Clarkson fires back over Top Gear/Tesla controversy
Click above to watch Top Gear's review of the Tesla Roadster after the jump
Extending the controversy between Tesla Motors and Top Gear even further, Jeremy Clarkson has offered his own opinion regarding the issues of the Roadster's battery capacity and brake failure while being run 'round the Top Gear test track. Remember that the BBC already admitted that neither of its test cars actually ran out of juice, suggesting that the scene was filmed to show what would happen if it actually had. Clarkson's comments don't quite jive with that assessment, though, as he says, "We never said once that the car had run out of power. The car had to be pushed into the warehouse because you are not allowed to drive cars into a building. We calculated that it would have run out of power after 53 miles but they can't argue with that because that is a fact."
One area on which we agree with Clarkson is that it doesn't matter why the Roadster's brakes failed. Clarkson says, "Nobody gives a flying **** how the brakes failed. Whether it was a blown fuse or not, they were still not working." On the other hand, whether the now infamous scene of the electric car being pushed into a garage was to show what would happen in the event of a drained battery or because Clarkson wasn't allowed to drive it into the building (seriously, when did that ever stop them?), that image is now indelibly etched into the minds of Top Gear fans, for better or for worse. Thanks for the tip, Doug!
[Source: Telegraph]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
BrianM 10:10PM (12/25/2008)
I am by no means a hippie greenie type, but seriously wasn't it just one episode earlier they had a chase through a mall with a focus and corvette?
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Noidor 10:26PM (12/25/2008)
I'm sure that if we were to study UKs BS laws, we'd find the difference between driving into a building or not. But two things to keep in mind which a lot of STUPID people have NOT mentioned:
1) What would have been the total mileage driven had the Tesla been completely run out of juice?
2) Brakes failed - that's all there is to it. When this story initially broke, why didn't anyone say what Clarkson just mentioned, which is, if end result is a brake failure, what difference does it make what the culprit was?!
So I really don't see how TG or Clarkson somehow intentionally manipulated the scene here. It is absolutely moronic to suggest that it's their prejudice against electric cars that led to this, or that TG is purely an entertainment show which is not to be trusted. People are just really really really pathetically dumb.
Tesla has no credibility, they lie and manipulate, and then manipulate some more. They fired the only people at the top who really cared about the project, and did not want to release an unfinished, far from perfect car onto the market.
They sued Fisker because of him supposedly stealing technology, they tried to maintain the halo of "We're #1 getting to the market" and embarrassingly lost in courts. Now they have a 92k electric powered Elise, and no one is interested in buying it other than the thick skulled celebrities like George Clooney.
Damn it, but people are dumb, and not just on this, but stupidity is prevailing. Almost like living in that "Idiocracy" movie.
Aniec 2:37AM (12/26/2008)
It's a Fiesta actually, not Focus
Tony2X 11:16PM (12/25/2008)
It was a Fiesta and a Corvette.
tankd0g 2:07AM (12/26/2008)
Perhaps they are not allowed to drive into that hangar because it contains fuel? The BBC does not own the "Top Gear Base", they merely rent space at Dunsfold Park which is an operational airfield and business park.
Temple 9:38AM (12/26/2008)
I would you falsely represent the Tesla running out of power, all they need to do is drive it a mere 53 miles if that's what they expect (should be a trivial undertaking considering what else they do on the show). If it lasts longer or shorter they can report it like they really should, no need to lie or fake it.
Also, why push it into a building and present that like a failure on the vehicle's part when in fact it wasn't. You could easily explain it or edit the scene out.
This whole TopGear-Gate just shows how staged the show is. All the show is just fake theatrics, storylines written up just to fool the audience into thinking things are more dramatic then they really are.
hawkeyePilot 10:10PM (12/25/2008)
Jeremy is still the man. no matter what.
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Flashpoint 11:23PM (12/25/2008)
Clarkson is a personality. Frankly, I like alot he has to say as well as the flow of his video reviews. But, when he spits unnescessary venom at certain cars or pushes his point of view, many people are turned off by it.
For example, he talks about how bad American cars are when driving the SRT8. I totally disagree with him. I love the steering and I love the interior for its time - especially considering the low cost.
He always praises Italian cars and claims the Phantom was rubbish because it was engineered byu the Germans. Isn't that a little xenophobic?
Khanh 11:40PM (12/25/2008)
Flashpoint,
I have no idea what you are going on about, Clarkson admitted himself that the Phantom is an excellent car and that he would love to own one and the only reason he doesn't have one is because his wife would never allow him to purchase one.
Brett- BMW Advo 10:16PM (12/25/2008)
Top Gear feature or not. I would never buy a Telsa... Not interested in plugging in my car!
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chconline 10:21AM (12/26/2008)
But spend time at the gas station? :P
MachinaDC5 9:06PM (12/26/2008)
Agreed with not buying a Tesla Roadster. I'd buy an electric or alternative fuel car, but I would not buy a Tesla Roadster. It's everything an Elise isn't... No matter what fuel it's on, it isn't a very good performer, especially for the money.
Sure, it's nice that it doesn't directly use petrol to run, but come on, it's not really a great car, it never was. When Tesla first released the specs on it everybody sighed. Read any roadtest with the Roadster and you'll see that it really isn't very great.
Tesla clearly just got mad that their turd was slightly differently represented from what they wanted. I'd have to say they're just being crybabies for not knowing what Top Gear is...
Raymond 10:16PM (12/25/2008)
I guess getting chased by baddies in a Corvette through a shopping center and driving a Peel P50 through the BBC offices don't count as driving cars into a building... :)
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JHT 10:26PM (12/25/2008)
It's not like Top Gear had any real credibility with their reviews anyways.
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Fatima 10:28PM (12/25/2008)
Autoblog is making a big deal about a whole lot of nothing
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JustanotherSW 10:27PM (12/25/2008)
Nice attempt at a spin job there. They deliberately shot that scene of pushing the car into the building to make it look like it ran outta juice. Jeremy, you're still a douche.
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tankd0g 2:07AM (12/26/2008)
It did. These cars are not nuclear powered.
The Doctor 10:39PM (12/25/2008)
Why does it matter whether the shot of the car being pushed into the hanger was staged or not? They would have had exactly the same shot if they'd spent more time driving the car unless people are claiming that TG couldn't have possibly emptied the Tesla's batteries by driving round the track.
Anyone who moans about such things obviously has no comprehension of how television production works.
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Noidor 10:42PM (12/25/2008)
Hey ignorance is bliss, and if you look at posts ripping TG, it'll become obvious how goofballs behind these posts have zero ability to reason.
Tony2X 11:51PM (12/25/2008)
Doctor who?