The Bugatti Veyron Race - Jeremy vs Hammond and May - BBC

This is one of the greatest Top Gear challenges! Clarkson challenges May and Hammond to a cross-continent race using the legendary Bugatti Veyron. Can he beat May and Hammond, who are racing him back to England by alternative modes of transport including a plane?
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[@Avetho]

"The new 840,000 pound Bugatti Veyron" ... That's a heavy car.

[@ishida22222]

no actually that's the weight of an american butt cheek

[@Avetho]

@@ishida22222 I want to feel insulted but I'm busting my gut too hard to XP

[@nedinnis6752]

@@ishida22222 Just the one

[@MTM532]

American's ffs 🤦🏽‍♂️

[@kartoffelwillipeter3067]

Take your like and get the hell out of here

[@dipro001]

Hammond acts as if he doesn't understand how flying works, but he himself is an excellent pilot with a personal helicopter collection.

[@jeremymerrifield7244]

It is entertainment, Not to be taken seriously me olde mucker

[@dipro001]

Yes, I understand that, but the naiveness here was too much for me to not laugh at. Thanks for the enlightenment!

[@dipro001]

As I said, its too much here specifically for me to tolerate. It is generally okay for me.

[@WildfireX]

How do you know he's an "excellent pilot?"

[@jeremymerrifield7244]

It is entertainment . They are funny . Car programmes are normally petty dull but these guys are terrific. 3 guys at the cutting edge of cocking about, More power to them I say

[@tortillatime401]

I can't decide whether James May being able to pilot a Cessna is surprising or completely expected

[@raymondha1897]

ooooohhh you wanna subscribe soooooooo bad

[@dsdy1205]

He has his own plane eith registration "G-OCOK"

[@PetrolPatrol]

both

[@CommentFrom]

He used to fly coke for the Colombians so I'm not suprised

[@harleyb7880]

@@CommentFrom Bruh 😂

[@WildfireX]

To be fair, Mays OCDness is justified when it comes to flying a plane... If there's one place you want someone to make sure everything is checked it's when you're getting into a plane haha.

[@ddan1781]

Wildfire And then fly with flaps down... 🤦‍♂️

[@Silenthunter199]

And he still failed to retract flaps after take-off... 3:05

[@jorisvermeulen7175]

@@Silenthunter199 that is to keep in formation with the camera aircraft...

[@dave131]

Imagine Clarkson as your pilot.

[@MrPerfect2000Z]

Yeah if I was on a flight and the pilot said "Sorry but we will need to delay takeoff to perform checks on the plane before we depart" I would say "Do all the checks you want just please don't let me end up at the bottom of the ocean"

[@TomX99Games]

The hills are alive with the sound of VVVRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!

[@ajajaaukka]

4:48

[@elijahmurray6094]

ajajaaukka lmfao my favorite part

[@RyoooPT]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHjHnIOhd7eaaq8&t

[@stormhawk7153]

HAHAAH nice one!!!

[@WASIURPA]

NEOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

[@shax232]

4:49 "The Hills are alive with the sound of VROOM VROOM" lmao nice one Top Gear

[@ciobanumihai4366]

Shaf Hoque

[@Alex-jy9dr]

@@ciobanumihai4366 shut up

[@SakuraIsayeki]

Nobody noticed the horrendous montage/edit on the "welcoming party" ?

[@0mn0m15]

That was hilarious lol

[@alecgurdon5197]

Stolen

[@Grenadeo617]

9:26 I love how he comes from around the corner, says “you unbearable man”, then turns and walks out.

[@TheArcher101]

I can't stand it!

[@DrewSavo]

Shh. Dignity.

[@onebeanyboi9204]

I just realised Jeremy has a boat license, James has a plane license and Richard has a motorbike license

[@hornetgags]

Hammond has a helicopter licence as well.

