JJ4Short

The Top Gear telly programme has quietly become a global phenomenon. Recent figures suggested an extraordinary viewership, something in the region of one billon people across the globe. This explains why Jeremy gets mobbed on the streets of Dubai, why Richard Hammond is swooned over by housewives in Auckland and why James May will shortly appear on a series of commemorative stamps in Luxembourg. Probably. Only one country has been strangely resistant to the charms of three blokes cocking about in an old aircraft hangar - the United States of America.

Untill now. Earlier this year, Discovery decided they wanted in on the Top Gear action, starting with 18 repackaged programmes using existing items from TG UK. Accordingly, our pluckly lads spent five days at the Top Gear base recording new studio linkds in a more American-friendly way. Basically, getting Jeremy not to call them fat and stupid. This, however, was a mere entree for Discovery’s main plan: to make thier own version of Top Gear on US soil. Thier own studio, thier own test track, even - since our boys were too busy and anyway James May doesn’y like places that don’t server a decent cup of tea - thier own presenters.

That’s why earlier this eyar a brand new TG USA production team assembleddeep in the Mojave desert to create a pilot show for thier version of Britain’s favourite almost-BAFTA-winning car programmer. And, liker thier idea of what constitues a decent cup of coffee, the American take on Top Gear wasn’t entirely the same as ours. Instead of a shabby hangar and a track built around arifield taxiways, they got a pit garage and a proper circuit. Instead of filling the studio with 200 grunting Subaru drivers, they did without an audience. And instead of The Tall One, The Short One and The Other Oen, they hired three rather different American presenters. Bruno, a professional drag racer with casual tales of crashing at 230mph. John, the super keen jock, blessed with quaint ’sir and m’am’ good manners that only Americans can do. And, Johnny, a former reality show winner with a nice line in wierd humor.

Fortunatly some reference points remained, including Star In A Reasonably Priced Car. But, to set the power laps, there could be no substitue - the Stig was flown to the US and stunned everyone with his blistering pace as he hammered the CLS55, Charger, and Mustang round the circuit.

After two days’ shooting, the show that popped out of the other end was something familiar and yet rather different. For one thing, filming in sunshine gives the show a glossy feel a million miles from another drizzle sodden canter down a runway in Surrey. And shouting “Bring on the Stig” just sounds cooler in an American accent.

If Discovery likes the pilot show, a series will follow in 2006. Then Americans can enjoy a weekly shot of Top Gear, just like the rest of the world.

Crazy Bimmer

But i enjoy Clarksons anti-american remarks. You know our version wont have witty comments like Clarkson can throw.

West6MT

SpeedyV6

Clarkson makes all sorts of chauvanistic comments about different nationalities. It's all part of his British pub humor. Clarkson even calls himself fat.

Editing out Clarkson and Hammond's caustic quips about nationalities really changed the show. On the American show we hear hammond saying "the designer of the original Charger was a big fan of aerodynamics and he crafted this shape very carefully." The punchline where Hammond says "trouble is he didn't know anything about aerodynamics" is nowhere to be seen. The worst example was the review of the Cayenne. The Discovery version deleted all of Clarkson's criticism about what it looked like. They closed on the line "Only the Germans could have made it" as if Clarkson were only heaping boundless praise on the Cayenne. He hated the vehicle and trashed its appearance for at least two or threee minutes. :shakehead

As for an "Americanized" version of the show I suspect it will suck. Good writing is what makes that show.

Scribesoft

Please bring the show to the USA UNCHANGED!

I hate how we need everything dumbed down for the pc crowd. You can call me anything you want as long as you're funny..

I'll stick to downloading the British episodes from the internet...

Kind of Related: Has anyone ever tried to watch the "tv version" of the movie Friday? That's what will happen to Top Gear if they "Americanize" it

S A CHO

If it came, I would watch it...If it doesnt, I will keep watching the Brit version......no biggie...

West6MT

Are you serious? I had no idea they edited out all that stuff (I didnt see the americanized version on tv,....getting sat tv installed today actually). That is such a load of BS and would totally ruin the show. A big WERD to continuing to DL the show as is.

