• 8 months ago
Join us as we revisit those iconic reviews that made us fall in love with Richard Hammond's unique style - a perfect blend of expertise, humour, and pure petrolhead passion!

Whether you're a die-hard fan or just discovering the magic of Richard Hammond, this video is an absolute must-watch. Trust us, you won't want to miss a single moment! So grab your popcorn, settle in, and embark on an unforgettable journey through the automotive world with the one and only Richard Hammond!

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Transcript
00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:09 If you will, to categorize Honda as a car manufacturer,
00:13 what do they specialize in making?
00:14 Look around, and you might think it's small and rather
00:17 faceless family hatchbacks.
00:19 But then again, they do make the Integra and now the Accord
00:21 Type R, both full-on nutter machines.
00:24 But there is a common factor here.
00:26 Honda cars are discreet.
00:28 It's not until you drive the Integra Type R up do you
00:30 realize what it's all about.
00:31 Look at it, and it's just an ordinary hatch with a spoiler
00:33 stuck on the back.
00:35 And then there's the NSX, a car that takes being
00:37 understated to the point of being, well, not very funny at
00:40 all, really.
00:41 Who wants to have a supercar that can outgun a Ferrari but
00:43 looks like a Honda?
00:45 And now it looks as though Honda's new baby is about to
00:48 do to the two-seater roadster market what the NSX did to the
00:51 supercar market.
00:52 Nothing.
00:54 The Honda S2000 isn't about to set anyone's knees a
00:56 trembling on looks alone.
00:58 An MX-5 is cuter, a Porsche Boxster more beautiful, and a
01:01 BMW Z3 more sort of snarly.
01:04 But it does have something.
01:06 The metal looks like fabric stretched tautly over shapes
01:09 defined by this big boxy grill at the front, these slanty
01:12 headlights, and these big bulgy wheel arches.
01:14 It's distinctive but understated.
01:16 Honda, it seems, have taken the concept of the small
01:18 two-seater roadster, and they've got all
01:20 sensible about it.
01:21 They've tried to make it work as a car.
01:23 [MUSIC PLAYING]
01:39 They wanted to keep to a two-liter four-cylinder engine
01:42 because it's light and compact, and thanks to the
01:44 VTEC system, very high revving.
01:46 Also, being so compact, that means Honda could mount it a
01:49 long way back under that hood.
01:51 That means Honda could mount it a long way back under that
01:53 long bonnet at the front.
01:55 And that gives it the 50/50 weight distribution that fans
01:57 of mid-engine supercars will tell you is what driving
02:00 pleasure is all about.
02:02 So we have here a rear-wheel driven, two-seater, open-top
02:06 roadster with a 50/50 weight distribution and an engine
02:09 that will happily rev to 9,000.
02:11 Well, you just know it's got to be fun.
02:15 And then they get really clever by a combination of
02:18 technical virtuosity and, I suspect, voodoo, Honda have
02:21 managed to squeeze an incredible 240 brake
02:24 horsepower out of that two-liter four-cylinder
02:27 engine.
02:28 Come on, chaps.
02:29 That really isn't playing the game.
02:31 I mean, a chap could hurt himself.
02:35 Isn't that rather missing the point, though?
02:36 We should know.
02:37 We're British, and we've been blatting around in little
02:39 two-seaters for decades.
02:41 And we know that they should be cramped and reliable and
02:44 outpaced by large family cars, but always
02:46 beautiful and dashing.
02:48 So what's all this talk of reliability,
02:50 performance, handling?
02:51 Come on, chaps.
02:52 Play the game.
02:53 Mazda may have made their MX-5 indestructible, but it's
02:56 certainly not overpowerful.
02:58 And the Z3 in anything other than M-TEC form is just pure
03:01 pose value.
03:02 Honda then have decided to make their baby two-seater
03:04 work in all departments.
03:06 And then there's the price.
03:10 Well, like anything else, the two-seater roadster has gone
03:12 up in price over the years, from being just a thing for a
03:15 young gadabout to be seen spinning around town, it's
03:18 become a plaything for the fat 50-something corporate
03:20 gladiators to escape in at the weekend.
03:23 At a shade under 28 grand, the S2000 is about 6,000 cheaper
03:27 than your Porsche Boxster, but it outperforms it.
03:32 People regularly spec up their Z3s until they
03:34 cost around this.
03:35 And the only ones cheaper are the Mazda MX-5 and Fiat
03:38 Barchetta, neither of which are even in the same league
03:41 when it comes to performance.
03:43 Perhaps the only disappointment for the S2000 is
03:46 the interior, which, once you get past the racy red leather
03:49 sport seats and the extra deep transmission tunnel, which
03:52 does give the car extra stiffness, it's all a bit
03:54 bland, really.
03:55 Some of the switch gear, though very sturdy, is a little
03:58 on the flaky side, and I'm still not a big fan of the
04:00 digital dash.
04:02 And that exterior, I've come to like it.
04:04 It's taut, purposeful, and stylish, and I'm sorry for
04:06 saying that it wasn't.
04:08 It may take a while to realize it, but I
04:10 think it looks fantastic.
04:12 But it is very comfortable in here.
04:14 And like the rest of the car, it feels very substantial and
04:16 very well put together.
04:17 But it's not for sitting around and gawping at.
04:20 The idea is you're supposed to take it out, drive it, enjoy
04:23 it, drive it quite fast.
04:25 Now, hold on a minute.
04:35 I've found a fault.
04:36 Everything is not rosy after all, and it's this.
04:38 You pull the throttle, and it's all rosy.
04:40 And after all, and it's this.
04:41 You've pulled up to some beauty spot with a lady in
04:43 your life.
04:44 Look out at the view, and the moment arrives, and you lean
04:46 across, darling, I wonder if I might steal a kiss.
04:48 And is it me, or is it raining?
