cueball1

iTrader: (13)

For the population and money in the US we have the most limited selection of cars of any 1st world nation. Even Mexico has cars that are more interesting than what we get in the affordable price range. US car standards suck. Severely limit what we can get our hands on. It's crazy that popular and common European brands can't be bought here.

Of course with the dollar sucking against the Euro - we can't afford them right now.

hustler

iTrader: (6)

If they have a track, hopefully it will be an oval...lol. Also, I'd rather watch competitive elephant ejaculation than taner faust talk about ******** some stupid bullshit supercar around which no one who can afford one of those cars would ever be interested in.

I hope if fails quickly, so we can get back to watching the real top gear.

pdexta

iTrader: (17)

I'm still trying to figure out how a mini made that list?

BenR

iTrader: (2)

Fixed

Joe Perez

iTrader: (8)

Problem is that there couldn't be much mystery and speculation. If the entire list of possible suspects is Sarah Fisher and Danica Patrick, well...

The point is that they really don't do serious reviews of "normal" cars all that often. When they did citycars, it wound up turning into a race between the presenter's mothers to see who could get into the car and start it the fastest. When they did the Toyota Aygo, they wound up demolishing most of them in a game of car soccer. When they reviewed the MX-5, they pitted it against a dog. They strapped rockets onto a Reliant Robin and tried to launch it into space. The SportKa competed against a pigeon. The Fiat Nuova Panda was bested by a man in tight shorts, running. Not to mention the "Cheap Car" and "How Hard Can it Be?" segments, that generally end with one or more of the following:
1- Fire.
2- Drowning / capsizing.
3- Arrest / civil disobediance.
4- Catastrophic structural failure.
5- A caravan being dropped from a great height.


Apart from that, it's all Koenigseggs, Pagani Zondas, Maseratis, Nobles, TVRs, Ascaris, Aston Martins, Ferarris, Bentlys, Lamborghinis, Bugattis... Basically nothing that a normal human would ever own regardless of whether they grew up in Chicago or Leeds. They just don't take that segment of the market seriously, and that's what I love. Basically, Top gear (UK) has evolved over the years into a parody of Fifth Gear, which is the show that took over the "Serious car reviews" genre after the big rift over a decade ago.

So long as the first competition that the US guys do involves a Ford Focus (or similar) being violenty annhilated, I'll be happy.


Well, there's no question it will not be the same show as what we're accustomed to. And I think that's the critical point. If you go in expecting Jeremy, James and Richard but with different hair, you're going to be disappointed. If you take this as just another motoring programme, well, maybe...

hustler

iTrader: (6)

the only fwd car which has ever put up a fight with me on a track day.

Zabac

iTrader: (39)

Joe makes a lot of sense, and now that I think about this a little more clearly, this may have a shot, besides, I really do think Adam is pretty funny.

I wanna see some older mustangs and camaros go head to head against each other on a real track, and then hustler to get introduced to the race on the 2nd or 3rd lap and overlap them in by the end of the 5 lap race...now that would be a show!!!

pdexta

iTrader: (17)

There's no arguing that they handle very well and they can be made pretty quick in a strait line, but I just can't see putting them in the top 7 cars in the US. Even if they can keep up w/ a miata

I'll be interested to see how the show turns out. Hopefully it maintains some loyalties to the original.

hustler

iTrader: (6)

I just had a brilliant though. They should have a momentum track, and do a "is it faster than a 90whp miata" segment...lol.

Zabac

iTrader: (39)

Now your sounding like a game show lol

Joe Perez

iTrader: (8)

Zabac, I think you nailed it early on. Because Top Gear (UK) is on BBC, they can get away with saying pretty much anything they want within the constraints of England's rather liberal decency policies. The problem for NBC is going to be filling all of their spot blocks with adverts from companies other than automakers. If Ford, Chevy and Chrysler are buying airtime, then the presenters will be unable to speak candidly about their cars- simple fact of life. Actually, the same goes at the affiliate level with local car dealers.

To me, the whole thing is really going to hinge upon whether or not the presenters are free to criticize the cars. Don't get me wrong- the criticisms don't all have to end badly. I'll be perfectly OK if Adam goes on a long tirade about how the new Camaro uses an antiquated pushrod engine, has a plasticky interior that reminds him of a toy out of a vending machine, and rides on the same solid axle and leaf-springs that supported his great great grandfather's wagon as he crossed the American plains in 1863, and then follows with "But you know what, it's still an amazing car." I demand only that crappy FWD sedans be put to death in the most horrible ways imagineable.

Stein

iTrader: (46)

It's going to suck donkey *****.

What makes the show is funny guys driving cars that I will likely never see, let alone ever drive.

