Top Gear (American TV series) season 6
Top Gear | |
---|---|
Season 6 | |
No. of episodes | 10 |
Release | |
Original network | History Channel |
Original release | April 26 June 28, 2016 | –
Season chronology | |
The sixth and final season of Top Gear began airing on History from April 26, 2016 until June 28, 2016. Adam Ferrera, Tanner Foust, Rutledge Wood and The Stig returned as hosts, with ten weekly episodes being broadcast.
Production
[edit]Season 6 began filming in late 2015 until early 2016 before it eventually aired on the April 26, 2016.[1][2] On June 28, 2016, the BBC confirmed that the series had completed its contractual run on the History channel."[3]
Episodes
[edit]No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date | US viewers (millions) | |
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63 | 1 | "Rubicon Trail" | April 26, 2016 | N/A | |
The hosts photo map the Rubicon Trail, America's most notorious 4x4 route, racing against time to photo map the entire trail before a critical meeting to present their images to Google. Tanner brings a 1985 Ford Bronco which was criticized for being unreliable, Rutledge brings a 1990 Toyota 4Runner which was criticized for flipping over and Adam brings a 1992 Geo Tracker which was criticized for being too small and underpowered. Adam's Tracker suffered no real problems but was severely underpowered and needed help up most hills. Tanner's Bronco briefly shattered its front suspension but otherwise proved to be an all round tough off-roader. Rutledge's 4Runner started off with promise but rolled over and was destroyed by the end of the second day on the trail. Despite this the guys managed to map the entire Rubicon Trail. | |||||
64 | 2 | "America vs. Europe" | April 26, 2016 | N/A | |
Tanner, Adam and Rutledge look at which country makes the best car; the guys battle it out in classic sports cars from the countries of their ancestors. Due to Tanner having family origins from Germany he brings a 1985 Porsche 944 which was named Car and Driver's best handling car in America, Due to Adam having family origins from Italy he brings a 1989 Alfa Romeo Spider which was built with passion and due to Rutledge having family origins from the United Kingdom he brings a 1984 Jaguar XJS which was luxurious and had the biggest engine by far. They compete in some challenges to see country makes the best sports cars and deserves no more stereotyping.
On the way to the next point, they learn that Tanner's Porsche is in the best shape whereas Adam's Alfa is in rather poor shape and Rutledge's Jag is in worst shape as halfway to the next point it loses its power-steering. Tanner and Adam mock him and start ramming his car. When approaching their next point, they get information that the bars for their challenges will be raised and as a result when they reach a hill they find something special. Three brand new supercars from the countries of their ancestors replacing their classic sports cars. Tanner having family origins from Germany gets a 2016 Porsche 911 GT3, Rutledge having family origins from the United Kingdom gets a 2016 McLaren 650S Spider and Adam having family origins from Itay gets a 2016 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta. On the way they fall in love with the cars agreeing that they should scrap the old challenges and make up new ones too see which country makes the best supercars and deserves no more stereotyping.
In the End: Despite their victories, America won the final challenge overall. Despite this the hosts agree that Europe still makes the best cars and although they cannot agree on which country makes the best agree that the Ferrari, McLaren and Porsche are each individuals favorite cars and that there is no longer and stereotyping for European cars. Overall Winner: Tie | |||||
65 | 3 | "24 Hours of Budget Racing" | May 3, 2016 | N/A | |
To prove anyone can race on a budget, the guys must compete in a grueling 24-hour endurance race in which every car costs less than $500. To decide which car they must use they each buy a car which costs less than $500. The car which wins is the car they will use for racing whereas the losing cars will be destroyed. Rutledge picks a 1986 Nissan 720 with a top ladder rack due to its previous owner being a gardener, Tanner chooses a 1993 Volkswagen Golf with an air scoop, rear spoiler and fake GTI badges due to its previous owner being a keen driver and Adam buys a 1996 Ford Crown Victoria with a front brush guard due to its previous owner being a policeman.
