> 00:56:33,680 Name me one businessman hotel that doesn't have a gym. 1071 00:56:33,720 --> 00:56:35,080 Exactly. 1072 00:56:35,120 --> 00:56:38,000 They all do, which is why I've fitted my Cadillac 1073 00:56:38,040 --> 00:56:39,840 with this rowing machine. 1074 00:56:39,880 --> 00:56:43,400 So as we drive along, I can get in shape. 1075 00:56:43,440 --> 00:56:45,960 Healthy body means a healthy mind. 1076 00:56:46,000 --> 00:56:48,840 -How's life in your car, Mr Hammond? -It's brilliant, thank you. 1077 00:56:48,880 --> 00:56:52,720 -What about you? -Oh, I'm just nodding off. 1078 00:56:52,760 --> 00:56:55,640 You go in a tunnel, it feels like night, it's lovely. 1079 00:56:55,680 --> 00:56:59,120 Um... Question, though. What's... What's James done? 1080 00:56:59,160 --> 00:57:01,560 I can't see him. 1081 00:57:01,600 --> 00:57:03,680 Bit more on the coals. 1082 00:57:04,760 --> 00:57:06,680 (SIZZLING) 1083 00:57:06,720 --> 00:57:09,720 I realise this now looks like an idiotic idea. 1084 00:57:09,760 --> 00:57:10,880 It was already a sauna in my car, 1085 00:57:10,920 --> 00:57:12,640 so I've built a sauna in it. 1086 00:57:12,680 --> 00:57:16,400 But...let's imagine you were in the far north of China. 1087 00:57:16,440 --> 00:57:18,200 Let's imagine it's the winter. 1088 00:57:18,240 --> 00:57:21,680 You can get through from the other side, through that door, 1089 00:57:21,720 --> 00:57:23,520 -enjoy a sauna... -(SIZZLING) 1090 00:57:23,560 --> 00:57:25,080 Go back into your car, 1091 00:57:25,120 --> 00:57:26,560 carry on with your oil painting. 1092 00:57:27,760 --> 00:57:29,800 Ohh. Ohh. 1093 00:57:31,520 --> 00:57:34,680 There was, however, one small drawback to my plan. 1094 00:57:34,720 --> 00:57:38,600 My driver couldn't see his mirrors. 1095 00:57:38,640 --> 00:57:42,480 -(HORN BEEPS) JAMES: Whoa! Bollocks. 1096 00:57:42,520 --> 00:57:44,520 -All right, all right. -(HORN BEEPS) 1097 00:57:44,560 --> 00:57:48,480 God, Dr Hoo's getting a right strop on. I know, it's steamed up. Hang on. 1098 00:57:48,520 --> 00:57:50,600 -(KNOCKING) -All right, all right, all right. 1099 00:57:52,680 --> 00:57:55,920 JEREMY: Oh, that's so nice. 1100 00:57:57,000 --> 00:57:58,600 Oh, that's lovely. 1101 00:57:59,680 --> 00:58:01,600 That is lovely, lovely, lovely. 1102 00:58:03,120 --> 00:58:04,240 Mm. 1103 00:58:06,040 --> 00:58:08,600 Not... Not yet, Cato. 1104 00:58:15,400 --> 00:58:20,560 JEREMY: The next morning, having proved that all cars need saunas, gyms and beds, 1105 00:58:20,600 --> 00:58:22,520 we sacked our chauffeurs 1106 00:58:22,560 --> 00:58:25,600 and headed for the location of our final challenge. 1107 00:58:29,560 --> 00:58:32,720 However, in the USS Norman Schwarzkopf... 1108 00:58:34,040 --> 00:58:35,960 -(BLEEP) -Geschw Grenze? 1109 00:58:37,240 --> 00:58:38,840 What does that one mean? 1110 00:58:38,880 --> 00:58:40,640 (BLEEP) 1111 00:58:40,680 --> 00:58:42,240 It's not well. 1112 00:58:42,280 --> 00:58:43,600 (BLEEP) 1113 00:58:43,640 --> 00:58:45,280 Oh, that's another... I don't... 1114 00:58:45,320 --> 00:58:47,320 I don't know what that warning says either. 