Hello, and welcome to Top Gear.
Two things I'm looking forward to in tonight's show.
First, we are testing a real smorgasbord of cars.
We've got supercars, grand tourers and hot hatches.
Second, I got to say smorgasbord.
Smorgasbord.
I love saying smorgasbord.
OK, now, as anyone who has a couple of kids knows,
the worst thing you can do is buy them one toy
and tell them to share it. Never ends well.
So the producers thought it'd be funny to see
if the same is true for presenters.
So they told Chris and I to both go and review
the latest 200mph British grand tourer in sunny Spain.
This is Spain?
I thought Spain was supposed to be warm.
This is the Sierra Nevada, Matthew.
The highest road in Europe,
therefore it gets a bit nippy up here.
Ooh, look.
That is...
..stunning. Look at that.
Welcome to the new Bentley Continental GT.
£150,000 of tailored British luxury,
which Bentley claims is the finest grand tourer ever produced.
- It's beautiful. - Yeah.
You know, if there was one of those at the top of every mountain,
- I would definitely climb more mountains. - Yeah, absolutely.
So I guess all we have to do now is decide who's driving first.
So we should probably just...
No, no, no, off you go. There you go, there you go.
- You missed. - Such a bellend.
- He always gets his own way. - That's nice.
What are you doing?
- It's quite slippery, you might have noticed. - Get in.
Don't feel bad.
Look, you're just smaller and weaker.
- I very nearly had you there, you know that. - Please.
I was checking my phone with the other hand.
Whatever. Just be really, really careful.
I'm a terrible passenger. This just looks dangerous to me.
Stop being so panicky. We've got four-wheel drive.
Four-wheel drive when you're going slowly.
The faster you go, this thing becomes two-wheel drive,
- rear-wheel drive. - Really? - Yes.
So the faster you go, the more dangerous it gets?
This feels very safe.
Stop cocking about.
Ho-ho!
Stop right here.
Well, I think I speak for myself when I say
that I'm glad that's over.
OK, first impressions?
Bentley's new grand tourer is definitely cut out for winter.
But now, on proper tarmac, the real road test could begin.
- Hey, can you move your seat back a little bit? - Yeah, sure.
Bit more.
- A bit more. Yeah, tilt it right back. - Why?
Well, I've just got a little business to take care of.
So, the Bentley Continental GT first arrived back in 2003.
This is now the third generation of the car.
What are you doing?
- I'm reviewing the car. - What? - They told us to review the car.
They told US to review the car, not you to review the car.
Well, we can't both review the car. It's not a duet.
Just stay back there. No-one will even know you're here.
- This is just demeaning. - It's not demeaning.
Hey, you got anything you could pop on your head?
We're getting a little bit of a glare off your dome.
Are you for real?
The Bentley Continental GT first arrived back in 2003.
This is the third generation of the car.
This is a car for people who want to drive very far, very fast...
You said "car" twice in that sentence.
And I think the audience knows it's a car.
It's got four wheels, it's sort of car-shaped.
Are you done?
This...
I can touch your nose, look.
This was going to be a long trip.
Now, as I was saying,
this is the Bentley Continental GT, which first arrived back in 2003.
But this is the third generation of the car,
and it is by far the best one yet,
because it's lighter, faster and more comfortable than ever before.
It's got 626 horsepower.
It'll do 0 to 60 in 3.7 seconds...
..and it won't top out until 207mph.
This...
So close! It was so close.
- I knew you were going to interrupt me. - It was so close.
- I knew you were going to interrupt me. -!
Really, there is no more soothing way
to rack up a massive speeding fine.
- Don't forget the armrests. - Why? - The armrests.
- Why? - I'll show you. Just pull over and stop.
- But I only just got started. - Just stop!
- Where you going? - I'll be back in a minute.
Where is he going?
He's a funny little fella, isn't he?
OK, so...
- What is that? - It's a cup of coffee.
Where did you get that?
- So, you've just bought your new Bentley Continental GT. -
- Over 150 grand of your hard-earned. - Yeah.
You get into it to go to work,
- you want to have a coffee in the morning. - Yeah.
So you put your coffee in there, and you think,
"I'll just adjust the armrest so it's nice and comfy."
Move that forwards now.
- What, the armrest? - Yeah.
Well... I see.
Yeah. Well, you can't. The coffee's in the way.
Yeah, I know.
That's a really, really poor piece of ergonomic design.
OK, that is the first-est of first-world problems.
I'm looking out for the normal consumer,
who can afford to buy...
I will give you that. OK.
I will give you that, that that is a design flaw.
- However... - ..how can you not love a cabin that does this?
Are you ready?
- - OK. - Come on.
- OK. - Come on. That is great.
That is the future that we were promised back in the '70s.
- That is beautiful. - That is awesome!
Yep, irritating cup-holder aside,
wafting through southern Spain in style and comfort,
the Continental was quickly proving the ideal tool
for eating up the miles.
