Top Gear (US) s01e06 Episode Script
Fast in Florida
1 Now on "Top gear".
Tanner drives a car mid of wood.
Michelle Rodriguez Suzuki SS4 get some.
And I get my sea Holy crap.
Welcome to "Top Gear".
On this show, nobody will live in a house together.
Nobody will be fired.
But if you can hold a conversation about zero-to-60 times, this is where you belong.
I'm Adam Ferrara, that's Tanner Foust, and this is Rutledge Wood.
We've got a ton of great stuff coming up, including a race between a plane, a boat, and a car, and Michelle Rodriguez is out on our test track.
But we start with this.
It's a Morgan.
If you haven't heard of it, that's no surprise, because it's built in a tiny town in Britain, and to buy the latest model, you've got to sit on a two-year waiting list.
And to find out why somebody would wait so long to own an obscure British car, I jumped across the pond to drive one.
This is the tiny town of Dorchester-on-Thames.
Neolithic people lived here 4,000 years ago before the romans marched in, a place where you half-expect to see Shakespeare or Robin hood, or some other dandy Englishman running around in tights.
Of course, the Americans that come to england always mention three things Warm beer, mushy food, and questionable dental work.
But we didn't come here for that.
We came here because the Brits are at least very good at one thing, and that's making cars.
Or at least they used to be.
Over the last few years, England's lost more car companies, than they've lost colonies.
The classic British makes have fallen to foreigners.
Jaguar and land rover are now Indian, Rolls-Royce and Bentley German, lotus Malaysian, Aston Martin Kuwaiti.
Sadly, there are only a few boutique car manufacturers left.
But one stands out.
And it makes its cars out of wood.
But that may not be such a bad thing Because this Is the Morgan Arrow Supersports.
It looks like no other car, sort of retro-futuristic, like something they would have drawn up for flash Gordon in the 1930s.
If Al Capone were still alive, this is what he'd drive.
The Morgan family started making cars in 1911, and it's run today by the grandson of the founder.
Morgans are still made by hand, and the car reflects the company's history.
It's got the classic swooping fenders, the big grille, side exhaust pipes.
The chassis is built from aluminum, or, as they say here, aluminium.
But in the frame, they actually use wood.
Laminated Ash a little old-school, but it's light, flexible, and incredibly strong.
And because they're hand-built, no two are the same.
What we call a hood the Brits call a bonnet.
And this bonnet opens from the side.
No fancy buttons here This is the "retro" part of retro-futuristic.
And what lies beneath the Morgan's plaque, is a BMW 4.
8-liter V-8 engine.
Yeah.
Let's go scare some natives.
The first thing you notice about these beautiful English countryside roads Is they drive on the wrong [bleep.]
side of the road.
That was so close.
This is a car that is extravagant and simple both at the same time.
The interior is pure function.
It's just minimalistic.
You have a speedometer and a tachometer, temperature and fuel.
You have this beautiful leather everywhere.
It's thick and designed to be worn in like a baseball glove.
As environmentally unfriendly as that seems, it was worth it.
On the smoother English roads, the Morgan is perfect.
The suspension is actually really, really good.
It's kind of soft yet controlled.
But to really get to know the Morgan, I had to get away from the 30-mile-an-hour speed limits.
Once you put your foot to the floor, it's a beast.
This thunders through the forest like a bugling elk looking for a mate.
It's awesome.
Forget the ancient towns Buzzing through the labyrinth of country lanes, I had found the Morgan's spiritual home.
Now, that's a sheep right there.
Empty roads twisting through fields of green This is what this timeless car was designed for.
But this car is called the Morgan supersports.
Its makers claim it's high performance, and that was something I couldn't test on the roads.
I needed somewhere special.
This is bruntingthorpe proving ground Two miles of open asphalt.
Built in 1962, bruntingthorpe was actually an American air force base during the cold war.
And now, like so many closed military facilities, it's used to test cars.
But we're not here for a history lesson, are we? That's a manly sound.
That's not British "I drink tea at 6:00" sound.
Oh, no.
At 376 horsepower in a car with about 2,700 pounds, you're looking at the power-to-weight ratio of a Porsche 911 gt3.
But high-performance cars aren't just about driving in straight lines.
Pushed to the limit in the corners, the supersports became twitchy and unpredictable In short, a handful.
Morgan claims a top speed of 170 miles an hour.
And with two miles of asphalt ahead of me, it was hard to resist.
The thing that scares me That the car is an old-school shape.
In reality, all of these curves are like wings, lifting the car off the ground.
And 170 miles an hour is a very modern speed for the body shape of an old car.
In all seriousness, this is a Pretty dangerous thing to do.
Wow, that's 70 already.
Getting kicked by every single little bump.
But that's 120.
130.
Little bits of wind.
Going to fifth gear.
It's getting very loud in here.
I can't hear a thing.
It's 142.
Full-throttle.
150.
It's moving around now.
This is getting bad.
Oh, the front end's starting to float.
It's 160.
Still full-throttle.
Oh, my God.
And I'm out.
Flogging it on the track seemed as inappropriate as taking the queen to a frat party.
This car is all about being classy.
That was about the scariest thing I've ever done.
I don't think I want to do that again.
That loud, that much speed, and the front end just starts moving around on you.
It's I don't know what to say.
Morgan only makes about 600 cars a year, and only 200 of them will be the arrow supersports like this one.
If you want one, get in line.
And the cost 150 to 200 grand.
Driving this car is It's not a supercar.
It's not made to compete with Ferraris and Lamborghinis and Porsches.
It's a gentleman's sports car.
It might seem a lot to pay, but you have to consider, when buying a Morgan, you're not just buying a car.
You're buying a piece of history.
I like it.
At 150, the front end started coming up off the ground, and you kept going.
Yes.
Had to.
I'm very proud of you.
Well, I mean, this is a '53, and the shape is virtually the same.
It's just not a car that's meant to be flogged, you know? It's almost like a violation to drive it that hard.
It's for cruising.
And when you do cruise in the car in the countryside, it's perfect.
You know, there's only one of them in the U.
S.
- One of them? - One.
Who'd want to own something so obnoxiously British? Simon Cowell.
- Yeah, actually.
- Perfect.
Coming up, an epic race between a boat, a plane, and a car.
Welcome back to "Top Gear.
" Here on the show, we pride ourselves in providing pertinent and accurate automotive information to consumers.
Specifically, we wanted to help Floridians who maybe need to get from their plastic-surgery appointment in Miami to their vacation home in key west as soon as possible.
This question is facing literally two to three people every year.
What is the quickest way to get between these two points? We decided to find out.
Miami, Florida A steamy, sultry, tropical paradise.
This is where America goes to party.
But we weren't here to party.
We were here to race.
We were told to meet at Jones boat yard on the Miami river.
This was the heart of Miami, and the starting point of the race.
The finish line 160 miles away in key west, the southernmost point of the United States.
Well, guys, I've seen "Miami Vice" enough to know the fastest way around this town is in a boat.
I'm taking the 38-foot Donzi speed boat and have a professional driver.
Look, Tubbs, what's with the boat? This is a car show.
