‘Top Gear’ returns Sunday, March 12 — check out the trailer here

By Stephen Edelstein Published February 23, 2017

Following a controversial reboot and launch of The Grand Tour with former hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May, Top Gear will return to BBC America on March 12.

The show will air Sundays at 8 p.m. ET, followed by the after show Extra Gear. It will feature the usual combination of drool-worthy cars, exotic locations, and shenanigans, along with a slightly rejiggered lineup of hosts. Following the departure of Chris Evans, whose performance during his single season was largely panned, Matt LeBlanc, Chris Harris, and Rory Reid will have the bulk of hosting duties. Nürburgring ace Sabine Schmitz, Formula One pundit Eddie Jordan, and The Stig will return as well.

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But the cars will be the real stars this season. Top Gear promises a formidable lineup headlined by the Bugatti Chiron, Ford GT, and Ferrari FXX K, the limited edition, track-only version of the LaFerrari hybrid supercar. The Aston Martin DB11 will make an appearance as well, and LeBlanc and Harris will compare the Porsche 911 Turbo S convertible and Lamborghini Huracán Spyder in a “four seasons” road trip beginning in Las Vegas.

Vegas will be one of the more normal locations Top Gear visits this season. Episodes will feature a trip to Cuba for one of Top Gear’s staple cheap-car challenges, a romp through Kazakhstan, and an attempt to impress the swells in Monaco with a yacht made from a Ssangyong Rodius minivan. It’s a rehash of the car-boat challenges from old Top Gear, but will taking the concept to the extreme make viewers forget that?

Actor James McAvoy will be the guest on the season premiere. Top Gear switched up its celebrity-interview format last season, lengthening the segment, adding multiple guests, and changing “Star in a Reasonably Priced Car” to “Star in a Rallycross Car.” Those changes arguably didn’t help what was already one of the show’s least-interesting elements.

Awkward celebrity interviews weren’t the only problems with last season’s reboot, though. The show was generally viewed as not reaching the bar set by former hosts Clarkson, Hammond, and May, although it did still feature plenty of amazing cars. Better luck this time, perhaps?

Stephen Edelstein

Former Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

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