04:50 Oh!
04:51 It's the headlamp washer, the buttons, and you--
04:55 it's not cool.
04:56 Not cool at all.
04:57 Quite embarrassing.
04:59 [MUSIC PLAYING]
05:28 [CAR ENGINE]
05:34 There is passion in the S2000, and it starts here with this
05:37 button.
05:38 It's big, it's red, and as it says, it starts the engine.
05:41 And it's absolute proof that Honda are just a little bit
05:44 proud of what they've done with this car.
05:46 And justifiably so.
05:51 They've taken the concept of the small two-seater roadster
05:53 by the scruff of the neck and shaken it till it's gone.
05:55 And they've produced a car that is tauter, stronger, and
05:58 faster than anything else in the class.
06:00 And it does it all for less than anything else in the
06:03 class.
06:03 It still may not be a cheap toy, but it's a damn good one.
06:07 Oh, go on, Fran.
06:08 No.
06:09 Go on, Fran.
06:10 Get your top off.
06:10 No, I'll get cold.
06:11 It's raining.
06:12 No.
06:12 Get your top off.
06:14 Go on.
06:15 No, you take yours off.
06:16 I can't.
06:17 It's fixed.
06:18 OK.
06:19, I can't.
06:20 It's fixed.
06:21 OK.
06:23 [MUSIC PLAYING]
06:26 [MUSIC PLAYING]
06:29 [MUSIC PLAYING]
06:32 [MUSIC PLAYING]
06:35 [MUSIC PLAYING]
06:38 [music]
06:45 Hello there. There are a few important points about the C1 before you even move, and number
07:14 one is getting it back onto its wheels, and you don't just kick the stand off. Let me
07:18 get this right. I've got to lift this lever here and lift the bike onto its wheels again,
07:23 and then this lever retracts the centre stand. Then there's the matter of your seat belts,
07:29 because it won't actually start until you belt it in, which isn't something I'm used
07:33 to doing on a bike, strapping myself to a giant hula hoop with wheels on. Then, of course,
07:39 because this is the UK and not Europe, you can't actually wear it, although it was designed
07:43 to be worn and ridden without a helmet. You've got to wear a helmet, which is on the floor.
07:54 Well, these are supposed to be all-weather scooters, and this is the weather to test
07:57 them in, so here we go.
08:00 Yeah, well, it's all right for you with your fixed roof, but if you think I'm going out
08:07 and getting wet...
08:24 The BMW is so unlike a scooter, it's hard to imagine it has anything in common with
08:29 any two-wheeled vehicle. It is a seriously strange feeling as soon as you tilt the bike
08:34 into the corner. The extra height in front of your face and the windscreen supports accentuate
08:39 the amount of lean. You feel like you're getting a four-length foot.
08:43 The Franz Adibo is actually far more like a scooter. Basically, it's an ordinary two-wheeler
08:47 with a little extra roof stuck on top. Who'd have thought that for just a few grand you
08:51 get a Mercedes SLK folding roof? Trust Franz to pick the flash one.
09:05 You don't so much park and stop on this thing as come into land. Stand down, drop onto stand,
09:14 and then I've got to unbuckle myself and I've got a quick release button. I don't know if
09:18 you could combine that maybe with an ejector seat.
09:21 Well, the end result is all the bits of me down the middle are quite dry, but everything
09:25 down the outside is a bit soggy. But think about it, who are you kidding? How's a strip
09:29 of plastic that wide going to keep you completely dry unless the rain's coming perfectly head
09:33 on or perfectly from above?
09:35 So whilst on the move, I've had a bit of time to look around and I've found even more gizmos.
09:39 Apart from the fact that the build quality in here is excellent, as I suppose you'd expect
09:43 from something like BMW, I found a mobile phone holder, I found an interior light, and
09:48 I've even found a sunroof, which is unbelievable. I've no idea why.
10:01 So the Adiva is basically a scooter with a roof. It has no elaborate stands like the
10:06 C1 and it has no radical interior light or seatbelts or roll bars. It does have slightly
10:12 better weather protection and space for a stereo, so I can sing along on my travels.
10:19 Useful, I'm sure. Thing is, at about 3,200 quid, I can kind of see the point of the Adiva
10:24 as a scooter with a bit of extra weather protection.
10:26 But for 4,000 pounds for the C1, that's a hell of a lot of money for a scooter.
10:30 And no matter how radical it may be, that is still ultimately just what it is at heart,
10:35 a scooter.
10:36 There's no point in denying it. The coupe sector is the fashion end of the car industry.
10:40 It's the shiny plastic handbag sector. It's the place where beauty is more than skid deep.
10:45 It's an entire reason for being. And it's a place where we buy cars not for their performance
10:49 or their ability, but for the way they look. It's a beauty parade.
10:54 It's a complicated business. If you've got around 20,000 to 25,000 pounds burning a hole
10:58 in the pocket of your jeans and you're looking for a car. If it's outright performance you
11:03 want, then you're likely to be looking at something like Subarus Impreza or the Mitsubishi
11:07 Evo. If you want sports car thrills, then there are loads of little rear wheel drive
11:11 roadsters like the Mazda MX-5 or for a little more, Honda's new S2000.
11:17 But no, you want a car that's a little more familiar, that echoes perhaps a more sensible
11:21 choice, but still stands out in the company car park. Though not too much, because it
11:25 doesn't want to upset the bosses. In fact, what you want is a car that your fleet manager
11:28 is going to let you have. Enter the BMW 3 Series Coupe.
