Original subtitles

[upbeat rock music]

[revving]

[clicks]

[music fades]

-There it is. -Big day.

[blonde] It's a bit bigger in real life, isn't it?

[Tom] Okay.

[deep breath]

[indistinct chattering]

-And they've still got the sign. -[brown coat] Oh, yeah.

[Francis] There he is, guys.

-[blonde clears throat] -Jeremy?

-Hey. -[all greet]

How's things?

Yeah, sorry, that's got a bit of meat on it.

How's-- Yeah, all right. [laughing]

-S'all right. Go for the handshake. -Yeah, sorry about that.

So, how can I help?

We've come to ask...

Please, may we use the tent for our studio?

You want to use it?

-Well, yeah, it's for the show. -Yeah.

-[Francis] Studio. -We need a-- You know, like a place.

Not really.

I mean, you could.

But it's got a butcher's in it now and a bar.

And a shop.

And an off license.

Is there, like, a corner?

Again, not really.

It's usually quite busy in here as well. That's...

So, there wouldn't be an audience so much as customers.

-Okay. -Good. No, good.

I mean, I want to help. It's just-- look.

-Oh. -Yeah, no.

-It's been repurposed. -[James] Mhm.

-We totally understand. -Hundred percent.

So, can I get you any meat while you're here?

Uh, do you do pork-and-sage sausages?

Almost certainly.

The sausages are all in there.

Perfect, okay. I'll let you grab some.

All right, best of... Hey, listen, guys.

-[Tom] Yeah. -Guys, seriously.

[brown coat] Yeah.

Have fun with this.

-Thank you, Jeremy. -[Jeremy] Yeah?

I mean it and good luck. And don't fuck it up.

-Right, okay. -All right?

Thank you, Jeremy.

-Good, take care of yourselves. -Okay.

You need your sausages, yeah. Go ahead.

[Tom] It's not exactly how I pictured that going.

I've got to be honest with you.

I've actually been watching what they've been up to

for the last year and a half.

And they're very, very good.

I think you're going to love it.

["The Bitch is Back" by Elton John]

-Is that you? -Yes.

[sting]

[brown coat] That makes that me.

[sting]

And that Francis.

[tires screeching]

[sting]

[revving]

[James] What does it say about Angola that we found some motorsport

[on radio] before we found a wild animal?

It means we've come to the right place!

Goodbye, James!

Considering we're on a runway,

you'd imagine it would be something like a top fuel drag...

[whoosh]

[revving]

Why do people not shout more about Malaysian car culture?

'Cause they can't hear over it.

[engines snarling]

[all] Woah!

[James radio] Keep it tight, Thomas! Keep it tight!

Francis is too handsome for prison!

[Francis radio] James, stop!

Where's the jet? Where is he?

Holy shit!

-Think he's going to be okay? -No.

[tires screeching]

-[music cuts] -What's the average size

of an urban, European parking space?

What, you actually know it?

Come on, people used to say I was nerdy.

This is fantastic.

-[music continues] -[Francis laughing]

[engine juddering]

[Tom] We're racing in Angola!

Oh, shit!

-[crowd cheering] -[coughing]

Oh!

Oh, personal space!

[James] Oh, that's the edge!

[revving]

Don't like that.

-Jesus! -I'm getting out of here.

Yeah, me too.

[crunch]

[engine juddering]

[smooch]

[clanging]

[Francis] Oh, my God!

[music cuts]

Have you seen some of the stuff we've done?

Um, yeah.

-I liked it. -Thank you.

-Did you see the bit where the-- -No.

[whooshing noise]

-No, I didn't see that. -It-- you didn't?

-No, sorry. -Not that bit?

-[clicks] -[ignition fires]

[revving]

So, I guess that means we're homeless then.

[Tom radio] It does look that way.

[Francis radio] Look, at least we're not coming away empty handed.

We've got our pork-and-sage sausages.

[Francis narrating] Yes, we may be homeless,

but that's not stopping us from going on adventures,

and it's about time for our first film.

Which is about a power struggle

going on right now in the world of cars.

I don't know if you've noticed,

but everything is sort of going electric.

There are some great electric cars out there,

but this has resulted in petrol being backed

into a corner.

Back things into a corner and they tend to fight back,

and nowhere is that fight more fierce

than America.

-[sting] -[harrowing music]

[James] And in the dwindling world

of petrol sports cars,

the fight-back is happening

at the very highest levels of power.

So welcome, everyone,

to the Resistance.

[slow-motion revving]

[tires screeching]

Meet the wildest Mustang the world has ever seen...

the Mustang Grand Touring Daytona,

or GTD.

The 5.2-litre V8 in this

with the help of a 2.65-litre supercharger

makes 815 horsepower.

[engine snarls]

It's so fast and so extreme

that Ford say it's no longer a sports car at all.

It is in fact a supercar.

[James] So, it's now a Mustang

that costs £300,000.

It is at least engulfed in carbon-fibre panels,

sports a gargantuan rear wing,

and where the back seats should be,

-there's race suspension. -[revving]

Look, I can literally watch the springs move

in the cabin!

[music fades]

[engine roaring]

What is that?

[intriguing music]

What is that?

[whoosh]

[rippling blast]

[raucous rock music]

[revving]

Good morning!

This...

is the Corvette ZR1.

And it has 1,064 horsepower.

[Tom] At around half the price of the Mustang,

this Corvette has a 5.5-litre,

twin-turbo V8.

That will push you to 225 miles an hour.

This is what happens

when you back petrol cars into a corner.

[intense revving]

Someone poked a bear!

A big, smelly grizzly bear.

Jesus...

[foreboding music]

[Tom] Although these two cars may stand shoulder to shoulder

on the front line in the fight against electric vehicles...

they are nevertheless in competition with one another,

both of them fighting to be the petrol-powered king.

