Cars with a good old regular handbrake lever are a dying breed, which leaves fanatics without the possibility of doing a proper handbrake turn.
One of the Top Gear presenters, Chris Harris, wanted to find out if the electronic handbrake, which is becoming the norm rather than the exception, can still be used to have some fun on the go.
Thus, he took his fellow co-host Rory Reid on a short journey in the facelifted Volkswagen Golf R, with a clear goal in his mind: what happens if you engage the electronic handbrake at 120 mph (193 km/h), or German motorway speed, as he referred to it.
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Naturally, the electronic handbrake did the obvious, namely bringing the car to a full stop very gently, much to the disappointment of Harris, who was probably expecting something smokier.
As for the next challenge, Harris tried doing a handbrake turn, something easily achievable in a car equipped with a conventional lever. So, with his right foot down, he caught some speed in the German hot hatch, turned right and pulled on the electronic handbrake.
What happened next? Well, we won’t be posting any more spoilers, so you’ll have to watch the following clip and find out. In any case, e-handbrakes, much like auto gearboxes, are taking over, whether we like it or not.