James, Richard and Jeremy at Their Most Chaotic | Top Gear Classic

0:01 Right.

0:03 You have been booked to appear at 11:00 this morning on an American chat show.

0:09 The uh studio is on West 59th Street near its junction with 11th Avenue.

0:14 There's only time for one of you to appear.

0:16 So, the first to arrive gets the gig.

0:18 Can I just ask

0:20 what?

0:20 Can I just see it?

0:21 It doesn't say I can't use my satnav.

0:24 Nor me.

0:27 Well,

0:26 or you you could use your satnav.

0:29 Should we do it?

0:29 We've got an hour.

0:30 Yes.

0:30 Yeah.

0:31 Right in.

0:33 Three, two,

0:40 go.

0:39 Okay.

0:40 Um

0:44 said navigation city Manhattan.

0:48 What?

0:48 Where?

0:49 Where?

0:56 Ah.

0:55 How do you enter West 59th in a satnav?

0:58 It's not easy, but luckily I've managed it.

1:00 Goodbye.

1:04 Looking good.

1:04 Looking good.

1:06 Done it.

1:07 Go.

1:15 Up ahead.

1:16 The Porsche was on Brooklyn Bridge,

1:19 zooming towards Manhattan, which made Stuart Little very nervous.

1:27 No.

1:28 No.

1:29 Oh god, look at it.

1:31 It's huge.

1:33 I'm a country boy.

1:34 That's just a fact.

1:36 Cities terrify me.

1:38 They're just big and complicated and full of people to shout at you.

1:47 Here we go.

1:49 The producers had given us only one rule.

1:52 We weren't allowed to use the ring roads that go up Manhattan shoreline.

1:56 But no matter, us satnav boys were feeling pretty relaxed.

2:00 Hello America, Manhattan TV studio and then the world.

2:07 Could be Good Morning America.

2:09 That is a big show.

2:11 Hammond will be desperate to get there first because ever since he was a fetus,

2:17 he's been destined to appear on American television

2:20 and his teeth and his hair and everything.

2:24 What do I want?

2:24 We're on Pearl Street to Park Row South.

2:27 I don't know.

2:29 I don't know.

2:33 James steamed into Manhattan full of confidence.

2:37 Park road south.

2:37 Keep right.

2:39 Tend to keep left.

2:40 Yes.

2:41 But soon he had a problem.

2:44 I've lost the satellite signal.

2:46 Oh god, it's the buildings.

2:49 Annoyingly though, Manhattan suited James' love of order and logic

2:54 because the streets are laid out in a numbered grid system.

2:59 You can only go four ways in New York.

3:01 You can go east or west or you can go north or south.

3:03 There's no windy stuff or there's very little

3:06 in the way of diagonal stuff like concentrate.

3:11 In the SLS, the satnav was not affected by the buildings,

3:15 but it was being very German.

3:18 Ah, you see, look, it's the satnav has selected the ring road.

3:21 Look, it's turned to take me up.

3:23 I can't do that.

3:25 I drove deeper into the heart of the city to force the system to think again.

3:30 Satnav's still trying to make me go on the ring road.

3:33 I can't do that.

3:34 Prepare to turn left.

3:36 No, I can't go on the ring road.

3:39 I'll shut her up.

3:41 We just keep heading north until I get to 59th Street.

3:44 How hard can that be?

3:47 All of us were now relying on intelligence alone to find the TV studio.

3:51 And if I'm honest, that did put Stuart Little at a bit of a disadvantage.

3:57 No.

3:58 No.

3:58 I don't want to go.

4:00 No.

4:00 How do I not go in the tunnel?

4:04 I'm not going to panic.

4:04 I'm not going to panic.

4:05 I'm not going to panic.

4:06 Not going to panic.

4:07 I've indicated the windscreen wipers.

4:09 That's bad.

4:12 Right.

4:12 I'm going north.

4:14 We'll start to count off street numbers in a minute.

4:16 And I just keep going until I get to 59.

4:22 Captain OCD was making storming progress.

4:29 14th Street.

4:30 This is good.

