Top Gear USA

[UKGTI1]

I'm with the others on this one.. you have no idea about his skills. Boy can drive and not just drifting either.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't mean to say the guy can't drive. He clearly can and that is great (shame his personality doesn't match his enthusiastic driving skills though). However, a car show should be much more than just a dude in some muscle car doing donuts in a car park.....at least to me anyway.

The first two episodes of US Top Gear this year have been rubbish. Let's face it. If they carry on like this, the show will be cut after this season. The second episode epitomizes everything that is wrong with the show. The show no longer has ANY studio component, barely any interviews, little car news, zero decent banter and consists usually of a single "challenge" which lasts the entire length of the show. They have taken the UK concept of the show to an extreme in my opinion. In the UK version, they really don't do that many "challenges" anymore and rarely dedicate one show to a single one. It's just boring and doesn't work. One-dimensional trash.

Last night the muscle cars were great and I love the cars, but you don't ALWAYS have to wrap it up into some gay challenge that makes no bloody sense. I mean who came up with the idea of strapping a muscle twitch thingy onto them while they drove around some crappy car park? Whoever it was should be fired. At least do a decent test of the cars handling and make it fun, educational, informative and funny. Why not take the cars to autocross/track event or something like that and educate us about the scene as well? That would have been awesome.

I dunno, I'm just not a fan. But I have tried to be. I recorded it last night and couldn't even finish watching it. It was painful and depressing. The Car Show was sooooooooooo much better as a CAR SHOW!

 

[Mr.Alex]

Don't get me wrong, I didn't mean to say the guy can't drive. He clearly can and that is great (shame his personality doesn't match his enthusiastic driving skills though). However, a car show should be much more than just a dude in some muscle car doing donuts in a car park.....at least to me anyway.

The first two episodes of US Top Gear this year have been rubbish. Let's face it. If they carry on like this, the show will be cut after this season. The second episode epitomizes everything that is wrong with the show. The show no longer has ANY studio component, barely any interviews, little car news, zero decent banter and consists usually of a single "challenge" which lasts the entire length of the show. They have taken the UK concept of the show to an extreme in my opinion. In the UK version, they really don't do that many "challenges" anymore and rarely dedicate one show to a single one. It's just boring and doesn't work. One-dimensional trash.

I agree on those things you mentioned, although I feel the episode was decent for their previous standards. When they were driving the cars I kept asking, TALK ABOUT THEM; what do you like, what don't you like, is it worth the price, etc. But what do I get "THIS CAR HAS 4xxHP SO IT MUST BE GOOD" etc etc etc.

I also did not care for the last challenge, I would have rather had them race around some race course to see who can set the best time.

Now what I did enjoy. The best part was the shots they got from the helicopter of Tanner driving that 302 though the bends, those shots are worth of the Top Gear name. I also liked them bringing back the original classics to the show, but they could have made it so much interesting by driving those and then driving the current versions to talk about what they lack or miss from the original car or how they improved.

 

[RacingManiac]

Meh, to me cutting out the news and studio banter was the best thing they did. Its a car show(not The Car Show, thank god), TGUK's studio portion(not cool wall or whatever, just the news) adds really nothing to the show and really just a filler. In US where a 1 hour show is actually 40 mins once you cut out the commercial, you really need to focus on stuff that show off the production value, and they cut out the least useful bit. They could use more polish in transitioning from segment to segment, but overall the show is much more solid. The Car Show's biggest failing(aside from the lack luster personality), is the fact that there are so little "car" involved....

 

[plac]

hell, Motorweek is one of my favorite car shows. A good detailed review or 2 every show. With good close ups and analysis of everything.

and of course i have Mercum Auctions on at least 2-3 hours every weekend just looking at classics in HD.

 

[Mr.Alex]

I never thought it would happen, but after watching the last episode I was actually filled with regret for wasting time. I actually think they might be getting worse instead of better.

 

[09vdubgti]

I think you guys are rating them two harsh, its a good show. You just cant replicate a good show (tg uk) no matter what.

example, real bbs vs reps...even though they are basically the same they are completely different.

 

[Mr.Alex]

Its not even comparing them, its just not that interesting even in the car aspect this season, they don't really talk about the cars they drive except quoting HP numbers, etc. I liked last season better thus far.

