The New 2011 Top Gear series is finally here thread - Page 6

PlantHead · #**101** 02.02.2011, 14:12

	Quote:	vwild1
	On CNN as well: Mexican anger over BBC 'feckless, lazy' claims

Slow news day....gotta fill that 24 hour news spot somehow.
I doubt they will apologise and the Mexican Ambassador just wants his 15 mins in the sun - under his hat asleep.

sensitivechap · #**102** 02.02.2011, 18:24

	Quote:	PaddyG
	I must say, I loved the battered old Transit with the XJ220 engine in the back . The look on Hamster's face was pricelss.

You mean the well-rehearsed look....

	Quote:
	I doubt they will apologise and the Mexican Ambassador just wants his 15 mins in the sun - under his hat asleep.

...just waking up every now and then to eat his refried sick..

#**103** 02.02.2011, 18:33

	Quote:	sensitivechap
	You mean the well-rehearsed look....

I agree, it had what I assume is a pressure gauge added on the dashboard for the turbos.

What was good is that the outside looked unadjusted and the suspension too. It was very stable all the way to what I assume was a very good speed.

Maybe the Hamster was unprepared for that. Now that I can believe.

higgybaby · #**104** 02.02.2011, 20:05

	Quote:	PaddyG
	I must say, I loved the battered old Transit with the XJ220 engine in the back . The look on Hamster's face was pricelss.

Yeah he's a great HAMmy actor. How did he get it to the starting line without noticing it was super souped up. He did look genuinely full of glee but how many takes did he have to go through.
Some of their humour really makes me cringe when you can see it's obviously a set up.
But most of it's good.

kevlegs · #**105** 02.02.2011, 21:08

	Quote:	higgybaby
	Yeah he's a great HAMmy actor. How did he get it to the starting line without noticing it was super souped up. He did look genuinely full of glee but how many takes did he have to go through. Some of their humour really makes me cringe when you can see it's obviously a set up. But most of it's good.

An assistant drove it to the line and then Hamster was called to the set.

sensitivechap · #**106** 03.02.2011, 09:06

	Quote:	higgybaby
	Yeah he's a great HAMmy actor. How did he get it to the starting line without noticing it was super souped up. He did look genuinely full of glee but how many takes did he have to go through. Some of their humour really makes me cringe when you can see it's obviously a set up. But most of it's good.

That's what I thought too. But agreed, most of it it's really good, albeit predictable.

	Quote:
	An assistant drove it to the line and then Hamster was called to the set.

A scenario all of us took into consideration, but don't you think it's a bit far fetched? Telly=fiction, nothing wrong with it particularly if it's a good programme like Top Gear, but I'd expect all of it to be rehearsed again and again..

kevlegs · #**107** 13.02.2011, 19:48

Tonights Top Gear has the new Zonda R and ....Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are on the show

lux_interior · #**108** 30.03.2011, 16:40

Looks like Tesla feel hard done by and that Top Gear is unfairly representing electric vehicles.

Tesla sues BBC's Top Gear for Defamation [The Register]

They've even got their own mini-site: Tesla vs Top Gear

Upthehatters2008 · #**109** 30.03.2011, 16:56

	Quote:	lux_interior
	Looks like Tesla feel hard done by and that Top Gear is unfairly representing electric vehicles. Tesla sues BBC's Top Gear for Defamation [The Register] They've even got their own mini-site: Tesla vs Top Gear

It's a shame really, I think they are both brilliant...

bigblue2 · #**110** 30.03.2011, 17:00

seems an odd thing to do really, by there own literature you have to drive the tesla, how shall we put this, ermm, slowly, in order to get the claimed range. driving it on a track quickly vastly reduces the range.

seems to me they are only doing it for some cheap publicity

Treverus · #**111** 30.03.2011, 17:00

	Quote:	Upthehatters2008
	It's a shame really, I think they are both brilliant...

To be honest: If Tesla's claims on the website are true - that top gear entirely staged the problems with the test cars - then I think they should sue as the test does harm their image and for sure their sales. Nobody expects Clarkson to be unbiased and objective, people actually watch to see his completely subjective opinion on cars... but at least I do expect them to not fake break-downs. That would be pretty unfair - unless it is the clear "entertainment part" of the show where they trash some 30 year old junk car...

grumpygit · #**112** 30.03.2011, 17:05

I reckon that between the telly programme and the magazine, they need to be pretty sure of their facts otherwise a lawsuit would be pretty simple. The show is of course very entertaining, it unfortunately caters to the general public rather than the genuine auto enthiusiast, but then it needs to make money. I for one record every single series.