[@johnmuir7435]

James also had a bike license

[@jotunn6891]

@@johnmuir7435 everyone has that mate

[@Zak-ob5ze]

Hammond can also fly aswell

[@Firemarioflower]

They flew old aircrafts of WW 2 in the competition against German TopGear

[@santiagokiwi3187]

JAMES MAY RAN ON TELEVISION

[@pAirA_]

+Regan Wagteveld No, that's a stuntman ;)

[@MrJohnson97]

+Faiyaz Murshed 😂 omg...hahha

[@FireInFlamezNO]

Way too dangerous to do on television! There could be a pane of glass coming!

[@WASIURPA]

@@FireInFlamezNO oh noooooo

[@MrHeroicDemon]

@@pAirA_ 4 years later and still good

[@ummubaidullah1211]

James: 'I ought to tell you that I've only actually done 2 and 1/2 hours of this type of aircraft' Hammond: Opens a novel called PLANE OF DEATH

[@adamp.3739]

*dies of laughter*

[@lowkeyafroggo8545]

Lol just saw it

[@boo_]

Wow, it's like we watched the same video :O

[@FLIGHTCOMPANY]

Hell yeah James! It's the coolest thing in the world to have a pilots license!

[@trashmasterj]

Yeah, a pilot's license that can only let you fly during the day. That's why they took the train.

[@FLIGHTCOMPANY]

Angelman180 ppl licenses is good for day and night flying. I had to do 3 hrs of night flying in order to get my license. Maybe James took the train because flying at night in an area you are not familiar with is not fun and the work load is a bit more. I guess he just didn't want to do all of that.

[@trashmasterj]

Mark Batarina He claimed in the race that he hasn't done the test in order to be ALLOWED to fly at night.

[@samdekker90]

Haha a night VFR rating is a separate thing to getting a PPL licence, it's normal not to be allowed to fly at night until you've done the training

[@Dilandau3000]

I had to do night flying as part of my part 141 training for PPL. It's possible James just wasn't night current (which means he couldn't fly with passengers at night)? Or maybe it works differently in Europe?

[@joenobody571]

You know I love Hammond Clarkson and May but I don't think that the camera crew gets enough credit they are absolutely spectacular 👌

[@RajKumar-gg2ig]

Minus this camera crew, scripting, and sound design, we’ve just got three blokes. 🥃

[@applejuice5272]

...and Ben Collins for driving in the pick up shots

[@Traggel]

@@RajKumar-gg2ig three incredibly hilarious blokes but yes.

[@Luke_-_]

@@RajKumar-gg2ig only the news, and various segments they have are scripted only around 40% was scripted and the rest was just them being entertaining…the specials they produced are more scripted but not by much certain countries they done the specials in were heavily scripted

[@w33leeg23]

The irony in Hammond saying it looked cheap when it's actually one of the most expensive simple single engine planes on the market haha

[@mariodacostamosteiro7262]

How many cost?(Just for curiosity)

[@paulgraham4567]

$515,000

[@Shawnsrobloxworld]

And the best built.My father and grandfather had worked a combined 91 years at Cessna Aircraft.

[@Zak-ob5ze]

Still a LOT less than a Veyron

[@JaidenJimenez86]

I dunno, they could have taken a caravan, it would eat enough fuel to buy a fleet of 182's lol

[@mandowarrior123]

James May flies very well in this. Very smooth take off and landing with such little flight time in that plane.

[@aretheyzombies8112]

You're going to make a good pilot.

[@chrisbeddows7099]

He's a legend

[@MicroageHD]

He forgot the flaps tho

[@robloxiscancer3343]

Such a beautiful landing too

[@CaptBoone]

I'm not convinced the flying scenes with a chase plane were May. Neither Cuneo or Lille have a runway 17. The landing scene for "Lille" is the exact runway they used for takeoff from "Cuneo". Anyone know what airport they used for the chase plane scenes?

[@XTrollxArchX]

If Jeremy was on the Autobahn, the defeat would be MASSIVE!!

[@or2kr]

Extreme Tutorials He had to tank fuel at least once…

[@XTrollxArchX]

Well duhh... its a V16 Engine.

