Original subtitles

>> male narrator: modern marvels

Is going big

And counting down.

No series has celebrated

Technology over as

Many episodes as we have.

And now it's time to buckle up

And punch it, as we count down

America's top ten hottest rides.

From the sexy to the speedy...

>> it's mind-boggling

How fast it is.

>> narrator: from the retro to

The rugged to the reckless,

These incomparable beasts

And beauties will keep you

Spinning.

>> there's a ton of adrenaline

Going through your body.

>> narrator: be there at

The finish line when we crown

Our number one pick.

Now hot rides,

On this edition of

Modern marvels:

Mega marvels countdown.

[dramatic music]

*

America has always prided itself

As a nation on the go.

But it's not just about getting

From point a to point b;

It's about having a blast

Along the way.

We love any hot ride

That'll blow back our hair,

Pump us up, or quicken

Our pulses.

Only one limitation applies

To all the contenders

On our countdown:

They've got to stay earthbound,

So no air- or watercraft.

Other than that, anything goes.

Our choice at number ten

Is more than a hot ride;

It's boiling hot:

Jay leno's 1909 stanley steamer.

Jay keeps his century-old

Classic in his garage--

A huge two-building complex

Housing enough hot rides

To cause a traffic jam.

His iconic stanley steamer

Is in a class by itself.

>> steam cars were quite popular

At the turn of the century

Because, don't forget,

Cars--back in the early days,

You had to crank them,

And you had the magneto,

And you had to set the choke,

And a lot of times,

They'd backfire, and people

Would break their arms.

Whereas steam--

Well, steam technology

Was 100 years old

By the time this car was built.

Steam technology

Was easily understood.

You heat up water.

It makes steam.

It pushes the piston,

And you go.

Let's open up the hood.

Okay, not as pretty

As looking at a 289 mustang

Or 327 chevy, but this is not

Your engine.

This is just your boiler.

>> narrator: the reason jay's

Hot ride made our countdown is,

It's literally just that.

[metal ratcheting]

Creating the stanley steam

Demands red-hot temperatures.

>> this is one of the few cars

You can get burned to death

And scalded to death

At the same time.

I mean, you're carrying

An open flame, and you're made

Of wood.

>> narrator: getting a steamer

Ready to run is a multistep

Process, in which a lot

Can go wrong, like jay's

First try at igniting

The gas injectors

That heat up the boiler.

>> not good.

Okay.

That's a bad sign.

>> narrator: now he's not sure

How much vaporized gas

Is floating around.

>> let's take a chance.

Whoosh!

There you go.

[flames sputtering]

Exactly what I'm talking about.

As you can see, it has burned...

See, when you go home, your wife

Knows where you've been.

She can't accuse you of being

Out or doing something

When your arm is on fire.

>> narrator: jay has better luck

The second time around, and soon

The boiler is warming up.

[high-pitched whining]

Stanley lets out a loud moan

As the metal expands.

>> [howling]

>> narrator: next, jay pushes

The car outside to fill up

Its 30-gallon water tank.

>> I'm slowly building

Steam pressure.

Let's see if we got any.

I'll check my whistle.

[air hissing]

Getting there.

See, the nice thing about steam

Is, a gasoline engine might turn

3,500 revolutions per minute.

This engine turns about

357 revolutions per mile.

It's just...

[hisses]

Like that.

So when you pull away--

Dead silent.

[whistle blares]

There's no gears to shift.

There's no transmission.

There's no clutch.

Steam is so powerful

You don't need gears.

>> narrator: jay's steamer

Is one of two hot rides on

Our countdown with an external

Combustion engine.

Unlike an internal combustion

Engine, the stanley

Produces its power outside

Of the engine in its boiler.

When the water boils,

It converts from a liquid

To a gas.

It expands in the process,

Creating pressure

In a closed system.

And that pressure powers

The pistons in jay's

Steaming-hot ride.

Inside a pressurized system,

Steam is invisible,

But when it vents outside

Into the cooler air,

It condenses into white

Clouds of water vapor.

>> this is your throttle

Right here, and you open

Your throttle, and you go.

Let's see if we can beat

The camera car.

>> narrator: just like jay's

Huffing-and-puffing classic

From yesteryear, the next

Hot ride on our countdown

Also has no gas tank.

You'll get a charge out of

Our pick at number nine:

The racy battery-powered

Tesla roadster.