In the End: Due to its two victories Adam's Crown Vic is the car the guys will use in the race. Meanwhile Rutledge's Nissan is dropped on Tanner's Golf and both are crushed between two tractors. Overall Winner: Adam Review: While Adam and Rutledge prep the Crown Vic for Racing. Tanner is sent to test his skills of endurance racing by being sent to Sweden to drive the brand new Koenigsegg One:1 too see if he can go faster than his previous speed record of 223 mph. He describes how they managed to get simultaneous horsepower to kg and is deeply impressed with the acceleration and grip from the car. Finally he arrives at the airport and maxes the Koenigsegg to 225 mph. Impressed with all this, Tanner concludes the One:1 is an absolute masterpiece. Final Challenge: When arriving at Sonoma Raceway in California, Tanner finds that Adam and Rutledge have ruined the Crown Vic by turning it into a mobile lemonade stand. This proves to be a challenge as with the extra weight the Crown Vic is underpowered and fades through its breaks resulting in Adam followed by Rutledge ending up in last place when driving the car. Tanner however despite being disqualified when hitting another vehicle manages to make up to 145th place by the end of the first day and 59 laps in total. By the next day the guys find out that The Stig had removed the lemon stand and tightened the brakes to make the Crown Vic a better racer. However despite this it only manages to complete 20 more laps before the Crown Vic's engine stops running properly. Rutledge discovers upon the Crown Vic's return to the pit via tow truck that two connecting rods for the pistons had broken with one rod liberating itself from inside the engine. Rutledge keeps this piece as a memento to their amazing budget racing experience. Despite the early retirement the guys were happy to compete in budget racing. | |||||
66 | 4 | "Cars for Life" | May 10, 2016 | N/A | |
While average Americans own eight different cars during their lifetimes, Tanner, Adam and Rutledge pick one vehicle from their birth year that excels at every stage of life from birth to death. Tanner picks a 1973 Datsun 240Z owing to his mum crashing one when he was two, Rutledge chooses a 1980 Dodge Tradesman owing to his second car being a van and Adam buys a 1966 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham owing to him learning in a Cadillac. The guys compete in a number of challenges to see which car is best.
On the way to their next Challenge Adam's Fleetwood and Rutledge's Tradesman manage to start and leave whereas Tanner's Datsun fails to start. Eventually he meets them at the next meeting point.
Tanner's Datsun doesn't even make it to the hospital, instead he takes a rented out 2015 Chrysler 200 claiming that he has a mechanic to fix the car.
On the way to the next mini challenge Tanner tests the automotive cruise control of the Tesla by allowing Rutledge's Hellcat and Adam's Cadillac to overtake and brake sharply.
Due to Tanner not being able to take part in the previous challenge he decides to see if how good the Tesla is at drifting but finds it difficult to drift due to its electronic modes. He then switches it for Rutledge's Hellcat and despite nearly hitting a tractor he enjoys it thoroughly. Tanner then admits that while in his mind the Tesla is still the best car his and Rutledge's favourite car of the three is the Hellcat. Adam however sticks by his Cadillac.
After this challenge the guys switch back to their older cars for the last couple of challenges.
Tanner's Datsun lost some oil at the end and could not start after this challenge.
In the End: Rutledge and Adam agree that the Datsun is the worst pick as it hardly took place in most of the challenges. Despite Rutledge claiming that his Tradesman won the most relevant challenge, Adam points out that his Fleetwood never lost a challenge and won the most Challenges making it the ultimate car for life. As well as this despite Rutledge arguing that both he and Tanner fell in love with the Hellcat, Adam points out that the CTS-V won the most challenges of the three saloons making it the best midlife crisis Saloon arguing that Cadillac is the best car company for life. As Rutledge and Adam leave the track in the Tradesman and the Fleetwood, Tanner's Datsun fails to start once again. Overall Winner: Adam | |||||
67 | 5 | "Military Might" | May 17, 2016 | N/A | |
Many vehicles originally designed for civilian use are now being used in the military which can survive military combat, however what new civilian vehicle can best survive military combat. To find out the guys pick their favourites and meet them in a desert near the Fort Irwin National Training Center. Rutledge picks a 2016 Ram Power Wagon due to it being a descendant of the WC Series Pickup used in World War II, Adam selects a 2016 Jeep Willys Wheeler Edition due it being a descendant of the Willys Jeep also used in World War II and Tanner chooses a 2016 Subaru WRX STI due to its rally pedigree. Upon heading off to their first challenge they are captured by terrorists but saved by the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment where the sergeant major directs them to their first challenge.
