Chances are, you are an average American driver. Which means you get into your car, back it out of the driveway or garage, go to work/school/the store and then put it back in the driveway or garage when you’re done. There is no stunting. But on Hyperdrive, there’s more than plenty of stunting to go around.
Hyperdrive is a new car show from Netflix that throws drivers into a massive obstacle course, where they compete to be the champion. For the show, producers turned an industrial complex into an obstacle course of 10 different race courses that include a giant see-saw and drifting challenges; basically, the drivers drive their cars in ways that you or I would be way too chicken to. The whole thing has a very American Ninja Warrior-esque vibe to it.
Also, it’s nice the show went out and found drivers that, you know, don’t all look and sound the same. One of them, Kisaragi Awano, currently competes in Japan’s D1 Lights series.
I only have the trailer to go off of today, but the show seems to capture some of the frantic, edge-of-you-seat energy that old Top Gear had, such as when the Three Amigos were doing something potentially dangerous or stupid (or both) with their cars for our entertainment. That was some of automotive escapism at its finest.
The varied representation in Hyperdrive looks promising and I really hope the producers will let them speak for themselves, because I’m interested in hearing what they have to say. I remember all too well the last time Netflix attempted a car show—Fastest Car was boring, campy and filled with manufactured drama.
Hyperdrive debuts on Aug. 21, but you can watch the trailer here.