You see that lotus? I'm gonna get in that lotus, and in 160 miles, I am gonna get out at the finish line, in air-conditioned comfort.
You guys are both Idiots.
If you're gonna go from Miami to key west, the only way is by air.
Gentlemen, I have chartered myself a seaplane.
- A seaplane? - A seaplane? That's right.
It's an airplane that lands on the sea.
That has the little skis on it, right? The racecar driver folds and takes the plane right out? - I'm not gonna sit in traffic.
- You should be ashamed of yourself.
- Whatever.
- I can't even look at you.
Do you feel that breeze right there? - Yeah.
- Oh, yeah.
In the ocean, that is like waves this high.
It's gonna be a four-hour roller coaster from hell.
Two-Lane highways? You are gonna be in traffic the whole way.
Traffic's going the other way.
Right.
Are u guys ready for this, though? Oh, yeah.
- Ready.
- Ready.
Set.
- Go.
- Enjoy your flight, Mr.
Holly.
I will.
How you doing, Captain? Yeah, I need a taxi at Jones boat yard.
Yeah, as quick as you can get here.
I knew the others would begin slow, but soon, they would be topping 100 miles an hour, so I had to get the best head start possible.
Let's hit it.
I am driving the 2010 Lotus Evora.
Now, this is the first new lotus since 1995.
This mid-engine sports car has a 6-cylinder with 276 horsepower.
I know it doesn't sound like a lot, but the car is so light, it goes zero to 60 in 4.
9 seconds.
Not bad for a car that is basically powered by the engine from a Toyota Camry.
Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman started lotus in 1952 to build racecars.
He is immortalized on every lotus badge.
Those stacked letters above the word "lotus" are his initials.
Now, the others re surprised that I didn't go for the lotus.
Don't get me wrong.
I love driving lotuses On a curvy road or a racetrack.
But taking the Evora out on the parking lot disguised as the road to key west is just pointless, like putting mustard on a penguin.
This is the Donzi 38 ZR comp.
Donzi was founded by Aon Aronow, who also owned Magnum and Cigarette, the favorite aquatic transport of importers and exporters, of exotic plant products.
Donzi's sort of the Ferrari of the racing boat.
This baby has two Mercury marine v-8s.
They're both 502 cubic inches, supercharged and intercooled, so they each make 700 horsepower.
That's 1,400 horsepower on the water More than twice what the lotus and the seaplane have combined.
This all sounded great but begged an obvious question.
Why are we going so slow? We're going so slow because we're in a no-wake zone.
We're basically idling.
You're gonna idle for about one hour.
An hour?! At idle?! At idle.
So far, I'm liking the Evora.
It's not like all the other lotuses.
It's wider, has more headroom.
It also has a backseat Which I'm sure you could fit your passengers comfortably in if you cut off their heads and legs.
I will tell you the Evora is very comfortable.
It's got Recaro seats, leather, air-conditioning.
It's a sports car that you can drive every day.
I'm so glad we're not going through Arizona.
Finally, after 20 minutes, my cab arrived.
- How you doing? - How you doing, sir? - I'm going to Watson island.
- Okay.
And how long will it take? 45 minutes.
45 minutes.
- Hello? - Adam.
How's the traffic? I'll bet you're probably stopped at a red light.
There's no traffic whatsoever, my friend.
Where are you? Uh, we're in the ocean.
Really? It sounds so smooth.
All right, well, let me ask you something.
Hey, do you speak Spanish? Why? Is your GPS in Spanish? I'm in a race, you know, like, where there's a winner - and then two losers.
- Okay.
- I don't want to be a loser.
- Okay.
Losing to Adam would be bad enough, but losing to a man with a big head in a bedazzled carrot would be just too much to handle.
I was now 30 miles ahead of the others.
Rutledge was idling in the Miami river slow zone, and Tanner was still five miles from the seaplane base.
Lotus always had sort of an identity crisis.
It's a mid-engine sports car made in england, not in Italy.
It doesn't have the horsepower of a Ferrari or a Lamborghini.
But they also don't have the price tag.
This Evora starts at around 73 grand.
It is kind of exotic-looking, and they're only gonna make 2,000 of them worldwide, so you'd be the only one in your neighborhood that has one.
Key west! Keep left.
From here, it was a straight shot to victory, down U.
S.
1 all the way to key west.
El navigation-o was history-o.
So, now I'm on highway 1, which is called the overseas highway because Look at it.
You're basically over water the entire time.
There's 42 Bridges on this stretch of road alone.
It's mostly two lanes, and it's the only way in and out of the key, so traffic can be heavy.
But it wasn't the traffic that was killing me.
It was this 50-mile-an-hour speed limit.
Typically, people in Florida drive slow to make the most out of whatever time they have left.
Let this baby out.
Let's go.
Not me.
I didn't come down here Todie.
I came down here to win.
Oh, not now.
You were going seventy-five plus right by me.
I warned the crew when I came up on the bridge 10 minutes ago for knowing the speed on the bridge.
So you see how beautiful is South beach ocean drive? Ocean drive is close to Versace's house.
If we can just, you know Go right towards the airplane.
After being released by sheriff Buford Pusser, I was back on the road At 50 miles an hour.
The Donzi had finally reached Biscayne Bay.
- Are we ready? - We're ready.
I'm ready to go fast.
Now we're cooking.
Now we're cooking.
It was time to play catch-up.
This thing rides like a Cadillac.
After a smooth ride across the bay, we passed under the Rickenbacker causeway.
No more speed limits.
That, my friends, is 91 miles an hour on the water.
I would equate it to maybe removing the Springs and shocks from your car, and then finding the bumpiest road you can and see how fast you can hit it.
How long am I gonna be on this thing? I want to do some open-field running.
Let's go! Ugh.
There's 42 Bridges.
What, are you building another one? Come on.
After an hour and a half of involuntary sightseeing, I finally saw a seaplane.
Miami seaplane base.
This is the Cessna 206, often called the s.
U.
V.
Of the sky.
With a 520-cubic-inch, 285-horsepower engine, she'll do about a buck 20.
Oh, that is awesome getting on the water like that.
All right.
Now we're talking.
Two hours down, and Adam was still way ahead.
The race was on.
As I flew South over the azure waters and palm-fringed paradise below, I had this strange feeling of déja vu A desire to wear a pink t-shirt, and roll up my pastel jacket sleeves.
I keep hearing the theme to "Miami Vice.
" Coming up, Michelle Rodriguez on our track.
Apparently you're chewing tobacco while you drive.
And later, the conclusion of our epic race.
I like that.
- All right.
- Okay.
And now it's time for the news.
Now, here's something you won't believe.
Gm has just announced a special-edition Camaro SS.
- Cool.
- It's a convertible.
It's very limited to 100 models.
It's the Neiman Marcus edition Camaro.
Yeah, and get this.
They pre-sold it.
Sold out in three minutes.
100 people paid 75 grand for a Neiman Marcus edition Camaro Three words which have never been uttered in the same sentence before.
- Neiman Marcus Camaro? - Yeah.
That's like a Del Taco Lamborghini.
Right? Rolls-Royce by sears.
I, obviously, being from the South I would have painted that yellow and black and made the waffle house edition Camaro.
