Top Gear Trio Get Streaming Show on Amazon Prime, Starts 2016

The deal means that the hosts have a venue for their automotive adventures and to do outlandish reviews for three upcoming seasons. Longtime Top Gear producer Andy Wilman is also taking the reins of the new show. While nothing is known about the actual format for the project, "our approach is to give program makers creative freedom to be innovative and make the shows they want to make, " Jay Marine, vice president of Amazon Prime Video EU, said in the announcement.

"I feel like I've climbed out of a bi-plane and into a spaceship," Clarkson said in the release, taking a dig at his former employer. In the UK, Amazon already has a page promoting the new show and is using it to convince people to sign up for Prime there. The company clearly expects this to be one of its bigger offerings. The decision to opt for Amazon does come as a slight surprise, though. While the trio has been dropping hints a new project is on the way, speculation mainly pointed to Netflix as the favorite.

The trio's streaming show is going up against the re-booted Top Gear on television. We already know that Chris Evans is the main host there. The rest of the presenters aren't officially known yet, but the latest rumors suggest that Jenson Button might have a role.