When we first presented

This hot ride, it was in

Keeping with our pledge to

Showcase pioneering technology.

Now tesla motors is

An established brand,

Turning yesterday's cutting edge

Into the commonplace.

>> I'm driving a prototype of

The 2008 tesla roadster.

This car is 100% electric.

It goes from 0 to 60 in about

Four seconds with a top speed

Of over 130 miles an hour.

What's really cool is, because

It's electric, it does this

With zero emissions.

There's no tailpipe,

No emissions whatsoever,

And it has a range of more than

200 miles.

>> narrator: one look at this

Chic speed demon tells you why

It made our countdown.

It was the first vehicle to

Roll out of tesla's factory

In california's silicon valley.

The company's goal was to build

A car that wasn't just an

Eco-friendly alternative to

Gas-fueled cars but one that

Qualified as a hot ride in

Every conceivable way.

>> specifically, we were looking

To address the three

Shortcomings of electric cars

In the past.

Meaning, they had limited range,

So we had to give consumers

More than enough range;

That's the efficiency side

Of it.

Performance--we didn't

Want consumers to be stuck with

A car that underperformed

Relative to

Gasoline-powered cars.

And design--we wanted a car

That is absolutely gorgeous.

>> narrator: when tesla's

Engineers began conceiving

The car, one of their top

Priorities was to design

An innovative power source.

>> the philosophy of tesla

Motors was to start with

The best battery and to make

A battery pack that would

Allow us to get the range

And power that we thought

Customers would desire

And then to build the car

And the rest of the

Infrastructure around that.

>> what we needed was a very

Stiff structure that was very

Lightweight, because we needed

To somehow incorporate this

Enormous 900-plus-pound

Battery pack into the skeleton

Of the car.

So we looked to lotus motors

Over in england, and they

Taught us a method of

Building a chassis out of

Bonded extruded aluminum.

This allowed us to basically

Build a chassis that's very

Lightweight--

I can easily pick it up

With one hand--

And that's also stiff enough

And safe enough for occupant

Protection safety,

While still having an

Integrated battery carrier.

>> this is what sits in the back

Of the tesla roadster.

This is what we call the e.S.S.,

The energy storage system.

It's comprised of 6,831 of these

Lithium-ion commodity cells.

And unfortunately, we can't

Show you what's inside it

Because it's all proprietary.

But if you were to open it up,

You'd find a bunch of these

Wired up inside.

>> narrator: the thousands of

Lithium-ion cells can deliver

Up to 400 volts.

Their 55-kilowatt hours of

Storage capacity give this

Hot ride its 200-mile range.

>> after you've driven your

200-plus miles, you would park

The car in the garage at night

And charge it up using one of

These home charging stations.

Simply take the cord,

Open up the charge port,

And plug it right in.

The car takes about 3 1/2 hours

To recharge.

That's, you know, if it's

Completely flat, but certainly,

You can top it off in less time

Than that.

And the cost is quite low.

So you're looking at between

$2 and $3 to fully charge

The car.

>> narrator: the tesla's

Eye-catching design attracts

Attention wherever it goes.

But our definition of a hot ride

Goes way beyond sexy styling.

For us, a hot ride can also be

Measured by how well it gets

You around the battlefield.

Let's salute our choice at

Number eight:

The army's ultimate off-roader,

The bradley infantry

Fighting vehicle.

You can classify this hot ride

As a crossover between an

Armored personnel carrier

And a full-scale battle tank.

There's enough room for nine

Inside, like a roomy minivan.

But don't expect the interior

Of this beast to be

As user-friendly.

>> it takes a little bit of

Getting used to; it's a lot

Different than getting into

Any other vehicle just 'cause

You got to watch the heavy

Hatch, make sure it doesn't

Close on you or anything,

And then just kind of snake

Your way in.

So it's a little bit different.

It's not too bad

Once you sit in it.

>> narrator: one unique feature

Of the bradley fighting vehicle

Qualifies it as a hot ride in

The truest sense of the phrase--

The driver sits virtually on top

Of the engine block.

>> you've got a pretty thin wall

Separating you from the engine

Pack, keeps you really warm.

If you're in a desert,

Not so good probably.

In the older versions,

They didn't really have any

Cooling system for the crew,

So you were just--

If you caught a breeze,

That's what you got.

>> narrator: the bradley is one

Of the few entries in our

Countdown without tires.

Instead, it's equipped with

Tanklike tracks.