That's cool.
And, I mean, if you think three minutes is fast, that sucker would sell out instantly.
All it is it's burgundy in two-tone leather interior.
Maybe I'm missing where the extra 25 grand went.
There's probably cocaine in the trunk.
What else you got, rut? I don't know about you guys, but I spend a lot of time online looking at cars, and some of my favorite time to do that is looking on Craigslist, because you can find these insane descriptions of cars that, as soon as you read it, you think, "I've got to meet this person.
" Like, this is a great one.
"I have a '91 olds p.
O.
S.
" "It runs, but you'll have to be able to apply a bypass to the computerized key.
" Well, that sure sounds like it doesn't run, sir.
"Been sitting for a few weeks.
Neighbor and spouse are getting annoyed.
Would be perfect for welding class, demolition derby.
" So, all right, now, that's one's good, but here's another one I really liked.
"'94 Buick century.
Inside's in great condition.
"Has very low miles.
Everything works.
"Only thing it needs is a new transmission and may need a new muffler.
" Oh, you can call or text Amanda.
See, that in my eyes, when you're reading a car description, if it needs a new transmission and mufflers, everything does, in fact, not work.
I believe you're right.
When we were all turning 16, Craigslist wasn't there.
We used to go to the grocery store, and we'd look at the board and see what cars were for sale.
And if you liked the car, you would tear all the numbers off so that no one else would have the chance to call.
Yeah, and another story You know the Stig? You're familiar with our fourth member, yes? Tireless.
And we decided that we needed to reward him.
So we found ourselves a one-of-a-kind, in this country, Lamborghini.
And we've given him a chance to take this particular machine around the track.
- Let's take a look.
- Okay.
There it is.
It's a Lamborghini tractor.
Look how comfortable he looks on that thing.
It's really amazing.
It's surprisingly smooth in the corners.
Look at that.
Now, this This tractor has a top speed of 15 miles an hour.
It's a 12-speed.
First gear goes to 0.
3 miles an hour.
0.
3 miles an hour out of first gear.
- Is this the teardrop? - This is the teardrop Really having to avoid wheelspin in this part of the track.
Slowest part of the track.
All I'm hearing in my head right now is You see the rear fenders? This was built the year before the Countach hit paper for the first time.
And those angles actually made their way straight into the Lamborghini Countach.
Amazing how all this connects together.
Oh, he's coming up to the finish, finally.
And he is across the line.
Now, not a lot of people know that Lamborghini started out as a tractor company, and he owned a Ferrari, and his wife kept burning the clutch out.
So he put his tractor clutch in the car, went and told Mr.
Ferrari, "hey, I fixed your car for you.
" That was so offensive, they got in a fight.
Then Mr.
Lamborghini ended up hiring the Ferrari engine and suspension technician, started his own car company.
The rest is history.
- Wow.
- Isn't that great? Don't you love it when Italians get pissed off? Great things happen for sure.
Well, most of our times are in the minute-and-a-half range.
That tractor went around the track in 5:22.
- Wow.
- Yes.
Yeah, so it's pretty respectable.
But still an amazing machine.
I mean, each wheel and tire combo on THBT tractor Each side weighs 1,000 pounds.
As a man from the South, that was an inspiring, inspiring piece.
Who knew a tractor could look so good going around the track? Just so you know, that was the Neiman Marcus edition.
- Oh, was it? - Yes.
That's the news.
Coming up An "avatar" star gets behind the eel of our Suzuki.
Here we go again.
And later, we find out which Miami mode of transportation is the fastest.
Whoa! Yeah! And now it's time to put a big star in a small car.
Please help me welcome Michelle Rodriguez.
What's up, buddy? - How you doing? Good to see you.
- I'm good.
How are you? - Come here and have a seat.
- Thank you.
- Hey, guys.
- Thank you so much for being here.
I have to ask, because they told me and I didn't believe it.
You actually got your driver's license - for "the fast and the furious"? - Yes, I did.
And my crash course in driving was at the car-racing school in Arizona.
- Really? - Yeah - Vegas, actually.
- My father took me to a parking lot.
And you got to learn.
Yeah, my dad tried that, but I don't consider that it didn't work.
- Really? - Yeah.
But, you know, when you go to car-racing school and then you learn how to go really fast, it just becomes normal.
And then you get a lot of points on your license, and then, you know, you end up having to buy a Prius so the cops leave you alone.
- Do you have a Prius? - Yeah.
I own a Prius now.
Wah, wah.
But I'm about to get my points back down to a reasonable level so I can buy a sports car again.
Yeah! Whoo-hoo! All right, 'cause I thought, like, a Prius Like, you're the fast and the frugal.
Yeah.
So did you buy the Prius on your own, or did the state of California go, "Letty, this will be a good idea for you"? Well, you know, after using, you know And that not working with the cop, it's like, you know, you realize you got to either slow down or get a car that's slower.
Okay, so you were being responsible, 'cause I thought not only did we think that Priuses were punishment, but so did the state of California.
Now, you drove a 240sx in "the fast and the furious.
" - Whoo! - Yeah! Oh, somebody there likes that car.
Right on.
And then you liked the Nissans after that, and because of the movie, you went and bought a truck? Yeah, I did.
I bought the truck really for surfing 'cause that was back in my "I'm an idiot/jackass" days.
Like, if there were a female version of "jackass," me and my homegirls from Jersey would have been the show.
Yeah.
80 mes an hour on the turnpike, on top of my Nissan frontier That's my record Whoo-hoo! - That's great.
- Yeah.
I love Jersey girls surfing.
"Come on, we're gonna go freakin' surfing!" Now, you were in "avatar.
" You were a helicopter pilot in "avatar.
" Did you get your pilot's license just for "avatar"? No, but I sure as heck did get some really awesome lessons where I got to fly over Los Angeles.
I mean, the guy actually let me control the damn thing.
I thought he was crazy, you know, but, yeah, right over Burbank, baby.
It was so awesome.
See, I can't I have a.
D.
D.
I cannot 'Cause I'd be flying around "Oh, look, a bird.
" - I just I couldn't do that.
- I think you'd find it fun, man.
There's something really awesome about being able yo control that thing when you're up there.
It feels really awesome.
Very cool.
So, did you have fun? I'm sure your race-school stuff must have been really fun on the track.
It came in handy in the Suzuki? It actually you know, the car-racing-school stuff is with the pedals.
You're in a formula two car.
- Right.
- But it's different You know, this whole thing Than this, you know? So I had to get used to it.
So today I actually learned how to maneuver a stick-clutch vehicle.
Wait a minute.
This is the first time you drove a stick, was on our track? First time that I actually was able to do it appropriately, yes.
- Aha.
- Yeah.
You want to see how she did? So do I.
Uh-oh.
All right.
Nice start.
Ooh.
I'm looking angry there.
- You really wanted that gear.
- I totally did.
All right, this is the first turn.
It is wet.
Dude, why do I look so angry? You're focused.
Look at you.
You're moving pretty good, even though it is a wet track.
This is the teardrop.
Dude, I almost flipped that sucker.
It felt like I almost flipped it a couple times.
