A SECOND series of motoring TV show Top Gear Australia

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A SECOND series of motoring TV show Top Gear Australia is already in the pipeline after its premiere won over audiences.

About 933,000 viewers around the country watched the debut last night, giving SBS its highest ratings for a locally produced television program ever.

SBS head of TV Matt Campbell admitted he was disappointed not to crack the one million mark, but was still happy with the figures, which were higher than any season premiere of the British original.

"It was always going to be a tough call but to come in better than the UK series is quite an achievement," Mr Campbell said.

A second series is now being planned, he said.

"We're in discussions now. We'd like to roll on, obviously, from a production perspective," Mr Campbell said.

"It's been a big challenge. Series two will be a much better series. It always is because you learn so much in the first one."

Last night's episode featured a guest appearance from Australian actor Vince Colosimo and new cars tested such as the Lotus Elise, Nissan GTR, Porsche 911 PDK.

Despite the fact the series came third in its timeslot behind Seven's Border Security and Nine's US hit Two And a Half Men, media experts applauded it as a success, especially after it beat Australian Idol on Ten.

Leading media buyer Harold Mitchell said "it's got a very strong and large following which will continue" while Vincent O'Donnell from Melbourne's RMIT University said the figures were "really encouraging".

O'Donnell said its success would lay with whether hosts Warren Brown, Charlie Cox and Steve Pizzati could keep differentiating themselves from the British hosts – as well as win over females.

"The test of the Australian program will be, will it repeat the success of the British program of getting a large female demographic, because in this case, Australian automotive advertisers are going to love it," O'Donnell said.

Campbell said he hoped to crack the one million mark next week with it's Ford vs Holden stand-off and guest appearance from actor Steve Bisley.

"If that doesn't bring in the petrol heads, then there's something wrong," he said.

He also announced actor Jack Thompson would guest star later in the series.

The Australian version is the first outside Britain.