They provide better traction

And make the driving experience

Nothing like that of a car.

>> in an automobile, when you

Were taking a left turn,

You would slow down,

But in this, in order

To take a left turn,

You have to press on the gas

Because that's how the track

Works.

>> narrator: along with the

Challenges comes some fun.

The tracks enable the tightest

Turning radius imaginable.

That's 27 tons of vehicle

Turning on a dime.

None of our other hot rides

Can do this.

The bradley is also our only

Hot ride packing heat.

Its firepower includes

A high-powered machine gun

And an antitank

Missile launcher.

And if anyone fires back,

It's nice to know that

The aluminum armor

Surrounding the crew

Can really take a beating.

>> able to withstand, you know,

Several rounds of a .50 cal

Point-blank.

We can take anything up to

A direct hit from a missile.

>> narrator: as gnarly as this

Hot ride may be,

Even it can't tackle the terrain

That the next contender

On our countdown can.

>> narrator: we're buckling up

And burning rubber,

Counting down the top ten

Hottest rides

Our series has ever featured.

And we're not slamming on

The brakes until we scorch

A path to our hottest ride

Of all at number one.

Jay leno's stanley steamer

Got our countdown rolling,

Puffing in at number ten.

The battery-driven

Tesla roadster powered up

At number nine,

Followed by our battle-ready

Choice at number eight:

The bradley fighting vehicle.

The hot ride in our number seven

Spot pushes the limits of

Off-roading to mountainous

New heights:

The rock crawler.

Rock crawlers are highly

Modified trucks or buggies

Designed to hug terrain that

Most off-roaders would consider

Impossible to navigate.

Competitors like these

Outside of cedar city, utah,

Know that a hot ride doesn't

Have to be fast to be extreme.

>> it feels like

A roller coaster

Every single course.

You know, a lot of new people

Come out and watch, and they

Think, "Man, this is insane.

I can't believe you guys

Do this."

>> one thing that all these guys

Have in common is, just going on

A typical trail ride

Isn't quite enough for them.

They want to be pushed to do

Something extreme, not just

Go out and do the same thing

Everyone else is.

[motor revving]

And you start feeling

Comfortable being at 70-degree

Angles up or down and 50-degree

Angles sideways.

>> the competition is different

Because it's usually a rock pile

Someplace, and we're just

Trying to drive up the most

Extreme thing that the course

Designer can think of.

[lively rock music]

*

>> narrator: nicole johnson,

A mother of two, has been

Driving rock crawlers

Competitively since 2001.

>> I think it's really

Exciting, actually, to be

Behind the wheel of this car.

When you're driving up

A big rock, sometimes

All you see is sky and clouds,

And when you're coming off

Of something steep, you just

See ground, and you just hope

You can run it out and not roll.

>> okay, drive forward.

Freewheel!

>> narrator: nicole, like every

Driver in rock crawling,

Depends on a spotter to act

As a second set of eyes

And direct the overall effort.

>> go up over there.

We're backing down.

>> narrator: nicole's spotter

Is her husband, frank.

>> there's just little cues

That you look for in the

Suspension and the way the car

Is built that you could kind of

Tell that, "Okay, we got it,"

Or, "No, we got to back off."

>> steer me.

>> okay, stop.

>> the driver might get all of

The glory, but it's the spotter

That does all the work.

The spotter is the poor guy

That's got to run around

The vehicle and pulling on ropes

And stacking rocks and pointing

Us where we need to go.

>> narrator: the spotters

Face the greatest dangers

In rock crawling...

[engine revs]

[man speaking over loudspeaker]

>> no, this way.

Straighten your wheels.

[clattering]

>> narrator: especially in

The all-too-likely event

Of a rollover.

>> oh, no.

That's not good.

>> spotters falling down cliffs

And hurting their legs

Or their knees or any part

Of their body, really.

If the spotter's in a bad

Position, they could

Get run over.

[man shouting indistinctly]

>> yeah, go!

>> narrator: for nicole and

Frank, the secret to making this

Hot ride as safe as possible

Is trust and good communication.

>> drive forward.

>> it doesn't feel right.

>> drive forward; there you go.

>> you really have to trust.

Sometimes the car feels really

Weird, feels like you're gonna

Roll when you're really not,

And he can tell

If it's going to.

>> rear dig down!

Rear dig down!

>> down this way?

>> yeah, your ass end

Has to be that way, nicole.

>> I--I'm trying, frank.

