Top Gear Russia
Top Gear Russia (Russian: Top Gear: Русская версия, romanized: Top Gear: Russkaya versiya) is a Russian motoring television series that ran on Ren-TV, and was based on the British program Top Gear produced by the BBC. It premiered on 22 February 2009.[1] The show was cancelled due to low ratings and aired for the last time on 25 October 2009.
| Top Gear Russia | |
|---|---|
 Top Gear Russia title card | |
| Genre | Motoring |
| Created by | BBC Worldwide |
| Developed by | REN-TV |
| Presented by | Nikolai Fomenko Mikhail Petrovsky Oskar Kuchera |
| Theme music composer | Dickey Betts |
| Opening theme | "Jessica" |
| Country of origin | UK (Top Gear) Russia (adaptation) |
| Original language | Russian |
| No. of series | 1 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Cameron Miller |
| Producers | BBC Worldwide Ren-TV |
| Production locations | Moscow |
| Running time | 60 minutes (w/ commercials) |
| Release | |
| Original network | Ren-TV |
| Original release | 22 February – 25 October 2009 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Top Gear (2002 TV series) Top Gear Australia Top Gear (US) Top Gear Korea |
Presenters
The hosts of Top Gear Russia were:
- Nikolai Fomenko, former musician (as part of the band Secret), former race car driver, theater actor and TV presenter. He is also involved in the creation of the Russian supercar Marussia.
- Mikhail Petrovsky, actor, automotive journalist and blogger.
- Oskar Kuchera, ex-MTV Russia presenter and actor.
- The Stig, a local version of the mysterious driver from the original British show.[1]
Segments
Power Lap
Similar to the original UK series, Top Gear Russia features a Power Lap segment, in this case held in an abandoned airfield in Mnyovniki. To inaugurate the track and populate the lap board in the first episode, the hosts invited numerous local celebrities to participate and treated them to a picnic with shashlyk and a smoking samovar.
Lap times
| Pos | Time | Car | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1:12.00 |  Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet | damp |
| 2 | 1:12.96 |  Nissan GT-R | wet |
| 3 | 1:13.16 | 1985 Porsche 911 | damp |
| 4 | 1:13.88 |  Bentley Continental GT Speed | damp and icy |
| 5 | 1:14.00 | Alpina B3 | moist |
| 6 | 1:14.83 |  Lamborghini Gallardo | some snow+summer tyres |
| 7 | 1:16.85 | Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster | damp |
| 8 | 1:17.85 | Aston Martin DB9 | wet |
| 9 | 1:19.00 | Ferrari 550M | |
| 10 | 1:21.01 | Range Rover Sport | damp |
| 11 | 1:22.12 | Mazda MX-5 | damp |
| 12 | 1:22.27 | Fiat 500 | |
| 13 | 1:49.17 |  Volvo XC90 | snow |
| 14 | 2:08.71 | Land Rover Defender 90 SVX soft top | ice+snow |
| 15 | 2:15.93 |  UAZ 469 Off-Road modified | ice+snow |
| 16 | 2:23.25 | Audi R8 | snow |
| 17 | DNF | Ferrari F430 | snow |
Star in a Reasonably Priced Car
The Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car segment are mirrored with Russia's own version. The car used is a race-prepped Lada Kalina. Unlike in the UK version of Top Gear, the lap format for this segment is different from that of the Stig's power laps.
Cool Wall
Introduced in episode 2 of season 1, the Cool Wall mirrors the popular segment from the UK original.
References
- "In the Spotlight: This week, Ren-TV unveiled the Russian version of the British show about cars, "Top Gear."". The Moscow Times. 27 February 2009. Retrieved 8 March 2009.