Ask The Best And Brightest: What Advice Would You Give "The Car Show"?

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

Have you caught The Car Show yet? If not, the first episode is currently streaming at Hulu, so go ahead and waste part of your Sunday on a show that offers (according to Matt Farah) “everything you’re looking for from a proper British motoring show, but from a uniquely American perspective.” Having peeped the first episode myself, I’ve got some seriously mixed feelings…


On the one hand, it’s got a more freewheeling, diverse feel than Top Gear America. On the other hand, like TG:A, it’s still got some serious chemistry issues to work out. Whereas the quintessential “proper British motoring show” gels totally different personalities into a whole that’s greater than the sum of its parts, The Car Show’s presenters don’t seem like they actually like each other yet, and seem too self-conscious for what should be a laid-back show. Carolla, Neil and Farah have a lot of potential as odd-couple representatives of car guy diversity (I still don’t know what Salley is on hand for), but all three still seem too caught up in looking funny, smart and cool respectively. They need to remember that a huge part of Top Gear’s appeal is that the hosts have perspective on the characters they are playing, which allows them to relax and have fun with their dramatis personae (Neil comes the closest to this in the “game show” segment, but it’s still hard to tell how much fun he’s having with his egghead car-nerd character). Also, I would have saved a LeMons episode for a later date, when the chemistry had congealed a bit better.

Otherwise, The Car Show seems to be America’s best answer to Top Gear to date, and I do think that it has the potential to be downright entertaining once its presenters develops some confidence and comfort with their characters (and perhaps make a few tweaks to segments like 0-60). But you may have a different perspective? Go ahead and let us (and, I’m guessing at least a few people involved with the show who read TTAC) know what you would do to make The Car Show a “proper motoring program” that America can be proud of.

Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

More by Edward Niedermeyer

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 67 comments
  • -Cole- -Cole- on Jul 18, 2011

    Car show talk shows don't work because we all know better. The weird British humor and pleasing Beeb aesthetics of TG are what make it good (or at least half of it). I don't think I could watch any of it. I don't want someone reading news to me, I don't care about general-interest racetrack updates, no one wants a Youtube monologue TV editorial and I absolutely do not want to watch a "roundtable" of pompous bros and their floor-mounted LCD go on about nothing. I don't like it because I want to like it.

  • Signal11 Signal11 on Jul 19, 2011

    I tried to watch this. I got about 15 seconds into Adam Carolla talking on an ESPN set before I found myself clicking ahead.

  • 3-On-The-Tree Same as the Land Cruiser, emissions. I have a 1985 FJ60 Land Cruiser and it’s a beast off-roading.
  • CanadaCraig I would like for this anniversary special to be a bare-bones Plain-Jane model offered in Dynasty Green and Vintage Burgundy.
  • ToolGuy Ford is good at drifting all right... 😉
  • Dave Holzman A design award for the Prius?!!! Yes, the Prius is a great looking car, but the visibility is terrible from what I've read, notably Consumer Reports. Bad visibility is a dangerous, and very annoying design flaw.
  • Wjtinfwb I've owned multiple Mustang's, none perfect, all an absolute riot. My '85 GT with a big Holley 4 barrel and factory tube header manifolds was a screaming deal in its day and loved to rev. I replaced it with an '88 5.0 Convertible and added a Supercharger. Speed for days, handling... present. Brakes, ummm. But I couldn't kill it and it embarrassed a lot of much more expensive machinery. A '13 Boss 302 in Gotta Have It Green was a subtle as a sledgehammer, open up the exhaust cut outs and every day was Days of Thunder. I miss them all. They've gotten too expensive and too plush, I think, wish they'd go back to a LX version, ditch all the digital crap, cloth interior and just the Handling package as an add on. Keep it under 40k and give todays kids an alternative to a Civic or WRX.
Next