LOCAL television series, Test Drive Auto Show, returned on Monday after a three-year break.

Peter Lewis, executive producer, promises that the second season will be even more spectacular than the last as the heart of the eight-episode run features two teams going head-to-head for a grand prize of one million dollars as they attempt to each build a car.

“The original aim of Test Drive Auto Show, to inform and educate viewers on things automotive remains, but this season we will show Jamaica that our local automotive tradesmen have world-class skills,” Lewis told Auto.

Taking up the competition are Wilmotorsports and Jamaica Tuner Magazine (JTM). Off-road specialists Wilmotorsports, led by Nigel Wilmot, have opted to turn their skills towards a 1972 VW Bug.

“I went for the VW Bug because Wilmotorsports has always been a bit different. We’re going to turn it into a nice clean ride,” Wilmot said.

JTM has long been a part of the local Japanese an

tuning scene, so it was little surprise when their head honcho Denton Lewis went for a 1994 Honda Civic, a virtual icon among import tuner aficionados.

“It’s a challenge because the car was in a horrible state, but we’re moving forward to restore the Civic to its glory days,” he said.

At the end of the season, one lucky person could take home the winning car.

With the premiere episode in the bag, Lewis says the feedback has been positive from the comments on the show’s social media channels, where the show is also available to be viewed.

“People like the show, the concept behind it, and the way its been edited,” he said.

Lewis explained that the genesis of the Test Drive Auto Show came out of his own experience a few years ago when shopping for a car.

“It was a very bad experience. I realised that there weren’t any resources for car buyers, so Test Drive Auto Show was created to provide such information.”

In its first season, the focus of the show was basic automotive maintenance and car reviews, but the decision was made to revamp the programme with a more youthful appeal for 2015 by embracing the racing and modification communities.

— Rory Daley