[@or2kr]

a W16 (lol) with four turbochargers (I think)

[@joonaskoponen8904]

Otto Knabe yes it does

[@Freakschwimmer]

Otto Knabe well VW calls it a W16 but tecnically from an engineer's point of view it much closer resembles a V-VR 16

[@Kezajaws01904]

This is still one of the most iconic races in TG history, and I seriously don't think that will ever change.

[@glennmandigo6069]

For those of you unfamiliar with the Mont Blanc Fire, it occurred on March 24, 1999 (just 9 years before the air date of this episode). The cause was a Belgian transport truck carrying flour and margarine catching fire, though what exactly sparked it remains disputed to this day, with theories ranging from careless cigarette disposal to mechanical or electric faults. 39 people died and 14 were injured.

[@prodyung829]

Wow man I'm just now finding that out and I watch this episode when it first came out

[@bobholness203]

Much appreciated

[@MattAutoMotive]

I would have thought it was something to do with speed as why else would they have "ferocious speed rules and a million speed cameras"

[@macpac22]

Watch the cows move at 5:04. Top Gear editing at its best folks. Make it look like he was being held up

[@82fire28]

macpac22 lol nice catch I love this show.

[@Zacho789]

macpac22 Or... teleporting cows.

[@farhanmahalludin]

+macpac22 took me awhile to catch that

[@ZakRas]

+macpac22 That and the Liebherr blips out of existence.

[@ParthaDey97]

Woah! That was seriously good!

[@JugCityKid]

The hills are alive with the sound of BRRAAAAAAAAAAP

[@WembleyGaming]

Stop with ur life

[@WASIURPA]

Come on.....

[@teamdrivealot8441]

An w16 engine not a wankel ....

[@Fuffcat]

@@teamdrivealot8441 "it's a W16"***. not "an w16". who tf says that.

[@teamdrivealot8441]

@@Fuffcat like all the people in germany sweden denmark norway finland and so on 😙

[@dyllaf]

7:00 "Cleared to land runway 18..." 7:05 lands on runway 17....

[@rock3tcatU233]

Cpt. Accurate Navigation strikes again.

[@ayeshjayawardene7894]

Runway 03 cleared for take off. Takes off of 17..

[@user-sm3dh2zy3g]

Did he got a report?

[@antonove-1752]

6:35 he hasn’t done the test that allows him to (DRIVE) the plane at night

[@WASIURPA]

6 mins and then hamster read plane of death its like watching ACI on your flight

[@Blackjax137]

I love how Jeremy twitters the license plates of drivers he doesn't like. My hero.

[@MrStark-up6fi]

Wait he does that? Lol

[@LukSter18998]

lol like the radio show

[@MCO18]

This episode aired in 2005, a year before Twitter even existed

[@Boss1186]

4:47 The hiiiiiiills are alive with the sound of VRoooooom VROOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!! LMAOO!!

[@ineedbeanz7555]

kai ironic

[@Zak-ob5ze]

@@codywalters8234 *you're You spastic

[@sant340]

Cody Walters you’re gay

[@celt67]

This was legendary television. They don't make 'em like this anymore.

[@Benratbag1997]

The Bugatti Veyron was truly an *ICON* of the Clarkson, Hammond and May era of Top Gear 🖤

[@harpreetchaggar1017]

These three on top gear is a high point of British TV. Of the many great races, this was my favourite. BBC's quest to replace these 3 is similar to Man Utds' quest to replace Sir Alex.

[@bghoody5665]

I wonder if these three realized, when they started, the heroes they'd become or if they only thought, "We'll talk about cars and cock about a bit."

[@nez9751]

Their era of top gear was so good.

