Car Lightning - Top Gear - BBC autos

[maxh2280]

Why did you stop it before they did the cool wall? That made me a bit sad by stopping it in front of something I like.

[SerenityBeast]

Hammond always do the scariest things...

[RoxanaCarlajw490]

soso bin ne sau

[d0ntr4p3m3]

The guy controlling the electrical station would almost look like Hitler...

[alvisbalins]

Wonder why they chose a diesel...? :)

[ShanesAutos]

@alvisbalins  whats the car been diesel got to do with anything?

[rysnyper50002]

the stereos on the "fritz" lol

[gurnumbly]

How come it's almost always Hammond who ends up doing the most dangerous things? He's almost died once. Can't the short guy have a break? And I say that endearingly because I am much shorter than he is.

[d0ntr4p3m3]

@gurnumbly What did he almost die from?

[gurnumbly]

@d0ntr4p3m3 He was trying to set some record, a land speed record, I think, in a rocket powered car that crashed. He had very severe head trauma and was out of commission for a long time. Apparently he has problems with depth perception and depression now from it. But he still does the dangerous things.

[jaredlee283]

@gurnumbly he wasn't trying to set records,he just wanted to go really really fast..

[Scourgeandmephiles93]

Richard had a metal ring on one of his fingers anyway.

[blargypaston]

it acts like a faraday cage, so knew this would happen

[Frakkyfire]

Aha! We have discovered why Richard Hammond could survive a 288mph crash – obviously the lighting strike gave him super powers.

[mpekris3]

3:40 hamster's socks are now filled with sh*t !!

[alivefrom88]

I thought the camera inside the car would be damaged with the lightning strike, hmm.....

[ShanesAutos]

@alivefrom88 maybe, but the camera wasnt connected up to any electrical circuits in the car. it was on one of those tripod things with the suction cup that sticks to the windshield.

[TeddyGrahamFreak]

An average costing house: $300,000

A telivision: $500-$5,000

Richards eyes on the first lightning strike: priceless

[Bladed1551]

in Oklahoma you really don't worry about that its the tornadoes find a car that can take on that lol

[MrAlarmklock]

@Bladed1551 they test a car in season 17 (next season) called the Marauder. I'm pretty sure that can.

[HecticChomp]

Yea safe for cars who have rubber on the tips of their keys :D

[TELFORD88]

2:55 hitler impersonator fail lol

[crazy7997]

3:25 Look under the car towards the rear. The car is gronded. Never did see an arc go from the car to the ground. The camera made it look like it did but that was just camera trying to deal with the bright lite from the arc. Then isn't lightning up in the millions of volts?

[kongufighter08]

The semen's high voltage lab? Semen?!

[xstealth04]

@kongufighter08 Siemens

[Chaingangsoldiernit]

anyone know which episode this is from?

[emncnsz]

His face is priceless when the first lighting strikes :D

[AsboJunior]

hate the ads

[silentvoices777]

its not 8000000 volts a real lightning strike is 1.21 jiggawatts

[hejjagedu]

@silentvoices777 I don't trust someone who can't spell giga

[ALEXANDER1318]

Now it's a possessed demon car!

[cbwein333]

3:40 haha

[Ghassan555]

That was bad........

[ypisoni]

Put some amps in those 400 thousand volts and ill laugh has you burn to death. Muhahahaahahaha

[Pwnerandboner]

They didn't show the etching that the lightning made on top of the car...

[verycooljake]

Your in Germany your in a german car sooo?

PS: GERMANS RULE!!!

[cprich22]

WHY ARE THERER ADVERTS I PAY MY LICSANCE!!!!!

[AzureSukai]

*zap* Hes not dead yet *zaps again and again and again

"verdammt..."

[colourbarsdjr]

@yorrickwi: no spark plugs, but they do have glow plugs for starting, much like a gasoline engine. Good try, though.

[bigplopy]

@colourbarsdjr Glow plugs are not necessary for starting a diesel. The only thing they do in warm up the air in the cylinder. The diesel combusts from compression.

[dycarbon1]

Lol "he's starting to raise the woltage" XD

[Centwerk]

dwohutrefausend volt

vourhutretfausend volt

sikshundretfausend volt



[yorrickwi]

i see why they used a diezel for this

u dont need sparkplugs for a diezel spark plugs use electricity and if the elecrical systems get upset the car might fireup

[ViRoy101]

Carbon Fiber does conduct electricity, but the resin used to make it into a stiff panel is an insulator (raw carbon fiber strands are limp and feel almost identical to hair)... so if the current does not reach to the center of the panel and into the carbon fiber itself, it will only pickup EMF/static.