4:32 What about Jezer is Oh no.

4:38 East 14th Street.

4:40 I've got to go 59 and I've now got 36 minutes to get there.

4:45 Still could be worse.

4:48 That's Hammond.

4:49 That's Hammond.

4:53 Oh, that doesn't What am I doing wrong?

4:59 At that moment, I was asking myself the same question.

5:09 done it wrong.

5:11 I mustn't clout the rear alloy on the corner of that.

5:15 Right now it's the back wheel over there.

5:21 Good.

5:20 Having lost valuable time,

5:22 I decided to stick to the main streets, Avenue of the Americas.

5:28 This is good.

5:34 This is an astonishing road.

5:35 This is the Avenue of the Americas.

5:39 Look at that concrete canyon.

5:46 I think I just saw James over there.

5:49 Yes, look what I found.

5:53 Jeza, that's interesting.

5:57 It was very tempting to finally see which of our cars was the fastest.

6:03 This we mustn't do this.

6:06 And then we decided that we must going to go manual.

6:12 This burst of acceleration could decide who goes on American television.

6:29 Sadly, before the race was done, we hit traffic.

6:32 So I break and bailed.

6:34 Next left.

6:38 Oh, he's turned off.

6:39 Oh, very bold.

6:41 Jeremy and I were now trying different tactics.

6:44 He was wiggling in the back streets and I was

6:47 on the big road hoping the lights would be kind.

6:53 This race is now a race.

6:56 47th, 48th, 49th.

7:01 10 to go.

7:04 It's just green, green, green.

7:08 My plan hadn't worked and I was in a complete tangle.

7:12 Broadway's one way.

7:14 Oh no.

7:17 What's the next one?

7:19 If I go to seventh.

7:20 Oh, don't tell me seventh is one way as well.

7:22 It is.

7:23 So I have to go left.

7:25 Oh, spiffing.

7:27 This is just ludicrous.

7:29 There's only one road goes north.

7:31 All the others go south.

7:33 Still could be worse.

7:40 Broadway.

7:40 Is that where the theaters are?

7:41 Look at that.

7:42 Look at that.

7:44 I am on Broadway.

7:45 Broadway.

7:47 Hang on.

7:48 Broadway's I'm going the wrong way.

7:55 More green lights.

7:56 Look at this.

7:58 56 57th wonder if it's Lettoman 58th.

8:05 Right.

8:06 This is 59th.

8:08 Hello America.

8:09 This is James May in the latest Ferrari.

8:16 Come on.

8:18 All I had to do was stick with 59th Street for five blocks.

8:22 Keep going.

8:23 But at this roundabout, 59th Street just stopped.

8:28 Oh god.

8:30 Oh, this is where it gets difficult.

8:33 Now I was relying on my famously brilliant sense of direction.

8:38 Going that way.

8:40 That was a hunch.

8:42 Jeremy, meanwhile, had decided to replace navigation with raw power.

8:53 47.

8:58 Come on.

9:01 Oh god.

9:02 Above Amsterdam only be one way.

9:05 What is the point?

9:07 Right.

9:08 I'll go across.

9:08 I can't go down there.

9:19 All the lights are green.

9:23 and 53.

9:27 That's pedestrianized.

9:30 It's all going wrong.

9:32 Let me go down a street for God's sake.

9:43 I've got to get across ninth.

9:48 If I want to go to 11th, it's near the junction with 11.

9:58 66.

9:59 Here we go.

10:01 West End Avenue.

10:03 Lovely work.

10:06 Five streets to go.

10:11 10.

10:14 Is this 11 up here?

10:18 Come on.

10:20 61 60 58 59th Yes.

10:34 Oh, no.

10:35 No.

10:35 No.

10:36 No.

10:37 That's not possible.

10:38 There's a Ferrari.

10:40 I cannot believe it.

10:50 Meanwhile,

10:52 Avenue of the Americas is here.

10:54 That's what I want.

10:56 There you go.

10:58 Going to launch my career in America.

11:03 Stuart was quite upset when he finally arrived.

11:14 Disappointed.

11:14 Got it.