[@sct913]

When James was on final approach, he stated to the controller "Landing Runway 18." But if you look at the runway threshold (at 7:17), it says "17"

[@chiron9536]

i really like this lamborghini veyron

[@wizkid01]

i think you mean volkswagen veryron

[@chiron9536]

wizkid01 XD

[@AlpacaDoge]

+Mr.sprinkles 458 it's definetly an opal veyron

[@thedarkaffliction8121]

Honda civic veyron

[@chiron9536]

lolglitchmaster UHC XD

[@DimitriRiggas]

The introduction music when we first see the Veyron is spine tingling. Absolute masterpiece editing and narration.

[@tomhubbard8510]

What is it, do you know?

[@ThepPixel]

@@tomhubbard8510 yulunga spirit dance

[@GuninGames]

Best way to describe the Veyron 5:35

[@MartysWhiteSuit]

Probably the best of the challenges. All the exchanges so natural. Only decent programme over Christmas.

[@dinocasa6396]

F

[@therobster6069]

9:26 when James meets Chris Evans

[@Punktrick1259]

"You UNBEARABLE Man"

[@venkatkesaraju2383]

"The hills are alive with the sound of VROOM VROOM"hahahahaha nice one top gear 4:54

[@Skeew1]

"YOU UNBEARABLE MAN!" I love James

[@joshualaw375]

4:47 “The hills are alive, with the sound of *[Bugatti Noise]”*

[@FastCarsNoRules220]

This was the very first episode of Top Gear that I've seen in my life :P

[@henriquedematos]

A great start :)

[@lifecinematography]

henriquedematos hehehe Indeed

[@shax232]

Haha me too!

[@NotAHero98]

FastCarsNoRules220 Not the last I bet...

[@lindseyhill3354]

lol u are a begginer

[@ryanyu1513]

“Drive the plane” Hammond says lol

[@kaonesebereko4567]

I was 17 years old when I first saw this video back in 2009, still captivated by this car as I was back then. The Veron was & is still a master piece

[@RJALEXANDER777]

Agreed. If money wasn't a concern it'd be my dream car for sure.

[@matthewpotter8491]

These races were peak Top Gear. Absolutely brilliant. Loved the SLR one also.

[@TeamBombersportsUK]

Clarkson's face at 9:29 is the very definition of 'u mad bro?' :P

[@JangoFett220]

James May is RUNNING on TV :o

[@thelastjediknight1]

JangoFett220 jango! Your head grew back

[@Akotski-ys9rr]

I love James. He’s a racing driver, a musician, and a pilot. What else is he?

[@de_snuts3264]

slow

[@MorgueOfficialMusic]

A pianist

[@izzyalistair]

I know we all make fun of James, but something tells me he's the only one that can fly a plane

[@ajf104]

He's also wearing the exact white sunglasses he mocked jezza for in another episode 😂

[@JetFalcon710]

Yeah, and also, Hammond has a helicopter license and several copters of his own

[@MissWriter25]

Richard is the cutest thing in the plane when he is laughing at James.

[@visionist7]

Plane of DEATH

[@dylan-re6rz]

“I will not be beaten by a washing machine!” -Jeremy Clarkson

[@jonasuganseki-en6454]

7:50 viui viui viui viui

[@chickentorche]

Anyone else notice the sequence at 5:02 was completely pieced together? You can see the camera cut shots between the tractor and the bugatti.

[@hasoonnine]

Yeah i didn't notice it until you pointed it out.

[@maximedeclerck4838]

why would he leave the motorway in the first place?

[@dr.debajyotibose2928]

Scripted obviously

[@user-kn4ce8mw4k]

Are you from roblox, your picture is roblox.

[@m1co294]

The executive producer Andy Wilman said the show is partially scripted, only the dialogue and the driving is improvised

[@WarThunCraftHD]

2:37 "Roger, line up 03, report when ready" *Lines up on 17*

[@ricardocarmine2763]

..with the sound of VRRRRRRRRRRROWM

[@Edgedrifle]

I still remember watching this as a child being completely awe struck by the veyron, and honestly I still am

[@vishnurajath2]

I feel so old now. At the same time, I don't feel bad about it since this trio is still rocking it.

