# Top Gear news **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 11, 2016, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-news/745806 "2016-02-11T11:28:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-news/745806/81 "2016-06-28T14:41:08Z")
Chris Harris is such a yob. I really hate that guy. Also, that conversation in the studio about the new RR Dawn between Evans and Leblanc. It’s like they started out with a bit of a dialogue and then forgot to return to it when they got to the back of the car. They keep showing the old Top Gear episodes on BBC and it’s not doing the new cast any favours. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-news/745806/82 "2016-06-28T16:13:41Z")
The new thing during the interview when they ask the star(s) “What’s your favorite car?” and then have the audience vote on which one they like best is stupid, boring and pointless. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-news/745806/83 "2016-06-28T17:43:42Z")
Equally pointless in having one guest read the other guest’s bio/intro. Ugh. [Matt is threatening to quit unless Chris Evans goes first.](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/26/matt-leblanc-is-planning-to-quit-top-gear-if-co-host-chris-evans/) And on that bombshell… ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-news/745806/84 "2016-06-28T17:54:44Z")
…it appears Clarkson, May and Hammond are [working on a new car show for Amazon Prime](http://metro.co.uk/2016/05/30/james-may-just-delivered-his-verdict-on-the-new-top-gear-5914130/). ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Krupe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Leo\_Krupe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Krupe)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-news/745806/85 "2016-06-28T18:11:34Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > …it appears Clarkson, May and Hammond are [working on a new car show for Amazon Prime](http://metro.co.uk/2016/05/30/james-may-just-delivered-his-verdict-on-the-new-top-gear-5914130/). I’ve heard that before, and like that idea, except I don’t get Amazon Prime. Budget constraints, you know. I could self-fund, if it came to that, but…nevermind that now. I kind of like the Chris Harris guy. I’ve seen him on other supercar shows (iDrive? I think it was?). And Tanner Foust was a nice Hammond-esque foil to Paul Tracy’s Clarkson on the short-lived “Battle of the Supercars”. But even Harris is way too grinny-and “Gee Whiz!” for me. I like enthusiasm, but there’s something about the British way of understatement. As in, Clarkson saying, “This is the worst car…in the world.” He’s not shrieking it, simply stating it as though it’s as self-evident as the fact that we can see through glass. But, if anyone misses at least Hammond and May, they’ve done quite a number of (separate) documentaries that are posted on YouTube. Many deal with science or engineering, or how we’ve adapted nature to inventions (looking at bird’s wings to duplicate drones or a better flying suit or something like that). ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Krupe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Leo\_Krupe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Krupe)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-news/745806/86 "2016-06-28T18:20:38Z")
Missed the edit window. For convenience sake, here are a couple of links to show what I’m talking about. [Here is Hammond’s Engineering Connections](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdOXYDZO2so) [And here is an example of May’s.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv-R0L6lo0Y) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-news/745806/87 "2016-06-28T18:46:03Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > …it appears Clarkson, May and Hammond are [working on a new car show for Amazon Prime](http://metro.co.uk/2016/05/30/james-may-just-delivered-his-verdict-on-the-new-top-gear-5914130/). The first I heard it was with Netflix but they decided it wasn’t worth what Clarkson and crew were asking for. > [@Leo\_Krupe](#): > > And Tanner Foust was a nice Hammond-esque foil to Paul Tracy’s Clarkson on the short-lived “Battle of the Supercars”. I’m assuming you know that he is on the American Top Gear in the Hammond role. He is a decent host and he has the best driving credentials of any of the hosts. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-news/745806/88 "2016-06-28T19:00:05Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I’m assuming you know that he is on the American Top Gear in the Hammond role. He is a decent host and he has the best driving credentials of any of the hosts. Ironically enough, the cancellation of Top Gear USA was announced today: > **[Top Gear USA cancelled, BBC confirms](https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-36649402)** > > The US version of the popular motoring show has been cancelled, the BBC has confirmed. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-news/745806/89 "2016-06-28T19:39:59Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Ironically enough, the cancellation of Top Gear USA was announced today: > > [Top Gear USA cancelled, BBC confirms - BBC News](http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-36649402) I thought they were pretty decent together but it has always just been an imitation of the original without a personality of it’s own. That’s probably the same problem as the other franchises. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-news/745806/90 "2016-06-28T20:06:03Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Ironically enough, the cancellation of Top Gear USA was announced today: > > [Top Gear USA cancelled, BBC confirms - BBC News](http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-36649402) That’s a shame. It wasn’t terrible. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-news/745806/91 "2016-06-28T20:15:53Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I thought they were pretty decent together but it has always just been an imitation of the original without a personality of it’s own. I watched most of the first season of it, and that was largely my take, as well. I never got a feeling of any particular personality or chemistry from the hosts. It wasn’t _bad_, but it wasn’t particularly engaging, either. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-news/745806/92 "2016-06-28T20:19:03Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I’m assuming you know that he is on the American Top Gear in the Hammond role. He is a decent host and he has the best driving credentials of any of the hosts. He certainly has driving credentials, but as a host he has less personality than fat-free mayo. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Krupe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Leo\_Krupe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Krupe)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-news/745806/93 "2016-06-28T22:19:29Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > The first I heard it was with Netflix but they decided it wasn’t worth what Clarkson and crew were asking for. According to [this,](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/top-gear/jeremy-clarkson-new-amazon-show-latest-news-and-rumours/) the budget will be 160 million pounds per year, or somewhere over $200 million. > [@](#): > > I’m assuming you know that he is on the American Top Gear in the Hammond role. He is a decent host and he has the best driving credentials of any of the hosts. I did know that, which is where I’ve last seen him. The first time was with The Chrome Horn battling it out. He fits the Hamster role pretty well. Too bad the other TG USA hosts were morons. At least Rutledge was. I could never stand him. ---
**Author:** ![Randolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Randolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randolph)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-news/745806/94 "2016-07-04T14:40:32Z")
[Evans quits](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3673508/Chris-Evans-Gear-ends-series-record-low-audience.html). ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-news/745806/95 "2016-07-04T18:48:04Z")
Good. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-news/745806/96 "2016-07-04T18:56:59Z")
So anyone want to speculate on who should replace him? I’m assuming that Matt LeBlanc stays, so ideally someone who will have good chemistry with him. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-news/745806/97 "2016-07-04T19:27:30Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > So anyone want to speculate on who should replace him? I’m assuming that Matt LeBlanc stays, so ideally someone who will have good chemistry with him. I don’t think he needs replacing, to be honest. Let Matt be the main host, and let the others bounce off the amiable American dude, see what happens naturally. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-news/745806/98 "2016-07-04T20:04:57Z")
Fine… I’ll say it… I don’t think Matt is right for the show either. But it’s not visceral with Matt like it was with Evans. Evans was a douche. Matt seems like a decent guy. He’s just a bit of a sleeping pill. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-news/745806/99 "2016-07-04T20:07:19Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Good. Doubleplus good. Bigger roles for Reid and Harris, who aren’t invested in trying not to be Jeremy Clarkson or Richard Hammond, but just want to drive cars and tell me about them. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-news/745806/100 "2016-07-04T21:40:46Z")
It’s a bit of a coincidence that Farage has quit UKIP, isn’t it? 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-news/745806.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-news/745806.md?page=6)