The back page of issue 165 (onsale now) features AC/DC front man Brian Johnson. It's an edited version the interview I had with the Geordie rocker on the phone a couple of weeks back when he was testing at Daytona in prepartion for his debut in the 24-hour race in January. What comes across even more strongly in the main part of the uncut transcription from our conversation (we spoke for about half an hour) is his total love for all things automotive and his wicked sense of humour. When I played the tape back it mostly consisted of him talking and me laughing, it was just too good not to post in full.

(It also highlights how potty his mouth can be - if you're a delicate flower you should click away now).

'I’m absolutely thrilled to bits mate, I’ve just got out of my DP car. I was terrified yesterday in the BMW-powered Riley. The team’s called Highway to Help as we’re trying to make a bit of money for the Paediatric Society and prove that old farts like me can still live the dream by racing in the Daytona 24 hours. I tell you the rush you get is just like being on stage. I’m still learning how fast I can go into a corner and I’m still scaring the crap out of myself, it’s just unbelievable. Today I went out on cold tyres and went flying into the Bus Stop chicane, I braked, changed down and oh boy, there was smoke everywhere. Cowardice was the better part of valour, so I didn’t attempt to make the corner and just went straight through. We’re testing and getting in as much practice as possible. You have to keep your foot down on a project like this, if you just turn up and try and be a rock and roll dude you’ll just look like a fool, you’ve really got to know your onions. When the flag drops the bullshit stops.It’s all about taking it a step at a f**king time. It’s the first time I’ve been in a race car when

I’ve got a full race team behind me. You’ve got a huge responsibility of looking after the car, and that’s something I’ve never been used to, as it’s always been my car up until now with my team looking after it. This is a completely different kettle of fish, you feel responsible for everything you do and there’s data-logging everywhere. You can’t cheat because they know exactly what you’re f**king doing. There’s nowhere to hide. I’m just getting used to it all and trying to make the car my office, understanding all the dials and switches. Believe me there’s plenty of s**t in here.
I tell you, I was coming up to this corner, flying in at about 160mph, and I hit the f**king pitlane speed limiter with my thumb. It’s set at 40mph and I nearly went through the f**king screen. I won’t do that again, but I wasn’t expecting them to put that button on the f**king steering wheel. It f**ks with your mind, but I learnt real quick.
As for my road cars I’ve got a this Rolls Royce Phantom and a 1928 Bentley Vanden Plas 4.5 litre and I drive that everyday I can. A nice mix between plush and rough you could say. I’ve had the Phantom about five years now, but it’s only got around 10,000 f**king miles on the clock as I’m never home enough to drive the bastard. But I did drive it to Sebring the other week on the country roads and I was stonking along there at about 130mph, and I had this Porsche sat on me arse. What I didn’t know was that it was one of my co-drivers. He phoned the team and he said: ‘There’s a f**king idiot in front of me doing 130 in a Rolls Royce.’ They phoned me and said ‘Brian is that you?’ I said yes it is, I’m a bit busy right now as I’m trying to lose this f**king Cayenne!’ It was then that they told me it was my f**king team mate. It was fun, the Rolls is a fast f**king car.

Getting a Rolls Royce was always a dream, they were fantastic when I was a kid, those machines were just magnificent in the sixties, and then for me they went off the boil for a while and I forgot about them. Then I remember seeing the first pictures of the Phantom and I really liked the look of them, and then I saw one in the flesh and it was absolutely stunning. I had a Bentley Continental GT at the time and my friend who’s a Rolls dealer phoned me up and said: ‘I’m sending a Phantom down to you to have a look at.’ I told him not to do that, I told him I was too f**king busy. I knew what would happen. He sent it down in a trailer and when they opened it up I just saw this big f**king stunning looking thing. I went ‘Oh my God!’, and I got in it and went down the street and came back and said ‘I’ll take it!’ They took the Bentley away, it was as simple as that. When they’d gone I just sat in it for about an hour because it brought back all these memories of being in social clubs with my dad, where all the old boys would be playing dominoes. They used to say: ‘Ah, we might be in the Rolls Royce soon,’ and they were talking about a hearse. The only time they would ever get to ride in a Rolls was when they were dead. I’ve been quite successful and I’d never had a f**king Rolls Royce and I didn’t want that to happen to me. And now I just love it.

I tried the Ghost about six months ago for a couple of days, and it was wonderful, but I wanted my Phantom back. Why? Well for a start the fit and finish is second to none, it’s wonderful, and the take off is ludicrous. The car weighs two-and-a-bit tons and yet it’ll get to 60mph in around five seconds. It’s f**king crazy and it shouldn’t happen, it’s a marvellous piece of machinery. And I when I go to a restaurant I never have to park the ****er anywhere, I just pull up outside and someone does it for me.

I’ve also got an Audi R8 here in Florida and a Ferrari 458 Italia in London so when I do go my house there I’ve got something to play with too. Mind you the steering wheel controls confused me at first, I couldn’t work the f**kers out. I asked a mate of mine who’s knows about these things and he told me: ‘You’re on your f**king own there son!’

My other race car - which I haven’t brought to Daytona because it’s dangerous on the banking - is my 1965 Lola T70 Spyder mk1. It’s chassis number 15, which was the last one ever built and was raced by Ronnie Bucknum before he was poached by Honda to drive in Formula One. We found it in a barn in nine f**king boxes. We rebuilt it to exactly the condition it was in 1965 and we hope to bring it to Goodwood and Silverstone next year.

It’s a f**king beast to drive, me old son. It’s an absolute beast, I almost shat myself when I first got in it. I asked where the fuel tank was, and they said: ‘it’s either side of you, Brian’. Fantastic, it’s really comforting to know that… I raced it at Sebring a few weeks ago and I finished second in it, so I was really happy.

I’ve just ordered the new Porsche 918 RSR. It will arrive in 2013 and I’m getting chassis number 3, and I can’t wait. What a beautiful looking motorcar that is, I saw it at Montlhery and just fell in love. One of the engineers said to me: ‘I think you are not liking the Porsches.’ I said: ‘It’s not the Porsches, it’s just the f**kers that drive them!’ That should make me popular, but I suppose I’m one of them now. I’m f**ked! I’m going to have them write on the back ‘Team Porsche – even we don’t like us!’ F**king brilliant.'

To support Brian and donate to the Austin Hatcher foundation log on to Austin Hatcher Foundation - Highway to Help