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'Top Gear' episode 4 recap | A road trip through Borneo

Episode four of "Top Gear" season 27 is officially in the books, and if you like Freddie and Paddy, you probably enjoyed this one. The two went on a hell of an adventure through Borneo, but didn’t bring Chris Harris along for the ride. Maybe we were just getting accustomed to the three of them hanging out together, but the trip felt like it was missing something without Chris. Regardless, the feature film of this episode revolved around Freddie and Paddy driving the cheapest, rarest cars they could find. They bought them in Europe, then drove all throughout the island of Borneo, eventually reaching Brunei. Freddie got himself an Austin Allegro Estate, while Paddy made do with a Matra Bagheera S. If you had to look those cars up, we donÂ’t blame you. TheyÂ’re both rather obscure models, so itÂ’s safe to say they hit their mark on the rare requirement. Back at home base in England, Chris says he was reviewing a Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Funnily enough, Rolls wouldnÂ’t loan a Cullinan to "Top Gear" to test, so they had to go out and borrow one for the review. After listening to ChrisÂ’ thoughts on the SUV, it starts to become clear why Rolls may not have wanted the exposure. We wonÂ’t give it all away, but letÂ’s just say that the ultra-luxury ute didnÂ’t receive the most glowing of reviews. Bob Mortimer was the celebrity guest, so there were plenty of laughs to be had in his segment. He wasnÂ’t exactly fast in any of the car challenges, but the entertainment factor was certainly present with him cracking jokes. Even though the Borneo trip wasnÂ’t exactly the same without Chris, the other two managed quite well on their own. Freddie ate a live bug, and the mid-engine Matra made it to the end against all odds. Perhaps itÂ’s a testament to the companyÂ’s history of weathering tough conditions — Matra did win Le Mans three times throughout its history after all. At the very end of the episode, the boys made an admirable gesture by speaking out against the Sultan of BruneiÂ’s horrific laws against homosexual relations. They said that the filming for the episode occurred before the Sultan announced the new laws, and if "Top Gear" had known these rules would be enacted beforehand, they wouldnÂ’t have featured Borneo in their film. In response, Freddie and Paddy modified their Borneo rides with an epic paint job as a form of protesting the anti-gay laws. Good on ya, "Top Gear." Featured Gallery Top Gear episode 4 photos TV/Movies Rolls-Royce Top Gear

Top horsepower-per-dollar cars in 2017

Bang for the buck. That quasi-scientific statistic is bandied about by motor heads everywhere from classrooms to barrooms, though the truth of the matter is that it's exceedingly complex to measure. A fair performance-per-dollar index would include something like cross-referencing MSRP (Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price) with point-to-point times on a track or driving route, which is obviously hard to do comprehensively. But, for the sheer joy of talking about cars and playing with a big spreadsheet, there's always the horsepower-per-dollar index, which is more straightforward, albeit hilariously flawed. There are vagaries even with this simple formula, of course: MSRP for vehicles can change at a moment's notice, to say nothing of the bottom-line shifting that happens with local deals or showroom negotiation. For this list we're running with the straight MSRP wherever possible, and as recently reported as we can get it. All the vehicles on this list are 2017 models, and all trims are reported where the lowest price and differing power levels intersect. Some choices were made for personal preference and some for sanity, avoiding things like all 48 trim levels of the Ford Transit, all with the same horsepower). If this list were a simple top ten, or even a top fifty, you'd be bored to tears with all the red, white and blue that is represented. Following perfectly with conventional wisdom, American cars really do lead the world where hp/$ is concerned. So, for the sake of variety (and the sheer joy of seeing a minivan 'win' one round of this thing) I've sorted out some top five and bottom five lists for broad power categories. Let's dive in. Less Than 100 Horsepower Okay, okay, this is hardly a category we'll grant you. But we've often tried to click off all the sub-100-hp cars on sale in the US, and making this list gave us an excuse. It also illustrates that none of these smallish vehicles bring cheap horsepower to the table - for that you'll need a motorcycle. The segment-leading Chevy Spark (above) asks just over $139 for each hp, and that Smart Fortwo Electric Drive has hp on sale for about the same price as its very distant family cousin, the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG (insert your favorite Smart joke here... we know you want to).

One-off Boat Tail is the tapered tip of Rolls-Royce's coachbuilding iceberg

Rolls-Royce is open to taking additional requests for one-off cars from its wealthiest clients in the coming years. It doesn't plan to make coachbuilt vehicles the norm in order to maintain their exclusivity, however. Rumored to cost nearly $30 million, the Boat Tail (pictured) introduced in May 2021 demonstrated what the BMW-owned British firm is capable of when money is truly no object. It's the product of a four-year development process that presumably cost several million dollars, and it was built at the request of three anonymous clients. It's the first car made since Coachbuild was promoted to a standalone division with the group, and it's very likely not the last. "Our idea is to maybe do one project every second year. Whether it's three cars or one car will hinge very much on the idea of the clients, and also on our appetite for doing it," explained company boss Torsten Muller-Otvos in an interview with British magazine Autocar. He added Rolls-Royce has the luxury to turn down requests it doesn't like. Precisely what will receive the firm's proverbial green light for production hasn't been specified. We're guessing future one-offs will need to adhere to the company's image, so transforming a humble Fiat 500 into a luxury car, Aston Martin Cygnet-style, is probably very low on the firm's list of priorities. Regardless, one-of-a-kind models won't roll out of the Rolls-Royce workshop on a weekly basis. Executives want to keep them "very rare," the CEO added, even if they receive numerous requests. Supply won't necessarily keep up with demand. What comes next depends on what customers request (and are willing to pay for). Rolls-Royce is open to experimenting with different body styles and different powertrain types, including a fully electric system. It's reportedly working on its first electric model, which could be called Silent Shadow when it enters production, and this foundation could be used to make a coachbuilt car if a customer commissions it. "There is no intention to boost any volume, because the intention clearly is to create projects that are significant for the brand's history in 70 or 100 years or so, and that are truly unique pieces. That also fits quite nicely into the heritage of Rolls-Royce with coachbuilding projects in the 1920s and the 1930s," Muller-Otvos concluded. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.