Okay.
This is really difficult.
You're doing very well.
- Dude, I'm keeping it nice and safe.
- Yeah, nice and composed.
Here you come.
Now, this is where you can really, really pick up some speed.
I want some gum.
Apparently you're chewing tobacco while you drive.
Now, this is the backstretch, the fastest part of the track right here.
Get some.
Whoa! Here we go again.
Here we go, - coming into the last corner right here.
- Is the one where I almost ate it? Nice bit of speed.
There you go, and you're across the line.
- You did it.
- Good job.
Good job.
Have mercy on me, man.
I am merely the reporter.
You did it all.
How do you think you did? I think I sucked worse than those guys.
- That's what I'm thinking.
- Well, let's see how you did.
You did it in 1:55 point 2.
- 1:55.
2.
Ah, dude! But I'm gonna put a "w" on it 'cause it was a very wet lap.
- So I'm right under Buzz Aldrin? - You're on top of an astronaut.
That's good.
Awesome! There you go 1:55.
2.
Michelle Rodriguez! Coming up, we finish our epic battle between car, boat, and plane.
Tonight we're trying to find the fastest way from Miami to the southernmost point in the United States key west.
I am in a lotus Evora.
Rutledge is in a half-a-million-dollar Donzi speed boat.
And Tanner is in a seaplane.
Let's rejoin the action.
All three of us were racing as fast as we could for the finish line in key west.
Adam led in the lotus and was just 60 miles from the finish.
Rutledge and the Donzi was just 20 miles behind him.
And I was 10 miles behind the boat.
The race was truly on.
Right over there, there's a yellow lotus cruising along somewhere with a metrosexual New Yorker in it.
How big you think the alligators get down here? They scare me alligators.
It's Rutledge I'm worried about in the boat Whoa! Yeah! Because that boat will do the same speed as the plane.
80 miles an hour in a boat feels like a gang initiation.
The downside to having 1,400 horsepower is we already blew through half a tank of gas.
To guarantee we'd make it to key west, we needed to top off.
Once we get through here, it's open ocean, wide-open throttle the whole way down.
These huge, supercharged motors use a lot of gas.
This thing will hold 210 gallons, and at 4 bucks a gallon, it's almost $800 to refuel.
But if you had a Donzi, you probably wouldn't care, would you? So, Dave, did you see a lotus at all? Yeah, a lotus just passed me just before I came across the bridge.
Passed you just before you hit this little bridge right here? Yes, sir.
About 15 minutes.
Craig, it seems real good and full.
The island of marathon.
Marathon marks the start of the world-famous seven-mile bridge.
It was first completed in 1912 and has been destroyed by hurricanes and rebuilt twice since then.
But the most important fact was it meant I was only 50 miles from the finish line.
All that open water I don't see an orange boat, nor do I see anybody up in the sky in a seaplane.
What I did see was the opening I was looking for No traffic, no cops, and a bridge that was all mine.
Back in the open ocean, the swell had picked up, and I'd left my sea legs back at the gas station.
I was on the verge of puking and was beginning to rethink my mode of transportation.
Man, I think that's him on the bridge.
Oh, no.
Not now.
Damn it! At the seven-mile bridge, I finally caught up to the lotus.
Let's go! Let's go! Passing Adam was like a dose of dramamine, until Tanner ruined my day.
80 miles an hour, getting passed by a plane.
The lead was finally mine, and nothing could stop me now.
In this part of the world, the seaplane reigns supreme.
Down here in key west, there used to be a Navy base where seaplanes would essentially go out into the ocean, looking for German submarines, and when they found them, they'd drop grenades on them.
Inspired by history, we went hunting, but we had a much larger target in mind than a submarine Rutledge's bobbing head.
Holy [bleep.]
Holy crap! Oh, sweet [bleep.]
Tanner just gave me a haircut with a plane.
Holy [bleep.]
That was close.
20 minutes later, and key west was in my sights.
But rough seas by the southernmost point meant we had to land three Miles to the northeast.
I was now on the outskirts of town, the traffic gods smiling down upon me.
I got to be close to the end.
November 689 whiskey tango will be landing now.
With three miles to go, running wasn't gonna cut it.
I needed something that burns fuel anything.
- You rent scooters? - Yep.
- Can I rent one? - Sure thing.
All right.
Hook a brother up.
How do I get to the southernmost point? Less traffic's gonna be South.
- South? - So the quickest way would be - Down to whitehead, straight across.
- And can I take a copy of that? Yeah.
It might not have been a superbike, but the little Honda did have a top speed of 22 miles an hour.
I was finally onshore with just a mile to go.
- Hey, how you doing? - How are you? Enjoy key west.
Hey, which way is the marker? - The marker? - Yeah southernmost point.
It's down all the way to the end of the street, right on the corner.
All right.
Thanks.
It was hot, the finish was far, and I hadn't run this fast since I tried out for the '96 Olympics.
All right, there's a taxi.
Come on! We're almost home! This has got to be the last right turn in the United States.
How far would you say we are from the marker? You're sure this is definitely the quickest route though, right? Incredibly, all three of us were less than a mile to the finish.
Come on! Come on! I'm running out of country! Oh, you little, miserable Come on! No! No! Where are you, scooter boy? By that much.
But I was I Oh, crap.
Here's good.
- Look who's come ashore.
- Hey, it's the pirate.
All I want to know is how many times did you throw up? None.
Come on, seriously.
Three or four, tops.
What I want to know is how fast the lotus goes around our test track at the hands of our silent racing driver.
Take it away, Stig.
Now, even though the track is wet, an experienced racer like the Stig has driven in basically all conditions, so let's see what he'll do.
A lot of wheelspin off the line.
Zero to 60 in about five seconds in the dry, with the mid-engine weight balance helping the lotus in the wet.
It's surprisingly grippy out there for how much rain has fallen as he finds his way through the crows.
One of the heaviest lotuses ever built 3,000 pounds As he heads through the chicane and into the teardrop.
Wow.
Stig, looking amazingly comfortable, dives his way into the tightest section of the track.
Now, this is where there's typically a lot of wheelspin in the wet Very difficult, even with only 270 horsepower, to put the power down.
A little bit of a wag of the tail, but he does get some great momentum out over the yump and onto the back straightaway.
Wow.
He's moving there 120 miles an hour.
Diving into the most treacherous part of the track, the Esses, at over 100 miles an hour, into cameraman's corner.
Diving into the last section of the track, moving those crows out of the way one more time, sawing at the wheel as he finds his way into the last corner And across the line.
Wow.
Pretty quick.
This is a very difficult one to call because it's wet.
We know the lotus is gonna be quick.
It is one of the heavier lotuses at 3,000 pounds, but only 270 horsepower.
On the board, we have a lot of fast cars.
On the top of the board, we still have the Viper ACR at 1:22, and the Velociraptor at 1:39 is the slowest.
The Evora somehow puts in the wet in 1:28.
4.
Only 0.
2 slower than the vantage.
- Wow.
Really quick.
It could potentially be one of the fastest wet times we ever have, I think.
So far, it's the only wet time we have.
So far, it is, and that's all the time that we have.
Thanks for watching this week.
