Browse all episodes of Ultimate Factories

Inside Ferrari's closely-guarded factory in Maranello, Italy, you'll see how the newest, most powerful model is created from start to finish, learn its design secrets -- and take a test drive at 200 mph.

Ferrari

NGC takes you into the factories responsible for completely rebuilding the decades-old Abrams M-1 tank into one of the world's most powerful land weapons systems.

M-1 Tank

At the Peterbilt factory in Denton, Texas, the world's most sophisticated trucks are built from scratch. Discover Peterbilt's history and drag race a big rig.

Peterbilt

What's the secret to Budweiser's success? NGC takes you inside the Anheuser-Busch brewery in St. Louis to learn the steps, secrets and science behind this legendary concoction.

Budweiser

Harley Davidson is a legendary machine that is a symbol of freedom, adventure and the open road. Go behind the scenes of the 10-acre flagship factory in Kansas City to witness the birth of the latest model, the V-Rod, as it's built from the ground up.

Harley-Davidson

Covering more than 300,000 square metres, the John Deere factory houses more than 2000 employees, 49 robotic welders, eight laser cutters and 14 kilometres of overhead track, all of which help stamp, press, cut and weld 60,000 tons of steel into the John Deere STS Combine a harvesting mega-machine. To begin the process, extremely precise laser cutters are used to create a majority of this mini-factory on wheels 17,000 parts. Assemblers then create the combines 450 kilogram cylinder and its massive grain tank. The factory uses nearly 400 tonnes of welding wire each year enough wire to circle the globe. When the combine has been assembled and is ready for painting, it undergoes a seven-hour process to receive the trademark John Deere green colour. When John Deere decides to update its tractors design, the modification is first tested in the factorys state-of-the-art virtual reality lab to measure the potential impact to the assembly line process, saving both time and money. With its 21st century technology and human innovation, the John Deere mega factory shows the raw power behind one of agricultures most vital machines.

John Deere

NGC heads to the Boeing plant in Mesa, Arizona -- where cameras are rarely allowed -- for an in-depth look at the world's most lethal attack helicopter and its sophisticated technology.

Apache Helicopter

The name BMW is synonymous with performance, precision, engineering, a fastidious quality. Obsessively designed, owners drive the "ultimate driving machine" for the sheer pleasure of controlling a mechanical marvel on the open road and feeling G-forces in their gut. Now, NGC takes viewers inside the creation of BMW's newest sports cars: the Z4 Roadster. See first-hand how this $45,000 ultimate roadster, with its unique styling and flawless quality, is built by three ultimate factories.

NGC takes you to Bowling Green, Kentucky, where GM is developing the new Corvette Z06, a high-performance street machine that is fantastically aerodynamically efficient.

Corvette

Winnebago's motor homes, or RVs, have set the standard since the 1960s. But now they have upped the ante with their newest cross-country colossus, the Vectra. Offering 400 square feet of living space, the Vectra even includes a giant basement. From the chassis factory in Gaffney, SC, to the "Big Bertha" mega-plant in IA, visit the Ultimate Factories that create the ultimate home away from home on the open road.

Winnebago

Millions depend on UPS. Step inside the largest package delivery company on the planet, delivering 4 billion packages a year.

Go inside fire trucks mammoth 800,000 sq.ft. operation, where over 1,500 highly skilled workers mix muscle and high-tech tools to create made-to-order rigs in approximately 45 days.

Fire Trucks

Lamborghinis factory in SantAgata Bolognese, Italy [ALT: 20 miles/30 kilometers north of Bologna) is building its fastest car ever the Murcielago SV, of which just 350 will be made. The $450,000 Murcielago SV launches from 0 to 62 miles per hour in just 3.2 seconds and can achieve a top speed of 212 miles per hour. The factory builds the car almost entirely by hand including its engine and body. The car is also painted and assembled by hand, including installation of the famous Lamborghini scissor doors. Every car is custom-built to order, and only 2.7 cars are completed per day.

Lamborghini

The Phantom is the first Rolls-Royce motorcar to be introduced since the company was acquired by BMW in 1998. Each Phantom is a unique combination of state-of-the-art technology and old-world craftsmanship, constructed with meticulous attention to detail. Manufacture of the Phantom begins in Unterhallerau, Germany, where its strong, stiff and lightweight space frame chassis is built. Each space frame and body shell assembly is then sent to BMWs factory in Dingolfing, Germany for corrosion-resistance treatment and primer paint. Next, each Phantom is shipped to a manufacturing facility constructed by BMW specifically to build the new generation of Rolls-Royce motorcars. It takes an average of 450 hours and the skills of hundreds of dedicated craftspeople, artisans, designers, engineers, mechanics, painters, sewing machinists and others to hand-build each car. At a base price of $380,000, the Phantom comes equipped with an impressive list of standard amenities including 90 square yards (75 sq meters) of A-grade Bavarian leather upholstery and book matched interior wood trim, hand-crafted from exotic veneers, all of which are fashioned right in the main assembly building of the Goodwood plant. With the Rolls-Royce customization, or bespoke program, however, the options are limited only by the boundaries of the buyers bankroll and imagination.

