Popular Mechanics lands interview with Adam Carolla, details on Top Gear U.S.
by Damon Lavrinc on Jun 24th 2008 at 5:28PM 
The debut of the U.S. version of Top Gear is supposedly only three months away and Popular Mechanics had a chance to sit down with Adam Carolla, the import's new front man, to discuss the show, his co-hosts and what buns are in the oven when the series debuts this September.
Make the jump to read all the details.
According to Carolla, the format will be an adaptation of the BBC show that all of us hold dear, with a guest segment, test drive, stunt and our very own Stig, who is being cast as you read this. The first episode will feature a race from Las Vegas to San Francisco, culminating in a "mammoth stunt."
Carolla sat down with Clarkson a few months back at El Toro to discuss the show, and while Clarkson admits that many of his lines are pre-written before taping and that he rarely resorts to improv, Carolla will be more off-the-cuff with his remarks – something more fitting to his personality. Again, it was made clear that advertisers will not have any bearing on the reviews. Carolla and the rest of the team are free to call it like they see it, with the Top Gear crew in the UK saying of the new show, "We're going to do it exactly the same as they do it in England, and you'll be able to say whatever you want about any car you like regardless of who makes it or if they sponsor the show or not."
The former host of the Man Show and Loveline is aching to do a segment on the Aston Martin DBS and would like to get behind the wheel of the new BMW M1, despite it being strictly a show car without a working interior -- yet. He also mentioned that he'd like to see the Lamborghini Miura revival released, but he left us puzzled when he said, "I don't even know if they've gone into production with that car, if they're going into production with the new Miura. I've seen it at the car show, they put a price on it, but I don't know if it's for sale." Adam, according to Lamborghini, it was strictly a concept and will remain as such. But if you read Autoblog, you would've already know that.
Thankfully, Carolla insists that Top Gear in the U.S. will be a car show for real car guys. "As a gearhead, [I] go insane when I see non-gearheads writing dialogue for guys who are supposed to be gearheads but really aren't. This will be a gearhead show for gearheads, and it will be a real gearhead show -- no more impostors."
[Source: Popular Mechanics]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Slobra2k3 5:36PM (6/24/2008)
He sounds like an idiot. Top Gear USA is already doomed.
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K.C. 6:03PM (6/24/2008)
I'll second that.
And yes, Clarkson writes his own remarks, writing about cars for his column and wit are two of his skills. He's very good at both.
Carolla isn't clever under any circumstances and he'll be wingin' it. Yeah that ought to work.
lx703 6:16PM (6/24/2008)
BBC Top Gear needed an American interpretation... why?
Are we now so creatively bankrupt that there's nothing left but remakes? It's true of big movies, and on TV, look how many ideas were cadged from the British. What's with us? Are we this weary of ourselves?
Adam Carolla. Finding employment. Yikes. It's like the adult world lost a staring contest with the bellicose kid who sat in the back of the high school class room and kept interrupting the teacher.
He does sound like an idiot. And Top Gear USA should be doomed.
killyoutoo 8:18PM (6/24/2008)
Carolla knows more about cars than you. He prolly knows more about cars than anyone on this site.
I don't understand the backlash. Seriously people, It's not like they are canceling the British show and replacing it with this one. Why not give it a chance? Are you that much of a p*ssy that you need to throw a temper tantrum?
tankd0g 9:53PM (6/24/2008)
killyoutwo: Ya that's what makes Top Gear entertaining, facts about cars.... Sounds like we already have Top Gear USA, it's called Motorweek, and it's sucks.
why not the LS2LS7? 9:48PM (6/24/2008)
Carolla is actually rather smart. But I just don't really like his style of humor.
I think he has the car chops for the job. Will I enjoy his commentary? I'm not sure.
TwinTurboVR4 11:19PM (6/24/2008)
just stfu.
You can talk all you want. And i'm sure you will keep talking until September.
But
You dont know if it's any good because no one's seen it yet. Until the show airs, spare us your 'professional opinion'. Please. Honestly, no one cares. Everyone's going to watch in regaurdless of what you think. Then and only then can it be judged.
ugg.tryptophan 1:00AM (6/25/2008)
go watch speed channel
catgirlshyla 7:12AM (6/25/2008)
I'm not watching FAILCAR going around in circles.
Rocketboy 9:05AM (6/25/2008)
Reposted, because hell, why not. All the naysayers keep saying the same stupid things over and over again...
Jun 16th 2008 12:58PM
THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I'M USED TO.
GO BACK TO DOING THAT THING THAT YOU DID BEFORE YOU STARTED DOING THIS THING.
Waaah Waaah Waah
Paul P. 5:40PM (6/24/2008)
I think I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and watch at least the first few episodes. I'm hoping it does turn out ok.......it would be nice to watch a version of top gear with cars I can actually buy stateside.
With that said, I wonder what their test track will be like and who their "stig" will be. Being an American show I wouldn't be suprised if they used a Nascar style oval track to test cars. :-/
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Chris 5:49PM (6/24/2008)
Man do I want it to succeed, but for some strange reasons I just don't see it. I think someone in the past said "look at the office, it's way better now that it came across the pond", and I am praying that is ture. Not sure how you can out-do jezza, but hopefully "gear" creates it's own show based off the success of top gear. If they try to carbon copy it, it will fail, but I see promise, even if Carolla isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer.
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BlackCanary 5:48PM (6/24/2008)
sounds good so far! Cant wait to see it.
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FotoGenetix 5:51PM (6/24/2008)
i hope its Big Stig, his American cousin
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seth 6:48PM (6/24/2008)
lol. can we find him a camper to crawl out of? cover him in cheese!
Top Gear USA may already be a failure without even launching, but you have to admit its better than seeing another attempt at reviving Knight Rider. I'd rather see rampant tire smoke than some kid in a (Pontiac) Mustang pretending to be the Hoff. Is that so wrong?
TriShield 5:55PM (6/24/2008)
Not even Fat American Stig can save it.
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Sean Flanagan 8:55PM (6/24/2008)
You post nothing but blindly negative comments about this and purport to be a fan of Top Gear. It makes me wonder if you even like the current iteration on the BBC, or if you just hate on everything because you're such a überfan.
JT 5:58PM (6/24/2008)
Must say, I have renewed hope for this show, thought I think that Leno would have been a better "gearhead fit" than carolla, or am I missing something about his gearhead cred?
-JT
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Soul Shinobi 6:17PM (6/24/2008)
I find Jay Leno's stance on cars difficult to understand. I do like the guy, and he really has a connoisseur's garage full; however, I can't help this impression I get that he'd prefer everybody just drove American cars from the 50's and 60's when they were great. He's got this significant nostalgic bias, it's odd.
nadnarb 6:57PM (6/24/2008)
I watch Leno's garage every week and it seems to me that Leno buys cars that are meaningful to him. He buys a lot of cars from his childhood. Hence 50's and 60's.
I can't knock him for it because if I were loaded I'd do the same thing.