In the End: Adam's Jeep proved to be the worst pick as it lost most of the challenges and was the worst in the rescue mission. Tanner's Subaru was a surprise for the military due to its agility however its low ground clearance and loud engine were not suitable for the military. Rutledge's Ram proved to be a solid all-round choice covering all types of terrain and performing exceptionally at its mission. Owing to his victory Rutledge decides to prank Tanner by using the Tank to blow up a fake Subaru. Overall Winner: Rutledge | |||||
68 | 6 | "American Aftermarket" | May 24, 2016 | N/A | |
America loves fast cars particularly muscle cars so the guys drive three iconic American muscle cars with Tanner bringing a 2015 Ford Mustang GT with 435hp, Adam taking a 2015 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE with 428hp and Rutledge selecting a Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack with 485hp. However many americans tune their cars with after-market upgrades to go even faster so too see which is best the guys swap their standard cars for three aftermarket upgraded muscle cars at Las Vegas Motor Speedway too see if the upgrades are worth the cost. Tanner chooses a 2015 Saleen 302 Black Label Mustang with 730hp and costing $73,000, Adam selects a 2015 Hennessey Camaro Z/28 with 667hp and costing $98,000 and Rutledge selects a 2015 Petty Challenger with 1000hp and costing $100,000. The guys compete in a number of challenges to see which aftermarket muscle car is best.
In the End: All three guys agree that the after market upgrades are worth the extra cost. However Tanner points out that due to the number of challenges won put the Saleen in first, Petty in second and Hennessey in last making the Saleen the best Aftermarket Muscle Car. Overall Winner: Tanner Reward: Tanner gets to drive the custom built $534,000 Equus Baas 770 where only 17 have been built in total. He is impressed with the styling, speed and handling but states that for the same amount of money there are faster and better cars. He concludes that the Equus is simply a toy for rich people to show off instead of traditional Ferraris and Lamborghinis, claims it to be the best muscle car ever and recommends the remaining 10 to be bought immediately. | |||||
69 | 7 | "Postal" | June 7, 2016 | N/A | |
The U.S. Postal Service is one of the oldest, largest and most efficient civilian organisations asks for proposals to build a new delivery vehicle to replace its classic postal truck, The LLV. Instead of choosing brand new cars the guys pick used cars which they the U.S. can replace the LLV with. Adam buys a 1998 Lincoln Town Car Executive Hearse due to its V8 and size, Rutledge chooses a 2003 Honda Element due to its storage capacity and 4 wheel drive and Tanner buys a 1994 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4 due to its speed and traction but ads a trailer at the back to carry mail. The guys compete in a number of challenges to see which car is best suited to live up to the expectation of the LLV. When they arrive Adam purposely bumps into Tanner.
Having Collected all the mail the guys decide to see which car can get through the slalom the quickest. Tanner's Mitsubishi comes in first but Adam's Hearse knocks into his trailer damaging both cars with Rutledge's Element coming in last unscathed. Despite Tanner claiming victory they all agree to cancel the challenge as it was pointless.
After the challenge Adam admits he needs to modify his Hearse and Rutledge admits he too needs to modify his Element however Tanner states his Mitsubishi is perfect and needs zero modifications.
When arriving at the final challenge in his Mitsubishi Tanner finds that Rutledge converted his Element to right hand drive due to this making Mail deliveries and pick ups quicker, one of the benefits of the LLV and Adam fitted a gun to his Hearse to fire letters into people's mailboxes.
In the End: Both Adam and Tanner were declared as the two losers as both the Hearse and the Mitsubishi failed to cope with weather conditions and both had catastrophic ways of delivering mail, in the form of Tanner's Trailer and Adam's Gun, not to mention their cars were both damaged externally and internally. Rutledge's Element however had won the most challenges, technically didn't lose one and wasn't damaged at all. Therefore the Honda Element is decided the best postal vehicle and the keys are handed to the Stig to take it to U.S. Postal Headquarters to base their new vehicle off the Element. Rutledge in the meantime leaves the abandoned street in the LLV since he had always wanted one and because he won, with Adam and Tanner, the two losers riding shotgun. Overall Winner: Rutledge | |||||
70 | 8 | "Winter Drop Top" | June 14, 2016 | N/A | |
In the early days almost all cars were convertibles however in 1905 cars were introduced with roofs. Nowadays convertible cars are seen as pointless due to the fact that they can only be driven in sunny weather and are not as fast or as strong as hard top cars. To prove that convertibles can be driven all year, the guys head to Rocky Mountains in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, a place where Tanner grew up in, to test brand new all-wheel drive high performance convertibles. Adam takes a 2016 Jaguar F Type R AWD Convertible due to its beauty and power, Rutledge brings a 2016 BMW 650i xDrive Convertible due to its size and technology, and Tanner, arriving on a ski, picks a 2016 Porsche 911 Turbo 4WD Convertible due to its handling and speed. The guys compete in a number of challenges too see which high performance All Wheel Drive convertible is best.
