History Series / TopGearUs

The show was originally to be developed by Creator/{{NBC}} (with help from BBC America) but spent [[SavedFromDevelopmentHell years in Development Hell]] before changing hands from NBC to Creator/TheHistoryChannel and finally premiered in September 2010. It is currently in its sixth season (Summer 2016). The show is hosted by rally-car driver Tanner Foust, racing analyst Rutledge Wood, and comedian Adam Ferrara.

The show was originally to be developed by Creator/{{NBC}} (with help from BBC America) but spent [[SavedFromDevelopmentHell years in Development Hell]] before changing hands from NBC to Creator/TheHistoryChannel and finally premiered in September 2010. It is currently in its fifth season. The show is hosted by rally-car driver Tanner Foust, racing analyst Rutledge Wood, and comedian Adam Ferrara.

Season 3 drops the Stig's lap times, and the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car (Which was called "Big Star, Small Car" in the U.S.); shifting to focus on full episode-long challenges, or a competition between the three hosts for the right to test a cool car.

** Buzz Aldrin was the first celebrity to appear on Big Star, Small Car and had the slowest time through all of season one and most of season two. That was until ''{{Playboy}}'' model Bridget Marquardt came along and set a time 11 seconds slower.

** Tanner's height relative to the other two

*** Rutledge and Adam then challenge Tanner to a race between them on ''ForzaMotorsport 4'' and Tanner driving the real thing. Adam, being [[DrivesLikeCrazy the crazy driver]] that he is, somehow manages to flip his virtual car over, something that isn't supposed to even be possible with all the driving assists he was using.

* ViewersAreMorons: As of Season 3, the show has gone overboard on recaps of the following AND previous segments.

** In the Hollywood Car challenge, neither Adam nor Tanner could get their real cars ([[TheDukesOfHazzard a Dodge Charger]] and [[Film/BackToTheFuture a DeLorean]] respectively) on their afforded budget, so they bought a Plymouth Duster and a Nissan 200SX (respectively) made up to look like their more famous counterparts. Rutledge, on the other hand, was able to get an actual [[Series/KnightRider Pontiac Trans Am]], though it wasn't the right model generation.

[[caption-width-right:344:Adam "The Wrecker" Ferrara, Tanner "The Driver" Foust, and Rutledge "The Expert" Wood.]]

* DanBrowned: Rutledge buying a Corvair for the Unsafe Cars special. While it was ridiculed for being ''perceived'' to be unsafe, it turned out to be one of the ''safest'' cars of its time once anyone actually bothered to test it.

-->-- '''Jeremy Clarkson'''[[http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/02/10/u-s-top-gear-renewed-by-history-for-a-second-season/82306/]]

-->-- Adam Ferrara

The show was originally to be developed by Creator/{{NBC}} (with help from BBC America) but spent [[SavedFromDevelopmentHell years in Development Hell]] before changing hands from NBC to TheHistoryChannel and finally premiered in September 2010. It is currently in its fifth season. The show is hosted by rally-car driver Tanner Foust, racing analyst Rutledge Wood, and comedian Adam Ferrara.

Not to be confused with yet another adaptation of Top Gear that was short-lived on DiscoveryChannel (a re-edited version of the original's episodes with Jeremy, Richard and James filming new, America-specific interstitial segments). Compare to other American automotive magazine shows: ''Magazine/CarAndDriver'', ''MotorTrend'' and ''Magazine/MotorWeek''.

** He also became Adam's designated driver in "Big Bad Trucks".

** Adam is actually subtitled "The Wrecker" in the opening sequence. Notably, the actor/comedian is the only one of the hosts for whom cars and driving are a ''hobby'', not a job. The sobriquet comes from the fact that Adam's solutions to the various challenges the hosts face tend to involve the most direct solutions.
*** One challenge in the Death Valley episode involves the hosts having to cross an asphalt road without their 4x4s' wheels touching the asphalt. Tanner uses some pipes and wood to build rollers and Rutledge creates a tread out of some carpet. Adam? He tips his Bronco on its side and drags it across. Add this to the fact that he managed to break the Bronco's rear axle during an earlier challenge and it's no surprise that of the three 4x4s, Adam's was the first to crap out. However, in Adam's defense, the reason his Bronco failed to complete the challenge was due to a flat tire and he left the spare behind to save weight.
*** His gamertag when playing ''ForzaMotorsport'' was "KARKILLA."
*** In the Muscle Cars episode, Tanner and Rutledge noted that being hooked up to the electric muscle stimulator and being repeatedly shocked while driving actually made him a better driver.
*** In the Dangerous Cars episode, this is given plenty of discussion, including [[CallBack a list of some of the cars Adam had wrecked in past episodes]]. Rutledge attempts to teach Adam to be a more careful driver, and to Adam's credit he's had far fewer "incidents" since. Well, while driving, anyway.
*** In the College Cars episode, the guys had to hit pinatas hanging on the backs of the other guys' cars using a stick tapped to the front of their own car. Adam just went ahead and smashed his car against the pinatas, killing Rut's bus, which had its engine in the back.
*** In the Luxury SUV episode, Adam attempts to follow Tanner, who is taking a shortcut through sand dunes. He gets stuck and damages his front bumper about three minutes after starting his car.
*** Subverted in "Viking Trucks" as Adam was tasked with carrying the fuel needed for the trucks to make the trip [[note]]Adam's truck was the only one with an open bed allowing him to carry it.[[/note]]
*** In the Amphibious Cars episode, Adam (driving a Jeep/fanboat) broke one of his engines, namely the one used for driving on land.
*** In the Luxury Pickups episode, Adam didn't even make it to the end of the first challenge before a) needing a replacement car and b)injuring his arm to the point that he needed the Stig to drive for him. He claims he turned the wrong way and went over a "slight cliff". Tanner and Rutledge think he's faking, but that wouldn't explain the new car.
**** He still had the sling on his arm in the next episode. Either he really did injure his arm, or he was really dedicated to the lie. In order to keep him from having an unfair advantage again, a designated driver of his level was used instead of the Stig -- an old stunt driver named Mickey who might be sort of deaf. Mickey spun out and later popped a tire on a curb in the first challenge.