 

[dtraill27]

Its not even comparing them, its just not that interesting even in the car aspect this season, they don't really talk about the cars they drive except quoting HP numbers, etc. I liked last season better thus far.

+1 They seem to be approaching the show strictly as a comedy vs actual cars people care about. Pretty sure no one gives a shit about the performance of a pinto

 

[Rockchops]

I saw a new episode (pinto corvair and samurai) and it was still pretty awful. It's like they assigned personalities to the guys and told them to fit rather than the other way around. Way too scripted, still awful editing, hosts haven't improved much IMO. Not even comparing it to tguk, just as a car show it's annoyingly bad.

 

[RacingManiac]

Personally, detailed review is still best on word and picture form. Thats why I read magazines and browse websites. Motorweek is no different than that and thats fine, but hardly entertaining. Plus a mechanic talking random stuff about some part of the car. TG UK's "review" is mostly not very useful and just lots of sound and good video. In that aspect, TG US, when they do new cars, is no different. What made TGUK popular is their outrageous stuff, and thats what all the TG shows from elsewhere trying to emulate. US show apart from the no-so-smooth editing isn't doing too bad of a job. If you think TGUK's stuff is not scripted, you are watching a different show than I do. And TBH sometimes I get tired of their baseless rant on some cars and the supposedly knowledgeable garbage that May likes to sprout....

 

[Mr.Alex]

^^James May is actually really smart, the old Stig called him a walking encyclopedia in his book which Im almost done reading.

 

[Rockchops]

Personally, detailed review is still best on word and picture form. Thats why I read magazines and browse websites. Motorweek is no different than that and thats fine, but hardly entertaining. Plus a mechanic talking random stuff about some part of the car. TG UK's "review" is mostly not very useful and just lots of sound and good video. In that aspect, TG US, when they do new cars, is no different. What made TGUK popular is their outrageous stuff, and thats what all the TG shows from elsewhere trying to emulate. US show apart from the no-so-smooth editing isn't doing too bad of a job. If you think TGUK's stuff is not scripted, you are watching a different show than I do. And TBH sometimes I get tired of their baseless rant on some cars and the supposedly knowledgeable garbage that May likes to sprout....

Of course TGUK is scripted, but its scripted FOR them, with their personalities taken into account. Plus their delivery is much more natural, every time I seen TGUSA its like these guys are reading line for line with no rehearsal or effort put into it. The writing is also incredibly generic, they could throw anyone into there and read it just the same. BTW how are the two goofballs "the expert" and "the wrecker"??? Never quite understood that. I am still pretty disappointed with it, even though I've given it a couple more chances.

 

[RacingManiac]

^^James May is actually really smart, the old Stig called him a walking encyclopedia in his book which Im almost done reading.

He may well be, but what he said on the show doesn't show it....

I like some of his other work like his Space/Moon documentary, but on TG he is billed as this wise man but he just doesn't really back it up especially if you know what he is trying to explain...

 

[Mr.Alex]

In the book Ben Collins (last Stig) talks about how he kinda has to dumb himself down for the show, etc. Its a good book, if your an enthusiast might as well buy it.

And obviously TG UK is scripted, but its scripted really well that lets you transcend into whatever story or place they are in. Whereas TG USA you know your on your couch watching TV, instead of really in tune with the show. If that makes any sense.

 

[mkeath]

I like the US version. I like the UK version much better, but I don't think that makes the US version any worse. Even though they have used a lot of the same challenges and concepts as the UK version, I don't see why not. They were successful, and most people haven't seen the UK version. Meanwhile, the current hosts can get inspiration for new challenges. As for reviews, I pretty much skip all of the supercar reviews in the US and UK versions of the show unless it's something with a significantly new feature or otherwise sparks my interest because they're all largely the same. Lambos look and drive like Lambos, Ferraris look and drive like Ferraris, and Porsches look and drive like Porsches. I actually enjoy the reviews of more practical cars that I might be able to buy at some point in my life. I may never be able to purchase a supercar, and they're all largely the same on TV. I love the practical yet sporty reviews they do on TGUK, and I hope they do some on TGUS.