Top Gear US: My Take
After having watched the first 5 episodes (and having read many whinging posts by "real fans of top gear") I'll have to say that I actually like the American version of Top Gear better than I do the UK version.
I'm not saying it's better. UK version just has too much of a head start with seasoned veterans who have up to 30 years of good automotive shows under their belts. Not to mention all the other shows they do. There's just too much experience under their belt for anybody else to come in and match them.
However, the US show has one thing the UK version doesn't have: An awesome set backdrop. You have one episode rambling through the south, the next through the salt flats, the next through the ski resorts in Utah, and on and on... Cars are a luxury in Europe. They are the lifeblood of America. For such a young show, you already get a feel for how much better America is suited for something like Top Gear.
I also like that they have a crappy driver worse than James May, a good driver better than Hammond (and Jeremy for that matter), and a good amount of charisma for presenters so young. Heck, I'd say Tanner has a good chance at giving Tiff a run for his money. There are a lot of missed timing cues and flat lines, but I remember Top Gear from the very late1990's. I'd say this one is starting a notch higher and has a higher roof. They do need someone with more nerdy tendency because two goofball guys who seem to know very little about cars is a little off putting, but that will definitely change as time goes along. The look on Adam's face as he hits 160 or 170 in the Lambo is worth having to bear his learning on the job. You can't get that on the UK show where even James May has been over 200 mph.
I'm not saying it's better. UK version just has too much of a head start with seasoned veterans who have up to 30 years of good automotive shows under their belts. Not to mention all the other shows they do. There's just too much experience under their belt for anybody else to come in and match them.
However, the US show has one thing the UK version doesn't have: An awesome set backdrop. You have one episode rambling through the south, the next through the salt flats, the next through the ski resorts in Utah, and on and on... Cars are a luxury in Europe. They are the lifeblood of America. For such a young show, you already get a feel for how much better America is suited for something like Top Gear.
I also like that they have a crappy driver worse than James May, a good driver better than Hammond (and Jeremy for that matter), and a good amount of charisma for presenters so young. Heck, I'd say Tanner has a good chance at giving Tiff a run for his money. There are a lot of missed timing cues and flat lines, but I remember Top Gear from the very late1990's. I'd say this one is starting a notch higher and has a higher roof. They do need someone with more nerdy tendency because two goofball guys who seem to know very little about cars is a little off putting, but that will definitely change as time goes along. The look on Adam's face as he hits 160 or 170 in the Lambo is worth having to bear his learning on the job. You can't get that on the UK show where even James May has been over 200 mph.