BBC denies rigging Top Gear race

[jim]

BBC denies rigging Top Gear Tesla Roadster car race

Is it just me, or does this make no sense at all?

Tesla are suing the BBC, on the basis that whilst Clarkson claimed "Although Tesla say it'll do 200 miles, we worked out that on our track it would run out after just 55 miles", it was only because the car was "driven aggressively" that the distance dropped.

Surely the words "on our track" make it fairly flaming obvious that it was because the car was being drive aggressively - how else would you drive a car on a track?

It appears that their main complaint is that they showed it running out of electricity whilst racing a Lotus Elise. Now, on the basis that Top Gear found the limit to be about 55 miles, and it was probably going faster than that on average, it couldn't have lasted more than an hour on a single charge. Is it really that shocking that it ran out of electricity whilst they were filming, on the basis that they could only have had 2 hours (two cars were there) in which to film the entire segment.

I'm not here to blindly defend Top Gear, I'm more gobsmacked at how pathetic the argument of Tesla is, and how that's enough to sue somebody with. Top Gear, when it's not an entertainment show, is a consumer review. Everything that happened during that programme is perfectly conceivable, but there still has to be a huge post-mortem because Tesla are unhappy at the results. That's how I read it at least.

[usxhe190]

I wouldn't rely on a Top Gear testing on any cars anyways.

It's all fake and made-up anyways.

[roachcoach]

I'd loooooove to be in court for that one.

Lawyer: "They drove out sports car fast!"
Judge: "Your what?"
Lawyer: "Sports car"
Judge: "One more time?"
Lawyer: "Sports car"
Judge: "Piss off"


I wonder if the EU guidelines they follow are the same ones that claim a Focus ST can get 40mpg lol

Edit: Probably the tests that MPG go through for equality sakes and if it is those aren't entirely realistic driving scenarios for more, iirc in their motorway part it takes 50ish seconds to get to 60mph. As you say, track driving might be a touch more enthusiastic.

[HSK]

I dislike top gear, but still watch it.

As mentioned before, I wouldn't take anything there as much of a review... It's the BBC spending budget on far locations, loads of post production, film sound tracks for atmosphere, and for the shiny sexy cars that 3 middle aged dudes get paid to drive around.

[kalniel]

Have they only just discovered Dave or something?

[j.o.s.h.1408]

must be!

[Steve]

When all else fails... litigate!

[chadders]

I agree whole heartedly with the action, Top Gear ruined my decision to buy a Renault Espace and make it a convertible, and my plans to assault France with a fleet of VW camper van / barges have been scuppered.... damn them.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

It must have taken Tesla nearly three years to charge themselves up for the case!

[finlay666]

It must have taken Tesla nearly three years to charge themselves up for the case!

This post sparked my interest

[Dareos]

you two just drained the life out of this thread

[finlay666]

you two just drained the life out of this thread

We did go full charge at it but quickly ran out of energy

[DennisMenace]

"Top Gear, when it's not an entertainment show, is a consumer review."

I must have missed that 30 second segment.


I'm sure it's possible to be entertaining and informative, but Top Gear is entirely focused on the former (if you can call old geezers denigrating the environment/France/women etc "entertainment"). Bring back William Woollard and Raymond Baxter!

[jim]

"Top Gear, when it's not an entertainment show, is a consumer review."

I must have missed that 30 second segment.


I'm sure it's possible to be entertaining and informative, but Top Gear is entirely focused on the former (if you can call old geezers denigrating the environment/France/women etc "entertainment"). Bring back William Woollard and Raymond Baxter!

Really? I know it's all the rage these days to deride is as an entertainment show, but they do spend a considerable length of time, albeit less than earlier series, reviewing cars to some extent.

Certainly that's what they were doing with the Tesla, anyway.

[Rave]

It's a stupid show. If I was actually paying for it through my licence fee I would strongly object, but I believe that it pays for itself (possibly many times over) through sales of the original show abroad, and licensing rights for foreign versions.

So now I just suck it up when it annoys me. Occasionally they do something so great (like, say, Clarkson's 12' tall Citroen CX campervan) that I temporarily forgive them.

Edit- but why it's still presented by three blokes is beyond me. I think it'd be an immeasurably better show if they had, say, Vicky Butler-Henderson onboard. She's probably a better driver than all of them.

[aidanjt]

I don't. Most of the entertainment value of Top Gear is that it's presented by 3 bloody great big plonkers.