In fact, the only thing it was missing
was an off switch for my companion.
Ooh, press pack.
Get this.
"Diamond knurling aids a luxurious touch
"using a three-dimensional faceted surface."
I love a bit of knurling.
- You love knurling as well, don't you? -
Frankly, knurling was the last thing on my mind.
My back teeth were floating.
- What's wrong? - I just, er...
I really have to use the gents.
Well, just pull over here and use the gents.
I also really don't want you to drive,
- so I'm very conflicted. - OK.
Well...
- Funny. - Drinky?
No, thanks.
If you pull over, I can guarantee one thing.
- What? - I will definitely steal your driving seat.
You're like a horrible rash, do you know that?
That's been said before.
Luckily, I'm a horrible rash
who happens to be equipped with the bladder of a camel.
You're not going to win this.
It's by a band called Running Water.
A slash, a winkle...
..a wazzle, a wee.
A widdle, a pee.
I can't take it any more.
I can't, I can't. I've got to go.
- That bush has got your name written all over it. -...
Let him step away.
- I'm just going to check the rear tyres. - No!
- Just going to check the rear tyres. - No!
Just check this one.
Yeah, they're pretty good, those rear tyres.
Look at this.
This is more like it.
Right.
Right, my turn to review.
Now with a proper driver at the wheel,
it was time to get stuck into what this new Bentley
is really all about.
OK, let's talk about the engine.
Like the old Continental, this car has a W12.
This time round, it has dual injection,
so it means it has regular port injection
and it also has direct injection.
Jewel? Jewel with a J?
- Jewel? - It has two forms of injection.
- DUAL. - OK. - Dual. I got you.
Go ahead.
Now, unlike a Ferrari V12, which is all revvy and racy,
the W12 is more relaxed.
It provides effortless performance, which is perfect for a Bentley.
You didn't mention the cylinder shutdown.
I was about to mention the cylinder shutdown.
I would've put it first, but that's just me.
Featuring cylinder shutdown.
Basically, it shuts down half the cylinders
when it doesn't need them. Doesn't matter.
What does matter is how much better this new Continental is to drive.
- What are you doing? - Time for a little detour.
No-one who drives this car will ever do this.
Well, I'm driving this car and I'm doing this.
Now, how different is it to the old Continental?
The old Continental had a fixed torque split,
40% to the front, 60% to the rear.
This has a kind of constantly variable torque split,
- because it has this new electronic brain. - Torque split.
That is some sexy road-test speak right there.
Hey, if we're lucky,
we might get a little bit of "through the wrists".
What else have we got?
Air suspension - even on this rocky surface,
the ride is so level,
that means you can genuinely feel this car through the wrists.
That's it! That is the stuff.
This is like a Chris Harris Greatest Hits album. This is great!
Sideways on gravel in a Bentley.
This is fantastic.
- Can you feel that body control? - Body control!
Woohoo!
What I'm doing, Matthew, even though you laugh,
is I'm telling people what they want to hear about the car.
I'm educating them.
What you're doing is you're telling one guy from Ipswich
what he wants to hear about the car.
Now, come on, pull over. It's my turn to drive.
Over my dead body. You've had your turn, OK?
I am driving for the rest of this trip, and you know it.
Sorry to have to do that, but you left me no choice.
See, this is what people who buy this car are going to do.
Cover miles on the open road.
This new air suspension,
you put it in comfort and you could almost forget you're driving it.
How's the back seat?
What's the point in boasting about having a W12 engine
that's 24% shorter than a V12,
if a small man can't sit in the back of it?
Sub-eight-year-olds will be fine back here.
- And, critically, I can administer a wet willy. -!
So this is literally like having a child test the rear seat.
You're a filthy, disgusting eight-year-old.
You smell horrible.
I mean, absolutely horrible.
Where are we going?
We were going to the Continental's spiritual home...
..because people who drive Bentleys love to eat out.
It does look way better than before, doesn't it?
- It does, but I've got a problem with this. - What?
- The people who drive them. - Hold on.
You can't blame the car for the people who drive it.
You know, that's like saying, er,
those kids that wear their pants below their ass?
It's not the pants' fault.
They're long enough, they're just being worn wrong.
You know what I think?
I think this is the best Bentley they've ever made.
That's a bold statement. They've made some good Bentleys.
OK, the Bentayga?
- Uglier, not as fun to drive. - That's true.
The Mulsanne is slower. So this is it.
If you want to do big miles, you want to do them really fast,
this is the best Bentley ever made.
You do give some great summary, I'll give you that.
- Thank you. - Lovely work. - Thank you. - I'm driving.
- But I haven't finished eating. - Yeah, well, I've had an idea.
Come on. Come on!
Because if this Bentley really is the best car
they've ever made for doing big miles fast,
there was one more place we needed to test it.
