Every car enthusiast we know watches “Top Gear America” almost religiously. If you are a car buff or you fancy a motoring series like “Fast and Furious,” “The Grand Tour,” or “Need for Speed,” then chances are you’ll love “Top Gear America.”
The motoring television series recently ended its first season of the remake show — we are expecting a second.
This article discusses the latest news, info, and all that you need to know about “Top Gear America.”
Where Can You Watch “Top Gear America?”
Catch all episodes of “Top Gear America” season one remake when you rent or purchase it on Vudu or Amazon Prime Video.
What’s “Top Gear America” About?
Following the success of the UK version which debuted in 2002, the Top Gear franchise decided to expand into other forms of merchandising — as well as create international versions of the show. So far, there has been Top Gear in countries like Australia, China, France, South Korea, and now America.
“Top Gear America,” like the other versions, is a motoring magazine television program — a relaunch of Jeremy Clarkson and Andy Wilman’s 1977 show with the same name. Hosts of the show test and review various kinds of cars — from luxury SUVs like Lamborghini to sports cars and pickup trucks — to see if they live up to their billing and manufacturers’ claims.
“Top Gear America” is produced by BBC Studios, Los Angeles Production for MotorTrend+. Craig Armstrong is the showrunner, with Travis Shakespeare as executive producer.
What Happened in Season 1 of “Top Gear America?”
For your TV show knowledge, there have been two versions of “Top Gear America.” The first premiered July 30, 2017, on BBC America and aired over eight episodes featuring actor William Fichtner, Antron Brown, and Tom “Wookie” Ford as hosts. In 2019, the producers of the show announced a reboot of the series — calling it the “New Top Gear America” or “Top Gear America” season two. Because of its recency, let’s call it season one, we are calling this most recent season the “Top Gear America” season one remake.
The reboot edition premiered on Jan. 29, 2020. The show which aired over 11 episodes had a few remarkable moments, some of which we highlight below.
Overland Adventures:
In episode two, “Overlanding for 5k,” the hosts explore overland driving. Overlanding is driving off-road — usually in the forest, camping out, and experiencing nature — in the words of Dax, “the journey is the destination.” Each of the hosts gets an inexpensive vehicle for around $5,000 and sets out to test them on the trip — Dax’s Dodger Hellcat didn’t make it up the hill, but what an adventure it was. Watch the episode and you’ll probably be itching to go on such an adventure.
Future Classics:
In episode three, “Future Classics,” the show hosts purchase future classics — Dax goes for a 1986 Mustang GT, Jethro picks a BMW E46 330Ci, and Corddry chooses a Saab 900 Turbo. The goal was to drive them slowly back to Los Angeles so the cars can be sold for good value. Did the trio drive slowly back to LA? Your guess is as good as ours. Dax redirects the casts to a runway for a quick competition. At the end of the road trip back to LA, Rob Corddry’s Saab 900 Turbo and Jethro’s 330Ci were apparently in pretty bad shape, while Dax’s Mustang was mechanically sound.
Rally Racing Fails:
In episode six, “Save Rally Racing,” Dax, Jethro, and Rob try to fix rally racing — while Dax nurses an arm injury. What an absolute scary sight it was as the three took turns driving in the desert between mannequins positioned as audiences.
About the Main Cast Members of “Top Gear America”
“Top Gear America” features three hosts — Dax Shepard, Jethro Bovingdon, and Rob Corddry. Just as we saw the hosts of the U.K. version — the likes of James May, Richard Hammond, and others — build such a formidable team, Dax, Jethro, and Rob combine very well.
The trio hosted the first season of “Top Gear America” and they will return for the second season which premieres soon.
Here’s all we know about the cast members of “Top Gear America.”
