Highway Robbery: There’s a New MT Boss in Town

Welcome, tiny percentage ofMotorTrendreaders who actually read the editor's monthly musings! Man, are you in for a treat. You've probably already noticed something's different, not quite right. Or … is it so wrong that it couldn't bemoreright?

What tipped you off? My warm, gentlemanly greeting? Or was it my devil-may-care style of prose, tumbling gracefully like a figure skater whojustbroke a shin bone or two. Was that it?

Most likely, you looked at the photo above—or the cover of the July issue—saw my face, then screamed victoriously, like a bald eagle after gobbling up a delicious puppy. Then, in a high-pitched register, you called out to anyone within earshot: "The sportscaster dude fromAnchorman is the guest editor ofMotorTrendthis month?! F yeah!"

Yes and no. You're actually thinking of the other bald guy in funny movies, Dave Koechner. That's cool, we both get it a lot, and he is hilarious. But I'mactuallythe bald guy fromTop Gear America… orBallers?Hot Tub Time Machine? Whatever, it doesn't matter, anyway; just step into my custom van and help yourself to some hard candies, because we're gonna giveMotorTrendthe beans.

WhenMT'srealeditors asked me to man the helm, the first thing I said was, "Yes, please!" because my mother raised me right. The second thing I said was, "Dax Shepard said no, I guess?" That seemed to make them very uncomfortable, lots of throat clearing, etc. So, to clear the air, I got down to business.

My first demand was forcomplete and totalcontrol of my edition, right down to commissioning writers and doing the photo editing myself. They immediately came back with, "Absolutely not."

"Cool," was my reply. (I'm pretty awesome at negotiating.) "How much do I get paid?"

"Zero dollars."

"Hmmm …"

I let them sweat it out for a whole 10 minutes of silence before saying, "You folks have got yourselves a deal." And everyone left the negotiating table happy, feeling liketheywon, you know?

See All 27 Photos27

Now it was time to think about what I wanted to do with my edition. I didn't want it to feel anything like the gross examples of blatant self-promotion that usually pose as celebrity guest-editorships. So, I won't be telling you toWATCHTOP GEAR AMERICA, streaming NOW on the MotorTrend app!(Guys, make that last sentence look big and splashy, but not too over the top, you know? Ooooh, can you make it sparkly?! But subtle sparkly! No! Better idea … like a pop-up book!)

One thing is for sure: This will still be theMotorTrendyou look forward to every month.

On a more serious tip, Idolook forward to it. Very much so. There may be nothing I enjoy more than finding time to stretch out and read a good car mag (yes, even this monthly editor's note). It's a good time, guaranteed. Because while the universe of cars, driving cars, car parts, and parts of car parts is something inherently definable, it still manages to remain wildly subjective. Because we, the car enthusiasts, are as important as any tie rod or differential. A car still needs us to make it go (at least for now), and we can be an opinionated bunch, to say the least. So, reading a car magazine is always a collaborative experience—it's like an off-key sing-along!

A few old friends will join, friends you'll recognize from … I don't know, just abouteverythingcar-related? Firstly,Top Gear Americaproducer and prolific car journalist Derek Powell and I have a spirited, dare I saygame-changingback and forth on the subject ofTop Gear America:Behind the Scenes. All your questions finally get answered. Questions like:

• Is fellow co-host Dax Shepard from Detroit?
• Who writes the episodes?
• How do the writers feel when the hosts pee on their scripts and refuse to say anything the writers have worked so hard to write?
• What part of Detroit? Because I have a friend that lives off of 6 Mile Road … does Dax know Maureen?
• And of course, the big one: Who is the Stig …
• … Sleeping with these days? Also, what's the Stig's net worth and birth sign? And how many Stig children are there?

See All 27 Photos27

The truth is, as of this writing, Derek and I haven't had the chance to speak, so I have no idea what we'll talk about. But I'm looking forward to it. And I knownothingabout the Stig except to say I think I have a secret admirer.

Along the way, MT's resident racer Randy Pobst gives me some finer points about the art of performance driving. And myTop Gear Americaco-host and renowned auto scribe Jethro Bovingdon drives the Honda Civic Type R and compares it to the legendary Acura Integra Type R, a gorgeous example of which Honda delivered to us from its museum. Jethro wasn't allowed drive it more than 60 mph, which made him so mad, and nothing makes me laugh harder than a mad Jethro. I do him the honor of adding notes to his piece; I may even grade him, I haven't decided. Whatever makes him angriest.

Thanks for reading, and thanks toMotorTrendfor having me. This has been a fun experience that was simultaneously so stressful that what is left of my hair has turned snow white overnight. I look like a U.S. president three years into his second term, like, "North Korea is on the phoneagain?Myphone? Crap. Tell them I just got out of the shower or something."

Enjoy!

____________________

Go on more adventures with Rob Corddry and hisTop Gear Americaco-hosts Dax Shepard and Jethro Bovingdon, along with 8,000+ episodes of other hit car shows, only on the MotorTrend app.Sign up now for a weeklong free trial on us!