The modified Camry in action
The Apocalypse-Proof Camry was a car created by the presenters of Top Gear US in the thirteenth episode of the shows third season, titled 'Doomsday Drive'. The presenters were challenged to convert a Toyota Camry, the most popular car in the US at the time, into the ultimate apocalypse-ready vehicle. The presenters were each told to design different aspects of the car (Rutledge was in charge of defence, Adam on offence, and Tanner on performance) and then these would all have to be combined together to create one design, this caused some of the features on the car to be rather redundant. The presenters were then told to meet up in the Californian desert for a series of challenges.
Design[]
After each designing their assigned parts of the vehicle the designs were all sent in to a group of local welders to modify their vehicle. The following day the presenters met up to see the finished product and reveal their modifications.
- Rutledge painted over the exisiting brown paint coat with a new pool-ball wallpaper design that was meant to distract enemies.
- He also added seven door handles to the passenger door of the car in the hope that enemies attempting to get inside the car would be confused as to which door handle opened the door. This was a rather pointless addition on account of a modification Tanner made.
- He also added two pot plants to end of the car, for shade and oxygen, and a smoke screen.
- Finally, Rutledge added an electric fence to the outside of the car.
- Tanner also raised the car and changed the suspension and tires.
- He also changed the chassis of the car replacing the old one with that of an F150, the most popular truck in America.
- Tanner also added an exoskeleton the car; this modification clashed with Rutledge's seven door handle solution.
- Adam added two saws on poles to both sides of the car. Mounted at the front, Adam claims that the saws could be used to clear vegetation or kill 'zombies'.
- He also added a catapult to the top of the Camry in the hope that they could fling anything at their enemies and never run out of ammunition.
- As a final modification, Adam mounted a blade to front bumper of the car.
Testing[]
Two Minute Modification Test[]
For the first challenge the presenters had to prove in two minutes that their modifications were worthwhile. Rutledge's modification were challenged by Adam and Tanner who attempted to break into the modified Camry in under two minutes. After succesfully breaking into the car in under two minutes Tanner and Adam agreed that the best modification Rutledge had made was the electric fence. After testing their car on the open road, Adam was the next to have his modifications challenged. At a firing range, Adam was challenged to hit six targets with ammunition fired from his catapult whilst Tanner was driving. Although the catapult was inefficient the blade at the front of the Camry was and Adam succesfully destoryed all of his targets within the two minute deadline. Tanner was next and he was challenged to drive around a half-mile dirt track in two minutes. Although he succesfully completed the course in a minute, twenty seconds he destoryed Adam's blade, so the other presenters claimed he failed the test.
Blackout Challenge[]
In an apocalypse the power grid will fail quickly and so test how easily the presenters can drive their car at night time without headlights they were challenged to drive a half-mile to an industrial lot using only sat nav - the windows of their car were blacked out. Throughout their journey the presenters were faced with the constant problem of their sat nav recalculating their route. After driving for a short period of time the presenters eventually and unknowingly left the pavement and in the process of getting back on the tarmac they accidentally take out a fence. As day to turns to night the presenters are still trying to get to their destination and end up on the dirt shoulder of a busy highway. They turn through a garden and enter a parking lot; Tanner floors the Camry through the parking lot and ends up crashing through yet another fence and back onto the open road, skidding to a stop in the middle of an intersection. The presenters bail on the challenge and concede defeat.
Eagle Mountain Survival Challenge[]
For their final challenge the presenters head to the ghost town of Eagle Mountain. The presenters are challenge to race the Stig to a water tower at the top of the Eagle Mountain Mine, along the route they are told to collect supplies and rescue hostages. There are two orange smoke 'mines' attached to the end of the car and the presenters are told that if both are detonated by the Stig in pursuit that they lose the challenge. The presenters head to a gas station and begin loading their car with watermelons. They accidentally trip an 'alarm' which sets the Stig off in pursuit. Knowing that the Stig is after them the presenters decide to head off, but first Adam attaches a soda machine to the back of their car. Within the first minute of leaving the gas station the soda machine becomes unattached and the Stig catches up the presenters in the Camry. In an attempt to lose the Stig, Rutledge activates the smoke screen; this deters the Stig and the presenters lose him. They arrive at the abandoned prison and Adam decides to saw the lock off of the fence. Adam's saws are determined to be useless and Tanner decides to ram the fence instead. Now inside the prison the presenters must hit the black cardboard figures while rescuing the white ones. The presenters trip another alarm and after rescuing the four hostages and eliminating the four black cardboard figures the presenters set off to the water tower with the Stig once again in hot pursuit. The Stig rams the Camry from behind, detonating one of the orange smoke mines; in the process the presenters also lose one of their hostages. In another attempt to shake the Stig Tanner decides to take the car through an abondoned building. After doing so, the presenters expected to have lost the Stig but are irritated to see that the Stig has followed suit. With the water tower in sight, Rutledge tries to once again smoke out the Stig but the machine has broken. Tanner and the Stig battle it out for the last few kilometers and eventually Tanner makes it to the water tower without the second orange mine being detonated. The presenters claim that their Camry is victorious, although admitting that it has many faults.