>> our way of dealing with it--

Maybe we yell at each other.

Work left!

Go left now!

Go left!

All the way left, work it left!

>> that's right!

>> go right!

Whatever that is!

But it's all, you know, water

Under the bridge at that point.

We're here to have fun,

And that's what about--

We had a lot of fights today,

But, you know, we're smiling.

[laughs]

>> it's all good.

>> it's good.

>> narrator: beyond good

Teamwork, rock crawlers

Counter this hot ride's dangers

With technology.

>> your dangers are really high.

If you're not wearing your

Proper safety harnesses,

If you're not wearing

Your helmet or fire suits

Or anything like that,

The danger is always there.

It's any kind of motor sport.

[engine revving]

>> have to back up.

>> rock crawling is a very

Dangerous sport.

We do treat it with respect.

We make sure that we have

The best of the best

As far as the suspension seat,

The strongest seat belts

That we can get.

>> narrator: and these modified

Monsters also sport specialized

Tires available only

For competitors,

Tailor-made for the task.

>> these are not your normal

Street tires.

These are 37-inch

Maxxis trepadors.

And as you can see, just by

The tread, they're ultra sticky,

And this is what keeps us

Clinging to those rocks on those

Side hills, on those big climbs.

This is what gets us up there.

[engine revs]

>> go, go, come on!

>> narrator: but it's more

Than just enormous tires

That get these buggies around

These rocks; it also takes

State-of-the-art

Suspension systems.

Pop!

[crowd groaning]

>> the suspension is known

As a four-link.

As you can see, there are

Two lower trailing arms

And two upper trailing arms.

Those upper trailing arms

Are actually what locate

The axle underneath

The vehicle, and then the

Lowers simply provide support.

This particular suspension

Gives us great movement

Up and down for wheel travel

And really helps us

Cling to those hard side hills

And those nasty crawling

Sections.

>> narrator: and specialized

Brake controls allow independent

Operation of the front and rear

Brakes.

It all adds up to a hot ride

That had to make our countdown.

For this bunch,

It's the ultimate rush.

>> when you're hanging off

These cliffs, and you're,

You know, looking down,

Ready to roll a vehicle

Or you're leaning sideways

And having to, you know,

Pull an awesome save,

Trust me, there's a ton

Of adrenaline going through

Your body.

>> I think you have to be

A little bit of an adrenaline

Junkie, and I can't think of

Any other sport that I would

Rather do.

>> narrator: before we pick up

Our countdown, let's take

A quick trip to the big apple

To acknowledge one hot ride

That didn't make our list

But deserves a mention:

The two-wheelers of

New york city's bike messengers.

Only a bicycle can navigate

These snarled streets

So fast and efficiently.

>> this business is all about

Speed and time, and, you know,

You want to be able to get

Around and do things as quickly

As possible.

>> narrator: it's the hottest

Ride in manhattan, but it's also

One of the most dangerous.

>> I was hit in 2000.

What happened is, the truck

Hit the back of the bike.

It threw me off the bike,

And the front wheel of the truck

Actually ran over my shoulder

And straight down my arm.

You know, and it took me

A little while to get over

The fear of getting back

On the bike.

But you know what?

You have to conquer that fear

And just go right back out.

>> narrator: as cool as this

Hot ride is, we decided

There's only enough room for

One two-wheeled vehicle

In our countdown, and that's

Our choice at number six:

The tiny motorcycle

Offering titanic thrills,

The pocket bike.

[motors whirring]

Also known as minimotos,

These pint-sized powerhouses

Made our cut mainly because

They dare to be different.

>> they're a little motorcycle.

They can fit in the backseat

Of an import car.

They weigh about 40 pounds.

Top speed on a really nice one

Is about 60 miles an hour.

You're able to do everything

That you can on a real

Motorcycle, but you're just

A lot closer to the ground.

>> narrator: pocket bikers

Have been racing seriously in

Asia and europe since the 1990s.

Today, minimoto racing is

Gaining momentum in the united

States, in spite of laws

Restricting their use

On streets.

Clubs like pocket bike g.P.

In central california are

Proving that a hot ride can

Come in a small package.

>> because you're lower to

The ground, the sensation--

30 feels like 130.

I don't even road-race anymore.

I just do this.

I can crash, you know, five

Times and drive myself home.

>> narrator: many of its basic

Components are miniaturized

Versions of standard

Race motorcycles.

>> well, here's your kind of

Standard pocket bike.

