Joe Rogan Experience #2199 - Chris Harris

Joe Rogan podcast check it out The Joe. Rogan Experience Train by day Joe Rogan. podcast by night all. day so before you first record okay I. have um I'll go most places and I'm here. because I want to tell people the truth. about the last eight I've had a pretty. [ __ ] two years um because Top Gear ended. in a way that most Americans won't know. but my colleague nearly died in a crash. um and then they left us in limbo a bit.

I've never told anyone anything about it. oh largely because my uh friend and. colleague who was nearly killed in the. accident called Andrew flintoff who was. a presenter on the show again no. Americans don't know who he is but he's. a massive Sports hero in the UK he plays. that weird game called Cricket he was. like our best Cricket player can we use. this or yeah no we can I just want to. give you a quick for foraste of it I I'm. not I'm here to I'll say some things. that people W have heard before and they. will make them gasp a bit because we're. recording now is this okay.

um what's. that okay that's fine were you on me I'm. I'm going to go into it all okay um but. it might be that what seems quite. revelatory to me see since we're rolling. cheers 10 years yeah it's been a while. and you know what I I don't I don't ever. listen to what I say or or watch what I. record I don't watch my own shows you. you probably don't either do you I don't. no it's good for the soul once it's done. it's buried exactly uh but I think I. came to see you.

about a month before I received a phone. call saying do you want to do this. television show called Top Gear yeah it. was before Top Gear for sure yeah and I. think it was then and and I think at. that point I'd been filling a lot of. questions about well what why would you. follow Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear and. I'd gone no one would do that they'd be. an idiot to do that and then and then I. looked at the sort of monthly payments. that I needed to live my life and I got. offered a bit of not much money but some. money I thought I'll give it a go but. most importantly I thought the. 17-year-old me.

if he saw me say no to this job but. punch me in the face right because it's. my dream job right and I know that Top. Gear is a weird thing in the US because. I think many US people are aware of it. that it exists but they've never really. seen it because it never was put on a. big Network here yeah but it became very. popular on YouTube it did yeah I mean. it's a great it was a great show yeah I. mean I whether my era of Top Gear will. be considered great I don't know I had. lots of fun making it but following in. Jeremy's footsteps was on reflection a. decision I I I made the wrong call I.

shouldn't have done it really yeah I had. a great time but you try following him. in the UK just because of how much he's. loved and yeah yeah yeah I just I didn't. realize how deep rooted it was I still. get hate mail now I still get hate mail. now yeah you could have had the exact. same show under a different name and. people would have loved it yeah yeah and. I think we made some good films and I. and I love what I did but even if we. made a good film it was always [ __ ]. because it wasn't Jeremy I really. enjoyed it though I enjoyed you being on. it you know you're great you're my.

favorite Automotive journalist well. that's very kind of you and I've just. I've just seen what you've arrived in as. well and I thoroughly approve of your T. mot vles am I allowed to say what it is. or not yeah yeah it's a it's a raptor r. that John Hennessy jumps up to a. thousand horow it's [ __ ] ridiculous I. think I think um I'm often asked if you. lived in America what car would you. drive and it would always be a raptor. comes Under The Heading of always drink. the local beer you know you go to a city. don't order a hinek or a bud drink the. local beer and the F-150 Raptor is your.

local beer yep that's about as American. as it gets Dodge Rams and Ford F-150s. yeah those are the most American. Vehicles th horsepower in a truck it's. ridiculous we never thought it'd be. possible did we no it's 0 to 60 in 3. seconds for a giant pickup truck it's. awesome and it sounds great too just has. this beautiful Rumble do you think. you'll be allowed to drive that in 10. years time in this state maybe in this. state yeah but if you leave they'll like.

have people at the border waiting in the. bushes to arrest you the moment you. cross over if you don't have an EV and. you know in California they have a. mandate in 2035 you know at at after. 2035 no internal combustion engine. vehicles are allowed to be sold in the. state same in the UK although they no. they it was 2035 then the last. Administration moved it back to. 2030 um Good Luck so they're not even. ready they're not ready the Grid's not. ready.

ready I'm so torn on this cuz everyone. looks to me as the ultimate petrol head. and I'll sit there and go they're all. [ __ ] they're not all [ __ ] they have a. place and the most sophisticated. assessment of this that I've come across. was just a a very normal person I was. talking to one day in an airport who. said surely the solution is that you. just use what's pertinent to the energy. that's easiest where you live and I. think it's the best way of explaining it. you know if you live here you drill a. hole in the ground there's oil around. here yeah if you in Iceland you drill a.

hole in the ground loads of geothermal. so why wouldn't you have an EV there. it's brilliant it's everywhere it's. quite a small country don't need to. travel large distances but Iceland's. cold and the battery capacity when it. gets really cold diminishes pretty. rapidly yeah but but also if you if you. live there and you've got loads of. batteries and you have a cartridge. system we can slot them in and out it's. doable isn't it I just think we need to. be a bit clever about it but at the. moment the subject's approached with. this is good this is evil at the moment. we live in a Star Wars reality so. effectively your the you're either the.

Rebellion or the or your Darth Vader and. his crew yeah and I've been and you will. have as well I've been pushed into the. corner of being Darth Vader just don't. think I am I I you know when I can I use. the train if I'm in a city I quite like. riding a bicycle because it suits me I. like it it works but when I want to go. out on an open road and enjoy a 911 I. want to enjoy a 911 why can't I I don't. see I I find it very difficult when I'm. told to do things that I don't think are. rational or reasonable no and there's.

this religious ideology that's attached. to climate change that's it it has that. sort of fever pitched religious aspect. to it and most people when you Corner. them if they're even the the real. zealots most people really don't. understand how much data there is on the. impact that human beings have on climate. change how much is being done in China. and India that will not change at all. and is only going to get more extreme. and like what little impact you have.

yeah comparatively that's a really. interesting point because on the when. you talk it's like being a parent on the. one hand you can resp respond to that by. saying well yeah if I'm going to make no. difference I'll just carry and driving. around in my Raptor but then it could be. suggested that that means that you. should make a difference but I I find it. really difficult that we can't. understand that if that if there has to. ultimately be a change at some point if. it's rational I don't know if it's now. or it's certainly not 2035 that's not. reasonable no we need to prepare.

ourselves to make logical and. Progressive changes yeah I I don't think. you can mandate those changes no you're. first of all we have a long history of. internal combustion engines uh as. recreation vehicles and we love them and. we're not I don't I think it's. completely unfair if you're still. running coal plants that Power electric. vehicles which is a fact in America they. have coal plants that Power electric. vehicles they do far more damage to the. environment and if you tell me I can't. have an internal combusted engine while.

you're doing that to Power electric. vehicles I'm going to say [ __ ] you. because [ __ ] you is the right thing to. say because that doesn't make any sense. yeah and there's also this weird thing. that is attached to this this is a. business the green energy business and. these people that are involved in the. green energy business have done a. tremendous job in pushing these. politicians to promote this very. specific propaganda about what you can. and what you can't do and what we need. to do and where we need to get to and. what bills need to pass in order to get.

to this position and they're all. profitable and that's the problem that. nobody wants to talk about this is all. business and like most businesses like. the business of vaccines or the. businesses of infrastructure there's or. military there's a lot of money being. exchanged and that's why it's being. promoted it's not this isn't some. completely altruistic we need to save. the world and this is what's wrong it's. not true it's not true I think I I think.

I agree and I and there are some basic. tests you can apply to it if you gave. most people that that that love the. internal combustion engine an electric. vehicle that could do exactly the same. thing as well but be electric they' take. it but they can't we cannot the. technology doesn't work at the moment. you know it just doesn't sound the same. it doesn't feel the same but that's. that's the I'm talking about the. non-enthusiasts the non-enthusiasts. people like you and I that don't care. about that if you gave them an electric. vehicle that did exactly the same job. that could do it as well and could be as.

flexible to their needs they'd take it. because it's as good but but no one can. do that at the moment they don't exist. they don't it takes too long to charge. you can't just pull over and charge it. takes hours and also there are so many. other industries that pollute so heavily. why aren't they the subject of so much. sort of pernicious legislation I mean. you we talk about shipping if you start. to look into to cargo ships what they. admit is extraordinary extraordinary. absolutely extraordinary well do you. know that they the I believe it was the. and passed some sort of regulations on.

cargo ships and because of these. regulations to make them. more pollute less the the side effect. the unintended consequences were the. ocean got warmer the surface of the. ocean where it was measured got warmer. because there's no longer a pollution. layer over the ocean where these things. are. traveling which is so. crazy so I know do you know that there's.

more green on Earth today than there was. in the last 100 years no I didn't know. that it's because of the carbon dioxide. because trees eat carbon dioxide I'm I. have to say I'm I'm completely torn on. it all cuz I some some days but you. don't have so many diesel vehicles here. but some days I I drive around in in the. UK and I see a diesel throwing some [ __ ]. out the back of it and I'm like that's. not good if I can see it I don't like it. a lot of diesel trucks here and gas on.

the highway and you see black smoke and. I and I do want I want things to be. different over time and I can see that. that that that that's the way that we. might be heading but I hate I hate the. fact that the timeline is determined by. politicians rather than scientists. exactly and even the scientists are all. bought and paid for that's part of the. problem too yeah scientists aren't just. scientists they're scientists that are. influenced by the university they're in. influenced by whatever research group. they're a part of there's a lot of. Shenanigans going on and the internal.

combustion engine has ironically reached. a point where it's really quite. efficient you know it's it's quite a. clever thing if you were to invite an. alien down in that vehicle there and try. and show off what we're capable of you. might show them a raptor r and go we did. that yeah we're quite clever but I think. they'd be like you're not using gravity. why don't you guys just go use gravity. made a be gravity this is so stupid I. have a Tesla I have a Model S plaid and. it's fantastic it is so f fast it's like.

a time machine has it got the not real. steering wheel yes I don't like that I. don't like the Yol uh I ordered a new. one I get it in October no yoke regular. wheel wheel's better I like a wheel. better but I get it there's some. benefits to the Yoke it's like you get a. clear view of the dash you basically put. your hands on there and he's moving. towards like completely automated you. know you can press you press a button. it'll drive you just based on where you. stand on that I don't trust it no nor do. I I mean it just doesn't feel right the. few times I've been in one of those.

things with the most advanced they've. all got levels now haven't they and I've. let it drive me I'm there thinking I'm. hovering I don't like it it's the exact. same feeling that I got when Joe Biden. was the. president like is this okay are. we I I just I have to say I don't and. and in this city there are a lot of. jaguars with sort of radar things on. them yes and I presume they're driver. are they yes they're driverless I don't.

know what they're called wo weoo so I I. view those like I do that sort of bloke. in the corner of the bar that's just a. bit shuffly gets up does the one-legged. walk comes back from the urano with a. bit of piss down his leg I'm like I'm. giving you a wide birth mate well there. was a bunch of them and they got into a. um sort of a a situation where they. created a traffic jam cuz they all came. into an intersection together and no one. wanted to move. and there was a bunch of them cuz.

there's quite a few of them in the city. you'll see I've seen several today yes. they cause a traffic. jam yeah I I don't I'm not I mean. probably one day it's going to be the. way to do it the way to get around but I. think you can't deny people the joy of. driving just like you can't deny people. their ability to ride horses if someone. wants to ride a horse they should be. able to ride a horse people have a long. history of enjoying horse riding okay. let them ride horses and uh I have a n.

um. 199 I guess it's a 93 RS. America and it that's a rare car oh I. love it it's so beautiful it the car. they made you weren't allowed the real. 94 RS were you they did a special one. yes so this one uh I had I sent it to. shark Works they Juiced it up to. somewhere around 300 horsepower nothing. crazy um but oh my God it's so tactile. and it's alive and it just when when I.

drive it I just I'm smiling I have this. big smile on my face like I'm on a. [ __ ] ride I was going to bring uh my. Gunther works here today but it's. raining have you got one of those yeah. has it got a roof or not yeah it's got a. roof I mean so where do we stand on the. Resto mod scene do we think it's gone. too far or or do we believe it's the way. forward well I like the ones that look. old but Drive New yeah because they're. less dangerous that's the that's the IDE. is it really but I don't think there's.

anything dangerous in that. 99 the 964 that's mine that's beautiful. oh it's so good how much power has that. got 460 and it's you know 2,000 I've. also got to raise my hand here and say. that I work for singer so I've got to be. very careful love those too well I I. actually have a a little contract with. them so I've got to I've actually. professionally got to say I ignore that. vehicle but but actually I I I think I. love the rest of mod thing I think it it. we might be at Peak Resto mod because so.

much of it going on but it does it. Segways into a point I wanted to make. about the the way we're traveling one of. the ways I find to appease myself if I. do wake up some days and think I'm. pretty wasteful individual or whatever. it is you know even I have moments where. I think just have a look at yourself in. the mirror just buy a used car then you. don't you're not have another one built. there are so many great old cars out. there right I just go out and buy. something that's 10 years old go and. look at a 10-year-old AMG what a machine. yeah if you that's a vehicle that's.

already been built right it's it's its. wastefulness has already been absorbed. into this weird world we live in go and. buy it it's there for you with its 500. horsepower it's ready to go yes that's. the greenest thing you can do is to go. and buy an old Ferrari right you'll do. no miles in it because you'll never use. it cuz it might work now and again it's. the greenest thing you can do in your. life is buy a used Ferrari or a. Lamborghini right it's the best thing so. but no one seems to express it this way. and the other way is to rest mod is to.

you know buy something and make it make. the car that you wish new car makers. built now but they can't because they've. all been drawn into this need to to. spend M billions on on these electric. SUVs there's the other thing that's. ironic they're all SUVs so you're. telling me we've got to have these. efficient new EVS but we going to make. them three tons shouldn't they be that. big no that there's a problem with guard. rails Jesus they're too heavy they go. right through the guard rails like. butter I saw that I I saw that on. Instagram too it just goes straight.

through it right through yeah they're. twice as way I do think that that people. love cars just look to old stuff yeah. there's so much of it out there yeah and. they're so and they're so good I have a. um 2005 M3 so an E46 Peak car Peak car. it's such a great car I know it's not. too powerful but it's so delightful like. as you it doesn't have a radio it's got. cloth seats I [ __ ]. yeah yeah CL seats I just bought the V10.

so you had the E60 V10 M5 over here. crazy machine we had the touring in the. UK they built a touring which is a a c. state car s a station wagon um and I've. got one of those that I bought earlier. in the year and I'm just do you know. what i' I paid £27,000 for it I probably. spent more than that on it already doing. just making it right but actually the. Journey of of just reconditioning and. renewing something like that to use for. the next years I find more interesting.

than most new performance cars now is. that is that a sad statement or not no. no because there's something about like. seeing the Improvement on a vehicle like. getting a vehicle and going yeah you. know these suspension is okay but these. shocks are like I could adjust this and. maybe this and maybe I can get a little. wider wheel in this and H you remind me. so much of one of my favorite colleagues. Mr LeBlanc cuz Matt is a much bigger Car. Guy than anyone realizes we actually. grew up in the in the same town did you.

yeah I had friends that knew him and but. I never met him I've still never met him. he's a he's a wonderful man and he's. brilliant car guy he he would he would. agree with you he's he's like that he. can never quite leave something alone. yeah in fact and he and with motorcycles. as well motorcycles he um I had a. bizarre working with him was wonderful. by the way I loved him to bits I'd like. to make another TV show with him I um I. got uh one of these gangs that steals. motorcycles uh in the UK got. so I was I was doing a voice over in the.

center of London I probably told I might. have written this story I don't told it. or not um and I had a new ducatti I'd. bought I I like bikes I'm not very good. on them but I like bikes and I was. trying to get better and Matt's a very. good Rider and I had this ducatti. panagar anniversary with all the it's. the kind of [ __ ] you buy when you've. just got a TV job you know and you think. you're the dogs bollocks looking back. it's [ __ ] embarrassing so I've parked. it up in SoHo in right in the central. London by the uh where the voiceover. Studio was and I I was I was a bit early.

so I was Milling about wearing my. Leathers still and I saw this bike. moving past me and I thought that's a. nice bike oh [ __ ] that's my bike and I. saw these gu these guys all in black. with um stuff uh sort of uh tinted. visors black everything what they do is. they they basically angle grind off the. um the steering lock the mail part that. goes into the headstock they angle gr. that off break the steering and then. they have a moped behind or something. quite powerful with a leg out and. another guy and push your bike away in.

neutral and they get it around the. corner into a van and away it goes wow. um and they did it right in front of me. and I so I walked up and I was like this. is my bike I'm not you know I'm small. not a very big guy but I'm you know I. don't present any kind of a threat and. there was three of them and I challenged. them and I said this is not on you know. and I started swearing and one of them. had a hammer claw hammer and um we had a. tussle and the bike fell over and as the. bike fell over I'm like well that's. wreck that then hasn't it cuz I could. see the fairing squashed and then the.

guy tried to hit me with the hammer and. I was like I remember. screaming you you're trying to steal my. bike and now you're trying to hit me. with the hammer and then like and then. they left and I was really shocked I'd. never had anything like that happen to. me so I picked the bike up and I walked. it down to the um voice over studio and. I rolled it up and I walked in and Matt. was there it's a long story and I said. um well he went how are you I said well. someone's just tried to steal my bike. and they tried to hit me with a hammer. and he came outside and he looked at the. bike he's got the most lovely Dean voice.

and he goes you want to get those Decat. performance levers those are too long. looking he was trying to mod it didn't. even care he almost got killed by a. hammer cuz he's like you he's like. obviously you know T's a big boy and. he's like he's like he's fine but those. levers are too long they don't suit that. bike like those lever are too long uh. yeah I I think this the the mod thing is. is really important to me I love it I.

can't I cannot leave stuff. alone yeah I I enjoy messing around with. stuff too it's it's it's it's part of. the fun of the older cars you know. particularly like car like I have a um a. a Nissan GTR and that is 35 yeah that is. the ultimate mod car because they've. been around for so long in exactly the. same form and there's such an. aftermarket and everybody just goes. crazy find me a standard one that don't.