You can use a single continuous fiber strand as a wire.

CF does have resistance, so if an enormous charge hit it... it would be like using 30ga wire to hook up your car battery... flash & burn + PU

[vampirodrako]

mastreta mxt es el nuevo automovil mexicano, este sera el rival más directo del Lotus Elise 1.8 R (1.8 192 cv/860 Kg), el Mastretta MXT tiene un motor central transversal de 2.3 litros y 4 cilindros con 200 cv tracción trasera. Pesa 1000 kg, hace el 0-100 Km/h entre 6 y 7 segundos y tiene una velocidad punta de 230 Km/h. Aquí, tengo que decirlo, el motor del Mastretta MXT no está muy desarrollado puesto que tan sólo pesa 140 kg más en cojunto que el Elise 1.8 R

[lupischuckle]

Sure, it's not REALLY like getting struck by lightening, but it's still pretty cool.

[teo5151]

666 likes O_O

[nydrell]

this is only possible in a vw,why!because it is simply the best brand period....

[ruiferreira89]

@nydrell They did it on a VW because people couldn't care less if it got zapped, blown and burned. :)

[hercegovac00]

@nydrell

BMW, Audi and Mercedes are better

[KBear43rd]

@nydrell The ability to survive a lightning strike is not exactly the most important sign of quality...

[passingbynight]

It's only a little lightning. The real ones are much more powerful.

[riff1221]

does this work in any car?

[vulcanstriker]

"hes starting to raise the woltage" lol

[daywalker0777]

without the ground cable at 4:14, the electicity wouldn't just pass through the car. It would stay for a much longer time in the car damaging all the cars electronics. An other unrealistic condition was, that the engine wasn't running. I've read an article about a lightning strike to a woman's car driving on a freeway. She reported that in one moment, all the electronics was gone, the servo, ignition, even the lights...powerless in the middle of a freeway without warning lights in a heavy rain!

[psnChozoLord]

try doing this in a car made out of carbon fiber...

[Hidezepickle]

@psnChozoLord works the same way :O

[psnChozoLord]

@Hidezepickle The reason he isn't affected by the electricity is because he has a metal cage (the car) around him. If you built a car out of carbon fiber (not metal), you would be screwed.

[insylem]

@psnChozoLord

I agree, I saw a recreation based on actual events where a carbon fiber tail rotor on a helicopter was struck by lightning resulting in destruction of the tail rotor, resulting in the crash of the helicopter. Metal airplanes get struck all the time. Carbon Fiber IS conductive however, just not as well as metal.

[riff1221]

that is just awesome..insanely awesome!

[BolFelix]

ya right, like he really didn't know if he was gonna die :P

[lukassnakeman]

im surprised he didnt shit himself

[dieglero]

Please view at 3:30 to see the car actually being struck by lightning.

[Dorel88]

what is the engine is running? any difference?

[creepindead]

1:03 lol

[khiemtu]

Hope Richard get blast and become superman.

[darollercoasterfan97]

I was half-expecting Richard to be blasted to 1885....

[DyNaMiiKsPS3]

Waltage! :D

[nitrowad]

Car hit by lightning - eh, not really - they used 8,000 V, and Lightning struck the earth with 100 million - 1 billion V - that's right - 1 000 000 000 V - so that's just 125 000 TIMES STRONGER than they did it... Also lightning bolt contains 10,000 to 200,000 A, but i assume that they weren't even close there... Don't get me wrong, i love Top Gear, but this test is pure s#!t...

[ploavit]

@nitrowad Well, yes, lightning is much stronger, but this would kill him anyway and the faraday cage would work too...

[nitrowad]

@ploavit well, not really... The isolators don't act same on different voltage... So it doesn't mean that the cage would work... Read more about lightning struck and you'll see. ;)

[dude2106]

@nitrowad the German at around 3:20 says "300.000 volts" i don't know where you get 8.000 volts from. But either way the physics is the same, the lighting will always take the most direct route to the ground, and in a car that is around the outer metal body.

[nitrowad]

@dude2106 8000 volts - Hammond says it somewhere in video... Nope, you're wrong, the lightning isn't quite precisely explained, cause on high voltages isolators don't react the same(I said this earlier - google it). If it would take the most direct route, then the lightning would be straight as an arrow... Also lightning hits in something that has a good grounding so it discharges the electricity - car doesn't have a good grounding, so it's less likely it's gonna hit it...

