Presenter Interviews : Tom Ford

[SL65]

Interview with Tom Ford (five.tv)

What have you filmed for the new series?
“I’ve been racing the Arizona state police! They closed a mile of mounatin road and I had to out-run them. I’ve never been chased by the cops and not got into trouble before! I lost them within two corners. Also in Arizona I visited the Van Horsen group. If you’re a member, you fly your private jet into the airport where they have loads of supercars parked up: Ferraris, Astons, you name it. You pick one out and drive off in it. It’s America’s most exclusive car club. Instead of buying a supercar and having it in one place, you can use a wider range of supercars at a wider range of locations. It was awesome. If they buy a Porsche and leave it in their Monaco house, they might not drive it all year! So it’s just sitting there depreciating in value. “I’ve also been to the Geneva motorshow. I’ve just driven a Maybach 57S, which is a 612- horsepower, £300,000 super-limo. Maybach are the super-luxury wing of Mercedes Benz. We had to have a bodyguard all day. He was the coolest man in the world! He was ex-special forces, with 11 black belts. He’s 60 but I felt his arm, and he’s built out of rocks! He now does close protection/chauffering work for Arab sheikhs. They want a driver who’s also a bit handy.”

What’s your role on the show?
“The other three [Tiff Needell, Jason Plato and Vicki Butler-Henderson] are the pro drivers, and I’m the journalist. I’m the road-tester. I test everything from a Nissan Micra to a Lambourghini. But they’re such good drivers that it’s a waste not to use them.”

What do you drive when you’re not working?
“I used to have a Smart car tricked out with nitrous oxide, car shafts made by Lotus, kevlar brakes, and side exit exhausts that spit flame! It used to do wheelies as well. But I got rid of that when it blew up. Then I got a 5.7 litre Monaro with 150hp and a drag-racing gearbox. But I had to commute to London in it every day, clocking up 1,000 miles a week. Then I became a father six months ago, and I thought I’d better get a ‘daddy’s car’. Mind you, it’s a black estate BMW all blacked out with huge wheels and head-up display, and seats that puff up as you go around corners. It’s incredibly quick, but it’s a diesel estate car so I can pretend to be responsible. Everyone calls it the Drag Hearse! And nobody messes with it when it’s parked!”

What are some past Fifth Gear highlights for you?
“I’ll always remember when I was driving a priceless Maserati Birdcage at a festival. It was 900 horsepower – but it didn’t have an alternator. I stalled it on the line and it wouldn’t start again. 40,000 people shouted obscenities at me! Luckily I drove a Ferrari the same day and did pretty well, so I clawed back some of my self-esteem. A little piece of me died that day! I’ve also tried to drive over a glacier in Iceland, and got stuck. That was quite scary! Fifth Gear is a good laugh – that’s why I do it. I’ve driven tanks and Scud launchers as well. 90% of the time, this is the best job in the world.”

You won’t be returning to the circus then?
“I was a full-contact broadsword fighter, I fought with chainsaws and breathed fire. I’ve been to accident and emergency a few times! We headlined the theatre and circus field at Glastonbury Festival three years in a row with a £40,000 extravaganza called ‘Kiss My Axe’! I took a Ferret tank down there once. We did an X-rated ‘Mad Max’ opera one year!”

Does everyone know everyone in the racing
world?
“Yeah, and all the racing people. It makes it fun, as there are normally mates wherever you go. I don’t see the guys from Fifth Gear much until we start filming, so it’s always nice to come back to the bosom and catch up!”

The stuff about the new series is quite interesting. I'm most interested in seeing the bodyguard in episode [09x03]

Wonder what BMW estate he got? I would have thought the 3'er is too small for him and the 5'er...well I'd be surprised if he bought that considering the hilarious review he gave including how ugly it is.

Also, whats up with the "150BHP Monaro" I can't believe he owned a Smart aswell hahaha!

[Buba]

I guess he is trying to be funny with his cars here...? And which BMW could he have? 535d???

[Jimi Hendrix]

Being a member of that Van Horsen group has to be something really great.

[Thanatos]

he's got a 535d touring with M sport package, as a lifer on top gear magazine. lifers are cars that are lended for up to 2 years by car companies to the staff and each of them write a something short about living with the car for the past month. Monaro was the same he got it for a year or something like that and got it some ECU and exaust modifications so the output was more then 400HP maybe even 450 becuse that would explain the keypad typo, look at 4 and 1.

[Viper007Bond]

That SMART sounds awesome!

[POWERRR!!]

anyone got more info on that van horsen group? that sounds like an american version of p1.