Top Gear on History Channel HD

I want to see it too, but i have my doubts, the cast on the UK version really makes the show and they will be hard pressed to duplicate the chemistry.

The show is very Host based. I like the guy from Rescue Me, the other big guy seems to be ok. My problem is Tanno Furst, come on was this guy born under a white light?? Getting the gigs he does being a no personality hack is beyond me. Having said that I will watch, for the cars.

Totally agree. I'm a fan of the original UK version, would be hard to reproduce.

Looking forward to it but it will very hard to match the original. If the original three here don't hit it off with the audience I wouldn't be surprised to see them try different hosts.

Same thing happened on Top Gear - Captain Slow showed up in year two

I agree. That 'Supercars Unlimited' or whatever it was called, was so incredibly lame. Furst spent half the show trash-talking with that racer guy which was, I guess, supposed to be clever and "sportsey". I thought the show was supposed to be about the cars, but apparently not; they barely talked about them. Considering Tanno's involved in this, I fear it will end up the same way. Face it, he gets these gigs because of his looks; there are lots of guys who can slide out the rear end of a car. I've done it lots of times but never on a track. That would be easy.

Tried to watch it, but it the show just doesn't have me interested like the UK version. The guys on the UK version have something special going with the humor, The Stig etc... while this version is kind of like a few guys from high school just hanging out talking about and driving cars.

Haven't watched the US version yet but have for years watched the BBC verson. The original UK version also seemed to be a bit more critical of the cars tested? Especially the American muscle cars!

Saw the premiere and wasn't too impressed so far. I thought they were importing the British version of the show for the American market, but apparently it's a American remake.

Not sure how I feel about that.

First episode and you already tell the hosts don't even come close to the same sort of camaraderie as the original.

Was kind of thinking WTH with the Apache/Viper segment. I really didn't get it.

Also, their test track seems pretty ridiculous compared to the Brits one. Spared no expense on those cones and tires on an old, rundown, patch worked abandoned runway eh? I know they're on a H Channel cable show budget, but come on. I wouldn't be surprised if someone bites it and get seriously hurt on that thing.

Urggg.

It was beautifully photographed, right out of the BBC playbook. The track looks sketchy as all get out. I don't recall seeing cars break loose that often in the UK version (perhaps different sensibilities as far as what constitutes good handling/driving, maybe like watching a run around 'The Ring' vs. seeing "The Dukes of Hazzard" ).

Mrs. Kib (who has grown to really love the UK version) looked up a couple of times and said "Who are these twits?" Very economic appraisal, honey...

The 'Star in a Car' was everything you'd expect with an octogenarian (cool as his resume is) tooling around in an econobox. All the thrills of a Denny's parking lot during the Early Bird Special hours.

It just seemed that there was more love for testosterone rushes and p*cker matching that the love of motoring about.

YMMV

[EDIT: BTW - Did this Stig look like he was about the stature of a race horse jockey?]

I'll keep watching, but the conditions looked horrible. Cracks, uneven pavement, ect. Looked like the mythbusters abandoned test range, rather then a track.

Pretty sure BBC Topgear at least re-purposed their track before they got anyone out on it.

watched this with my gf tonight (she has watched a handful of top gear uk eps with me before and loves it)

we were talking in the car about what didnt work. I think it has alot to do with the hosts not developing any personality. They all were just sitting in the cars talking (like they were reading from a page) As my gf put it
"The white haired guy (she means clarkson) is always yelling on top gear. These guys kept getting drown out by the engines" right after this i yelled POOOOWWERRRR (in my toyota corolla)

i will give it a couple more episodes for them to get comfortable but someone needs to develop some personality and get into the cars

I would have preferred they used someone like Jay Leno as one of the hosts to sort of control the direction of the show, he could then show off his awesome car collection.
Adam Carolla would have been a good choice, I don't know why they dropped him.

Tanner Foust could have been the U.S. Stig and then we wouldn't have to hear him.

I think it will take me awhile to get used to the U.S. hosts.

I watched the first episode and thought it lacked the energy of the original BBC series. I think the guys on the original Top Gear show are much better. One positive thing I do like about the American version is that they will probably focus on cars we can actually get here.

I dont think that the cars are really all that important, at least in New Top Gear it's not important. I know plenty of people who watched it have little to no interest in cars.

It's like tuning into your favorite show only to find the lead actors have been changed.

And that's where the relaunched BBC Top Gear was just pandering to the general public's lack of knowledge.

Just because the BBC dumbed down the original show to the point of it just being a show where people now just goof off in cars, doesn't mean remakes should.

If it's a choice between having a superficial show designed to get mainstream ratings and a show that doesn't care about the ratings but does care about cars, I'll take the latter.

I'd rather see how they make the engine in a Lambo than watch a car be filled with jello or some equally stupid stunt.

I watched it and it was very difficult to put up with the stylings of the always lame Tanno Furst. The other thing we know is The Stig is not Paul Tracy...The track is the former El Toro Marine Base, the Marines left over 10 years ago, and the runway's haven't been maintained. When it was operational C5's, C17's and 747's landed there often, including Air Force One...

Vision, I also hate the cheap silly "stunts" as you refer to them. But have no problems with the entertainment format of the show and most of "the challenge" aspects as long as they dont get too silly. I have no interest in seeing a engine being built. I can care more about exotic luxury cars but they never really appeal to me. I rather they have more on cheap, reliable, fun eco boxes or more on obscure automotive badges/models of the past and present and the like.

Carolla is under contract for some sitcom in development. He has said he wishes he could still work on this one as well.

I'll give this one some time, with any luck the host will develop some chemistry.

I love the Suzuki SX4 btw, fantastic! I drove it for a friend who was afraid/unsure of their capabilities of driving in the icy, steep and snow covered hills of Seattle last week.

Glad they got rid of the Kia Rio, that was originally in the running for the show.

I don't want to sound stupid, but was that blind guy really blind??? I couldn't drift like that even with my eyes open.

His dog peeing on the set, at the end was hilarious!!!!

Well I hope they keep the show on the air long enough for the host to gel.
The dog gave his its opinion of the show so far.

blindness has many forms. some people cant see any light, low field of vision, legally blind with very poor vision, etc. I know plenty of people that are blind but every single one of them can read large print books.

I've got the first episode recorded and I will watch it later in the week. Reading the disparaging remarks about Tanno Furst, I Googled him. Nothing. The only result were Ray Lucca's quote. So who is this unknown and what has he been on to get this gig?
Never mind. Just found out that its "Foust" not "Furst". Thanks anyway.

I caught the second(?) episode last night (first time seeing the U.S. version) and the hosts are really bland. I didn't pick up any personality from them. I'm sure it will take time for the chemistry to gel (hopefully!) but if someone asked me to describe each host in a couple of words, I wouldn't be able to do it because all were the same vanilla.

I watched half of the Lamborghini episode last week and thought that the hosts in general were pretty bland. There were a couple funny quips, but that was about it. The British version was much better.