exist yeah it's very hard to find stock. R35 the Unicorn yeah very hard to find. how much power does yours have well I. got a nmo I got uh last year's model the. Nismo so I got it new it was still. laying around and but I got it because I. know you can [ __ ] around with them so. I'm never going to get rid of it I'm. going to keep it forever and I'm going. to Juice It Up to probably a thousand. horsepower or something stupid and if. they make another one it'll have to be a. hybrid it'll have to be yeah yeah it'll. never be the same there there's there's. I mean they're about to do that to fores. probably they're about to do that.

they're already doing that with the M5. right the new M5 is a hybrid I've driven. that the new one yeah yeah I'm not sure. whether I can say I've driven it or not. say it um I'll probably get I think I. signed a piece of paper saying I get. sued for $60,000 if I said nothing it's. um. yeah there's a point in this in this. process where you have to acknowledge. that the the main criticism of hybridity. in cars is mass his weight right so. everyone says it's too heavy. but for me mass is just a number unless.

you can feel it okay it's really. important you can't just criticize. something because it's heavy you can't. because actually it might it might. affect the way the car drives but you. have to drive it to tell that first. that's where I have a job um so that's. and I I won't talk about the M5 because. I think I might get sued but but but I. can tell you now the BMW M2 is is a a. small performance car that came out 1750. kg my friend Tom sigura had one of those. that He sent off to get Juiced up I.

forget a Dinan did it or I forget who. did it well the new one came out and it. was 300 kgs heavier than the last one. and and the whole the internet had a. massive Collective baby and went oh it's. [ __ ] ruined I ran one for 6 months it. was better than the last M2 of course it. was really yes because someone German. with a massive forehead and a white coat. made it that way cuz these are really. clever people and and actually Mass only. matters if you can feel it so if you. drive a car and you can feel it's too. heavy fine I'm with you and that's and.

that's the cluest to what I think about. the new M5 judge it get in it and judge. it before you before you actually or. drive it before you judge it and that's. what it looks like it looks good it's a. 700 something horsepower sedan with a. BMW badge look at 72700 when is that. coming out uh the launch is at the end. of this year it is it's a beast can only. imagine I had an M5 I miss it or the V8. one it was V8 E39 yeah I had it in um.

what year was it 2015 or something what. was that which which one would that be. that would have been the V10 it wasn't a. V10 was it not it was the one after the. V10 oh that would be the F10 the F10 M. yeah I'm a real nerd I loved it it's a. good car it was great and actually it an. M car should be and your E46 is is the. definition of this an M car should be a. car that the non-car nerd can't spot it. from the normal one but the car nerd can.

spot it just for the camber little bit. of R little bit of shoulder you can see. an M car you and I can see an M car from. a mile little hips but a civilian cannot. see right an M car from a mile away. especially E46 cuz such a plain looking. car it's a gorgeous car we actually had. someone reach out to Jamie that's how I. bought it cuz we were talking about how. great they are I was like I'd love to. find a low mile one and this one has. super low miles I forget what it is but. it's really low miles mte cloth is rare. yeah I look at the cars I missed out on.

there was a white manual mtech on 18in. Wheels E46 M3 and I why I didn't buy it. I don't know but then I suppose I could. say that about a thousand cars that I. wish ID bought or I hadn't or I hadn't. sold I wish you never sold that green. Porsche do you know what that I know who. owns it yeah it it appears in the UK now. and again and I see it it was a cool. thing and but I had to realize early on. that I couldn't afford to keep all these. things but that thing was a masterpiece. it was lovely but but look where that. was done by tutle right and look where.

they are now they just come back from. Pebble Beach with this GT1 amazing. looking thing which you might have seen. he Google GT1 T doesn't doesn't he have. a car that goes to 10,000 11 11,000 RPMs. that's so nuts yeah it's a it's a lovely. thing that he developed with a friend of. ours called Philip kadori who obviously. runs the quail and it's K so K has it's. a very good name isn't it it's a 911k. developed by a guy called kadori K adori. and it revs to 11,000 11,000 RPM 911k.

it's my favorite car name ever I've. driven it there's a video on online of. that in this gold thing how is it you. need to sit down after driving it cuz. it's just it's just so visceral you're. it's one of the few cars that you're. aware of just how fast that crank is. spinning and you have to keep it revving. and it just keeps going and your ey says. it's gone to eight you got to stop now. I'm going to have bits of metal coming. out the side of the engine but it it. never does wow and it's so light. everything's carbon so it's it's about. 900 kilograms wow yeah you'd love that.

that's really that's very basic. intravenous performance that is how. light did you get your green card down. to is that it what no that's so that's. what they've just done so Tut did the GT. he's just launched that at Pebble Beach. wow look at that that looks I hate the. wheels but God again I got to be careful. I work for singer I love singer singer. amazing but that's my friend Richard's. just done that can you get me a picture. of a singers why are the wheels so gross. um supposed to look like 80s wheels from.

Lon yeah let that go yeah I think you. might be right but um 100% right those. wheels are disgusting the um the 911k is. a is an amazing thing and maybe if I was. Porsche or another car maker I'd be. starting to cry foul because what's. happened is the Resto mod thing is. actually a movement that reminds. carmakers that they're not being given. or being offered a fair crack at the. whip now cuz you can come along you and. I could establish the monkey and Joe car.

company tomorrow right and we could find. a car we could say right we're going to. make an E46 M3 we're going to get we're. going to buy a 100 good E46 M3s and. we're going to turn them into the Joe. and monkey M3 and we're going to sell. them for. $300,000 they're going to have a nice. New interior they're not going to stray. too far from the original philosophy of. the car everyone's going to love them. and we wouldn't have to meet any kind of. Crash legislation smog would be. according to the V. age in in Europe there's even less to do.

it comes under very low volume approval. you don't have to do anything we don't. have to meet any emissions regs really. in Europe you can do what you want but. if you're a car if you're call if you're. called BMW you cannot make that car. right and I'm not sure that's fair right. like what Ru does yeah so they don't. even that's not even really a Porsche. well it has its own chassis plate it's. it's a really gray area but I think it's. unfair on the car companies in many ways. because they can't go out and do that. right they can't make a Resto mod they. could porsa could not make a singer well.

they could but they have to EST they'd. have to establish a newco or they'd have. to buy a company but could Porsche make. Resto mods of their vehicles I think. they potentially could but they'd be. terrified I suspect of the potential. litigation right you know cuz if one of. them went into a wall right you know you. suddenly you get to sue Porsche right. also especially if you're selling.

something like one of those old Widow. makers where and people don't understand. that if I mean I have. a 2007 GT3 RS and uh it's still like. around corners you let off off the gas. it'll whip around on you yeah the new. ones don't really do that that much the. new ones are much better they've got. well they've got this rear steer on them. which definitely helps but they'll still. rotate yeah just a engine out the back. add that to an old like design it's it's.

it's less prominent now cuz Tire. Technology's moved on so much right. remember the first time I got to drive a. lot of these things I didn't quite. understand the Widow. Maker uh tag because they had new tires. they had these new tire tires are. everything I tell you a a Top Gear story. it's fairly uh interesting my colleague. who called Patty mcginness who was one. of the co-hosts who's who's claimed to. fame for me in America is he had to be.

subtitled in America for Top Gear. because his accent is so broad from the. north of England he had. subtitles like watching peaky blinders. yeah no it's worse than that anyhow uh. he he crashed a Lamborghini when we were. filming and it went it was all over the. press in the UK it helped it was red. like proper dog knob red Lamborghini. goes off the road anyhow at the end of. it all um the cars on a low load and I. look at the tires they're 20 years old. oh God yeah. it had been borrowed for the job you.

know old Tire technology matched with. age as well it's terrible that's the. story with uh the guy from Fast and the. Furious what's his name Paul Walker Paul. Walker Paul Walker that's the story with. him they had old tires on that car well. Patty get so Patty gets eviscerated in. the Press because he can't drive and. everything else I could have been in. that car I'd have crashed it I can drive. a bit anyone you cannot and that's that. if you get in these old cars with old. tires on them they have nothing yeah. absolutely nothing it's incredible how.

much the technology has come along in. that regard I'd say mellin at its best. is you know it's some of it's like. witchcraft if if you go if you get in a. new Porsche GT3 RS now the tire they've. developed for that probably has four. compounds across it you know so the the. high wear stuff where it needs the grip. they're so clever they they really are. the performance they add to the vehicle. no one know knows how come no one can. figure out how to make a tire without.

air. so it's a really really interesting. point they must have done it must for me. it comes under the same heading as. someone must have made a light bulb that. you never need to replace but why would. they make it well the tire without air. thing for safety purposes there's a lot. of reasons why you would want a tire. that I mean I know they did make them. they do have them there's this tire that. looks like a looks like a sort of spring. you know that adid shoe that has the. sort of lce yeah it looks bit like yeah. I have seen those but I I suppose you're.

still dealing with a at that point it's. a sprung Mass which would interfere with. suspension I don't have an answer you. think that's what it is it's like it's. heavier I don't know I because there's. no air in it that makes sense cuz You'. have so much more rubber but that I. think they tried to mitigate that by. having it clear so you see through it. there were some shots of one recently I. have to assume the only reason you would. there's only two reasons you wouldn't. make it one it doesn't work two it it. gets in the way of your ability to make.

money right normally the. latter yeah I don't know it's probably a. performance issue too because by. manipulating the tire pressure you can. get it just right whereas you're not. going to be able to manipulate anything. once the compound is exactly yeah yeah. tires are a the more you get into cars. tires are a fascinating subject that's. that's a good opener when you meet some. of the opposite sex um but but I has. never worked for me uh but but actually.

they are because they're the only. contact you have with with the with the. ground so it stands for reason they're. the most important part of the. performance package yeah F1 commentators. and I'm I'm actually probably slightly. less so in the US but in Formula 1 the. commentators spend most of the time. talking about tires because it's what. it's the main factor but they're not. sexy tires are not sexy by definition so. you know car makers will tell you I've. got we've got a new damper system that's. got eight settings and we've got this. and this and this they can't tell you. that they've spent 5 years is developing. a tire right that's revolutionary nobody.

cares cuz it just looks like a tire yeah. it just just looks terrible what are you. showing me and when they come to replace. that tire they'll just just give me the. cheap one I don't I don't want to spend. that money on that one right right right. so um your experience at Top. Gear yeah that's interesting so I've. I've never really spoken about it. because I'm I keep my mouth shut I like. to uh remain dignified it's been was. quite a journey it's come to an end now. I really feel it's a full stop the show.

has been uh put on hold in the UK inde. definitely is the is the terminology. from the BBC that means it's an end but. strangely it exists in other formats. around the world there there's there's. been an American one there's one in. Finland there's one in Australia there's. one in France so so the the the license. and the brand exists elsewhere but not. at its home in the UK and it came to an. end for me one day in December uh. 2022 uh in a way that I'd like to say I.

hadn't expected but but I had and I. think that's the bit that I've found. very difficult to deal with over the. last uh couple of years fundamentally. I'm quite happy gol lucky person I'm. very privileged with the life I've had. and I love the fact that I earn a living. doing what I love you must have the same. thing to wake up sure what a joy I don't. push a desk I get to I get to wreck. other people's tires and and also my. subject is one that is Ed by Joy no one. wants to hear the last person you want.

to hear from is the miserable car Road. tester right he can [ __ ] off yeah he. [ __ ] off you know he and I don't want to. be that guy I hate those guys yeah but. actually I that is I'd be lying if I. said I've you know I'm feel good today. I've I've had a good few months but the. last 18 months i' I've been bad because. I just didn't I didn't know what to do. cuz cuz I'd like to sit here and say I. never saw it coming but I did so what. happened um. the the accident that that my friend.

Andrew had known as Fred I won't go into. too much because it's it's sort of out. there what happened he rolled a Morgan. three-wheeler um uh he wasn't wearing a. crash helmet and if you do that at even. at 25 30 mil an hour the injuries that. you to stay up profound uh I was there. on the day I was the only presenter with. Fred that day I wasn't actually right by. him um but I was close by I remember the. radio message that I heard I always used.

to have a radio in my little room at the. test track where I was sitting inside so. I could hear what's going on uh and I. heard someone say this there's been a. real accident here the car's upside down. um so I ran to the window looked out and. he wasn't moving so I thought he was I. thought he was dead I assumed he was. then he moved um I can tell you now that. he if it unless he's a physical specimen. Fred he's a big guy 6' five 6'. strong and any he if he wasn't so strong.

he wouldn't have survived he's a he's a. great advert for um physical strength. and conditioning because if he hadn't. been that strong he just snapped his. neck he'd be dead so I can't believe. he's I couldn't believe he survived and. that sort of that that moment of. realization that he survives has kind of. defined my thoughts on the subject since. because I believe that anything after. that is a bit of a bonus you know he. should be dead really um and the fact. that he survived it is remarkable and. it's given him and his family a chance.

to move on under very difficult. circumstances so that. day was very difficult um made even more. difficult by the fact that the buildup. to that particular shoot I knew that we. were at the last minute I knew we were. using a Morgan three-wheeler it's a very. it's a difficult car you know it's by. just the name tells you it physics is. complicated it doesn't mean it's. inherently dangerous you just drive it. according to what it is you have to be. aware of it's. limitations and I think that that really.

was difficult there were and you need. experience there were two people that. had driven a Moran three-wheeler before. present that day me and someone else a. Pro driver and we were sitting inside at. that time no one had asked us anything. about the car they just gone on and shot. it without us and I think um if I'm. looking in the mirror I find it very. difficult even now that Andrew who who I. loved to bit a a lovely man he um he was. a pro Cricket player he wasn't a.

automotive guy uh and he but he was a. real Enthusiast he was great much like. you he'd Lov cars and he he would always. come up to me before a shoot and say. tell me how it is you know I've I've got. all the advice give me the last bit of. advice what I should do what I should. expect and that was the first because of. the call times that day that was the. first time we'd never had the chance to. talk about how he might approach a. difficult VIs vle and that was the one. day that it went wrong I find that very.

difficult to live with and I feel partly. responsible because I didn't get the. chance to talk to him um but but my. situation is nothing compared to his. anyhow um the bit that I find really. difficult is that in the aftermath of. that accident the show was put on hold. Andrew had to recover from frankly awful. injuries and has done so um but uh. profound injuries we all kept quiet we. said nothing and I I said nothing. because I wanted to look after him it.

wasn't my story was it I was I was. caught up in the Collateral Damage I. lost my job immediately because um they. canceled the show and my contract was up. so suddenly I haven't got a job but. again you look in the mirror and think. I'm alive I've got three beautiful. children I'm not in Fred's position. Andrew and Fred are the same person. sorry that's his nickname um and I just. sort of got my head. down but I had seen this coming there. was a big there was a big inquiry a lot.

of soul searching the BBC's good at. that but what was never spoken about was. that three months before the accident. I'd gone to the BBC and. said um unless you change something. someone's going to die on this show so I. went to them I went to the BBC and I. told them of my concerns from what I'd. seen as someone as the most experienced. driver on the show by a mile I said if. we carry on at the very least we're. going to have a serious injury at the. very worst we're going to have fatality.

let's explain to people that aren't. aware of what Top Gear is and how Top. Gear works because I know there's a lot. of Americans that never watch the show. you guys do a lot of really crazy stunts. with automobiles not necessarily just. cars but big trucks and all all kinds of. crazy things and some of them are quite. ridiculous yeah it there was a bit of a. arms. race between us and maybe the other big. car show The Grand Tour at the time to. go ever more stupid and we did some we.

did do some big stunts and a lot of the. time and The Grand Tour is the original. cast original cast Top Gear Jeremy and. Richard May in their Amazon show which. hady they just ended great show. um so and and also I'm James Meo sorry. yeah yeah I'm I'm not of the health and. safety um world I'm not risk averse I. love a bit of risk and I also absolutely. believe that if you enter into a show. like Top Gear you know what you're. taking on you know believe that that you. that there is no such thing as great.

risk-free television like that it's you. just got to you know I just turn up and. I assess what I see and I do what I'm. comfortable with and and I want to make. great television that's it and if I if. sometimes it got a bit sketchy so be it. we've all done that you know that's. that's the way the world lives and I. think. um what happened with Top Gear. was I saw repeatedly too many times my. two co-hosts who didn't have the. experience I had in cars this is the. critical thing I'm qualified to make.

those decisions because I've done it a. long time they weren't they one of them. is an actor comedian the other guy is a. pro Cricket player brilliant. entertainers they were great hosts but. their roles were to make people laugh. and my role was to tell people what cars. were like and all too often towards. towards the in the last year I saw. situations where it got too dangerous. and it culminated actually in us being. in Thailand myself and Patty were in. Thailand and we went we did a go-kart. race down a hill in just compacted mud. on wooden go-karts with no engines and I.

just looked at them and I said this is. just this so it's not a question of. whether we get injured it's how in did. we get so just have an ambulance at the. bottom because something's going to go. wrong sure enough I broke something in. my hand broke a finger or what have you. and I just thought which sounds. ridiculous from your background because. you you're you know you're all super. tough guys but it hurts no I don't want. to break my fingers I I I didn't and. also it was a [ __ ] piece of Television. so I I I always said I don't mind. breaking my hand if we get a bter for it. but an award but this was just the [ __ ]. skit and I ended up damaged and it went.

on too much so anyhow I went to the BBC. and I said I want to have a meeting with. the head of health and safety because. this is not. good and what what's what's really. killed me is that no one's ever really. ackowledge the fact that I called it. beforehand and I it's very difficult to. live with that initially for me when I. knew I thought I'd done the right thing. I'm not very good at that I normally. just go with the flow but I saw this. coming I thought I did the right thing I. went to the. BBC and I found out really that no one.

had taken me very seriously you I did a. bit of digging afterwards the. conversation I had with those people was. sort of acknowledge then they tried to. sort of shut me down a bit and then they. didn't look after me at all they just. sort left me to rot and I even now I'm. totally perplexed by the whole thing. it's I I to to to actually say to an. organization this is going to go wrong. and then be there the day that it goes. wrong is is a position I never expected.

to be in and I never want to be in again. it's it's strange and and pretty. heartbreaking in many ways I love that. show so did the conversation between you. and the network completely stop after. the. accident um they just sort of left me to. to sweat really I just didn't really I. just sat in my where I live and drank. whiskey I didn't have much contact with. them at all everything went quiet they. had two inquiries um into the accident. commissioned neither of which I had.

access to I I pushed very hard to have. access to the second one and saw some of. it and I had this this is one of the. most bizarre interactions I've had I sat. down with someone from the BBC who who. who was going to talk me through bits of. the second inquiry into the accident and. I'd already been told that I no longer. had a job so I'd been told that Top Gear. was. done and at the beginning of it he said. to me I won't name him he said want to. thank you so much for taking part in. this because it's really going to help. us as an organization going forwards I.

said doesn't really help me I've lost my. job um and I I'm always reminded of that. old adage from a very brilliant BBC. comedy show which was never committed an. inquiry that you don't know the outcome. of in the first place so I don't the. whole thing the whole situation was. ridiculous and I've never told anyone. that you know I think and I want to tell. people that I did cuz I a bit of me. thought as the experienced.

driver the members of the public think. that I didn't do enough to protect. Andrew but I and and Paddy as well they. both had they both experienced other. incidents on that show that I think were. unacceptable and and that's coming as. someone who loves a bit of risk you know. if you and I went outside now and there. were two quad bikes I'd happily roll it. for a laugh with you I'm that guy and. even me as that guy thought it had gone. too far which I think is important to. say right um well that is the problem. with those shows is they always want to.

keep pushing the limit and it's. generally the producers who don't quite. understand the limitations of the. vehicles and not yes they don't have the. experience of of what it's like to. actually be in control of that vehicle. or what is possible right right so all. all too often it's could you just do. that right and and then you want to be a. crowd pleaser you know you want to be. the guy that can do it we had that on. Fear Factor yeah when I was hosting Fear. Factor there was a a couple of times. where I was like what the [ __ ] [ __ ] are. we doing especially the second SE like.

