Top Gear is set to make a comeback in the U.S. later this year on BBC America, and will be called Top Gear America. The offshoot of the original British car show and pseudo-sequel to the cancelled Top Gear USA will feature actor William Fichtner, drag racer Antron Brown, and motoring journalist and presenter Tom Ford.
Top Gear is a long-running British show that has struggled without its iconic trio of hosts: Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson and James May. The new version that launched in the U.K. hasn’t fared well since the trio left in 2015, and the U.S. variant, although it lasted for six seasons, has been axed, too. But Top Gear America is bringing it back, with this trio of new hosts to lead it.
Actor William Fichtner, most well known for roles in Armageddon, The Dark Knight and Black Hawk Down, will take the lead, with professional drag racer Antron Brown adding in a touch of professional racing experience to the mix.
There to provide a journalistic take on the weekly topics and vehicles in question, Tom Ford will round out the new presenting team, though all three are said to be car enthusiasts in their own way.
We don’t have a launch date for the show just yet, though it’s been said it will air on BBC America before the end of the year. We’re told that the show’s content will include reviews of “exclusive and state of the art vehicles,” (thanks Jalopnik) and a look at more traditional American cars.
Taking inspiration from its British original, the Top Gear America show will also feature the popular guest racing segment, where celebrities race around the show’s own track at Speed Vegas, to see who is the fastest. There will be a new Stig, too, though of course their identity is unlikely to come to light. Eight one-hour episodes are planned in total.
