Last week, before Eric Stromer was announced as the third host, a caller called into Adam’s show wanting an update on Top Gear. Discussion ensued about the third host having been picked, that they’d be reviewing supercars and such much like the British version, and so forth. However the surprising thing, to me at least, was Adam mentioning that NBC was actually going to be allowing them to praise or more importantly criticize cars as they saw fit. Many people, including me, were worried that since NBC was advertiser supported, there would be resistance to criticizing cars that could be potential advertisers. Luckily it seems that NBC is smart enough to realize that the only way Top Gear America can succeed is if the hosts are allowed to say their true feelings and aren’t on a leash. This is very, very good news.

If you’re interested in listening to the actual call, you can download it (14:45 in), although there’s not much that happened that I didn’t cover above.

Eric Stromer, the third host of Top Gear America, was on Adam Carolla’s radio show this morning and they talked in length about Top Gear. If you’d like to listen to the segment (you really should, it’s quite funny), you can download it here.

Minor spoilers ahead, but stop here if you don’t want to know anything at all about the new season.

It seems quite a few people were confused by this Sunday’s episode description and thought that James May was being replaced by a new presenter. This is not the case.

James May will merely be introducing the new character (note that I said “character” and not “presenter”). The “steps aside” phrase just means he’s getting out of the way or whatever, not stepping down.

So calm down — Top Gear is Jeremy, Richard, James and I don’t foresee that changing anytime soon.

Eric Stromer, a frequent guest on Adam Carolla’s radio show, host of the HGTV show “Over Your Head,” and overall construction guru will be the third host of the American version of Top Gear. Production of the show will start later this week.

Story via BBC press release, photo via Jalopnik.

Read the full press release »

If you’re interested in what will be in June 22nd’s Top Gear episode, details are now available. I won’t mention any of it here for those wishing to avoid spoilers.

This funny commercial is currently airing in the UK advertising the new season of Top Gear:

YouTube version replaced with improved quality version stolen from idents.tv.

UPDATE: Here’s a second one, although it’s not nearly as funny:

Yep, another meet. This one is planned for noon on Saturday, August 30th at Lime Rock Park for the Rolex Vintage Festival. It’ll be a great day of watching vintage racing, checking out the classic cars, and relaxing in the infield. As always, full details can be found on our forums.

On Thursday’s show, Adam started his radio show by going off on a long car discussion covering his taste in cars. If you have 10 minutes or so and are interested in the American Top Gear, then it’s worth a listen.

Sorry for the really short warning, but I seemed to have completely missed the fact that some San Franciscans are meeting up this Saturday. If you’re in the area and don’t have anything planned, consider joining them and meeting fellow Top Gear and Fifth Gear fans.

We’re also having yet another ‘Ring meet, this time on July 19th through the 21st (meet on the 19th, drive on the 20th and 21st). Full details about the Germany meet can be found on our forums. If it’s anything like the last time, it should be pretty awesome.

Yep, we got another plug from the man himself. In his latest blog post which is a follow-up to part one, he talks in-depth about the new Australian and American versions of Top Gear:

The big problem is the nature of the show itself. If you’re setting up a foreign The Weakest Link or Millionaire, it’s quite straightforward - you need to copy the set and more or less copy the structure of the show, get a decent Chris Tarrant or a fierce redhead and you’re there.

But Top Gear is much harder because it’s essentially about those three and the way they do what they do, rather than just what they do.

The answer has to be to (a) alter the show to suit - so don’t force the Aussies to do their own Cool Wall if you’re going to watch Jeremy and Richard deliver a tour de force a week later, think of something else to do. And (b) each show must acknowledge the other one exists, so they can take the piss out of each other.

The amount of care and effort he and the other Brits are putting into the two shows is really giving me high hopes that they won’t turn out to be crap. Of course time will tell.

He also mentions all of us here a Final Gear:

In America the issue is different, because although our show isn’t well known there, the ones who do know it are hardcore fans - particularly the peeps on Final Gear. They are very strict about our output and performances, and I noticed quite a few even slating us for Top Gear Ground Force. Actually I’m with them, because we’re not great when we have to be performing monkeys, but it was a bit of a party piece for charity so you’ll have to forgive us.

Now although Final Gear live in fear of BBC lawyers cos they always nick the show, I know that NBC would be as chuffed as nuts if they liked the US version, which is sort of an indicator as to how seriously NBC are taking the issue. Mostly networks just aim for the broad audience and forget the hardcore.

He also goes on to what I’ve been trying to stress ever since the American version of Top Gear was announced:

So will we satisfy the US diehards? Dunno, but partly it’s up to them. If they just compare everything in the US show to what Jeremy, Richard and James do, they’ll be disappointed, because those three did get their first and they are the bollocks at it.

If, on the other hand, they take Top Gear US for what it is - a bunch of guys, hopefully with their own proper relationship, just looking at car stuff in America, but in the Top Gear way - they may like it. And our version will always be there anyway.

I honestly cannot wait for either import, although hopefully the Australian version will come with subtitles. :P