All the bodywork has been

Removed to show

All the components.

It has pneumatic slick tires,

So you're able to do

The incredible lean angles

And have really good traction,

Which is important when you're

This close to the ground.

It has front and back

Disc brakes, so you're able

To stop very easily

With hardly any effort.

[tires screech]

The basic engines that come on

Pocket bikes are similar to

The stuff that you would find

In yard equipment...

[engine puttering]

Like a weed eater or, you know,

Something in your garage.

They're two-strokes.

They have a centrifugal clutch,

So it's one-speed.

You just give it gas and go.

>> narrator: pocket bikes range

From 2 to 18 horsepower.

They can cost as much as $5,000.

For that, you can get a stronger

Frame, a lot more speed,

And an even hotter ride.

>> this is a higher end bike.

I purchased it used.

It's a polini 6.2.

And this is probably between

11 and 12 horsepower,

Which doesn't sound like much,

But when you think how much

It weighs, it's mind-boggling

How fast it is.

>> for someone who doesn't know

Pocket bikes, you know,

They look like toys.

But, you know, you just get on;

When you do a couple hot laps,

You'll change your mind

Real fast.

>> if you've never ridden

A pocket bike, you can't fully

Appreciate the intensity of it.

>> narrator: as awesome as this

Tiny wonder is, what if you need

A hot ride with the bulk and

Power to haul a major load?

That's the specialty

Of the number five contender

On our countdown:

The rugged and reliable

Ford f-150.

3 million pickups are purchased

Every year in the united states,

And this burly workhorse has

Been the best-selling model

Over the past three decades--

Reason enough for its place of

Honor on our countdown.

At ford's production plant in

Dearborn, michigan,

An f-150 comes off the line

Every 60 seconds.

But before this hot ride reaches

Your local dealer's showroom,

It has to endure a bumpy ride at

Ford's michigan proving grounds.

>> it's difficult just holding

20 miles an hour, which is

The speed limit on this course,

With the bumps and the shakes

And--and how much it throws you

Around the cab,

But it's a good testament to

The control that we have with

The f-150 and how it holds you

In position, allows you to

Control the truck under these

Incredibly rugged surfaces

That you're probably not gonna

Encounter in most everyday

Driving but our heavy-duty

Users will.

>> narrator: the rough ride is

A supreme test of the meeting

Point between the truck's cab

And box.

>> the frame is the foundation

Of the truck, and you've got to

Have a great foundation,

A really stiff frame,

To be able to endure this.

But you also have to have

Really secure attachments

And mating points for the cab

And the truck.

And obviously with the shake

That we're experiencing here,

It really tests out how well

That cab is attached

To the frame.

>> narrator: the meeting point

Holds, but what about

The f-150's suspension?

>> it's taking a real beating.

And if you watch the back

Bumper, you can see it moving

Around there.

That suspension is really

Absorbing the shocks and the

Load of this really well,

But it's staying right in

The middle of the course.

The frame is strong;

The suspension is strong.

You can see, the truck stays

Perfectly even as it goes down

The road.

So we want those tires to move,

And you can see 'em breathing

As it comes in here,

And the truck's absorbing

All of that energy as it's

Coming up to a stop.

>> narrator: this f-150 passed

With flying colors--

No surprise for the pickup

That muscled its way

To the number five spot

On our countdown.

>> narrator: we're racking up

The miles as we continue our

Countdown of america's top ten

Hot rides.

And our final destination

Is nearly in sight,

Where we'll rev up our

Sizzling choice at number one.

Jay leno jump-started our

Journey at number ten with his

Flaming stanley steamer,

And we sped our way to america's

Best-selling pickup,

The ford f-150, at number five.

Now let's salute our brawny pick

At number four--

The commercial truck

Synonymous with toughness--

The mack truck.

Ask any mack driver about this

Iconic big rig, and it's easy

To see why it made our cut.

>> to me,

It's a truck driver's truck.

It's a tough truck.

It's a comfortable work truck,

But they withstand

A lot of punishment.

They're good with the abuse,

And they take it.

>> I think of mack trucks--

It's american, it's tough,

It'll do anything,

And it can get you there.

>> I think it symbolizes the

Strength of american trucking.

>> narrator: mack trucks

Are named after the pioneering

Brothers who first

Produced them.

They've been making their

Indelible mark on the trucking

Industry for nearly a century.

And this guy has quite

A collection of them.

