KEY POINTS:
In a motorway battle zone like Auckland where we struggle to get out of first gear, the fast-paced car comedy of Top Gear Live was what the capacity crowd of petrolheads desperately needed.
And despite the ASB Showgrounds arena being hotter than Satan's sauna, the refreshingly un-PC telly
show's overcooked fans lapped up the action.
The crowd, packed in like medium-to-well-done cattle, ranged from families to bogans, with everything in between, including a bloke Jeremy Clarkson singled out for looking like Jesus - a BMW driver, incidentally.
The big question was always going to be how the uber-popular Prime television show would translate to a live event. Especially without Captain Slow, James May, whose almost cowardly approach to motoring provides an easy contrast to Clarkson's ranting style and Richard Hammond's endless battle of wills with the boss.
Substituting May for local Holden hero Greg Murphy was an interesting move - did it work? Short answer: Yep.
Murph didn't quite fit into the effortless patter between the host duo with the same ease as Mr May, but with his Kiwi humour adding a local flavour to the mix, he more than pulled it off. The excuse for no May was that he had actually arrived in New Zealand but disappeared up K Road last night, then a shot of the absent host trussed up like a Hero Parade dancer cued up the first of many dubiously-levelled gay jokes.
Initially the TV origins didn't seem too far removed, with a bombardment of advertising for the beginning of the show, before building into more ads. But once Clarkson and Hammond made their entrance, and introduced Murph, it accelerated rapidly.
Handbrake-happy drivers showed just what could be done with a Suzuki Swift that didn't involve groceries; there was a three-way challenge between the hosts; and some mad French motorbike loons cut loose in a giant metal ball called The Colander of Death.
Don't panic, Suzukis weren't the only four-wheeled stars - a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder, Porsche GT2 and Mercedes-Benz CLK DTR were trotted out as the "Cool Wall" got the crowd involved. They were really pushed with the crazy Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car following.
A game of indoor car soccer with Murph and Hamster captaining the teams of three Swifts is something you don't see every day.
Then the Stig, who had reportedly been chasing sheep on his tea break, and who also may be a Kiwi, went nuts in a Lotus Exige-based racer for the 3D and pyro finale.
Top Gear Live is definitely worth the admission price - it's fast, funny and highly irreverent.
But a word to the wise for the next three days of the show: wear shorts and bring something cold.
