Edmunds.com is reporting that Dan Neil, a Pulitzer Prize-winning automotive writer for the Los Angeles Times, will be involved with Gear:

There’s been no official word yet from NBC on any of the show’s hosts; however, our sources say that Dan Neil, a Pulitzer Prize-winning automotive writer for the Los Angeles Times, will also be part of the show, most likely to add journalistic integrity.

I’m not sure if that means he’ll be in a hosting position or merely in a behind the scenes setting though. We’ll have to wait to see.

If you’re having your doubts about Adam Carolla and his recent announcement about being involved with NBC’s Gear (presumably hosting it), then you should listen to this podcast of his radio show from last year.

He talks about a trip he took to watch the 24 Hours of Le Mans in person, the Paris airshow he attended, and lots of other things including a rant about American cops. Listening to this should put to ease any concerns you’re having about him hosting it. He is a bona fide car nut.

Props to sporteknik for finding the MP3.

Adam Carolla mentioned today on his morning radio show that he is going to be involved in the American version of Top Gear. This stemmed from a comment he made on yesterday’s show about his upcoming projects (just a tiny mention about 11:45 in).

You can listen to today’s segment where he semi-announces it via his podcast. He’s asked a question about his comment yesterday and answers it early in the show.

Personally, I thought for sure he wouldn’t be one of the hosts due to his morning show, but I was obviously proven wrong. He is going to be one busy, busy man soon with doing his radio show, Dancing with the Stars, and now Gear.

Discussion about this is taking place on our forums.

On Wednesday’s episode of The Adam Carolla Show, Adam mentioned that he decided to watch a Tivo’ed rerun episode of “Top Gear, a really cool car show outta England” rather than watching an episode of Dance War where it was announced that he was going to be on Dancing with the Stars.

If you’d like to listen, you can listen can download the segment. The relative part starts at around 12:45 and he actually mentions Top Gear around 13:45.

This is yet another example of Top Gear gaining awareness here in America. Hopefully it leads to more people hearing of our beloved show.

From Edmunds.com:

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — We’ve known for quite some time that the hit BBC show Top Gear is coming to America. Producers of the show originally wanted to use the British hosts for the U.S. version, but decided the trans-Atlantic shooting schedule would be too demanding.

In mid-January, NBC announced the U.S. version of Top Gear would air on its network rather than a cable outlet like Speed or ESPN. At the same time, BBC producers were feverishly screening American automotive writers as potential hosts, hoping to give the new show “journalistic credibility.”

NBC has since decided to tweak its original plan. Several on-camera automotive journalist candidates received phone calls this week from the BBC stating the network now wanted to take the new Top Gear in more of a “celebrity direction.”

An existing NBC relationship with known automotive enthusiast Jay Leno, and the fact that his current Tonight Show contract expires in 2009 could make Leno a front-runner. Actor and Porsche collector Jerry Seinfeld also has a lasting NBC relationship as evidenced by his guest stint on NBC’s 30 Rock and heavy rotation of Bee Movie promos that also aired on the network. We wouldn’t “bee” surprised to see him in the running as well.

What this means to you: Expect American Top Gear to air without the old-school car magazine editor in a threadbare tweed jacket. — Carol Moody, Correspondent

This could either be good news (credibility, skill in front of the camera, etc.) or bad news (obvious reasons), but it’s too early to tell. We’ll have to wait and see.

[Once again, thanks to bafranksbro for the tip.]

UPDATE: This may turn out to be entirely a rumor. We’ll have to see.

Craig Plestis, NBC Universal’s senior vice-president of alternative programs and development talking about Top Gear and their version of it:

“I love that little bit of wonkiness that happens with the show,” Plestis says. “It’s not a vanilla show. They get into the car culture. Their enthusiasm is infectious. It’s funny. It’s entertaining. It flies by. And, if we do our job correctly with the casting, hands down, it will work.”

NBC has not yet given a projected airdate for its “Top Gear.”

“I would like it sooner [rather] than later,” Plestis says, “but I’m not going to rush it. I’m going to get this one right.”

More at Zap2it.

[Props to bafranksbro for finding the article.]

NBC has ordered a pilot for “Gear”, an American version of Top Gear, that will be officially announced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit (January 19-27).

The pilot will be filmed at a secret location around Los Angeles equipped with a race track and hangar where the show will be filmed in front of a audience.

NBC reality chief Craig Plestis said the network already is getting numerous inquiries from car companies that had heard rumblings about a U.S. remake.

“This is a favorite of all automobile companies as it shows their cars in such a great light,” he said.

NBC reality chief Craig Plestis said he is a longtime fan of “Top Gear.”

“It all comes down to subject matter — it’s a cool show about cars,” he said. “It’s very compelling for us because we have a great platform and space on the network to have such a show.”

Among “Gear’s” popular segments that will be replicated in the U.S. are races where the hosts have to reach a destination using different modes of transportation, road tests, challenges like converting and refurbishing existing cars into anything from a stretch limo to an amphibian and celebrities racing a midsize car. (”American Idol’s” Simon Cowell holds the record for fastest lap time with a Chevrolet Lacetti.)

The series will premiere at 11 p.m. on March 4th before moving to its regular time period at 10 p.m. March 11th. [This seems unlikely. -Viper]

Who would have ever thought the writer strike could possibly be a good thing?

Discussion is taking place on our forums if you’d like to weigh in and predict how good (or bad) the show will be.

[Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters, MovieWeb, gaurdian.co.uk]

No surprise or anything with all the America bashing he does, but it’s still news.

An American version of Top Gear has hit the skids — because Jeremy Clarkson has refused to live in the US.

BBC chiefs were set to sign a multi-million dollar contract with an American channel to make a Stateside show this year.

“[...] because it takes a long time to film the show it meant the crew and presenters would have had to live out there for several months.

“Jeremy didn’t want to do that because his life and family are in Britain, so it’s been shelved.”

More at The Sun Online.

The Sun (a British tabloid, so anything coming from them has to be taken with a grain of salt) is reporting in an article that the BBC is “poised to sign a multimillion pound deal with a major broadcaster for Top Gear USA”.

Top Gear 3 set for USA show

Hit motoring show Top Gear is heading to the US — making Stateside stars of the three British presenters.

BBC bosses are poised to sign a multimillion pound deal with a major broadcaster for Top Gear USA.

And it will still be fronted by the BBC2 show’s hosts — Sun columnist Jeremy Clarkson, Richard “Hamster” Hammond and James May.

A show source said: “It’s very exciting.

“Top Gear could succeed where Robbie Williams has failed by cracking America. And Jeremy and the guys can’t wait to teach the Yanks a bit about cars.”

BBC producers will work on the show, which will be almost identical to the UK’s studio-based version — but focusing on US gas-guzzlers such as the likes of Buick, Cadillac and Chevrolet.

Major US stars will be invited on to discuss their love of motoring — and test their skills against the show’s mystery racing driver, The Stig.

Producers hope to have the show on air by next year. Until then Jeremy, James and Richard will be filming the next UK series, which will hit our screens in the autumn.

Top Gear has already been shown in the US by Discovery Channel.

As many of you may know, Top Gear aired for a while on the Discovery channel here in America. It was just normal UK episodes, but with refilmed studio bits featuring less America bashing, the use of things like “gasoline” rather than “petrol”, etc. Many of you also know that episodes stopped airing on Discovery earlier this year.

Rumors had been flying about as to why, but the most popular one was that Discovery had decided to start from scratch and do an entirely American version of Top Gear. Well, this turned out to be just the case. In the last Top Gear magazine, many new juicy details were revealed about the upcoming show.

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