We don't need any more contrived reality shows about building and selling classic cars. We need these.
10.) Hidden Camera Craigslist Car Buying
This would pretty much write itself, as reader superhappyfuntime can tell you:
"I think a television show that depicts people posing as potential buyers and going to inspect and drive Craigslist advertised cars while wearing hidden cameras would be more entertaining than 'Cops.' Just the few experiences I've had with Craigslist sellers showed me what a world of kooks and crazies we live in."
Maybe we can call it "Ran When Parked."
Suggested By: superhappyfuntime, Photo Credit: dave_7
9.) Pimp My Ride: Where Are They Now?
Who wouldn't want to see what has become of all the ridiculous cars from Pimp My Ride? McMike would ask the winners this:
"How long did you own the car after the show aired?
Did you ever use the crime lab in the trunk?
Where was it parked when it was stolen?
How much did you sell it for?
(if it's under a tarp on three flat tires) CAN I SEE IT???"
Suggested By: McMike, Photo Credit: MTV
8.) Jeff Zwart: Rally Hunter
Photographer, filmmaker, rally-driver, and Porsche fanatic Jeff Zwart is a bit of a hero around these parts, so we can all get behind the idea of a TV show where he seeks out the best drivers and roads in the world.
Suggested By: Gamecat235, Photo Credit: Porsche via YouTube
7.) Route 66 Reboot
Route 66 was one of the best car shows of the 1960's and Patrick Frawley rightly thinks it's due for a reboot:
"Redo 'Route 66,' with heavy doses of William Least Heat Moon's "Blue Highways" mixed in. Maybe in a Miata, maybe in something old and cool - convertible Mustang? Two friends from school out trying to find and experience the core of Americana from cities to small towns to reservations to vast spaces to hills and valleys before reality takes hold.
Every episode could be totally different; you'd never know what you'd get, but you'd know it would probably be good. And with a fair bit of car stuff - not as a droning constant, but as part of life, like it should be."
Suggested By: Patrick Frawley, Photo Credit: Sony Pictures Television
6.) Documentary Series About A Rally Team
The world of rally is one of the most fascinating yet least documented in all of racing, and that's well overdue for a change. 1BADSTI thinks there should be a show that follows a rally team over the course of a season, showing all the craziness they'd encounter.
Perhaps the show could follow Brakim Racing, the guys who are crazy enough to build a rally Gallardo.
Suggested By: 1BADSTI, Photo Credit: №8
5.) A Race Around The World
Reader Hermann had the brilliant idea of doing something like one of Top Gear's travel across a country special, but over the world:
"They're given a certain budget from the start. And every time they're going to cross a border, they have to sell their car, take the money, cross the border and buy another one. They can either sell their cars on the last town and hitch a ride across the border to the first town, or risk crossing the border with their car and trying to sell a it with a license plate from another country. Maybe the producers can top off with a little bit of money on every border cross (maybe give more money to the one who crosses first, or the inverse. But the one who crosses first gets something else)
That'd be extremely strategic because a certain car can be worth more on one side of the country than the other. And if they're lucky and smart they could end up with better cars than they started with.
They can group if they want and help each other. But it's still a race around the world. They can go any way they want, but they must cover certain check points in a certain order to complete the challenge."
Suggested By: Hermann, Photo Credit: BBC via YouTube
4.) The People Who Build Stunt & Movie Cars
We all love the big, fantastic car stunts in movies. Reader GR1M RACER : Wrong Most of the Time thought it'd be a good idea to make a show going behind the scenes:
"The place where cars for crashes, speed chases, hopped up rides come from to be in the movies. Some of the rides are the rolling camera rigs used to follow the action. Inside of prop cars, and Jump cars."
Plus, who doesn't like Cayenne Turbo camera rigs?
Suggested By: GR1M RACER : Wrong Most of the Time, Photo Credit: Porsche Purist via YouTube
3.) No Reservations, But With Cars
Reader Boleslav had the idea of doing something like Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations but it'd be about cars instead of food:
"Someone travels around the world diving into deep car cultures from other countries. High end, low end, everything. Racing. Resto. History. Countless stories that countless car-freaks would lap up all day long."
There's endless possibilities for this one.
Suggested By: Boleslav, Photo Credit: Travel Chanel
2.) Junkyard Restorations
Remember Junkyard Wars? RazoE had the idea of doing that, but more specifically with cars. It sounds like a hell of a good time:
" Premise: Three teams of 4 people each are given identical cars (with no engines) and a budget of $3000. They must then hit up a junkyard and purchase tons of misc. parts from other vehicles just in case.
The twist: They don't know what the challenge will be. Maybe they have to make a monster truck. Maybe they have to make an MPG monster, maybe they have to make a dragster, or maybe they have to enter a car-show.
The prize is $20,000.
I'd watch."
Suggested By: RazoE, Photo Credit: Rene Schwietzke
1.) A Show For Underrepresented Car Communities
Reader XYCromersome watches all the major car shows out there now, and he noticed a serious lack of diversity on them. He has an ingenious idea to rectify that, by making a show that highlights car communities that don't get highlighted nearly enough:
"I watch everything from Fast Lane Daily, to /Drive, to RCR and I never/hardly ever see any people of color. That isn't to say that the producers SHOULD ACTIVELY seek out minorities/women in their reviews or in their efforts but sometimes, it would be nice to get the opinion of others in the car buying public. Where are the black, latino, asian, middle eastern guys and ladies who thoroughly enjoy cars but don't get a chance to speak about them or what matters to THEM in car?
Case and point: People from my old neighborhood care more about the sound quality/comfort in cars than say, maybe the speed. Why do car reviews just hash over the sound systems in cars, nowadays? They will talk about the "brand" for 10 minutes but then just quickly mention that the car has a Harmon/Kardon stereo.
Or
I personally am not one for donks BUT I do very much appreciate the fact that they exist. it gives new life to old, crappy, american land yachts and forgotten cars from the past. It's an interesting, cool, and cheap way to have a UNIQUE car and car owning experience. Mini-trucks are the same way, some may not like them but I think they are cool and would watch an expose on who buys them and how they modify them.
I propose a Top Gear style show with a review segment (This is the new Hellcat, it's fast!), a "car corner" segment (BMW is coming out with a new X6, and it's hideous), and a culture segment (Here is Mable and George, and their new Scion xB/ Mark & Rashad, owners of "Donks Unlimited"), only you bend it more towards youths, middle class minorities, and women. I would watch the shit out of that."
I think the automotive world needs a show like this.
Suggested By: XYCromersome, Photo Credit: Phillip Pessar
Welcome back to Answers of the Day - our daily Jalopnik feature where we take the best ten responses from the previous day's Question of the Day and shine it up to show off. It's by you and for you, the Jalopnik readers. Enjoy!
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