Ascari - the longest racetrack in Spain,
and the perfect place to stretch the Bentley's legs.
OK, let me guess.
You want me to sit here in the passenger seat like a lemon
- while you slide this thing around the track. - You're driving.
- Really? - Yeah.
- What's the catch? - Nothing.
- And what are you going to do? - I'll find something to do.
Don't worry about that. Genuinely. All yours. Enjoy.
You know, that's the thing about Harris.
He can spend ages being a total pain in the ass,
but when it comes right down to it, he's really a good guy.
And the Continental GT really is a blast.
Now, you don't think of Bentleys as track cars,
and in sport mode, it really hides its weight.
Surprisingly nimble.
Quick, too.
But then let's not forget
the whole history of Bentley is intertwined with racing.
Back in the 1920s, Bentley dominated Le Mans.
The racetrack is in its blood.
Yes. Yes, it is.
Whoa! What the hell is that?!
You know how you said that was the best Bentley
for covering distance fast?
Matt, you're wrong,
because this is the best Bentley for going fast,
the Speed 8.
In 2003, Bentley won the Le Mans 24 hours...
..covering over 3,000 miles in one day.
So for covering big distances fast, this,
this is the ultimate Bentley.
OK, hotshot. How about a race, then?
One lap of the track.
Me in this, against you in that.
I'm sorry, you in your road car,
you want to take on this pedigree racing machine?
Only one rule.
That's a Le Mans car, right?
So we do a Le Mans start.
Bring it on!
- Three... - Yeah. - ..two, one. Go!
You move really well for an older guy.
Easy. Jump in, click, go.
Ho-ho! OK.
He's probably still getting his fat butt in the thing.
Come on!
Apex here. Come on, get in there, baby.
Bite, bite, bite.
The GT was building a lead.
But all too soon...
..the Speed 8 was in the chase.
Come on, Le Mans.
We're going to catch him!
Chris was only 18 seconds behind.
Come on, baby. Go, go, go.
I do love a racing car.
It goes 97mph in first gear.
600 horsepower.
I can handle a bit of this.
Where is he? Where is he? Where is he?
Come on, Le Mans-winning Bentley.
Over halfway through the lap, the GT was flying.
But the Speed 8 was reeling us in.
Shoot, there he is. Go, go, go, go, go.
Where is he? There he is!
Come on, LeBlanc. You can do this. You can do it!
But with Chris pushing harder and harder to catch us...
Right there. Jeez.
..the damp track was giving the Speed 8 trouble.
These tyres are so cold, I've got no traction at all.
Bloody terrifying!
All right, come on, come on.
Whoa!
No way I'm going to catch him.
We got this.
Woohoo!
Now, I think - I think - they call that a win.
Fair play.
He and that new car were too quick.
The Continental GT,
the best Bentley...
..ever.
Come on.
Good car.
Yeah, that was a great trip.
This new Bentley, this is seriously one fast car.
I mean, faster than the Le Mans-winning Bentley.
- Well, not exactly. - Really? - Yeah.
I definitely remember seeing you in the rear-view mirror,
- not out the front. - We've been through this, OK?
Slick tyres, wet track, the track temperature
- was just above freezing - impossible to get any heat into them. -
And secondly, the Le Mans start.
Cost me 18 seconds doing the harness up,
and even then, a couple more corners, I'd have had you.
Yeah. yeah, I have to say, you were wringing that thing's neck,
- seriously, great driving. - Thank you.
Yeah, if only we could teach you to do up your seat belt,
you would be the total package.
Rory?
OK, let's talk hot hatches,
because things are kicking off right now.
Mercedes A45, Ford Focus RS, Honda Civic Type R -
serious machines.
And now it's the turn of Renault
to unleash their new big-dog hot hatch.
And that is a big deal,
because Renault, well, they've got form.
Yes. Renault's hot hatchback catalogue...
..is tidy.
For starters, there's this - the Renault 5 Turbo.
Genuine legend, this thing.
Based on a Group B rally car, engine in the middle,
properly lairy.
This is an old-school turbo. Ha-ha!
You never know when it's going to come on song and spit you out.
Then they did the Clio Williams.
Yep, as in Williams, the F1 team.
Gold wheels, gold-star hot hatch.
And this is the Clio V6...
..another mid-engine monster.
Lethal in the wet.
There are more of these in hedges than there are on driveways.
Love it!
And of course there is the legendary Megane R26.R.
Bendy windows, race harnesses,
lapped the Nurburgring faster than
any front-wheel-drive road car before it.
That is quite a bloodline.
When it comes to properly exciting hot hatches,
Renault wrote the book,
so their latest chapter is going to be pretty special.
Isn't it?
Um, well...
Not really, because it's all a bit sort of nothingy, isn't it?
I mean, where are the wings?
Where are the pointy bits?
This is supposed to be Renault's hottest hatch ever,
and yet it kind of looks like it was designed by a grown-up.