Oh, there you are, James.

[on radio] Good to see you. That is a very cool-looking car, actually.

[James] It is, and it was looking better before yours came along.

Yeah, no, it looks really good, uh,

through the heat rising out of my 1,064-horsepower,

twin-turbo V8. Quick question for you, um...

are you okay being in the car

that has less horsepower, weighs

a whole walrus more and costs twice as much?

[James radio] Actually, you're not allowed to insult this car

because even though it began its life in the US,

it then went onto a better place, Canada,

and re-forced anew,

and that's where you're from, so that's treason.

[Tom radio] Yeah, I am actually quite proud

that car is made in Canada. It's made, like, 20 minutes from my house.

It's awesome.

Um, but unfortunately by the numbers today,

it's-- it's a bit-- it's a bit down, isn't it?

[James] It's not about the numbers.

You are looking at a bespoke race car.

Okay. Let's race then.

[tense music]

Okay, launch.

[Tom radio] Hey, James, do you find it kind of weird

that, like, right now there's, like, AI robots

probably planning a trip to colonise Mars

or something,

but in the car world we're still settling the debate

of who has the better car by driving quite quickly

over a short distance in a straight line?

Sorry, I was just-- I'm playing with my launch-control settings.

Oh.

[revving]

[countdown beeps]

[starter rings]

[engines snarling]

Aw, here we go!

[James] Go, Mustang!

Oh, it's close!

[Tom] And I'm gone.

Yeah. Bye bye!

It was close!

Oh, look at that Corvette go.

Go, Mustang!

Go, Mustang!

[suspenseful music]

-What is that? -[engine purring]

What is that?

Goodbye, James!

Hello, Thomas!

Bye, Thomas! [laughing]

[music fades]

What the hell is that thing?

Woah!

[laughing]

-[Tom] You crazy... -Unbelievable!

[Tom] What did--

I thought you were going to bring a Dodge Demon or something.

This is a Hennessy Venom F5 Revolution Evolution.

-[tense music] -The most powerful,

internal-combustion-engine production car in the world.

This is a 6.6-litre,

twin-turbocharged V8.

I have never seen a car move that quick.

When I put my foot down,

everything was-- was left behind.

[Tom laughs]

I'm-- I'm still waiting for my testicles.

[Tom laughing] Okay!

That's the best defeat I've ever experienced.

-[Francis] How much power? -A big 815.

-[Francis] How much power? -1,064.

[Francis chuckles]

Two thousand and thirty-one brake horsepower.

Oh, my God!

How much does this car cost?

Two-point-one million pounds.

-[laughter] -Oh, God!

-[Tom] Two million! -[James] So you brought a hypercar.

Sorry, 2,031 horsepower, no hybrid tech?

No, this--

These are all pure, internal-combustion engines, right?

I feel like it just got nuts in, like, the last year.

-It did. -Like, 815...

-Yeah. -...a minute ago was nuts.

This is America's upper cut in response to the gut punch

of electric cars, I mean...

Francis, do the maths. What is it? 4,000 horsepower between them?

-Near enough. -[Tom] Yeah.

-[James] We've got a journey ahead. -Yeah.

[upbeat electronic music]

[Francis] As well as giving electric supercars

a shock in the horsepower stakes,

these cars promise to deliver

a much more engaging and visceral driving experience.

But which of these three does that the best?

We couldn't agree,

so we decided to do a little road trip

through the wilds of California.

[music continues]

[Francis] The thing I'm really starting to love about the Venom

is shifting under load.

It's like a sawn-off shotgun being fired.

[click]

Even at low speeds, it's so satisfying! [chuckle]

You don't have to be travelling at 200 miles an hour

to enjoy this car.

-Ready? -[revving]

[click]

[click]

-[click] -Ogh!

It's so aggressive and it's brilliant. It's brilliant!

[revving, click]

Ogh! [laughing]

[Tom] Hey, do you guys want to talk about the Nürburgring?

Oh, fuck! [laughing]

-[music fades] -No!

I know what Thomas is doing with that question.

[Tom radio] It's really important, you know, that track over in Germany,

the big, dangerous, really long, fast one

where manufacturers take their cars

to prove how good they are?

What, uh... What time did your car do there, James?

[James radio] Uh, actually, it laid down the fastest

American-production-car lap time ever.

Six fifty-two.

That's quicker than a 918 Spyder.

Very good.

Until?

The Corvette did it one second faster at 6'51.

Oh, that's just so unfortunate.

Um...

Francis,

have they put the Hennessy Venom Evolution

Revolution Pollution

around the Nürburgring yet?

Uh, it's Revolution Evolution.

-Sorry. -[Francis radio] Uh, and...

no, I don't think anyone has-- has been crazy enough

to go around the Nürburgring yet.

[laughing]

[foreboding music]

[Tom] Soon, we stumbled across America's lowest town.

Sitting 220 feet below sea level

is Bombay Beach.

[James] Look at this place.

Oh, this is funky.

[Tom] This old lakeside resort from the 1950s

used to be the place to be seen.

Frank Sinatra, the Beach Boys and Bing Crosby

were all regular visitors.

But as the lake dried out and the beaches became contaminated,

the tourists left.

I've never been anywhere quite like this.

[Tom] Today, it's more or less deserted,

barring a few, uh... interesting inhabitants.

Ooh!

[Tom radio] You know how people microdose,

uh, magic mushrooms?

I don't think these people are microdosing.

[Francis radio] Look at this Bombay Beach Drive-In.

It's like a drive-in-cinema set-up.

Yeah, you guys want to go catch a flick?

Uh, I'm going to pull in.

[Tom] The Chevelle.

-That's an AMC Pacer. -[fan whirring]

What's that noi-- Oh, it's...