11:14 That's it.

11:15 Lass in your beetle.

11:18 Yeah.

11:17 Don't be disappointed.

11:19 Well, is this the James is in there?

11:23 In there.

11:24 You think he's been talking to Lesman, don't you?

11:27 Yeah.

11:26 Or Good Morning America.

11:29 Yeah.

11:28 It isn't there.

11:31 Inhale.

11:32 Come up.

11:32 You should feel a beautiful stretch in your adductor

11:35 muscles on the inside of your left thigh.

11:38 Inhale.

11:38 Come up.

11:39 Bring both your arms up to shoulder height.

11:41 Let's turn to the right side.

11:43 Bring your legs out about 3 to 4 feet apart.

11:46 So, let's inhale.

11:49 Now, start exhaling.

11:50 Glide your hands down the back of your body.

11:52 Bend your knees if you have to take a break.

12:03 The launch site was a military base whose whereabouts are a top secret.

12:15 The build began and soon the main fuel tank was assembled

12:18 and attached to the launch pad together with the solid rocket boosters.

12:22 These parts contained the 8 1/2 tons of rocket

12:25 power that would take the Reliance up into the heavens.

12:32 Here's what terrifies me.

12:34 As it is here on that, let's be honest, bit of scaffolding.

12:39 Yeah.

12:40 just the tiniest, you know, like that's Birmingham or that's John and Gro.

12:45 Look, it's fine.

12:46 It's held down with some old concrete blocks and some straps

12:49 that you use to hold furniture down in a removal van.

12:52 That's perfect, right?

12:54 There must be something useful we can do somewhere.

12:56 As it happened, there was.

12:58 We were sent off to dig a bunker for Steve,

13:01 the model airplane pilot, who would glide the Reliant in.

13:04 But that wasn't easy because the launch site is littered with unexloded bombs.

13:12 Thank you for choosing a precision metal detector.

13:15 With your metal detector, you can hunt for coins,

13:17 relics, jewelry, gold, and silver just about anywhere.

13:20 Does it say bombs?

13:23 No.

13:23 James had bought his metal detector at Argos,

13:27 so I got myself some serious body armor.

13:41 You found my JCB.

13:43 I've just worked out something though from this.

13:45 It only works down to a depth of about 3 in.

13:50 As it turned out, it all went rather well

13:54 in the main.

13:58 Look at what he's done.

14:01 You philistine.

14:03 Finally, our bunker was finished.

14:06 So that's it then.

14:07 Good.

14:07 With Steve now fully protected,

14:09 we went back to the launch site where there was good news.

14:12 Bang on time for its date with Destiny.

14:15 The Reliant Robin had arrived.

14:27 You're all right.

14:28 You're all right.

14:30 Keep it coming.

14:31 You're all right.

14:32 On that line.

14:34 You're all right.

14:36 Yep.

14:36 You're all right.

14:38 Back.

14:41 Nice.

14:40 And stop.

14:44 That is the business end of a reusable reliant orbiter.

14:50 Wow.

14:52 Then we were entrusted with another job.

14:56 I reveal to you the legend.

15:01 You spanner.

15:02 What?

15:02 That's where it goes on the window.

15:03 What it's going to look like when it's up there pointing upwards.

15:08 Brilliant.

15:07 Upside down.

15:14 As night fell, the most delicate and risky part of the operation began.

15:20 Attaching the Reliant Space Orbiter to the rockets and fuel tank.

15:25 Not kidding.

15:26 This bit is genuinely very scary because

15:30 as they're mounting it up and it's quite complicated,

15:32 all the linkages, if the shuttle clons it and bends

15:35 any of the release mechanisms, it won't come off.

15:38 And then the shuttle and the tank will come down.

15:43 Yeah.

15:45 Should we go over and help?

15:47 I think not.

15:52 Do you hear that really unnatur?

16:01 Oh, ladders coming out.

16:03 Again, at NASA, they don't keep a step ladder on the launch pad.

16:08 One small step ladder.

16:13 Just stop laughing.

16:14 They get really gross.

