[16x07] July 20th, 2009

[SL65]

In this episode, Jason and Tiff race a pair of double decker buses. Tiff gives ‘Torchwood’ star John Barrowman lessons in rally-car driving. Tim gets to grips with a new navigation programme; Tom checks out the latest Seat family saloon; and Jason goes for a spin in the new Audi TT RS.

This week, Jason Plato and Tiff Needell embark on a dogfight with a difference by racing buses. Going head to head in two double deckers, they develop three challenges to test their bravery, speed and – of course – ability to pick up passengers.

Tiff also meets up with prime-time performer and ‘Torchwood’ legend John Barrowman to teach him what he has always wanted to know – how to drive a rally car. In a race-ready Subaru Impreza, John gets a crash course in car control and rally-driving technique before Tiff sets him a special challenge.

Tim Shaw, meanwhile, tests the latest in satellitenavigation technology – the Garmin EcoRoute. While most systems only offer the driver a choice between the fastest or shortest route to a destination, the Garmin EcoRoute can plan a journey that uses the least petrol. It could be a revelation to people hoping to save on their fuel bills, so Tim puts it through its paces in a realworld test.

Elsewhere, Tom Ford drives Seat’s brand new family saloon – the Exeo. Based on the same platform as the previous Audi A4, it is essentially an old car in new clothes. To discover whether the car feels new and expensive, or a bit second-hand, Tom spends the day trawling charity shops to find out if he can recycle old clothes to similar effect.

Finally, Jason heads to the continent to test drive the awesome new Audi TT RS. With a turbocharged five-cylinder engine, the hottest TT yet has the potential to revive the spirit of the legendary Quattro of the 1980s. To see just how good it is, Jason embarks on an epic journey – aiming to drive through five different countries in one day.