And that's a worry, because to do battle
with all the crazy performance hot hatches flying around today,
Renault needs a comic book superhero of a car.
And then you get going.
And while its 1.8-litre four-cylinder turbo
is Renault's most powerful engine yet,
it only makes 277 horsepower.
That's 40 less than a Honda Civic Type R.
The Mercedes A45 makes 100 more.
100!
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that it's slow -
it'll do 0 to 60 in under six seconds.
But the fastest hot hatches out there nowadays,
they'll do it in under five.
Same story in here, really.
The steering wheel, that's nice, leather, Alcantara,
little red line, decent. But where's my drift mode?
Where's my fancy four-wheel-drive system?
Renault knows how to make a mind-blowing hot hatch,
so how have they fallen so far behind with the new Megane?
Well, they didn't.
Because the thing with this car is,
the old Renault DNA is still there,
it's just below the surface, because it's...
It's DNA.
And the first win for the Renault gene pool is the steering.
Normally that's a job for the front wheels,
but here, the rear wheels do it too.
Not by much, but they do steer.
At low speeds, they can angle 2.7 degrees in the opposite direction
to the front wheels, to make you turn sharper.
And when you go in a bit quicker, they can angle by one degree
in the same direction as the fronts, to help stability.
One degree.
Yes, that may be a small amount, but it makes... a big difference.
It's so agile, it's so quick on the turning.
It might look placid, this car, but you know what?
It's got bite.
Like a badger.
What doesn't bite is the suspension...
..which uses hydraulic bump stops,
borrowed from the world of rallying.
In technical terms, it's kind of a damper
inside a damper.
In nontechnical terms, well,
it means you can wang along a bumpy road like this...
Ha-ha!
..without the front suspension smashing through the bodywork.
How smooth was that?
Honestly, if I was in a Ford Focus RS, I would have no teeth by now.
What we have here is a serious, clever little hot hatch.
And the deeper you delve into it, the more cleverness you will find.
Take that rear diffuser.
The reason the car doesn't have massive wings on the outside
is because it generates enough downforce on its own,
while the engine takes expertise from Renault's Formula 1 squad.
Cylinder linings are polished to a mirror finish
and then sprayed...
..with plasma.
I don't know why, or what that achieves,
but, you know, plasma!
And get this - sensors all around the car
can tell you about steering angle and G-force and stuff.
But the coolest bit is that you'll be able
to hook your phone up, record your driving,
and the car will add all that data as graphics,
so it looks like you're in some sort of live video game.
Social media are going to love that.
As will the accident investigating officer.
So the Megane RS is a car for the driver
who really cares about driving.
And who really cares about value for money.
It costs 28 grand, which is actually pretty reasonable
by hot hatch standards.
And let's be honest, it's not really 28 grand, is it?
Because if you buy it on finance, which nearly everyone will,
then it's going to be more like £300 a month,
which sounds a whole lot better.
Point is, the Megane is a smart choice.
Sure, it might look a little plain
alongside Renault's bag-of-frogs back catalogue,
but this is a different sort of hot hatch.
This is a hot hatch for the guy who loved lairy hot hatches
in the '90s, but who's grown up, had kids
and needs something a bit more practical.
This is a hot hatch for...
..me.
Which means I should love this car.
But I just don't quite.
This is a good car, a really good car.
But for a hot hatch, it's just a bit... grown-up.
Thankfully, I have the answer.
Jump Around by House of Pain
Check it out - Reid's patented adaptable body kit.
Environmentally friendly, fits almost any car.
Now it's a proper hot hatch.
- Slow clap. - Slow clap, no...
The old cardboard spoiler, mate, not one of your best ideas.
I don't know! I think it looked fantastic.
You know, while it stayed on.
- You agree? - No.
But the Megane, OK, what you're saying is,
you don't like it because it's too well-suited to your lifestyle?!
Well, exactly.
I can think of loads of things that are a good idea,
like, I don't know, a pension or going to the dentist
or kale smoothies.
OK? Good ideas aren't always fun.
What's not fun about a competently engineered hot hatch?
When you buy a hot hatch,
you buy it because you want to show off a bit.
These guys will back me up on this, OK?
And who wants to go to the pub to discuss hydraulic bump stops?
Me.
And that is why
we don't invite you to the pub.
Look, what I'm saying is,
I don't want a car that reminds me that I'm not 21 any more.
You're not even 31, Rory, you're nearly 40.
And is there anything about my outfit
that suggests I've embraced that?
That's a good point, Zippy.
Matt.
OK, now it's time to put a star in our reasonably fast car.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the sofa
the multi-Grammy-winning Gregory Porter!
How are you doing? How are you, buddy?
- Good to see you. - Hello.
- All right, take a seat. - All right.
All right, well... Welcome to Britain,
though you're pretty much an honorary Brit, right?