1115 00:58:50,000 --> 00:58:53,240 -Oh, God, it's dying. -(ENGINE KNOCKING) 1116 00:58:55,720 --> 00:58:57,640 (STEAM HISSING) 1117 00:59:03,400 --> 00:59:05,400 Oh, it's losing oil. 1118 00:59:05,440 --> 00:59:07,360 (JEREMY CHUCKLES) 1119 00:59:09,840 --> 00:59:12,600 What's happened? 1120 00:59:12,640 --> 00:59:17,120 Loads of warnings came on... and then it lost power. 1121 00:59:17,160 --> 00:59:20,480 I made it to this off-ramp and now it's... it died. 1122 00:59:20,520 --> 00:59:21,640 Oh, dear. 1123 00:59:21,680 --> 00:59:23,720 I'm not sure my jump leads 1124 00:59:23,760 --> 00:59:25,400 are gonna get that going, are they? 1125 00:59:25,440 --> 00:59:26,920 -No. -Oh, look. 1126 00:59:26,960 --> 00:59:29,120 -Oh, dear. JAMES: That's really gone bang, hasn't it? 1127 00:59:29,160 --> 00:59:32,480 RICHARD: There's oil coming out everywhere. 1128 00:59:32,520 --> 00:59:34,600 Do you know the number for the emergency services? 1129 00:59:35,320 --> 00:59:36,880 No, I don't. 1130 00:59:36,920 --> 00:59:39,120 Do you know how to say, "My Cadillac's broken down"? 1131 00:59:39,160 --> 00:59:41,160 -Do you know what junction you're at? -No. 1132 00:59:41,200 --> 00:59:43,200 -Oh, dear. -No, neither do I. 1133 00:59:43,240 --> 00:59:44,920 -Do you? -No idea, no. 1134 00:59:44,960 --> 00:59:47,160 Come on, we've got a long way to go. 1135 00:59:49,600 --> 00:59:54,400 Leaving the multilingual Brummie to deal with the Chinese breakdown services, 1136 00:59:54,440 --> 00:59:57,960 James and I got back onto what is fast becoming... 1137 00:59:58,000 --> 00:59:59,920 ...the eighth wonder of the world: 1138 01:00:05,320 --> 01:00:07,240 China's road network. 1139 01:00:12,280 --> 01:00:16,040 In 1988, China had no motorways at all. 1140 01:00:16,080 --> 01:00:20,800 And now, 30 years later, it has 84,000 miles of them. 1141 01:00:20,840 --> 01:00:24,160 That's more than any other country in the world. 1142 01:00:35,320 --> 01:00:37,480 And they're only just getting into their stride. 1143 01:00:37,520 --> 01:00:42,800 Since 2011, they've been building 6,000 miles of motorway every year. 1144 01:00:43,880 --> 01:00:47,000 6,000 miles a year! 1145 01:00:47,040 --> 01:00:51,720 It beggars belief and it's not like the terrain is easy. 1146 01:00:51,760 --> 01:00:54,520 Here, though, there ain't no mountain high enough 1147 01:00:54,560 --> 01:00:58,240 and there ain't no valley low enough, to stop them. 1148 01:01:01,400 --> 01:01:03,040 This bridge, for example... 1149 01:01:04,400 --> 01:01:06,960 ...is 34 miles long. 1150 01:01:10,600 --> 01:01:16,400 And then there's this one, the Duge Beipanjiang Bridge. 1151 01:01:16,440 --> 01:01:19,520 You could fit the London Shard underneath it... 1152 01:01:20,600 --> 01:01:22,240 ...twice over. 1153 01:01:31,760 --> 01:01:33,080 I'm telling you. 1154 01:01:34,160 --> 01:01:36,160 In Britain, we're doomed. 1155 01:01:36,200 --> 01:01:37,720 We're doomed. 1156 01:01:39,120 --> 01:01:41,720 We were headed, though, for an old road, 1157 01:01:41,760 --> 01:01:46,080 to test the one thing we hadn't tested so far. 1158 01:01:46,120 --> 01:01:50,920 And here in China, it's the most important thing. 