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150 mph was a speed once only accessible via sports cars as expensive as they were fragile. Nowadays, a mere $25K will buy you a new car that’ll crack a ton fifty. But how little can you spend to hit that same number? Rut, Adam and Tanner are tasked with finding out. And this time, the stakes are high – the winner of this cheap speed challenge gets a taste of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse’s 1200 horsepower.
After cracking 150 mph in a new Mazdaspeed3, V6 Camaro and a turbo Buick Regal in the open plains of the Mojave Desert, our hosts show us their super low-dollar heroes. Adam pops out of a Banana-yellow ’95 Trans Am and Rut helms a sedate-looking ’94 Infiniti Q45. An unexpected choice considering the Q only ever went 145, but because he paid so little for it, there was cash left over for a 100 shot of nitrous oxide. While Rut and Adam showed up in RWD, V8-powered sleds, Tanner understeers to a stop in a front-wheel drive, turbocharged Saab 93 Viggen.
A series of challenges will see whether these old machines, and the hosts’ reflexes, are ready for big speeds. The first challenge – testing acceleration – pits the cars against a flaming arrow. If they beat the arrow to the finish line, they save prized personal possessions from a gasoline-soaked, fiery death.
The next challenge tests high-speed stability. Nothing like a three-wide race down a slalom course – with safety tyres mounted on all four corners – to expose flaws in vehicle balance and composure.
A moment’s distraction at 150 mph can spell death, so to assess our hosts ability to concentrate under pressure, Tanner, Rut and Adam are introduced to a handling course, a Perspex helmet and a dozen clawed, furry friends.
Finally, El Mirage dry lakebed, east of Los Angeles, serves up six straight miles of windblown hard pack where the hosts can attempt 150 mph. That’s a big number for 3 old cars– think they’ll get there?
Someone goes the fastest for the least amount of cash, and that lucky fellow gets to grasp the Austrian leather-wrapped steering wheel of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse, the most powerful, most expensive, most orange, most mostest car in the land. Will we see the magic 200 mph number cracked on a public road?
To find out more you’ll have to tune in, American fans of the Top Gear USA. It’s on History this Tuesday at 9/8 central. You can see older episodes on the History Channel Top Gear site and get breaking news on the Top Gear USA Facebook Page. Let us know what you think!
Open Car Bar
What do you think?
steve12 commented on this article
Monday February 18, 2013 at 11:28 am
might be good this week.
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Jus1973 commented on this article
Tuesday February 19, 2013 at 3:19 pm
I just wish these were aired on BBC3 like they used to be. I live in Switzerland and get a very different History Channel. No Top Gear on that.
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Fraz commented on this article
Tuesday February 19, 2013 at 3:49 pm
I am an embarrassed American who’s offended by this “program.” Re-hashed skits already done on the British show, minus the funny quips, true driving, and rarndom fires. Only one driver on the show, and he’s a whiny foul mouthed sore loser. That said, of course he wins anything to do when it comes to actually driving a supercar as the other two couldn’t drive a HotWheel right. Do us all a favor, buy these guy’s contract out and end this unoriginal, unfunny, and unnecessary show.
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Art Mooney commented on this article
Tuesday February 19, 2013 at 4:25 pm
This is still on the air? WHY???
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me commented on this article
Tuesday February 19, 2013 at 4:27 pm
You said it. Put U.S. out of our shame!!
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AirMax commented on this article
Tuesday February 19, 2013 at 4:43 pm
tg us is getting better and better… they are youg(er) wiht a fresh sens of humor…
and i don’t see anythink bad in redoing the old uk challanges…
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JJJ commented on this article
Tuesday February 19, 2013 at 5:08 pm
Well I actually enjoy this show most of the times. Yes it’s usually stuff already seen on TG UK, but hell, so is most of the stuff on TG UK now…like that car rugby rubbish on the last episode. Basically the same as the boring car football already seen a couple times before. As someone who watches for the cars first and the entertainment second, I also like to see the typical US barges and culture *cough* instead of all the cars and things I already know. As for people complaining Tanner is the only one who can drive; that’s one person more than on TG UK (and the guys will agree to that too). I still enjoy watching both shows 95% of the times. Loved the G65AMG vs US army bit this season on TG US and the American roadtrip on TG UK.
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steve12 commented on this article
Tuesday February 19, 2013 at 5:37 pm
Tanner is world class driver, carrying R wood
do not mind Adam Ferrera at all.
Give Tanner the, Toyota GT86 and he can
drift his little cotton socks off.
That car was made, for Tanner driving style
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Art Mooney commented on this article
Wednesday February 20, 2013 at 2:27 am
I don’t understand why the producers of TG still have a show on the air they have to bury articles about the second they pop up due to all the hate. This show is an abortion. How it made it to the 3rd trimester is beyond me.
That said, TGUK is better than most shows on American television. It needs to be prime time NBC or FOX – not BBCusaChannel5 or History Channel material. To relegate it to midday basic cable in the US is be like having Elvis playing in dive bars in the UK. What a phenomenal waste.
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Karyn Krukow commented on this article
Wednesday February 20, 2013 at 4:27 am
I’m sorry but everybody seems to forget that the BBC owns the show and controls what the guys get to do. They get to have say on how to go about it and thats it. So who you need to be whining at is the BBC produces and not the guys. If you don’t like it then do all of us a favor and don’t watch. Yes Tanner does hate to lose! Rutledge’s car knowledge puts majority of Americans to shame.
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steve12 commented on this article
Wednesday February 20, 2013 at 1:13 pm
It could be worse, you could be working for
NBC.
six hours in total, for the paraolympics and cut
oit Emile Sande Abide with me tribute to 7/7
london bombing victims.
I respect Micheal Phelps, but to how an interview
instead of a tribude show you the Amercian press.
no mention off, Oscar Petrious case on their sports
channels but we get wall to wall coverage over here.
on both News and Sports Channels, their is more freedom
of speech allowed there in the uk.
Top Gear is hated, by the British press both news and
written media to the point were editors and MPs want it
cancelled.
So having the BBC, in control picking the challenges
is a good thing as they are experience in this field.
R Wood in an. interview on Starpulse.com said that
there plenty of Amercian who has not seen Top Gear.
and they can do, the British challenges and make them
Amercian.
TG Keroa helecopter crash, happened 10 months ago
and featured in series 2 esp 1.
Kin Jin Pyo had a, real go at CNN for hating on Top Gear
they also sky dived a car out of a plane in arizona.
ignorage till TGUK, come back on air and then
it front page news.
strange that.
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Brett commented on this article
Thursday February 21, 2013 at 5:17 am
I think the show is awesome.
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ikimiki commented on this article
Thursday February 21, 2013 at 8:08 pm
Please, please, please give this man his due credit!
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steve12 commented on this article
Thursday February 21, 2013 at 10:55 pm
Last Blogger, what the man in question name.
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michaelkeane commented on this article
Thursday March 21, 2013 at 11:11 pm
Buying a car for its dynamic abilities, is like buying a porno for its plot.
-Jeremy Clarkson
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