>> and I got married

In this truck.

[horn blaring]

>> narrator: gary mahan of

Basking ridge, new jersey,

Enjoys a committed relationship

With these hefty hot rides,

Which date back as far as 1916.

>> we believe this is the oldest

Unrestored mack in the country.

It's an a.C. Bulldog.

>> narrator: mack produced

More than 40,000 bulldogs

Between 1915 and 1939,

Which became the benchmark

By which all other trucks

Were judged.

The bulldog earned its canine

Nickname during world war I.

6,000 macks served as cargo

Carriers, and british soldiers

Dubbed it "The bulldog"

Because of its pug-nosed hood

As well as its dogged ability

To get supplies to the front.

But it was under the hood

Where the bulldog got its bite.

>> there's no radiator

In the front.

It's been relocated.

It was designed and built

With the radiator to the rear.

And you've got

A four-cylinder engine.

60 horsepower initially

But had a lot of torque.

>> narrator: after world war I,

The bulldog made its mark

Stateside, staking a claim as

America's hardest working truck.

It hauled everything from gravel

To gasoline, lighting the way

Through 30 years of

American progress.

Models of the 1920s lit up

The night not using electricity

But gas.

>> for the headlights,

Turn your gas supply on,

Acetylene in a tank.

You come forward, open up

Your headlight bezel,

Strike it with a match,

Close your bezel,

And away they go.

>> narrator: early models of

This hot ride also lacked an

Electric starter, so they had

To be hand-cranked.

>> first thing we have to do is

Prime each of the four

Cylinders, so we give each one

A little teaspoonful of gas.

[metal cranking]

[engine puttering]

There it goes.

>> narrator: bulldogs of the

1920s could chug their way up

The steepest grades

With 10 tons on their backs

Using a power train

Primitive by today's standards:

A chain drive.

>> chain drive sounds spooky.

I don't know what

A chain drive is.

[laughs]

>> this is a chain drive feature

Found on the a.C. Mack bulldogs.

Had the little sprocket driving,

A bigger sprocket to the rear.

You had the ability to change

Your speed ratios by changing

Your sprocket size.

If you're on a highway

And you're delivering goods,

You'd want a faster speed,

So you could increase the size

Of this small sprocket.

But it was very dependable,

And it forgave the shocks

Of the road conditions

And soft ground

So you wouldn't break an axle,

'cause the chain would take up

The slack.

>> narrator: beginning in

The 1930s, mack began producing

Its own diesel engines,

Which made the bulldog

More reliable

And cheaper to fuel up.

As more competition entered

The marketplace, mack put

The bulldog down, shepherding in

The next era of mack trucks.

>> at this point,

Mack was heavy into diesels.

These are the vocational trucks

That the customers wanted.

>> narrator: at the end of

The 1940s, mack's chain drive

Was finally given the shaft,

As an improved technology

Became the industry standard.

>> as you can see,

The driveshaft brought the power

From the transmission

To a big center differential.

In the differential, you had

Gears that sent the power out

Through the axles to your axle

Hubs on the outside of all of

These big wheels.

So it was a much better

Combination.

>> narrator: mack kept on

Truckin' through the 20th

Century, further solidifying

Its status as trucking's

Hottest ride.

>> we got into the r models--

The 1985 vintage.

This was mack's most popular

Version.

They sold over 400,000 units.

Great truck--very vocational,

Did a lot of different things.

And then they sold us

The latest and greatest,

Which is our 2009 version,

21st-century product.

>> narrator: a century of

Stellar service has elevated

The mack to a league of its own

And the number four spot

On our countdown.

That leaves just three hot rides

Left as we blaze our way

Toward the checkered flag.

>> narrator: before we resume

Our countdown, let's throw a nod

To another worthy hot ride

That failed to make our cut:

The zamboni ice resurfacer.

Its top speed is 15 miles per

Hour, but it stakes a claim

As the most popular machine

In sports.

It's equipped with a razor-sharp

Blade that scoops up a fine

Layer of ice to smooth

The rink's surface.

>> one of the things you really

Have to watch out for is

The snow plugging up between

The conveyors.

And you want to push this down,

And that pushes the snow away

From the two conveyors to unplug

Any snow that might be plugging

In down there.

>> narrator: the zamboni has

Been described as a cross

Between a street cleaner,

A riding lawn mower,

And a brick.

But it earns its honorable

Mention by being the humble hero

Of america's 7 million

Ice skaters.