11:36 The two six cylinder versions are first to be available, the 323 and the 328. The 318
11:43 with four cylinders is available in the autumn. The 323 confusingly has a 2.5 litre straight
11:58 six, this, the 328, has a 2.8 litre straight six. Classic BMW engine, huge bucket loads
12:04 of torque and a glorious straight six bellow to accompany it. The driving position is neutral,
12:09 you feel very much in command with all the controls exactly where they should be. A couple
12:14 of criticisms, both to do with the steering though, it's very precise and very direct
12:18 and quite communicative as you'd expect from a BMW. But, it could do, I think, with a quicker
12:23 rack. You do have to put in an awful lot to get a response. And this wheel is enormous,
12:28 it's like driving a tractor. It could do with something a little bit smaller just to make
12:32 it feel like it's a little more eager to turn in. At the moment it just follows the corners
12:36 rounds rather than turns into the bends with vigour. And then it has a whole barrage of
12:42 technological wizardry to help you avoid throwing the thing at the scenery. There's ASC plus
12:47 T, ABS, SSC, the list goes on and on. Basically we're talking traction control and probably
12:51 one of the most advanced traction control systems on the market today. Bearing in mind
12:56 this is a rear wheel drive car with quite a lot of power, you could get into a little
12:59 bit of trouble. And to illustrate the point of just how effective that traction control
13:04 system is, try turning it off and then being a little over enthusiastic with the right
13:08 boot and you soon find things get a little bit naughty. There is a certain irony to this.
13:22 The BMW 3 Series Coupe is, in its own right, a very good car. And it doesn't share a single
13:26 body panel with its sister, the 3 Series Saloon version. And yet despite the enormous expense
13:32 and amount of engineering involved in achieving that, it's been designed to look, well, pretty
13:36 much like the 3 Series Saloon really. In fact it's longer, lower and wider than the Saloon
13:41 and than the previous Coupe. And it does have the same steeply raked front and rear windscreens
13:45 that kind of define it as a coupe shape. But it is all very elegant and very understated.
13:52 And the same can be said for the interior, where it's equally elegant and understated.
13:55 But it's equally ironic that a car so often bought by the terminally brash should boast
14:00 one of the most understated interiors on the market. Slide into the cockpit of any modern
14:05 BMW, in fact, and you enter an environment designed to make you comfortable with maximum
14:10 efficiency. Everything in the right place and everything built to last. Mind you, it's
14:15 never going to win any prizes for being the most interesting place on earth to be. Standard
14:22 equipment though is pretty good for the 3 Series Coupe. We've got electric seats on
14:25 everything, air conditioning, safety has been given a high priority with six airbags in
14:30 here, ABS and a sophisticated traction control system. And plenty of goodies in the cabin
14:35 to play around with as well, including electric windows front and rear. And it's little touches
14:39 like this that can make all the difference. The 3 Series Coupe accounts for a quarter
14:54 of all UK sales in its sector, and that's a level of success you can't argue with.
14:59 BMW must be getting something right with this car. And apart from the build quality and
15:04 image, that probably starts with the combination of rear wheel drive and strong engines. The
15:09 straight six units are a real peach, and the 328 is a very fast peach. Indeed, strong and
15:14 tractable with plenty of power right through the rev range. It really is a joy to drive
15:19 and feed the power through into those rear wheels. You would expect the 3 Series Coupe
15:24 to be something of a special drive, and it doesn't disappoint. What we found was that
15:29 our customers actually ordered lots of options on Coupe, much more so than the saloon variant.
15:34 And so what we thought we would do with this one is give them what they actually wanted
15:38 in the first place. But actually, in overall terms, when you take account of the additional
15:42 specification, the car is actually better value than the old one. We came in in '92
15:47 with the previous car, and it was the first proper Coupe that we had built. And immediately,
15:52 the market expanded, and a lot of competitors have now followed us into that sector. So
15:58 it's gone from around 16,000 units a year up to 35,000 units a year, and we have 25%
16:03 of that market. So we've actually, as you rightly say, have a fair stronghold on that
16:09 market. And the principal reason we believe for that is that this Coupe, perhaps even
16:15 more so than its predecessor, is a very, very good mixture of style, because style is important
16:20 in Coupes. It has to look good, but also it's practical. BMW's philosophy has never been
16:26 to be wild with its cars. It's an evolutionary styling, just as the saloon is. And I think
16:33 that's really because we've found a style which our customers like, a family style.
16:40 And if we were to change that, actually we risk alienating a lot of our customers. The
16:44 feedback we get from our customers is they like it. It's identifiable as a BMW. It's
16:49 not an extreme car. You can park it, and people are not sort of gawking at it all the time,
16:54 and perhaps making the occupants feel embarrassed. But it's a nice mixture between restrained
16:59 style and, as I've said before, practicality. The new 3 Series Coupe will sell, and probably
17:06 in enormous numbers. But when you think about it, for all the wrong reasons, for its pretty
17:10 face, for its BMW badge. But if it looked like an old allotment shed and was labelled
17:15 the lumpy doodah Coupe, it would still be worth a look. Its sheer ability would overcome
17:19 such disadvantages. Sure, it might be in the fashion end of the motor industry, but to
17:24 use a fashion statement, BMW would tell you that their design is a timeless classic. And
17:29 you know, I don't think they'd be that far wrong.
17:36 Jimny. Jimny Cricket. Wasn't that the name of some squeaky voiced critter in a schmaltzy
17:56 Walt Disney thing? I don't know. Anyway, in this context, Jimny is the name of Suzuki's
18:01 even tiny off-roader. Also a squeaky voiced wee critter. That's unfair, really. I mean,
18:06 a 16 valve, 1.3 litre little engine is hardly likely to sound fruity and deep-chested, is
18:11 it? At least it manages to chirp out about a 79bhp, which isn't bad, especially in a
18:16 car weighing no more than a packet of fags. Trouble is, it's not much bigger than a packet
18:21 of fags, either. Small is definitely what it's about here. And once you've got over
18:25 it, well, it's not too bad. Some people buy their 4x4s for the commanding driving position,
18:30 others for the sheer bulk, the sheer presence of them. Well, when I say others, I mean men
18:34 who were bullied at school and neurotic women who seemed to confuse the school run with
18:37 Vietnam. But this is not one of those 4x4s. This doesn't so much loom up menacingly behind
18:44 in your rearview mirror when you're sat in traffic as it sneaks up, taps you on the shoulder
18:48 and says, "Excuse me," in a squeaky little voice. It certainly isn't a frightening vehicle.
