First promotional image for the series
Top Gear America is the second American adaptation of the UK motoring series Top Gear which aired on BBC America. It premiered on July 30, 2017. The show was presented by William Fichtner, Antron Brown, and Tom Ford for its first season, which contained eight episodes.
The show featured the new presenters taking on the US's NASCAR series, Mexico's Baja rally, a stunt driving challenge, and a campervan adventure, amongst other features. The show also featured an American incarnation of the Stig.
The studio where the main portion with the audience is filmed was located in Las Vegas, Nevada with the studio directly next to the test track, allowing the celebrity guests to drive their vehicles in and out to the track.
Top Gear America is the second American iteration of the original BBC show, following the cancellation of History's Top Gear adaptation featuring Tanner Foust, Rutledge Wood, and Adam Ferrara.
Episodes[]
| Title | Film(s) | Review(s) |
|---|---|---|
| American Made | The guys head to Mexico for a bonding road-trip to the U.S. border in three Baja buggies | Ford F-150 Raptor, Honda NSX |
| Movie Magic | The guys explore some of the tricks of the Hollywood movie trade. Bill drives Steve McQueen's famous Mustang from Bullitt. | Lamborghini Huracan Spyder |
| Life On The Go | The guys each choose a campervan for a road trip across the deserts of the U.S. | None |
| Drive Your Life | Antron teaches Wookie how to drive hot roads in the pits of the NHRA. | Cadillac CTS-V |
| Humble Beginnings | The guys pay homage to the origins of NASCAR by hitting a track near its birthplace in three old muscle cars. | Audi R8 |
| Outside The Box | In the hills of Southern California, the guys test a new breed of cars called UTVs, including the BAC Mono. | BAC Mono |
| The Best | The guys each buy what, in their opinion, is the best sports car for under $7,000. | None |
| Time Capsule | The guys revisit their past to share their first automotive love. | None |
Lap Times[]
These are the times around the Las Vegas Speed Way
| Car | Time |
|---|---|
| Honda NSX | 1:07.78 |
| Audi R8 V10 Plus | 1:09.00 |
| Lamborghini Huracan Spyder | 1:10.47 |
| Cadillac CTS-V | 1:11.72 |
| Toyota Sienna (R-Tuned) | 1:15.62 |
| Ferrari 308 (EV) | 1:16.43 |
| Maserati Levante S | 1:17.37 |
| Chevrolet Corvette C5 | 1:20.29 |
| Nissan Skyline GT-R | 1:21.72 |
| Ford Mustang GT (06) | 1:23.00 |
| Ferrari 308 GTS | 1:26.19 |
| Toyota Land Speed Cruiser | 1:32.44 |
Reception[]
The first series of Top Gear America was universally panned, earning just a 3.0/10 on IMDb. Critics cited what they deemed as the "unnecessary" cancellation of History's version of the show, which had lasted 6 seasons, and a lack of chemistry, which the previous trio of Tanner, Rutledge and Adam possessed. Due to overwhelmingly negative reception from fans, the show was cancelled.
In April 2019, US-based MotorTrend bought the American broadcasting rights to every season of Top Gear and announced that they will produce a new version of Top Gear America, with Jethro Bovingdon, Rob Corddry and Dax Sheppard, taking over the role as the main hosts.