16:17 Finally, the robin was attached and the completed

16:20 space shuttle made for a truly awesome sight.

16:23 Everything was looking good.

16:25 But later in our suite at the local rich sheran, I was a worried man.

16:35 Ammon, what what do you think the chances are of it actually working?

16:41 It'll work.

16:42 It's just that, you know, when we do these big things,

16:44 they usually end in some sort of massive disaster.

16:50 I'd quite like this one to work.

17:23 Well, it's up.

17:24 It's built, but it's worth a quick reminder of exactly what is going to happen.

17:28 Absolutely.

17:28 We've got 8 12 tons of rocket thrust to push that thing off the ground.

17:32 At about 1,000 ft, the two solid rocket boosters will be empty.

17:36 They will fall away and come down on parachute.

17:37 It's doing about 100 miles an hour then.

17:39 Yeah.

17:39 It'll continue accelerating to about 140.

17:41 Then at about 3,000 ft, the orbiter itself will detach from the main body.

17:46 That's when Steve, the pilot, takes control.

17:48 It's his job to glide it in.

17:50 He has the option of firing three rockets to extend that glide.

17:53 He'll then put it down on the deck

17:54 on the landing strip and prove that it's a reusable craft.

17:58 Yeah.

17:59 Of course, all that we've just said is just words.

18:03 Words.

18:03 Just to be honest, who knows?

18:07 The last few hours were taken up with final preparations.

18:11 And with such an ambitious project as this, the complexity

18:14 of the onboard systems was simply staggering.

18:18 Each electronic component had to talk to every

18:20 other electronic component at exactly the right time.

18:30 There have been one or two delays.

18:32 Most of these are of an electrical nature.

18:34 There's a long wire leading from launch control down

18:37 to the rocket and unfortunately that had a break in it somewhere.

18:40 James, a cow ran through it.

18:42 Yeah.

18:42 Okay, but that's all sorted.

18:43 We are now fueling the bird.

18:48 And once that's done, there can be no delays.

18:51 It's full of fuels.

18:52 They're going to have to light that candle.

18:55 Yeah.

18:57 The tension now was almost unbearable.

19:00 You could almost hear Jeremy preparing some intergalactic smugglers.

19:07 So, would it stay on course during the ascent?

19:13 Would the rockets and fuel tank detach?

19:19 And would Steve, who by the way had refused our kind offer of a bunker,

19:23 be able to pilot the Robin Dan safely?

19:28 In just a few seconds, we'd know.

19:46 Oh yeah.

20:13 Separate.

20:14 Separate.

20:19 Two.

20:25 Separate.

20:25 12 1,00 right?

20:47 Oh no.

20:56 That's why.

20:57 How are you going to use it again?

21:12 Before being allowed on the road,

21:13 each of our cars had to face a government

21:15 inspection to make sure they were road legal.

21:19 Hammond sailed through no problem at all.

21:21 And so amazingly did maze.

21:24 Me though, I had a problem.

21:29 For some extraordinary reason,

21:30 the rules say you can't drive a 46 ft car on the public highway.

21:35 So I had to do some surgery.

21:39 I've had to loft 7 ft out of the middle,

21:42 which has affected rear leg room a little bit.

21:43 But it is now quite nippy cuz it's only um 8 ft longer than a bus.

21:53 For my pickup, I had to go to a hotel

21:55 in Chelsea to collect a Brit nominee called Lamar.

22:02 Hello, Mr.

22:03 Lamar.

22:04 Oh, yes.

22:05 My name is May.

22:05 I'm your chauffeer for the day.

22:07 How do you do?

22:08 Um, this is your car.

22:10 Uh, it's a it's a an Alpha SA.

22:15 Meanwhile, I'd been sent to EMI records in West London.

22:20 This has got a bit dent.

22:21 There's a little polish there.

22:23 Everyone's a critic.

22:25 And my VIP pickup was R&B star Jia.

22:29 Oh my god.

22:32 Okay.

22:33 No expense spent.

22:36 Whilst Hammond got the glamorous singer, I had to pick up a fat man.

22:41 Oh god.

