It has all the fast cars, banter and challenges of the original ... but there was something missing.

I'm talking about the local version of Top Gear (SBS, Monday 7.30pm).

From what I could tell is that the producers were trying everything they could to make sure the Aussie version was as similar to the British counterpart as possible.

There's the music, the set, the celebrity laps (Vince Colosimo was an ideal choice first up), even The Stig. Substitute Jeremy Clarkson for Charlie Cox, Richard Hammond for Steve Pizzati and James ``Captain Slow'' May for Warren Brown.

Cox does have elements of Clarkson's hosting style (remembering he has spent many years commentating motorsport on the BBC), but as hard has he tried, he's just not the same.

Saying that, the show isn't bad.

It's about time we had a decent motoring show on TV. Apart from attempts buried on Sunday afternoons, there hasn't been one for years.

The debut show had the obligatory challenge, testing out four-wheel-drive, it was fun to see the hosts drive the life out of the vehicles in the sand dunes and on the icy roads.

Brown also showed off his drawing skills before the shark bait challenge (he is a newspaper cartoonist).

The version is a good imitation of the originial, but more work needs to be done to give it a unique Aussie touch.

That should start next week when the team puts Fords and Holdens head-to-head.

What did you think of Top Gear Australia?