-Ooh! -[Tom] Francis.

-Have you seen what they've got? -Your car is so loud.

How much of my trip is going to be interrupted

by the fan on your Hennessy?

You're ruining the movie!

It-- it needs to breathe!

[fan whirring]

[Francis] Ooh...

This is a one-- W126 SEC.

[Tom] Is the Mercedes badge still on it?

[James] No. Did it come in factory pink? And yellow?

[Tom laughs] Oh, for sure, yeah.

[Francis] Yeah, lovely Mercedes cushions.

[James] Francis, honestly, don't sit there... Ah.

[Tom] Francis,

-so much sex... -Yeah.

...has happened in this car.

Francis, judging by the panties hanging off the Gran Turino over there,

this has been a place of...

-Uh... -[James] ...a place of debauchery.

-You had to ruin my moment of fun. -[Tom] Don't touch me.

Hey! There's another Mustang!

It's got no wheels, but it's a fixer-upper.

It's nice how your car still honours its original platform.

-Yeah. -Slightly.

The whole point of this was the two plus two.

Mine has switched out the rear seats for a suspension window.

-[Tom laughs] -[Francis] And transaxle, I suppose.

-[James] Yeah. -That felt very accusatory by the way.

[Francis] Yeah, I was getting onto that.

Your ZR1 is basically a bastardised Italian supercar.

Hold on, but both of your cars are part of--

They are classics parts of the American dream, right?

What part of the American dream does your car represent?

Well, I-- I'd say the new American dream...

[American accent] of being a billionaire.

-[laughter] -I've got to be a billionaire.

-Anything less is worse. -Anything less is worse, yeah.

You can be anything if you're a billionaire. You can be president.

-[distant train horn] -[Tom] Yeah.

Oh, everyone, pause for a second.

-Wait, no. -[Tom] There's a train.

-We need to get this. -[James] We need to get what?

Please, like, get-- get in the car.

-No! -[Tom] You want to catch the train?

-[James] Okay, okay. -Okay.

-[rock music] -[James] Go on!

-[Francis laughing] -[rails screeching]

-No way! -[train horn beeps]

-[music builds] -[revving]

[James] We're chasing trains! We're chasing trains

in the best that internal combustion has to offer.

[intense revving]

Oh, look at that!

[Francis] Woah! Yes!

It's not hanging around, is it?

[laughing]

[James] We're in a Francis Bourgeois dream right now.

[laughing]

Francis, how do I make him beep his horn?

Beep your horn!

[horn honking]

[train horn blares]

-Yeah! -[music fades]

[Tom radio] Francis, I will admit

this is extremely cool.

[Francis radio] It's the very rare occasion

that we'll come across something on this trip

that's more powerful than the Venom.

[laughing] That's true.

[Tom] As we parted company with... Thomas the Tank Engine,

the sounds that my co-hosts' cars had been making

got me thinking about Francis's accusation

that my Corvette is just a knock-off Italian supercar.

Both of those V8s in those cars

sound typically American.

It's kind of that, like, dirty, warbled, 'brrrr'

sort of classic V8 sound.

This one has got that kind of smooth,

'vvvvv' sound,

and that's very, very characteristic

of Italian V8s.

As much as I love it,

it does feel a bit confused as a Corvette

because all throughout history, Corvettes had V8s like those ones,

not like this.

[fast-paced electronic music]

[Tom] A point that James was eager to prove

as we drove deeper into the Californian desert.

[raucous revving]

That is what a V8 is supposed to sound like,

not muffled by turbochargers...

[whoosh]

...but a screaming supercharger.

[juddering]

Music. Music!

[raucous revving]

[Francis] Now we were on a road with proper curves,

I could finally get to grips

with my weapons-grade steering wheel.

[Francis] The steering is so incredibly direct

and my inputs are transmitted through this...

fighter-jet-like yoke.

Every degree of input

equates so exactly to where the car goes.

[engine roaring]

And with acceleration like this...

I feel like I'm flying a fighter jet.

[Tom] Annoyingly, even though this twisty stretch of asphalt

was a proper driving road, we quickly realized

that our cars were simply too powerful for it.

[music fades]

-Foot down. -[revving]

[groan] And then braking.

A blip! [laughing]

[revving]

No! No, no!

Certainly not.

[Tom radio] I don't know about you guys,

but I-- I cannot even approach the limits

of my car on this road.

No chance.

[James radio] It's very pretty, but you're right.

These cars need more.

Yeah, I just came on boost mid corner

and I think I might need a change of underwear.

[ethereal music]

[Francis] Fortunately, the ever wise Grand Tour Office

had organized for us to visit a nearby racetrack.

[James radio] Welcome, boys,

to Thermal Raceway.

[deep sting]

[James] What we have here

is a haven for extremely rich petrol heads.

If you can afford one of the multi-million-dollar houses

lining the track side,

you can then race 'round the Thermal circuit at your leisure.

It's rumoured that even Max Verstappen owns a villa here,

in case you need to pop 'round to borrow a pint of milk.

[Francis radio] Oh, boys, we've got some serious cars parked out here.

[Tom] Do I spy with my little eye a GT3 RS?

[James radio] The world's most perfect, off-the-shelf race car, yeah.

Isn't that the car that Ford said they wanted to beat

at the Nürburgring, and then they didn't beat it at the Nürburgring?

[James radio] It-- they-- y-- They set it as a target. Okay?

That's what targets are for. You aim for the Moon,

you fall amongst the stars. That's why it's called a 'constellation prize'.

James, it's not a 'constellation prize'.

It's a 'consolation prize'. [laughing]

Well then what-- How's that got to do with stars?

[laughing] It doesn't, you dumbass!

What? [laughing]

It's not-- it's not a 'constellation prize'?

[Tom radio] No!