Goodbye.
Synch by Benfo.
Tanner drives a car mid of wood.
Michelle Rodriguez Suzuki SS4 get some.
And I get my sea Holy crap.
Welcome to "Top Gear".
On this show, nobody will live in a house together.
Nobody will be fired.
But if you can hold a conversation about zero-to-60 times, this is where you belong.
I'm Adam Ferrara, that's Tanner Foust, and this is Rutledge Wood.
We've got a ton of great stuff coming up, including a race between a plane, a boat, and a car, and Michelle Rodriguez is out on our test track.
But we start with this.
It's a Morgan.
If you haven't heard of it, that's no surprise, because it's built in a tiny town in Britain, and to buy the latest model, you've got to sit on a two-year waiting list.
And to find out why somebody would wait so long to own an obscure British car, I jumped across the pond to drive one.
This is the tiny town of Dorchester-on-Thames.
Neolithic people lived here 4,000 years ago before the romans marched in, a place where you half-expect to see Shakespeare or Robin hood, or some other dandy Englishman running around in tights.
Of course, the Americans that come to england always mention three things Warm beer, mushy food, and questionable dental work.
But we didn't come here for that.
We came here because the Brits are at least very good at one thing, and that's making cars.
Or at least they used to be.
Over the last few years, England's lost more car companies, than they've lost colonies.
The classic British makes have fallen to foreigners.
Jaguar and land rover are now Indian, Rolls-Royce and Bentley German, lotus Malaysian, Aston Martin Kuwaiti.
Sadly, there are only a few boutique car manufacturers left.
But one stands out.
And it makes its cars out of wood.
But that may not be such a bad thing Because this Is the Morgan Arrow Supersports.
It looks like no other car, sort of retro-futuristic, like something they would have drawn up for flash Gordon in the 1930s.
If Al Capone were still alive, this is what he'd drive.
The Morgan family started making cars in 1911, and it's run today by the grandson of the founder.
Morgans are still made by hand, and the car reflects the company's history.
It's got the classic swooping fenders, the big grille, side exhaust pipes.
The chassis is built from aluminum, or, as they say here, aluminium.
But in the frame, they actually use wood.
Laminated Ash a little old-school, but it's light, flexible, and incredibly strong.
And because they're hand-built, no two are the same.
What we call a hood the Brits call a bonnet.
And this bonnet opens from the side.
No fancy buttons here This is the "retro" part of retro-futuristic.
And what lies beneath the Morgan's plaque, is a BMW 4.
8-liter V-8 engine.
Yeah.
Let's go scare some natives.
The first thing you notice about these beautiful English countryside roads Is they drive on the wrong [bleep.]
side of the road.
That was so close.
This is a car that is extravagant and simple both at the same time.
The interior is pure function.
It's just minimalistic.
You have a speedometer and a tachometer, temperature and fuel.
You have this beautiful leather everywhere.
It's thick and designed to be worn in like a baseball glove.
As environmentally unfriendly as that seems, it was worth it.
On the smoother English roads, the Morgan is perfect.
The suspension is actually really, really good.
It's kind of soft yet controlled.
But to really get to know the Morgan, I had to get away from the 30-mile-an-hour speed limits.
Once you put your foot to the floor, it's a beast.
This thunders through the forest like a bugling elk looking for a mate.
It's awesome.
Forget the ancient towns Buzzing through the labyrinth of country lanes, I had found the Morgan's spiritual home.
Now, that's a sheep right there.
Empty roads twisting through fields of green This is what this timeless car was designed for.
But this car is called the Morgan supersports.
Its makers claim it's high performance, and that was something I couldn't test on the roads.
I needed somewhere special.
This is bruntingthorpe proving ground Two miles of open asphalt.
Built in 1962, bruntingthorpe was actually an American air force base during the cold war.
And now, like so many closed military facilities, it's used to test cars.
But we're not here for a history lesson, are we? That's a manly sound.
That's not British "I drink tea at 6:00" sound.
Oh, no.
At 376 horsepower in a car with about 2,700 pounds, you're looking at the power-to-weight ratio of a Porsche 911 gt3.
But high-performance cars aren't just about driving in straight lines.
Pushed to the limit in the corners, the supersports became twitchy and unpredictable In short, a handful.
Morgan claims a top speed of 170 miles an hour.
And with two miles of asphalt ahead of me, it was hard to resist.
The thing that scares me That the car is an old-school shape.
In reality, all of these curves are like wings, lifting the car off the ground.
And 170 miles an hour is a very modern speed for the body shape of an old car.
In all seriousness, this is a Pretty dangerous thing to do.
Wow, that's 70 already.
Getting kicked by every single little bump.
But that's 120.
130.
Little bits of wind.
Going to fifth gear.
It's getting very loud in here.
I can't hear a thing.
It's 142.
Full-throttle.
150.
It's moving around now.
This is getting bad.
Oh, the front end's starting to float.
It's 160.
Still full-throttle.
Oh, my God.
And I'm out.
Flogging it on the track seemed as inappropriate as taking the queen to a frat party.
This car is all about being classy.
That was about the scariest thing I've ever done.
I don't think I want to do that again.
That loud, that much speed, and the front end just starts moving around on you.
It's I don't know what to say.
Morgan only makes about 600 cars a year, and only 200 of them will be the arrow supersports like this one.
If you want one, get in line.
And the cost 150 to 200 grand.
Driving this car is It's not a supercar.
It's not made to compete with Ferraris and Lamborghinis and Porsches.
It's a gentleman's sports car.
It might seem a lot to pay, but you have to consider, when buying a Morgan, you're not just buying a car.
You're buying a piece of history.
I like it.
At 150, the front end started coming up off the ground, and you kept going.
Yes.
Had to.
I'm very proud of you.
Well, I mean, this is a '53, and the shape is virtually the same.
It's just not a car that's meant to be flogged, you know? It's almost like a violation to drive it that hard.
It's for cruising.
And when you do cruise in the car in the countryside, it's perfect.
You know, there's only one of them in the U.
S.
- One of them? - One.
Who'd want to own something so obnoxiously British? Simon Cowell.
- Yeah, actually.
- Perfect.
Coming up, an epic race between a boat, a plane, and a car.
Welcome back to "Top Gear.
" Here on the show, we pride ourselves in providing pertinent and accurate automotive information to consumers.
Specifically, we wanted to help Floridians who maybe need to get from their plastic-surgery appointment in Miami to their vacation home in key west as soon as possible.
This question is facing literally two to three people every year.
What is the quickest way to get between these two points? We decided to find out.
Miami, Florida A steamy, sultry, tropical paradise.
This is where America goes to party.
But we weren't here to party.
We were here to race.
We were told to meet at Jones boat yard on the Miami river.
This was the heart of Miami, and the starting point of the race.
The finish line 160 miles away in key west, the southernmost point of the United States.
Well, guys, I've seen "Miami Vice" enough to know the fastest way around this town is in a boat.
I'm taking the 38-foot Donzi speed boat and have a professional driver.
Look, Tubbs, what's with the boat? This is a car show.
You see that lotus? I'm gonna get in that lotus, and in 160 miles, I am gonna get out at the finish line, in air-conditioned comfort.
