Hosted by UK car journalists Tom ''Wookie'' Ford and Jonny Smith, who are ''best mates back home'', it is a nine-episode, ultimate car construction and challenge competition.
Filmed over 16 weeks on the west coast of the United States, it features weekly shows in which the pair work as rival team captains, each accompanied by a team of two fellow car enthusiasts/petrol heads.
They have 24 hours to mutate, supersize or reconstruct ordinary vehicles and engage in competitive stunt challenges that are perilous, ridiculous and, at times, hilarious.
There is a different theme for each episode, with cop cars, extreme off-roaders, spy cars, carlympics, ultimate delivery vehicles, demolition vehicles and carmageddon just some of the wacky briefs for the teams to work to.
Once the teams have their machines fixed up and ready to race, the adventures unfold in a series of three stunt challenges.
Both team members and the hosts get a chance to drive in these capers.
The twist to Mud Sweat and Gears is that both creations do not get to live happily ever after, as the losing team has to watch while their lovingly-crafted vehicle is dramatically destroyed.
The vehicles were sourced by Ford and Smith and were generally ''old but not too old - '80s rubbish cars'', Ford, who is an associate editor of BBC TopGear Magazine, said.
Despite the short relationships with the cars - they genuinely only had a day to transform them into whatever the theme was that week - their demise was much mourned, Smith said.
''It was quite emotional. You put your heart and soul into a car which started life as a piece of crap. You get friendly with the people you are working with and put it through hell in the challenges.
"Then in some cases we would have to get rid of the car. There were tears genuinely shed. We have literally made grown men cry.''
It was the people who really made the show for the two presenters.
They put the word out they were scouting for teams on car forums and through local racing series and found gold on many instances, Ford said.
''To be honest the best thing about the series was meeting the people. Everyone had a good car story to tell.''
Ford and Smith have a genuine camaraderie and live in the same village in England.
Ford has won awards for his seven-year stint as host on UK motoring TV show Fifth Gear, been the road test editor of British auto mag CAR Magazine and been a regular contributor to the Sunday Times motoring section.
Smith has been a motoring journalist since 1998, driving and writing about new, classic and custom vehicles.
He also has been a television presenter, working predominantly around cars or major engineering subject matter.
Interviewing them by telephone, this writer was almost reduced to crying with laughter as they finished each other's sentences, ridiculed each other ferociously and punctuated their answers with uproarious chuckles.
Remind you of any other popular car show presenter combinations?
Tune in to Mud, Sweat and Gears to see for yourself.
• Mud Sweat and Gears screens on Monday nights at 8.30pm on BBC Knowledge.