[James] So, as it was getting a bit dark to use the track,

the office had managed to find us a not-so-shabby villa.

[dreamy music]

[Tom radio] This one is ours? This one?

You're kidding!

[Francis laughing]

Oh, my goodness me.

[Tom] This place is crazy!

This looks good here. This makes me feel

like I'm visiting the wealthy home

of billionaire TikToker Francis Bourgeois.

-[Tom laughs] -I wouldn't do toplights like these.

[laughter]

This is absolutely unbelievable.

I'm sorry. Can I help you?

-Can I help you? -[James] Yeah, our bags are in here.

Why are your bags in my car?

We don't have storage in our vehicles, Thomas.

I don't have-- I have suspension instead of a boot.

So, wait-- when did you put your...

I feel weirdly violated.

You know what? This is a boiling hot bag, so...

Yeah, it is.

[James] This doesn't work as a solution in the future.

[Tom] What do you mean it doesn't work as a-- What...

-I'm not saying thank you. -Guys, guys.

We're billionaires now, right?

[James] We're billionaires. Do we whisper?

[Tom] Do we stand differently? I don't understand.

Like... open up the shoulders.

Open the shoulders, yeah.

-Threads to the sky, you know? -Threads...

[Tom] I don't pay my taxes.

Do you think-- do you think this place has one of those toilets

that washes your bum with warm water?

-Absolutely. -Yeah.

Based on this staircase alone,

what kind of car do you think this person daily drives?

-G-Wagon. -Urus.

[laughing] I think somewhere in between the two.

-Or both. -[touching music]

-[clicks] -[tense music]

[James] How's that?

[Tom laughing] It's not bad!

I didn't realize the racetrack was right there.

[James] It is right there.

[Tom laughing] Oh, wow!

Is Francis still in bed by the way?

[James] Um, if bed is a 2,000-horsepower hypercar.

[revving]

[upbeat rock music]

Okay, I'm going to put it in F5 mode.

[click]

I'm going to unleash

the full 2,031 brake horsepower.

-[revving] -[steering snap]

[gasp]

[raucous revving]

-[juddering] -Wow!

Absolute hellfire!

This car is built for 300 miles an hour.

They had to use NASA's shuttle-landing facility

just to bring it up to its limits.

-[tires screech] -Oh, my goodness me!

And they hit a top speed

of 270 miles an hour

and it had more left to give.

I've opened up the gates of hell

with this Hennessy Venom.

And I don't know if I can get them closed again!

[tense electronic music]

[Tom] We quickly joined Francis,

eager to find out what our cars were like

on a proper racing circuit.

[whoosh]

[Tom] All right, let's see what she's got.

Track mode.

[engine roaring]

Woah... Jesus!

[tires screeching]

This has got the extra...

ZTK track package.

So, I got down force,

sticky tires...

The engine has anti-lag system, right?

So, as I brake into a corner and downshift like that,

it keeps the turbos spinning.

-[tires screech] -It keeps boost

going into the intake so on the way out...

-[engine roaring] -...there's no lag.

Just...

Just face-crushing performance.

And the steering too, I've driven all of the other Corvettes

of this generation and usually the steering,

there's no feedback to it. It feels like...

trying to read braille with oven mitts on.

This one, though, it's... it's different.

[tires screeching]

[rock music]

[James] Okay.

This is when any semblance of a normal Mustang...

disappears, and I have driven them all.

[engine humming]

This has been comprehensively re-engineered

by a Canadian company called Multimatic,

which, admittedly, sounds like an air conditioner,

but they're the same guys that did the Ford GT

and the Aston Martin Valkyrie.

-They don't mess around. -[engine roaring]

[tires screeching]

That wider track, six inches wider than a normal Mustang,

is in the effort to put as much rubber down on the road as possible.

So, those front tires,

they're as wide as a Lamborghini's rear tires.

And for performance, in track mode,

it cuts off the air conditioning when required.

So, even though it is finished in Canada,

it holds onto some American values

because it is sacrificing my well-being

to gain power.

[revving]

[Tom] After a morning of wrestling horsepower,

we were finally getting the hang of our cars.

-[tires screeching] -[James laughs]

However, there was quite a bit of head room

in the performance of these machines

and, inevitably, we hit our limits.

[tires screeching]

-[smack] -Oh!

I just punched myself in the balls!

[sharp exhale]

So, we thought it was the right time

to pull in and compare some notes.

-[screeching] -[music stops]

-[door closes] -[Francis chuckles]

-[James sighs] -Seriously.

The braking G-forces in that Mustang are absurd.

Don't talk to me about G-forces.

-[laughter] -Like,

-one thing, greater accelerating... -[Tom] Yeah.

But in the corners,

like, my whole internal organs

were on this side, and then that side.

Listen, I don't know. There's so much grip in this car.

Seriously, when I had the traction control off,

it took me... Let's just say it took me a while to get used to it.

I saw both of you the other way around at one point.

-That's just a technique. -Yeah, that's called backing it in.

-Yeah. -For a sick drift.

[Francis] Enough of Thomas and James's ridiculous excuses.

What we all wanted to know

was which of our cars could set the quickest lap time here,

and to keep it fair,

I recruited a racing driver,

an English lad

from my hometown of Frome.

-Francis. -[Francis] Jenson.

-How you doing? -[Francis] Good to see you, man.

-That's Jenson Button. -Jenson Button.

-How was your journey? -Yeah, journey was great, thank you.

[Tom] Do we walk over? Or do we wait for him to come here?

-I don't know. -[Tom] Just...

-Is there an etiquette? -Do I do hands on hips

or hands in pockets?

[Francis] May I introduce you to my, uh-- my, my co-presenters.

-How you doing? -Yeah, good.

J-- James.

Oh, all right, dude!

Personal space! Okay!