Rolls-Royce

What does it take to build a classic car with 21st century technology? Now, after nearly a decade off the factory line, Chevy is reintroducing the 2010 Camaro SS. NGC visits the 10-million-square-foot factory, one of the largest auto plants in the world, where the car is stamped from cold raw steel and assembled by high-tech precise robots and nearly 5,800 employees, to create the car's specially designed "unibody" construction.

Camaro

Get inside the famous House of Porsche and see how they create the Porsche 911, one of the most influential and recognizable vehicles in the world. Every distinctive element is manufactured at the Zuffenhausen factory in Stuttgart, Germany, a historical industrial monument. We'll examine the Porsche factory's innovative system of lifts, elevators and bridges, which conveys car bodies 50 feet above a public highway.

Porsche

In 36 countries, in 296 stores IKEA represents a distinct design and an affordable price. Each year nearly 600 million customers choose IKEA. From teaspoons to living rooms, the entire contents of a home are designed, manufactured and supplied in a huge variety of styles, colors and models... almost 10,000 items. To get the job done, suppliers in 54 countries carry out IKEAs vision. In Zbaszynek, Poland, IKEAs largest wood production plant in the world, creates 2 million tables, chairs, sofas and recliners each year. Nearby, in Nowe Skalmmierzyce, IKEAs the companys textile supplier builds over 500 pieces of upholstered furniture daily. In southern Sweden, three ultimate factories create IKEA staples. In Almhult, the prototype for every product is born and an advanced mass produced carpentry factory creates state of the art kitchens. In Kattilstorp, the classic Billy Bookcase is manufactured. And in Hultsfred, the foundation of most IKEA furnishings, the strong, hardwearing particle board is born.

Ikea

The Caterpillar 797B is so large that assembly takes place at six different locations. Tour all of the factories that build this mining Goliath.

Caterpillar

Join us as we follow the creation of the car that moves millions. The R-160 Subway car is the newest member of the New York City Transit fleet -- bringing 21st Century safety and technological innovations to a mass transit system over 100 years old. These innovations include LCD screen maps, a passenger emergency intercom system, soundproofing and a braking system that actually generates electricity and returns power to the third rail. It starts as sheets of metal in Sao Paulo, Brazil where human skill, fire, and steel come together to build the body shell. After a month-long voyage, the body arrives in Hornell, NY for final assembly, motor installation, and testing. Once assembled the R-160 weighs nearly 85,000 lbs and contains 24 miles of wiring. This car is built to last 40 years, to withstand the force of 1.6 billion riders per year, and survive in one of the worlds toughest environments New York City.

NYC Subway Car

Episode 7

The Season 4 opener spotlights the 2011 Dodge Challenger. The hour includes a tour of an assembly plant in Canada and a Mexican factory, where its famed Hemi engine is built.

Dodge Challenger

An exotic car built to push performance to the edge while blending Italian elegance is crafted inside Maserati's ultimate factory. It takes 22 days for a Maserati to be assembled and considered road ready and the Maserati GranTurismo Convertible, a $135,000 convertible that tops out at more than 170 mph, is the new pinnacle of performance and comfort.

Maserati

The hand-built production car, the Dodge Viper, is born, bred and built in Detroit, Michigan. Now NGC takes a unique insider's look at the Viper factory in the current model's last year of production. This ultimate factory is comprised of craftspeople who spend two and a half days building each Viper, which is packed with 600 horsepower that can take it from zero to 60 mph in under four seconds. Without any robots on this assembly line, every Viper is truly hand-crafted.

Dodge Viper

A Mercedes-Benz factory in Germany is visited for a look at the making of the 571-horsepower 2010 SLS.

Mercedes Benz

It's been 50 years since Rolls Royce created a new Bentley fit for royalty and rock stars, and it's a challenge for Bentley's ultimate factories to construct the Mulsanne, a new design of the luxury car. It takes more than 550 hours and nine weeks for artisans and technicians to create this masterpiece. Precision robots ensure that this two-and-a-half-ton luxury car's body is flawlessly molded, but the finest leather is hand-sewn for Bentley's lavish upholstery.

Bentley

The Jack Daniel's Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee is visited to see how the famous whiskey is made.

Jack Daniel's

Coca-Cola

A BMW plant in South Carolina is visited for a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the X3 in the Season 5 opener.

BMW X3

A Porsche factory in Leipzig, Germany, is visited for a look at the making of the Panamera, the company's first four-dour high-performance sports sedan.

Porsche Panamera

A Mack Truck factory in Macungie, Pa., is visited for a look at the making of the Titan, which features a high level of customization, making automating the production process nearly impossible

Mack Truck

As simple as it is successful, LEGO is without doubt one of the most popular toys of all time. This eye-opening trip to the company's high-tech factory reveals how robots and tricky test markets are behind the company's ever-popular police station set.

Lego

A Frito-Lay factory in Perry, Ga., is visited for a look at the making and distribution of potato chips, cheese puffs and tortilla chips.