[@Preyser123]

Greetings from South Africa. I love Jeremy's reaction when he starts up the Veyron at the beginning of the video.

[@connor4531]

May requested permission for landing on runway 18, but the runway he landed on had a bearing of 17...

[@prasadjogdand3168]

What a design, what a speed, what a looks, what a price, what a colour, what a engine, what a specs idk how vw design this car what a idea. she is still my fav car i was 14 when i was saw this car on tv now iam 25 and still this is my dream car i want to see this car in real life but idk is this possible or not😢

[@tohrubot8211]

Title: “The Bugatti Veyron Race” First ten seconds: “we began by sending a dog into some woods for our truffles.”

[@AlexMickeyMichalik]

I remember when I was a kid, I saw the commercial saying this episode is about to be aired in a week, I'd been waiting that whole week and counting days till the very end... Great times

[@tmb8807]

I remember this like it was yesterday. There was something about the fact they were racing towards London, rather than away from it as they had done in the three big races they'd done before this, that made it really exciting.

[@Aus10100]

I love how they delay the plane so much too keep the car in front.

[@alphamorion4314]

Only in Top Gear you could see footage of a Bugatti Veyron speeding up, back to back with footage of two dudes running, and still feel like it was a damn close race so you are still watching at the edge of your seat

[@jakesaddo]

It would've only been 20 minutes or so in it. Not bad for a race that would've gone for 18 Hours

[@LJ-on4gm]

Have we got our own plane? EXCELLENT. **sees the cessna** xD

[@JetFalcon710]

"Hang on, is that it?! It looks like something a builder would leave behind!"

[@easyamp123]

I like how James never put the flaps back up after takeoff.

[@LeadPen]

"the new 840000 Pound bugatti veyron" americans: damn thats a heavy car

[@indrarahmadani8373]

"What color's your bugatti?"

[@ASLUHLUHCE]

For me, this and the DB9, Zonda, Enzo, Aventador and 458 Italia are the icons of the early 2000s

[@robben896]

carrera gt

[@l_t_ry.z___k.6304]

Aventador is in 2011

[@l_t_ry.z___k.6304]

@@VideosTubeCh ik

[@Lifeisgood479]

⁠@@l_t_ry.z___k.6304The 2012 Aventador is the only lamborghini I like. The Ferrarri 458 italia is the only Ferrari I like. Finally the only hypercar I like is the 2005 bugatti veryon we grew up with these cars and I have fun memories seeing the 2012 Aventadors, Mclaren 12c and the 458.

[@kinnexion]

The hills are alive with the sound of a quad turbocharged W16 😂

[@muffythepirate2260]

I'd just like to say how smoothly he was flying and landing the plane.

[@JackpotButtonLewis]

9:18 Best Bit! 😃 Richard: ‘That’s a shadow!’ (laughs from realisation) James: ‘What’s that reflection in the window of a ghostly figure!?’ (Richard giggles in disbelief) James: ‘Surely Not!’ Richard: (laughs in pity) ‘That’s horrible!’ James: ‘YOU UNBEARABLE MAN! I CAN’T STAND IT!’ ROFL! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@DomLazzaro]

"The hills are alive with the sound of... Veryon engine." lol 4:40

[@m1co294]

The joke was great, but the execution wasn't

[@blase1856]

The editing quality is top notch, i genuinely prefer it over today's edits.

[@PapiAndrey]

i love how he calls Richard a hampster. ''hampster, are you really hammering along now''?

[@knut761]

Kamil K. Yeah but "hampster" is the way the English pronounce it, at least these guys, I know there's around 40 different accents in England so other English people might pronounce it differently.

[@julienfoss3201]

lol i think they call him hamster because he short

[@PapiAndrey]

Julien Foss *small

[@ksam96trini]

Hamster* as in a small rodented or gerbel or what the hell you call it.

[@davidmcclellan1470]

Calling Richard a hamster is rather cruel, I note Jemery is highly offended when he is called 'The Orangutan, Orangutan is quite clever and refers to the role of Orangutans in the film, 'The Planet of the Apes'.

