Thread: Top Gear Australia Hosts Announced

and speaking of Top Gear--

Their next Big Thing is a race in Japan--

between two VERY fast objects--

one has 4 wheels,,
one has considerably more,,

one is rather old,,
one is rather new,,

one is rather large,,
one is much smaller,,

I cant see how the 4wheeled, new, small thing can win---

but cant wait to see it!!!

I can't believe all you blokes bagging Warren Brown, he's one of us for Chriss's sake...

He drives a bloody Defender !

need I say more??




*Pedro exits stage LEFT!!!!*

Hmmm... why didn't they say only those with media/journo exp. Could have saved lots of people lots of time....

Originally Posted by rick130

I can't believe all you blokes bagging Warren Brown, he's one of us for Chriss's sake...

He drives a bloody Defender !

I think Warren Brown did a fair job in the "Peking to Paris" doco recreating the 1907 race. What will make-or-break this version will be it's ability to be honest. I love it when Clarkson gets in a $500k lambo or ferrari and bags the hell out of it.

Originally Posted by rick130

I can't believe all you blokes bagging Warren Brown, he's one of us for Chriss's sake...

He drives a bloody Defender !

It's been interesting reading this thread. I would like to add my tuppence worth, not just as a car nut (and Defender owner), but as Warren's older (but not bigger!) brother. Yes, Warren is a Defender lover, but it's just the latest in a long line of interesting cars, including a long running stream of Landrover and other off road and ex-miliatry machinery: a P38 HSE, a Disco (or two?), a classic RR Hiline, an ex-military Series III, a SWB series II (with his mate), a 1942 GPW Willys Jeep (still got it), a Studebaker 6x6, a White scout car (still got it), two (yes two!) vintage Dennis fire engines (still got them) a string of Peugeots (as a young bloke) and others besides. He and the explorer Lang Kidby conceived the Peking to Paris re-enactment (using examples of the original veteran cars), got it going, and got a TV documentary on it to boot. He is successful in the print media, radio and TV, and the persona he projects - enthusiastic, a nice blike with a touch of the larrikin - is exactly as he is.

Contrary to what one of the listers thinks, the three presenters were not a foregone conclusion. Warren, like all 4000 applicants were asked to do, made an application, which was a short (10 minutes or so I think) video story, on motor vehicles, humorous and engaging, in the style that Top Gear has made famous. The 4000 were culled to I think about 200, the 200 to about 12, and the 12 whittled down to the final 3. Top Gear is not just successful as a motoring program, but is successful television. It is watched by a half a billion people world wide! It has a very well thought through formula, which of course is no guarantee that any of the non-UK franchises will succeed (Australia is the first, but there are plans I think for one in the US and one in Russia). It is watched by a lot more people than those who often watch car programs, and in my view, does not aim to fill the slot of the program that is only going to be watched by car nuts. Car nuts do like to watch TG, but the point is, so do a hell of a lot of other people.

Just thought I'd like to share a bit about my little brother. We've had some great times with cars over many decades, and I look forward to more.

Cheers,
Gordon
PS I forgot the 1920s Bean which he bought and has done up to re-enact Frank Birtle's history making drive from London to Australia. There's always something on the go...

I always thought Will Hagen, motoring commentator on the ABC, was quite entertaining - and knows his stuff.

Looks like I wasn't the first to read in the paper that Warren drives a Defender.

But also, in the telegraph's Friday cars section they described the defender as 'a popular 4wd'

cool