Fear Factor started in 2001 and went to. 2007 and then we came back again in 2011. and we only did six episodes and they. tried to make it just really ramped up. and when it was canceled it was actually. canceled because people had a drink. donkey. sperm yeah which was pretty minor in. consider I mean it's disgusting but uh. it wasn't anything that was going to. risk anyone's lives but I was really. feeling like if this keeps going the. stunts are so spectacular and so big.

we're launching cars through moving. trains there was a moving train and then. the train had all these like cardboard. boxes in it we launch a car off a ramp. like sideways and it goes through the. train you have to time it just right so. you don't hit the car into one of the. the big metal someone in the car yeah. driving it yeah oh yeah my my experience. of that now is that if you establish. really big stunts that have big vision.

and are ambitious they tend to come with. them a level of rigor that means they. are executed well the difficult area is. the kind of just being at a test track. with a smaller crew and someone says. give that a go that's when it goes wrong. because no one's really thought about it. they're saying well we've done the we've. done the risk assessment but just give. that a go while you're here I think that. goes wrong and also my my experience and. this is I everyone that's shot with me. will will be been reminded of this now.

and again close of play end of the day. that's when it goes wrong if you're at a. test track it's just you know the lights. coming down there's 10 minutes to go and. the director says just do that I go no. because everyone's tired someone's going. to ignored the lockdown on the circuit. there'll be someone coming driving the. other way with the coffee cups over. there all it's the end of the day right. I if it's 6:00 5:30 I'm gone I'm not cuz. I'm worksh I'll stay around and pick. stuff up. but don't the end of the day when you. start.

rushing and I think there was an element. of that day at dunsfold that was a shoot. that was rushed for me that was and I I. know that that was a we need to use this. day shoot that's another one that's. another red flag for me we've got a day. at a track we need to fill it well. that's you've reversed engineered that. you know right your your priorities are. already to fill something up and I look. back some of the stuff that we did on. top GE I looked back that was dangerous. visually dangerous and and definitely.

was in in Practical terms I'm very proud. of cuz we executed it well like Andrew. Fred flintoff went off a dam in a in a. Metro and did a car. bungee extra extraordinary piece of. footage you can see it just amazing film. but it was rigorous it was done properly. there has amazing stunt crew that did it. I I couldn't have done it it was it was. Brave and it was a really memorable. piece of Television that this is it oh. what a Legend oh and he's got me in his. ear he sat like that for 45 minutes look.

how far down that thing goes oh God and. um I think I'm very proud of what the. team did there and Andrew was. magnificent dude [ __ ] that can you. imagine [ __ ] look how far down that is. that because if it goes wrong you're. dead yeah and he's got that chirpy. little [ __ ] in his ear as well uh I I. think and there was there's other stuff. that we did that I can't understand what. we were doing so we also did and you. won't find this I think they've removed. it from YouTube but they're say oh my.

God how about that that's so insane how. about that look at when it goes It goes. over itself like that oh my God that is. so. ridiculous and then the. yank. oh but that do you know when I said to. you earlier I bit me regrets doing it I. look at that and I think what a what a. thing to have been part of it's it's. ridiculous. yeah and I'm I'm proud of that stuff one.

thing we did do which again on. reflection was just Madness we there's. the there are these guys that go to. motorcycle meets and shows in the UK. that have these titanium skid plates on. their boots and they hold on to the back. of the bike you might have seen them and. they go really fast and the Sparks go. out the. back and um they would be it decided. we'd be a good idea if we did this so. each of us had a vehicle we were using. or you know you were the person that was. pushing that vehicle you're an advocate.

for that car in the film and I think I. had the new Land Rover Defender you've. seen those I had a short wheel Bas. Defender and I had to hang off the back. of it wearing these we had to wear these. shoes the big problem with some of these. ons Andrew was so brave he would go. first and set such a high Benchmark. you'd have to go [ __ ] I need to really. go here so he went out and did like I. thought he'd do 40 m hour I think he did. 75 mil hour hanging on the back wearing. these titanium shoes oh and any how. Paddy gets in and tries to go really. fast and he falls off and uh he's okay.

but he's he could someone goes padd's. over I looked left the ambulance driver. was having a cigarette at our end of the. runway and he was two miles down there. and I that was the one of those moments. where I thought this has got a bit loose. you know if you're going to do these. things that guy should have been running. parallel cuz those and I didn't like. that right although two minutes of two. miles it's a long time I know although. the end of that was quite I can give you. some levity there I've did my run I got. I didn't get quite as close as F I think.

I did nearly 80 miles an hour or. something and I fell off at the end and. it hurt a bit and I got in the back of. the crew car which I think was another. Land Rover and I was sitting there. thinking this smells terrible have I. done something wrong here a really. accurd smell not from the colon but. definitely I thought this is not a good. smell like a chemical smell yeah and I. and then I was told to get out what had. happened was the shoes were red hot and. I'd got in the car and they just melted. straight through the M straight through. the carpet and it was just smoldering on. fire I look like a [ __ ] Marvel superhero.

um yeah I think. um I'm I'm. very happy and proud to have done top. gear but I I'm so sad at the way it. ended yeah you know no one that's the. ultimate no one had control of that that. day that's what the insurance industry. calls an act of God whether you believe. in him or not um but what happened. afterwards was really sad because. I've I've arrived here you've got your. crew you know you got your people they.

were my people and from that day I've. never really spoken to them oh the. producers everyone else no one really it. just it just went like that bang done. and that was that was very hard. because I just couldn't believe it had. happened so like where they're just gone. and you spend five six years of your. life more in daily contact with people. and it just stops I was always torn on. those type of moments on Top Gear. because I just wanted to watch car. reviews I wanted to watch people have.

fun with cars but then for the Casual. people you have to do something stupid. like Bungie jump off with a car off the. side of a dam it's like I don't I'm not. interested maybe it's because I hosted. Fear Factor for so long I've seen so. many things like that that they're not. interesting to me I want I want to hear. a car Enthusiast Rave about the fun. they're having while they're driving an. automobile maybe you should produce a. show I've got an idea I'll pitch it to. you afterwards but but you're quite. right there's plenty of market for that.

there is and actually this is the. country for it you know maybe in Europe. it's less but I know that when we did. geeky car stuff that was very you know. for you and I the numbers did that yeah. and the moment you did something. hyperbolic and ridiculous the numbers. did that but what about online online. totally different yes right so that's. where it belongs like what where I found. about you was online yeah you know and I. I don't remember what was the first. video that I watched of you but I do.

remember that green Porsche I remember. that's God and that's where I started. out and I suspect I'll return there you. know got plans to to relaunch the. YouTube channel in the next month or two. and there and there's content coming and. I'm YouTube's a very different place to. when I left it I it's pretty surprising. there's so much motoring content out. there it's almost saturated it's very. very Satur and there's so many different. types of markets now too yeah and the. algorithm I the idea of being at the. behest of an algorithm is terrifying if. you if you've just received you know.

check from a network for six years of. your life suddenly going oh I'll go in. with the algorithm that's quite scary it. is but all you need is one thing to take. off and then all of a sudden you're. being suggested to millions and millions. of people which is interesting about the. algorithm and if you just look at one. type of vehicle then you're like um I. really just got interested really. recently in the inos granadier yeah I. was like what a fascinating idea take I.

mean what a limited market by the way. too actually ironically is is the only. example of a brand new Resto mod isn't. it really yes yes similar I mean it's. essentially a new vehicle but if you for. the Casual it looks like a a Defender it. really does but it kind of better kind. of quite a bit better yeah and you know. really interesting BMW 6-cylinder. supercharged engine and so now when I. open up YouTube it's like all Grenadier. years it's all inos like constantly all. these off-roading Australia dudes and.

all these different people like sending. me these. things I I think you're right it does. belong on YouTube I mean Linea tele I. joined a TV show when Linea television. still survived well you know you know. understand destination television sure. it's gone now it's gone it's it's the. world's changed completely Top Gear. still has a place in it you know many of. my previous colleagues make a lot of. online content for Top Gear they do a. great job there's some really good films. but there is a there's something quite. romantic for me about the sit down squid.

onto the sofa with your with your with. as a family and watch 8:00 Sunday night. it was a it was a was a quar religious. experience really but it was in a time. where people didn't have smartphones. you're right that that's gone that's. that waiting for a very specific time to. watch a program no one is interested in. that anymore I know it's it's strange. isn't it cuz it's logical that they. wouldn't because no one has any patience. because of the immediacy of these things. but there's equally something quite. lovely about what we used to do right I.

I I I can't really reconcile it I I I. totally acknowledge the excitement of. the new but I'm slightly wistful for the. past is that fair enough I see what. you're saying the only thing that still. exists that you have to wait for is live. sports yeah so live sports when you're. watching a game the game starts at 8:00. p.m. you have to be there at 800 p.m. it's not going to wait for you there it. is and the the podcast is a as a concept. is amazing as well I've got to be a bit. cheesy I have got a podcast which which. I when's this going to go out is this. going out a day after we record this.

yeah pretty soon well the day after that. my new podcast launches I didn't realize. that what it called it's a really really. interesting name Chris har on cars Chris. Harris and Friends car podcast is what. it's called because I just thought well. he's hind tomato ketchup yeah so that. and that really is a nerd product so one. of the things I did as by way of therapy. was I did a car podcast in the immediate. aftermath of this accident cuz I. realized I wanted to have contact with. this world. I think that the moment your life gets. difficult you regress to what is your.

comfort food my comfort food is cars. right and and I and I love cars they. make me happy well I would much prefer. you without producers and network. Executives and all these different. people telling you what to do I like I. like what I like about podcast what I. like about YouTube content from people. like Matt Farah is I know it's one human. being this is their perspective this is. what they enjoy they really do love. these vehicles and they talk about it. without any influence of other human. beings so you're getting this singular.

Viewpoint which I think is the most. attractive thing about it and and what. the thing you pointed out there this. idea of of having to alter things or add. sort of ancillary comedy to them to make. them appeal to the masses yeah is is. what I found very difficult on Top Gear. because I came there as the I arrived as. the rigorous cester you put me with some. comedians put me with whoever I don't. need to do that they they'll do the. heavy lifting they'll make people laugh. but if you want to know whether the new. M2 is any good or not please give it to.

me and I'll tell you right and the M2 is. a good example when the first M2 came. out I was given it to review for Top. Gear and I just said well I'd like to. just do a review of the car we got a. test track I'll slide it around I'll. tell you what it's like then move on. someone else can make them laugh but. that wasn't enough they had they they. had a section of this where I I had to I. was given this sort. of piece of testing equipment called the. panometer 3000 or something just made up. I had to put on these under pants which. were going to tell. people you know whether my sphincter was.

moving faster in this vehicle I don't. know what it was but it I looked back. and I should have just said [ __ ] off. yeah I don't do that you it's just an. embarrassing moment in my life I but. that was exactly it was they had to they. felt the need to augment the test with. something stupid to draw in the Casual. viewer and that's where YouTube is. brilliant because YouTube doesn't feel. the need to that it can just to do that. it can just cater for us nerds yes you. know whatever you're into YouTube can.

can deliver it without someone from a. network messing with it what's really. spectacular about YouTube is there's. only one YouTube you think about how big. the internet is there is in China though. well that's different I'll tell you a. one good story about that about I don't. know eight years ago or so I was at the. Geneva motor show the biggest car event. in in my world and this uh Chinese guy. comes up to me and he's like really. really grateful I'm so glad to meet you. want to say thank you I went why I say. thank you he said because you made such.

a difference to my life I'm I'm not the. second coming I don't know what I've. done to you goes because you know I host. all of your videos on a channel in China. and they've made me like loads of. money. hman sorry yeah so I did a bit of. research he has he's made lots of he. just he just took you just rip them all. off YouTube and host them wow there's no. regulation wow so he's just telling you. he ripped off but but he had but he. thought he had no it wasn't like he had.

no shame he couldn't even see what he'd. done wrong right right he just like. thanks well China has Apple stores that. aren't even Apple does it yes China has. full Apple Stores where they're selling. counterfeit laptops phones everything. none of it is really out I don't even. they do phones anymore but it was all. they had Apple stores that apple found. out about that weren't even nothing was. Apple. it's it's creating content in the last. 10 years has become a really fascinating.

situation because I'm sure you felt the. same when you started out if you produce. something you own it by definition. doesn't matter whether you're within a. network or have you the intellectual. property in your head is that's mine. right and content producers over the. last 5 years have had to accept the fact. that that is no longer the proposition. people can do what they want you cannot. you can't hunt them down right and it. and it's Shameless and I I still get. occasionally get engaged I don't look at. the Instagram message thing very often.

but sometimes I'll just see someone. saying I I'm just going to post this do. you mind and sometimes I'll go well yes. I do I I went out there at 3: in the. morning right I needly crashed that car. I paid for those re tires right why. should you get the chance to monetize. that for your channel exactly what are. you offering me right nothing I just. find it really odd it's very odd yeah. and it's also they feel like they could. just say a few things you know like hey. look at Chris Harris doing this and. that's enough and also that's enough of. an alteration in their professional.

world could you imagine if one of them. was an accountant and I walked in and. said right right I've got my books I. can't add up I'm really disn numeric and. I'm an idiot just do those for free will. you because just do them yeah well no. he'll say I want some money for that no. no no I just just do them just and also. shut the [ __ ] up and do. them what how does that no other world. works like that no the the content world. is very strange it's very strange where. people can use stuff and and do entire. shows based entirely on your stuff oh.

it's just extraordinary but the the. Chinese example was the best for me. though I love that best is said he. didn't he had no shame about it but he. but actually thought he was doing. nothing wrong culturally they don't. think there's anything wrong with that. at all I mean do you remember I mean you. have to take the Chinese car industry. seriously now but 15 years ago there. used to be a sort of underground recess. of uh at Detroit Motor show where the. Chinese car companies would be and it. was a it was a sort of it was a grim. catacomb of of imitation so he'd go. underneath and they'd be like their.

version of a BMW X5 which was literally. like someone had gone with a BMW X5 to. draw one and done their own version of. it they would just shamelessly copy. stuff because there was no there were no. IP laws over there culturally they. didn't acknowledge imitation you just do. what you want I I've I reacted terribly. at the time I sort of understand now. that if you don't get that from the from. the age of one you can't learn it. afterwards right but they were Shameless. and I can remember being again at the. Geneva Motor Show you'd go to the.

particularly the Japanese cars and you. want to sit in the back of a new one you. couldn't because there'd be Chinese. Engineers from car companies measuring. them. there be like 20 minutes they'd have. these laser rules out going just getting. all the measurements of the interiors. and of the engines and stuff you go can. I look at that no they they'd be there. for 20 minutes shamelessly just copying. scanning the car wow in broad daylight. it's amazing. they make incredible electric cars now. though oh they they've they've stolen a.

march on everyone they really have China. has made they they make some. unbelievable cars I've watched some of. them reviewed online you can't even get. them in America but I've watched some of. them reviewed online and they're just. [ __ ] fantastic yeah they are they've. definitely had an advantage over Europe. uh I can't say for America because you. have Tesla which is you know the only. other Global leader in that area but the. European car industry has been been. caught napping and and it's a bit of a. worry for someone like me that you know.

I'm very fond of a lot of the European. Brands but they're struggling they're. struggling to respond to this there are. boats full of very impressive very good. value electric cars that have landed in. Europe in the last six months there's. also a problem with European cars in. that European cars are always known for. having a great resale value yeah like. particularly like Lamborghini and. Porsche and like Ferrari you can. actually make more money off of them in. a few years then but not electric ones. nope that's the problem like electric.

tians you know those things are gorgeous. that that's an incredible vehicle good. luck trying to sell that thing nobody I. saw Lucid airs which is a fantastic have. you beat in one of those no I haven't. wow I've heard there heard the sapphire. is magnificent it's extraordinary you. can't you you you're going to get like. half the price of that thing yeah in a. year yeah it's [ __ ] nuts the tyan in. America in sorry in the U UK early won.