Yeah, I'm here all the time.
Yeah, you played for the Prime Minister, the Queen.
Yeah, both of those very fine ladies, yes.
Yeah, OK, so tell me, who was a better audience?
Um, the Queen is pretty... That's pretty dope.
I mean, that's pretty amazing, you know? Yeah, you know...
- How often's the... - She did the...
How often's the Queen referred to as dope?
You spend a lot of time over here. Do you do much driving over here?
I did drive for about an hour in central London and I got about...
I got about three blocks
before I said, you know, "I'm through with this."
But didn't you... You lived in New York for a long time.
I lived in New York for 13 years, but...
Isn't that worse than driving here?
It is, especially in Brooklyn.
Because there are... There's traffic rules
and then there's Brooklyn rules. OK.
You know, Brooklyn rules is like,
you have to take off BEFORE it turns green,
and if you don't, you will get yelled and cussed at.
And cars have the right of way, you know, they...
Yeah, yeah, that's true.
If you're walking across the street, you're fair game.
That's true, yeah.
So be careful in Brooklyn.
So we had Professor Green on not too long ago,
and he said he writes a lot of his songs
while he's in the car. Do you do that, too?
I've written many of my songs while I'm driving.
And it's something about the motion,
something about seeing people pass me by,
and I don't know their story, but I'll give them a story.
Like, I pass by a couple, a man and a woman,
they may be in an argument, and I was like,
"This is our last moment together, and this..." You know...
- That's beautiful. - It is.
I mean, they were probably fighting about he left the seat up.
And then he says, "That's our last moment together."
Yeah, yeah, yeah, so the song is...
♪ Move along now, people
♪ There is nothing here to see
♪ It's just me and my lady
♪ Having our last memory... ♪
You know, that's the way the song goes, but... Don't stop.
But that's not till... That's not until the next record.
Now, your new record is inspired by
the legend Nat King Cole, is that true?
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
I came to Nat's music when I was a young man,
six or seven.
And just his style, his image, um, and his voice
was something I needed at the time. In the absence of my father
hearing these words - pick yourself up, dust yourself off,
start all over again, smile though your heart is aching,
the greatest thing you will ever learn
is just to love and be loved in return -
- this is fatherly advice, in a way. - Yeah. - So Nat has been, like,
a great inspiration for me just over the years.
I think of a song that I wrote for my son, Don't Lose Your Steam -
that's probably my own alliteration
of pick yourself up, dust yourself off,
start all over again, you know... OK.
Don't quit, don't give up, keep going.
Nat King Cole fact. 1950s, he owned the concession
to sell the Messerschmitt mini car in California.
Did you know that? Bet you never knew that.
This is something I didn't know, and I, like, I pride myself on,
like, really knowing a lot about Nat.
This, I didn't know. Now I've got to get me a Messerschmitt, you know.
- Chris is amazing, he knows all kinds of stupid - BLEEP.
All right, let's take a look at your tribute to Nat King Cole.
♪ Light up your face with gladness
♪ Hide every trace of sadness
♪ Although a tear
♪ May be ever so near
♪ That's the time you must keep on trying
♪ Smile, what's the use of crying?
♪ You'll find that life is still worthwhile
♪ If you just smile... ♪
Thank you.
- I want to watch the whole thing - that was great. - Thank you, man.
That was great. Yeah. You know it's funny,
you said something a second ago about, you know,
being inspired by Nat King Cole and that you wrote that for your son,
and it's kind of like,
is that how you discipline your kids, through music?
Do you sing to them?
Because you're a big, scary-looking guy.
Do you find they take it better if you sing it to them?
You know it's funny, last night, um, you know,
I'm talking to my son on Skype, and he didn't want to go to bed.
And you know, the way my wife puts, you know,
a little fear into my son
is to turn on one of my records sometimes, and you know...
Right, you know, so if it's...
♪ Sitting on the top of the roof... ♪
You know, he hears that and he's like, you know, "Is Daddy home?"
Like, "No..."
"Get into bed, boy," you know? Yeah.
OK, let's take a look at your training lap with Chris out there.
How did it go with him?
We had a great time out there.
I mean, there is more than driving going on,
I mean, you're conquering your fears,
and your desires for safety you're throwing out the window.
And you know, all of this is happening and...
So we had a great time, it was a party, really.
Well, let's take a look.
Gregory, it's an honour to have you here down at the track
- and you brought sunshine with you. - Yes, we have a lovely day here.
Daisies, buttercups, the odd dandelion as well.
- You like a dandelion? - I love a dandelion. Dandelion greens.
Now, we are in the automatic version of Toyota's GT86,
which I think is a very pragmatic decision from you.
Rather than waste time trying to learn the stick
and the right-hand-drive thing, let's just get on and go fast.
You know, I am a bit of a smooth operator,
you know, and I like to keep it smooth, so yeah.
Let's stick it in D.
