- Clarkson, Hammond and May investigate the new breed of European pick-up trucks hoping to take on the American and Japanese establishment. Clarkson has a Volkswagen Amarok, Hammond has a Ford Ranger while May is in the new Mercedes X-class.
- Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May investigate the new breed of European pick-up trucks hoping to take on the American and Japanese establishment. Clarkson has a Volkswagen Amarok, Hammond has a Ford Ranger while May is in the new Mercedes X-class. Collectively, they test their trucks with a series of challenges built around the many stages of life in the developing world, starting with rural subsistence and running through the toppling of the dictator, the descent into civil war, and the bit where some idiot blows up a helicopter. Along the way there are chases and races and quite a lot of needless gunfire until the best pick-up is decided upon by everyone except James. Also, in this show, Jeremy is at the Eboladrome to test the snorting, swollen, near-600 horsepower Jaguar XE Project 8.
- The trio head for Wales to compare a selection of European Pickups - May using the Mercedes-Benz X-Class (2.3L, 4-cylinder Diesel, 188 BHP), Hammond driving the Ford Ranger (197 BHP, 3.2L 5-cylinder diesel used also in the Vivarail 230 commuter class train) and Clarkson using the Volkswagen Amarok (0-60 in 8 secs). As part of their comparison tests, the presenters put them through their paces in an agriculture challenge (May uses the rear wheel of his Merc to drive an electric generator, Hammond uses his Ford as a tractor, and Clarkson used his Amarok as an irrigation system). The pressure from the water pump, destroys all the crops and eventually blows off all the electrics. Clarkson argues that Hammond's Ford is not European as it was designed in Australia, built in South Africa and has a Turkish engine.
Conducting a series of third-world tests when the peace is disturbed, including overthrowing dictators. May brings down statue of Kim-Jon Clarkson using 2100 rpm. Hammond brings down May Tse-Tung using 3600 rpm. Clarkson brings down Dick Pot using 600 rpm (the statue was tiny!!) After the dictator is gone there is chaos in freeing the country. They pack their pick-ups with the stuff of an average house and do a drag race. Clarkson wins the drag race as he has the most powerful engine, and the lightest pick-up. May loses the least amount of stuff while fleeing.
Refuelling the military as foreign armies come to the rescue. The trio must take a barrel of oil to the helicopter. Amarok struggles on climbs while the Ford does it easily. Clarkson is soon lost and ends up on a golf course. But soon he finds a route and beats his opponents to reach the helicopter first,. He ends up blowing it when a barrel comes loses and hits the helicopter.
Then finally there are civil war riots as war hits a stalemate. And the pickups are mounted with a gun rack to shoot at each other. So, the trio must mount their trucks with an Ak-47 and be driven through a village, and they must shoot at targets. May has a slippery floor and can't hit anything at all. Hammond indulges in air firing and his gun jams; he too doesn't hit anything. Clarkson is right-handed but left eyed, so a automatic gun's spent cartridges burn his arm. So, he mounts a 0.50 caliber machine gun on his Amarok. Clarkson destroys the town but misses all the targets.
Clarkson and Hammond conclude that the Ford is the best as the Amarok is a bit too posh for being a pick-up. May says he won't get a pick-up at all.
Conversation Street: Audi have released an e-car called e-Tron. Clarkson says e-Tron is French for excrement. Same way Hyundai Kona, Kona in Portuguese for Vagina. Jaguar is thinking about switching to making electric cars only. The trio reckon that means Jag owners will always be charging them at a neighbor's house. Clarkson reckons even with charging points, it takes 40 mins to charge the vehicle, while filling with petrol takes 3 mins. May says that the London black cab has gone electric. Clarkson says he hates Uber and how it tells you who's coming to pick you in what car, as its always a Prius. May says one time a woman got a message saying, "Jesus is coming to pick you in a Honda Accord". Bugatti have launched the Chiron Sport. Its 18 kgs lighter than the regular version and costs BP 2.3 MM.
A man in Canada has lowered his insurance premium by declaring himself a woman. No operation, but just taking advantage of a loophole in the law. Clarkson says how one man used it to get sentenced to a female prison. UK has run out of ash trees and Morgan is now resorting to importing German wood to build its cars. They are branching out into making bicycles and hair care products. May worries why everything they put in your hair is only called "product". Clarkson then accuses Hammond of using Morgan "products" to dye his hair.
Meanwhile, Clarkson reviews the Jaguar XE Project 8 at the Eboladrome. Jag wanted a sporty version for their XE and the normal way to do that is to give the car a V6 engine and fat tires, but Jag decided to completely rebuild the car. Carbon ceramic brakes, bigger wheels, bigger arches. Wider shaft, and a completely new rear end. 5L super charged V8, carbon fiber bonnet. New suspension with Bilstein dampers costing BP 1000 each. Rose joints, ceramic wheel bearings etc. The cost was coming to BP 150,000. So is it worth it? 600 BHP engine. 0-60 in 3.3 secs. 200 mph. fastest saloon around the Nürburgring at 7:21.0. Phenomenal grip that allows you to corner at 140 mph. Clarkson reckons its better than a BMW M3 or even an Alpha Quadrafoglio. Has a huge boot. But they only made 300 of them and they are all left-hand drives. does 1:19.3 on the Eboladrome.
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