** Adam is actually subtitled "The Wrecker" in the opening sequence. Notably, the actor/comedian is the only one of the hosts for whom cars and driving are a ''hobby'', not a job.

* DrivesLikeCrazy: Adam is actually subtitled "The Wrecker" in the opening sequence. Notably, the actor/comedian is the only one of the hosts for whom cars and driving are a ''hobby'', not a job.
** One challenge in the Death Valley episode involves the hosts having to cross an asphalt road without their 4x4s' wheels touching the asphalt. Tanner uses some pipes and wood to build rollers and Rutledge creates a tread out of some carpet. Adam? He tips his Bronco on its side and drags it across. Add this to the fact that he managed to break the Bronco's rear axle during an earlier challenge and it's no surprise that of the three 4x4s, Adam's was the first to crap out. However, in Adam's defense, the reason his Bronco failed to complete the challenge was due to a flat tire and he left the spare behind to save weight.
** His gamertag when playing ''ForzaMotorsport'' was "KARKILLA."
** In the Muscle Cars episode, Tanner and Rutledge noted that being hooked up to the electric muscle stimulator and being repeatedly shocked while driving actually made him a better driver.
** In the Dangerous Cars episode, this is given plenty of discussion, including [[CallBack a list of some of the cars Adam had wrecked in past episodes]]. Rutledge attempts to teach Adam to be a more careful driver, and to Adam's credit he's had far fewer "incidents" since. Well, while driving, anyway.
** In the College Cars episode, the guys had to hit pinatas hanging on the backs of the other guys' cars using a stick tapped to the front of their own car. Adam just went ahead and smashed his car against the pinatas, killing Rut's bus, which had its engine in the back.
** In the Luxury SUV episode, Adam attempts to follow Tanner, who is taking a shortcut through sand dunes. He gets stuck and damages his front bumper about three minutes after starting his car.
** Subverted in "Viking Trucks" as Adam was tasked with carrying the fuel needed for the trucks to make the trip [[note]]Adam's truck was the only one with an open bed allowing him to carry it.[[/note]]
** In the Amphibious Cars episode, Adam (driving a Jeep/fanboat) broke one of his engines, namely the one used for driving on land.
** In the Luxury Pickups episode, Adam didn't even make it to the end of the first challenge before a) needing a replacement car and b)injuring his arm to the point that he needed the Stig to drive for him. He claims he turned the wrong way and went over a "slight cliff". Tanner and Rutledge think he's faking, but that wouldn't explain the new car.
*** He still had the sling on his arm in the next episode. Either he really did injure his arm, or he was really dedicated to the lie. In order to keep him from having an unfair advantage again, a designated driver of his level was used instead of the Stig -- an old stunt driver named Mickey who might be sort of deaf. Mickey spun out and later popped a tire on a curb in the first challenge.

The show was originally to be developed by Creator/{{NBC}} (with help from BBC America) but spent [[SavedFromDevelopmentHell years in Development Hell]] before changing hands from NBC to TheHistoryChannel and finally premiered in September 2010. It is currently in its third season. The show is hosted by rally-car driver Tanner Foust, racing analyst Rutledge Wood, and comedian Adam Ferrara.

** In "Worst Cars," Adam attempts to drive up the auction price of his Mustang 2 by claiming that EricClapton had owned it. That allows him to come in second place behind Rutledge's Pontiac Aztek. Unfortunately, Tanner, whose Yugo came in last, told the buyer that Adam was lying about Clapton owning the car, and the buyer demands his money back, meaning that Adam actually ended up finishing last.

* ActorAllusion:
** Adam provides one for himself in "Dangerous Cars" after Rutledge rear-ends his [[EveryCarIsAPinto Pinto]]:
-->'''Adam''': It's not a fire! Trust me, [[RescueMe I played a fireman on TV.]] I know what fire is and I'll be fine!
** In the cop car episode, Adam compares Rutledge to the title character of ''PaulBlartMallCop'' -- a movie that he (Adam) played a cop in.

* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: In the Luxury SUV episode, Rutledge gets his Jeep stuck on a ski slope. Rather than digging it out, he walks to the lodge to eat breakfast.

* SuspiciouslySimilarSong: Due to US licensing laws, most of the music that plays in each segment are cover versions sounds similar but not identical to well-known music.
** The segment on the Subaru Impreza WRX STI includes a snippet that sounds a lot like the intro to {{Metallica}}'s "One."

* TransAtlanticEquivalent: Arguably, one of the big reasons the US version's been as popular as it has is that it really does try to be as generally equivalent as it can. Including the attitude of "We are number one, every other show/car/country out there [[MysteryMen are number two or lower]]" that the original ''Top Gear'' had.
---> "I know, the rest of the world thinks Americans are arrogant. And, to be fair, [[PrecisionFStrike fuck you]]."

*** He still had the sling on his arm in the next episode. Either he really did injure his arm, or he was really dedicated to the lie.
** Micky, Adam's designated driver, drove through a course and ended up having to drive part of it with one wheel in shreds showing that he's just as crazy as Adam.