[dude2106]

@nitrowad No with the most direct route, i mean the fastest way of travel. Which is inside something. Electricity don't "like" to jump in the air, so it will try to hit the object as high in the sky as possible, to decrease the length of the travel.

[Henzzman]

@nitrowad 8kV isnt enough to produce even a big electric arc.To produce lightning,you need hundreds of kV.Lightning that comes from the sky,has voltage about 2-13MV and couple hundred thousand ampers of current,sometimes almost a 1MA.

[daywalker0777]

@nitrowad Hammond said 800.000 volts and it is also at the display of the german scientist if you pay attention. during charging it says 600somthing and below "kV" = kilo volts...soooo....600*kilo=600.­000 during charging, so....

[Jattmafia313]

@nitrowad 800,000 V

[ruarster5000]

1.21 GIGAWATTS



[midnoon35]

3:39 Sphincter malfunction. :)

[CJEzekiel116]

Voltswagon.

You were thinking the same exact thing, now hush.

[samvcool]

If only that car had a flux capacitor, Richard would be in future! (or past)

[MrRm396]

0:00



[rhv87]

fucking insane but awesome

[vxl788]

200,000 Volts for a nice and smooth start... :D

[JellyBird12]

...1:03...Semans High Voltage Lab LOL

[Darkification1]

@JellyBird12 Siemens*

[justbilly0061]

We may have a problem...

The radio is on the Fritz.

[m93sek]

I'd like to see the rove top of that car - the heat could have done some serious damge

[Book5550]

He does the 10th doctor face at least 5 times while in the car XD

[naterade21]

i love this episode

[crashoveryu]

If there wasn't for Tesla, u wouldn't have this test today... PC and other electrical appliances neither.

[derbigpr500]

@crashoveryu Tako je. A puno ljudi toga nije svjesno.

[panos11995]

houston we have a problem

[HachiZenki]

Yes, everything is going to be fine...unless you happen to be driving a S2000 then your're sol...

[SILENTIMACT74]

Haha I was shocked when he said oklahoma cause thats where i live and lightning is serious business here.

[bas0704]

3:40 epic face :D

[respectable07]

I saw how lighting melted Audi A6 bonnet - thats just a hole with melted plastic.

[tidmouthmilk12]

If they told you to keep your hand's together in a test then how would you survive whilst driving with your arms outstretched?

[Dogman36]

the corvette would melt because it's all plastic n' stuff.

[paulthian]

0:24 epic face

[Kyoru91]

funny thing is at 4:15 they have wires to it that grounded it, or atleast assisted in that matter

[drilboor17]

LOL

you are toast in an amarican car in an storm because they are so big lightning couldnt nis it

[truelegendinblack]

@drilboor17 thats really untrue

[Reverseflush]

3:40

What was that?

LOL I didn't expect the rest of the zZzZzZzZz's

[computerhelper303]

3:42 epic face!!!!!!!! :D

[ProtonFilms]

MEANWHILE

*translate from german*

"That didn't kill him! Zap him again!"

[Armantas19]

''Fritz'' radio station :D

[vankoperenNL]

4:14 see the ground cable to close the circuit...

[Kyoru91]

@vankoperenNL yup. thats what i said, i dont think lightning would strike a car on concrete without the ground cable near as easily

[JimiPain]

@vankoperenNL Real lightnings don't care for that cable

[ahmedgtr4]

@vankoperenNL hahaha true EPiC Fail xD xD

[MREURONCAP]

@vankoperenNL and that means? 

[neohitta]

Now i finally understand why Richard is called "hamster", well, beside the white teeth...

[deviance87]

that took balls to do

[RocketNothing]

What the hell?!

[MarkHSince1995]

pause at 2:54 XD

[DannyFox06]

he's starting to raise the woltage

[DarkFly3r]

Germans never fail.

[theatomizer]

Germans are awesome. :D

[Tonythatcoolguy]

@theatomizer he isnt german, hes british dumbfuck

[theatomizer]

@Tonythatcoolguy Your the dumbfuck. I know he is British, he said the only people that had a lightning generator that would let him get zapped in a car were German, thus, "Germans are awesome." Please pay more attention next time.

[CoonBabble]

@Tonythatcoolguy you're the dumbfuck. he was talking about the Germans in general not Richard Hammond. Troll asshole.

