A video on his YouTube channel, James May’s Planet Gin, showed the television presenter taking to the roads around Salisbury and Wilton as he attempted the modern test.
The assessment was carried out at Salisbury Driving Test Centre off Manor Road in Rougemont Close, with May following official routes in a dual-control car alongside an instructor.
Although already a licensed driver, May said he wanted to see how today’s test compares to the one he took in 1980.
James May said: “Now, I do of course already have a licence. It was 1980 when I last took a test, and things have moved on a lot since then; the test is apparently very different.
“I haven’t revised for it. I haven’t learned anything about it. I’m just going to do it and see if I can pass.”
May owns The Royal Oak pub in Swallowcliff near Tisbury and often appears at events in the Wiltshire village.
Despite his experience and confidence on the road, May failed the modern driving test.
He was recorded driving at 46mph in a 40mph zone and 33mph in a 30mph zone, earning him a fail for speeding.
May immediately acknowledged the mistake, saying: “I did 42 then.
“Sorry, but that was my eagerness to join the flow of traffic and not be a hazard.
“Just as a radio would, or as many people get distracted by friends or mobile phones, distractions are part and parcel of modern driving.”
Throughout the drive, May engaged in light-hearted conversation with the instructor, including discussions about his time on Top Gear, his dislike of vocal sat nav instructions, and the spotting game he and ‘The Stig’, Ben Collins, used to play during filming.
He joked that after the test, he would “turn into an ASBO” once the instructor was out of the car.
Despite the unsuccessful result, May took the outcome in good humour and thanked viewers for watching.
He ended the video with the words: “Do as I say, not as I do.”
