'Top Gear' Season 29 Episode 2: A vintage drag race, Paddy's crash and the wall of death spices up the chapter
Spoilers for 'Top Gear' Season 29 Episode 2
This season of 'Top Gear' just got a whole lot better and if every episode is just as bit as exhilarating as the second episode, the automobile reality show will definitely get a rating better than its predecessor. The episode has three segments that are a mix of speed, fun, and defying death. And there's a crash too, except it isn't Freddie Flintoff doing the damage.
The Ferrari F40 vs The Jaguar XF220 vs the Lamborghini Diablo
Um...let's scratch off the Diablo because Paddy McGuiness crashed it on their way to the Elvington airfield runway for a good old-fashioned drag race. Each of these cars was built 30 years ago and the test was to see if they still had that raw speed in them to touch the 200 mph mark. While Chris Harris picks the F40, Flintoff rolls in the Jag, and Paddy pulls up in the Diablo. In their hurry to get to the airfield, Harris, and Flintoff peel away while Paddy loses control of ye car on the damp country roads.
Needless to say, it's a trashed Lamborghini leaving the remaining cars to fight it out. The F40 wins by a landslide and that's when Flintoff, hoping there's more in the Jaf, decides to go for a speed test. The first trial ends with Flintoff clocking 195 mph and the second, courtesy of some late braking sees him finally breach the 200 mph mark.
Insurance write-offs and musical chair
Ideally, the question is what's the relation between the two? However, the show producers give the trio £6000 to buy cars that are insurance writeoffs. Paddy comes with a dented Porsche, Flintoff gets a Maserati, and Harris splurges on a Ford Focus. The idea is to play musical chairs with car parking spaces instead of chairs. To make things interesting, three Priuses join the party and it ends with Flintoff rampaging his way to a win as he beats his competition.
The Wall of Death
Guess they saved the best for the last as the trio head to Alexandra Palace to attempt the wall of death in their now patched up insurance write-off cars. Quite simply, the WoD is a two-storey high, circular track that's often seen daredevils do some astounding things with their cars and bikes. The trio attempt to drive around the wall with their cars vertical and maintaining a speed of 50 mph. After some guidance by expert WoD rider, Ken Fox and his Canam Maverick, a relatively light car, they get ready for the challenge.
The challenge ends with the three cracking it, but not before their cars take some major damage. The scary part is when Flintoff's Maserati takes the massive 4Gs that cause some serious carnage to the car. However, it's all well that ends well for the three hosts.
'Top Gear' Season 29 airs 8 pm ET/PT on BBC America.