Dax Shepard:
Dax Shepard is an American writer, actor, director, and podcast host. He was born in Detroit, Michigan to Laura and Dave Robert Shepard, both of whom worked in the automotive industry — hence, Shepard’s first love was cars. His first paid job on screen came when he appeared in the reality television series “Punk’d.” He has since made other TV appearances some of which includes Netflix show “The Ranch,” ABC’s “Bless This Mess” and NBC’s “Parenthood.” He is married to fellow American actress, Kristen Ann Bell, and together they have two kids — Delta and Lincoln Bell Shepard.
Jethro Bovingdon:
Motoring journalist Jethro Bovingdon is extremely passionate about cars and driving. He also has a huge reputation when it comes to car reviews. The writer and actor began his career with Evo in 2001. He went on to work for DriveTribe and MotorTrend. Bovingdon has been featured on TV shows such as “Head 2 Head,” “Ignition,” and “Car and Driver: Abroad.”
He owns and drives a modified BMW 3-series and a Porsche 996. Outside motoring, Bovingdon is interested in collecting sunglasses. Bovingdon isn’t quite as loud about his personal life as he is with cars, hence his marriage remains a mystery — but he has kids. Similarly, even when he does flaunt his two kids on his Instagram page, he doesn’t show their faces.
Rob Corddry:
Actor and writer, Rob Corddry was born in Weymouth, Massachusetts. Some of his film credits include “Childrens Hospital” (2008), for which he won two Primetime Emmy Awards. He also featured in “Hot Tub Time Machine” (2010) and “Warm Bodies” (2013). Corddry is renowned for his work as a correspondent on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” Currently, the multiple award winner and nominee stars in HBO’s “Ballers” and we expect to see him on “Top Gear America” soon. He is married to Sandra Beth Lefkowitz. The couple has two kids — Marlo Stevenson and Sloane Sullivan Corddry.
The Stig:
If you have watched any version of “Top Gear” then you must have seen the enigmatic driver, The Stig. As reported in 2009 by The Sunday Times, the character was born when Clarkson and Andy Wilman wanted a pro racer that would perform stunts, test courses, and instruct the show’s guests. Ultimately, they came up with the idea of a masked mystery driver. Over the years, multiple people have performed this task across the various versions. Some Stigs have been identified — as was the case in the U.K., where racing drivers Julian Bailey, Perry McCarthy, and Ben Collins identities were revealed. However, the identity of the Stig for “Top Gear America” remains a mystery as the originators intended it to be.
Is “Top Gear America” Season 2 Coming Out?
Affirmatively, the “Top Gear America” remake has been renewed for a second season. The new season is scheduled for a two-episode premiere which will air on MotorTrend+ on July 1, 2022.
The news was made public on May 12, 2022, by Alex Wellen — global president and general manager, MotorTrend Group. “No series better captures the boundless joy and raw American take on the automotive universe like what we have with Dax, Rob, and Jethro on ‘Top Gear America’,” said Wellen. “Their brotherhood is authentic and their passion for driving any car under the sun is contagious.”
“When ‘Top Gear America’ returns this summer, we take off on a fresh, fast-paced adventure in the spirit of the iconic Top Gear brand that delivers the ultimate combination of pulse-pounding energy, daredevil stunts, and irreverent humor that continue to make Top Gear the leading automotive entertainment show in the world,” added Valerie Bruce, General Manager, BBC Studios, Los Angeles Productions.
In the season two premiere, “Supercars in Montana,” the trio — Jethro Bovingdon, Dax Shepard, and Rob Corddry — travel to Butte, Montana, home of American stuntman Evel Knievel, where they draw inspiration from Knievel’s 200+ MPH supercars. In “Electric Executives,” the other premiere video, the hosts travel to Seattle which headquarters some of the biggest companies you can think of. The hosts try to imagine what an executive based in Seattle might drive so they test a few automobiles — Dax drives an all-electric 2021 Porsche Taycan, Rob picks a Polestar 2 by Volvo, while Jethro goes for a gas-powered Rolls Royce Ghost.
Get ready for a ride of a lifetime. New episodes will stream every Friday from July 1st on MotorTrend+.
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