Things are boiling over in Top Gear camp, as the new team works to find its chemistry, with the latest man to grab a bucket seat on the set being Matt LeBlanc.
That's right, Joey (the 48-year-old is best known for playing this character in Friends) has now joined Chris Evans and the Stig, as Top Gear's website shows.
“As a car nut and a massive fan of Top Gear, I’m honored and excited to be a part of this iconic show’s new chapter,” Matt said. “What a thrill!”
A thrill indeed - when the record for the fastest Star in a Reasonably Priced Car belongs to you, such words only come natural. We'll remind you Matt found his way around Top Gear's Dunsfold test track in 1m 42.2s while behind the wheel of a Kia cee'd.
The actor also gave The Stig a shotgun ride in a McLaren MP4-12C, so don't expect him to stay out of the go-fast arena and cater to the needs of those who are in the market for slow contraptions.
One of the things we love about Matt is that he's rather good at dealing with spin-offs. For instance, he recently presented the Top Gear: The Races series, which only adds to his role (as himself) in Joey, the Friends follow-up.
As for Chris Evans, he gave the new guy a high-octane welcome: “Matt’s a lifelong fellow petrolhead and I’m thrilled he’s joining Top Gear. Acting out our craziest car notions on screen is a dream job and I know we’ll both be debating some epic road trip ideas. We can’t wait to share what we’ve been up to on screen later this year.”
What about America?
The Golden Globe-winning actor will be the first non-Brit TG presenter in the history of the show. Given the fact that Top Gear has turned 39, this is one of the best mid-life crisis moves we've seen in a while.
For one thing, Matt's presence will act as a dry sump lubrication system once the show hits US shores, where it will air on BBC America.
Who's next?
BBC likes to cover things up in the usual aura of mystery, telling us that two additional Top Gear cast members will “be confirmed shortly.”
Well, the rumor mill sees those two as British journo Chris Harris and one of Top Gear's old friends, whom the show helped grow in popularity, namely German racer Sabine Schmitz.
While the Nurburgring Queen, as friends call Sabine, would have a clear path ahead of her after potentially joining the show, things aren't as simple for Chris.
For one thing, the man has serious chances of grabbing the title of the internet's favorite standalone car reviewer and the world wants to know whether Chris will still be drifting supercars on his YouTube channel after his rumored TG step. Some say he's The Stig's unidentical twin...
Update: Here's a clip that will take you back to the moment when Matt grabbed TG's reasonable trophy.
Update 2: Sure, Top Gear will differ dramatically from the show we used to know once the 23rd season kicks off on May 8. But you should expect the same level of extravagance.
For instance, the producers didn't add one or two crew members, as we were expecting. Oh no. The TG team now has no less than 7 people, as you can see in the image below. Make that six people and The Stig - aside from Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc, the anticipated Sabine Schmitz and Chris Harris have been joined by former F1 team founder Eddie Jordan and CNET's Rory Raid. Will they need a minivan? We're anticipating a group of Grand Tourers instead, but it's hard to make a bet.
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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