Another ice-cold hot ride

Is so fast and thrilling that

It rocketed its way to number

Three on our countdown:

The bobsled track

At utah olympic park.

Athletes competed on this

Mile-long ribbon of ice

At the 2002 winter olympics.

Our only hot ride that's faster

Is the tesla.

>> this is the world's fastest

Track in luge.

Sleds and luge can go up

To 90 miles an hour.

Skeletons and bobsleds--anywhere

Between 85 and 90.

The track is made of concrete

And steel, and it's on footers,

And it follows the contour of

The mountain.

>> narrator: the track's

Designers made it the world's

Fastest by incorporating

Fewer twisting corners

And a straighter path

Compared to those

Of other layouts.

But it's also the sleek,

Ice-cold surface that makes

This such a hot ride.

A refrigeration plant

Near the bottom of the track

Can keep it frozen even on

A hot summer day.

It produces pressurized

Liquid ammonia as cold as

4 degrees below 0 fahrenheit.

Pumps circulate 110,000 pounds

Of it through 54 miles of pipe

Embedded in the track.

>> we're currently running at

Minus 10 degrees celsius.

We can, on a cold day, shut off

The refrigeration, and it's not

Needed because the outside air

Temperature is actually keeping

The ice cold.

>> narrator: the earliest

Bobsled tracks relied strictly

On the winter cold

To stay frozen

And were carved

Directly into the snow

Blanketing the mountain.

Designers used curved wood

Moldings supported by timber

Braces for the most extreme

Turns.

Tracks now, like at utah

Olympic park,

Are significantly faster.

This is a hot ride you can feel.

>> when the athletes are coming

Down the hill, the g-forces

They can experience in these

Large corners can be 4 or 5

Times the force of gravity,

Or 4 or 5 gs.

And that sensation is intense.

>> narrator: no motor,

No gears, no fuel--

Just gravity and guts

Make this ride so hot.

That's why it's number three

On our countdown.

Our hot ride at number two

Also runs on a track.

It's a game-changing blast from

The past that made america

A giant among nations:

The steam locomotive.

This icon of the 19th and 20th

Centuries was an indispensible

Workhorse in the industrial

Revolution and a major player

In the settlement of the

American west.

We found a prime example in ely,

Nevada, where the nevada

Northern railway houses

Its historic steam locomotives

In their original engine house.

>> the locomotive we're gonna

Take out today is locomotive 93.

She was purchased by the

Railroad in july of 1909.

Right now, the fireman is

Preparing the fire to produce

The steam.

>> this firebox is big.

It's about 12 feet deep

And about 6 feet wide.

This engine takes a lot of coal

To make it run.

>> narrator: once the boiler

Builds up enough pressure,

Steam generates electricity

For the locomotive's lights.

It also runs the air pumps

That produce compressed air

For the brakes.

Finally, up goes the engine

House door, and this historic

Hot ride chugs out.

[bell dinging]

[steam hissing]

>> we just received

The highball.

Releasing the engine brake.

[air whooshing]

Placing the power reverse

And forward, and pull down on

The throttle and two blasts

On the whistle.

[whistle blares]

And off we go.

[engine chugging]

>> narrator: this is copper

Mining country, and for nearly

50 years, locomotive 93's job

Was to haul ore cars.

>> this is a freight locomotive.

You can tell by

The smaller wheels.

It has a lot of tractive effort

For very little horsepower.

The tractive effort's about

42,000 pounds, but the

Horsepower is only 905.

It's built for power,

Not for speed.

It used to pull about

33 ore cars up the hill.

Since this is a working

Locomotive, you got to be

Careful what you touch.

Everything is extremely hot.

>> narrator: just like it should

Be for a hot ride this high on

Our countdow?

And it follows that any ride

This hot has to blow off

A little steam.

>> after each run, we do what

We call a blow-down.

We do this because sediments

Build up in the boiler, and we

Have to clean the boiler out,

Get those sediments

Out of the boiler.

So here goes.

[loud whooshing]

>> narrator: keep your seat belt

Fastened just a little while

Longer, because the only hot

Ride on our countdown left to be

Revealed is our number one pick.

It's a hottie in every sense

And named after this

History-making fighter plane

From world war ii.

>> narrator: we've been putting

The pedal to the metal

Counting down america's top ten

Hottest rides, and now it's

Finally time to unveil the

Ultimate hottie of them all.