-This is exactly what I needed. -Lovely! Awkward.

-[Francis] James, keep it cool. -Good to see you, mate.

Hey, hey! I like-- yes!

Great!

[James] You guys love each-- You guys know each other?

Yeah, so, we used to live in the same town in Somerset.

-Uh, you know. -Frome.

-Frome. -[James] 'Froome' where though?

Uh, in-- in Somerset.

-This is the car I was on about. -[Jenson] Yes.

Uh, the Hennessy Venom F5 Revolution Evolution.

Two thousand and thirty-one brake horsepower.

-Wow. -I've been driving it,

uh, and it is an absolute weapon.

-Yeah? -[Tom] Do I do a hand...

And what are these guys doing here?

Well, we're-- so, they brought their...

-These are our cars. -These are our cars here. Ours, yeah.

I've kind of seen you drive them and...

Yeah?

-You need me to drive them for you. -[Tom] Okay.

-That's fair. -[James] It's a science.

You want to start in the slow one? The Mustang?

It's meaty though, isn't it? Look at that.

-Yeah, yeah, yeah. -It's got some hips.

-You can deal with the muscle. -[Jenson] Yeah.

All right.

-[Francis clears throat] -Watch.

-Watch. -That's a winning combo right there.

-[Francis] You guys are... -[Tom] Look at the way he walks.

-Guys. -Yeah?

-Can I just say this? -Yeah.

Uh, really embarrassing.

[Tom] I thought we handled that well. -It felt good.

-I feel like we're friends now. -No.

[engine purring]

[James] So, first under the right foot

of the former F1 champ...

-[countdown beeping] -...was my lovely Mustang.

-[starter beeps] -[engine roaring]

[Jenson] That was a good launch off the line.

Little bit of understeer.

[high-pitched whirring]

Up to turn two!

This is the first time hearing the supercharger.

[Tom] Yeah.

[Tom and Francis high-pitched whoops]

[Tom laughs]

That's what you guys don't have.

You've got... [hissing sound]

But could you hear the supercharger

from where you're driving?

No.

[engine roaring]

[Jenson] Nice traction onto the back straight.

The shifts are lovely up the box.

-It does sound good. -[Francis] Whoa, he's flying!

[Tom] He is absolutely moving.

[charger whirring]

[Jenson] Agh! Come on!

Come on, GTD!

[James] Final corner.

-Keep it, keep it, keep it. -[Tom] Right to the edge of the track.

[James] Man knows how to drive.

-[Tom] Oh, my God! -[James] There he goes!

[whoosh]

-[Tom] Do you have a time? -I have nothing to compare it to.

[Tom] Okay.

[Tom] With the Mustang's time carefully logged...

-[moody rock guitar] -I was determined

to give the ZR1 and Jenson

the best opportunity for success.

[sigh] Okay, uh, Jenson, listen up.

Just be really super careful going into turn one, okay?

It's a bit greasy. I'd suggest

trail braking.

You know? Get some weight over the front

and as the car's coming out of yaw on the exit,

you know, take some time if the diff is open.

So, you know, just get on the throttle progressively and slowly.

-[engine purring] -[countdown beeping]

[starter rings]

[engine roars]

[loud revs]

[Jenson] The rear grip was pretty strong considering 1,000 horsepower.

[Tom] Oh, my God, look how quick that thing is going!

-[revs] -[Jenson] Ogh!

A 100, 120...

It's just-- that's how it accelerates. 150!

You look worried.

This is the look of a worried man.

No, no, no. It's a mirage because of the desert.

[engine roaring]

[Jenson] Definitely feel a lot more body roll...

[loud revs]

...in this than the, uh, Mustang.

[Tom] Oh, little bit of-- a little squirrely on the exit.

-Jesus! -[James] Ogh!

[Tom] Oh, my Lord!

-Oh, that picks up quick! -[Francis laughs]

[Tom] He's so quick. Do you have a time?

[Francis laughs]

Um, I'm maintaining suspense.

Um, let's let the Venom go next.

[foreboding music]

[Francis radio] Hello, Jenson.

The Venom has treated one Fromie right

and I'm sure that it will treat another right.

On, uh, five,

four, three...

-[engine crackling] -Two, one...

Go!

[engine clacking]

[Tom] Flames! I see flames!

-[James] That was a lot of flames. -[Tom] Oh!

-Not a perfect launch there. -Not a perfect launch.

-[James] What happened there, Francis? -[Tom] What happened?

James, it takes about three seconds for the boost to build.

Oh, okay. Well then, yeah, your car's shit.

-[tense music] -[laughter]

[revving]

-[tires screech] -[Jenson chuckles]

[Jenson] Ah!

I am holding on.

And I don't often do that in a race car.

I am holding onto this thing.

-[engine growling] -Listen to it!

Holy crap!

Look at him move!

[Jenson] It's an absolute rocket ship.

[revving]

It's the only car I'm left-foot braking though

'cause it feels like a proper race pedal.

It's hard, it's aggressive.

[tense music]

That corner speed doesn't look that quick.

He's right, it doesn't.

[tires screech]

[Jenson laughing]

Obviously, this thing is built for straight-line speed.

It's not really built for this.

Come on, Jenson.

-[tires screech] -[Jenson laughs]

[Tom] Oh, he's struggling.

[James] Yeah, you can tell it's an absolute handful.

[Tom] My God, look at it go!

-[Francis cheers] -[Tom] Across the line.

[Francis gasps]

[James] Yeah, that straight-line speed.

Oh, my goodness me.

[Jenson] Haha! I mean, wow.

That is... insane.

-Oh, my. -[all laugh]

-That looked like a handful. -It's not very often

that I feel like a car drives me.

-[laugh] -Ooh!

-That one does. -That's quite a statement.

That is an absolute machine.