£30,000 unbelievable someone paid 120. for that three years ago crazy and it's. still really good it is it's a very. again for particular people maybe the. thing the point I didn't make earlier I. have to excuse myself a bit jet lag for. my confused thoughts sometimes is that. the electric. car has one unspoken fact about it it's. for rich people. that's what I find quite difficult. there's a meritocracy about the Motorcar.

that I find appealing is that you you. can have a Bugatti veyon or Chiron or. you could be some guy that lives in. India that's got a little thing that. cost 100 quid or $100 you're ultimately. getting the same thing you have the you. have the freedom to travel to choose. where you're going and I think in a in a. I like you I like to I don't want to be. told what to do and I think it's really. important that that vehicle can take you. where you want to go but the electric. vehicle is for rich people isn't it you. think about it you show me the the.

electric vehicle for for normal people. well it's terrible for people that live. in apartment complexes it doesn't exist. unless you have some sort of a charging. station where you park your car and. everybody has one so you could leave it. charged overnight it's rough but look at. the cost of them yeah very expensive. terrible resale value yeah yeah I it's. it's a very flawed concept at the moment. but but as you say the performance of. them can be your your plaid is a great. example it's a time machine yeah it's a. time machine it really is it merges in.

traffic silently like it goes faster. than anything it doesn't seem real it's. incredible and I'm send the new one that. I'm getting I'm sending to or it's. already sent to unplug performance are. you aware of those guys so they tune. them do they yes because it needs to be. faster doesn't it no well they they. change the suspension it do it's not any. faster okay they they use the same. powertrain but they change the. suspension they widen the front and rear. and they just they upgrade the brakes.

they make it much more just agile I. think the main thing it needs is some. sort of uh jet washable pressure. washable floor because I think. passengers will eventually [ __ ] kidneys. out they're so fast yeah well that. Roadster which is going to be insane. which is basically vaporware now didn't. people like pay full price for those. things like 5 years ago he he's. fasinating I know he's been on your show. I I don't know what to make of him I.

just love the fact that he's he is the. ultimate disruptor yes he's come along. he's just he's seen an industry he's. gone that's ready for a shakeup and he's. and he's had a go and I with multiple. Industries yeah that's what's crazy but. the but the one that's pertinent to me. I'm the two questions I'm ask most are. you know what do you think of the. electric car. Revolution uh and its effect on you know. the environment but also what do you. think about Mr musk I almost don't. really have an opinion on him I just.

love I just let him do what he does what. I what I do know is I'm always. fascinated what he's going to do next. yeah and that's that's all you need to. know and the the stuff that he's. produced 10 years ago there were not. many tesas on the road in the UK now. they're everywhere I don't know any. other vertical that's H that's witnessed. penetration like that you know if I walk. into a white good store I'm not seeing. fridges made by companies I didn't even. heard of 10 years ago but there's the. second most expensive thing you'll ever. buy as a civilian and he's managed to.

have that level of penetration that that. will go down in the history books yeah. it's undeniable yeah it's undeniable and. it's also he's doing that with rockets. and he's also doing that with the. internet so right he bought X or Twitter. and turn it into X and that's a massive. disrup you do Twitter do whatever it's. called now I left it because I got so. much abuse initially when I did top gear. that's when I got you know you can't. read comments no you can't but then you. then you get drawn into conversations. [ __ ] I was and I actually leaving it was. the best thing I ever did at that time.

and I haven't gone back cuz I I didn't. really need it to to promote anything. and it was the toxicity was long before. he bought it for me the toxicity is just. an inherent quality of people being able. to post anonymously you're never going. to get away from that yeah but you just. don't read it that's the most important. thing like people are always going to if. you're a public figure people are always. going to have opinions of you and. there's a lot of shitty people out there. and they're the most vocal and the most. persistent let them talk do you think in. 50 years time you won't be able to post.

or comment without your identity being. revealed I hope that's not the case but. probably I I think they would like to do. that in America yeah you know um but I. think it's important for whistleblowers. it's important for you know people that. work in an organization and they want to. expose corruption they want to expose. something they want to expose uh some. illegal thing they're doing in regards. to the environment it's very important. you have to have they want to expose the. government it's very important to allow.

people to be anonymous when you're when. you're in a dark place as I was 18. months ago you can feel that very. pertinently there was a lot of very. unkind things said about Andrew's. accident uh and Top Gear afterwards and. I did want I thought to myself all those. Anonymous keyboard Warriers [ __ ] you I. was I was and you know this I was almost. at that State which is the ultimate low. the Kelvin of of uh of human behavior. which is I'll meet you in that car park. so we can have a fight you know you know. how bad that is I could do it as well as.

you but when you step back from it yeah. but I I'm I don't engage in any of that. stuff I never I don't read negative. things and I don't engage in it it just. I I'm not afraid of it I just I know. what it is and I don't like it I don't. think it's necessary I don't think it's. good for you I don't think anybody gets. any benefit out of it I don't think the. person gets benefit out of you calling. them a [ __ ] and I don't think you. get any benefit out of calling them a. [ __ ] I don't think it helps and I. just look at it I do what I call Post. and ghost yeah I post things and I go.

away and I don't care what happens in. the comments and and also I'm very aware. of bots I'm very aware because we've. done a lot of research and research. we've done a lot of we'd have a lot of. conversations and done a lot of reading. about the amount of content that's on. especially Twitter that's not organic. and it's an extraordinary amount it's. there's an FBI analyst that estimated it. to be in the range of 80% yeah 0 % of. all the accounts he thinks are [ __ ]. and they're used to promote specific.

narratives they used to argue and shame. people they're used to attack certain. political figures and public figures and. and then that conversation becomes. completely changed because there's a. swarm of people that have a very. specific narrative and then the Casual. person read well maybe they're right. okay this guy is a piece of [ __ ] I. always thought he was a nice guy and. then it everything changes and just. don't engage don't it's I'm interested. in reading people and their toxic.

opinions sometimes but often times I'll. I'll go that doesn't seem real and then. I'll go to their account and sure enough. they have 39 followers and it looks like. they're probably in you know [ __ ]. Russia somewhere and in a troll farm and. not a real the pentious side to it is. like all the aspects of life that we. know are bad and we shouldn't go there. be they uh alcohol or you know. relationships whatever it is if you're. if you're in a bad place you're. susceptible and that's what that's what.

I I find very difficult about uh that. side of the internet sure if you're in a. bad place especially you after that. accident then it's a magnet it's like. it's just there it's the crab with its. clor open you're like I'm everything's. saying don't put your finger there you. can't but you do I don't I I I and I did. very briefly and I'm very glad actually. I'd actually left Twitter before then. but I was very I couldn't believe some. of the heartless comments that were made. after it's cuz they're not there it's. like it's a very inhuman way to. communicate we're communicating in text.

to a person that you're not you don't. see their face you don't look in their. eyes you don't feel the pain of what. you're saying to them it's not the way. human beings are meant to communicate. with each other we were meant to. communicate with each other like this I. know this is that's one of the reasons. why podcasts are so successful and one. of the reasons why I only do them with. people in the room also because the only. person I've done without that re recent. in recent times is Edward Snowden for. obvious reasons but you don't want to. that's that's not a good way to. communicate it's not even a good way to.

communicate with your friends through. text message no you want to be there. talking so the person says something and. go oh okay I get it I get it so you so. how why did you think that but it's the. Cadence of conversation and also the the. quality of silence and the way that you. respond and actually I'm now going to. say something terrible my podcast is. done over Zoom but it's the same voices. every week so people become used to the. Cadence of conversation and they can. actually they can I do believe relate to. it if the comments confirm that well. there's nothing wrong with doing podcast.

over Zoom the problem is with guests. exactly it doesn't work with guests yeah. it doesn't work with you can do it but I. know people that do it with guests and. they're fine they just they adjust and. they're very good podcasts I listen my. friend Duncan does a lot of people. through zoom and they're great they're. great conversations but if you had if. you had to sit down and speak to a room. full of young people about how to manage. third-party opinions of you you on the. internet what would you what did you say. to them just ignore yes yeah well you.

have to be self assessing though you. can't be a person. that is clueless about how other people. see you yes because that's not good. either so you have to be a person who's. objective and introspective and you have. you have to be able to honestly assess. whether or not what you've done is good. or bad and we've all done good things. and we've all had bad work and when you. put out bad work and you know it's bad. just just accept the fact that it's bad. feel that pain grow because of it use it.

as fuel to be better in the next thing. that you do and that's it but don't. wallow in other people telling you you. suck or other people attacking you. there's no benefit there's another side. to that that I've I had to teach my. other co-hosts on this podcast who. weren't from a media background at all I. I personally believe that to ignore the. negativity you can't wallow in the. positivity either I just think. you don't have the right to just pick. and choose what people say about you you.

can't just absorb the nice stuff and. ignore the bad stuff abely that's just. as bad for you because then you're like. I'm pretty [ __ ] amazing like you know. that's bad for everybody too that's not. good nobody benefits from being told. they're amazing you know if you did. something that's good so congratulations. you worked hard you put out something. that's good leave it alone keep moving. keep moving yeah don't don't read all. that positive [ __ ] and blow your head up. and that happens to a lot of people they. get like enamored it's called audience. capture and you see it one of the things.

that happens uh particular with. comedians you see especially if they. start getting involved in political. comment commentary they they start. getting audience capture like you see it. a lot with uh people who lean right. because there's not as many right-wing. voices on the internet you get a. tremendous amount of support all these. people say you're you're the only one. out there speaking the truth and like. and they out there speak the truth and. you start believing that [ __ ] and. then you change your perspective yes.

audience capture yes yeah that's. dangerous too yeah when you when you. you're becoming conditioned by the. environment you're in without realizing. it actually with on just segue back to. the BBC I've SE that with with that. Network I work with I think there's a. lot of high quality people that work at. the BBC and I and at the moment they're. under a lot of pressure and everyone's. everyone's judging them as individuals. within the organization I think the. organization is that environment is is. is almost impossible to work in now and. it's changing them they almost have. nowhere to go well they're also it's.

like it's an unhealthy relationship in. the first place because you have. Executives and producers who want to. make a thing but they're not the talent. and so they're also not the experts so. they have their own ideas and they have. to have some sort of an impact on it to. justify their position so you see people. having ridiculous suggestions that. everybody has to entertain because Bob. is an ex itive okay Bob is the [ __ ]. co-producer we got to listen to Bob and. Bob's got some stupid [ __ ] idea that.

you have to hear out and if you say Bob. it's not going to work because of this. now you're in an argument with Bob and. Bob's mad at you and would you ever make. television again like that no no done. I've just finished something for the BBC. which and this podcast is going to be he. going to put the cat to the pigeon so. I've got one thing I've just done with. the BBC which is not car related um. which will be my last thing I've done. for BBC probably um I I I did it with. Patty I loved it it was actually about. wellness and and trying to you know. which is a I [ __ ] hate Capt word even. a word like mindfulness I can't if I. just said it so I apologize to you.

wellness and mindfulness have both been. captured spirituality as well mean. anything basically it's about it's about. me being having let myself go I'm [ __ ] I. let myself go I'm a bit better now but. you should have seen me a year ago oh. and I and we've gone off and done three. one hour shows about you know was that. in as a response to the yeah yeah yeah I. just I sat I sat and I drank worldclass. quantities of single malt I had made I. had I like I like a single malt and I. had built up a nice little collection.

you know a really nice little collection. I was quite I was quite disciplined I'd. pull myself you know a beautiful Glen. farless 25 and i' I'd enjoy it and i'. put it away I did that collection in the. first month after the Top Gear incident. the whole lot gone oh wow and then I. then I slipped into the full you know it. was terrible and alcohol yeah and I and. I and I I I don't look back on it as. being I now realize how bad it was was. but I'm a bit of a box ticker like you. have to you can't talk about it unless. you've done it I've done it so that was.

the Box you wanted to tick let try alol. I didn't want I didn't want to but now. I've done it I get it I get it and I you. know and also I was doing a weekly. podcast my my sort of decline was quite. publicly documented and some people saw. it some people didn't but i' sometimes. someone would I'd see someone say is he. all right I'm right no he really [ __ ]. isn't um uh where was I with that but. but but I I do think that the um yeah. that the if if you start going down that. route it's a problem it really is a.

problem yeah it's a real problem um I. should say mindfulness Wellness what. other words Wellness is worse than. mindfulness they're both the same to me. we went to so this show we did all right. and this is I'm not promoting it's just. it was interesting because I I like cars. and the BBC had me all I wanted to do. was present stuff about cars and this. organization decided to send me off to. go to Sweden to to see what it's like. why they have a good quality of life I. know they do I've got a lot of Swedish.

friends I've been to Sweden it's [ __ ]. great place it was it was an amazing. experience I loved it but it didn't. involve cars I want to be making shows. about cars this what I love doing I'm. being hired and doing your own thing. there you go I'm grateful for it and I. think that's a really entertaining. television although we missed out one. bit you talk about uh having to drink. donkey Seaman yeah there's a there's a. clip from this show that's I don't that. doesn't make it but I'm given this. substance to drink by this guy who's got. an impish grin I'm like and I'll do I'm.

that guy that will eat most things you. know if you film top you've been around. the world you've eaten stuff you. shouldn't have eaten and as long as you. survived you just it's another box. ticked you know I never thought I'd eat. a sheep's rectum I but it's fine bit. chewy um but I was given this this vial. of liquid and I drank it and it tasted a. bit like a really pey single mole. imagine an arbag that's like really pey. I was. like and on the label it said beaver and. I was like okay what's that and I and I.

this Swedish guy said it's uh yeah it's. essence of a beaver that we make liquid. uh alcohol with so you flavor like a. shine with Beaver because it was strong. and he went he sort of fudged it and. moved on I was like and it was strong it. was the flavor was in my mouth I. couldn't get rid of it transpires this. is a secretion from the anal gland of. the Beaver so I ate Beaver ass I drank. it I was secretion so someone milked a.

beaver oh boy and I drank it wasn't that. bad what's the benefit of this. supposedly it has some quality it does. and you know if you see the average. Swedish guy walking around you'd I'll. have some of that Beaver juice if I look. like are they all drinking it I don't. think they're all drinking it but I. think are some of them drinking it yeah. I think so really it's popular over. there it was it's for. sale to be fresh. I tell you what happens if you get a a. tainted one here it is tals from The. Fringe Beaver gland vodka wow so that's.

the beaver's butt right there the gland. in the Vodka 10 days later I was in. Japan doing some other work and I I. remember the my host saying what do you. think to that food and what I wanted to. say them was I can just taste Beaver ass. 10 days later wow all my my old factory. system such as it is was only. registering Beaver for 10 days every. food I ate tasted of beaver did you try.

to like wash it out with alcohol I tried. everything wow it's an. incredibly fire. spinning uh didn't do that must try that. I was thinking how would you burn it off. I know I don't know you'd have to have. to just get a new head wow so it. eventually just dissappeared disappear. but after 10 days you still had it it. was still there you know when it's just. there as a sort of residual taste I. would have been so upset yeah you.

[ __ ] you ruined 10 days worth of. meal but also when I found out it hadn't. made the cut I was like come. on has not made that's not I went to do. the voice over for the and it's not in. like that's so. crazy but I I Wellness as a concept is. is something that I as a word I hate and. and I'm I'm I'm proud of the show that. will come out at some point but I but. I'm I like cars I want to make shows. about cars and I will go of course I. will go back to the internet um and I.

will that's where you belong you you. belong doing your own thing Chris Harris. on cars was awesome we might bring it. back let's say it I've got some we we've. made some films and I'm going to give it. another month and then we'll give it. another go well a bunch of people were. trying all these different things like. they were trying to monetize it so you. had to subscribe online order to access. the content we did that it just doesn't. work doesn't work you lose. 99.9% of people there's too much good. stuff for free yeah people have that's. another thing we come back to that idea. of this Chinese guy going thanks for.

educating my children or whatever I'd. done there is no monetary value placed. on content now there's a few firewall. systems that work I think New York Times. and the times in the London Times works. I pay for that and and I think they make. money it works barely but it's they've. had to work so hard as they have been. diminished greatly by the the lack of. people wanting to buy paper newspapers. it's been a big imp on them it also. changes the way they do journalism. because now everything's very click. baity you know which is a real problem.

as well but the expectation is that. content is now free right yeah uh you. know how many how many listeners would. you lose do you think if you put a pay. wall up for this well I lost 50% when I. went over to Spotify did he yeah. initially yeah we lost like half but we. got it back pretty quickly yeah yeah I I. I think the way that we relate and. interact with content is fascinating. there's a ever bigger appetite these. devices mean that the immediacy means. that there's there can never be too much. content I was pointing that out when I.

first saw you here that you have the. tiniest little iPhone the little baby. mini that they don't my friend Yoni has. one of those too I I admire it I admire. that you don't even have a case on yours. which is even crazier well the iPhone's. a funny thing because it's it's a bit. like a steering wheel in a car that's. your contact point it was designed to to. feel brilliant and the iPhone with that. metal Ridge is one of the most pleasing. objects you'll ever pick up so why put a. condom on it I don't I want you don't. want it to break I want it it's made out. of glass it's still working and I want.

an un sheathed also mine has a nice. little kickstand look at this oh oh. what's that yeah look at that oh so you. yeah okay yeah when I'm sitting at the. kitchen table but but when I sit down. when I get in a car I don't want. something around my steering wheel I. judge people so harshly when I get in. their car and they have some stupid. [ __ ] thing on their steering wheel. I'm like what is wrong with you who are. you do you wear mittens on top of that. you [ __ ] idiot what are you doing. I've come here um briefly for two. reasons one because I want to be on this.

podcast see you the other thing I've. come to do in this state and I'm going. to need some help with this I'm not here. for much longer is um I saw a bumper. sticker advertised that I think is the. greatest bumper sticker ever created and. it simply says Texas is bigger than. France that's it it's the. statement and I it's for sale online and. I've got a I've got I've got eight hours. now to go and find it before I fly back. but I have to get this bumper sticker oh. we get you one it says it literally just. says it's a statement it is the greatest.

statement made by any uh state or C it's. quite a bit bigger than France isn't it. where is it. yeah I okay I just love it look at that. there yeah it's kind of funny it's. brilliant and I want that I have an I I. have a well really we were talking about. this at the beginning before we got. Roland but it really is its own country. yeah it's very different than the rest. of the country it's very independent and.

one of the reasons is the history of. this place like for the longest time the. kamanche dominated this territory and. you couldn't get across the land and so. the people that eventually figured out. how to fight off the Comanche and settle. down they're the craziest most rugged. individuals ever it's the Texas Rangers. they figured out how to cold camp and. there's a a photograph of Jack Hayes. who's the original Texas Ranger out in. the lobby and that's why he's there like. without those Psychopaths that figured.

out a way to fight off the most. ferocious band of Indians that ever. existed in the. plains we would no one would be here so. they were very reluctant to join this. whole Union thing like what the [ __ ] are. you talking about also they've they've. been conditioned to. become animals you know to be Extreme. Fighters once they' once their battle's. finished they don't stop being Fighters. right well just flavors the the. independence of the entire State and the. pride of the state it's how does Austin. fit into that CU I think it's viewed as.

this Center of Cosmopolitan life within. a state that's known to be a bit. different so how does that work it's. good it's a balance so Austin is this. Preposterous Progressive blue City. that's surrounded by Ranchers with guns. so this is saying Keep Austin Weird and. surrounded and I think that's accurate. because you got a lot of very you have. universities here you have some really. intelligent interesting people here. great restaurants great nightlife but.

also you're surrounded by Texas Texas. the real Texas the the the majority of. Texas is like ranchers and small town. people and they're heavily. armed that's the thing about being an. English person sorry a British person. this the the gun thing is totally. foreign to us I'm not going to I'm not. going to offer any opinion at all other. than say that it's just foreign it. really is and at at times I'm sure. people in the UK would quite like to.

feel the security of having that about. them but it is it's amazing driving. around here as a British person thinking. that person in that car has almost. certainly got a gun yeah certainly we. don't have that well we also have the. First Amendment and you see the. consequences of not having the second. amendment in the UK because they can. tell you we're going to lock you in jail. for a Facebook post yeah and you know. you can't really do that here you you. can't just force people to go to jail. you can't that was an issue also in.