You guys are both Idiots.
If you're gonna go from Miami to key west, the only way is by air.
Gentlemen, I have chartered myself a seaplane.
- A seaplane? - A seaplane? That's right.
It's an airplane that lands on the sea.
That has the little skis on it, right? The racecar driver folds and takes the plane right out? - I'm not gonna sit in traffic.
- You should be ashamed of yourself.
- Whatever.
- I can't even look at you.
Do you feel that breeze right there? - Yeah.
- Oh, yeah.
In the ocean, that is like waves this high.
It's gonna be a four-hour roller coaster from hell.
Two-Lane highways? You are gonna be in traffic the whole way.
Traffic's going the other way.
Right.
Are u guys ready for this, though? Oh, yeah.
- Ready.
- Ready.
Set.
- Go.
- Enjoy your flight, Mr.
Holly.
I will.
How you doing, Captain? Yeah, I need a taxi at Jones boat yard.
Yeah, as quick as you can get here.
I knew the others would begin slow, but soon, they would be topping 100 miles an hour, so I had to get the best head start possible.
Let's hit it.
I am driving the 2010 Lotus Evora.
Now, this is the first new lotus since 1995.
This mid-engine sports car has a 6-cylinder with 276 horsepower.
I know it doesn't sound like a lot, but the car is so light, it goes zero to 60 in 4.
9 seconds.
Not bad for a car that is basically powered by the engine from a Toyota Camry.
Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman started lotus in 1952 to build racecars.
He is immortalized on every lotus badge.
Those stacked letters above the word "lotus" are his initials.
Now, the others re surprised that I didn't go for the lotus.
Don't get me wrong.
I love driving lotuses On a curvy road or a racetrack.
But taking the Evora out on the parking lot disguised as the road to key west is just pointless, like putting mustard on a penguin.
This is the Donzi 38 ZR comp.
Donzi was founded by Aon Aronow, who also owned Magnum and Cigarette, the favorite aquatic transport of importers and exporters, of exotic plant products.
Donzi's sort of the Ferrari of the racing boat.
This baby has two Mercury marine v-8s.
They're both 502 cubic inches, supercharged and intercooled, so they each make 700 horsepower.
That's 1,400 horsepower on the water More than twice what the lotus and the seaplane have combined.
This all sounded great but begged an obvious question.
Why are we going so slow? We're going so slow because we're in a no-wake zone.
We're basically idling.
You're gonna idle for about one hour.
An hour?! At idle?! At idle.
So far, I'm liking the Evora.
It's not like all the other lotuses.
It's wider, has more headroom.
It also has a backseat Which I'm sure you could fit your passengers comfortably in if you cut off their heads and legs.
I will tell you the Evora is very comfortable.
It's got Recaro seats, leather, air-conditioning.
It's a sports car that you can drive every day.
I'm so glad we're not going through Arizona.
Finally, after 20 minutes, my cab arrived.
- How you doing? - How you doing, sir? - I'm going to Watson island.
- Okay.
And how long will it take? 45 minutes.
45 minutes.
- Hello? - Adam.
How's the traffic? I'll bet you're probably stopped at a red light.
There's no traffic whatsoever, my friend.
Where are you? Uh, we're in the ocean.
Really? It sounds so smooth.
All right, well, let me ask you something.
Hey, do you speak Spanish? Why? Is your GPS in Spanish? I'm in a race, you know, like, where there's a winner - and then two losers.
- Okay.
- I don't want to be a loser.
- Okay.
Losing to Adam would be bad enough, but losing to a man with a big head in a bedazzled carrot would be just too much to handle.
I was now 30 miles ahead of the others.
Rutledge was idling in the Miami river slow zone, and Tanner was still five miles from the seaplane base.
Lotus always had sort of an identity crisis.
It's a mid-engine sports car made in england, not in Italy.
It doesn't have the horsepower of a Ferrari or a Lamborghini.
But they also don't have the price tag.
This Evora starts at around 73 grand.
It is kind of exotic-looking, and they're only gonna make 2,000 of them worldwide, so you'd be the only one in your neighborhood that has one.
Key west! Keep left.
From here, it was a straight shot to victory, down U.
S.
1 all the way to key west.
El navigation-o was history-o.
So, now I'm on highway 1, which is called the overseas highway because Look at it.
You're basically over water the entire time.
There's 42 Bridges on this stretch of road alone.
It's mostly two lanes, and it's the only way in and out of the key, so traffic can be heavy.
But it wasn't the traffic that was killing me.
It was this 50-mile-an-hour speed limit.
Typically, people in Florida drive slow to make the most out of whatever time they have left.
Let this baby out.
Let's go.
Not me.
I didn't come down here Todie.
I came down here to win.
Oh, not now.
You were going seventy-five plus right by me.
I warned the crew when I came up on the bridge 10 minutes ago for knowing the speed on the bridge.
So you see how beautiful is South beach ocean drive? Ocean drive is close to Versace's house.
If we can just, you know Go right towards the airplane.
After being released by sheriff Buford Pusser, I was back on the road At 50 miles an hour.
The Donzi had finally reached Biscayne Bay.
- Are we ready? - We're ready.
I'm ready to go fast.
Now we're cooking.
Now we're cooking.
It was time to play catch-up.
This thing rides like a Cadillac.
After a smooth ride across the bay, we passed under the Rickenbacker causeway.
No more speed limits.
That, my friends, is 91 miles an hour on the water.
I would equate it to maybe removing the Springs and shocks from your car, and then finding the bumpiest road you can and see how fast you can hit it.
How long am I gonna be on this thing? I want to do some open-field running.
Let's go! Ugh.
There's 42 Bridges.
What, are you building another one? Come on.
After an hour and a half of involuntary sightseeing, I finally saw a seaplane.
Miami seaplane base.
This is the Cessna 206, often called the s.
U.
V.
Of the sky.
With a 520-cubic-inch, 285-horsepower engine, she'll do about a buck 20.
Oh, that is awesome getting on the water like that.
All right.
Now we're talking.
Two hours down, and Adam was still way ahead.
The race was on.
As I flew South over the azure waters and palm-fringed paradise below, I had this strange feeling of déja vu A desire to wear a pink t-shirt, and roll up my pastel jacket sleeves.
I keep hearing the theme to "Miami Vice.
" Coming up, Michelle Rodriguez on our track.
Apparently you're chewing tobacco while you drive.
And later, the conclusion of our epic race.
I like that.
- All right.
- Okay.
And now it's time for the news.
Now, here's something you won't believe.
Gm has just announced a special-edition Camaro SS.
- Cool.
- It's a convertible.
It's very limited to 100 models.
It's the Neiman Marcus edition Camaro.
Yeah, and get this.
They pre-sold it.
Sold out in three minutes.
100 people paid 75 grand for a Neiman Marcus edition Camaro Three words which have never been uttered in the same sentence before.
- Neiman Marcus Camaro? - Yeah.
That's like a Del Taco Lamborghini.
Right? Rolls-Royce by sears.
I, obviously, being from the South I would have painted that yellow and black and made the waffle house edition Camaro.
That's cool.