Has anyone ever said that to you?
I'm not touching that.
You tell me you're a leisure driver, but I hate to break it to you -
my job is to extract performance from you, Gregory.
Yeah, well, listen to that engine, baby,
this is no leisure going on right now.
Come on, come on, come on!
- At the 150, we're going to brake. - OK, we are braking a little bit.
Going to go out towards the 50 board.
- Follow it to the arrow, and remember what I said to you? - Yeah, hit it.
Go quick around this left, let's feel a bit more, feel a bit more.
- That's good! - It's so deceptive over here.
That... that... that's...
- It's very difficult to see the horizon point, isn't it? - It is.
OK, round to the left, Chicago, right-hand side.
- Go on, give it some gas, give it some gas, give it some gas.
- Let's do it, unh! Here we go, here we go. - Give it some...
- What was that noise? - Here we go! - What was that noise?
Yes!
Can you make some of those soulful noises?
- Unh! Ha-ha! Hey-hey! - That's it, that's good.
This is mine, this is mine, mine, Hammerhead.
- You are owning Hammerhead. - Here we go, here we go!
- Now through between the tyres... - Yeah. - ..and the grass.
This is the tyre wall.
Woo! Yes, to the left.
Brake at the 50, brake at the 50, brake, brake, brake.
Harder brake, harder brake, harder brake.
Brake, brake, left now, left now.
We could be off.
You said you wanted some grass!
I give you grass.
Over the line.
- Woo! - And let's stop there.
That was good!
Enjoy?
You are... you are... You are a dark horse,
because you've come along, Mr Soulful,
"I'm just going to palm it round."
But you know the lap, and you're driving well.
Yeah, yeah, feels good, feels good.
I could do this... I could do this for a career, actually.
- I think you could. - You know, this music thing is,
you know - when it starts to wind down, watch out.
Before we go any further, come on, the crash helmet.
The guys in production did you a special crash helmet...
- Yeah! - ..with the signature look.
I'm not sure it passes any of the FIA standards,
but it's a lovely touch. It looks great.
Yeah, yeah, that was a lot of fun.
And you guys are about having fun here,
as well as, you know...
And I probably won't drive the same any more.
I'll be like, you know...
You'll be the quick guy in the neighbourhood now.
All right, let's talk car history.
What was your first car?
My first car was a '67 Galaxie 500.
Had a nice 390 in it...
You know, the first car you learn how to drive in...
You know, I was going to school at San Diego State,
and I was driving back and forth, you know, four-hour drive,
going to see my mom almost every other weekend.
And, you know, that was my horse, you know?
And you have a relationship
with the horse that takes you home, you know?
There's a big car theme going on here, isn't there?
Yeah, there is.
One of my favourite cars that I had was the '68 Lincoln Continental.
- You had one of those? - Which is one of the longest cars.
- Look at that. - And the back doors were suicide.
- Suicide doors. - Yeah.
And I would park near the ocean.
When I was in college, I would park near the ocean
and open the doors and roll the front seats all the way up
and, basically, the back seat was essentially just a couch.
And I would just dream,
dream about stuff like this, stuff like today.
And, you know, so now it's a dream come true.
But, yeah, I loved that car.
That's a big car, you like big cars.
And speaking of big cars, we've got a photo here
with a couple of big cars in them. What's going on here?
Yeah, I was like a Rolls-Royce ambassador for a few months
and we actually did a performance at the factory here in the UK
and it was really amazing to walk the assembly line.
I mean, things that you don't think that you will ever do,
this was kind of one of them.
When you look at the sticker price of a Rolls-Royce,
you think they're expensive, then you see them being built
- and they suddenly look like good value, don't they? - Right, right.
There's a sweet old lady stitching the leather on the steering wheels.
It was really, really extraordinary.
So what is your dream car?
Um...
You know, the Bentley...
Er...
The Bentley Mulsanne, is, um... Yeah, it's a beautiful car,
and I've had some opportunities to ride in one.
- Yeah, it's great. - Cool.
- Well, I'm sure Rolls-Royce will be happy to hear all about that. - Yeah.
OK, I think it's time we take a look at your timed lap.
You're funny, man.
After you finished with Chris, you went out there on your own
- and... what happened? - Um...
Well, I had an exciting time.
It ain't no fun unless you experience the spin, baby.
You've got to know where the limit is.
- Right, you have got to know where the limit is. - Look at this. - Push.
Whoo!
- It made the best noise. - Yeah.
We all heard it, we heard it and it started and it didn't end.
We were all going, "What was...?"
That's what I kept saying.
I was like, "When is this bad boy going to stop?" And it didn't.
And how did it go when you actually got a timed lap in?
- How do you think it went? - I think it went pretty good.
I felt like I was pushing it, I felt like I was, you know...
..owning Chicago and owning, you know, Hammerhead.
I felt like... I felt pretty good for a second.
