On entering the Shard from London Bridge station, visitors are immediately treated to a glimpse of British humour.

BBC: Sky high at London��s Shard

Howard Jacobson's on British humour could have been written in ten minutes and Simon Heffer's on Oxbridge is a dull rant.

ECONOMIST: Britishness

Luckily, comedians Matt Lucas, better known as George Dawes, and David Lucas provided some humour when they dressed as Charlotte Church and Eminem to present the prize for best British male.

BBC: Reality check among safe Brits thrills

But Top Gear has been reincarnated in the US without any of its British presenters - Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May - whose laddish antics and irreverent humour are such a big part of its appeal.

BBC: Top Gear USA: Will it work without Jeremy Clarkson?