NEWS FLASH: Adam Carolla to host the US version of TOP GEAR...

[Shawn]

I find Adam Carolla to be thoroughly annoying - he looks annoying, he sounds annoying, and I'm guessing he's probably annoying in real life.

Nobody can know how well he'll do on Gear, but I could've thought of much better people to host it.

The video posted above is playing as I type... how many times is he gonna say Chicano studies? What a loser...

[wonko]

I am not a fan, but I think that a controversial figure is just what is needed. In a lot of ways that is what makes TGUK work. Clarkson is about as controversial as one can get, and May... well may is controversial in his own way. Hammond is the "guy next door" kind of thing. The mix works there. I just hope he keeps his vulgarity in check.

I think the thing that everyone needs to prepare for is that this will be Top Gear US, not UK. If they were to have people try and fill the slots of the UK guys, it just wouldn't work. Better to try and get a uniquely American mix that can bring a similar quality to the show, while being unique to itself.

I don't want Clarkson with an American accent.<shudder> I want someone who will actually say that the Jag has become an obsolete piece of afterthought built for short islanders. I want to learn about some of the obscure supercars built in America, and maybe even acknowledge they are good too. Not grudgingly because they happen to have beat the Veyron at its own game on a fraction of the budget. You know, not all supercars are built in a shed in Sheffield. We actually do a pretty good job of it on occasion.

What could eventually be really interesting is to have a challenge between the US, UK and Aussie show hosts once or twice a season. I mean, acknowledge they are there, that they are differenent, and we are better.

[Dsemaj]

I liked him on The Man Show. It's going to be very interesting indeed..

[Labcoatguy]

I just watched that interview by Jimmy Kimmel...Carolla's got the "I can't believe he just said that" factor of a Clarkson opinion column, and manages to be funny while he's at it. If he can bring this attitude to talking about cars, TG USA is 1 for 1 in its choice of hosts.

[ilko]

He owns an RS replica. This can only be good

[satcomvato]

I've always thought that he's funny. His style is a little more high-strung than anyone on Top Gear, but his humor has the same sort of shock value as JC. I think he's a good choice. On the Man Show I like Jimmy Kimmel better, but I think Carolla would be fine as a car show presenter as long as the writing is good.

[jeffy777]

Yeah, he seems like he'd be an alright host. Intresting to see how this will turn out

Originally Posted by avanti

Loveline - Adam Carolla Vs. Religion,

No, it's Adam Carolla Vs. Fanatics. Like he said: a little religion is fine, but it's the people who go overboard that he is complaining about. Basically he's speaking out about Fanatics in general, his point being people shouldn't focus too much thought and energy on any one thing in particular. He even mentioned people being fanatical about Nascar

Originally Posted by satcomvato

I've always thought that he's funny. His style is a little more high-strung than anyone on Top Gear, but his humor has the same sort of shock value as JC. I think he's a good choice. On the Man Show I like Jimmy Kimmel better, but I think Carolla would be fine as a car show presenter as long as the writing is good.

Man, I'd much rather watch Carolla than Kimmel.

[bafranksbro]

Never really liked him to be honest although when he's not being a total ass he's alright. I saw him on that SPEED Test Drive show with Tommy Kendall and he was alright on there. I'll just have to see a few episodes before I can decided if I like him as host or not.

[cityhunted]

i think he is going to be great. i listen to his show every morning. he is smart and funny. when they announce u.s. will get their own top gear he was the 1st person that i thought it would fit right in.

[jafoca]

I had to register just to respond to this bit of bad news...

I did not even know "Gear" was in the planning stages...

Although adam's taste in cars may be be decent, his humor is much much more NASCAR than F1 if you get what I am saying. The man show... seriously?

I am from Michigan and am saying this.

I can't imagine what the Top Gear guys would make of him, as the outlook they express on Americans as a whole is pretty sour (not that I mind). He will probably provide them with some decent joke fodder.

Knowing American TV, this particular show will probably get canned before many outside of the US get to see this yank reinforcing all of the stereotypes commonly given to us.

