SET YOUR MOTOR RUNNING - "TOP GEAR" SEASON 17 REVS UP FOR ITS U.S. PREMIERE ON BBC AMERICA

This August, fans of Top Gear will be purring with contentment when BBC AMERICA brings the U.S. premiere of the world's biggest car show back for its 17th season. Hosts Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond return with witty and unabashedly honest commentary on the latest auto releases, and will no doubt be getting themselves - and each other - into trouble with new challenges, stunts and special features. The 'Boys' will test everything from the Aston Martin to electric powered cars and fulfill a lifetime dream of riding around the Monaco Grand Prix circuit. Bob Geldof, comedian Rowan Atkinson and Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel are just some of the guests taking part in 'The Star in a Reasonably Priced Car'. Top Gear premieres Monday, August 22, 9:00pm ET/PT.

In the new season, Clarkson celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Jaguar E-type by driving a modern, $800,000 interpretation of this classic sports car before putting on a typically low key birthday party involving live music, classic fighter planes and a group of Royal Marines. The 'Boys' take a trip to Italy to try out station wagons around the winding roads of Italy, before moving on to the Grand Prix circuit of Monaco.

Other features in the new season include the hosts comparing second hand bargains with Britain's cheapest brand new car, the Nissan Pixo. James May gets to test the durability of the Range Rover Evoque by driving it through California's Death Valley, before testing it for luxury by turning up to Las Vegas with a megastar - but is it really Cher? Season 17 also sees the team attempt to make train travel cheaper, faster and more interesting with a hare-brained scheme involving camper vans and a specially modified car, as well as a trip to the beach in a couple of electric cars.

BBC AMERICA delivers U.S. audiences high-quality, innovative and intelligent programming. Established in 1998, it has been the launch pad for talent embraced by American mainstream pop culture, including Ricky Gervais, Gordon Ramsay, Graham Norton, and successful programming formats including ground-breaking non-scripted television like Top Gear and top-rated science-fiction like Doctor Who. Owned by BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, BBC AMERICA has attracted both critical acclaim and major awards including an Emmy, four Golden Globes and ten Peabody Awards. The channel attracts one of cable's most affluent and educated audiences and is available on digital cable and satellite TV in more than 68 million homes. It broadcasts in both standard and high-definition, with content available On Demand across all major digital platforms. Online, www.bbcamerica.com is the place to go to dig deeper into pop culture with a British twist.

CAST AND PRODUCTION CREDITS

Presenters Jeremy Clarkson (Clarkson, Speed, Jeremy Clarkson: Greatest Raid of All Time)

Richard Hammond (Blast Lab, Engineering Connections, Petrolheads)

James May (James May on the Moon, James May at the Edge of Space, Top Toys)

Executive Producer Andy Wilman (Jeremy Clarkson: Greatest Raid of All Time, Speed)