Top Gear NOT growing on me.

[MMARSH]

I'd vote for someone like Peter Egan. If he's anything like he writes. I would enjoy his take on the different cars. He's a car and motorcycle guy and has raced both.

BTW, I'm not implying that he's an opinionated ****hole.

I didn't care for Alonzo Bodden at all on his "100 cars you must drive" show. He's a car and motorcycle guy as well, but I didn't think he did that well.

[URY914]

I think the current guys are too young. Or maybe we're too old for them.

[Racerbvd]

Remember guys, this is a franchise, like any other franchise, they have guide lines, in this case the British version of Top Gear, so I don’t with them using the same style bits but with the American twist..

This guy must be blowing someone, looks like DADT is alive & well in nascar and they seem to play off him being a Tail Gunner!!!!

[fyrfytr380]

History channel should just pay for the rights to air the BBC version. Make everyone happy.

[Flieger]

So when is BBC America showing the Apocalypse special? I see from the finalgear coutdown that it aired yesterday, but not on my BBC America channel.

[artplumber]

Originally Posted by URY914

I think the current guys are too young. Or maybe we're too old for them.

None of them can deliver a joke, much less string a bunch of sentences together that have some semblance of commentary on the cars they are driving. Tanner seems like he is straining to say anything and make it believable - and he's the best of the bunch.

[imcarthur]

Rumor has it (nudge, nudge, wink, wink) that the 1st half of the REAL TG Xmas Special just might be out there somewhere in the internet haze.

Ian

[paulgtr]

just go to streetfire.net and search on top gear. the UK season 16 just started this past sunday and it is already up there

[911pcars]

Pretty sure this is new. Last night, I saw Clarkson's (written and presented by), "The Italian Job". Excellent. He drove, in no particular order, Porsche GT3, GT3RS, Aston Martin Vantage, Ferrari 599GTO/458 Italia/F40, Lambo Gallardo Superleggera, MB SLS AMG, Ariel Atom V-8 and the earth-shaking Zonda R; all in stunning locations with the usual stunning visuals.

Not sure any car show episode could top this one.

Sherwood
(damn, no affiliation)

[herr_oberst]

Somehow I was able to watch the latest episode of UK.TG.

I don't remember how, but I'm pretty sure it was perfectly legal. (Season 15, episode 7)

Here's a brief overview:

• The guys drive 3 really cool cars on public roads, on an oval track, on a road course and on a drag strip.

• We find out that The Stig has well and truly been castigated because of the book he wrote. The guys are not happy about the book, and it shows.

• There's an energy drink for sale in the UK called Pussy.

• The guys know how dry humor 'works'. Jeremy handing James a 'small' coke at a McDonalds is a perfect example. Blink and you miss it.

• There is ten times more content in one episode of the UK version of Top Gear than there is in all the versions yet seen on the US version.

• Just sayin'.

[pwd72s]

Okay...you guys have convinced me. I'll forever shun the USA version while dreaming of owning a well set up 944.

[paulgtr]

older versions of top gear are not as good as they are now. the chemistry between these guys is excellent. the cast has been changed many times until now.
nobody of any substance is going to host a show on history channel.

[imcarthur]

Did you catch in the preview of coming shows - in your perfectly legal viewing - that they will be doing a 959 versus F40 segment . . ?

Ian

[Schumi]

that 30 second intro for this season was amazing. F40, 959, Zonda R.... yes yes yes.

[89911]

Ok, just watched (if you count fast forwarding through 95% of the show with the dvr) my last episode of this. It really is terrible. The latest episode contains 99% of what I didn't like about the British show (the forced "craziness" and material not dealing with cars) but even more poorly done. Everything sucks, the host, the material, and the cars. What initially came as something to look forward to has come to an afterthought on my DVR. How low does rating on the History channel have to be before the cancel? I can't see this lasting another season.

[Talewinds]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

• There is ten times more content in one episode of the UK version of Top Gear than there is in all the versions yet seen on the US version.

This part. I don't know how to quantify it, but herr_oberst this is exactly right.

When I watch the UK version it seems like almost VALUABLE TV viewing.
The US version seems like a waste of an hour.

[masraum]

OK, I watched the US TG where they bought GM cars and did challenges (that pretty much exactly match some of the UK challenges) and the star in a car was Tony Hawk. That was the best episode so far.

I agree, Adam Corolla would have been great. He'd have been the Clarkson. I like Leno, and he's definitely a car guy, and funny, so he'd have probably been good too.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Talewinds

This part. I don't know how to quantify it, but herr_oberst this is exactly right.

When I watch the UK version it seems like almost VALUABLE TV viewing.
The US version seems like a waste of an hour.

What I find weird is that the US version seems somehow shorter than the UK version. It's like the US version is missing 10 minutes of show. I can only assume that 10 minutes is eaten up by Mercedes commercials.

[Tobra]

On a show with Tanner Foust and Paul Tracy, Tanner is second banana. Mr Tracy is sort of mediocre, Tanner sort of sucks and as noted above, he is the best of the bunch on the new show.

Mr Bodden was not bad on the 100 cars you gotta drive, or whatever that was; he just wasn't any good. Seemed like a nice enough fella, did not have the gift of gab at all.

Trouble I see with the Yankee version is this. Any one that is any good will say no thanks, because the bar is very high due to the UK show.

You do a show that is anything less than off the hook incredible, you are a sucker.

[911pcars]

Funny thing. Top Gear US is still a BBC production (albeit BBC US). Strange they would allow a poorly done copycat show within their own ranks. Perhaps US and GB BBC don't talk to each other or maybe they think US viewing habits tend toward poorly done rip off material.

Sherwood