18:52 In fact, if you were to look in your rearview mirror, you might just catch a view of the
18:55 top of the head of the person driving it, and that's about it, unless you're going to
18:58 work on a go-kart, of course. Really, to get into this thing, you've got to be smiling
19:02 before you even climb on board, smiling before you drive it. And the fact that it looks so
19:06 friendly helps there. So does this. I learned this trick in a car park yesterday. Boom!
19:13 Unusually, I'm going to tell you the price of this car early on, and that's because I
19:16 reckon it's essential when you're assessing it as a purchase. And the reason is all Suzuki
19:21 Jimneys come as standard with power-assisted steering, electric front windows, electric
19:26 door mirrors, twin airbags, side impact bars. In fact, there's hardly anything you can really
19:30 buy and spend your money on to add on to this as an optional extra. And so the price for
19:34 these things, well, that's the really good news. For the manual gearbox version, it's
19:38 £9,995 on the road. And for this, the automatic, £10,870. Now, that's super mini territory.
19:45 So, comparing this with its competition, what can the super minis do that it can't?
20:10 Well, you might say parking. In fact, it's a cinch in this. The turning circle is amazing.
20:15 Driving is usually a good point in the super minis, just as it is in this. In fact, it's
20:18 immense fun. Agreed, it does roll a little bit when it corners, and I can't say that
20:23 I forgot entirely those disastrous toppling incidents of some of the earlier Suzuki Jeeps.
20:27 But actually, they've sorted this so that the rear end will come round, and it's far
20:31 more likely to swap ends before ever it'll roll over, which I'm sure is a kind of comfort
20:37 somewhere. Super minis are also economical, of course. Well, you can expect this to return
20:41 over 34 miles per gallon average. 1.3 16 valve, you'd expect it to be pretty good for that.
20:46 So, in fact, there's very little boot space. Perfectly reasonable. It's small, but then
20:49 it's a small car, and even car makers have to obey the laws of physics. Looking at it
20:55 another way, then, what can this do that the super minis can't? Well, I'll tell you. We've
20:59 got a lever down here, and it can do this. We're just changing to four-wheel drive. It's
21:04 even got a low transfer box, so if the going gets really bumpy, your little Suzuki Jimny
21:10 can keep going. Now, you do that in a super mini. I don't think so. I don't imagine it's
21:16 going to pose a real threat to Land Rovers, Land Cruisers, and four-tracks, but remember,
21:21 Suzuki have been making mini-leisure 4x4s now for 30 years, with the SJ, Samurai, and
21:25 Vitara to their name, so they should have got the hang of it by now. David Hull is a
21:29 stable manager and uses a variety of vehicles in his day-to-day work. Right, I'm the stable
21:34 manager here. I do the day-to-day running of the yard, care of the horses. I usually
21:39 use a quad bike for most of my daily chores. I don't use anything as grand as this, but
21:44 on the other hand, I quite often use a Range Rover, tow a horse box to go to shows. It's
21:50 not a bad little toy, really. It's not going to pull many huge loads, but it's not a bad
21:58 little toy. You know the good thing about this little baby? It's got plenty of legroom.
22:03 I'm six foot, and I've got plenty of stretchy room here. Well, it might be a bit of a lightweight,
22:08 and it might have somewhat excessive noise at motorway speeds, but it feels well put
22:12 together. Most of it's made from galvanised steel, so it should last forever anyway. If
22:16 you're looking for a budget 4x4 for ten grand, you might want to consider buying second-hand
22:21 and getting something perhaps a little more substantial, but if you're in the market for
22:25 a second car or just for a small car that's got ample room in the back, that looks a little
22:29 bit different, and that also means come the winter snows, you certainly will not be stuck,
22:34 then I'd say this has got to be on your list. I know it would be on mine.
22:39 Isn't it gorgeous? Just look at it. Brand new today. The way the circle is just round
22:54 and the points, they meet the edges perfectly there. It's even got a little stick here,
22:59 it kind of wobbles on its little stick. It's just beautiful. Oh, and you get one of these
23:04 as well. Car. It is in fact the new Mercedes C-Class, and where is its bigger brother,
23:12 the S-Class, which this does look suspiciously like, is more likely to find itself living
23:17 in a place with a drive, well, rather like this one. The C-Class is one strictly for
23:22 suburbia. Traditionally, Mercedes have not been aimed at the likes of me. I get bored
23:40 of anything within six months, cars, three months. Mercedes are traditionally aimed at
23:45 people who keep them for millennia. In fact, Mercedes are delighted to say that they've
23:49 got about 3,000 orders already taken for this car before it goes on sale and before the
23:54 people who are buying it have even seen it. That's because they've always bought Mercedes
23:59 and they always will buy Mercedes, whatever they like. You could put Mercedes on your
24:04 old coat cap and sell it. Now, I know it's still the budget end of the Mercedes range,
24:13 but there is something very comforting about knowing that you're sitting in a car that
24:17 is no bigger than a Mondeo and actually needn't cost that much more than a top-end one, but
24:21 it's better built than your house and will probably be around a lot longer. It's actually
24:32 longer than the previous C-Class, but because of its shape, it looks smaller, more compact,
24:36 and that is translated in the drive. Whilst not exactly feeling tiny, it does feel a lot
24:40 more nimble than the outgoing one. And it is a vaguely sporting experience. I say vaguely
24:46 because, well, don't expect it to romp away madly. Easy choice of engines. This is the
24:50 200, which means it gets a two-litre with a supercharger and about 163 brake horsepower.