1159 01:01:50,960 --> 01:01:53,360 The thing is, luxury's all very well, but in China, 1160 01:01:53,400 --> 01:01:55,960 driving is a relatively new thing. 1161 01:01:56,000 --> 01:01:58,520 People have only been doing it for 30 years. 1162 01:01:58,560 --> 01:02:03,040 And as is the way with all new things, it should be fun. 1163 01:02:04,800 --> 01:02:06,760 Eventually we... 1164 01:02:06,800 --> 01:02:10,400 Well, two of us, arrived at the location we'd selected. 1165 01:02:15,640 --> 01:02:19,200 It's known as the 24-curve road 1166 01:02:19,240 --> 01:02:25,320 because it has 24 fun-filled curves. 1167 01:02:25,360 --> 01:02:30,280 It was built in 1935 to ferry US military equipment to China. 1168 01:02:32,160 --> 01:02:35,480 And it hasn't really been maintained since. 1169 01:02:35,520 --> 01:02:38,560 So the surface is loose and potholed. 1170 01:02:38,600 --> 01:02:41,240 And it looked like it should be a right laugh. 1171 01:02:43,200 --> 01:02:46,360 This was actually part of the road that led... 1172 01:02:46,400 --> 01:02:50,160 the only road that linked the then capital of China with India and Burma. 1173 01:02:50,200 --> 01:02:52,000 Yeah, well, before that, all the supplies 1174 01:02:52,040 --> 01:02:54,000 that came into China had to be flown over the Himalayas, 1175 01:02:54,040 --> 01:02:56,040 which was incredibly dangerous in the '30s. 1176 01:02:56,080 --> 01:02:58,240 I think the Americans lost something like 400-- 1177 01:02:58,280 --> 01:02:59,720 Sorry... Sorry to interrupt, 1178 01:02:59,760 --> 01:03:01,600 have you seen this stupid thing? 1179 01:03:03,040 --> 01:03:05,240 Well, never mind that, look what he's driving. 1180 01:03:05,280 --> 01:03:06,880 What, is that Hammond? 1181 01:03:06,920 --> 01:03:09,240 -I guess the Cadillac's definitely broken, then. -(JEREMY LAUGHS) 1182 01:03:09,280 --> 01:03:10,880 (LAUGHTER CONTINUES) 1183 01:03:10,920 --> 01:03:12,240 Nice! 1184 01:03:14,960 --> 01:03:17,480 -Check out my Fulu. -Why have you got that? 1185 01:03:17,520 --> 01:03:20,600 Well I wasn't gonna let you have all the fun, was I? 1186 01:03:20,640 --> 01:03:22,640 Never mind that, why have you got it? 1187 01:03:22,680 --> 01:03:27,120 My telephone translation device at the toll booth worked to a degree, 1188 01:03:27,160 --> 01:03:28,600 to this extent. 1189 01:03:28,640 --> 01:03:30,480 What you... Somebody got you a car? 1190 01:03:30,520 --> 01:03:32,040 Look, I got wheels, three of them. 1191 01:03:32,080 --> 01:03:35,720 -What engine's it got? -588cc twin-cylinder two-stroke. 1192 01:03:35,760 --> 01:03:37,040 -(JEREMY INHALES) -It's in the back. 1193 01:03:38,120 --> 01:03:39,880 Ah, look at that. 1194 01:03:39,920 --> 01:03:42,320 It's actually smaller than its own air filter. 1195 01:03:42,360 --> 01:03:45,560 I was gonna say, my alternator's bigger than that in the Mercedes. 1196 01:03:45,600 --> 01:03:47,600 Anyway, listen. Here's what we're doing. 1197 01:03:47,640 --> 01:03:50,360 -Yeah. -It's a test of speed. 