22:43 Chris Moy from Radio One.

22:45 This is your luxury limousine transportation.

22:47 Not what I in mind.

22:54 Right.

22:55 Here we go.

22:55 Sit back and relax.

22:58 Oh, why is it done?

23:08 Okay, if you'd like to step in, that would be great.

23:10 And we'll get off.

23:16 What?

23:21 Um, this is the intercom.

23:24 Yeah.

23:24 You press that button if you want to talk to me.

23:25 If it starts to rain, don't press it because you'll get electrocuted.

23:36 Eventually though, all our passengers were on board and we were ready.

23:40 Are you comfortable?

23:44 No.

23:45 Good God.

23:47 We were all now heading for Earl's Court.

23:51 The Brits is one of the biggest nights in the showbiz calendar with most

23:55 celebs hoping to look impressive by arriving in a big shiny German car.

24:00 We were going to show them the error of their ways.

24:07 It's better than an Audi.

24:08 This will get you noticed.

24:12 Now, I've chosen this route to demonstrate the brilliance of my car.

24:19 Meanwhile, in the alab, Lamar was riveted by James' conversation.

24:25 There is a small issue with the congestion charge because,

24:28 as I'm sure you know, the camera records the rear view of the car.

24:32 Yeah.

24:32 But when they look at the photographs,

24:34 it will give the registration number to bas.

24:39 So it will look as though somebody with the wrong

24:41 sort of car for the number plate has reversed into London.

24:49 Back in the panda, my demonstration of its brilliance wasn't going too well.

24:56 You're crunching it.

24:59 It's still standing.

25:01 Exactly.

25:01 There's nothing wrong with it.

25:02 Shush.

25:03 We can edit that bit out.

25:06 So when the digital camera takes a picture, it thinks, well, that's a SAR.

25:10 But when they look at the photo,

25:12 they'll see it's an Alfa Romeo and it's going the wrong way.

25:15 High Park on the left there, sir.

25:18 In the MG, poor old Jia was attracting a lot of attention from fans,

25:23 not least because Hammond had had to modify his intercom to make it legal.

25:29 Sorry about the fan thing trying to chat you up there.

25:31 That was a bit awkward for you, I'm sure.

25:33 I can't hear you.

25:37 Oh.

25:36 So, Jia was embarrassed in the MG.

25:39 Lamar was bored in the Alab.

25:41 And Chris had yet to appreciate the panda's brilliance.

25:47 Oh, that's that is a catastrophe that's just happened now.

25:51 Can you Is that car behind you very close?

25:55 Yes.

25:55 And then Lamar woke up as he began to realize

25:57 that James had no idea where he was going.

26:02 So, the car doesn't have navigation.

26:04 That's okay.

26:05 Well, it has navigation of sorts in that it

26:06 has a driver who's lived in London for 20 years.

26:09 21 years now, in fact.

26:11 Where are we now, sir?

26:13 Um, we're just coming onto um uh um it was now 6:00.

26:22 Lamar was supposed to be at the Brits in half an hour and James was miles away,

26:27 stuck in the side streets of central London.

26:30 Actually, if you don't mind, sir, this is sort of where I need your help.

26:33 Um, okay.

26:35 Because the reason this car will go around these very

26:38 small corners is because you can steer it from both ends.

26:40 But I'm afraid I'd have to ask you to sit in the Alfa Romeo and steer.

26:50 By this stage, Mo was hungry and thirsty,

26:53 and because I hadn't thought to include any onboard catering,

26:55 he'd been shopping for supplies.

27:03 What was that?

27:05 I was getting on my seat.

27:06 Oh, so I thought someone had run into us.

27:12 Turn left.

27:14 Right.

27:14 Left.

27:15 Yeah, your left.

27:17 My left.

27:19 Yeah,

27:19 that's it.

27:20 That's perfect.

27:20 You see?

27:21 Straight around that very tight bend.

27:22 You see?

27:22 Now, a normal limousine wouldn't go around like that, would it?

27:25 Let's do another one.

27:26 Hard left, sir.

27:29 Okay.

