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Wed Nov 24, 2010 11:50 am

I don't know why I'm spending time on this, but this kind of stuff would help make the US version palatable, IMHO:

1. Take European supercars, put lift kits on them, and take them rock crawling.
2. Turn a Hummer (full size, please) into a track car.
3. Run a Ferrari on a motorcross track.
4. Each of the hosts goes "cruising" in a G Whiz.
5. Competition with supercars on which is best for a Costco run, carrying lumber, getting kids to school, etc.
6. Get that turbine Chrysler out of the auto museum in St. Louis and race it against a _____, the general idea being how futuristic were the "cars of the future?"
7. Performance minivans.
8. Off-roading in Cadillac Escalades (with spinners).
9. Which tuner cars are best for use as retirement home shuttles.

Yadda yadda yadda.

Wed Nov 24, 2010 12:54 pm

Or what about a good "cheap car challenge?" Those are always fun to watch. Prove that muscle cars of the '80's/'90's weren't horrible, perhaps? Well, actually, that would be pretty damn impossible, as they were horrible. But it would be funny as hell to watch. Anyone else got any good ideas?

Wed Nov 24, 2010 2:42 pm

I had recorded the program, read this thread BEFORE I watched it. I watched the show without a biased opinion, even though there was such a negativity surrounding it. Honestly i think they have a loooooong road ahead of them if they want to be as succesful as the uk version. I enjoyed watching the show only because i have an extreme passion for all motor vehicles. regardless of who is pounding on the vehicle i like to watch them go. IMO the only thing this show is missing is the funny factor. Does anyone else think it would be possible to get the guys from the uk version to write the american version?

Wed Nov 24, 2010 8:25 pm

OK, I finally watched the episode.

We'll get at least 10 of them because that is what is apparently in the can right now. The first episode was shot last summer.

Highlight: Buzz Aldrin! Sorry, but I'm a space geek, born the same year as Sputnik and I'd watch Oprah if Buzz was appearing. He did a pretty good lap in the cheap car. The interview was pretty lame as there was obviously no research done. That 80-year-old guy has more huevos than all three presenters put together.

Lowlight:helicopter versus car? Are they just going to recycle bits from old British episodes or are we going to see something new? At least the British version used real MILES gear, not a fake flashing light

Get three Lambos and what do they do? A standing mile? Then each one comes back and *tells* the others what his speedometer read? Gimmeabreak! Haven't they heard of speed traps, radar guns, or at least a GPS unit? I guess they didn't want to risk breaking anything by going around a corner at speed. Next up, the excitement and danger of taking a Veyron through an In-N-Out!

Too many voiceovers telling us how dangerous everything is and it would be so nice if they could occasionally allow five or even ten seconds before changing shots.

I'll leave the DVR set up to record it, but watching it won't be a priority

Thu Nov 25, 2010 6:49 am

I just watched TG USA last night. My question is simple:

Who in the F*CK are Rutledge Wood and Adam Ferrara, and what gives them ANY business being on my TV (other than witnesses to a shooting or something)?

Thu Nov 25, 2010 7:36 am

the impression I got was that each of them were trying to be more of a smart-ass than the other two.... the tests were rehashes of the UK's tests...

I don't care that I don't really know who any of them are - it's not like I was really aware of who Captain Slow, Jezzers, or the Hamster were before watching the UK Top Gear.... but why would the US version need a Stig?

too much copied from the UK original... plus the biggest problem they are going to have in the US is this: there are many (many!) more interesting cars available to the public in the UK/Europe than we have here in the US...

Thu Nov 25, 2010 7:43 am

blankmange wrote: the impression I got was that each of them were trying to be more of a smart-ass than the other two.... the tests were rehashes of the UK's tests...

I don't care that I don't really know who any of them are - it's not like I was really aware of who Captain Slow, Jezzers, or the Hamster were before watching the UK Top Gear.... but why would the US version need a Stig?

too much copied from the UK original... plus the biggest problem they are going to have in the US is this: there are many (many!) more interesting cars available to the public in the UK/Europe than we have here in the US... Be careful. The slack-jawed mouth breathers of this country will accuse you of being un-American.

Thu Nov 25, 2010 7:47 am

Gary wrote: blankmange wrote: the impression I got was that each of them were trying to be more of a smart-ass than the other two.... the tests were rehashes of the UK's tests...

I don't care that I don't really know who any of them are - it's not like I was really aware of who Captain Slow, Jezzers, or the Hamster were before watching the UK Top Gear.... but why would the US version need a Stig?

too much copied from the UK original... plus the biggest problem they are going to have in the US is this: there are many (many!) more interesting cars available to the public in the UK/Europe than we have here in the US... Be careful. The slack-jawed mouth breathers of this country will accuse you of being un-American.

when they stop allowing the insurance companies and attorney decide on what we can and can't buy/drive in this county, I'll respond... especially now that electronic controls for stability are now required (yes, required) on all new vehicles beginning with 2012...

gotta love the fact that we can't teach people how to fucking drive in this country...

Thu Nov 25, 2010 7:54 am

blankmange wrote: Gary wrote: blankmange wrote: the impression I got was that each of them were trying to be more of a smart-ass than the other two.... the tests were rehashes of the UK's tests...

I don't care that I don't really know who any of them are - it's not like I was really aware of who Captain Slow, Jezzers, or the Hamster were before watching the UK Top Gear.... but why would the US version need a Stig?

too much copied from the UK original... plus the biggest problem they are going to have in the US is this: there are many (many!) more interesting cars available to the public in the UK/Europe than we have here in the US... Be careful. The slack-jawed mouth breathers of this country will accuse you of being un-American.

when they stop allowing the insurance companies and attorney decide on what we can and can't buy/drive in this county, I'll respond... especially now that electronic controls for stability are now required (yes, required) on all new vehicles beginning with 2012...

gotta love the fact that we can't teach people how to fucking drive in this country... it's not just that Dave,.it's taking the RESPONSIBILITY from the idiot behind the wheel also.

