Top Gear USA Version 3.0 Coming To History Channel

AK370Z · 04-22-2010, 07:38 PM

Quote:

As we reported first earlier this year, Top Gear USA, the twice aborted attempt at colonization by the famous BBC franchise, will hit the history channel this fall. Here are the three hosts. Update!

The beloved original Top Gear airs on the BBC2 in Britain with spin-offs in both Australia and Russia, but attempts to bring it to the United States have twice failed. Most recently, NBC announced it was bringing the show to network television and even shot a pilot before cutting the show, reportedly fearful over the failure of Knight Rider.

The pilot starred funnyman Adam Carolla, Tanner Foust and Eric Strommer and was apparently so bad it's never been released. Both Carolla and Strommer were dropped for this most recent version, replacing them with comedian Adam Ferrera and mostly unknown SPEED commentator Rutledge Wood.

History committed to ten episodes of the show debuting sometime this fall with production already in motion. A spokeperson for BBC Worldwide Productions, who is co-producing the show, said "Together we have worked to tailor the format for the American audience, while staying true to the original dynamic that fans across the world have come to love."

To understand what they've done to "tailor" it to an American audience it's best to look at the two new hosts: one of them is known almost entirely for NASCAR coverage and the other has almost no experience with cars. Detailed bios of the hosts below.

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t looks like Rutledge Wood is going to be the funny man on Top Gear USA as he's best known for crashing SPEED's NASCAR pre-race show, often reporting from the beer-swilling infield and pulling pranks on drivers. Despite the NASCAR connection, Rutledge has some car guy cred, owning, among others, a 1953 Plymouth Suburban and a 1970 Datsun 240Z. He keeps both on the road himself, often diving for parts in local junkyards. It's a promising start, at least.

Rutledge was born in rust-free Arizona, but emigrated to moonshine-friendly Peachtree, GA to attend the University of Georgia. After graduating from there he went to work for Country Music Television and then jumped onto hosting a daily talk show for Clear Channel. Eventually he hooked up with SPEED for the "Need for SPEED Road Tour," which helped move him into the position of an on-air personality.

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Adam Ferrara has something of a personality disorder when it comes to television experience. He plays Chief "Needles" Nelson, alongside Denis Leary in FX's "Rescue Me," a drama about New York City firefighters, but is also known for his successful standup comedy career, including a Comedy Central special, "Funny As Hell!" He also had a roll in "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" playing Sergeant Howard.

But is he a car guy? With Adam Carolla as the comedian host of the last attempt at Top Gear USA it was at least abundantly clear he got cars. Here's what we know: he posted shots of himself posing with cars at the recent New York Auto Show on his twitter feed. He also told Top Gear that the Pagani Zonda F is his favorite car, but we're hopeful that that was just an automatic response to a lame question and that his real automotive taste is much more interesting.

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We've been through this drill before because Foust has been attached to host this show from the beginning. His best asset is his right foot. Foust has had most of his professional driving success as someone who can control a car at its limit, and then push it even further.

That's what he does as a stunt driver, hooning on the sets of productions such as The Bourne Ultimatum, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, and The Dukes of Hazard, as well as on various television shows and commercials. He also won a gold medal at the 2007 X-Games Rally and a championship in the 2007 Formula Drift series. He's currently competing in the series with a RWD Scion tC.

More recently, Foust co-hosts (or co-hosted?) SPEED's SuperCars Exposed, a program all about fast cars. We last saw him at the Texas Mile racing Paul Tracy in a heavily modified Mustang. While there he hinted he'd like to see how fast he could get our Lincoln MKT press car to go, so there's no doubt he's a bit nuts in way any Top Gear host should be.

UPDATE 2 If you want to get a sense of Rutledge Wood's on-air persona here's him trying to eat three pounds of chili cheese fries and a 22-inch hot dog for his segment "Rutledge At Large."

Source: Top Gear USA Version 3.0 Coming To History Channel - Top Gear USA - Jalopnik

HKYStormFront · 04-22-2010, 07:42 PM

saw this on IGN yesterday... i'll be interested to see how this comes out

AK370Z · 04-22-2010, 07:43 PM

What do you guys think?

I'm not really feeling this crew because it's almost like 3 person from 3 different planet! I think Tanner faust is GREAT candidate. But other two,

. In UK TOP Gear, they (James, Jeremy and Hammond) are ALL CAR guys and know their stuff. They also know HOW TO drive the car.

I don't know. We'll see I guess how this show turns out. I'll give it a ugh score for now

370Zsteve · 04-22-2010, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AK370Z

What do you guys think?

I'm not really feeling this crew because it's almost like 3 person from 3 different planet! I think Tanner faust is GREAT candidate. But other two,

. In UK TOP Gear, they (James, Jeremy and Hammond) are ALL CAR guys and know their stuff. They also know HOW TO drive the car.

I don't know. We'll see I guess how this show turns out. I'll give it a ugh score for now

This cast just plain blows.

What were they thinking?

vash_241987 · 04-22-2010, 08:39 PM

They should have Matt farah as one, I heard when they tried before they had some interior designer dude as a host. I will be intresting to see, but of course you can't beat the original Top Gear crew.... Hell maybe even Jay leno, he is sorta funny and a obvious car nut...

ChrisSlicks · 04-22-2010, 08:43 PM

2 more cast failures (except for Tanner Foust). Maybe they'll get it right with v4 or 5.

Endgame · 04-22-2010, 08:44 PM

I echo that.. They should try to get Jay Leno...