27:30 So, this um this the whole thing is not

27:34 um

27:34 you need to straighten up a bit.

27:35 So, we're crabbing rather.

27:36 Well, I can't because the whole the you know the your will thing is a bit

27:43 Jamilia was closer to World's Court than Lamar but no happier.

27:52 The the accelerator stuck open a bit.

27:56 But if you think about it, I had to link it to the back of the car.

27:59 It's hydro gas suspension and the clutch and the brakes.

28:07 Oh, hang on.

28:09 That doesn't sound good.

28:13 That's Whoa.

28:17 Sorry.

28:18 Road closed.

28:19 I'm going to go right.

28:21 And then it got worse.

28:25 That's not gone well, has it?

28:27 Where are you going?

28:29 You're going that way.

28:30 Right.

28:30 Sorry.

28:31 Sorry.

28:35 Oh my god.

28:38 Right.

28:40 Sorry.

28:43 That's the famous Harrods department store on the left.

28:46 Earlier when I was talking about circles.

28:47 Yeah.

28:49 So, I mean, Harrods.

28:50 Seen it twice.

28:51 Don't really need to see it a third time.

28:55 The bus couldn't back up and I was stuck on a double mini roundabout.

28:59 I can't make this turn, Chris, at all.

29:01 Where you going?

29:06 Whoa.

29:06 Sorry.

29:10 Thank you.

29:10 There we're clear.

29:12 Earl's court was now just minutes away.

29:16 What was that noise?

29:19 At the Brits, the world's media were waiting for Jia's arrival.

29:25 I still don't think you appreciate the complexity of linking

29:28 up a rear engine car when you stretch it.

29:33 Please get out of here.

29:35 Red car fingers for you.

29:38 I'm so embarrassed.

29:41 And she wasn't too pleased with my clever exit solution.

29:45 On the other side.

29:51 Sorry about the ladder thing.

29:52 The steps weren't ideal.

29:54 Whilst Jamilia regained her composure, I checked on the others.

29:59 Jeremy, how you doing?

30:01 Um, not well.

30:07 It's what?

30:08 It's in two pieces on the lily road.

30:11 It's broken in half.

30:13 I'm sorry not to be more supportive.

30:19 Sorry, Chris.

30:25 probably end up getting like an hour late

30:26 or something like that at this rate, doing it.

30:29 You know, it's the first time I'm nominated.

30:32 Best male, you know.

30:33 UK best male, Lamar.

30:35 Surely, sir.

30:35 In the music business, it's fashionable to be quite late.

30:37 Anybody?

30:38 Nobody ever turns up on time, do they?

30:40 There's fashionably late and they're stupidly late.

30:42 You know, I can only apologize, sir.

30:44 I don't want to hear anything.

30:45 Just please just get me there.

30:48 Well, there's 5 minutes to go.

30:51 May hopelessly lost.

30:53 Jeremy's car has split in half.

30:55 That means by default, if nothing else, I am the winner.

31:02 Hammond may have been gloating.

31:05 But I wasn't out of the competition yet.

31:25 Time for the award start 5 minutes.

31:48 Oh, wait.

31:49 Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

31:50 Dignity.

31:51 You're all right.

31:52 Dignity.

31:52 Yeah, dignity.

31:58 So, Mo was happy, but Hammond wasn't.

32:01 You cheated.

32:02 You finished with half a car.

32:04 You're supposed to finish with a stretch.

32:06 I got the man here.

32:09 Meanwhile, in a car somewhere nowhere near El's Court,

32:12 Lamar acknowledged as one of the gentlemen of pop had had enough.

32:17 Strictly speaking, it's left.

32:18 But I think if we go right, I can go around the back.

32:21 What do you mean right?

32:24 Well, right.

32:24 Why?

32:24 You just said No, listen.

32:25 You've just said go left.

32:27 Right.

32:27 Well, most people would go left, sir.

32:29 So, most people So, why don't we just follow what most people do?

32:32 Because I think if we go right No.

32:33 Why are you doing this intentionally now?

32:34 This just know you actually just just stupid.

32:36 This is just Are you a jerk?