In the End: Tanner, Adam and reluctantly Rutledge agree that the BMW was the worst as its four wheel drive was deeply flawed and it was too soft and soggy to deal with snow. They did agree that Jag performed very well in all conditions, looked the best and handled well in all conditions. However they all agreed that the Porsche performed excellently in all weather conditions and in Tanner's mind was more fun in snow than on dry tarmac. Overall Winner: Tanner Reward/Punishment: Due to Tanner's victory he gets to race his Porsche against the loser, Rutledge, who must use a Dog Sled. On his initial practice run with his co-instructor Chris, Rutledge falls off his Dog Sled and has to be rescued by chris. After this Rutledge puts on extra clothing. The race takes place from the training centre across Lake Catamount to the other side at a bar which marks the finishing Point. Tanner's Porsche will take the longer route with more turns on the road 8 miles long whereas Rutledge's Dog Sled will take the direct route across Lake Catamount only 2 miles long. Despite getting an initial early lead with dog sled Tanner catches up to Rutledge and on the last Bend Rutledge falls off the dog sled. Tanner manages to win the race with the dogs and the sled following. Rutledge eventually arrives cold and miserable but Tanner refuses to give him arise as Rutledge could have had anything from the Dogs sled which he doesn't want to ruin the Porsche so instead gives him a hand warmer instead before departing in his new favourite car leaving Rutledge to find a bar and Taxi. Race Winner: Tanner | |||||
71 | 9 | "City Saviors" | June 21, 2016 | N/A | |
With more than 80% of Americans living in cities, the guys navigate the concrete jungle of Los Angeles to find the perfect city car that's thrilling to drive, practical, nimble, tough and reliable. Tanner picks a 2016 Jeep Renegade due to its off-road heritage and practicality, Adam chooses a 2016 BMW i3 due to its small size and electric motor and Rutledge selects a 2016 Scion FR-S due to its handling, speed and the fact he raced one around a city. The guys compete in a number of challenges to see which one of their different cars best suits the City Environment.
In The End: Adam, Rutledge and reluctantly Tanner agree that the Jeep was the worst as it lost most of the challenges and wasn't even a proper Jeep. Despite Adam arguing about the BMW being the best, Tanner and Rutledge claim that its high price is too much for a city car. They all agree that the Scion was the best as it is the most desirable, the best value for money, won most of the challenges and didn't lose a challenge. Overall Winner: Rutledge Reward/Race: Rutledge gets to drive the ultimate city car, the 2016 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider. He adores the lightweight due to the Carbon-Fibre Tub, the Power from its 4cylinder Engine, the handling, the looks and the fact it was built with passion. Rutledge states that he immediately prefers the Alfa to his Scion as it is more fun to drive, faster and built with Passion rather than Science. However due to not accepting that he lost, Tanner decides to race Rutledge across Los Angeles to Venice Piers. Adam shotgunned with Rutledge will drive the Alfa while Tanner rides on a 2016 HPC Revolution and The Stig will take Public Transport. Whoever makes it to the Piers first wins. Initially Tanner and the Stig get to an early lead with no delays while Adam and Rutledge have to deal with Traffic, Stop Lights and the Cops. Despite this Adam and Rutledge's Alfa make it first to the Piers followed by Tanner's Bike. The Stig on the other hand got distracted by a Ferrari Dealer in Los Angeles yet could not enter due to it being closed. Rutledge claims the Alfa to be the ultimate City Car. Race Winner: Rutledge and Adam | |||||
72 | 10 | "Cuba" | June 28, 2016 | N/A | |
Tanner, Adam and Rutledge head to Cuba, where they test and modify three classic American cars; the guys attempt to make history by competing in a government-sanctioned drag race. |
References
[edit]- ^ "Top Gear". History.com. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
- ^ Wood, Rutledge. "Top Gear". Twitter. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
- ^ "Top Gear USA cancelled, BBC confirms". June 28, 2016 – via www.bbc.com.
External links
[edit]- Season 6 at the Internet Movie Database