Want more gear? Check out the trailer for ‘Top Gear’ spinoff ‘Extra Gear’

By Stephen Edelstein Published May 27, 2016

Extra Gear may sound like some bizarre new feature from a car manufacturer, but it’s actually a new spinoff of Top Gear that aims to take viewers behind the scenes of the reborn car show. It premieres alongside the first episode of the new Top Gear next week, and the BBC has provided a little tease with this short trailer.

The new show at least solves the mystery of what Top Gear will do with all of its new cast members. Replacing the original trio of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May are no less than six hosts, including Chris Evans, Matt LeBlanc, Sabine Schmitz, Eddie Jordan, Chris Harris, and Rory Reid. “Tame racing driver” The Stig will return as well.

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It appears Extra Gear will be hosted primarily by British automotive journalists Harris and Reid. The show is expected to be more enthusiast-oriented than the more mainstream Top Gear, and will take a closer look at the cars featured on the show. In the trailer, Reid also promises behind-the-scenes content, interviews with the rest of the cast, and a look at “every loose nut.”

Read more: Here’s the first trailer for the new Top Gear

Top Gear itself should stay pretty close to the formula of the old show, with lots of stunts, tire smoke, and questionably modified old cars. The first episode will feature a race in Nevada between Chris Evans in a Dodge Viper ACR and Sabine Schmitz in a Chevrolet Corvette Z06, according to the BBC America website. Matt LeBlanc will also test drive the Ariel Nomad off-roader, and the show’s first celebrity guests will be Jesse Eisenberg and Gordon Ramsay.

In the U.S., Top Gear relaunches on Memorial Day at 9:00 p.m. Extra Gear premieres right after at 10:30. Full Top Gear episodes tend to run longer than the average U.S. television show because they were cut to air on the BBC, which has no commercials in its home market. Top Gear will also be streamed internationally on Netflix, although it’s unclear if Extra Gear will be part of the package as well.

Meanwhile, former Top Gear hosts Clarkson, Hammond, and May are still working on their own car show for Amazon, which is expected to premiere later this year. It will be called The Grand Tour, supposedly because any name even close to Top Gear was blocked by the BBC.

Stephen Edelstein

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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