1198 01:03:50,400 --> 01:03:53,040 Cos we are against the clock, bear that in mind, OK? 1199 01:03:53,080 --> 01:03:54,960 And durability, at the same time. 1200 01:03:55,000 --> 01:03:57,000 So you've gotta get up this road, 1201 01:03:57,040 --> 01:03:58,840 which goes all the way up there, 1202 01:03:58,880 --> 01:04:00,440 as fast as possible, 1203 01:04:00,480 --> 01:04:03,440 and keep your car in one piece in the process. 1204 01:04:05,360 --> 01:04:07,240 Richard and I decided that James 1205 01:04:07,280 --> 01:04:09,200 should volunteer to go first. 1206 01:04:10,560 --> 01:04:12,240 Oh. 1207 01:04:12,280 --> 01:04:15,120 Oh, you look exactly like a racing driver, apart from visually. 1208 01:04:15,160 --> 01:04:17,000 It's a racing clown. 1209 01:04:17,040 --> 01:04:19,600 Can we just get on with it? It's very hot in here. 1210 01:04:19,640 --> 01:04:21,280 Going with your window down or up? Lot of stones. 1211 01:04:21,320 --> 01:04:22,560 Down? 1212 01:04:22,600 --> 01:04:24,400 It's a small risk from being hit by a stone. 1213 01:04:24,440 --> 01:04:26,880 It's a large risk of dying from suffocation. 1214 01:04:26,920 --> 01:04:29,360 Right. Anything else we wanna say to him? 1215 01:04:29,400 --> 01:04:30,880 Yes. "Go." 1216 01:04:30,920 --> 01:04:32,360 Just take some time and prepare mentally, 1217 01:04:32,400 --> 01:04:34,240 and really think about this. 1218 01:04:34,280 --> 01:04:36,160 -Have you visualised the course? -No. 1219 01:04:36,200 --> 01:04:38,680 RICHARD: OK. 1220 01:04:38,720 --> 01:04:40,960 JEREMY: He looks quite cross. RICHARD: He does, yeah. 1221 01:04:41,000 --> 01:04:43,000 -Three, two, one, go! -There you go. 1222 01:04:43,040 --> 01:04:44,480 Push. 1223 01:04:47,120 --> 01:04:48,520 Oh ,God, I can't... 1224 01:04:48,560 --> 01:04:51,360 I can't see round right-hand bends because of my sauna. 1225 01:04:54,680 --> 01:04:56,560 Whoa! 1226 01:04:56,600 --> 01:04:59,920 Massive hole there. 1227 01:04:59,960 --> 01:05:01,640 I've just realised that I've only been comfortable 1228 01:05:01,680 --> 01:05:04,040 for 20 minutes of this entire trip. 1229 01:05:04,080 --> 01:05:07,040 My car's been too hot, my suit's too hot, 1230 01:05:07,080 --> 01:05:08,840 now the road's too rough. 1231 01:05:15,920 --> 01:05:18,720 Bit of squirrelling there from the broken traction control. 1232 01:05:24,320 --> 01:05:26,160 The finish line! 1233 01:05:26,200 --> 01:05:27,280 I've done it! 1234 01:05:31,080 --> 01:05:34,480 JEREMY: Next, it was my turn. 1235 01:05:34,520 --> 01:05:39,320 Right, I'm attaching the wobbly-headed symbol of Capitalism here, 1236 01:05:39,360 --> 01:05:41,880 to bring me good fortune on this perilous test. 1237 01:05:43,240 --> 01:05:45,000 -If you're ready. -Yes. 1238 01:05:45,040 --> 01:05:47,960 Five, four, three... (LAUGHS) 1239 01:05:49,160 --> 01:05:51,160 ...two, one. 1240 01:05:51,200 --> 01:05:52,880 Go! 1241 01:06:00,600 --> 01:06:03,360 Now, I'm guessing James May will have gone for caution. 1242 01:06:03,400 --> 01:06:05,120 I'm not going to. 1243 01:06:06,520 --> 01:06:08,440 Cos I'm going for speed and power. 1244 01:06:10,000 --> 01:06:13,040 And then just trust in the BMW build quality. 1245 01:06:16,320 --> 01:06:19,000 My wobbly-headed symbol of Capitalism is wilting. 1246 01:06:20,240 --> 01:06:22,240 It's not... Arrrgh! 