24:56 That translates, if you're interested in figures, to 0-60 in 9.3 seconds, which is quite respectable.
25:02 The 180 has a two-litre engine, and then it all gets a bit confusing because there's a
25:07 2.6 in the 230, the 3.2-litre V6 in the 320. Who cares? You're not going to remember them
25:15 anyway. This is the kind of mid-range, probably one of the better sellers, and it does feel
25:19 pretty strong, but it is still a Mercedes, so SIR and MODERN are asked to restrain from
25:23 anything that's too verging on the hooliganery. Steering and suspension have been completely
25:31 revised. The old one on Mercedes used to be recirculating ball, something that I would
25:36 have thought put you in hospital, but apparently it steers your car. It's now rack and pinion,
25:40 which is much better. The newly revised suspension is, well, it's definitely on the firm side
25:45 of yielding, shall we say, but that adds to the kind of sporty feeling. And whilst we're
25:49 on the subject of things firm, the seats, typical Mercedes, you settle down and think,
25:55 ooh, that's a bit hard, but actually, if you're on a longer journey, you will find they do
25:59 start to adapt to the shape of, well, your bum, and make the whole thing a bit more comfortable
26:04 for a longer trip. Another refreshing change comes in the fact that standard specification
26:15 will be slightly higher than has been traditional with older Mercedes, where even wheel nuts
26:19 would have cost you extra. You'll even find a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, or
26:24 you can opt for the five-speed automatic that we've got in our test car, which is, well,
26:29 a little on the slushy side. Mercedes say, though, that they've answered critics of their
26:32 previous manual gearboxes, and their six-speeder is a lot sharper. That coupe-esque silhouette
26:38 has another advantage. Apart from looking good, it does mean that it doesn't create
26:41 as much drag, which, of course, in turn, brings benefits in fuel consumption. Mercedes, in
26:49 making their changes for the new C-Class, have dumped the old round dials, and we've
26:52 got this kind of half-moon affair with a needle that cranks its way around the speedo set
26:57 firmly in the middle. You wouldn't want to know about anything as vulgar as revs, after
27:01 all, and I'm not sure. I don't like it. I prefer round dials, but that's just me. This
27:07 is a crucial car for Mercedes. It's their big seller. They expect to sell thousands
27:11 upon thousands of these. There's no word from Mercedes yet on prices, but expect it to be
27:17 competitive. They're keeping quiet as of now, I suspect, because they don't want BMW to
27:21 turn around and knock a couple of hundred quid off every model and claim to be cheaper.
27:30 It will sell, no doubt about it. Just the three-pointed star on the front would see
27:33 to that, but the difference is this is a C-Class that you might just find desirable and not
27:38 just the tweedy set. Whereas the old one was very much a hyacinth bouquet to BMW's slinky
27:43 Claudia Schiffer 3 Series, this new C-Class hits back with a naughty little Anna Korner
27:48 Cova. It looks a lot better and is a lot faster too. Watch out, BMW. The Toyota Land Cruiser
28:09 is the biggest version of the Land Cruiser, and it's so big that if you get in at one
28:29 end and get out at the other, you'll be in a different time zone. It's enormous. Driving
28:34 an Amazon anywhere is kind of a unique experience. Just the height, the width, the size, the
28:38 weight of the thing. You really do find yourself looming over other road goers. Even big wagons
28:44 don't seem quite so threatening when they come powering the other way, kicking up snow,
28:48 because I'm in something that weighs very nearly as much as them. To mark the 50th anniversary
28:57 of Land Cruiser, they've produced a special edition version of the Amazon, and this is
29:01 it. You get a few extra bits of kit. You get a fantastic DVD navigation system, nice shiny
29:06 alloy wheels, some super luxurious, sleek and finished leather. They're only going to
29:10 be bringing 50 of them into the UK, which is quite apt, and also apt, it costs the best
29:14 part of 50 grand, 47,000 to be precise, which is a heck of a lot of cash for an off-roader,
29:20 but you've really got to think of it as a very highly specified luxury car that you
29:23 can climb mountains in, if you want to. The Swedish have a fantastic approach to driving
29:32 on snow, and it goes something like this. "Snoo, what snoo?" They just take no notice.
29:37 About 120 kilometres an hour, you can see this far. It's mad. But I guess if for four
29:43 or five months of the year, your entire world looks like a Christmas cake, you're going
29:46 to get used to it. We are on proper winter tyres here, which is comforting, but the car
30:02 is still shifting about a fair bit. And the unnerving thing is, yes, sure, it's incredibly
30:06 competent, the Amazon will go just about anywhere, but just the weight of the thing, you're so
30:11 aware that if it starts to slip a bit too much off-line, not a lot you're going to do
30:16 to gather it all up again, it can get very messy. It is quite an unnerving feeling. I'm
30:22 not going to tell the Swedes, but I'm actually a bit frightened. Right, well it seems we're
30:25 actually going to get to romp about in the snow in this thing and go a bit off-road,
30:28 but first I have to prepare my car, which means I've got to do the following. I've got
30:32 to lock up the centre diff. One press of the button, that's done, thank you. I've got to
30:36 put it into low ratio gearbox. That's done, thank you. I've got to drop my aerial, because
30:42 I don't want to get that tangled up in any trees. There we go, thank you. I've got to
30:46 fold in my wing mirrors, which we do down here. Thank you very much indeed. Now I'm
30:52 not locking up the rear diff, which I do here, yet, but if it really does get sticky out
30:57 there, that'll be the last thing. It's kind of my last chance. If that doesn't work, we
31:00 ain't never getting out. Right, to the snow.