Upthehatters2008 · #**113** 30.03.2011, 17:07

	Quote:	Treverus
	To be honest: If Tesla's claims on the website are true - that top gear entirely staged the problems with the test cars - then I think they should sue as the test does harm their image and for sure their sales. Nobody expects Clarkson to be unbiased and objective, people actually watch to see his completely subjective opinion on cars... but at least I do expect them to not fake break-downs. That would be pretty unfair - unless it is the clear "entertainment part" of the show where they trash some 30 year old junk car...

Point noted, but...

Top Gear never let the truth get in the way of a good story.
Half of their content is hyperbole and stretched imagination... They have a wide license with the BBC, their humor has survived the courts and protests before. But, if it were staged, the appeal will win, and again the BBC will half-heartedly apologize. God help Tesla then, the Top Gear Boys will rip into them quicker than an Allegro can rust. The taunts will linger and damage the Tesla brand methinks. Just how many potential buyers are die hard fans of Top Gear ? Are then any serious sports car enthusiasts that don't want to be one of the team ???

Fact is, the Tesla has no sound. The Top gear boys are petrol heads, V8/V12 boys. They like to hear their cars. It's a serious flaw in any electric sports car. It sounds , well, errmm, girly...

TalkingHorse · #**114** 30.03.2011, 17:55

I for one would have to ask why build a "sports car" that does not stand up to some "aggressive" driving. Granted track use is in the rare/never category for most buyers but even in today's increasingly "sensible" world surely it needs to have a bit of get up and go?

I saw one doing some PR event thing in London recently and it did look lovely though...

kevlegs · #**115** 30.03.2011, 18:09

BBC denies rigging Top Gear Tesla Roadster car race

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/12907367

Treverus · #**116** 30.03.2011, 18:42

	Quote:	kevlegs
	BBC denies rigging Top Gear Tesla Roadster car race http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/12907367

Ok... so it looks like Tesla is going for cheap PR? They say "any promotion is good promotion" but in this case I believe this might be wrong: Tesla has on their own website tons of blabla that they produce the only electric "supercar" (sic! I never considered a Lotus a "supercar" - more a sportscar...). They are boasting how fast it accelerates and generally pretend it is super sporty. And now they complain that top gear "drove it aggressively"?! Pleaaaase... admitting that the sports car cannot be driven in a sporty way will not help to sell Teslas at all.

Upthehatters2008 · #**117** 30.03.2011, 18:58

	Quote:	Treverus
	Ok... so it looks like Tesla is going for cheap PR? They say "any promotion is good promotion" but in this case I believe this might be wrong: Tesla has on their own website tons of blabla that they produce the only electric "supercar" (sic! I never considered a Lotus a "supercar" - more a sportscar...). They are boasting how fast it accelerates and generally pretend it is super sporty. And now they complain that top gear "drove it aggressively"?! Pleaaaase... admitting that the sports car cannot be driven in a sporty way will not help to sell Teslas at all.

There was a time when a car was a sportscar if it had two seats and if it could do 0-60 in less than 8 seconds, this became 7 seconds is generally to be less than 6 seconds nowadays. Anything less than 4 could be considered 'exotic'.

I don't know what makes a car a supercar...

According to Wiki, the Tesla fulfills the main criteria.

"Supercar is a term used most often to describe an expensive high end car. It has been defined specifically as "a very expensive, fast or powerful car".[1] Stated in more general terms: "it must be very fast, with sporting handling to match," "it should be sleek and eye-catching" and its price should be "one in a rarefied atmosphere of its own".[2] However, the proper application of the term is subjective and disputed, especially among enthusiasts. So-called vehicles are typically out of the ordinary and are marketed by automakers to be perceived by the public as unusual"

Vancouverite · #**118** 30.03.2011, 21:20

i have to see what happened on that top gear, but I really hope Tesla takes off.
the Model S is just down right sexy and one of the only 4 doors I wouldn't mind owning

higgybaby · #**119** 30.03.2011, 22:07

I guess as a pulling car the Tesla might rank top.
"Can I drive you home?"
"Yes."
"We're here. Do you mind I recharge my car?"
"Sure."
"It will have to charge overnight to get me home again!"

Treverus · #**120** 30.03.2011, 23:01

	Quote:	Vancouverite
	i have to see what happened on that top gear

I actually think their report was very fair: Clarkson is very positive about the performance, they made nice pictures, talk on how cheap it is to refill.... and their discussion on the downsides is nothing but fair: We all know that our energy comes from nuclear power stations - something Tesla doesn't like to talk about.... and I do not see why top gear would pretend the cars to break down.

How does this work?