Australia Australia they took everyone's. guns away after one mass shooting I. think in the 1990s and they were able to. round people up and put them in camps. when they found out they had a cold it. was crazy you can't do that in America. the the second amendment protects the. First Amendment it's it's it's maybe the. the what's transpired for me having. traveled here so many times and worked. here so often in the last 25 years is. that because we speak the same language.

and we all look quite similar we assume. our countries are really really similar. but they're not they're really quite. different we have a real cast system. over there you class and actually. they're they're both wonderful places I. love coming here there there's a there's. something about all of the states that I. visited that I love and I have no strong. opinions maybe this the older you get I. no longer have strong opin really about. the way other people live their lives. it's like that's your it's what you do I. don't I don't have any opinion about. that at all really it's what you do it.

works for you and in the UK we're. different as well and I I i' the older I. get the more emolient I become I think. about that I when I was younger I would. have had stronger opinions about that. but you know the way that Texas operates. is is Texas's stuff it's it's it's the. way you do things and I don't I don't. I'd have to be here a long time to fully. understand the layers of it the nuances. of it and I and if you came to North. Somerset where I live there's there's. aspects of it that look because we speak. the same language that look like they're.

straightforward but they're not. everything has subtleties doesn't it. yeah that's that's that's why I see it I. I don't I think maybe to come back to. some of the comments it's when people. become. partisan without any real information. that we get that we have problems people. always giving me their [ __ ] opinion. about stuff when they haven't stopped to. consider it right you know and that's. not I'm not trying to dodge issues here. you can probably tell I'm I'm completely. apolitical I I um I just don't like. politicians I don't I don't I don't care.

what side of the fence they sit on I'm. deeply suspicious of people that go into. a career of Politics as you should be as. you should be so so I'm not I'm not I. don't profess to be on one side of the. other I just all of them tend to be. inexpert I think the idea that we've. created a system where you get promoted. because you're inexpert is ridiculous. and in my world that manifests itself in. transport I've never come across a. transport. uh minister in the UK that really has. any idea what's going on or any interest. or even uses [ __ ] transport other. than being driven around they're just.

bureaucrats it's ridiculous so so that's. my position on it is I just sit there. bewildered by what's going on um and. maybe maybe where I am a total softc is. I I don't I don't have the Spy to stand. up and shout about it but I just it's. bizarre for me that we that that we have. inexpert people making decisions for us. hence our discussion about electric cars. yeah but also we have people that have. the right to say whatever they want. online without having stopped to think. of anything that they were talking about.

or to or to research what they're saying. it's it's remarkable but there's also. this because of that because of there's. these shitty opinions and nasty people. and all this information flowing in Bots. and all this other stuff it makes you. consider the nature of speech and it. makes you consider like what what it. gives you a choice do I choose to engage. in this kind of stuff do I choose to. read this kind of stuff or do I just. recognize it for what it is like I don't. drink moonshine if I don't go to the if. I go to the supermarket and there's a.

jug of moonshine I don't go well I need. to buy that and start drinking it no I. don't drink I don't want it I know it's. there I don't drink it right so you can. choose to avoid the things that suck in. life you can but through the prism of. Parenthood I've got three kids I I I do. as well yeah I I that's where it gets. tricky yes and and I don't know whether. you've you've probably experienced this. as well but when I was first on Top Gear. there was a lot of hate flying around um. and you know I was just hated because I. wasn't Jeremy which is odd cuz Jeremy's.

one of my heroes I think he's one of the. greatest broadcasters out there I love. Top Gear and to suddenly be the enemy. was really weird I I loved what he did I. loved his Top Gear I was just trying to. do my own Top Gear and I just got shat. on for it but when my children started. taking heat for what I was doing for a. living was very difficult yes I found. that very difficult and and I it's crazy. that people go after someone's kids for. a television show about cars like what. kind of a piece of [ __ ] if if I was a. political broadcaster or someone that.

was talking about the NRA I can. understand it I'm talking about the. motor car yeah exactly not the third. world debt it's it's a to it's. ridiculous but it doesn't matter it's. just shitty human beings with bad lives. they want when they go for your kids I. tell you something about. this never said this publicly uh I had a. phone call one day um uh from the from. family home saying that my youngest. child had been out skateboarding it's a. farmhouse midd now he's been.

skateboarding on some little lane I when. I heard that I thought why would he. skateboard there it's really rough he. just fall over um but two people in a. car had approached him and said and and. tried to coax him into the. car it turned out it was two uh tabloid. journalists that were trying to get some. dirt on me but they tried to coax my. child into the back of the car oh my God. and I and I. I agree with you that I want to be have. a sensible view of this world we live in. but when you've when you've experienced.

those things or when you've had to sit. down and speak to your your kids'. teachers about the awful things that are. being said to them just because their. dad happens to present a TV show it does. change you a bit you don't come back. from it completely well you recognize. the real [ __ ] nature of some human. beings and when you're confronted with. it we we're kind of always aware there's. bad people in the world but when you're. confronted with it over such a. superficial thing you're so right so. refreshing to hear you say that it's. just a car yeah I I deal in the least.

serious subject on the planet yeah it's. a motor car it's just being attached to. that iconic name that's all it is and. then also the way that show was. cancelled because Jeremy punched a. producer did you have to work with the. same producer Jeremy punched no he he. that guy had left I met I I can't I met. him once shook his hand I never didn't. know who he was come on team Jeremy yeah. he he's he's he's brilliant of what he. does he punched the guy the guy probably. sucks oh Jesus I'm not I'm not coming to. you on that I'm going to get in trouble. but but I but I do I've always if no.

one's ever really asked me what I think. of je I think he's just the best he's. quite a [ __ ] character and I. shouldn't I shouldn't have um maybe I. shouldn't have tried to follow him but I. wasn't trying to follow him I think what. I what I I now realized I was trying to. do was I was trying to be part of the. solution I knew I could do the driving. bit but I thought the other people could. could carry off the Jeremy bit right and. I now realize that's very difficult a. difficult act to follow yeah you're not. going to follow that you're just going. to be different he's a completely unique.

person other I think they did Elon. dirtier than anybody ever did oh they. were naughty with that they did a. terrible thing they were naughty they. did a terrible thing and I talked to to. him about it and he was Furious they. pretended that his car died and they did. it for a sketch and this is the early. days of Tesla when Tesla had just that. little tiny car that was basically a. lotus with an electric engine yeah all. right that was called the Roadster that. was the original Roadster yeah the. original one which is a cool looking. little car and um they pretended that it.

died on them and they did it for a. sketch and they got away with it because. it's entertainment and they were allowed. to create a script and apparently. someone had got a hold of the script and. read in the script before they even. filmed it then the car dies and then we. have to figure out why the car D so what. kind of an impact do you think that had. on the sales of his car I mean how to be. extraordinary you're watching the most. popular automobile show in the world and. they say your car sucks so bad that it.

died when they were testing it when it. didn't die I be careful what I say here. but without wanting to shatter anyone's. Illusions that's the way those car shows. are made that's the way a lot of reality. shows are made unfortunately so. ultimately you reverse engineer an. outcome so you're being told this is. what you're going to find this is what's. going to happen all we need to do is you. got to help us get there now in reality. TV I can understand it but if you're. reviewing a product as you say that tens. of thousands of people make and and they.

rely on that thing selling for their. livelihood it's not and you're just. lying you're lying you're lying about. this car breaking it did not break one. of the biggest problems on Top Gear for. me was when things didn't break so the. you know often the producers and and I. understand why they'd want stuff to. break that was the joy particular. normally with the older cars we'd buy. and mess around with but actually older. cars. are quite reliable now you buy something. and expect the engine to blow up it. won't well how many of those 1988 Toyota.

Land Cruisers are still on the road with. hundreds of thousands of miles you try. well they did a brilliant uh film about. that and they trying to kill a land. Cruise when they just couldn't ended up. dropping off a building and it drove. away they it's the Cockroach of the car. World Inc I have a I have a 200 series. Lan Cruiser V8 Diesel 157,000 Mi on it I. have an 80 series it's just they are. they're brilliant vehicles and actually. I lobed a bar on Instagram the other day. by saying I drive around in my Land. Cruiser feeling sorry for Range Rover.

drivers and I just got a whole L of. didn't read it but but I do think that I. have some sympathy for people that make. television because you know if you they. say don't work with children and animals. but working with cars can be difficult. and I one side of Top Gear that I found. unpalatable not just the sort of the. silly comedy bit which I didn't like was. quite often you'd be given a script I'd. be given a script and my review was in. it and I'd be like well I haven't driven.

it yet so this is the part where you say. it's great but what if I think it's [ __ ]. right but for but they they the I can. understand why the producer and. directors thinking well we've got to get. all this package together that's our. hour there that's our hour there but we. haven't stopped to actually evaluate. this thing we're supposed to be. evaluating and I have some sympathy with. people that make television cuz actually. that bit's just that they don't care. about that but for me that's all what. matters I want I want to give an honest. opinion of the car well that's where you. shine and that's why you should only be.

doing things on your own I think I will. after this yeah you [ __ ] [ __ ] that. Wellness show too listen I have to take. a leak let's come back we'll take a. little quick break dogs in cars is a. good subject yeah I love having my dog. in the car my dog loves going in the car. he knows we're going to go do something. fun the dog so is it sensible to suggest. that the dog is the ultimate car. companion sure cuz they're never upset. yeah yeah they're like yay we're in the. car it must be we're going somewhere I.

love so my I've got a GT3 touring 991. you bring the dog in that what kind of. dog he's an English Bull Terrier how big. is he quite a size but you know he's on. with the shark face he just looks like. he's going to kill you but all he'd do. is lick you to death he's a gorgeous. animal and um from the very from as a. pup I he all all dogs have access to all. cars it's really important for me if. you've got a if you have a car a million. dollars dogs going in there I for me. it's a it's a it's like a that's the. closest it gets to religion for me I.

love it cuz I it's a for me it's a. demonstration of of who I am I want my. things I love the most to share the. things I love the most right so the dog. goes in it and the dog and I love. patination on cars so my cars are known. for being not that clean let's say they. just I live in them and you know the. handle on a GT3 under the bucket seat. where that lovely handle that you moves. forwards or backwards on mine they're. all chewed where he chewed them as a. puppy and I leave them like that so when. people get in they go [ __ ] what was that. and I go I the dog chewed that um but. the only time I've come to grief is that.

I now I'm very I'm very suspicious of. switch gear that's laid on the. horizontal because I was on a slip Road. in an in an M3 of mine last year no. sorry no it would be the GT3 and I came. off a slip Road and I accelerated it was. wet and I thought I'd lean on the. systems you know when you just get that. you lean on the traction or the ABS and. the car went fully sideways on a slip. Road in the middle of the day and it. looked outrageous I me that's what I'm.

quite good at so I went well there you. go that's sideways wound it off again. the dog had put his paw on the ESP. button turned he had turned all the. systems off without me knowing oh no so. now I'm aware of that he's not allowed. to do that yeah they shouldn't be right. there but that's I suddenly thought. that's there he is a what a cutie and. that's in the back of the M5 the V M5. that's pip dog oh that's nice he's an. absolute Legend he is I I I um and but. he's a great dog companion no dog.

sickness just I just love going plac. with as long as they're accustomed to it. that's the thing when when I have had. dogs in the past that I didn't take in. cars often then you take them in the car. they're kind of freaking out why are we. moving they start throwing up but it's. awful I don't want to see a dog like. that no one want see animal stressed. right and I I have rejected cars because. my dogs didn't like them I had a I had a. thing called a I had a thing uh I bought. I I borrowed one and I bought a Golf R. estate it was a I'm not sure you got.

them over here but they did a Combi sort. of station wagon you've got there's a. theme I love station wagons why do you. like station wagons I I I think long. roofs and curtailed asses look better. really yeah the three box thing doesn't. do it as much for me I like long down I. don't know I think they look gross yeah. I love them I see them I'm like what is. what' you do to that [ __ ] thing so I. bought so I this is the new actually. good looking I bought I bought the old. one so you type in the click in 2015. golfire estate there and I uh there's a.

and and. I any one of those yeah that'll do so I. I would have bought one of these that. would be good and that's not it's not. too showy and he'll do the job and at. that point I had my old dog Boss V. Morana and um and I put him in the back. and he just got out again I was like he. hadn't done that before I put him in the. back again and it was quite evident he. did not like the car I don't why I so. you didn't like the car because he. didn't like the car so I took the car. back and the guy who saw it said what's. the problem I said dog doesn't like it.

and he went what the dog what do you. mean I said what the dog doesn't like it. I can't live with it because the dog. lives with me so it goes absolutely wow. yeah no the the the dogs are what could. it possibly have. been who knows dogs dogs are as we know. the most incredible things we don't. deserve them they are wonderful but they. see and they perceived things. differently to us yeah he knew it could. be that he didn't like the cologne that. the German guy that assembled the boot.

interior with you know dogs dogs operate. on a level of perception we can't even. understand right so I yeah your. fascination with bears you know could a. could a man beaten be beaten up by could. a man defeat a bear I always love that. it's like well what are you thinking of. I love I often like walking around. trying to think what my dog seeing of a. situation he smelling oh they must be. smelling just so many different things I. know they apparently can if you have a. hamburger that has like um cheese.

pickles onions ketchup they can smell. all the individual items in the. hamburger they smell everything they. have like a a reference of. discernability yeah it's just very. different than ours so do they have like. Terminator vision is their red code. going across and they're like CU they. have no language too right so it's all. on instincts which is fascinating. because you know nobody taught my dog to. pee on things he just knows that you. step what's this pees on it you know.

when I like take him on trails and he. finds out where all the other dogs have. peed like oh I got pee there too but my. there's an emotional sensitivity to. these animals as well that thing there. you just seen the picture of I mean you. was bred to fight bulls and bears that. was it was bred to do but if um let's. just say at certain times in the month. if my girlfriend is feeling down my dog. will go and cuddle her and sit with her. all night and provide heat to the part. of her body that's in pain he will do.

that consistently every single time he. knows wow he just knows he knows she's. uncomfortable yeah they're empaths. especially when they really love you. there's something about them like my dog. understands language like he he doesn't. know just like sit give me your paw lie. down I bet you he knows tone yeah he. knows things like like like we could be. going towards the house I go now let's. go around the back and he's okay we're. going around the back like he knows what. I'm saying he he's it's like real subtle.

real simple I wonder if we over project. on them because when we were discussing. earlier about some of the this sense of. being just so disappointed about our. fellow Homo sapiens I over project onto. my dog the more I get disappointed by. human beings the more I Revel in dogs. well they're like human beings though in. that it depends on the life of the dog. like people get killed by wild dogs yeah. like in Georgia some couple recently was. attacked and somebody was killed by wild. dogs because the dogs are fending for.

themselves they live horrible lives now. people that live horrible lives are [ __ ]. people right they're they're dangerous. [ __ ] people yeah whereas a dog like. Marshall that's said nothing but love. and he's a golden retriever he's bred. that way he's just a genuine joy to. every everyone he meets like you're my. new friend everybody just assumes you. know but you've met dogs like they see. people they're sketchy they're scared of. men you know those maybe they were. beaten they're a reflection of the. environment which exactly exactly where.

dogs are just like us they're just like. us you get a dog like Carl Carl thinks. everybody loves him and he just want. everybody wants to play and that's what. he does he just runs up to you and tries. to play because that's his whole life. that's all he's ever experienced is. being taken care of I want some bear. chat so I have I'm slightly fascinated. by these really large Bears big. Grizzlies and I do find myself sometimes. at 400 in the morning when I can't sleep. Googling just the size of them their. potential power the potential statistics.

of what they can and can't. do are are they as or inspiring as I. should think they are oh yeah and Beyond. yeah there's a great story that you can. find that's on YouTube there's a clip of. my friend Steve ranella and he was on a. fog Knack Island and they were elk. hunting and they had shot an elk and um. a fog neack Island is an. incredibly difficult place to Traverse. the the bush is dense and thick and the.

Bears are enormous a fog Knack is. connected to Kodiak uh by a small land. strip I believe uh it's it's certainly. like right next to Kodiak I might be. wrong about the I think it's maybe used. to be I'm not sure but the point is they. are coastal brown bears and Coastal. brown bears are the same thing as a. grizzly bear but their diet is very. different so their diet is so rich in. protein from salmon they have so they're. enormous they could be 1,800 lb they.

could be 11 feet tall they're [ __ ]. huge they're preposterously big and you. can't imagine how big they are unless. you you really encounter them so my. friend Steve he was with a group of. friends they had shot this elk and he. was filming it for a television show. called me eater um they shot this elk. and they put most of it up in the tree. and they carry some of it back to camp. and Camp is 6 hours of trekking through. the train so then they come back the.

next day they Trek six hours they find. the spot they sit down and they start. eating lunch they don't realize that a. bear has claimed that meat and so the. bear charged through the camp and one of. the. guys winds up on top of the bear the. Bear bar RS through the people and this. guy is literally riding the back of the. bear for about 30 yard before he falls. off of it one of my friends my friend.

