'Top Gear' Season 28 Episode 3: When Paddy McGuinness's Pontiac Firebird comes apart in the middle of a race
It has been a fun season of 'Top Gear' so far. The latest installment opened with a Nepal special, which saw Freddie Flintoff bungee-jump off a dam while seated in his car while Chris Harris raced an F-35 Fighter Jet in a McLaren Speedtail. Paddy McGuinness has had quite the share of fun himself. In the latest episode, the trio set out to decide on the ultimate American road trip car. Except, they got the answer to that question in Peru.
We could call that place a haven of classic cars. With £5000 (just over $6000), Harris gets himself a Dodge Americana while Flintoff splurges on a Volkswagen Camper. Trust Paddy to get a bright orange Pontiac Firebird to join the trip. One of the reasons Peru was picked as the location was due to the fact it had the most ancient roads in the Americas. The task was to drive from Cusco to all the way atop the Vilcabamba mountains.
Trouble comes in the form of the Firebird stopping 20 minutes into the drive with a heating issue. Over the course of the journey, the excess heating means multiple stops for the trio until they reach a straight stretch that has Harris come up with a brilliant idea: A quarter-mile drag race. While the Dodge's unparalleled power makes it the clear winner, Paddy fancies his chances and revs the Pontiac just to go off-road and the car comes apart. Literally, starting with the wheels and the back end of his axel.
Luckily, the story isn't done as Paddy manages to buy a classic bright red Oldsmobile Cutlass in the next town to continue the challenge. The other segment had Chriss Harris test the Porsche Taycan Turbo S. The state-of-the-art supercar, which is electric by the way leaves Harris speechless as it is unlike the electric cars he's ever driven. It does come with a hefty price tag of around £140,000 (roughly $180,831), but is worth every penny. The banking and the scary speed it can reach make it a must-have in collectors' garages.
What are your thoughts on Paddy and his Pontiac?
'Top Gear' Season 28 airs Sundays, 8 pm ET on BBC America.