And, I mean, if you think three minutes is fast, that sucker would sell out instantly.
All it is it's burgundy in two-tone leather interior.
Maybe I'm missing where the extra 25 grand went.
There's probably cocaine in the trunk.
What else you got, rut? I don't know about you guys, but I spend a lot of time online looking at cars, and some of my favorite time to do that is looking on Craigslist, because you can find these insane descriptions of cars that, as soon as you read it, you think, "I've got to meet this person.
" Like, this is a great one.
"I have a '91 olds p.
O.
S.
" "It runs, but you'll have to be able to apply a bypass to the computerized key.
" Well, that sure sounds like it doesn't run, sir.
"Been sitting for a few weeks.
Neighbor and spouse are getting annoyed.
Would be perfect for welding class, demolition derby.
" So, all right, now, that's one's good, but here's another one I really liked.
"'94 Buick century.
Inside's in great condition.
"Has very low miles.
Everything works.
"Only thing it needs is a new transmission and may need a new muffler.
" Oh, you can call or text Amanda.
See, that in my eyes, when you're reading a car description, if it needs a new transmission and mufflers, everything does, in fact, not work.
I believe you're right.
When we were all turning 16, Craigslist wasn't there.
We used to go to the grocery store, and we'd look at the board and see what cars were for sale.
And if you liked the car, you would tear all the numbers off so that no one else would have the chance to call.
Yeah, and another story You know the Stig? You're familiar with our fourth member, yes? Tireless.
And we decided that we needed to reward him.
So we found ourselves a one-of-a-kind, in this country, Lamborghini.
And we've given him a chance to take this particular machine around the track.
- Let's take a look.
- Okay.
There it is.
It's a Lamborghini tractor.
Look how comfortable he looks on that thing.
It's really amazing.
It's surprisingly smooth in the corners.
Look at that.
Now, this This tractor has a top speed of 15 miles an hour.
It's a 12-speed.
First gear goes to 0.
3 miles an hour.
0.
3 miles an hour out of first gear.
- Is this the teardrop? - This is the teardrop Really having to avoid wheelspin in this part of the track.
Slowest part of the track.
All I'm hearing in my head right now is You see the rear fenders? This was built the year before the Countach hit paper for the first time.
And those angles actually made their way straight into the Lamborghini Countach.
Amazing how all this connects together.
Oh, he's coming up to the finish, finally.
And he is across the line.
Now, not a lot of people know that Lamborghini started out as a tractor company, and he owned a Ferrari, and his wife kept burning the clutch out.
So he put his tractor clutch in the car, went and told Mr.
Ferrari, "hey, I fixed your car for you.
" That was so offensive, they got in a fight.
Then Mr.
Lamborghini ended up hiring the Ferrari engine and suspension technician, started his own car company.
The rest is history.
- Wow.
- Isn't that great? Don't you love it when Italians get pissed off? Great things happen for sure.
Well, most of our times are in the minute-and-a-half range.
That tractor went around the track in 5:22.
- Wow.
- Yes.
Yeah, so it's pretty respectable.
But still an amazing machine.
I mean, each wheel and tire combo on THBT tractor Each side weighs 1,000 pounds.
As a man from the South, that was an inspiring, inspiring piece.
Who knew a tractor could look so good going around the track? Just so you know, that was the Neiman Marcus edition.
- Oh, was it? - Yes.
That's the news.
Coming up An "avatar" star gets behind the eel of our Suzuki.
Here we go again.
And later, we find out which Miami mode of transportation is the fastest.
Whoa! Yeah! And now it's time to put a big star in a small car.
Please help me welcome Michelle Rodriguez.
What's up, buddy? - How you doing? Good to see you.
- I'm good.
How are you? - Come here and have a seat.
- Thank you.
- Hey, guys.
- Thank you so much for being here.
I have to ask, because they told me and I didn't believe it.
You actually got your driver's license - for "the fast and the furious"? - Yes, I did.
And my crash course in driving was at the car-racing school in Arizona.
- Really? - Yeah - Vegas, actually.
- My father took me to a parking lot.
And you got to learn.
Yeah, my dad tried that, but I don't consider that it didn't work.
- Really? - Yeah.
But, you know, when you go to car-racing school and then you learn how to go really fast, it just becomes normal.
And then you get a lot of points on your license, and then, you know, you end up having to buy a Prius so the cops leave you alone.
- Do you have a Prius? - Yeah.
I own a Prius now.
Wah, wah.
But I'm about to get my points back down to a reasonable level so I can buy a sports car again.
Yeah! Whoo-hoo! All right, 'cause I thought, like, a Prius Like, you're the fast and the frugal.
Yeah.
So did you buy the Prius on your own, or did the state of California go, "Letty, this will be a good idea for you"? Well, you know, after using, you know And that not working with the cop, it's like, you know, you realize you got to either slow down or get a car that's slower.
Okay, so you were being responsible, 'cause I thought not only did we think that Priuses were punishment, but so did the state of California.
Now, you drove a 240sx in "the fast and the furious.
" - Whoo! - Yeah! Oh, somebody there likes that car.
Right on.
And then you liked the Nissans after that, and because of the movie, you went and bought a truck? Yeah, I did.
I bought the truck really for surfing 'cause that was back in my "I'm an idiot/jackass" days.
Like, if there were a female version of "jackass," me and my homegirls from Jersey would have been the show.
Yeah.
80 mes an hour on the turnpike, on top of my Nissan frontier That's my record Whoo-hoo! - That's great.
- Yeah.
I love Jersey girls surfing.
"Come on, we're gonna go freakin' surfing!" Now, you were in "avatar.
" You were a helicopter pilot in "avatar.
" Did you get your pilot's license just for "avatar"? No, but I sure as heck did get some really awesome lessons where I got to fly over Los Angeles.
I mean, the guy actually let me control the damn thing.
I thought he was crazy, you know, but, yeah, right over Burbank, baby.
It was so awesome.
See, I can't I have a.
D.
D.
I cannot 'Cause I'd be flying around "Oh, look, a bird.
" - I just I couldn't do that.
- I think you'd find it fun, man.
There's something really awesome about being able yo control that thing when you're up there.
It feels really awesome.
Very cool.
So, did you have fun? I'm sure your race-school stuff must have been really fun on the track.
It came in handy in the Suzuki? It actually you know, the car-racing-school stuff is with the pedals.
You're in a formula two car.
- Right.
- But it's different You know, this whole thing Than this, you know? So I had to get used to it.
So today I actually learned how to maneuver a stick-clutch vehicle.
Wait a minute.
This is the first time you drove a stick, was on our track? First time that I actually was able to do it appropriately, yes.
- Aha.
- Yeah.
You want to see how she did? So do I.
Uh-oh.
All right.
Nice start.
Ooh.
I'm looking angry there.
- You really wanted that gear.
- I totally did.
All right, this is the first turn.
It is wet.
Dude, why do I look so angry? You're focused.
Look at you.
You're moving pretty good, even though it is a wet track.
This is the teardrop.
Dude, I almost flipped that sucker.
It felt like I almost flipped it a couple times.
Okay.
This is really difficult.
You're doing very well.