31:03 This is a great lesson in winter driving for somebody who only ever experiences it out
31:10 this much snow and everything's dragged to a halt. Mind you, I can't believe I haven't
31:37 been there yet. I'm just so anxious that I don't get into the wrong rut when you're driving
31:44 kind of off road on snow and start drifting towards the ditch, because it is nigh on impossible
31:48 to pull the thing off the trajectory it's decided that it wants to be on. I do not want
31:53 to end up in the ditch, please. Right, excellent, perfect, just what I wanted. That's just to
32:02 demonstrate how a perfectly straight track can lead you into terrible trouble. I was
32:09 reading the map. It's rather embarrassing, but it's alright, because there is a technique.
32:12 I know what to do. You find your telephone and you call for help. Very embarrassing.
32:20 Of the three coupes we've looked at so far, they all lack just one thing. Class. Not as
32:27 cars in themselves, more in the badge department. And that is not a problem for this car. The
32:46 BMW 330ci. Outside every inch the classy coupe, but it's not outside that the story
32:53 lies. And that story is not just the fact that yes, it's ludicrously appointed inside,
33:15 and believe me, it is luxuriously appointed, including a telly, which is very, very nice.
33:22 The really clever bit here is the gearbox. Now listen carefully, because I don't fully
33:33 understand this, so as I explain it, we're going to be learning together. It is an ordinary
33:38 manual gearbox, just as you would get on any other BMW coupe. But it works automatically,
33:45 sequentially. So what we're not talking about is your traditional automatic box. There are
33:50 very good reasons for having a manual over that. I'll explain them in a second class
33:54 if you pay attention. What we've got then is a gear lever in the usual place, and we
33:58 just slide it into the middle position. There is no clutch pedal. We depress the throttle,
34:04 and we pull away smoothly. Both the clutch itself and the actuation of the gears in the
34:08 gearbox is carried out electro-hydraulically. That's automatically to you and me, but don't
34:14 forget, not an automatic box. You've still got your standard manual gearbox. You can
34:19 then change gear either by waggling the bit about in the middle as you would in a Tiptronic
34:24 style gearbox, or with these little paddles on the steering wheel. Okay, if you're still
34:28 with me and still paying attention, one final point, that reason. Well an automatic gearbox
34:33 loses a lot of power, apart from making a rather nasty noise and being a bit lurchy
34:37 and boring. You soak away a lot of the torque through the torque converter through the actual
34:42 mechanics of it, compared to a manual gearbox. So what we've got here is the convenience
34:46 of a manual gearbox with the enormous expense and extra complication of a load of clever
34:51 gubbins to change gear for you. A jet fighter might be a long way from a load-lugging estate
34:56 car, but this particular one can just about claim to be related, because it can trace
35:02 its ancestry back to a time when Saab decided to use up their spare staff by turning them
35:07 from making aircraft to building cars. And as a result, their cars have always boasted
35:12 the highest levels of engineering, as well as being slightly, well, quirky in a Swedish
35:17 way. Then there's the second of our Swedish offerings, the Volvo. It can trace its ancestry
35:23 back to, well, an old wardrobe, probably from the looks of most old Volvos. But they have
35:27 built a very well-deserved reputation for constructing the most durable, long-lived
35:32 and practical of estate cars on the market. Cars that have, over the generations, carried
35:38 families on holiday, antique traders and travelling salesmen. And like the Saab, they seem to
35:43 go on forever and ever. In some cases, the only way to age an old Volvo or a Saab is
35:48 to cut a slice off the exhaust pipe and count the rings. The Saab has been on sale for about
35:56 a year now. The Volvo went on sale only recently. And the difficulty for fans of Swedish cars
36:02 is going to be in choosing between the two of them, because they are very much pitched
36:05 head-to-head in the marketplace. It's a case, if you like, of how do you like your Swede,
36:11 sir? The first thing to hit you when you get into the Saab is just how comfortable these
36:16 seats are. You really do get the impression that this aircraft is club class. Thank you
36:20 very much. And that impression is bolstered by the presence of this little card that we
36:26 find in the car, giving us details of the car's safety. But I keep expecting to face
36:30 backwards and address my passengers for where the exits are in case of emergency. Or is
36:36 that just me? Good news, too, when it comes to the amount of kit, because they certainly
36:41 don't let you down. There's more than enough luxury touches in here. The climate control
36:45 is particularly easy to use and very effective. And there are some nice little touches as
36:49 well, like this cup holder. Wow! Somebody's put some real thought into that. It's not
36:56 just a throwaway item. For my money, certainly it's the most stylish of the two interiors,
37:02 and typically Saab, with the instruments banked in front of you. You feel very much like you're
37:06 in control of an aircraft. And one other typical Saab feature as well, the ignition key mounted
37:12 down here on the transmission tunnel. They've always done it, and it looks like they always
37:16 will. It does mean you can lock the gearbox as well. Oh, hello. Do I hear the sound that
37:21 could mean the captain's put the seatbelt warning lights on? Must be getting ready for
37:25 takeoff. The Saab actually has the smaller engine of the two. It's just 2.3 litres and
37:31 only four-cylindered, compared to Volvo's five-cylinders and 2.4. But the Saab is actually
37:36 more powerful. It has an extra 30bhp, and it does feel faster than the Volvo. There's
37:42 barely any turbo lag in here, and that's not surprising, really, because Saab have been
37:46 fiddling around with turbos since the '70s, so you'd expect them to get it right. In fact,
37:50 the only interruption in the acceleration comes from waiting for kickdown on the automatic
37:54 gearbox. The best way to enjoy your 9-5 estate is to sit back, calm and unruffle. Think club
38:00 class again on a long intercontinental flight. Just reserve that acceleration for takeoff
38:05 and maybe a bit of overtaking. But be warned, when you do come to land, you might find the