Thu Nov 25, 2010 7:58 am

Foxx wrote: blankmange wrote: Gary wrote: blankmange wrote: the impression I got was that each of them were trying to be more of a smart-ass than the other two.... the tests were rehashes of the UK's tests...

I don't care that I don't really know who any of them are - it's not like I was really aware of who Captain Slow, Jezzers, or the Hamster were before watching the UK Top Gear.... but why would the US version need a Stig?

too much copied from the UK original... plus the biggest problem they are going to have in the US is this: there are many (many!) more interesting cars available to the public in the UK/Europe than we have here in the US... Be careful. The slack-jawed mouth breathers of this country will accuse you of being un-American.

when they stop allowing the insurance companies and attorney decide on what we can and can't buy/drive in this county, I'll respond... especially now that electronic controls for stability are now required (yes, required) on all new vehicles beginning with 2012...

gotta love the fact that we can't teach people how to fucking drive in this country... it's not just that Dave,.it's taking the RESPONSIBILITY from the idiot behind the wheel also.

agreed...

Thu Nov 25, 2010 1:51 pm

blankmange wrote: too much copied from the UK original... plus the biggest problem they are going to have in the US is this: there are many (many!) more interesting cars available to the public in the UK/Europe than we have here in the US...

I didn't like the assumption that the US viewer would know nothing about the UK Top Gear and would buy the concept that all the bits in the US version were original. C'mon, this is 2010 and there is this internet thing that allows us to peek into what other folks are viewing.

The US doesn't lack for interesting vehicles. Sure, Europe has million-dollar exotics, but we have off-roading, sand cars, stock cars, indy cars, nascar, rally, SCCA, karting, street rods, rock-crawling, etc. that can be used for variety. Heck, do a story on truggys, and then put the trio into Class 11s for a challenge across 30 miles of the Mojave. Cheaper and certainly more visually interesting than running Lambos up and down an airport runway.

Fri Nov 26, 2010 3:21 am

I think if Jeremy read this thread he would have a smug comment to make

......... and then James would call him a cock, Hammond would try and smooth over what Jeremy said, then Jeremy would quote facts.. Hammond, not happy, can then go on about the concept, James would call Hammond a cock...

that there is a show on it's own :D

Fri Nov 26, 2010 6:10 am

GeorgeL wrote:
The US doesn't lack for interesting vehicles. Sure, Europe has million-dollar exotics, but we have off-roading, sand cars, stock cars, indy cars, nascar, rally, SCCA, karting, street rods, rock-crawling, etc. that can be used for variety. Heck, do a story on truggys, and then put the trio into Class 11s for a challenge across 30 miles of the Mojave. Cheaper and certainly more visually interesting than running Lambos up and down an airport runway.

I was talking about new cars, which is what Top Gear primarily tests...

Fri Nov 26, 2010 6:17 pm

blankmange wrote: GeorgeL wrote:
The US doesn't lack for interesting vehicles. Sure, Europe has million-dollar exotics, but we have off-roading, sand cars, stock cars, indy cars, nascar, rally, SCCA, karting, street rods, rock-crawling, etc. that can be used for variety. Heck, do a story on truggys, and then put the trio into Class 11s for a challenge across 30 miles of the Mojave. Cheaper and certainly more visually interesting than running Lambos up and down an airport runway.

I was talking about new cars, which is what Top Gear primarily tests...

Let's see, with 22 episodes a year I'd say that they won't have any problem finding enough interesting cars to test, even in our deprived country.

However, Top Gear isn't all that much about cars. It's about those three guys doing things that are somewhat associated with cars. Without some chemistry (and by that I mean original chemistry, not trying to mimic Clarkson, Hamster, and Slow) the show is doomed. Get the guys doing something interesting and the show could be worthwhile.

The US has a much richer racing and off-roading culture then the UK, so the US TG should take advantage of it. Just because the UK TG didn't do something doesn't mean that the US TG shouldn't do it. In fact, that's a very good reason why the US TG _should_ do it! :)

Of course, this is all academic because there are already 10 episodes in the can. They're on autopilot. Looks like we get a redo of the "race across London" bit with car and speedboat and then some sort of cheap car challenge that starts with them buying $1000 cars in Watts. They apparently spent some time at El Mirage with an Aston Martin.

Sat Nov 27, 2010 7:48 am

Ive never seen top gear UK but watched the usa version last night.

zero chemistry

think I'll go back to watching This Old House. More excitement.

Sat Nov 27, 2010 10:11 am

Top Gear (BBC) is a car show like Car Talk is a car show... cars are the excuse to BS and have fun. Both are great. TopGear USA is not.

Mon Nov 29, 2010 7:13 pm

I saw it .... and if I had never seen Top Gear UK I might have been impressed.

GeorgeL wrote: Next up, the excitement and danger of taking a Veyron through an In-N-Out!
I'll leave the DVR set up to record it, but watching it won't be a priority

X2

Tue Nov 30, 2010 8:20 am

Dish Network around here has been airing the
USA version every night, it seems for the last week.
Maybe they think if you watch it multiple times,
it will get better. :-k

I think not.

Wed Dec 01, 2010 6:37 am

Just another US rip off of the UK

can you say "The Office"

and Australia's kath & Kim which failed here but its funny as heck in the original version.

Fri Dec 03, 2010 9:30 pm

At least the dog at the end of the last show I watched knows whats up. He pissed all over their emblem on the floor.