It's mind-blowing, it really is.

Ah, there's a few things that need improving.

It's still-- off the line, it's not quite there.

-[Tom] Yeah. -The gear shifts are a bit harsh,

but the-- when you get the throttle down

-and you get the traction... -[Tom] Yeah.

-It blows my mind. -Really?

-This feels quick. -Yes.

-Puts a big smile on your face. -It is quick.

-And you think there's nothing quicker. -Yeah.

And then you get in that.

-[Tom laughs] -[Jenson] And yeah, it's...

What about the Mustang though?

That doesn’t feel quick in a straight line,

but it feels amazing around the corners.

That's the thing, the Mustang for me

-is a race car. -Yeah.

It's well-balanced, it does everything you want it to.

You feel that lap 30

-is going to be the same as lap one. -Great.

The other two, maybe not so much.

Right, Francis, put us out of our misery.

-I got to know. -What's going on here?

-Are we ready? Okay. -[all acquiesce]

-[Francis] The Ford Mustang GTD... -[Tom] Yep.

...did it in 1:22:25.

-[James] Okay. -[Tom] 1:22:25.

-The datum. -Don't really know what that means.

-But yeah. -It's a good start, it's a good start.

-The Corvette ZR1... -[clears throat] This is a big deal.

1:19:10.

-What? -[James] Oh, wow!

[Tom laughing]

-What? -I'm sorry.

That is a slaughter, James.

-No, no, no. No, no, no. -That's what that is.

It is seconds,

whole seconds faster.

-Gentlemen? -Yep.

-Hold onto your beverages. -Okay.

[Francis] The Venom.

One ninteen...

point four two.

-[laughter] -[James] Oh, wow!

Haha, yes!

-It's just that much of a handful. -[Tom] Oh, my God!

It's that much of a handful.

-It really is. -That's insane!

They didn't plan for it to go around corners.

-[laughter] -So, it's meant

for going extremely fast in a straight line.

And, and I think those three-tenths are off the line.

Definitely, but anyway, wow, what a test!

And what a surprise, I would say, with all three cars.

Fantastic driving, Jenson.

-Brilliant. -Thank you, mate.

-[Francis] That was great. -Oh, proper handshake!

-Bring it in. -Whoa!

[James] With the world champion's expert assessment delivered,

it felt like our work with these cars

was just about done.

See you later, cheers.

Or so we thought.

I got a call from the office this morning.

They said the purpose of this trip

was to come here and show off the last stand

-of internal combustion, right? -Yeah, we have.

We've been fighting each other.

So, they said we're supposed to go 200 miles North

to an airfield where apparently

there's some local firepower that we're supposed to go up against

as a team.

But there's nothing as quick as these.

Yeah, I have no idea what they're talking about.

So, we're like the Avengers.

[hip-hop beat]

[Tom] Rather baffled but intrigued about what lay ahead,

we headed out for a 200-mile drive

to our final showdown.

[raucous revving]

[Francis radio] James, you are surrounded by Mustangs.

Am I right in thinking you all share

the same interior,

even though yours is ten times more expensive?

[music fades]

Yes, you are correct.

I don't know why Ford did that.

But I don't have a screen that looks

like it's been plucked out of an old Lotus, okay?

So, I wouldn't start going on about interiors.

[laugh]

[Tom radio] Hey, Francis,

you used to work at Rolls-Royce, right?

Yes, correct, as an assembly engineer.

I was just curious what your thoughts were on the quality

of your Venom considering it's millions and millions of pounds.

Considering that this is an extremely low-volume car,

there are no rattles,

there are no misaligned shut lines,

um... but I'm feeling

every single bit of detail in the road

-through my bottom. -[James laughs]

It-- it's, uh...

it's not a, really, a pleasant feeling.

Don't worry, Francis. This is where your car's going to shine,

hundreds-of-miles road trip

in a carbon-fibre bucket.

-I hope you're comfortable in there. -[laughter]

[tense music]

[Francis] We continued onwards through the Mojave Desert

in search of an overnight stop

ahead of tomorrow's showdown.

[intriguing, twangy guitar]

And with evening falling,

we came across an old mining town near Death Valley

called Randsburg.

[music continues]

This is just locked in time.

Absolutely fantastic, look at this place.

That guy's handlebar moustache went down to his ankles.

-[Tom grunts] -[music fades]

-[James] What a unique place! -[Tom] It's cool, right?

I've never seen anything like it.

-We've got an inn. -[car-lock chirps]

And a bar.

[sigh]

-What the he-- [laughing] -[James] Oh, my God!

-[Tom] What happened to you? -[James] Francis, what's happened?

-Did you spill something? -No. My air conditioner stopped working.

You can see the seatbelt lines on you.

You look like a Rorschach painting.

-Great drive, guys. -No! No, no, no, no.

You know, the-- the, uh, dye

from the leather on the wheel

actually meddled with my sweat

and has stained my jeans.

[Tom laughing] Oh, my God!

-[Tom] While Francis dried himself out... -[Francis sighs]

...we got some drinks in

and then settled down for a little chat

about our cars.

Genuinely, what do you think about your cars?

-Francis? -Money aside...

It can't be, but go on.

It has to be for him.

-Money aside... -Okay.

...it's the best thing I've ever driven.

The experience is like none other

and it has the title,

most powerful internal-combustion-engine production car in the world.

It's hard to argue with that.

And when you accelerate, you can't breathe.

[laughing]

Here's the thing, I've fallen in love with your car as well.

I wasn't entirely sure about it at first.

When I first got in it, it just felt like a GT500,

which is three times less the price

and has the same engine

-and feels just as fast. -Yeah.

But just seeing Jenson touch it...

[laughing]

...it looked unbelievable.

I've kept the screen up of my Mustang up in, in the inside

so I can keep looking at it.