38:10 brakes are a bit of a surprise. It's not that they're not there, they are, but you will
38:14 have to give the pedal a bit of a prod. There's good news in store for rear seat passengers
38:26 in the Saab, because there's loads of room and it's really comfortable as well. And then
38:31 the boot space. Well, it's every bit as cavernous as you would demand in any estate car in this
38:36 world, but there's more to it than that, because we get this extremely nifty, hard luggage
38:41 cover and then this very clever system of nets and these moveable anchor points to which
38:45 you could tie up ships if you really felt the need to. All well and good, but surely,
38:50 if it's practicality and space you want, it's got to be a Volvo. It's been that way for
38:54 hundreds of years. Well, yes and no. For a start, this luggage cover, forget it. Horrible
39:03 thing. There are anchor points, but they're only in the corners. There aren't a whole
39:06 rack of them like in the Saab. There is a nice little space here. Good news for smugglers,
39:11 as long as customs are particularly gullible. And that's about it. In the back, well, plenty
39:16 of space for your passengers here. And again, it's nice and comfortable, but there could
39:22 be a bit of a disappointment in store here compared to the 9-5. Everything's in here,
39:29 it's just not as engaging or as special feeling as in the Saab. Now, I'm actually quite a
39:34 fan of these simple, solid slabs of controls that Volvo seem to be turning out, but I know
39:39 plenty of people find it, well, rather Euro-bland. They have been to the same school of cup holder
39:44 manufacture though. Look at this beauty. It's the kind of thing that would finally make
39:50 you talk in a torture chamber. Whatever you say. So, despite those extra cubes, the Volvo
39:58 loses out on power, and it does feel quite a lot slower than the Saab. It's another light-pressured
40:03 turbo, and this time there is turbo lag. In fact, that seemed to be the only effect of
40:09 it. The turbo basically flattens the bottom end and brings no particular benefits. So
40:14 it loses out in terms of power. It loses out as well when it comes to the seating position
40:18 for the driver and the passenger. The seats feel flabby. They're nowhere near as firmly
40:23 padded and ergonomically shaped as those of the Saab. So, more points down there. Then
40:29 all of a sudden, the Volvo starts to claw back points, and it does it in a most un-Volvo-like
40:33 way, because chuck this big barge through a series of corners, and you'll be amazed.
40:38 It goes round them really well, really fast. It feels glued down. The chassis is extremely
40:44 well sorted for a car of this size. To chuck an estate car through a series of bends, this
40:49 has got to be the one. When it comes time to draw things to a halt, though, be warned
40:53 again. Unlike the Saab, when you have to give the brakes a hefty prod, do the same in this,
40:58 and you'll be pulling your eyeballs back out of the air vents. It stops immediately. If
41:03 anything, they are far too fierce. It's very difficult to be sensitive. Great news in an
41:08 emergency. Bad when you pull up 30 feet short of a junction.
41:18 So, rather than being just a straightforward battle between two very similar cars, it's
41:23 become apparent that each of these is going to appeal to really a very different buyer.
41:30 In essence then, it boils down to this. If you need an estate car capable of hustling
41:34 along your favourite stretch of B-road with the biggest payload on board, then the Volvo
41:39 is your thang. But if you want a cross-continental tourer with a wonderful burst of acceleration
41:43 and that cosseting ride, it's got to be the 95. It wins as well in terms of build quality
41:48 and arguably style. So that's it. The Saab emerges top swede. Just.
41:55 Peugeot 206 GTI, the latest of the breed from the past masters of the hot hatch genre. And
42:02 if heritage is anything to go by, then this should be just about the best you can buy.
42:07 But what if you want an alternative to a mainstream GTI? Something a little bit different, something
42:12 that will stand out from the crowd? Well, be warned, it's a Proton. I know, pork pie
42:18 hats on the parcel shelf and an old Mitsubishi engine clattering away up front. So to make
42:24 up for its perhaps rather down-market sounding badge, they've fitted it with two badges.
42:29 And the second badge says Lotus, which isn't that surprising really when you consider that
42:34 Proton own Lotus. So they've let the British sports car supremos loose on fettling their
42:39 GTI. But have they done enough to challenge what Peugeot at least will tell you is still
42:43 the original, the grandmaster, the benchmark of hot hatchery.
42:50 It may well be able to trace its line directly back to one of the original small hot hatches,
42:59 but the 206 GTI feels about as big as the factory that they built the original 205 in.
43:05 That said, once you are in here, it's a very nicely understated cabin. It does feel very
43:10 well designed. There's lots of nice touches. I do like the sporty little instrument binnacle
43:15 and the little chrome gear lever. So why, oh why do we have a reappearance of this awful
43:20 textured plastic? It looks cheap and feels nasty and tacky. I do like the suede effect
43:26 and leather though. Very sporty.
43:34 I can remember the first time I saw a 205 GTI 1.9 and I was amazed that there could
43:41 be an engine so big in a car so small. Well today's top spec GTI from Peugeot now boasts
43:48 a 2 litre engine and it'll dash from 0 to 60 miles an hour in 8.4 seconds.
43:55 The ride is soft and comfortable and the controls are very light and easy to use. But hang on,
44:02 this is a hot hatch. The old 205 felt like a go-kart. This begins to feel perhaps a little
44:08 too grown up. The light steering could be seen to be remote and rather distant. Whereas
44:14 in the 205 you felt every bump and ripple in the road through the controls, the brakes
44:19 in particular on the 206, though very effective, could be operated by somebody else's feet.
44:26 Overall the 206 GTI, comfy, oh yes very, too comfy, well possibly for some.
44:33 And the price for all this comfort? Well today's hot hatch is a long way from yesterday, not
44:38 only in size of the car but also the bill, £14,000.
44:41 You've got to admit, when you look across at the Proton, it is a bit of a surprise to
44:48 discover that it is a Proton and there's another surprise inside as well.