32:38 This is what you've you've come to mess up my day.

32:40 You've picked me up.

32:41 You've driven me round and round in circles IN LONDON.

32:43 BEEN PAST HARRODS 11 or 100 times now.

32:46 Left.

32:46 You're telling me to go right.

32:47 I'm not taking this anymore.

32:48 Open this damn door.

32:50 Cry out loud.

32:52 Stupid door.

32:55 Get it.

33:02 Now, now did you know that in this country

33:04 more people are struck by lightning than

33:07 are crushed by reptiles or injured as the result

33:10 of a prolonged stay in a weightless environment?

33:13 Yep.

33:14 It turns out lightning really is a hidden menace.

33:17 Your point being Well, this what happens if you're struck by lightning in a car.

33:22 Oh, you'd be all right though cuz you got rubber tires.

33:24 Ah,

33:25 not necessarily, you see, because car makers don't test for this sort of thing.

33:29 So, after being pelted by golf balls,

33:31 Top Gear arranged for a car to be struck by lightning with me in it.

33:39 There are very few places in the world

33:41 that have the technology to blast a car with lightning.

33:45 Two of those places are in Holland and Germany.

33:48 But only one of those nations is laid-back, liberal,

33:52 and fun-loving enough to let me actually sit

33:55 in the car whilst they hit it with 800,000 volts.

33:59 Yep, it's those zany Germans.

34:06 This is the Seaman's high voltage lab in Berlin.

34:10 Normally, this place builds and tests high voltage

34:12 equipment for power stations and the national grid.

34:17 These transformers can generate almost 2 million volts of pure electricity.

34:24 But today, they're going to use that electricity for something else.

34:28 To make lightning.

34:32 They're going to zap me and this car with 800,000 volts, which is a lot.

34:37 Stuff in your house runs on 240 volts.

34:40 If it hits me directly, they'll clear me away with a shovel.

34:44 You might be thinking that the tires are going to protect

34:46 me by insulating the car from Earth because they're rubber.

34:50 Now, if the electricity can make it from the sky to the car,

34:53 it can make it from the car to the ground.

34:56 What's going to protect me is this, the body shell itself.

35:01 Like all cars, the new Golf's body forms a Faraday cage.

35:04 And a Faraday cage is something that attracts electricity and then sends

35:08 it shooting around the outside so that whatever's inside shouldn't be harmed.

35:15 But the problem is this isn't like brakes or airbags.

35:18 Car firms don't test for lightning strikes.

35:21 So I've no idea how it'll go.

35:23 Right.

35:24 My life is now in the hands of Alevel physics.

35:29 The lightning will come out of these transformers along

35:32 the wires and then shoot down to the car.

35:39 What was that?

35:45 Okay, I was about to raise voltage.

35:50 He's starting to raise the wattage.

35:56 200,000 volt.

36:01 We did have a briefing with the scientists and he said,

36:04 "Keep my hands together towards the center of the car

36:07 and away from any metal objects." But it's a car.

36:11 It's made of metal.

36:14 400,000 volt.

36:17 I can hear a noise.

36:18 I hear a buzzing now.

36:24 600,000 volt.

36:28 It's really buzzing there.

36:30 I don't know what's going to happen when it does come.

36:32 I'm about to be hit by lightning.

36:33 I know I am.

36:36 It's building.

36:36 It really is building.

36:37 It builds a tension with it.

36:38 It's quite a strange.

36:42 You can almost feel the tension.

36:51 Oh, that's scary.

36:59 I'm being hit by lightning.

37:05 My hands are buzzing.

37:08 HEY.

37:13 OH, now it's doing stuff to my car.

37:14 I've got error up on the dashboard.

37:19 Handbrake light flashing.

37:30 So, it works.

37:32 Assuming I'm not now talking to you with wings in a harp, I'm alive.

37:38 Question is, is the car well the electric windows work?

37:41 Obviously, uh, lights, they work.

37:45 Stereo, that's nice.

37:46 Lovely.

37:47 Indicators, I mean, everything.

37:50 And it starts.

37:52 It still works amazingly.