Top Gear Season 12

I’m not what I (or many) would call a “car guy”. I don’t dream of cars or think about what would happen if I added a supercharger to my minivan (yes I own one, sue me). Nor did I have posters adorning my wall of the Lamborghini Diablo, or Porsche 911 (I did for a short time in third grade, but I hardly think that counts). And if someone asked me for help working on their car, I would refer them to a service shop.

But I have always had some sort of affinity with the rolling machines, especially when they look beautiful, go fast, and display engineering wonder. Every now and then, on the road, on TV or the ‘net a car (in general terms, because sometimes they will be trucks or SUV’s) will catch my eye.

Then I discovered Top Gear, a show from the BBC shown in Britain. Top Gear is hosted currently by three car journalists that have the kind of chemistry that any American show would kill for. While the hosts are all admittedly car geeks (the Brits call them “Petrol Heads”, our equivalent of “Gear Heads”) they test drive, examine, and make fun of as many cars as possible. Sometimes, just to say they can and did, the show will do some of the most ludicrous stuff with the cars. For instance, the hosts learn what it’s like to be a semi-truck driver (“lorry” in U.K.) and put themselves and their customized trucks through a series of tests with hilarious and disastrous results. The hosts also take road trips for “journalistic” purposes; like when they come to the U.S. and test the newest muscle cars from American car makers, and drive them from San Francisco to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. And in the series finale, ride motorbikes the length of Vietnam in a legendary story that should be a full length motion picture.

Top Gear has quickly become my favorite show currently on television, and quickly moving up my list of all time favorite shows. It’s not just about the cars, and you don’t even need to be a “car guy” to absolutely admire the hosts’ great relationships and interactions, along with the shows humor and production quality. Along with the “star in a reasonably priced car” portion of the show (you have to see it) makes the show totally worth watching.

In the U.S. Top Gear can be seen on BBC America on most satellite and cable providers (usually on a premium package), or the last three seasons of Top Gear can be downloaded on iTunes. I HIGHLY recommend you check this show out.

If you don’t believe me, check this out:

Videos

Part One (embedding disabled)

Part 2

Based on this sequence alone, I now want a Ford Fiesta!