The new season kicks off when Richard and Aaron come across a rare '55 Chevy. With the Barrett-Jackson Northeast auction on the horizon, the crew must work quickly to turn this beat up car into a hot classic. If they can finish in time, Richard will be able to bring the car to auction and secure a major payout. With the monkeys left back at the garage to work on the build, Aaron takes another run at the notoriously dangerous Pike's Peak road race and Richard opens a new Gas Monkey Bar and Grill in Key West, Florida. Then, Richard, Aaron and the monkeys head back in time, working on classic builds including an '80 El Camino and a '65 VW. Richard also returns to his high school roots when he finds and builds his very first high school car, a '74 Comet - a hot rod he WISHES he drove 20 years ago! Meanwhile, another dream comes to fruition when the Smokey and the Bandit fan club finds Richard the other car from his youth, a Red Trans Am. In the biggest undertaking of the season, the Gas Monkey Crew decides to build a race car, pulling out all the stops. Now all that's left to do is find a willing challenger.

• Richard Rawlings