Python2121

I will watch both, but i agree: i dont want a watered down version for the usa market, ill just download the bbc episodes.

everyone gets so defensive when he makes fun of america but every country gets some flack

the ONLY thing i want from this show is REAL oppinions, not the speed channel suckup review show, and hopefully with a higher budget than car and driver tv

AutoGirl

couldn't agree more. Either way I'm still watching the British show..

batman

Top gear was the best show on British TV besides the after 10pm shows. But that's stanard american television. Take another country's show and make bland so noboby will get offended. The speed channel sucks ass here.

West6MT

Do the hosts they are using for this watered down version even know anything about cars? One was a reality show winner,..........one has good manners??? WTF is that. I bet they have someone write up exactly what they are supposed to say.

SeCsTaC

weren't you guys the same one that kept bitching about how he poked fun of americans? or am i thinking of clublexus?

Stapler

I think it will be kinda neat, as they will most likely cover some cars that usually don't make it onto tg. (won't replace tg in my weekly watching though).

Maximized

I've watched Top Gear and can do without Clarkson. The cars are the stars of the show for me. I tune out Clarkson's ignorant statements, even though they are good for a laugh. Tiff and Fifth Gear is a much better show. Tiff's driving skills shame Clarksons.

Loseit

iTrader: (1)

i dunno, I love Clarkson...he had left the show for a couple fo seansons and it kinda sucked....what's his name tried to hold the fort during that time. The guy from Top Gear. The show didnt do so hot.

cusdaddy

While he is sometimes amusing, his ignorant statements get annoying and detract from the purspose of the show - to show amazing cars being driven the way they are are built to be driven.

Maximized

Clarkson isn't a good journalist IMO. A good journalist isn't biased and will provide fair reviews. He clearly has a distaste for Americans. Seems people are still bitter over in the UK that us Yanks had to bail them out over 60 years ago

gocubsgo55

its good to know 2 things...

1, when we wake up, we're not surrounded on all sides by bodies of water
2, although i dislike Bush, he made Blair his bitch, not vice-versa.

I respect the Brits, but you'd think after bailing them out of at least 4 global "uh-ohs" that they'd show some back.

kurt_bradley

I'll keep doing the same thing. I've done it for a couple years before Discovery started showing it. I'll do it again.

gocubsgo55

i remember an episode with the CTS-V. Clarkson was criticizing its dash and how it is all in english, claiming something along the lines of how the world has different languages. wasn't it the British that did their Globalization and Modernization, leaving behind the English language anywhere they went?

stangg172004

i love the stupid british humor that i almost never get and the funny American remarks....

kurt_bradley

This may be a , but I figured we all should see this and bookmark this link.

Tons of video links for Top Gear in one thead.

JJ4Short

Are you faggots actually bringing up WW2 and globalizations when it comes to a CAR SHOW?! That's like me saying I hate American cars because whites enslaved blacks :jackoff:. It's dry british wit and it's funny and makes the show watchable. Clarkson is like an Archie Bunker, sure if Archie was alone the show would be about biggots but the fact that he had sane people around it made the show funny. Clarkson has Hammond and the other guys around him to bring some sanity to the show and correct him when they think he is a jackass.

America dumbs everything down and simplifies crap. Rugby=Football (Rugby much more complicated and demanding) F1=Nascar (F1 or any road racing is more complicated then Nascar) European cars=American cars (interiors and general handling is more complicated and better looking)

gocubsgo55

merry christmas

JJ4Short

Merry Boxing day

SpeedyV6

Just saw the video for the SRT-10 Viper. Too funny!

I can't imagine what an edited for America version would look like. :shakehead

Maximized

It's Christmas so I won't flame the incorrect points in your post. Clarkson has a distaste for Americans. It's not humor or british wit, rather jealousy. Clarkson is a jackass. The cars and driving are what makes it watchable, hence it is an automotive show. If I wanted humor, I would turn on Comedy Central. You want a good car show, catch Fifth Gear.

Your last paragraph is laughable.

Sarlacc

Its after 9pm I am over here now...and I have seen some funny shit come on after 9pm.

America is so uptight and prudish when it comes to certain shit.

Minch00

Fifth Gear is rather boring, IMO. Top Gear is at it's best when they have challenges between the three presenters, after seven seasons you find yourself knowing their idiosyncrasies and finding their jokes at the expense of each other all the more funny. The cross-continent races they always have are some of the best television programming I've ever watched, simply because it keeps me entertained the entire time.

Lokius

Merry Christmas first off

will always watch the bbc version first, then if this thing comes out the USA version.

