

Season 3 • Episode 6
LatestRichard Hammond reveals the surprising engineering connections in Japan's Bullet Train, the world's first high speed train. It could not run without ancient charioteers, a crowbar, a medieval clock, the electric telegraph, and a 19th century luxury racing car.
Richard Hammond looks at the connections behind the greatest feats of engineering.
Direction
Hammond's giddy enthusiasm sells dry engineering concepts
Production
Glorious location shoots at iconic structures worldwide
Writing
Clever analogies that make physics actually click
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Hammond filmed this between Top Gear seasons, using the same production team for that signature glossy BBC look.
The series exemplifies early 2000s 'celebrity science' boom — making experts relatable before YouTube democratized it.