Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell have the best relationship and the pair are consistently transparent about their loving dynamic. So, when an episode of Shepard’s series, Top Gear America aired its third episode, “Future Classic,” featuring a mural with an illustration of Bell at the feet of her husband lampooning a ’70s movie, the reality TV star and actor admitted most wittingly that she “wasn’t thrilled” about the depiction. While chatting with PopCulture.com for an exclusive about the series co-hosted by Rob Corddry and Jethro Bovington, Shepard provided some background on the mural that has fans still talking.
While discussing the first three episodes and bringing Top Gear back to the United States, Shepard explained that Chuck Norris was the inspiration behind the painting and shot down the notion that the design was referencing Bell’s film Fanboys, which also featured a similar mural. “[The van] was inspired by Breaker Breaker, a Chuck Norris movie,” Shepard told PopCulture. “I’ve always loved those ’70s muraled up vans. I’ve wanted one. And my wife is pretty adamant that’s the one vehicle she doesn’t want in our driveway. But she wasn’t thrilled with the level of ‘female empowerment’ that was depicted in that mural. Understandably. And my kind of excuse was we had to honor the era in which this was popular. It didn’t fly.”
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While the mural’s design wasn’t a hit, it provided a unique viewing experience for Top Gear America fans. Shepard’s van bounced across the Arizona wilderness while trying to keep up with Bovingdon’s custom Nissan 350z and Corddry’s Toyota 4Runner. Achieving this goal was not simple considering that Shepard’s van also featured a water bed that weighed him down while driving up steep inclines.
Ultimately, the waterbed became too much of an issue for Shepard. He had to shed some weight, so he turned to his co-host. Corddry took out a massive Bowie knife and cut open the bed like it was the dragon on the side of the van.
Three episodes in, Top Gear America, has put the trio of hosts in unique situations. They tried overlanding in custom vehicles, raced brand-new cars worth a considerable amount of money and attempted to find odd vehicles that will become collector’s items in the future. They have also dealt with a few breakdowns in the process.
Top Gear America is available exclusively on the MotorTrend app, with new episodes releasing each Friday. The cost of MotorTrend OnDemand is $4.99 per month or $49.99 for a year subscription. Paying for the service provides an ad-free experience and early access to popular shows, as well as the entire run of the British Top Gear. The MotorTrend app is available on Apple TV, Roku Box, Google Chromecast, Xbox, and Amazon Fire TV.
