Man finds arguably the worst car Jeremy Clarkson has ever road-tripped and is surprised by how it drives

When Jeremy Clarkson took a Mitsuoka Le Seyde across Europe, it was meant to be a joke.

Years later, that same bizarre machine resurfaced in the wild.

YouTuber Mike Fernie tracked it down and got behind the wheel once more.

What he found was far more surprising than the car’s looks suggested.

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This was one of the most iconic vehicles Jeremy Clarkson ever drove

At first glance, the Le Seyde still looked like an automotive punchline.

Styled to resemble a vintage luxury cruiser but built on the humble Nissan Silvia S13 platform, it was a strange mashup of fiberglass excess and 1990s Japanese engineering.

Under the bonnet sat a naturally aspirated SR20 engine producing around 160hp.

This sounded respectable until you considered the added weight and questionable aerodynamics of its elongated body.

This particular car had featured in The Grand Tour’s Euro Crash special, where it endured the usual Jeremy Clarkson treatment.

That meant rough roads, questionable modifications, and plenty of abuse.

Against expectations, its new owner, Zach, revealed that mechanically, the car had held up remarkably well.

Aside from cosmetic wear, rust spots on metal panels, and the infamous bolt-on candelabras, it had arrived in surprisingly solid condition.

Fernie took the Le Seyde to a Japanese car specialist to see what lay beneath the eccentric exterior.

On the lift, the truth became clear.

Much of the original Silvia remained intact, but the front end had been dramatically extended, with custom fabrication stretching the chassis by nearly a meter.

The steering components had also been lengthened, explaining the slightly odd driving feel.

Despite the Frankenstein engineering, the verdict was unexpectedly positive.

The structure appeared sound, and while some modifications looked crude, others were impressively executed.

Even the specialist admitted it was ‘pretty good’ considering how heavily the base car had been altered.

It’s no supercar, but it actually drives alright

Out on the road, the biggest shock came from behind the wheel.

It wasn’t fast or sharp by any means, but it was perfectly usable.

The ride was smooth, the engine reliable, and the experience oddly charming, assuming you could ignore the oscillating candelabras mounted to the wings.

While most remember it as one of the ugliest cars chosen for The Grand Tour, its performance wasn’t a joke.

Beneath the jokes and the fiberglass, it was still a fundamentally solid Japanese coupe.

If you want to watch the YouTuber’s full review, the video is below:

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