True to form, the banter started before the engines even fired. Hammond jabbed at the Testarossa’s “Morris Marina” indicator stalks while May smirked about the Countach’s Austin Montego door mirror switches. Vintage Italian exotica, meet British sarcasm.
The pair traded car-nerd lore, including the fact that the Testarossa’s rear wing wasn’t even functional—Lamborghini literally screwed them on in the factory car park just to complete the look. Both supercars are celebrities in their own right, but also famously flawed. May confided that the Testarossa doesn’t like standing starts, as its differential tends to self-destruct (a £26,000 fix), while Hammond admitted the massive rear tyres of the Countach would likely fry the clutch and demolish the gearbox (a cool £36,000 repair). With a combined £62,000 at risk, they wisely chose a rolling drag race instead—a rarity for the show, but justified when the cost of old Italian parts is higher than most people’s houses.
After lining up, the duo gently pulled away before flooring it past the white line. Roaring V12 and flat-12 soundtracks filled the air; it was a rolling start showdown that every childhood bedroom wall poster dreamed of. The Countach surged ahead, leaving the Testarossa trailing. Hammond celebrated the win, smugly reminding May and the viewers that not only does the victory matter—it matters a lot when it comes to bragging rights between friends who care about these legends.
This quick race perfectly captured everything that makes The Grand Tour such escapist car television: characterful cars, good-natured rivalry, and just enough risk to feel real—without anyone accidentally blowing a gearbox worth more than their house.
