SHUT UP AND DRIVE!
Matt Le Blanc and Chris Evans, the new hosts of legendary car show Top Gear give car enthusiasts just what they want
Iconic British automobile show Top Gear is back with all- new presenters and even more action, if that was even possible! Matt Le Blanc and Chris Evans, the hosts, joined by German racer Sabine Schmitz, YouTube star Chris Harris, BBC F1 pundit Eddie Jordan and motoring journalist Rory Reid take on the fastest and finest cars from around the globe and put them to the test in this thrilling sixpart series.
What can viewers look forward to in the new season?
Chris: The production team sorted out some brilliant locations, amazing vehicles and to be honest we wouldn’t be putting one second of it out if we didn’t think it was worth watching, so enjoy every moment.
Top Gear is obviously about cars but are we going to see any other modes of transport?
Matt: A motorcycle, a drone and a Paramotor in Morocco, and a water taxi in Venice.
Which of the Top Gear filming locations was the most exciting to drive in?
Chris: I’m not a big traveller so going to South Africa was amazing. The Ring of Kerry in Ireland was glorious too where Matt and I compared old and new Rolls- Royces.
Matt: Morocco and Venice were fun. Blackpool was great — I’ve never been there and it was so much fun, we had a lot of laughs there. It’s a bit like Atlantic City!
Do you have any stars you would want to see on the show, or have you had anyone asking to be a guest?
Matt: I got a call from Formula One driver Romain Grosjean, he wants to come on the show and so I said I would pass it up the chain of command as it’s not really my department. He’s a friend of mine who doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of getting on. Stephen Mangan wants to come on, that would be fun as he is super competitive. He wants to beat my time so bad so I’m going to practice on the new version of the track and set down an amazing time.
You have described your pairing as the ‘ modern style odd couple’ ( completely different on first impressions but actually have an awful lot in common). Aside from cars what joins you two together?
Chris: We are both male, both about the same age, both been working in this mad show- business world for a long time and both had our ups and downs.
Matt: Neither one of us takes ourselves too seriously. We both like to have a laugh and at the end of the day we’re both aware that we are not working on the cure for cancer, we’re just making a car show. I think we have a very similar work ethic — you leave your ego at the door and you come on in and collaborate.
Who would you say is your racing legend?
Chris: I would say Jim Clark.
Matt: For me it’s a toss- up between Senna and Valentino Rossi.
What was the appeal for you to co- host Top Gear?
Matt: For me it was a great opportunity to be a part of something that I was already a fan of. It was a no brainer!
( Top Gear premiered on AXN yesterday at 9 pm)