''Top Gear Russia'' (russian: Top Gear: Русская версия, lit=Top Gear: Russian Version, Top Gear: Russkaya versiya) was 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.
The show was cancelled due to low ratings and aired for the last time on 25 October 2009.
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.
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
Shashlik, or shashlick (russian: шашлык ''shashlyk''), is a dish of skewered and grilled cubes of meat, similar to or synonymous with shish kebab. It is known traditionally by various other names in Iran, the Caucasus, Eastern Europe and C ...
and a smoking
samovar.
Lap times
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
The Lada Kalina (russian: Ла́да Кали́на) is a supermini car produced by the Russian manufacturer Lada ('' AvtoVAZ'') since 18 November 2004 to July 2018. The name ''Kalina'' comes from the Russian name for a type of viburnum. It i ...
. 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
External links
'Top Gear' format heads to Russia
{{Top Gear, state=autocollapse
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...
2000s Russian television series
2009 Russian television series debuts
2009 Russian television series endings
Russian television series based on British television series