M TYPE X

Hear, hear.

Just a bunch of stupitass Brits. The Brits can do pop music and sometimes their economic and financial commentary is sensible, but on everything else you're better off with PBS than the BBC.

You guys think you're so great bashing America, I'll tell you what,
your CL and TL models all come from an assembly plant outside of Columbus, Ohio. Why don't you give up and join AudiWorld or Bimmerforums?

Don't you go around the midwest talking trash, nobody takes that crap sititng down. Especially not in the area where all the Brits sent letters to voters prior to the Bush/Kerry election. The Buckeyes told those Brits off pretty damn well!

JJ4Short

Then go into detail about it. It's not christmas anymore you show me how you know that Clarkson hates America yet he rants and raves about the actual good American cars. I would understand if every single American car he choose was shitted on but he doesn't do that. They are testing these cars around a track and truthfully other then the Corvette what other American cars go fast in more then a straight line? When he reviewed the F150 he shitted on the car because the F-150 is only good for one thing, work in the American country side why American's choose to buy it to get groceries is retarded.

As for 5th gear, its incredibly boring compared to Top Gear. For not wanting humor in a show then hey that's good for you. I like host to have personalities and crack jokes every once and a white because it makes the show interesting.

So school me, tell me all the wrongs I have done and how JEALOUS Clarkson is of America because he hates our freedom

JJ4Short

The day I can afford an A8, M3, or a 911 fuck ACURA!

As for walking around in the midwest talking shit, I would probably be lynched...good ol USA for you right there. Some good ol' country boys who like their bread white and their cars shitty.

Now don't get me wrong I far from hate America or I wouldn't live here. It's just that American television is very prudish and the people who censor it are idiots. Clarkson is hilarious just like Conan is hilarious when he makes fun of other countries. America bashing is funny because it is making fun of us. It's fun to be able to laugh at yourself and every country does it. We make fun of Canada all the time, hell we make fun of everyone so shut up and take it like a man.

JJ4Short

BTW he fought tooth and nail for the Ford GT40 he bought even though it crapped out on him...yeah he HATES America just like terrorist hate us for our freedom and penguins hate us for our fish supply. You guys sound like idiots, if people hate us it is for better reasons then our cars and more on a governmental level.

Maximized

Well I can tell that I am talking to a person whom doesn't know much about cars, if he/she relys on a British TV show for automotive information Here is why a few examples why he hates America: http://www.nationalreview.com/lopez/...0509121119.asp
http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/art...794313,00.html

Everytime I've seen the show(and it's only been maybe 3-4 times), he knocks American cars. Again, you want to see a good auto show stick to 5th Gear. In an Automotive show, I prefer technical information over comedy. Anytime I want comedy, I can change the channel to Comedy Central.

And yes, your last paragraph I mentioned above is still laughable. I just don't feel like getting into a flame war over the ignoarant comments in it.

JJ4Short

Well you are right on that point because you see I knew nothing of cars before I watched tv

Ok so he talks shit about America...umm was it undeserved? When was the last American well built roadster? I mean look at the mustang for godsakes, ever sit in one? Cramped and interior is crap. The man has reason to what he says while he may use hyperboles and somewhat cartoonish sense of humor it is not unfounded. If he were just attacking American cars for no reason then I would understand while I do not agree with him 100 percent of the time he usually has a point and the times he doesn't he is called on it by the other hosts.

Ok so you have watched 3 or 4 shows out of the hundreds he has made, then hey what can I say you are master at this.


As for the 5th gear comment, the reason I think it is boring is 1, they review little cars they don't sell in the US. 2 they review cars Clarkson has already reviewed on Top Gear. So why would I watch it? Plus it is just plain boring. People I think who are assholes are Bill Oreilly, Clarkson would be too if he didn't have other people on the show kicking his ass when he made dumb comments about good cars. It's lighthearted and to think people actually sensor it is ridiculous.

As for my last paragraph being laughable, GM is going under, Rugby is way harder then football (trying running around and tackling people for 40 minutes without downs and without regrouping, just raw continuous play), and F1 cars are massively more complicated and overall takes more skill then Nascar....whats laughable about that?