Frito-Lay

The building of a Ford F-150 is documented at the Dearborn Truck Plant in Michigan, which churns out more than 1200 trucks a day

Ford F-150

The making of Bacardi rum is observed at a distillery in San Juan

Bacardi

A Ducati factory in Italy is visited for a look at the making of the Multistrada 1200 sport bike

Ducati

A tour of Heineken's 250-acre flagship brewery in Zoeterwoude, Netherlands

Heineken

The construction of the Eurofighter Typhoon, an advanced multi-role combat aircraft, is chronicled in three factories across three countries.

Euro Fighter

Episode 11

Episode 12

Episode 13

With unprecedented access to the Williams F1 futuristic development factory, we reveal the ins and outs of the phenomenal FW33 F1 Car.

Williams F1 Car

Enter the EA factory in Burnaby Canada and find out how the brilliant minds behind FIFA 12 took football off the field and turned it into a virtual masterpiece FIFA 12 is featuring on this weeks National Geographics Megafactories, with the documentary paying a visit to EAC to peak behind the curtain

EA Sports: FIFA 12

At the Victorinox factory in Switzerland, raw steel is fashioned into the most iconic multi-purpose tool invented – the Swiss Army Knife.

Swiss Army Knife

A look behind the scenes at the biggest dark beer brewery in the world, the 48-acre St James Gate Brewery, located right in the middle of Dublin

Guinness

The inner workings of modern factories, beginning with the Oxfordshire plant where the Mini Coupe is manufactured, exploring the process of the vehicle's construction

The Mini Coupe

How the popular Boeing 747 is being upgraded to challenge new models such as the Airbus A380, which has proved tough competition for the American company

Boeing 747

The construction of the Learjet 60XR in Kansas, a multimillion-pound private plane that combines jet-fighter performance with yacht-style luxury

Learjet

Designing tyres for everything from cars and motorcycles to jumbo jets and the space shuttle, Michelin’s latest goal is to create a new tyre that will increase fuel mileage for cars.

Michelin

Australia's Howard and Sons have been making fireworks for almost 100 years, now the reigns have been handed down and they are breaking with tradition.

Pyrotechnics

Sir Ratan Tata is a man on a mission: to make India's roads safer by getting people off motorbikes and into the world's cheapest car - the Tata Nano.

Tata Nano

Learn how the Italian company use cutting-edge technology to produce 37,500kg of coffee a day, and export to 140 countries worldwide.

Illy Coffee

The 'Giant Inverted Boomerang' roller coaster currently has only 5 installations in the world and speeds riders to over 100 kph over loops, drops and banks. This episode follows the construction of this roller coaster at the Jinjiang Action Park, Shanghai China.

Roller Coaster

Tesla Model S

Ford Mustang Shelby GT-500

Follows the production of the "Automotrice à grande vitesse" (Alstorm AGV); the standard gauge high-speed electric multiple unit train designed and built by Alstorm, running all around Europe.

Speed Rail

Explore the production process of Lamborghini’s staggering Aventador LP 700-4, a ground-breaking speedster capable of doing 0-100kph in less than three seconds.

Lamborghini Aventador

For 20 years, Lexus has been synonymous with quiet, efficient, luxury. Now they have launched their first petrol sucking supercar - the Lexus LFA. 325kph and 0-100kph in 3.8 seconds, it's anything but understated. This is the construction story behind the ultimate Japanese supercar. Hand built at the LFA Works in Toyota City, Japan, this car is 65% carbon fibre and powered by the highest revving production engine on the road. At $375,000 it's also the most expensive Japanese road car ever.

Lexus LFA

Nissan GT-R

Purchased by a father and son team, the company is now betting its future on a brand new motorcycle design. MV Agusta is one of the most famous Italian motorcycle brands ever but its most recent history has had many ups and downs. But now the company is back and betting its future on a brand new machine called the F3. Its design, engineering and manufacturing is key to whether the MV brand can not only survive but return to glory.

MV Augusta

Ferrari FF

Corvette.ZR1

Koenigsegg

Megafactories takes us inside the Wargaming.net online gaming company. Players around the globe connect to state of the art game servers and turn the clocks back on history, fighting in virtual battles. Using tank warfare, a staggering 60 million players try to rewrite history in in the company's flagship game, World of Tanks, by annihilating the opposition and conquering their rightful territories.

World of Tanks

Audi R8

Ultimate Factories also known as Megafactories is an American documentary television series that premiered in 2006 on the National Geographic Channel. The program explores the inner workings of factories worldwide. Each episode profiles the machinery and manpower behind each factory's main product, featuring close-ups, breakdowns, interviews, and side stories to show the sequence of events to produce the product in the factory. Hoff Productions was one of the principal producers of this highly successful series. It also airs in non-US markets as Megafactories.

All Episodes of Ultimate Factories

All Episodes of Ultimate Factories

Season 1

Ferrari

Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 11/9/2006

M-1 Tank

Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 11/30/2006

Peterbilt

Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 1/28/2007

Budweiser

Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 1/28/2007

Harley-Davidson

Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 1/28/2007

John Deere

Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 1/31/2007

Apache Helicopter

Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 2/15/2007