Giannis it is nashing its teeth about 18. Ines from his face as it runs by now. imagine a head this big I mean the head. is is like this isn't it like this enorm. I mean so big just impossibly big and. it's nashing its teeth 18 in away from. his head as it run runs by he hits it. with a trekking pole like whacks it with. a trekking pole they're all he said. Steve the way Steve described it he said.

the most reptilian part of your. brain is ignited where you no longer. have like what should I do there's no. there's no thinking in terms there's no. language the flight chaos full chaos. full chaos terrifying chaos no one had. their gun in front of them no one no one. knew what to do they were all theun. pistols were in the packs rifles were. sitting down over there no one was. prepared no one thought the bear was. there they didn't understand that it was.

there yeah I think I. think as a northern European we're. always fascinated by the [ __ ] we haven't. got right and grizzly bears are up there. with Chevy. Suburbans most muscle cars honestly the. idea of the other the foreign is really. fascinating any any person that doesn't. have that sure and I same with Australia. you know you know you go to Australia. it's a very different thing they have. little [ __ ] that will kill you right.

spiders you go there and someone will. casually go yeah mate that'll that bites. you you're [ __ ] you're like what do. you mean it's just spider no mate Jesus. it's not like a big furry thing right. but in South America it's big and furry. it it's it's it's whole presentation is. I'll kill you right these ones are not. quite like that right so I do have this. fasc with this stuff and again that's. why YouTube's great because as as a kid. growing up if you wanted to find out. about this stuff you couldn't really you. had to go get a book or there was no VHS.

you went to Blockbuster you couldn't buy. documentary on grizzly bears could you. right you didn't get it right now it's. all over there but even a documentary. not going to do it you have to. experience them yeah you have to. actually be around one and see it have. you so you have been up close with these. things I've only seen one grizzly bear. in the wild and it wasn't big it was. about 6t but it looked at me so much. different than any other animal that. I've ever seen it looks right through. you like am I going to eat you yeah so.

you were a food source yeah are you a. food source am I going to eat you what. are you one of the best things I've. done with Top Gear was with Matt LeBlanc. who um as you can tell I'm very fond of. um he's just a he's great fun but he had. this. idea uh around Bigfoot so he's a. believer is a in his own way he's not an. ABS he's not a Believer but he presents. a really strong argument I like people. that as you can tell I I'll shoot that. argument full of holes but I like I like.

to apply tests to things he's not a. Believer but he likes to apply tests he. said stand in the Washington State. Forest and tell me that we know. everything that's in there and I if you. come from a little island off Europe the. size of your forests are or inspiring. yeah and the idea there's so much stuff. that we might not know about does. interest me okay they're probably at one. point time was something yeah that's. what it really is and there's an actual. animal called gigantopithecus that. existed alongside human beings that was.

an 8 to 10 foot tall bipedal ape that. lived in Asia and could have come ac. across the bearing land bridge yeah it. is possible it's possible so and there's. also Native Americans have some enormous. number of names for these creatures. different tribes have nor so they don't. have fake animals they don't have a. bunch of like dragons and stuff that. doesn't a myal right so and I don't want. to I don't want to pitch uh Matt into. something you know he's not he's not. some crazy believer but and actually the. premise of the whole film was fun it was.

he was there going there I think there's. something here let's going have a look. for it um and I was just acutely aware. as we were in we shot it in in Northern. California so North San. Francisco the forest at night there's a. sketchy place you know it it really. reminds you of just how insignificant we. are and how vulnerable we are without. our manade. objects to defend ourselves sure and I. and I in the context of that a bear for. me was terrifying actually I I just. thought they were creatures I'd seen on.

nature programs the idea there was. something out there that viewed me as. food that if you live in England we. don't have that we simply don't we don't. have mountain lions I'm not going to. eaten by a badger I think the largest. carnivore in the UK is probably a fox or. a badger we don't have these things that. you have all right it's difficult for. you to understand there's nothing that. views me as a food source California. killed all the Bears all the Grizzlies. they used to have well the California. state flag is a grizzly bear yeah and. their bears were similar I believe in.

size to Coastal brown bears um the the. Grizzlies the the brown bears that used. to live there and there's a place in. California called LC um is a town called. LC that was named after I believe his. name was Steven LC he was the last man. to get killed by a brown bear in. California before they eradicated them. so this is in the 1800s I guess. so they just started killing them all. they just killed them [ __ ] these things. they're killing everybody yeah let's. just kill them you can sort of see why. oh yeah but a polar bear is even more.

madness again isn't he oh yeah have you. ever seen that BBC show where they put. the guy in the glass cube oh my. God I mean what was going on. there that is so terrifying the thing is. just smelling meat inside that Cube and. trying to get through it to get to him. it's biting it and you see it's massive. jaws and they don't eat anything but. meat yeah so they're they're the most. dangerous of all polar bears and. ironically they're the ones that we make. the seem to be the.

cutest [ __ ] that thing how do you know. that's going to work by the way did you. try that out on a bear it looks like a. [ __ ] X-Wing Fighter doesn't it from the. inside and this bear just gets to it. it's like oh there's meat in there how. do I get to that meat I just that and we. make those things out to be our friends. you know that's that's the you know what. would you do for a kondik bar you know. they sell Coca-Cola they sell kondik. bars and this this bear is just a. [ __ ] super.

Predator beloo Belo was a bear it's. systemtic what's beloo beloo Jungle Book. oh yeah the friendliest it's amazing. isn't it that we anthropomorphize Bears. yeah more than just about any other. creature Yogi Paddington Bear sure yeah. yeah yeah friendly cuddly I think I. think cuz they they do look quite. appealing MH and they are dog like. aren't they they're slightly dog likee. snout sure shape of head well we put. hats on them and [ __ ] only you could. prevent forest.

fires and they want to they want to eat. you yeah they want to eat you they want. to eat anything that's slow I mean. that's what they're there for they're. Nature's Cleanup Crew friend of mine. walked to the North Pole for some reason. I don't know why um and um and he was. and he had a lot of training beforeand. this is a long time ago but the the the. polar bear training was that he talked. about was quite. difficult to absorb really effectively. it was that there was no there was no. gun that you could carry on an. expedition like that if you're just on. your own or with three other people with.

sleds there nothing you carry that you. could immediately produce that would. stop a polar bear an adult polar bear so. the best thing they had was a is a a. short shotgun that had a solid bolt just. a solid bolt in it and if you could get. that one thing off you could stop it but. there's no gauge of shotgun that was. going to stop one of these things it was. coming at you so They Carried this thing. they carried this thing that had a solid. bolt in it that's all he had I don't. know much about guns but that's what. that's what they said they were given G. there's some pistols that you can.

effectively unload into a bear and stop. them a 50 cal would stop it would it. yeah well sure a 50 cal I don't think I. have a 50 cal pistol but they have 40. you know 40 Magnums 44 Magnums but that. would stop a bear you have to shoot it. multiple. times yeah not one and you know and like. if you have a 38 or a 9 mm met Good Luck. Good Luck is that bounce right off its. head their heads are so thick you could. literally shoot it in the forehead and.

it'll probably bounce off its. forehead I mean they bite each other. you've seen them go to war with each. other when they bite each other they. have insane amounts of power and and. bite force and they're just clamping. down on each other's face and they'll do. it for half an hour walk away like it. was nothing okay that versus a big. gorilla that's a good question we've had. that question many times what is it I. think the gorilla is at a severe. disadvantage because it doesn't really. kill anything y so the gorilla just.

nashes its teeth at other gorillas and. makes like he's a badass and they have. incredible power but they don't even eat. meat whereas the bear all it does is run. around killing things it's all it does. kills things and eats dead things and. it's what it wants to do I got my money. on the bear I love it I love it what I. know about is cars and I'm here to. asking questions about bears but well. they're fascinating it's a fascinating. part of our world and it's all the. anthropomorphizing is a really. fascinating aspect of it and I think in.

America it happened with Teddy Roosevelt. with the teddy bear I think that's the. beginning of the end and then Disney. movies were a huge problem Disney movies. are a huge problem because all the Bears. are your friend they all talk to. everybody and hey and say why would you. kill the bear like that is a giant. forest dog that's an evil animal that it. doesn't give a [ __ ] about you or your. kids it'll pull you out of your tent. it'll eat you 100% you and and they're. wonderful and they're beautiful we. should definitely keep a healthy. population of them I'm not saying we. should eradicate them but know what they.

are and don't be influenced by these. goddamn cartoons cartoons and movies. which have [ __ ] people's heads up yeah. it's as a parent you realize it as well. particularly um in the UK we have you. know we don't have dangerous species of. animals like that but we we do through. anthropomorphizing them in films. cartoons we make we make things cute. that might not be cute sure you know we. have a real urban fox population in the. UK uh and um it start they actually.

started in my hometown of Bristol um the. fox is a clever creature and it worked. out that it was much easier to come into. town and raid bins and it was to stay. out there trying to find rabbits in the. countryside and these nighttime foxes. would they were very clever no one. really knew where they were they were. there the BBC made a fantastic. documentary I thing again adenor in the. early ' 80s about about Urban foxes and. they've spread throughout the UK and the. fox is this you know in in in most. cartoons it's a lovely cuddly thing with. a bushy tail it's a beautiful color um.

but they're you know they're they're. Predators they're a real problem for um. for farmers and they they eat a lot of. pure I'm not even going into fox hunting. that's not my world but um but there's. been a few stories recently of foxes. going into people's houses and you know. attacking babies and you know stuff like. that and you and then you see on. Instagram people feeding the foxes in. their back Gardens and you think this. that's not a domesticated animal yeah. you can't do that you can't you know you. got to make it you got to decide one or.

the other also if you feed them then. they become accustomed to getting food. from that particular area and then you. you kind of [ __ ] them up because then. they lose their ability to hunt yeah if. you do it too often if you provide them. with food every day you're going to [ __ ]. them up I've been I've just had my. holiday down in Nuki on the new Co North. Coast of coral which is just one of the. most beautiful places on the planet and. when you buy fish and chips from the. fish and chips Outlets they all have a. seagull warning now on the shop front. saying when you buy your fish and chips.

protect it because all the seagulls just. dive bom people wow so it's it's like uh. that scene in the that Jurassic Park. film when the pterodactyls were coming. down you ever seen a seagull eat a rat. yeah hole hole. just they just throw it down they'll do. it to pigeons they'll do it to. everything they can catch there there's. a wonderful Instagram clip I'm I'm. admitting too much about my search. history here I think it's a corant just. being given like a black oily thing just. being given fish and it eats like five.

and actually you think that the volume. of fish you've eaten there is greater. than the mass of your body no way that I. didn't think you could eat that no. there's so many videos of like different. birds throwing down a whole largemouth. bass and it's like how is it even. getting in your mouth it doesn't they. have these skinny little necks and they. swell up. and they have the the fins popping out. the Tails popping out of their mouth. yeah they're pretty extraordinary. creatures and they're essentially. dinosaurs and and actually to come back.

to the content discussion YouTube. whatever it is I do love the fact it's. all out there I love the fact it's being. recorded MH uh I I had never seen this. stuff I've got a particular phobia and. it is a phobia I hate crabs and I'm not. talking about the STD style I'm talking. about crustacea why. I think they're horrid to look at I. think I don't eat I won't eat them I'll. eat all other Seafood I'll eat all other. Seafood but I won't eat a crap you'll. eat lobster yeah how weird is.

that insight into the the adult brain I. hate the crab I also think it's an. totally unnecessary um looking creature. they're so delicious though you love. them everyone I know loves them my. children adore them but if if there's a. big brown crab on a plate I can't even. sit in a room with it really [ __ ]. off just an awful thing also and this is. a good example right in in the pantheon. in the pantheon of hateful Aesthetics. right right you have a SC you have an.

exoskeleton so you so you're inside out. you this thing or someone or something's. decided that's going to be inside out so. it has it has a shell to protect its. soft cuddly and as you describe. delicious inits why would you make that. exoskeleton hairy that's unnecessary. it's also disgusting this thing has. hairs growing out of a shell what up. that's the worst of anything well very. lucky they're small it's also. interesting that people they catch them. and snap their claws off and throw them. back in the water cuz their claws will.

regenerate and they'll grow another claw. that's from a film that's not real no. it's real no it shouldn't be allowed in. other words it should be f it should be. Fiction it's that's right that's from a. horror movie type type in coconut crab. oh yeah those are crazy they're huge. like anything that you're scared of. you're fascinated by it someone did a. someone did some research into the claw. bite force of these things. and they were absolutely shocked at at. the talk and power they could generate. look at that guy holding one you get a. perspective what is that the size of.

that thing what is that come on that's. unnecessary isn't it well um so type in. type in claw strength of coconut crab. and you will be absolutely horrified at. what they found wow look at the size of. that thing they are freakish where do. they live they live on a couple of. islands. 3,300. Newtons that's so nuts that's that's.

that could take your hand off oh yeah. wow the bite of Mo it's stronger than. the bite of most land animals including. leopards bears and wild dogs and it. looks like something from a horror movie. do you know there's some speculation. that that's what the fate of Amelia aart. was yes so when I read that I just yeah. that she crashed got on this island and. the coconut crabs ate. her that's insane I mean luckily I think.

they clamp slowly they don't yeah but. more than a leopard what the [ __ ] man so. what is that thing biting through is. that metal oh they're just horrendous. there's that there's that lovely guy on. um Instagram who's a fisherman who does. the experiments with the lobsters and he. gets the lobster crushing claw and he. puts stuff in the claw and works out. what they can chop in half I find that. thoroughly addictive but crustacea like. that that's my Ultimate Nightmare it's a. hard life it's a hard life for them you.

know yeah like and you can't make them. pets no that's how they're wired did but. the stats of that so stronger than a. leopard bite that's so B I would have. never imagined that I would have never. guessed no and and I I stay up at night. worrying about this sometimes there's. something called the Japanese with a. giant spider crab so where I used to go. on holiday as a kid was this lovely old. sort of Victorian St hotel in cornall. that was run a bit like 40 Towers fact. it was like 40 Towers had the guy that. run it that was the Curious guy that.

made lots of jokes that people found a. bit rude but he was wonderful and they. only had about three magazines in their. very smelly Lounge area where all the. old people would sit and one of them was. a National Geographic Magazine from. about. 1975 but I'd always sit and read when my. parents were doing other stuff and it. had an article about Japanese giant. these giant spider crabs and there was. just one picture of in a tank with with. its legs like 7t apart or something well. let me see this then and it's it stayed. with me it stayed with me for years.

called I was reading about these crabs. sorry got locked into the crabs giant. spider crab okay spider Japanese spider. crab giant spider crab the coconut crabs. are from Japan as well giant giant. spider crab can't believe I'm sharing. all this I I CRA crabs are a huge. problem for. me they really are my children know look. at look look at this what's that. wow are those things do they taste good. look at that are the coconut crabs.

delicious I don't think I've never heard. of anyone eating a coconut crab I wonder. why that one in the pool Jesus Christ. that's. insane that's so big I had no idea that. there was a crab that's longer than a. human being absolutely disgraceful. thing can you eat a Japanese spider crab. think I think you do yeah looks like. they got them on ice so it looks like. they're preparing a Japanese spider crab. is no easy task what you got you got to. find a big pot yeah right you're got to.

break it up I guess. wow no what about um find out about the. coconut crab can you eat coconut. crabs I might want to eat. one I I'm going to send you a picture if. I get one I I'll I'll I'll be glad to. see that it's no longer moving I I just. I just cannot get my head can you eat. them yes it says above that above that. and AFR disiac oh but look it says yes. coconut crabs are eaten as a delicacy on.

some islands and are considered an. aphrodesiac in other places some say. they're tasty and don't need any extra. seasoning or cooking and can be eaten. after boiling for about 10 to 15 minutes. however the species is threatened by. intensive hunting oh poor babies they. ate a milon air heart whose [ __ ] side. are you on say they don't what I was. reading they don't have shells that's. why their their claws are like their. protection oh and they mostly on one. Island only eat other crabs oh wow. they're cannibals yeah oh like they eat.

red red crabs I guess C oh they eat. other crab well we mostly eat other. animals we're animals D me well I've. shared too much there so that that's my. ultimate fear crabs I can remember. several times we'd be asked on Top Gear. when we were going away you know are you. okay with everything and I'd be thinking. I'll do anything I'll eat my own feces. but if there's crabs there I've got. problems. and only once did we go somewhere where. there was we had to go we were just in. Cuba filming the opening for this film. and uh we were in the Bay of Pigs so.

we're actually there we were right there. with a with a Maserati and an old Camaro. filming this intro to a film totally. random is it like being in. Cuba I'll give you that in a minute okay. um and um and I don't you know I was so. punch drunk with just travel and filming. then I working so hard I you'd almost. just wake up and go it's another mad. place I were in Kazakhstan today like. okay we'll get on with it and looking. back I was in Kazakhstan for 10 days. with Matt Matt LeBlanc from friends.

that's a mad thing to do that's pretty. mad you know but at the time it was just. like work any so B of pigs and I looked. at my phone I thought this is this is. the Bay of Pigs [ __ ] hell you know. this is where you know this is where it. all went a bit wrong for America this is. historically quite a significant Place. could have been a real problem yeah um. anyhow and I look I'm looking around and. there's lots going on and I look left. I'm filming the opening piece to camera. which was typically bad for me but the. reason why it was really bad was I look. left there was a crab down there.

shuffling around and I'm like I I need. that gone but I can't admit to people. that that that big is worrying me like I. really worrying me I'm not I'm thinking. that's going to crawl up my leg. something totally irrational I think we. all have a creature maybe a bogeyman or. bogey woman or whatever it is that maybe. we fear do you have one or all no but I. think where that comes comes from I have. a feeling it's genetic memory I think. that's where idop phobia comes from and. Arachnophobia fear of snakes and spiders. I I think cuz some people we we've exper.

we experienced that on Fear Factor as. well some people have a real it seems. like a genetic irrational fear of. certain things and I really feel like. that is some memory from either an. ancestor getting bit or seeing someone. get bit and die I think there's. something to that there's a reason why. exists in some people and not in others. it can't be completely irrational can. right no I think it's uh I think it's. completely a genetic memory that's my my.

number one guess Cuba was fascinating. because I suppose as American citizen. you can't go there can you can you go. there now I think you used to be able to. go there I think during the Obama. Administration they made it so you can. go there it's an amazing place because. it's it's one of the. few which is kind of crazy your. government can tell you you can't go. somewhere like [ __ ] some that's so close. to you as well exactly you go there on a. rowboat it's a it's a museum is what it. is it's a fully functioning museum for.

automobiles for for for life in many. ways you know it's not it's not. something that's been allowed to develop. the way that a country should have. developed over the last 40 50 years. right so you have um a society that is. has limited technology uh and has has. evolved the way that it that it that it. does and I then you see how resourceful. human beings can be with with reference. to the automobile yes it's fascinating. because there's really it's a strange. mashup of weird Soviet intervention and.