- Well, let's take a look. - Yeah, we'll see.
All right, pedal to the metal.
Nice and smooth off the line - automatic, so you should be, really.
About to come down hard on these brakes right...
..now.
The line looks good,
- the speed looks good. - Yeah.
Using most of the circuit as well.
This is tricky, you've got to get the car turned into Chicago
and brake hard.
Keeping it real this time.
OK, here we go.
But, again, letting the car run wide, using all the circuit.
Listen to that little 2-litre four-cylinder motor sing.
Loving this straightaway. The straightaways are nice and easy.
Why do you say "straightaway"? It's a straight!
Braking hard into Hammerhead.
Flick left right - that challenges the car massively.
I think that looks like another good line.
Yeah, baby!
Give me what I want!
It's out of control but it's in control, you know?
This is where we had to push you harder through this right-hander,
- through the Follow-Through. Again, that looks fast. - Yeah.
Through the tyre wall, the scene of your spin.
A little bit of brake light.
Slightly mad but stay controlled, there you go.
Second to last, now this is very difficult to spot, isn't it?
- That's good over the inside. -!
Through Gambon, towards the line.
What are we going to see here, some theatrics?
I reckon that's neat and tidy. That looked like a fast lap.
Did pretty... That looked tight.
I'm not mad about it.
That looked pretty tight.
I don't know, I don't know.
I think I did all right. I don't know.
All right, there's the leader board. Where would you like to be?
You know, as long as I am above Tinie Tempah, I think I'll be OK.
Cos, you know, I'm a jazz cat, sometimes they think
the jazz cats are a little too cool, but...
He had a wet time, so he's down there cos it was raining.
- It was a rain time. - Don't give him excuses.
Excuses, excuses. Yeah.
All right.
Gregory Porter, you went around our humble little track
in one minute...
..40...
..three... AUDIENCE: Ooh!
Wow.
- ..point 4. - OK!
Fantastic result, mate.
Well done. Look at that.
That's all right.
- That's good. - A great effort.
I feel good about that.
Ladies and gentlemen, Gregory Porter!
Thank you, guys. Thank you.
Thanks for coming. Thanks so much.
- I like that guy. - Yeah. - What a good guy.
All right. Now, there are fast cars and there are FAST cars,
but every now and then one comes along that is so damn fast
that even grisly, seen-it-all-before veterans like Chris Harris
get all giggly and excited.
So, have a look at this.
It's this.
The Porsche 911 GT2 RS.
A £230,000 riot...
..of wings, vents, holes and stripes.
But before you dismiss it as just a 911
that's been driven through Halfords with a magnet strapped to it...
..trust me, this is one of the most exciting cars of the decade.
Woo-hoo-hoo!
700 horsepower from those twin turbos.
0 to 60? 2.7 seconds.
And a top speed of 211.
150, 160, 170...
That's insane.
Just sucks up the world and punches you out the other side!
Wow!
Looks like a 911,
goes like a hyper car.
And you know the really crazy thing about this car?
It's limited to 211 but, if it was left unlimited,
it would do 223mph.
And the only reason it doesn't is that Porsche
would have to develop an entirely new tyre to handle the speed.
Even as it is, though, don't worry -
the GT2 RS still gives its tyres plenty to think about.
Not many cars can do this. Watch this. Into Hammerhead,
a bit of a tweak one way, a bit of a tweak the other.
Get it going in second, grab third... Wait for it.
..grab fourth and it's still sliding!
Whoa-ho-ho!
I've never driven a car that can do that before.
This is the feral, deranged banshee of a car.
This is a new level of hooliganry.
Now, Porsche has made GT2s before,
but they're always a bit of an afterthought.
Take a 911 turbo, remove the front driveshafts,
add some silly wings, hope for the best.
But this one? No, this is properly engineered.
Allow me to explain.
To save weight, the front wings, bonnet, roof and rear spoiler
are all made of carbon fibre.
The wheels are magnesium, the brakes carbon ceramic,
while, underneath the bodywork, the engine features new pistons,
intercoolers, a new intake and...
..a titanium exhaust.
And the result of this forensic overhaul
is the fastest production car ever to lap the Nurburgring.
Yes!
Porsche, yes!
I'd like to say it's a racing car for the road.
But I don't think I've ever driven a racing car
that accelerates like this.
Listen to those gear changes.
This is the best paddle-shift gearbox I've ever driven,
and I'm using the lever in the middle.
Makes me feel like a '90s touring car racer.
Rargh!
And spare a thought for the traction control,
because in a road car this track-focused,
make no mistake, it is a life-saver.
I mean, these buttons, when you turn everything off,
you've got to be really, really careful.
They called the old GT2 RS "The Widow Maker",
but this new one is faster and scarier.
So what does that make it?
The Grim Reaper?
Typically, the producers wanted to find out
and told me to report back for a little test...
..in conditions like this.