- Dude, I'm keeping it nice and safe.
- Yeah, nice and composed.
Here you come.
Now, this is where you can really, really pick up some speed.
I want some gum.
Apparently you're chewing tobacco while you drive.
Now, this is the backstretch, the fastest part of the track right here.
Get some.
Whoa! Here we go again.
Here we go, - coming into the last corner right here.
- Is the one where I almost ate it? Nice bit of speed.
There you go, and you're across the line.
- You did it.
- Good job.
Good job.
Have mercy on me, man.
I am merely the reporter.
You did it all.
How do you think you did? I think I sucked worse than those guys.
- That's what I'm thinking.
- Well, let's see how you did.
You did it in 1:55 point 2.
- 1:55.
2.
Ah, dude! But I'm gonna put a "w" on it 'cause it was a very wet lap.
- So I'm right under Buzz Aldrin? - You're on top of an astronaut.
That's good.
Awesome! There you go 1:55.
2.
Michelle Rodriguez! Coming up, we finish our epic battle between car, boat, and plane.
Tonight we're trying to find the fastest way from Miami to the southernmost point in the United States key west.
I am in a lotus Evora.
Rutledge is in a half-a-million-dollar Donzi speed boat.
And Tanner is in a seaplane.
Let's rejoin the action.
All three of us were racing as fast as we could for the finish line in key west.
Adam led in the lotus and was just 60 miles from the finish.
Rutledge and the Donzi was just 20 miles behind him.
And I was 10 miles behind the boat.
The race was truly on.
Right over there, there's a yellow lotus cruising along somewhere with a metrosexual New Yorker in it.
How big you think the alligators get down here? They scare me alligators.
It's Rutledge I'm worried about in the boat Whoa! Yeah! Because that boat will do the same speed as the plane.
80 miles an hour in a boat feels like a gang initiation.
The downside to having 1,400 horsepower is we already blew through half a tank of gas.
To guarantee we'd make it to key west, we needed to top off.
Once we get through here, it's open ocean, wide-open throttle the whole way down.
These huge, supercharged motors use a lot of gas.
This thing will hold 210 gallons, and at 4 bucks a gallon, it's almost $800 to refuel.
But if you had a Donzi, you probably wouldn't care, would you? So, Dave, did you see a lotus at all? Yeah, a lotus just passed me just before I came across the bridge.
Passed you just before you hit this little bridge right here? Yes, sir.
About 15 minutes.
Craig, it seems real good and full.
The island of marathon.
Marathon marks the start of the world-famous seven-mile bridge.
It was first completed in 1912 and has been destroyed by hurricanes and rebuilt twice since then.
But the most important fact was it meant I was only 50 miles from the finish line.
All that open water I don't see an orange boat, nor do I see anybody up in the sky in a seaplane.
What I did see was the opening I was looking for No traffic, no cops, and a bridge that was all mine.
Back in the open ocean, the swell had picked up, and I'd left my sea legs back at the gas station.
I was on the verge of puking and was beginning to rethink my mode of transportation.
Man, I think that's him on the bridge.
Oh, no.
Not now.
Damn it! At the seven-mile bridge, I finally caught up to the lotus.
Let's go! Let's go! Passing Adam was like a dose of dramamine, until Tanner ruined my day.
80 miles an hour, getting passed by a plane.
The lead was finally mine, and nothing could stop me now.
In this part of the world, the seaplane reigns supreme.
Down here in key west, there used to be a Navy base where seaplanes would essentially go out into the ocean, looking for German submarines, and when they found them, they'd drop grenades on them.
Inspired by history, we went hunting, but we had a much larger target in mind than a submarine Rutledge's bobbing head.
Holy [bleep.]
Holy crap! Oh, sweet [bleep.]
Tanner just gave me a haircut with a plane.
Holy [bleep.]
That was close.
20 minutes later, and key west was in my sights.
But rough seas by the southernmost point meant we had to land three Miles to the northeast.
I was now on the outskirts of town, the traffic gods smiling down upon me.
I got to be close to the end.
November 689 whiskey tango will be landing now.
With three miles to go, running wasn't gonna cut it.
I needed something that burns fuel anything.
- You rent scooters? - Yep.
- Can I rent one? - Sure thing.
All right.
Hook a brother up.
How do I get to the southernmost point? Less traffic's gonna be South.
- South? - So the quickest way would be - Down to whitehead, straight across.
- And can I take a copy of that? Yeah.
It might not have been a superbike, but the little Honda did have a top speed of 22 miles an hour.
I was finally onshore with just a mile to go.
- Hey, how you doing? - How are you? Enjoy key west.
Hey, which way is the marker? - The marker? - Yeah southernmost point.
It's down all the way to the end of the street, right on the corner.
All right.
Thanks.
It was hot, the finish was far, and I hadn't run this fast since I tried out for the '96 Olympics.
All right, there's a taxi.
Come on! We're almost home! This has got to be the last right turn in the United States.
How far would you say we are from the marker? You're sure this is definitely the quickest route though, right? Incredibly, all three of us were less than a mile to the finish.
Come on! Come on! I'm running out of country! Oh, you little, miserable Come on! No! No! Where are you, scooter boy? By that much.
But I was I Oh, crap.
Here's good.
- Look who's come ashore.
- Hey, it's the pirate.
All I want to know is how many times did you throw up? None.
Come on, seriously.
Three or four, tops.
What I want to know is how fast the lotus goes around our test track at the hands of our silent racing driver.
Take it away, Stig.
Now, even though the track is wet, an experienced racer like the Stig has driven in basically all conditions, so let's see what he'll do.
A lot of wheelspin off the line.
Zero to 60 in about five seconds in the dry, with the mid-engine weight balance helping the lotus in the wet.
It's surprisingly grippy out there for how much rain has fallen as he finds his way through the crows.
One of the heaviest lotuses ever built 3,000 pounds As he heads through the chicane and into the teardrop.
Wow.
Stig, looking amazingly comfortable, dives his way into the tightest section of the track.
Now, this is where there's typically a lot of wheelspin in the wet Very difficult, even with only 270 horsepower, to put the power down.
A little bit of a wag of the tail, but he does get some great momentum out over the yump and onto the back straightaway.
Wow.
He's moving there 120 miles an hour.
Diving into the most treacherous part of the track, the Esses, at over 100 miles an hour, into cameraman's corner.
Diving into the last section of the track, moving those crows out of the way one more time, sawing at the wheel as he finds his way into the last corner And across the line.
Wow.
Pretty quick.
This is a very difficult one to call because it's wet.
We know the lotus is gonna be quick.
It is one of the heavier lotuses at 3,000 pounds, but only 270 horsepower.
On the board, we have a lot of fast cars.
On the top of the board, we still have the Viper ACR at 1:22, and the Velociraptor at 1:39 is the slowest.
The Evora somehow puts in the wet in 1:28.
4.
Only 0.
2 slower than the vantage.
- Wow.
Really quick.
It could potentially be one of the fastest wet times we ever have, I think.
So far, it's the only wet time we have.
So far, it is, and that's all the time that we have.
Thanks for watching this week.
Goodbye.
Synch by Benfo.