Americana from the 50s and well up to. 50s so they they've kept these American. cars going that should have died they've. also got a whole load of Soviet era. laders that came in when the uh Russians. wanted to help them out and and also. that's where their power stations come. from their power station they have a. calf fired power station on the north. side of the island that when it's. operating has a plume of smoke that goes. as far as the eye can see I mean it's an. it's an amazing thing I couldn't believe. it it's sort of slightly hidden from.

from all the. tourists um it's yes it's a it's a. country that hasn't been allowed to. develop at the same speed as the rest of. the world and it's what 100 miles from. the coast of the us or something I mean. it's it's 90 is it yeah it's amazing. it's a it's a well worth visiting if you. can go just to see it just show just. shows you what happens when human beings. act absurdly did you feel safe over. there totally yeah totally safe I I had. I had I I I in many ways I loved it in.

many ways I wouldn't want to go again. it's one of those curious places where I. I thought I've seen the right side of it. if I scratch too deeply am I going to. see something I don't want to see right. maybe that was it Well you certainly. will I mean there's a reason why people. are escaping there you they're trapped. they're trapped in a Communist. dictatorship yeah it's not good. but but as a tourist you obviously. presented something completely contorted. AR that's what happens when you're. making a TV show it's also a Communist. dictatorship that's in a very unusual.

predicament because they're not allowed. to trade right so China's a Communist. dictatorship but we buy everything from. China yeah they're arguably worse than. Cuba but we're not allowed to trade with. Cuba because some [ __ ] that happened in. the 60s but Cuba can sell stuff to other. countries other than America so you know. we're full of their cigars and their rum. and but not America it used to I think. you can get them now in limited. quantities but it used to be if you got. a hold of Cuban cigars you would I would. I would get them I'm going to tell you a. thing I did that was illegal I used to.

get them from England yeah and I used to. get Cuban cigars I had a friend who. lived in England and he would send me. Cuban cigars and then later he would. send me the. labels so he would he would send me the. cigars with no labels yeah like in a um. like a Ziploc bag send me a few cigars. and then he would send me the labels in. an envelope aoup coup days later the. pollution in Havana was the worst I've. ever experienced of a of a city I think. when the wind changed that that power. station just Bloom straight over well.

there's a place was it in Indiana. there's where there's three Coal Fired. power plants and if you go outside you. can run your finger over someone's. windshield and you have black cold dust. on your finger and all these people in. that area have all sorts of weird. [ __ ] diseases because they're just. breathing in particulates every day we. went to um one of the best things I did. with Top Gear again a repeat phrase. maybe I need to reconsider my negativity. was was the Kazakhstan thing with with. Matt so we went there and Rory was there.

as well and we we we ended up at bonor. which is the cosmod Drone where they. when know where the Russian space. program is. based um and it's an incredible area I. mean it's just mind-bendingly brilliant. the vastness of that part of the world. the Soviet Union if we think that. America the United States of America is. Big the Soviet Union was was on a scale. that you cannot comprehend Kazakhstan. was just a small bolt on to to Russia. but in itself has I think the fourth. longest border of any any country with.

Russia it's it's enormous and by this. area of called bonor the way that the. Russians worked was once they'd Ed the. launch site they' just go somewhere else. because it was so big they just abandon. that one move on to another one it's a. bit like rabbit Warren you know they. just move on and they plotted all of it. in a map anyhow we went there and we. watched um well when got close you were. aware of the amount of heavy industry it. was just the place was the first place. I've been to where I thought I'm not. sure I should be breathing this it just. felt like you were breathing in stuff.

that was hurting you I'd never I've been. to you know Indian cities where there's. heavy pollution but that's just sort of. diesel and petrol fumes there was. something else here you know you're like. going what is that um but they it. culminated with us watching a soy's. rocket. takeoff and they let us get much closer. to film it than you would normally be. allowed to be and i' I've never watched. a rocket takeoff before I haven't been. to Cape Canaveral or or anywhere in the. US it was one of the most a inspiring. things I've ever seen sounds like such a.

cliche but watching a vehicle that has. enough power to leave our atmosphere is. something I'd advise anyone to do if. they have the chance it it's there's a. there's a sort of ripping sound in the. air that people will seen it will. understand it feel it does feel like. just the power of this thing is. shredding the atmosphere around you and. it hits you in the solar plexus you have. no control over this sort of rattling in. your chest and I think we were less than. a kilometer away from where it went off.

it was absolutely Sensational to witness. wow just power raw power wow and the. idea that Mr musk has got something. that's more powerful than Saturn five. about to take off is that that. fascinates me that all of that s of. things just we talk about power and. engines your Raptor's got a bit of grunt. but these things they just rattle you. but the smell afterwards is interesting. oh it's got to be horrible yes like. every time they launch I mean how many.

cars does that account for you think. about like the amount of pollution. that's put out amount of carbon that's. put out by the burning. Rockets I can't even begin to quantify. and also 100,000 cars what are they. burning as well I mean what's what's. there what's in there I talking about. ropey fuels I was talking to some uh. guys that used to race sports cars and. Formula 1 back in the 80s when they were. using some very funky fuels because they. they had there was lots of Technology. left over in the second world war that.

the Germans had for jet engines that. they had pioneered that had weird. lubricants in them that allowed them to. run at you know very high temperatures. or or have properties that normal fuel. didn't have and they would use it for. qualifying particularly in Formula 1 and. the drivers after one lap were gone they. were just spent there was also great. stories about the fact that they would. they' sometimes have a sort of area. outside the Formula 1 garage it wasn't. as a developed as to sport then but they. still had sponsors and guests and one.

particular team had you know all the. trees they put outside just died in an. afternoon cuz this fuel was so obnoxious. and and actually a guy got Andy Wallace. who's fantastic racing driver who who's. now the chief test driver for Bugatti. tells some amazing stories about. literally being hauled out of group C. race cars after qualifying because the. fuel was just impossible just poisoning. them wow but it gave them an extra 100. horsepower for that lap well how about. leaded gasoline leaded gasoline has been. studies that show that in the places.

with higher amounts of leaded gasoline. there's a you can see the lower IQ in. the kids and they think that it has. dropped people's IQ by a measurable. amount like people that grew up around. leaded gasoline which is me yeah like. during that time have we are Dumber. because of leaded gasoline the pipe the. pipes in our homes 150 years ago were. made of lead lead pipes well my friend. Shane Gillis is in a hilarious bit about.

George Washington and George Washington. had lead Dentures so he had this lead. thing where these fake teeth were PR so. he had like lead in his mouth so he's. getting lead poisoning all day long I. have a I have somewhere in my house. something I bought from the internet. which is Boots chemist so our chemists. your DVS we have boots which is our. standing chemist it's a logo of of um. Healthcare of of stuff that's good for. you boots used to sell cigarettes for.

coughs I've got some I've got a tin. somewhere it's brilliant so and it shows. you how you should smoke them to get rid. of your cough oh boy so I think that. wasn't that long ago no that's probably. after the second world no before the. second world war crazy I would have. thought years ago they thought. cigarettes were good for cost of course. they did but but then someone I just. Googled something like it to see if I'd. find the art the the uh dad and it AI.

says that menthol cigarettes are. flavored which to help with coughs oh. come on what it says it can Dem Menthol. can decrease the cough reflex I've never. which can help with coughs heard of that. by reducing Airway pain and irritation. Menthol can reduce the pain and. irritation caused by cigarette smoke. decreasing the cough reflex Menthol. triggers cold sensitive nerves in the. skin which can decrease the cold the. cough reflex soothing a dry throat. Menthol can Soo the dry throat feeling. that's funny that AI is willing to say.

something that's very UNP you think the. AI [ __ ] up here cuz I've never heard. that well it's probably true it's. terrible for you it's say hover smoking. can make you cough more duh interesting. that's so weird yeah can't you take. Menthol without it being in the format. of a cigarette I'm sure yeah it's a. cough drop I think yeah but what we what. we've learned about. metalogy is is fascinating and it does. it does mean that that's why we have to. apply that to what we currently witness.

in the motor car in the automo industry. that there is there's technology out. there that will change something at some. point we just don't know what it is yet. it's going to happen because we're. having to relearn so much of what we. thought was fact in in other areas of. our lives and I think maybe that's what. I get frustrated by is you can't wait. for that unprecedented change to come. necessarily but have to assume at some. point someone's going to make a battery. that runs on wasp piss or [ __ ] water. or something aren't they it's going to. happen scientists are clever they have. big foreheads for a reason at the moment.

the argument is where there's not enough. Cobalt and where you get get the lithium. from it's a slightly speeches argument. because I think it won't always be like. that someone will someone will invent. something that means that we won't need. the Cobalt and the lithium well some guy. invented a waterp powerered car a long. time ago and he was murdered do you know. that story it's one of the great. conspiracy theories that he yelled he he. met with some people you know that. wanted to talk to him about this design. and then he yelled they poisoned me and. he ran outside and.

died Jesus yeah and then nobody ever. heard about the water-powered car ever. again after that so what is all that I. don't know [ __ ] all that [ __ ] um so. the mysterious death of Stanley Meyer in. his waterp powerered car it's a. wonderful conspiracy theory I haven't. looked into it enough to know how much. of it is true he looks like a Tamir. model underneath look at it it looks. like the it looks like the the wild one. mhm so this guy had developed this. water-powered car that you know had. incredible mileage interesting messaging.

on the side of the vehicle. yeah Jesus Christ a lady it says it's. Lord Lord oh is oh Jesus Christ is Lord. oh okay this cursive um Stanley did. Stanley Meyer die because he knew how to. turn water into. fuel this is a British newspaper it the. express when was this go. back I can't remember this thing is. ridiculous on the screen what kind of. [ __ ] website is this it's some really.

bad one see if there's another arttic. I'm sure there's other articles about. that the car that ran on water where. happened happened and outside of in. Columbus in. city so his bizarre death at age 57. ended work that if proved valid scroll. up could uh have ended Reliance on. fossil fusees people who knew him said. his work through worldwide attemp. attention mysterious visitors from. overseas government buying and lucrative. buyout offers I know that he was offered. money to sell I think the why files did. an episode on this the Meyers death was.

laced with all sorts of story and. conspiracy Cloak and Dagger stories. Gross City police uh Lieutenant Steve. Rob robinet lead detective on the case I. told them the Stan had died and they. never said a word he recalled absolutely. nothing no condolences no. questions how did it but how did it run. on water I don't. know um Steven Myers featured a numerous. internet sites significant portion of. the 1995 documentary it runs on water.

narrated by science fiction writer. Arthur C Clark aired on BBC focuses on. his water fuel cell invention it's a. fuel cell okay he was ignored called a. fraud and died without his hometown even. remembering him with so much as a. plaque. H but I have to believe. that a piece of technology will emerge. in the next 50. years that will make us all wonder why. we all got so freaked out you know yeah.

right especially over exhaust right it. says the basis for Myers research. electrolysis is taught in middle school. science labs electricity flows through. water cracking the molecules and filling. test tubes with oxygen and hydrogen. bubbles a match is lighted the volatile. gas explode and prove that water is. separated into to its components Meyer. said his invention did so by using much. less electricity than physicists say is. possible video show his Contraption. turning water into a frothy mix with.

within seconds takes so much energy to. separate H2 from the O said Ohio State. University professor emeritus Neville. rier a physicist for more than 41 years. that energy has pretty much not changed. with time it's a fixed amount and. nothing changes that Myers's work defies. the laws of conservation of energy which. states that energy cannot be created or. destroyed basically it says you cannot. get something for nothing he may have. had a nice way to store hydrogen and use.

it to make a very effective motor but. there is no way to do something fancy. and separate hydrogen with less energy. H so who knows if he but when he said. the Lord sent me okay now it gets odd. his first few words were the Lord sent. me here to this home I'd like to use. your home as an experiment what okay. hold on Meyer's creativity seemed to. Peak when he met Charles and Valerie. Hughes truck drivers who lived in uh the. Jackson Township Julia Hughes the.

youngest of the seven children was 5. years old when Meer rang the doorbell of. her home on Marlene Drive his first few. words were the Lord sent me here to this. home I'd like to use your home as an. experiment she said maybe it was just a. two-story garage shop or the privacy of. towering Oak and sycamore trees Julia. isn't sure what Meer saw there but she. knew her parents didn't have room for a. struggling inventor yet after visiting. with the family for several hours Meyer. stayed the night and then the next few.

years in the late 1970s in return Meyer. built the family a solar Silo designed. to both heat and cool the home the. structure required thousands of clear. resin light guides a crude form of fiber. optics which Meyer baked and molded in. the family kitchen Jesus Julia Hughes. recalled chemical stench the system was. supposed to channel the sun's Rays into. the tower base to heat water and. generate electricity for an air. conditioner despite extensive efforts.

that included re-plumbing the house the. invention never worked oh so he might. have been a c hard to tell but but I. tell you what you love a conspiracy. theory oh I love them I know you do I'm. less I'm seduced by some yeah but but. I'm probably less into them than you are. I will say this. the more you delve. into the relationship between business. and Science and the way that our lives. run it's very difficult. not to assume that many ideas are.

quashed because they're not helpful for. certain businesses and I iable I think. the automotive. industry is is and has been at the. Forefront of that well the oil business. just the oil business in general. speaking of before we go too far uh one. of the kids remembered some people. showed up at the house and offered him. quote $250 million to stop yeah the. Arabs wanted to offer me $250 million to. stop today you and this lovely family.

can live in peace and prosperity the. rest of your days Meyer told them this. the Army officials meanwhile had. questioned Meyer about what foreigners. wanted thinking that that a deal might. have been struck Charlie recalled Meer. telling the family Meer discussed the. offer in the Clark documentary many. times over the last decade I've been for. enormous amounts of money simply to sell. out or to sit on it the Arabs have. offered me a total of a billion dollar. total pay Simply to sit on it and do.

nothing with. it h pardon me goes I think I'll tell. you I'll tell you why an event that that. definitely I like an event that happened. here that did shake my I'm I'm less. cynical probably what I'm I'm less uh. likely to to be as interested in. conspiracy theories Maybe cuz I maybe I. lack your imagination I don't know what. it is but I I like I like maybe I'm. terrified of the fact that I'm being. taken for a ride in too many areas of my. life but dieselgate the Volkswagen thing.

that happened in this country really. shook me because I didn't think. something could have happened on that. scale explain it to people because it's. pretty crazy well effectively um. Volkswagen. were able to put software into their. vehicles that allowed them to cheat in. emissions tests. um and a load of vehicles that were had. stated emissions qualities didn't have. them when they were not on the test rig. um and actually that that process had.

been going on in many different ways for. most Motorcars forever but the but the. scale on which they offended and the. fact they did it in the US meant they. got absolutely hammered for it but you. know if you have an Audi RS4 from 2007. and you start the engine up it idles in. an odd way the car feels very aggressive. for the first 30 seconds that you start. it that's because there's an air pump. inside the car that is basically forcing. air through the exhaust faster than it. needs to so that when you put it on a.

test rig it has lower emissions than it. should do this had been going on for a. long time but the scale of it was I. suppose an sort of an industrial sub. auge that I I didn't think was I didn't. think it could happen right um. especially with a large corporation like. Volkswagen I know it that did shake me. because that I always I I'm a flag. bearer for my industry I'm proud to be. part of the wider car industry and I. didn't think that could happen and it. and it was it wasn't just a bit of. naughtiness it was lies and how many.

people knew about. it one has to assume quite a few yeah. You' assume but I think I think I think. they would have there was a moral. complication to it because they were. still making very clever really quite. clean clean vehicles they weren't you. know they weren't trying. to cover up something absolutely hideous. it it was they were in the. margins but it was still wrong it was.

morally completely wrong and once they. and once they got away with it they were. stuck with it they couldn't suddenly. sort of back track on it right and. there's and I think the it shook my. confidence in in those large. corporations I thought they were being. more honest with us and probably made me. more likely to believe conspiracy. theories afterwards I thought well if. they're capable of that what else are. they doing conspiracy theories are. fascinating because some of them are. [ __ ] and some of them are real and. it's hard to figure out what's what yeah.

you know there's some crazy ones like. the Earth is flat and then there's some. ones like the CIA might have killed JFK. yeah and you're like who they might have. they might have it makes very good. listening I love listening to you talk. about it oh they're fascinating but I. suppose I'm I tend to sit a bit further. back and just I'd like to hear other. people talk about them but when it. enters your world but when something. becomes pertinent to you right you. suddenly go hang on a minute what else. have they been doing here and how bad.

was it and how many of them did they get. away with yeah for everyone that gets. CAU it's not like they catch every. conspiracy right there's no way no no. some of them sneak through and manage to. be effective do you know the latest one. about this gentleman who was a a. billionaire who had apparently over. overvalued his company and uh went to. court for it and the possibility of him. winning this court battle was something. like one half of 1% this is Mike Lynch.

is it yeah the guy who died on the boat. and then right after he gets out the guy. who he's with the codefendant gets hit. by a car and then he gets hit by a freak. water spout and sinks his yacht I was. discussing this over a few glasses of. wine. it's it's Gotan written all over it this. one has it's perfect for you I'm I'm not. going to pass any comment I'm going to. be a soft [ __ ] again but I'm going to. say that I read it and my.