1247 01:06:22,280 --> 01:06:24,880 Jesus, that was a big tail slide there! 1248 01:06:25,960 --> 01:06:27,520 Oh, yeah. 1249 01:06:28,920 --> 01:06:31,600 Stick it in here. Oh, yes. 1250 01:06:34,600 --> 01:06:36,520 -(RATTLING) -Oh, what's happened? 1251 01:06:40,920 --> 01:06:42,840 (RATTLING AND CLANKING) 1252 01:06:49,720 --> 01:06:51,240 Yeah. 1253 01:06:52,960 --> 01:06:54,720 -You overdid it, didn't you? -Yeah. 1254 01:06:54,760 --> 01:06:57,240 JAMES: So I've won that. 1255 01:06:57,280 --> 01:06:59,280 Well, we don't know. We haven't got your time yet. 1256 01:06:59,320 --> 01:07:03,400 You said - your words: "Test of durability and is against the clock." 1257 01:07:03,440 --> 01:07:05,440 Your car is broken. 1258 01:07:05,480 --> 01:07:08,920 -It's not broken, a tyre's come off. -It's broken. 1259 01:07:08,960 --> 01:07:10,800 RICHARD: Down at the start line, 1260 01:07:10,840 --> 01:07:12,720 I was waiting for the signal to go. 1261 01:07:14,680 --> 01:07:17,240 Hm. Little cubby hole. 1262 01:07:17,280 --> 01:07:19,000 JEREMY: Richard Hammond. 1263 01:07:20,160 --> 01:07:22,800 Hello, yes. 1264 01:07:22,840 --> 01:07:25,240 JEREMY: Three, two, one, go! -Oh, come on, I'm not... 1265 01:07:25,280 --> 01:07:27,080 Right, OK, here I go. 1266 01:07:27,120 --> 01:07:28,680 (ENGINE REVS) 1267 01:07:28,720 --> 01:07:30,280 And we're off. 1268 01:07:30,320 --> 01:07:32,040 Oh, Christ! Oh. 1269 01:07:34,040 --> 01:07:35,520 I am limited on power. 1270 01:07:37,600 --> 01:07:39,520 Top speed: 39 miles an hour. 1271 01:07:39,560 --> 01:07:41,840 Ow, ow! 1272 01:07:41,880 --> 01:07:44,600 We're never gonna get an air ambulance in here, are we? 1273 01:07:44,640 --> 01:07:46,560 Well, he might have a very long winch. 1274 01:07:52,360 --> 01:07:53,840 Ohhh! 1275 01:07:53,880 --> 01:07:55,680 Big drops, I don't like that. Ow! 1276 01:07:55,720 --> 01:07:58,080 Nervous of hill climbs these days. 1277 01:08:01,440 --> 01:08:02,560 Agh, oh. 1278 01:08:03,640 --> 01:08:05,640 A line, use my line. 1279 01:08:05,680 --> 01:08:07,320 Ow. 1280 01:08:07,360 --> 01:08:08,480 Oh, my God! 1281 01:08:09,560 --> 01:08:11,080 Oh, dear! 1282 01:08:11,120 --> 01:08:12,800 Oh, God! 1283 01:08:20,880 --> 01:08:22,960 -Did anyone s... -Was that... 1284 01:08:23,000 --> 01:08:26,760 -Did he just crash it? -Was that a crash or did he just disappear behind the... 1285 01:08:26,800 --> 01:08:28,720 He has, look, he's gone off there. 1286 01:08:31,000 --> 01:08:32,400 Er...so there we are, 1287 01:08:32,440 --> 01:08:36,880 I'm afraid that Richard Hammond's luck has finally run out. 1288 01:08:36,920 --> 01:08:39,720 And it's with deep regret, and great sadness, 1289 01:08:39,760 --> 01:08:43,600 that James and I must now announce the untimely demise of... 1290 01:08:43,640 --> 01:08:45,560 RICHARD: I'm all right. 1291 01:08:47,360 --> 01:08:49,360 -Not again. -How's he do it? 1292 01:08:49,400 --> 01:08:51,400 I don't know. 1293 01:08:51,440 --> 01:08:53,040 Well, on that terrible disappointment, 1294 01:08:53,080 --> 01:08:54,760 back to the tent. 1295 01:08:54,800 --> 01:08:57,760 (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) 1296 01:08:57,800 --> 01:09:02,600 -Look at my face. -I'm OK. I'm OK. 1297 01:09:02,640 --> 01:09:04,040 JEREMY: Smug face. -I'm fine. 1298 01:09:05,560 --> 01:09:07,440 -Don't worry. -Smug. 1299 01:09:08,680 --> 01:09:11,080 Smug because I won that. 1300 01:09:11,120 --> 01:09:13,800 -No, you didn't. -I did, I was the fastest. 