[@Blackwolf-ud5je]

They cut the part where Jeremy tired to get an insurance for the Bugatti. That was funny.

[@ethanschmid4104]

I saw it too! To think that he actually had the guts to buy it! I would! Who doesn’t!?

[@Electric__]

7:19 what was that 😂😂

[@AlexRib]

5:06 "Hey, it's Rachel I want my car back, now!"

[@TheSheepSlayer1]

James said in an interview (I think it was absolute radio) that they openly admit that some of the footage is not entirely real to make it look the best in the edit. However he said the results of the races are always completely true.

[@ItsRyan.]

I so hope the new Amazon show brings these challenges over, Car vs other modes of transport in a race to the finish. LOVE these challenges

[@CountFisco]

The aesthetic of that Veyron under the lights in the Mont Blanc tunnel and the night-time streets of London, coupled with its baritone W16, is a sensation from my childhood I'll always remember

[@perchancethishandleiswens]

I absolutely love this episode, I remember being excited when it used to aired through BBC Knowledge.

[@LutzMowinski]

The laugh after Jeremy starts the enormous engine is just awesome :D

[@Rautaman]

I'm almost crying, I love you BBC for posting these up. Thank you very much!

[@readmycomment3157]

This is one of the best films Top Gear made in a normal episode. Just so well done.

[@9wowable]

This is probably the greatest Top Gear challenge/race ever.

[@Haloplaya2332]

YOU UNBEARABLE MAN!!!!

[@u1z19]

hhhhh

[@JetFalcon710]

_"I can't stand it!"_

[@Paradice4Life]

this is cut down footage

[@liamweaver2944]

I just looked up the Cessna that Captain Slow and Hamster were flying in (G-BXZM). Sadly, the aircraft they flew in was damaged beyond repair in a landing accident in February 2011 at White Waltham airfield. :(

[@ethanschmid4104]

5:03 the tractor was edited out for the Veyron’s passing shot, pretending that Veyron is behind it, which it wasn’t. 5:35 my response to this masterpiece of a car.

[@mrtom2854]

🎶 The HILLS are aliiive, with the sound of *nyooooom* 🎶

[@EzioDeFirenze]

8:10 classic humblebrag

[@martinconnors5195]

That Veyron threw the rule book out of the window. Groundbreaking and the greatest piece of engineering every made this modern period of history

[@janusz4156]

4:04 -- music like intro to Seconds of Disaster 6:26 -- iconic moment

[@commoncoolchannel8588]

6:10: The answer is an actual plane

[@rolopolo7975]

Or a bike

[@thegamingsushicat5349]

I love Hammond's chuckle in the back of the plane with May, it was adorable

[@stuartbarclay7940]

9:27 James: YOU *UNBEARABLE* MAN! I CAN'T STAND IT! XD!

[@howardflies]

The 182 is a brilliant thing, it's very stable

[@-caesarian-6078]

Howard Lau / I flew one just last week, one scary plane compared to a 150

[@prodigalsun1678]

Absolutely for such a bargain it's a great plane my dad was flying them for years it's like a dream

[@elmin2323]

Yuck buy a real plane

[@novemberdelta1282]

@@elmin2323 you haven't flown one, it's a great plane you uncultured swine.

[@siddharthdighe5908]

We don’t give James May enough credit. He’s a pilot AND the fastest man in the world!

[@vecktor_]

I am just watching this 3 legends in summer 2021. Such an iconic episode and such an iconic car.

[@ellenthorne87]

Love the races and challenges

[@bittexas6318]

"On final RNWY 18." *Lands on RNWY 17*

[@Da51lva]

2:47 Captain slow shoulder check just in case he is being overtaken by another plane

[@stuartbarclay7940]

5:35 Jeremy: It's phenomenal! It goes like a ******! XD!

[@reyheartgraciagadamerginti532]

keep up the good work

[@MiloFlying]

James is an excellent, calm pilot.