America's Own 'Top Gear' Gets its Hosts

The American adaptation of BBC Two's most watched show, Top Gear, has a new home and a new set of hosts. The new version of the hit car show will air on The History Channel, hosted by comedian Adam Ferrara, racing analyst Rutledge Wood, and stunt driver Tanner Foust.

The original Top Gear has been hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond since 2002 and is also the most watched show on the BBC's iPlayer streaming service. It also airs stateside on BBC America. The new show, however, will be specially tailored to American audiences.

NBC was originally set to air a previous adaptation of the show, which was to be hosted by Adam Carolla, Tanner Foust and Eric Stromer. Even though some segments had already been filmed, the show never aired.

Car enthusiast Jay Leno was approached to host that version of the show, but he declined. He told The Times that the American version of the show could possibly be tainted by the show's sponsors.

"I don't think you could be quite as freewheeling with your opinions as you can on the [government-funded] BBC, because sponsors pay for the programmes [in America]," the talk show host said. "If Kia was our sponsor this week, we'd have to say the car was fantastic."

America's Top Gear will debut this fall. No word yet on whether or not super-driver The Stig will have an American counterpart. It just wouldn't be Top Gear without him, though, would it?