I've got to wonder, will the american version of The Stig be midget with a beer gut / beer hat, or an artificially augmented woman in a bikini?

[Surf Monkey]

Originally Posted by jafoca

Although adam's taste in cars may be be decent, his humor is much much more NASCAR than F1 if you get what I am saying.

And? I mean, let's put ourselves in the place of the producers of this show. How many Americans have the first clue what F1 racing even is? How many would be able to tell you what the difference between IRL, Champ Car and Formula 1 is? Not many. But how many know what NASCAR is? Practically everyone.

Look, like it or not, an American version of Top Gear has to appeal to an American audience in order to be successful. Simply cloning every aspect of the original and expecting it to fly in the states isn't realistic. There have to be considerations made in terms of target audience.

Besides, as many have already said, we need to wait and see what the format and focus of the show is before we start casting aspersions. No matter how many times we look in our own crystal balls, we'll never know if the show will be good or not until we actually see it.

[Viper007Bond]

I just realized -- this will probably mean that we'll get to see his infamous rants in a television car show setting.

For those who don't know, he loves going on rants about stuff. A popular one is red left turn arrows and how you used to be able to just turn left at your own discretion if it was green to go straight.

[MattD1zzl3]

Is jeremy clarkson not annoying and an ass? I agree with some of the above posters, he's the clarkson of the US show.

Anyone who owns a datsun is cool with me!

[avanti]

Even though I love JC I feel that he needs a script to be really funny. In my opinion Carolla is funny on a completely different level, I mean he is a comedian for a living, JC is a funny journalist. I can't count the times Carolla has had me rolling on the floor crying with laughter!

[jayhawk]

Originally Posted by tone76

Oh what a feeling ...!

Very few of us would get that 1980's reference.

[avanti]

For those who thinks AC is all Nascar, listen to some of his shows, here for example with Nicky Hayden on loveline in 2004.

+ YouTube Video

[Quadrax]

Originally Posted by jayhawk

Very few of us would get that 1980's reference.

In australia it is still the currently used slogan for toyota. Oh what a feeling.

[austex_chris]

This is truly sad. Yes, Clarkson may be opinionated and controversial like Corolla, but Clarkson can make jokes about the questionable Parliamentary procedures of Gordon Brown; Corolla could not dream of making jokes that deep. The reality is that Clarkson is far intellectually superior to Corolla, and I fear that a Gear hosted by Corolla will make America look dumb to anyone who sess it. Does this mean that the American Gear will have bikini clad women and beer all over it? I listened to Loveline for 7 years, so I know his on-air personality and the level of his humor.

Corolla likes cars, but he is not the true gear head that Clarkson is, the evidence is from the clip show where he alludes to his Gear show. He mentions that he has not driven a manual car for a long time. Any real gear head can't go for any prolonged period of time with experiencing real transmission. Clarkson made a career in cars, that is all he ever did. Corolla made a career with boob and fart jokes.

My 50 year old mother likes to watch Clarkson, that is what gives the show its appeal, the ability to make everyone interested in cars. Corolla does not have the ability to do that. There is ONE group that will love Corolla in large numbers, that is men aged 18-35. I am willing to bet that everyone that says they like Adam Corolla as a host fall into that category, men aged 18-35. If you venture outside of that demographic you will hardly find anyone interested.

[timbuktu]

Originally Posted by jafoca

Although adam's taste in cars may be be decent, his humor is much much more NASCAR than F1 if you get what I am saying. The man show... seriously?

Yes, because Jezza, Hamster and May are wittier than Oscar Wilde (or not) and childish behavior is completely beneath them. Anyone remember Larsen's Biscuits or Peniston Oil? Or perhaps you're talking a little more redneck, like referring to the Koreans as "Hello you industrious little people!" I'm pretty sure Top Gear is very popular among the chavvies.

[Whappeh]

I never knew he was such a car fan... let alone Japanese cars. I think its an interesting move. It only makes me more eager, and hopefully they pick 2 more good co-hosts.