Mr. Bean in Hydrogen Toyota

Rowan Atkinson is a car enthusiast and a brilliant gentleman driver. So talented that Toyota entrusted him with a hydrogen prototype.

The unforgettable interpreter of Mr. Bean eagerly accepted Toyota’s invitation to join a panel of celebrities at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. But to attract a big fish like Rowan Atkinson, only one bait works—the prospect of getting behind the wheel of an exceptional machine.

But what can attract a man who owns a 1939 BMW 328 in his garage, several Rolls Royces and Bentleys, or even a McLaren F1… which he has crashed twice, earning him the dubious title of holder of the largest insurance payout with £910,000, nearly a million euros!

Well, it takes a car that is unique in the truest sense of the word—namely, a car that exists in only one copy such as the Toyota GR Yaris Hydrogen. The actor had the opportunity to take the wheel several times, always accompanied by a prominent figure such as David Richards, president of Prodrive and the British Drivers’ Association, or the Duke of Richmond, owner of the Goodwood estate and, of course, the namesake meeting.

Rowan Atkinson benefited from the wise advice of many official Toyota drivers present on site, including the eight-time World Rally Champion, Frenchman Sébastien Ogier. No blunders in this short program but plenty of enjoyment for the spectators and the Toyota official driver for a day.

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