If you consider yourself a petrolhead, you are definitely into cars, and you’ve definitely also heard of Top Gear. It’s a British car show where the 3 presenters (Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May) talk about different cars, have challenges, and argue in their own charismatic, British way. Top Gear has gained a cult following in the United States, and around the world, not to mention the various spinoffs that have come about from its popularity (ie. Fifth Gear and Top Gear USA).

If you didn’t know, episode 1 of the new 15th season debuted today all across teh internetz (not aired in the U.S., so you have to obtain it by nefarious means). In honor of the start of the new season, we bring you our top 6 reasons to watch Top Gear if you don’t already:

6 Reasons why Top Gear Rocks

1.       The photography is amazing. The images are crisp, and the videography is killer. Even with the sound muted, the episodes are worth watching.

2.       The challenges are hugely entertaining. The presenters pit different cars and situations against each other in an effort to be interesting. It works! My favorite challenge was when James May in a Peugeot raced some Parkour runners across the city of Liverpool. Even people who aren’t car nuts love watching these challenges.

3.       The presenters have a chemistry that is untouchable by any other 3 men. They are endearing, while being cheeky and pulling mean pranks on each other. It is conceivable to simply watch the show to see the reactions of the 3 presenters to the others’ comments and antics. If you haven’t seen the Richard Hammond getting hypnotized to think a toy Porsche is his car in season 4, you have to.

4.       The cars are amazing. Never before have so many awesome cars been together in one place. Press cars make it to America constantly, but Top Gear is the only reason to take a car to Britain. They have driven the snot out of the likes of the Pagani Zonda F, Koenigsegg CCX, Ferrari FXX, and Bugatti Veyron.

5.       The power slides!  These guys are not just about acceleration and handling – they powerslide the tires right off the cars. Nothing is more visceral than watching a 700hp car smoking the tires all the way through a turn with the car turned sideways. Tossing the cars around the way these guys do makes me want to do the same. Too bad we don’t own them.

6.       The seasons are short, but they also have 2 seasons per year. In the U.S., they play reruns on the BBC (if, of course, you haven’t already used frowned-upon means to watch them.) If you are a car aficionado, Top Gear is a must watch. If you aren’t you should definitely still watch a couple episodes and see if it floats your boat. Top Gear is one of the timeless classics that we hope never goes away.

[AJ Wilcox]

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