U.S. Top Gear

Hocrest wrote: Ferrara - "Thrust mode...berkeley (shift) berkeley (shift) berkeley"

That was funny--and sincere.

Yeah, their chemistry is terrible and their dialogue is stiff, but that said--I think it's a decent show. No other American-produced car show can touch it (that's not really saying much, though).

Adam Ferrara is a funny dude--I guess he just needs to be himself more. Ruttlidge came off well, but could use more time. I think they'll get better as time goes on.

I'll watch the rest of the series. I think all of the haters are going to watch it, too.

novaderrik wrote: they need to pick some better names for the corners on the test track- "tear drop" and "cameraman's corner" just don't have the same impact as "hammer head", "Chicago", or "Gambon"..

Corner names shouldn't happen on the first episode, anyway. Like the BBC TG corners, they need to have a story behind them.

gamby wrote: I think all of the haters are going to watch it, too.

If they don't get to an episode that isn't all supercars soon, I won't.

turbojunker wrote:

gamby wrote: I think all of the haters are going to watch it, too.

If they don't get to an episode that isn't all supercars soon, I won't.

...umm--isn't the Brit Top Gear mostly supercars???

I like the adventure episodes a lot more.

gamby wrote:

turbojunker wrote:

gamby wrote: I think all of the haters are going to watch it, too.

If they don't get to an episode that isn't all supercars soon, I won't.

...umm--isn't the Brit Top Gear mostly supercars???

all != mostly

I'm sure it's gonna be a horsepower-fest--and horsepower is expensive.

...then people will complain when they test American musclecars.

...then people will complain that the challenges aren't good.

We get it--it's not as good as the Brit version. Chain restaurants aren't as good as Fleur De Lys, but I still eat at them every now and again.

Luke wrote:

novaderrik wrote: they need to pick some better names for the corners on the test track- "tear drop" and "cameraman's corner" just don't have the same impact as "hammer head", "Chicago", or "Gambon"..

Corner names shouldn't happen on the first episode, anyway. Like the BBC TG corners, they need to have a story behind them.

i seem to recall that the only corner that didn't have a name in the first Brit TG episode was Gambon- and it only took a couple of episodes for that to happen.

i just got a non car nut opinion from one of my old friends on facebook that had never seen or heard of the original- both she and her husband loved the show.

Better than motor trend tv, better than the product infomercial build shows as entertainment. Not as good as TG UK. As a tg person said, dumb people doing dumb things isn't interesting. Neither is clever people doing clever things, but clever people doing dumb things - that's funny. The cast hasn't established the clever part yet. And FWIW I was waiting for the bombshell the ACR was faster than all the lambos and 150k less, for the best lamborghini segment.

I disagree with all of you, Tanner's the only good one in the bunch!

He's the only one with a personality (although all of them were too into the script and trying so hard not to make a misteak that their personalities were submerged). But even more of an issue, he's the only one that didn't talk in a monotone.

Adam ( is he the dark haired guy) was positively awful. I did say at one time that I would prefer to see anyone but Adam Carolla and even tho this Adam isn't very good he's infinitely better than the Carolla guy.

Tanner could tell a good story, the rest couldn't. It looks as if he's going to turn out to be the fall guy in this series rather than the Capt. Slow character.

The big guy I could see blossoming, Tanner will blossom, Adam will FAIL!

carguy123 wrote: I disagree with all of you, Tanner's the only good one in the bunch! He's the only one with a personality (although all of them were too into the script and trying so hard not to make a misteak that their personalities were submerged). But even more of an issue, he's the only one that didn't talk in a monotone. Adam ( is he the dark haired guy) was positively awful. I did say at one time that I would prefer to see anyone but Adam Carolla and even tho this Adam isn't very good he's infinitely better than the Carolla guy. Tanner could tell a good story, the rest couldn't. It looks as if he's going to turn out to be the fall guy in this series rather than the Capt. Slow character. The big guy I could see blossoming, Tanner will blossom, Adam will FAIL!

...but since Adam Ferrara is an established comedian/actor, I'm thinking that once he gets comfortable w/ his castmates, he'll be able to be more of a prick and thus will be funny.

Ruttlidge seemed the most comfortable on camera.

It would be nice to see it last long enough for them to actually develop a chemistry.

In reply to carguy123:

I have to disagree, Tanner seemed very wooden. It is his personality. I have seen him on three shows now and it doesn't change. Just not funny, entertaining, or interesting at all.

My wife agrees, (so I must be right.)

