Watch engineers perform an engine swap in 42 seconds

Matthew Hansen
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Remember when television didn't suck? The whole family would gather around the tube after dinner to watch talk shows, soaps, and comedies — inadvertently most of which were of quality.

Now all we've got to look forward to is watching Lorde's new song dropping, or seeing what kind of hi jinx those pesky Kardashians have got up to.

It's a different world we live in, one where certainly you would never expect to see a team of engineers speed-changing a car's engine during a slot on live prime-time television. Discovery Turbo not withstanding.

Anyway, before all of this came a show on BBC called Record Breakers — a show in which people ... uh ... broke records.

And among the teams of dedicated weirdos who appeared on the show to snatch their 15 seconds of fame was this group of five UK Royal Marines and a humble Ford Escort MkIII, endeavouring to claim a new record for the world's fastest engine swap.

Naturally the whole process is performed with incredible precision. Not a single ounce of effort from any of the marines is wasted (have a go at old mate yanking out his friend from underneath the Escort at the 1min 28sec mark). 

The Escort, new engine in place, is able to vroom over the finish line after just 42 seconds to take the record. Though, the internet being the internet, people have naturally pointed out all the plot holes in the swap. 

Questions (well, complaints) about how no water was drained or fluids leaked or have been raised with many others adding their similarly painted 2 cents. It's not bolted in, it's not this, it's not that. 

The simple fact is that this stood as the quickest engine change of all time; most likely performed to the standards of the Guinness Book of World Records. 

I'd love to see the Kardashians give it a go.