Burnouts, Matt LeBlanc in an American flag helmet, and some vomit. You’ll get all that and more in the reboot of Top Gear, apparently.
The BBC just released a trailer for the show, which is coming back in May after an overhaul in the wake of the departure of former hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May. It seems to be business as usual, with lots of cool cars and stunts, even if new lead host Chris Evans can’t keep his lunch down.
The one-minute trailer shows, among other things, a Ford Mustang roasting its rear tires, some sort of stunt that involves a Dodge Viper ACR and an F/A-18 Hornet jet fighter, and Aston Martin’s ultra-rare Vulcan track car. Matt LeBlanc is riding around in a Reliant Robin, suggesting the show’s obsession with terrible old cars hasn’t abated, and of course “tame racing driver” The Stig is on hand too.
The number of hosts grows from three to six, including Evans, LeBlanc, and four others. Sabine Schmitz is known for her mastery of Germany’s infamous Nürburgring, and appeared a couple of times on the previous iterations of Top Gear. Also splitting hosting duties is automotive journalist Chris Harris, who already has a following from his YouTube show, Chris Harris on Cars.
Rounding out the contingent is former racing driver and Formula One team owner Eddie Jordan, and automotive journalist Rory Reid. He was selected through public auditions the BBC held last year. With so many hosts, it wouldn’t be surprising if Top Gear started testing a lot more minivans and crossovers.
Meanwhile, the trio of Clarkson, Hammond, and May continues to work on a competitor car show for Amazon. It’s expected to begin streaming on Amazon Prime this fall, likely after the first season of new Top Gear has finished its run. With two new car shows on the way, it’s a good time to be a petrolhead.