-Yeah. -[James] And looking at the suspension.

There's lots of special sauce going on with it.

Yeah, um, can I talk about the Corvette for a second?

Because it's brilliant.

I absolutely love it. I think it is objectively almost perfect.

-It's almost faultless... -[James] Yes.

[Tom] ...in its mission, however...

it has an identity crisis.

Yes, it does. I'm sorry.

-[laughing] -With the turbocharged, high-revving,

flat-plane crank V8, it's such an Italian supercar

wrapped up in a w-- weird, American mid-engined body.

But it-- but it's cut price though.

It is, but, but I-- I just-- it doesn't matter

because you hear it and you drive it

and it feels Italy,

and then you're inside it

and the interior looks like a cross

between Las Vegas and the phrase, "Y'all watch Nascar?"

-It's confused. -D'you know what I mean?

Either way, I think it's brilliant.

I think they're all fant-- This is the coolest trio

-I've seen together. -[Tom] Yeah.

All right, question,

gun to your head, which one would you take? Go.

Money no object.

-Venom. -[Tom] Venom.

James.

GTD.

ZR1.

-Well, that was pointless. -That was boring, haha!

-That was completely pointless, okay. -Okay,

money object?

-Money object, ZR1. -Corvette for sure, yeah.

GTD.

Fine.

But hey, I think it's good that we all still love our cars

'cause it sounds like we got something coming tomorrow.

-Yeah. -And if yours is the superlative,

-we're going to be depending on you. -[knocks on table]

I have a-- I have a feeling that speed is going to come into play tomorrow.

Goodness.

[general chattering fades]

[tense, momentous music]

[big sting]

[digital trilling]

[trilling]

[music continues]

[music fades]

[James] Okay.

I like a good runway.

-[Tom] Yeah. -What was the office saying?

That we're going to go up against some local firepower?

Yeah, all I know is that we're supposed to meet here,

work as a team,

and apparently there's some local grunt that we're supposed to go up against.

You don't think that it's going to be some sort of...

powerful, all-wheel-drive EV thing?

The thing is, considering we're on a runway,

you'd imagine it would be something like a top-fuel dri...

-[whoosh] -[shouts]

[Francis] Holy... [nervous laugh]

[Tom] Jesus!

[Francis sighs]

So, what do you think we're racing against?

[distant jets howling]

[dark sting]

[Francis] Well, this is what we'd be racing against,

a trio of L39 Albatross jets

flown by some of the most American pilots

from the Patriots air-display team.

-[music fades] -Good morning, gentlemen!

-Hi. -Hi, hey.

My name's Corey "Zippy" Lovell.

Flying with me will be Scott "Intake" Carvet

flying in the number-two position, and following up

-will be Randy "Howler" Howell. -[Tom] Copy that.

For future contact,

should we address you by your call signs?

Absolutely.

Zippy,

-Howler, Intake. -[Francis] Great.

We're going to have to get you guys some call signs.

[Francis laughs]

-Uh... Ahem, well. -We've got to think of one.

[Intake] You don't get to think of you own call signs, for sure.

Oh, we don't get to think of our own call signs?

-No, not at all, Molson. -[James] Almost like a hazing.

-I see. -Molson!

[Intake] Thomas, you're from Canada, correct?

-Yes! -[Intake] Ontario?

-[Francis] Molson. -And I hear you like beer.

Yep. Nope, that's fine. I'm okay.

-[Howler] Molson it is. -I'm okay with that.

And you'll be driving the Corvette, is that right, Molson?

Yep, yep, yes. Yes, sir.

That's Stretch right there. That's Stretch.

-Stretch? -[Tom] Stretch. Stretch.

-'Cause I'm-- I'm long? -[Tom] That's okay.

[Zippy] I'll be racing James. We got to get James a name.

[Howler] I was talking to him earlier.

I asked him what his favourite thing to do was.

-Holiday. -Holiday.

He said, "I don't like to work. I like holidays."

-Heard that about him too. -That's so boring,

but that's a cool call sign.

I'm Holiday now?

[Tom] Okay, okay.

-Zippy. -[Zippy] So, today's race,

I want to walk you through it real quick

so everyone knows.

We're going to have three cars and three airplanes,

-and it's a relay race. -[tense music]

The car needs to stay on the right side

and the plane will stay on the left side of the runway.

[tense music]

We're going to be taking off right next to you

and we'll take the left side of the runway.

You cannot cross over.

As you come down here, you're going to want to come out

to the left here, but don't.

You need to stay on your side.

The plane's going to come out here,

pulling about two or three G's around the corner.

The car's going to continue. You have this whole runway

and on this final stretch,

I'll come right back here, wings level,

uh, probably 3-400 miles an hour

and we're going to bring it down

-to about 20 feet. -Twenty feet.

[Zippy] And this is going to be an all-out race...

-Jesus. -[Zippy] To see who can cross

the finish line first.

-[Francis] Okay. -So...

big runway, turn right, big runway, turn right,

big runway, don't get hit by a plane?

-You got it. -[Tom] Okay.

[Zippy] Any questions?

-N-- negative. -No, we're ready.

-All right, let's do it, guys. -Let's go race!

[foreboding music]

[Tom radio] Uh, any of you guys watch relay racing in the Olympics?

Any ideas on strategy, like, who goes first,

who goes last sort of thing?

The last time I did a relay was, uh, in my secondary-school

sports day.

[chuckles] Uh, if I'm right in thinking,

Usain Bolt went last

in the Jamaican relay team.

Okay, that makes sense. That would be you then going last,

the most powerful,

and I guess, James, if you want to set us off, it'll kind of give us a benchmark

and it'll tell me how hard I need to push.

Yeah, okay, so Mustang first,

Corvette second, Venom third?

Let's do it.