44:54 OK so it's a little bit garish perhaps, but come on, this is a GTI, it's a hot hatch,
44:59 that's what we want. If you want subtle and understated, go buy a Rover.
45:04 If sporty little touches are your thing though, this has got to be the place to be. It's got
45:08 every single styling cue you could find on a hot hatch. Chrome gear knob, little chrome
45:13 bolts and rivets everywhere, little chrome pedals down here by my muddy feet and these
45:18 spectacularly comfortable Recaro seats.
45:23 Now this is more like it. Less powerful the Proton may be, with only 1800cc to the 206's
45:30 2.0-litre and though on paper it is faster, it'll dash from 0-60 in 7.8 seconds, I'm not
45:40 convinced. But if it's the experience we're after, then this really will bring out the
45:44 hooligan.
45:47 For a start, the Proton is loud, very loud, most of it through road noise. The steering
45:51 is fast and direct with plenty of feel and the same can be said for the brakes. Once
45:56 you discover that most of the power is actually in a narrow mid-range band, then it's very
46:00 easy to exploit it.
46:02 It might be less luxurious than the 206, but those ultra comfortable seats provide just
46:07 the support you need on a longer journey. Mind you, if you are about to tackle a longer
46:12 journey in the Proton GTI, be warned to keep an eye on the fuel gauge. It's got a range
46:17 of about 25 miles, so you'll be hopping in and out of those seats a lot. It's not because
46:21 the Proton is thirsty, it's just because the tank is tiny.
46:28 If you're waiting for me now to tell you that the Proton costs £4,500 less than the Peugeot,
46:43 don't, because it doesn't. It actually costs £500 more. And it's a mark of how far Proton
46:49 have come as a manufacturer, that their hot hatch can be compared to Peugeot's without
46:53 it being laughable. Even more so that it can cost more than the Peugeot and still be taken
46:58 seriously.
47:00 Cynics might tell you that it's also a mark of what's happened to Peugeot, that their
47:03 hot hatch can be compared to any Proton at all. In fact, the 206 is as large, as comfortable
47:08 and sophisticated as you could possibly want from a car in its class. The baby Proton is
47:14 loud, brash and raucous in every inch a hot hatch in the traditional sense. And if you're
47:19 still having a little bit of a snigger, here's one further little bit of food for thought.
47:24 Think about this, the Talbot Horizon and the Cortina, pretty humdrum cars, neither of them
47:29 worth peanuts second hand until Lotus became involved. Then, hey ho, instant classic. Who
47:36 cares?
47:39 Now those European types love these great big enduro style bikes like the Africa Twin.
47:44 It is actually a known fact that nine out of ten Germans have at some point or another
47:49 leapt on one of these, bolted on those narrow metal panniers to the back and buggered off
47:53 around the world. So there must be something right about them. But I've avoided trying
47:58 one until now for one very good reason. It's this, bit of a problem, but it's not that
48:04 bad. If you are like me, built more for compactness than anything else, once you're on board,
48:09 those long soft off-road springs compress and bring the ground almost within reach.
48:14 And once you're rolling, well it's really not a problem.
48:18 The Honda Africa Twin 750 has been around for a few years now, so you could say it's
48:23 getting a bit long in the tooth. Or you could say it's a classic. Either way, it's certainly
48:27 not changed much over the years.
48:30 What you're not buying with an Africa Twin is a sophisticated machine loaded with cutting
48:34 edge technology. They're built and designed to look rugged, and in fact, they are rugged.
48:39 So that's exactly what you get, a simple solid machine, that long travel off-road-ish suspension
48:44 front and back, the wheels with those tyres that look off-road, but those are road tyres,
48:49 they're not fooling anybody. Then you get a simple frame, cradling a simple V-Twin 750cc
48:54 engine that shares components with a dozen other 750s in the Honda range. On board, well
49:00 obviously you've got these huge broad handlebars, you're sitting almost bolt upright, and in
49:03 front of you is a dash layout that, well it's not a layout, it's a throwout really. Certainly
49:08 nothing like a sports Tourer, bits and pieces clustered about all over the place. But it's
49:12 got everything you need. You're not riding a Tourer, you're riding a roughy-toughy Enduro.
49:17 But what's really amazing is what a good Tourer it makes. That riding position is so comfortable
49:23 for long journeys. Bolt upright, arms out wide, legs straight down below. Believe me,
49:28 it's comfy. Now of course, you'd have to be mad to attempt the Paris-Dakar on something
49:33 like this. It is very much more a styling exercise after off-road, rather than romping
49:38 across hill and dale. But that long travel suspension means it irons out even the roughest
49:43 of potholes. It's silky smooth. Anybody who's ever spent any time on this, or even many
49:49 other bikes in the same category, will tell you what's also amazing is how well it goes
49:54 around corners. The suspension compresses, it soaks up the bumps, and it'll grip and
49:58 grip and grip. You can get some serious lean on, if you so choose. Mind you, it's quite
50:03 a long way down. Some things I really don't get. Most computer games, those stupid little
50:10 mini scooters, bikes with CD players, I don't get any of those. This, I actually do get.
50:16 It might seem a really odd idea to go touring and use every day a bike that's styled to
50:20 look like something you'd cross the desert on, but it actually makes a surprising amount
50:24 of sense. That riding position, upright, with your arms widely spaced, is hugely comfortable.
50:28 Those great dollops of torque from that simple V-twin mean it is actually a delight to ride
50:33 without feeling you've got to go at breakneck speed everywhere. And they're cheap, best
50:37 of all. This R-plated example with about 17,000 miles on the clock, you pick up for four,
50:42 four and a half thousand pounds, and you could get one for less. Remember, there's no need
50:45 to buy desperately new with something like this. They're very long-lived. So cheap, practical
50:50 and durable. Maybe the Germans had it right after all.
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