For those familiar with Fifth Gear, it's a welcomed alternative ... along with two-time BTCC champ Jason Plato and auto journalist Jonny Smith. Now word comes that the British enthusiast program ...

Nope, we're not talking about Top Gear, but it's cross-town rival Fifth Gear. The Channel 5 car show that picked up after the original Top Gear was canceled was itself the victim of cutbacks recently.

No radio, no sound-proofing and a 2ft gear shifter. The brakes make you think hard, and press hard. The huge unassisted bakelite steering wheel is only a bind in car parks. On the road it ...