Gear change? Nah, same model
TOP GEAR fans tuning in to the much-anticipated new version of their favourite programme on BBC Two tonight could be forgiven for having a sense of deja vu.
Many of the stunts performed by new hosts DJ Chris Evans and Friends star Matt LeBlanc were done ages ago by original presenters Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond.
Hammond put a sleek and powerful Dodge Viper ACR through its paces three years ago. Lo and behold, guess who will be seen tonight in the latest model of the same car... a bespectacled Evans.
Back in 2005, Hammond went off-roading in a dune buggy which looks pretty similar to the buggy that LeBlanc bounces along in tonight, although it must be said the American sitcom star does look a cooler “dude” in his shades than the helmet-wearing hamster.
Some six years ago daredevil Clarkson scraped a red Reliant along the road in a memorable Top Gear stunt. Surprise, surprise Evans and LeBlanc look ridiculous in Reliant Realtos this evening.
Rival Fifth Gear presenter Tiff Needell delivered a withering verdict on the new format, saying: “It will be light entertainment, The One Show On Wheels, if you like.
“It still has good budgets and directors, so it will look good but it may lack cutting edge.”