Richard Hammond Is Keeping The Grand Tour Subaru Impreza: “I’ Can Get Massive Horsepower Out Of It”
The Grand Tour: A Scandi Flick has been reviewed as one of the greatest episodes from Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May yet. The return to cars was done subtly, the humour was on point and had me howling with laughter, and it had the crash that dominated headlines.
Now, to double down on the reach this episode is getting, James May and Richard Hammond have reunited with their iconic rally cars of the episode for a video for The Grand Tour YouTube channel.
With Jeremy Clarkson locked in the trunk of his Audi RS4, Richard and James have a conversation about what happened during the episode, with James initially complimenting the Subaru Impreza’s iconic livery.
“I love being reunited with these after a trip,” Hammond began. “It is really weird seeing them out of context.”
“I have to commend you on your choice of livery,” James interjected before Hammond questioned his change of heart.
“I’ve always admitted that I do like the Subaru,” James continued. “You once said the Subaru is the car you own and drive, the Evo is the one you take out for a blast. But if you want to go to the shops or go on holiday, you actually have a Subaru.
” I know you’re right… obviously for the purpose of the television, you’re talking crap.”
With the cars in front of them, focus quickly moves to the damage on the Evo with Richard admitting that he was sad to see if being crashed.
“When you lost it, bend it, trashed it,” Richard said, rubbing salt into the wound, “I was genuinely gutted, because there was a real sense that that is the playmate, the sparring partner for this car,” he said pointing to the Subaru.
“And without that one, this, it was all out of balance.”
Interestingly, further on in the video, Richard admits that he is keeping the Subaru, and will be modifying it quite substantially.
“You’ll be glad to know I am keeping this and I think I’m gonna rework it and turn it into an absolute monster. Am I childish for that?”
“These will take a heck of a lot of tweakery.
“I’m gonna see if I can get like massive horsepower out of it.”
The Our Man In Italy presenter wasn’t fond of this idea:
“The people at Subaru at Subaru Technica Internationale, whatever they call themselves, they know.
“They’ve put hundreds of thousands of hours into working out how this thing should be set up, but Richard Hammond in his garage, nice garages though you have, is not gonna improve it.”
Do you agree with Hammond’s plans? Let us know in the comments!
