Top Gear host Freddie Flintoff risks his life on a monstrous Wall of Death in this exclusive clip from Sunday’s new episode of the hit motoring show.
Monsters & Critics’ sneak peek shows the former international cricket star as he attempts to circle the motordome’s terrifying vertical walls — which are more often ridden by motorcycles — in a nearly two-tonne car.
The Maserati Quattroporte was picked up by Freddie at a bargain-basement price because it was classed as an insurance write-off, meaning it had previously been involved in a serious road crash.
To reduce the weight, the doors, hood and trunk lid have all been removed to make the car lighter, but as Freddie told us in an exclusive interview it still weighed a lot more than he would have liked.
His co-hosts Chris Harris and Paddy McGuinness are fearful as they watch him prepare to take on the giant wall, which was set up by producers inside the UK’s historic Alexandra Palace entertainment venue.
This Sunday’s Top Gear episode sees both Chris and Paddy attempt the Wall of Death too, but Freddie — never one to shy away from a challenge — has by far the biggest challenge as his car is easily the heaviest.
“I think he has the worst vehicle for this, by a mile,” Chris says as he looks on from a safety platform above the wall. “I’m worried about what it’s going to do on the top banking at sustained speed.”
“I mean, I’ve got everything crossed that nothing goes wrong with it,” adds Paddy. “But it’s just not a good look.”
‘Faster, faster, higher higher’
At the center of the Wall of Death is an expert who repeatedly tells Freddie as he starts to go round the vertical walls, “Faster, higher, faster, higher… higher! Higher!”
As soon as Freddie sets off, a tail-light falls off of his car — which doesn’t bode well for the rest of his attempt.
All three of the Top Gear hosts previously attempted the wall in a much-lighter test buggy, and a Freddie says of his two-tonne Maserati as he attempts to get vertical, “I can feel the weight of the car. It just wants to come down the wall. It’s completely different to the buggy.”
As the car speeds up, the insides start to shudder. Freddie quickly tops 50mph, but his car is so heavy that he needs more speed.
Disaster strikes
Chris and Paddy are looking on in amazement as Freddie just keeps getting faster and faster, when suddenly disaster strikes and smoke starts billowing out from one of the front wheels.
“Woah! Smoke! Smoke! Smoke!” shouts Paddy, as the expert yells over the radio at Freddie telling him to stop.
A worried Freddie knows something is wrong, and repeatedly says, “Something’s happened! Something’s happened!”
But does he make it down safely, and did he get his car high enough up the wall to succeed at the task?
Top Gear airs Sundays at 8pm ET/PT on BBC America.