We visited a farm in England that lets you crush cars with military tanks
This ominous scene marks the entrance to the farm. Tanks-Alot owner Nick Meads was there to show me around.
On the other side of the entrance are white tanks, which are normally rented out for promo events. This one was used by a West End theatre show until a few weeks ago.
When a tank needs to drive on a paved road, it is outfitted with rubber pads like these ones to protect the tank's tracks. The tanks have no problem driving on normal roads with other cars.
Soon after I walked in, they gave me a helmet.
I also got a military suit. I was ready to hit the tanks.
Tanks-Alot has about 130 military vehicles. Most of them are fully-functioning.
Tanks-Alot has all sorts of field vehicles, like this little armoured car.
Or this giant 1948 British Centurion weighing 60 tons, the equivalent of about eight adult elephants.
I was able to crawl inside this armed personnel carrier.
This tank had just been repainted to be delivered to a buyer. It cost around £17,000, which doesn't sound too bad.
Another notable tank in the Tanks-Alot garage was this pink beauty. It had been painted for an event on gender equality, and never painted back.
Now for the fun part. Here's the tank I was allowed to drive.
To get inside the tank, you climb up these steps.
And jump in the driver's seat from the top.
Tanks don't have a wheel to drive. These two levers control the two tracks on either side of the tank.
The seat is really tight. I could easily hit the two levers or some buttons by accident with my knees if I wasn't careful. Comfort is not a priority when fighting a war.
And off we went. The tanks can be surprisingly quick. The one I went on can reach about 65 mph (100 km/h) on a clear path.
We drove through the fields to see all the other vehicles they have at Tanks-Alot, including lorries and missile launchers.
One of the vehicles was stuck in the mud, so we tried (unsuccessfully) to pull it out.
While we were doing our driving, an Apache helicopter flew over us. Nick lets the RAF pilots practice their laser targeting on his tanks.
One of the activities Tanks-Alot is famous for is driving over a car. That nice Alfa will be destroyed for a stags party on Saturday.
This is generally the result.
Back from the trip, Nick showed me the workshop, where all the tanks and vehicles receive maintenance.
The mechanics were fitting a new engine on a Soviet tank.
This is what the engine of a Soviet T-80 looks like. This model was built in 1981, but the Russian army still uses some T-80 models today.
Inside the tank, the pointing system for the main gun is all manual. These two wheels control the horizontal and vertical elevation of the 125mm gun.
There is also a periscope to look out of the tank.
Soldiers like to give names to their tanks. That Russian beast is called Herman.
This is Selma.
Tanks-Alot has a canteen where costumers and guests can wait while the tanks are being readied.
Or you can pass the time by playing with military toys. Like this machine gun, for example.
Nick has received some very odd requests in his business. In this case, a costumer asked him to transform a tank into a hearse for his funeral. This is a look inside the tank.
This one is called the "Tank-limo." Nick rents it out for school proms, for example.
After the visit, I can see why someone would want the opportunity to test drive a tank.
Popular Right Now
Advertisement