[theatomizer]

@CoonBabble Exactly. ;D

[mimbelwimbel]

@theatomizer Yes we are. 

[theatomizer]

@mimbelwimbel :3

[Ricardo1906]

I almost bet with my brother that the dutch would accept this. Maybe i'm wrong and the germans are a lot more liberal than the dutch.

[ChaseSpeer]

hahaha this scientist has such the stereotypical german voice. At the end of everything I just went ahead and added ...yaa to the end of everything

[Lamborghini173]

Of course it would be the Germans!!!

[SIRHENNY1]

Thats how we charge are cars in America lol

[6SIX6Bloodshedded]

why the people here in the Netherlands didn't wanna do that, what a shame to us. i did like this test :P

[hondaboy2207]

lol seman power station hahaha

[Osmosium2507]

@hondaboy2207 it is SIEMENS



[rakan959]

"he's starting to raise the woltage"

[bobbyoty]

did someone says "back to the future"? ha ha ha

eat your heart marty

dont need tha damn clock tower any more

[graveler2golem]

i stopped breathing the moment lightning striked the car

[1991FordLTD]

i've heard a few stories of cars getting struck by lightning and all the electronics got fried

[Heresathought]

What on earth......this man is crazy.

[ConradMcBad]

People electricuted by their cars doesn't happen with lightning unless they are touching the car while also touching the earth when it hit. The deaths of this manner occur when power lines have fallen onto a car, so current is continually running through the metallic surfaces of the car, if you touch part of the metal when that happens, you will complete the circuit and most likely kill yourself. It tragically happened to a young mother here in New Zealand a couple of years ago.

[evilbunny34]

SCREW MARK NEUMANN IM VOTING FOR THE OTHER GUY ><

[hongkypongky00009]

@evilbunny34 fuck

[Swedemanviking]

I like that mustache....

[gammaray850]

1:03 the semen's high voltage lab?

[RXHardstyle]

@gammaray850 haahaah you're hilariousssss XD

[imboden2]

@gammaray850 Seimens High Voltage Lab.

[gammaray850]

@imboden2 close enough =D

[Veekil]

lol jt luk at his face..4sure its real!!

[Hitlo58]

Hammonds SHIRT LOL... i think he shops at flea markets who get donations from old people.

[flanke14]

does that mean if you sit in a koenigsegg ccxr (the body = 100% carbon fiber) you will die because there's no metal that could lead the electricity around?

[MrBS4]

@flanke14

Carbon fiber is conductor bro. Even if it is dielectric material, you will still be find. as long as you keep your feet of the ground.

[aVoXchannel]

@MrBS4 k, now i understand ;)

[69querfahrer]

Europcar rental:)

[raymondgrimm]

hey im from holland xD

[TheManForeva]

silver one....*punches computer*

[WhiteZion]

Great Video! By the way the car is a rented Golf from Europcar.

Why use your own car when there are car rentals ? XD

[gunchibaiyya]

Herr Schmidt, we zust hit you wiz two hundred zauzend volt.

[nattavision]

electricity is invisable, the only reason we see it is because its burning the gases in the air!

[TheHolyPiShop]

@nattavision fun fact No#481 cool

[Rusty2540]

but lightning goes up :s

[RomanianUser]

@Rusty2540 hahah sure.

[PlayActiv]

i woldn't be laughing if i would be him!

[lobster9207]

radio station: "fritz" oh thats nice!

so laughing my ass off

[MrPaboy69]

i've been in a bus that was hit by lightning. there's no way i would have got in that golf

[alex4000x]

they have to try it with the car on to see the result

[MrHamster24]

1:04 sperm

[TheHellenicFire]

So what's the conclusion? That the volkswagen cars can survive even in lightenings!! Bullshit!!

[m0livi]

i bet they tested it before without anyone inside or knew what happens to the car coz they need him for the show :p

[DdlyHeadshot]

If that's a Faraday Cage, why does the radio work?

[dant1414]

@DdlyHeadshot It is because of the wavelength of the radio that requires very small appertures, comparing with the windows of a car...

[DdlyHeadshot]

@dant1414 Good point, I didn't think of that.

[Sxifyable]

If you were in an American car then it would all just melt around you.

[DdlyHeadshot]

@Sxifyable Plastic doesn't conduct...

[Sxifyable]

@DdlyHeadshot It is a joke. I'm saying American cars are made of nothing but plastic now. Shitty cheap ass plastic.