But first, let's race through

All the entries that made

Our cut.

Number ten:

Jay leno's stanley steamer.

>> let's see if we can beat

The camera car.

>> narrator: number nine:

The tesla roadster.

>> it goes from 0 to 60

In about four seconds.

>> narrator: number eight:

The bradley fighting vehicle.

Number seven: the rock crawler.

>> there's a ton of adrenaline

Going through your body.

>> narrator: number six:

The pocket bike.

>> it's mind-boggling

How fast it is.

>> narrator: number five:

The ford f-150.

>> you've got to have

A great foundation,

A really stiff frame,

To be able to endure this.

>> narrator: number four:

Mack trucks.

>> I think it symbolizes the

Strength of american trucking.

>> narrator: number three:

The bobsled track

At utah olympic park.

>> and that sensation

Is intense.

>> narrator: number two:

The steam locomotive.

[whistle blares]

And now the hot ride

Born in the 1960s

But blessed with the timeless

Mystique of a classic,

Our number one pick:

The original ford mustang.

50 years since its introduction,

This legend of the american

Auto industry still has

The ability to turn heads

And trigger envy.

When it debuted in 1964,

The mustang was tailor-made

For the boomer generation,

Then coming of age--

An untapped market crying out

For a car to call its own.

>> it caught the entire

United states' fancy.

Everyone wanted a mustang.

Everyone wanted to be seen

In a mustang.

And sure enough,

Within the first two years,

They sold over a million cars.

The first-year sales

Had set records.

No other car had sold

In those numbers.

It was all because the car

Was the right car,

The right price,

The right time, and it had

The right look.

>> narrator: ironically, this

Automotive icon was almost

The car that wasn't.

Ford general manager lee iacocca

Couldn't convince the company's

Executives that the mustang

Was the hot ride

They needed to build.

>> well, when he first

Pitched the idea of this

Youthful, young car,

It was basically, summarily,

Thrown out.

And the answer was, "No, no,"

Over and over again "No."

So that's when he decided,

"Let's leave the glass house.

Let's get out of there

On michigan avenue,

Drive up the street,

Stop in a little motel

Called the fairlane motel,

Rent a room,

And think outside the box."

>> narrator: although iacocca's

Design team did just that,

They also used ford's dowdy

Falcon as their starting point.

>> this was a typical falcon,

1963.

The mustang is based on the car,

Except for the styling.

[auto lift whirring]

Basically, the same platform

As the falcon.

It's a unit body car,

Which means it's all one unit.

It doesn't have a separate frame

That the body bolts to.

And then they added these

Torque boxes out here, which,

Again, it's just steel plates,

But it added strength

To the frame of the car

And--and kept it from flexing.

>> narrator: ford designers took

The falcon's platform and engine

Assembly, then shortened

The wheelbase, lowered

The seating position,

Reduced the trunk space,

And elongated the hood.

They also gave it

A well-appointed interior

And wrapped it in its sleek

Signature body style.

When iacocca's hot new ride

Hit the market, it was magic.

>> it took the country by storm.

There are great stories about

People staying outside their

Dealerships and crowds that

Couldn't be contained,

Every car that was in

The dealership on the first day

Selling out.

>> narrator: boasting a starting

Price of around $2,500,

The mustang appealed

To just about everyone.

You could buy a mustang

As a hardtop, a fastback,

Or a convertible.

>> one of the keys to the

Mustang's success was that

You could make it your own,

And it's very hard today to find

Two of these early mustangs

That are exactly alike.

>> narrator: any proud

Classic mustang collector

Will tell you the same.

>> this is a 1966 convertible.

It has options of power

Steering.

The most exciting thing is,

It has air-conditioning.

We don't find options

Like air-conditioning

On convertibles.

>> this is a 1967 fastback, and

It's got a neat option in here.

For people who like to ski,

You can open up the trunk

And set your skis in,

And they go all the way through

To a fold-down rear seat.

>> this is a 1968 g.T.

It's a high-performance 302

Motor with a factory four-speed.

The wood option in the car

Is a deluxe interior.

I have totally rebuilt this car

From ground up.

>> narrator: our love affair

With the mustang is now

A half century old

And still going strong,

Making it a slam dunk

As the ultimate hot ride

On our countdown.

It and the rest of our

Worthy contenders remind us

That we're a nation that never

Sits still.

A hot ride can take many forms,

But the common denominator

Is the rush we feel

When we're off and running.