eyes well my eyebrows raised I thought I. seems like a coincidence didn't the. lawyer die as. well I'm just who else died the. codefendant was hit by a car in in. Cambridge I think in so the the one one. incident was a cycling incident in the. UK a few days was it hit and run no. they've got they have the person that. hit the cyclist I think they have got. but they were asking for information. around it did the person that hit the. cyclist have any connection to anybody.

that I don't know was it suspicious I. just read it and just thought like you. I'm like oh my God yeah billionaire. autonomy co-founder Mike Lynch and. Stephen Chamberlain's careers were. intertwined for years in a fraud trial. then they died on the same day miles. apart. yeah I think um I suppose the difficulty. I have with that is that's a tragedy.

they [ __ ] over some billionaires well. they they they [ __ ] over some very. Packard yeah so they sold they sold. autonomy to ulit Packard and there was a. big um he was extradited to the US and. uh and I you I don't know it's not my. world I suppose The Conspiracy Theory. thing is fascinating but then when it's. in the context of people losing their. lives like that I'm like do I want to. comment because it's so awful what. happens and and and also going down in a.

boat was right up there for me of you. know Jesus Christ also a freak water. spout have you seen the size of this. boat yeah it's extraord it's like 300. feet long yeah how yeah how did it say. what happen I know you love it don't you. love it you absolutely love it love it. because I got to think that there's. people in this world that have the. ability to do certain things to certain. people that [ __ ] them. over I think you're right yeah and uh. that seems like that would qualify we're.

talking about they got ripped off by. billions of dollars and then somehow or. another this guy gets off and then dies. right. away yeah and dies in the weirdest of. ways a freak water. spout how many people die every year in. freak water spouts on 300 foot. yards I'm doing my uncomfortable face I. just I it's so it's so out there it's so. out there yeah yeah it really is and and. I I'll bring it back to something more.

mundane there were quite other things. that happened in Formula 1 sport that I. follow the most closely. probably in the 90s and naughties that. looking back you think there must have. been a someone had a button that could. make things happen because it was so. beyond a coincidence and I and I never I. never stopped to think of the. implications of that thought but if. someone can do that in a sport they can. do it in the rest of your lives and. they've always rig Sports I mean people. have been rigging Sports since the.

beginning of sports betting but the. sport that you're involved with you. can't can you rig that oh yes people. have rigged it people have gotten in. trouble for rigging it yeah yeah certain. Fighters might have an injury there's a. uh controversy about a certain trainer. that was involved in betting and then an. online Discord. uh server and they would talk about bets. and they he'd make a lot of bets and he. was making more money betting than other. things and there was a fighter that he. was taken care of and that fighter.

apparently had a knee injury and went. into the fight and then all this money. got bet on this guy losing in the first. round and so he throws a kick in the. first round falls down gets beat up. loses by TKO in the first round blows. his knee out his knee had apparently. already been [ __ ] and so this guy who. is the train has now been he's being. investigated by the feds he gets uh. kicked out of the sport no one from his. gym is allowed to compete in the UFC. anymore and uh he's under investigation.

and if it turns out that they're what. they're saying about him is true he's. really rightly [ __ ] yeah I think. actually there's a crossover here. between conspiracy and. cheating now I think the greatest book. that's not been written and never will. be written is the greatest cheats in. Motorsport some the stories I've heard. over the years are so good just because. what they do is they reveal the. competitive nature of human beings but. also. Ingenuity the you you will see people.

they're most ingenious when they're. cheating not when they're abiding by the. rules right and formula one is about the. phrase that the great Mark Donahue one. of your great drivers Mark donu was a. Canam driver who did a bit for one as. well he coined the phrase the unfair. Advantage which a phrase I love because. it just defines so many sports you. whether we like it or not we're. searching for the unfair Advantage AR we. and in Motorsport some of the cheats. I've heard about are just just brilliant. like what kind of stuff. so I can remember hearing a guy called.

win Percy who was a touring car driver. from the UK in the sort of 60s and 70s. describing how there was a famous. commentator we had called Murray Walker. he was the voice of our motorsport for. 40 years he had a very distinctive voice. he's he was a lovely man met him a few. times and he had often describe when. Percy getting out of this particular car. he'd been racing covered in sweat. because it was such a monster to drive. but it turned out that it was a V12 and. it was very very thirsty so to make sure.

that when they did a fuel check at the. end of the race to make sure they were. abiding by the rules he would be. furiously pumping a hand pump underneath. the seat to inflate a bladder in the. fuel tank to cut off a load of the. volume so. that and he told this story about I. think I'm misquoting he saiding well. that's why I was knacking it wasn't it. was V12 cuz on the warm down lap I knew. I had to pump this thing like 40 times. to fill up the bladder wow and there's. amazing stories of just just ingenious. cheats I there's so many of them I mean.

Formula 1 is about not getting caught. that's really what that's what it's. about you know you what's the line. between interpreting rules and not. getting call and I love all of that and. I I have a few times said to people I. know in this in those Sports can I write. that book will you tell me they no I. won't tell you in the stories I'll tell. them to you now as a friend but if. they're ever published I'm a dead man. right because all the money involved but. the ingenious cheating I mean that in.

1995 Toyota was excluded from the World. Rally Championship because it it just. had a brilliantly simple piece of. cheating it it there all the cars were T. the world R cars were turbocharged and. you have what's called a restrictor you. know an intake restrictor so you. actually make sure that you can't take. more than a certain amount of air into. the turbocharger which should limit the. power and make it a Level Playing Field. but they created this brilliantly simple. bypass valve that meant that when the. car was running the air would just go. around and it wasn't the intake. restrictor was completely redundant what.

they didn't realize was that the the. World Rally Championship had a couple of. situations where the cars would run side. by side it would be a drag race and so. the Toyota just [ __ ] off into the. distance and everyone went well they're. cheating aren't they and then they found. it but it was this was you know. perpetrated by a by Toyota by a car. company and I I suppose those things I. find fascinating so wouldn't you tell. them to don't get ahead in the. straightaway they didn't tell the the. driver Co driver didn't know.

a dirty they just knew that sometimes. when they got in a car someone did that. with a lever wow they didn't know and. Formula 1 is not big In America which is. odd so how do you feel about it here in. Austin because I saw it in Austin it's. amazing I love it yeah I went to Kota. that's that's we have that up there yeah. that's Kota um my friend Bobby owns the. place so you know he took me around and. showed me and we we went there for the.

races it's incredible they put on one of. the best races of the Season here. awesome the track's incredible and it's. so fast they're going so fast it's so. wild to watch and I find it amazing how. huge NASCAR is here where they're just. going around in an oval just they do. have some Street circuits don't they. they do have some shorter ovals but yeah. Formula 1 is is more complex way more. complex and the the the vehicles. themselves are so incredible and they're. so expensive it's just unbelievable how. much money is involved in Formula 1 so.

it makes sense why people would cheat a. little bit I think it's this interpret. this this gray area of interpreting a. rule book that's complicated but also. trying not to get C and and some of the. just the way that they've through the. years and it it creates subfusion it. creates games another great story we. covered this on Top Gear was one of the. great interpreters of the rule book was. Colin Chapman who was the man that. founded. Lotus and um he had found a way in.

something called the Lotus I think it. was 77 it was a car that Andrey won the. championship in they created something. called ground effect so uh it's now a. common thing but he worked out that if. you sealed the sides of a car on the. road you could effectively accelerate. air underneath the car and create a l. pressure area which basically sucked the. car to the ground so you were generating. downfalls not through wings but through. accelerating air under the car I'm by. the way any Engineers listen to this I'm. not an engineer but I basic. understanding of it having driven these.

things but if I'm if my terminology is. wrong I apologize but effectively you're. generating downforce in a way that you. can't see it on the vehicle it's not got. wings uh and what they would do is. they'd lower these there was a sort of a. handle they'd lower these skirts when. they went out onto the track so when the. car went out on track in the and in The. Paddock it looked like a normal car. but he he he they were going so much. faster than everyone else he needed to. find a way of diverting the attention to. the other teams so what he would do was. at the end of a test session quite often.

he'd have a guy Scuttle from the back of. the garage with something underneath a. piece of like cotton or something or a. blanket and run over towards a service. truck every one would see him do it so. all the teams were like they've got a. trick differential they've got something. special but it wasn't it was a kettle. it was a kettle this guy was running. around with underneath the towel just so. everyone thought it was a component it. was a total diversion and I met the the. guy that used to just run around with. this he had a it was like a like a.

teapot Kettle thing he was just told at. the end of the session put that under. there and run away with it so everyone. thinks it's like a differential or. something and I I think that's where I'm. I love Motorsport because it it brings. out these bizarre human competitive. human behaviors what's also the margins. of Victory are so slim if you have uh. the same horsepower same compound tires. just different Engineers putting it all. together differenty different Vehicles. yes they may have the same tires but.

this is you know these are a bunch of. people 400 people in different parts of. the world are told there quite you this. is the rule book away you go and the. margin of and they are within a tenth of. each other on a track yeah it's amazing. amazing it is amazing yeah but they but. they're all at it and and they're all. see there there's always some conspiracy. at the moment Red Bull apparently they. thought they everyone thought they had. some special break system that they've. now had to get rid of because the FIA. was aware of it now Red Bull's. complaining that McLaren and Mercedes.

have got flexible front Wings it is it. is it is the politics of the playground. being played out with billions of. dollars on a racetrack and I and that's. why I'm totally addicted to it at the. moment and how much of that engineering. and Technology gets to Consumer cars. it's a good question. I think direct crossover there's some. but not as much as you'd hope but it's. undeniable that the brains that are. involved in that sport when they go over.

to the road car side carry with them a. curiosity and a skill set that's been so. enhanced by what they learned on the. racetrack that we all benefit I believe. that I think if you look for direct. crossovers in all of these places you. come away disappointed but if you tell. me that the person that has run Max. ven's car for the last three years if he. went to be involved in the next Tesla. Model. 3 he's going to have a profound effect. on it he's going to know [ __ ] he's going.

to have a way of looking at that project. that's going to make it profoundly. better I believe that I once wrote a. story for some in-house magazine I think. for B racing when they had a race team. about the crossover between Aeronautical. Engineering and Formula 1 that's. profound that really is I mean the way a. Formula 1 car sucks off to the track is. an upside down plane but there were. further things as well the carbon. ceramic brake disc was developed for. what. Concord really they had they couldn't. stop Concord it was just it was going.

through brakes obviously and someone. went well why don't we use different. material for the rotor and that's where. the carbon ceramic the the break came. from oh so there was there's huge. crossover in metalogy and actually you. know to to broaden that what's what's. the greatest Legacy of your frankly. amazing mind buug. National Space Program you know it's. it's it's what we learned about. materials isn't it it NASA served to. teach us all about materials this we we. we are benefiting now the car you.

there's something about the Raptor. you'll go home in that wouldn't be there. if NASA hadn't needed to have some weird. material with a property that hadn't. been required before I really believe. that that's that's the incredible. coroller of of projects that are. ambitious on that scale it has to be. with like the defense department and the. construction of fighter jets oh aren't. they I'm just fascinated by them we did. a film with the F-35 I raced an F-35 in.

a. McLaren speed tail uh and the level of. classification around the vehicle was so. difficult because I didn't realize that. we don't as a British government we. don't own those planes we lease them. from you we're not allowed to own them. really yeah so the IP stays with you. guys and what we do with them is kind of. up to you um but we weren't allowed any. cockpit shots at all we wer allow to see. inside it I just got a description from. the from the pilot of what the aircraft. could do well you know they're doing. those fighter jets now with AI running.

them and they beat human Pilots 100% of. the time in dog fights do they yeah that. the F35 was one of the coolest man-made. objects I've ever seen they're. incredible we had to go up there to to. actually it was a bit like that bungee. jump thing this was so serious that we. had to be rigorous for example with the. uh in the theater of war I'm not sure. you can decide whether the ground is. full of chips of stones or not but this. they have a decontaminated area the. runway has to you're not allowed to go.

in there and drop litter because it can. get sucked up when it's doing that. hovering thing um so you go in there. you're decontaminated and we spent. several days working out how to run this. drag race it started out with a genuine. drag race between me in a McLaren and. this F35 and they had their data on how. it acceler ated and we had McLaren there. with their data and we wor they worked. out that the car would get off the line. much quicker and the plane would. overtake at a certain point but I was. told very clearly that I couldn't get in.

the wash of the aircraft as it took off. because it would just flip the car. backwards o and we had to sort of. choreograph that bit not fake it but. choreograph it so anyhow first run we. did I was told I'd be absolutely safe. I'd be so far ahead of the plane that. the plane would then be in the air by. the time it went over me and we'd be. away any anyhow first run we do I'm like. this in this McLaren it's [ __ ] fast. and it accelerates and I look left and I. hear a noise and there's a plane coming. past me on the ground and I thought I'm. in trouble here and the the front wheels.

of the car came off the ground whoa. about 130 something miles an hour it. didn't do that but I was fully as any. racing driver would tell you and I'm a. pretty poor racing driver you know when. the front wheels aren't on the ground. what do you do well you just [ __ ]. yourself and and you're so invested in. it you're like well it's it's going over. if it's going over this is the greatest. piece of Television ever and I hope it. doesn't and the thing just the thing. went it just went next to me and again I.

this is why I you know want to be. someone that expresses Joy what things. to have done and when an F35 comes past. you and it's just got off the ground. yeah you when this thing comes past you. it just started screaming [ __ ] does it. show look at that thing there W that's. incredible it's so nuts that they put. you next to that thing though when it. got when it was right by me it f [ __ ]. and we never.

showed you're going 218 miles hour no. that's kilome K it comes past me like. that. bang and I just thought and the as it. did it the front wheels just went and I. well I'm in trouble. here. wow but the power and the sound you know. you talk about the internal combustion. engine why they these electric things. make no sound we are amateur compared to. what they get to play with yeah and they. have like like what 30 minutes of flight.

time before they run out of gas I I. don't think that thing can go very far. but but you know all this vectoring way. it can just it can just decide to be. hanging like a helicopter yeah. incredible it's remarkable but they. don't share the IP at all you're not. allowed to we were not allowed to see. inside it that is so wild that it can do. that just hover in the air like that and. shoot its draft down [ __ ] crazy maybe. that's the maybe that's the TV show I. just think there's a whole there's a is. it boys toys there's got to be more.

sophisticated there's a whole load of. stuff that's got moving past I think. you're overthinking it I just love I. think you and your passion for. automobiles is all you need do it on the. internet it'll be huge I hope so I think. so I don't think you need anything else. I quite like those things though they're. pretty badass if you can get a hold of. one of those that's great too but 22. have you been to an air show and seen. one of those I flew in an fa18 did he. yeah with the Blue Angels wow it was. insane insane yeah insane just the G4. the physical effect on your body is so.

extraordinary yeah you know they don't. use G suits either they don't use. gravity suits so you you have to hook. it's so you hold on to the and then you. do that blur thing thing H you're. forcing blood and you you feel your. Consciousness closing like an elevator. door you see it you see the darkness. coming from the left and the right. you're fighting it off. I wasn't very good at it I thought I'd. be I always thought I'd be quite good. because people of our height yeah should. be quite good at it but I felt it I I. got put up in one of those extra 300s. the cut the stunt planes MH it's a prop. thing but you know they're the ones that.

they use in the Red Bull Air Races MH. and I once he got to sort of six seven. GS yeah I I started to see yeah you have. to fight it off I think I got to seven. and a half GS but those guys can go to. like 9 10 G's like that it's [ __ ]. insane the the pressure and the the. maneuverability of these things the the. the pilot took me through like this. Canyon and you're you know 100 200 feet. off the. ground just flying through his can. sideways it's [ __ ] insane insane I.

did a a ridiculous film looking back. where the guy called Andy green do you. know who Andy green is no fastest man on. earth he's the one that still holds the. world's land speed record so he he drove. Thrust SSC he was the first man to go. Super Sonic in a car um and and they had. this thing called blood hound and this. is the last thing I'll bore you with on. this podcast so they had this thing. called blood hound which was supposed to. go a th000 miles an hour and they were. going to drive it in on a some salt. flats or some some something that dried.

out in South Africa I think anyhow it. was It was supposed to be funded by. industry they lost all those sponsors. and they decided to try and publicly. fund it and they couldn't and Andy. during that phase said I've I've got an. extra 300 he's an ex pilot fighter pilot. because they the any people that can. Drive these things racing drivers are. useless because the decision making so. quick and profound they identified early. on they need Pilots not racing drivers. he said I've got an extra 300 and it's. got this car has got various stages of. propulsion you start off with a jet then.

it goes to a rocket and he goes his. madness he goes I've got an extra 300. and I've developed a way of doing AER. aerobatic moves that will demonstrate. the change in GeForce during the run so. he's put there's a boore yourself it. he's put he's put there's a film if you. type in my name look at that [ __ ]. thing type in my name and his name and. you'll he'll there a film on YouTube of. him taking me up in this stump plane to. put me through the G's that he'll have.

in the part and I Honestly by the end of. it how fast did he go in this thing oh. my God look at that he had over steer at. over 600 miles. hour look at it that was in the. US wow so he he and he um but the way he. put me through the g-forces I would have. been a terrible fighter pilot I couldn't. I just I kept getting gray gray out. pumping and everything yeah well those. guys are all jacked that's one thing I.

found out about the Blue Angels they had. like when you go to their training. facility has weightlifting equipment. everywhere you have to have muscle. because you have to you're literally. it's like Brute Force but you should. have been brilliant at it then yeah it's. not. fun it's a lot of work so when I when I. do some YouTube videos with cars can I. come and drag you into a car yes let's. do it okay I'm in okay let's go i' love. talking to you thank you very much I. love talking to you too thanks for being. here man it's great to see you again. after all these years yes I'll I'll be.

back in 10 years no let's have it. quicker and let's definitely get you on. YouTube on the internet do your own. thing it'll happen soon you don't need. other people thank you [ __ ] those people. [ __ ] bye everybody. [Applause]. [Music]. [Applause]. [Music].