I liked launching the Robin. It did better than I thought. Soccer? Pretty good, too. I preferred it to a review about how the car actually drove, as I couldn't care less. Driving across Africa, boat cars? Delivery vans? BUilding the 7 before Stig drove there? I liked them all.

Review cars within the reach of mere mortals? I hope not. If I'm that jazzed about a car that I can actually afford, I'll go drive it. I don't want to watch someone on TV do it.

Sentic

iTrader: (1)

What about the civics?

Anyhow, i guess you could need some renault clio sports and peugeot 206/207 gti-180's over there. Thats some fun hatches.

m2cupcar

iTrader: (5)

I think it'll flail like the majority of Speed's original programming. I get a real car guy feeling when I watch the 'real' TopGear. Then I watch something like Setup on speed, which is probably a best effort on their part for new programming, and I'm embarrassed for the self induced drama. It's essentially like an automotive soap opera. And I like Tommy Kendall. AAMOF, his XXX Test Drive shows are as close to the feel of Top Gear as we get for native programming... and they're essentially info-mercials. Swap out these new TopGear yocals for some real car guys- like Tommy Kendall, Dorsey Schrader.... and? and you'd have a show with guys that can drive, know engineering and are funny... w/o a writer. I think that would give the show some credibility - what it's lacking with this proposed host line up. And yeah, I know Tanner Foust drives, but he's about as exciting as a new set of hub caps... and who is he? really? I don't see NBC doing anything "car" better than speed. I hope I'm wrong... please make me wrong.

Zabac

iTrader: (39)

Speaking of Hatches, I went to the mall saturday night in a hurry to get a shirt and walked right by an Astra (sitting inside the mall), stopped and turned around for another look, too bad I was in a hurry as with only 12 minutes remaining I had to keep going, but I'd like to test drive it some day, just for ***** and giggles, it actually looked nice.

I was pleasantly surprised to see it...my sister had an Opel Kadett GSi (unsure of what year) back home, it was the second car i got to drive at age of 13, oh man, the fun times, a 13 year old on a closed road with 168bhp

Joe Perez

iTrader: (8)

cueball1

iTrader: (13)

A US version of top gear won't work. It's the relationships and commentary of the Brit's that make that show. Similar formula with different hosts isn't likely to work here. Tanner Foust is unwatchable. "OOoh, look at me drive car's you'll never see, let alone get a whiff of". Not enough personality to have his own show. Didn't even have enough personality or brains to close the deal with some filthy rich car snob on one show.

What we need is a US version of 5th gear. Just have to steal Tiff to host it. That show is less about the personalities and more about the cars.

Joe Perez

iTrader: (8)

Why? I can't even watch the original 5'th gear, much less an American version of it.

I hate to say it, but fact-based television is dead. Why on earth would I tune in for an hour each week to see a couple of people give real-world reviews on a half-dozen or so cars, on the off chance that they might perhaps review a car that I'd be interested in buying. If I want to find information about a "normal" car, I'll start by reading up on it at Edmunds. Then I'll register at that car's forum and lurk through the stickies for a while, maybe ask a few questions. If it's a common model I'll rent one and drive it for a few days. After all that, I may go to a dealer and talk business. But I'm sure as hell not going to get my car facts from a television show.

TV programming is entertainment. Yes, even the news and the educationial-sounding stuff on the History Channel. I know, it's ultimately there so they can deliver your eyeballs to advertisers, but the actual programming itself is supposed to amuse and entertain you, maybe provide you with some useless trivia about the mating habits of the Emperor Penguin or the way a safe explodes when you fill it with water and insert a stick of dynamite through a hole in the top, but it's not there to equip you to make real-world decisions.

That's what Top Gear understands. Watching Jeremy discuss the flaws in the design of the cupholder on the new Lamborghini Murciélago while at the same time driving sideways at 100 Kph in a perfectly controlled 630HP drift amidst a cloud of tiresmoke and a noise that sounds like Thor the god of thunder gargling hammers, is inherently entertaining.

Likewise, listening to James prattle on about how the new Renault, despite being rather well fitted-out, comfortable to drive, and having a superb gearbox, somehow lacks that essential joie de vivre that makes a Renault special, and at the same time seeing Richard and Jeremy sneak up behind him, set the car on fire, and then cut it in half with a piece of heavy construction equipment, about which time James turns around, sees what the others have done, and says "Oh, ****", is absolutely worth watching, even if you learn absolutely nothing about the new Renault.

hustler

iTrader: (6)

I'm watching a top gear rerun. Americans are incapable of replicating this kind of humor, and if they did it would offend someone.

icantthink4155

iTrader: (12)

bleh I dont like any of them... I would of loved to of seen Leno(sp?) and Stacy David