370Zsteve · 04-22-2010, 08:44 PM

I think Carolla would have been a brilliant choice, especially for ratings

puckshaw · 04-22-2010, 08:51 PM

I can't stand Tanner. Awesome driver but sucks as a TV personality. Don't really know much about the other 2. This doesn't look promising

ChrisSlicks · 04-22-2010, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by puckshaw

I can't stand Tanner. Awesome driver but sucks as a TV personality. Don't really know much about the other 2. This doesn't look promising

Well maybe Tanner could be the stig then, doesn't need to talk that way

510z · 04-22-2010, 09:32 PM

may, hammond, and clarkson are what makes the original great. What they really should do is just air the British version at the same time over here so we don't have to wait a year for it.

Soon · 04-22-2010, 09:40 PM

this show looks like its going to SUCK

like you guys said atleast TOP GEAR UK the crew has personality , knows their cars and and better yet knows how to drive them

I love this country but seriously this is why we get frowned upon when it comes to creative arts

it never fails we waterdown, dumb down, and appeal to audiences out of the demographic just to get higher ratings.

fullmonty · 04-23-2010, 01:51 AM

I was excited, now not so much

04-22-2010, 07:42 PM	#2 (permalink)
HKYStormFront A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Greer, SC Posts: 14,954 Drives: 06 Frontier SE 6spd Rep Power: 52	saw this on IGN yesterday... i'll be interested to see how this comes out __________________ Patrick // 06 Frontier 6spd Nismosis // Mods: Uprev Tuned @ Z1 Motorsports: 257whp & 292 ft lbs 09 Pontiac G8 GXP // M6 // Sunroof // Tint... For now

04-22-2010, 07:43 PM	#3 (permalink)
AK370Z Administrator Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: NJ Posts: 9,930 Drives: 09 370Z MB Sports M6 Rep Power: 10	What do you guys think? I'm not really feeling this crew because it's almost like 3 person from 3 different planet! I think Tanner faust is GREAT candidate. But other two, . In UK TOP Gear, they (James, Jeremy and Hammond) are ALL CAR guys and know their stuff. They also know HOW TO drive the car. I don't know. We'll see I guess how this show turns out. I'll give it a ugh score for now __________________ The370Z Signature Pictures ll Want to rock our forum decals on your car? Then click here! ll How to Embed YouTube Videos In a Post STOP! (Hammertime) ll Become a Premium Member Click HERE ll F.A.Q. Are You a Nissan Dealer? Click Here to Become A "Supporting Dealer" and Start Listing Your 370Zs In Our Inventory Section My Monterey Blue Z ll My Exhaust --> My Intake --> G3 Nissan's Official Response Regarding Oil Temp Issue: CLICK HERE Need a Set of Cheap Winter wheels /Tires? Then Visit The Banner Link Below and Place Your Order. You'll Help Keep The370Z Alive.

04-22-2010, 08:43 PM	#6 (permalink)
ChrisSlicks A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: North East Posts: 6,203 Drives: 09 370Z Sport M6 Rep Power: 653	2 more cast failures (except for Tanner Foust). Maybe they'll get it right with v4 or 5. __________________ Hotchkis ARB \| Stillen CAI \| Art Pipes \| Berk CBE \| Stillen AP Racing Brakes \| AE Performance Oil Cooler \| BC Racing ER Coilovers \| Doran Control Arms

04-22-2010, 08:44 PM	#8 (permalink)
370Zsteve A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Gold Coast CT Posts: 10,599 Drives: 2019 Corvette G.S. Rep Power: 43	I think Carolla would have been a brilliant choice, especially for ratings __________________ SOLD MY Z MARCH 2018 - another Core OG moves on - new ride 2019 Z Corvette Grand Sport - no mods necessary but already have eyes on HFC and intakes LOL IT NEVER ENDS.

04-22-2010, 09:40 PM	#12 (permalink)
Soon Base Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Rockland NY Posts: 240 Drives: 2008 Cherokee SRT8 Rep Power: 15	this show looks like its going to SUCK like you guys said atleast TOP GEAR UK the crew has personality , knows their cars and and better yet knows how to drive them I love this country but seriously this is why we get frowned upon when it comes to creative arts it never fails we waterdown, dumb down, and appeal to audiences out of the demographic just to get higher ratings. __________________ 2009 blk 370z=SOLD Now drives... SRT!!

04-22-2010, 08:39 PM	#5 (permalink)
vash_241987 Enthusiast Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Corpus Christi, Tx Posts: 443 Drives: '99 corolla Rep Power: 16	They should have Matt farah as one, I heard when they tried before they had some interior designer dude as a host. I will be intresting to see, but of course you can't beat the original Top Gear crew.... Hell maybe even Jay leno, he is sorta funny and a obvious car nut...

04-22-2010, 08:44 PM	#7 (permalink)
Endgame A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Phoenix Posts: 1,613 Drives: Nothing Now! Rep Power: 224	I echo that.. They should try to get Jay Leno...

04-22-2010, 08:51 PM	#9 (permalink)
puckshaw Track Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 620 Drives: 09 PW 370Z Touring Rep Power: 17	I can't stand Tanner. Awesome driver but sucks as a TV personality. Don't really know much about the other 2. This doesn't look promising

04-22-2010, 09:32 PM	#11 (permalink)
510z Enthusiast Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Phoenix Posts: 328 Drives: 09 370z Blue M6 Rep Power: 16	may, hammond, and clarkson are what makes the original great. What they really should do is just air the British version at the same time over here so we don't have to wait a year for it.

04-23-2010, 01:51 AM	#13 (permalink)
fullmonty A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Dirty Jersey Posts: 7,762 Drives: 370 Touring/Sport Rep Power: 34	I was excited, now not so much __________________

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