And the producers have ordered me
to demonstrate just how scary the GT2 RS is
by using their latest invention,
the Fear-O-Meter 3000.
Which says here is "quantifying pant-based panic
"by measuring the emissions of the driver".
Just demeaning.
Ridiculous.
I was the road test editor of Autocar.
So standard 911 going first to give us a base reading
because this is science. Allegedly.
You just don't want those cables and the crocodile clip...
Traction control off, lairy as possible round Hammerhead.
400 horsepower, rear-wheel drive, let's see what it's like.
I mean, it's just so easy and smooth.
Loads of torque, barely moving the steering wheel.
It feels lovely.
Not much to be scared of there. What have we got here?
87.
Ooh, I don't know what that means.
87...
"Mild puckering".
Seems about right.
Now the GT2 RS.
I won't lie, I'm fairly nervous about this.
Good Lord!
Second gear, second gear.
That's way too lairy, let's try third.
Third's just as bad.
What about fourth?
God...
It's like a wasp with toothache.
Whoa!
And stop, and please stop.
793?!
793...
"Extreme seepage"?
And that, supposedly, is science.
I think a boil wash for the Fear-O-Meter.
A boil wash.
Grim Reaper it is, then.
But here's the thing about the GT2 RS.
Right, now, don't be silly, turn everything back on.
Let it help you and, in these conditions,
it is breathtaking.
Woohoo!
Look at that.
This is now the un-spinnable 700 horsepower 911.
The real hero here is the chassis systems,
the traction control, the stability,
the endless hours that Porsche spent driving round racetracks going,
"Add a bit as assistance there, take that away."
Those are the real heroes of this car
because, without them, I don't think it would be drivable.
What a machine.
This is a flipping triumph, this thing is. It's so clever.
Big turbo-charged super cars were always quite flabby and loose,
they were imprecise.
You needed lots of space around you
to give them room for what they might do.
But not the GT2 RS.
OK, it's intimidating and it's bloody fast
and it will spit you off if you turn all the systems off,
but leave them on...
Well, this thing is so capable.
In fact, it's much more than that.
The GT2 RS is a savage, ferocious machine,
its enormous power tamed by some of the finest engineering
I've ever experienced in a road car.
I think, most of all, it just feels like it's been developed
by a bunch of people who really love driving
and also really know how to drive.
Quite simply, it is nothing short of a masterpiece.
Porsche has always made some of the best sports cars,
but this might just be the greatest fast 911 ever built.
There, I said it.
Come on.
Unreal.
It is not very often that I'll say this,
but I am jealous of you.
That looked absolutely berserk.
I love this car. 700 horsepower?
You know the craziest thing?
All you need is a normal driver's licence.
Yeah, if you're allowed to drive a Smart car,
you're allowed drive this.
That's like... That's like taking a basic first-aid course
and being allowed to do open heart surgery.
Honestly, it's one of the fastest cars I've ever driven.
In fact, it must be one of the fastest cars ever made.
Surely it's right at the top of our leader board.
It's got to be right near the top, if not at the top.
So what do we do?
We send it around our track...
..with the Stig.
700 horsepower, two-wheel-drive 911.
Stiggy looking very calm, using all the track.
Look how flat the thing is.
Over 550 foot-pounds of torque.
Not that heavy, about 1,450 kg.
This has got the Weissach pack,
which has got a titanium rear cage in it.
Look how stable the thing looks -
the 991's got a longer wheelbase and a wider front tractor,
so it has less understeer than older 911s.
It means it can carry speed. That Michelin Cup 2 tyre -
super sticky, about three compounds across it, giving massive grip.
Look at the traction out of here - it'll rocket out of Hammerhead.
Just winding up through the gears.
He's a very happy man in his white suit.
Again, using all the track.
Very calmly tipping it in through Follow-Through.
A lot of aero on this car as well - that wing is not just cosmetic.
My God, oversteer on the exit.
I mean, that was a Code Brown.
Braking hard on the second to last.
Look at the way that it just keys into the tarmac.!
Using all of the track, a little bit of a slide.
Through Gambon. I mean, it looks speeded up. It looks speeded up!
Wow!
I'm excited, come on.
OK.
The lap board. Now, we're not looking anywhere down here -
we're looking way up here at the top.
The McLaren 675 LT, the fastest car ever,
around our track at 1.13.7.
- That's pretty quick. - That's stupid quick.
Can a 911 really beat that?
I don't know, let's find out.
- Shall we find out? Yeah. - Yeah!
OK.
The new Porsche 911 GT2 RS went round in one minute...
..13...
Ooh!
..point 4!
There it is.
We have a new champion.
- That's incredible. - Fantastic. That is incredible, yeah.
That is incredible. I-I'm not sure that's going to be beaten.
Yeah, it'll be a while before something beats that.
And on that record-breaking note, we must end the show.
We'll see you next week. Goodnight.