The chemistry thing, I hope, will come along. They also need some different writers. The Stig intro was horrible.

I think that Tanner may loosen up as the time goes by. He does really have the personality of a river rock.

Rutledge Wood, as annoying as he may be on the NASCAR stuff, seems to be having a good time doing this and is good at poking fun at the other two.

Adam Ferrera, it seems that they just want him there for comedic value and he can drive, but I think they also want him there to be the guy who swears at everything so there's some "controversy".

What I really want to see, it them talk bad about the cars, just like they do on TGUK. Clarkson gives his honest opinion on the stuff he drives. I'm worried it's going to be a "I LOVE THIS CAR AND CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG BECAUSE IT HAS XXX HP AND COULD BEAT THE SPACE SHUTTLE IN A RACE" attitude all the time and they aren't going to point out the bad. The only comment that was made on the Lambo comparison was from Ferrera, when he said that it was $360 for a cup holder and it was bulls***. But why would you want a cup holder in a Lambo?

novaderrik wrote: they need to pick some better names for the corners on the test track- "tear drop" and "cameraman's corner" just don't have the same impact as "hammer head", "Chicago", or "Gambon"..

I like how "Camera Man's Corne" never had a camera on it. Whenever a car went thru that corner, they would cut to an in-car shot....

that is a bit of a worry of mine, too. if they can manage to stay un-linked to one particular manufacturer, and thus not have to be nice about their cars, or if they just plain can be honest about the cars they get on the show without pissing off Detroit or Stuttgart or Maranello too much, they might be ok

Slyp_Dawg wrote: that is a bit of a worry of mine, too. if they can manage to stay un-linked to one particular manufacturer, and thus not have to be nice about their cars, or if they just plain can be honest about the cars they get on the show without pissing off Detroit or Stuttgart or Maranello too much, they might be ok

Remember the TGUK episode where they went to the Bonneville Salt Flats and Dodge wouldn't give them a Challenger because Clarkson said something negative about some other Dodge or Chrysler product?

This is the problem I see happening for this show. They are going to have the "We don't want to piss off the Manufacturers." mentality, but when you look at TGUK, they still test the same manufacturers cars even after they bashed the last one. Jeremy Clarkson still bashes on the Corvette and GM still gives them one to test drive.

yeah, I remember that one. I also remember that TG bought a Challenger so that they could go on as planned and said that they wouldn't be pushed around by some two bit car company, which is something that I KNOW that TG USA can't or won't say, due to the fact that we are in America and thus they would get absolutely REAMED by the public and their producers if they said anything close to that. I think the big problem is Detroit is much less receptive to anything short of a glowing review and they don't seem to realize that giving everything a glowing review isn't helpful at all and is VERY obvious, no matter how hard they try to disguise it.

Don't forget that the UK show has the budget to go "sod it, we've just bought a Challenger because Dodge wouldn't give us one".

TG US would have that budget if they'd have given Leno a spot- hell Leno probably already owns one of whatever they want to test.

Two threads on this subject! Last time that happened someone mentioned that series that crowned a champion for the fifth time in a row this past weekend.

BTW, there are 10 episodes in the can, ready to be shown.But there's always re-editing at the ready. I look at it like firing up a new engine. It'll run, but it will need to be tuned.

would like to see them do an episode where they have to compete in a LeMons race or ChumpCar...

Don't forget that TGUK is incredibly highly rated, so manufacturers will give them a car, even if Clarkson's going to badmouth it, only for the exposure. Until TGUS has those ratings - which seems like a long shot - they'll be stuck Bob Costasfooting around some criticism, or at least qualifying it to appease the manufacturers.

TGUSA, bought to me by Mercedes Benz, was a bummer.

Maybe I watched too much Jersey Shore, but I hate Adam. His interview was awful.

"So you had this car?" "Yes". "And this car?" "Yes" "Great! Let's watch you drive."

Tanner over-narrated EVERYTHING (and now he's turning 30 degrees left into this next turn where he'll link up that with the teardrop. Now he's pushed in the clutch to shift down to second).

The only one I liked was Rutledge, but the NASCAR thing scares me.

I'll watch two more, but probably not live. Walking Dead and Brewmasters will be taking over that spot.

If enough of us watch a few episodes, History will be able to run a second fine-tuned season.

I remember when the first Top Gear Australia aired and it was junk too. The US version is starting off better than that rendition. More time and exposure will bring better stuff to the show.

I didn't have huge expectations, so I thought it went pretty well for the first showing. But I'll still be downloading the real deal too.