[music continues]

The sight I'm seeing right now

in my rear-view screen...

holy moly.

[jet engines hissing]

[Tom] Oh, my God.

Oh, my God.

[Tom nervous chuckle]

We're screwed.

[James] I see you, Zippy!

Damn, he actually-- That was really intimidating.

He just looked straight at me.

[Zippy radio] Okay, Patriots.

Let's take these guys.

Standby, ten seconds.

[revving]

Launch control, activated!

Two, one...

-[sting] -Go!

-[Tom] Go! Yes! -Go on, James!

[James] Oh, beat him off the line!

[Tom] Good! Good launch!

[suspenseful music]

[Francis] Initially, the cars would have the advantage

because they were much quicker off the line.

[raucous revving]

I'm crushing him!

Oh, come on, buddy.

Oh, 140?

150!

Oh, we are moving!

160.

Braking zone, braking, braking.

The jet's almost in the air. The jet's almost in the air.

Where is he? Oh, he's coming.

[Zippy radio] I'm rotating.

Those brakes are phenomenal!

There goes the plane!

[Zippy radio] He's making the turn.

Gently on the power.

[revving]

[whooshing]

[Tom] God, that's a tight bank.

Come on, James. Where are you?

[James] One-ten!

-One twenty, where's-- -[beep]

There he is! Don't look. Don't look.

Concentrate. Concentrate.

And brake.

Woah... Those brakes are so good!

Coming 'round.

Through the track!

[Zippy radio] Okay, I'm full throttle.

I'm going to try to run him down here on the home stretch.

[Tom] Here he comes. It's almost my go.

-Tag me in, buddy! -Where is he?

-[whoosh] -I'm winning!

I don't see him!

Oh, my God!

Oh, my God! Oh, my God!

Oh! That was so close!

He's going to beat me off the line.

The jet's coming back first.

-[beep] -[Zippy radio] Go, go, go!

[Tom] Come on, James!

[beep]

-[revving] -Oh, my God, I am racing a jet!

Bye bye! Bye bye, sir!

Oh, God.

Be brave, Thomas. Keep your foot-- Oh, Jesus.

Christ almighty!

Tramlining.

One-sixty!

One-seventy!

[sigh] Brake, brake, brake, brake.

Oh, shit, moving around on the brakes.

Oh, that's scary. Where's the jet? Where is he?

Thomas, focus on the corner. Don't look at the jet.

There he goes!

[whoosh]

Get on the throttle. Oh, my God!

[action music]

It's slick!

Come on, Thomas! Foot down! Oh, my God, I'm losing the rear.

Ogh!

There's sand on the runway.

There he is!

Oh, I'm moving around.

I'm moving around.

Braking.

Here he comes. Here he comes.

[Howler radio] Molson, I've got you.

[Tom] Come on, Thomas!

-[whoosh] -Holy shit!

There's Thomas!

There's the plane! Oh, he's going to overtake him!

[James] With Thomas now behind,

it was time to play our ace card.

-[click] -[ominous bell rings]

[slow-motion pops]

Look at that!

-[click] -[whirring]

Come on, Thomas! Where are you?

[James] Go, go, go!

[tires screeching]

Stretch, go!

[revving]

[Francis] I need to catch up to the jet!

Come on, Venom!

I'm catching the jet!

[Intake radio] Oh, man, that thing's fast.

[Francis] Hundred and eighty!

I'm on the brakes now.

I'm on the brakes!

There he goes!

[James] They're close. They're close.

[Tom] Where is he?

[Francis] The jet's already banking.

Oh, God, too wide here.

Come on!

Come on, Venom!

I see Francis.

[Intake radio] He's quick.

Where's the jet?

Hard on the brakes!

Down in second.

[whoosh]

[Intake radio] I've got to try and catch him.

[Francis] Get on the power!

[revving]

[James] I can't see Stretch.

-There, I see Stretch! -There he is!

[Francis] Hundred and sixty!

Where's the jet?

Where's the jet?

Two hundred miles and hour!

-No! -Oh, he just missed him!

Oh, no!

[whoosh]

-[Tom] Holy crap! -[hands clap]

-[James] And he's throwing the smoke. -[Tom] Hoo hoo!

That's the first time I've ever hit 200!

[solemn music]

James, there's so much adrenaline going through my body right now.

I'm-- I'm just happy with that.

I feel like I'm talking really fast.

Is this-- is this the normal speed that I talk?

We just lost.

We just lost it! [snivel]

I felt the need.

-[Tom] Don't say it. -The need for the toilet.

Yeah! [laughing]

[James] We may have lost to the fighter jets,

but all three of these cars

had shown us that petrol-powered performance

isn't going to be driven out of town

anytime soon.

[Tom] That was so close!

-[Francis] So close! -That was so close!

-[James] You did so well. -[Tom] Oh, man!

-My air conditioning broke as well! -[laughing]

[uplifting music]

-[Francis sighs] -Oh, my God.

-[James] You did really well. -Oh, thanks.

Stretch, not Francis. Sorry.

-Stretch. -And Molson.

Molson, Holiday.

What an ending to our first ever Grand Tour.

On a loss?

-Yeah, I'll take it. -[James] That's okay.

-I'll take it. -This is not going to be easy.

No, this is not an easy job.

So, we'll start how we mean to continue.

[music builds]

[music fades]

Our cars are in there?

[Francis] Who had bought the best five-grand sports car?

[cheers]

You bought an old XKR for five grand?

I feel like I'm in The Last of Us.

[tires screeching]

[American accent] I'm going to beat all those guys no matter what!

I'm breaking down as we speak, literally!

[loud revving]

-[Francis] No way! -Is that loud enough?

-Second gear, James! -Second gear!

[revving]

[Francis] I'm sorry, pal, but you're done.

[upbeat rock music]