1301 01:09:13,840 --> 01:09:18,560 And it was supposed to be a test of fun and you moaned the entire way up the hill. 1302 01:09:18,600 --> 01:09:22,160 It was a test of durability. You had to change a wheel and where's the fun in that? 1303 01:09:22,200 --> 01:09:24,920 Well, I wasn't the idiot that put a sauna in my car. 1304 01:09:24,960 --> 01:09:26,360 What's wrong with a sauna? 1305 01:09:26,400 --> 01:09:28,800 Because in every hotel that's got a sauna, 1306 01:09:28,840 --> 01:09:31,760 the corridors are always full of wet idiots 1307 01:09:31,800 --> 01:09:33,640 with those slippers that don't fit. 1308 01:09:33,680 --> 01:09:35,560 -Hello? Hello? -What? 1309 01:09:35,600 --> 01:09:39,000 I did have quite a big crash at the end there. I thought-- 1310 01:09:39,040 --> 01:09:40,800 There's nothing particularly remarkable about that, is there? 1311 01:09:40,840 --> 01:09:42,040 I mean, why would you... 1312 01:09:42,080 --> 01:09:44,000 The fact is, the reason you crashed... 1313 01:09:44,040 --> 01:09:46,000 Well, obviously you're incompetent. 1314 01:09:46,040 --> 01:09:51,680 But also because your Cadillac broke down and your Mercedes was too humid. 1315 01:09:51,720 --> 01:09:54,720 So that means the winner is definitely, of the whole thing, 1316 01:09:54,760 --> 01:09:57,440 the BMW 750i. 1317 01:09:57,520 --> 01:09:59,360 -What? -Actually, no. 1318 01:09:59,400 --> 01:10:02,800 To be fair, the real winner of the whole thing was our brilliant idea 1319 01:10:02,840 --> 01:10:05,720 to sell second-hand limos to the Chinese. 1320 01:10:05,760 --> 01:10:07,280 No, he's absolutely right about that, 1321 01:10:07,320 --> 01:10:08,960 because it makes them happy 1322 01:10:09,000 --> 01:10:11,120 and it helps us with our balance of payments. 1323 01:10:11,160 --> 01:10:13,160 -Everybody wins. -It was a good idea. 1324 01:10:13,200 --> 01:10:15,200 -Yes. -Except for one tiny detail. 1325 01:10:15,240 --> 01:10:20,280 You see, this programme is shown in every single country in the world. 1326 01:10:20,320 --> 01:10:21,800 Except one. 1327 01:10:22,880 --> 01:10:24,400 (LAUGHTER) 1328 01:10:24,440 --> 01:10:26,080 -Which one? -China. 1329 01:10:26,120 --> 01:10:27,680 Ah. 1330 01:10:27,720 --> 01:10:31,080 So this entire show has been a total waste of time. 1331 01:10:31,120 --> 01:10:35,200 It's an hour of your life you'll never get back. 1332 01:10:35,240 --> 01:10:37,320 And on that terrible disappointment, it's time to end. 1333 01:10:37,360 --> 01:10:40,040 Next week, I'm happy to say, we're back in the groove. 1334 01:10:40,080 --> 01:10:43,400 We're in Scotland and I get an Alfa Romeo GTV6, make me very happy. 1335 01:10:43,440 --> 01:10:45,320 See you then, take care. Good night. 1336 01:10:45,320 --> 01:10:47,280 -Good night. -(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)