As for a flame war lets agree to disagree. I understand why you like 5th gear and don't think you are ignorant even though you think I am but I have to disagree on the fact that they censor Top Gear or make an "American" version of it when 1 billion people already watch it. He rags on France all the fucking time, you think they edit his comments out? Top gear is funny and interesting and that's why I like the show

Maximized

I own an 05 Mustang GT and wouldn't call it cheap, so Yes to answer your question I have sat in one.

As for watching it 3-4 times, I chose not to since IMO it's a joke. I can read C&D or MotorTrend and get a more technical and fair/balanced review of the same cars. Better yet, I can go test drive cars and see how I like them. American's have built a bunch of good roadsters recently. A couple of examples would be the C6 Vette, SRT Viper, and Solstice/Sky(which GRM picked over the Miata). I could do the same thing he does in respect to British Cars. The German makes are honestly the only European car manufacturers worth mentioning. Italy builds great supercars, but they are obviously very pricey.

As for your last paragraph, it's still is laughable. The NFL is an adaptation of Rugby, but us American's better capitalized on the sport. NASCAR is nothing like F1 and never has been. It's American made and very popular. In fact, it's the most popular motorsport series in the USA and I would assume probably worldwide. I prefer F1 racing myself since it's more technical. As for skill, that's a wash. Jeff Gordon drove an F1 car at Indy a while back and Juan Montoya stated that Gordon "would be competitive as anyone in F1" with some more seat time. As for GM, the government won't let GM go under. We will be footing the bill to pay for restructuring GM, like Chrysler in the 80s. The sad part is that GM can build cars that compete with anything out there. The new Z06 is a prime example. GM needs to let their engineers and designers have more input and not the suits.

I still prefer 5th Gear over Top Gear. Tiff's reviews are more honesty and fair IMO. He also has a racing background, which holds much more weight to me in testing cars than Clarksons literary background.

SpeedyV6

Good posts Maximized. Even though I'm normally supportive of Clarkson and am willing to overlook his anti-American bias, based on the stuff you posted, I have to concede that Clarkson is a major league a$$h0le.

I don't even think that the ex-Soviet Union put out such vitriolic propaganda:
The worst part is that I don't think Clarkson is an idiot. He's a fairly intelligent man whose hatred for America poisons his writing.

http://www2.nationalreview.com/images/paperforgreg.jpg
^^Also his writing about the flight attendant who asked him to uncross his legs looked like pure to me. And as for the mall security guard who wouldn't let him in without shoes, you have to wonder what kind of a moron wwalks around barefoot.

JJ4Short

I'll give you the 05 stang because that's one I haven't tried out yet. I was refering to the previous editions while I still feel it is a bit dull inside I haven't sat in one so I don't know if it is as cramped as the last generations have been. Plus in general American cars have bad resale values and are just too blah for my taste. While I do believe they are finally catching up, how long has it taken? It's kind of sad.

Ok so you made more money off the sport from who though? Americans. My whole point of bringing up the American sports and cars is that everything is oversimplified I could care less how much money they make I am talking about on the playing field. Nascar for instance is the most popular "sport" why? They are driving in a fucking circle. You still have not proved a single thing. We do dumb things down in general here and we dumbed down Top Gear by editing it. I could care less how much money something makes I enjoy quality television same way reality shows make a lot of money but hell I for one don't like them and think TV in America is going down the tubes due in part to censorship.

If it came down to buying a car I wouldn't watch either of them. 1 they rarely review a car we could afford 2 if they do it is some car sold in Europe. While they do at times review our cars the show is mostly for entertainment. When it came to buying my Acura I read tech articles not watched some tv show.

Look I am not trying to flame you nor argue with you because truthfully Clarkson is an ass but he is a funny ass. If I took all his opinions as sound truth then argue with me but I take it with a grain of salt because at the end of the day when it comes to buying a car its all about value, resale value, and actual technical articles. I watch Top Gear because they have a 1000 HP Veyron running across a country side with beautiful filming and funny commentary.


I think they should show the original version here and not make an American version because some Midwesterner nascar dad's don't like Clarkson ranting about America. What is that going to add to? The other shows about building bikes and other crap on the speed and discovery channel?
take it or leave it.

srika

where did you copy and paste the original post from?? I'm not a stickler for spelling and typos on forums but damn, I have never seen so many glaring cases of them in one bit of a "news" type of item... I mean, just stupid errors. Just wondering.

I mean really, "thier"??