Tesla Sets The Record Straight On Top Gear's "Mischaracterizations"

Tesla Sets The Record Straight On Top Gear's
For the record: Thanks to The Stig's impressive turn behind the wheel, the Tesla Roadster gets a higher ranking in Top Gear's performance board than a Porsche 911 GT3. Jeremy Clarkson, a die-hard "petrol head" with a clear bias against green cars generally, said that it must be "snowing in hell" because he had such a great time driving the Roadster and now considers himself a "volt head" thanks to the Roadster's amazing performance. This is amazingly high praise from Clarkson, whose entire schtick is to savage even his most beloved petrol-guzzling sports cars.

However, I would like to clarify a couple things. Never at any time did Clarkson or any of the Top Gear drivers run out of charge. In fact, they never got below 20 percent charge in either car; they never had to push a car off the track because of lack of charge or a fault. (It's unclear why they were pushing one into a garage in the video; I'll refrain from speculating about their motives.)

The "brake failure" Clarkson mentions was solely a blown fuse; a service technician replaced the Roadster's pump and it was back up and running immediately. They were never without a car, and the Top Gear testing did not put the Roadster's reliability or safety in question whatsoever. Again, I'm going to leave out comments as to why the good folks at Top Gear might have mischaracterized the blown fuse as a brake failure, which is was decidedly not.

I am also unclear as to why Clarkson said it took 16 hours to recharge the Roadster without qualifying that statement at all. The vast majority of people who have taken delivery of their Roadsters (and there are more than 100 of them now) have much faster systems that recharge from dead to full in as little as 3.5 hours.
Read Article

SanJoseDriverSanJoseDriver - 12/19/2008 3:41:35 PM
+1 Boost
It takes 16 hours to recharge if you plug it into a regular outlet.


DinamoRDinamoR - 12/19/2008 6:53:08 PM
+1 Boost
that should change very fast. Lightning GT will have lithium titanate batteries that will recharge in 10 minutes


t_bonet_bone - 12/19/2008 4:21:09 PM
+2 Boost
Darn. YouTube pulled the video pretty quick. Any other sources anyone?


veyron1001veyron1001 - 12/19/2008 4:26:03 PM
0 Boost
streetfire.net
type top gear in search bar
look for season 12 ep 7


t_bonet_bone - 12/19/2008 6:41:45 PM
+2 Boost
Thanks veyron. Here's the direct link:
http://videos.streetfire.net/video/Top-Gear-Season-12-7-Part_205737.htm

The link Runamukk posted below before the Stig part.


RunamukkRunamukk - 12/19/2008 4:29:33 PM
+1 Boost
heres a vid

http://techblips.dailyradar.com/video/tesla_roadster_reviewed_and_put_on_topgear_track/


truckmantruckman - 12/19/2008 5:12:42 PM
+3 Boost
This is a new car and still has to work out a few bugs, I like PML's flagship better, This Tesla car needs a generator!


supermotosupermoto - 12/19/2008 5:45:20 PM
+2 Boost
And how many tens of thousands do replacement batteries cost?


FerrarisR4meFerrarisR4me - 12/19/2008 5:45:24 PM
+2 Boost
Tesla is about to sue the shit out of Top Gear. They sound pissed.


truckmantruckman - 12/19/2008 10:11:05 PM
+1 Boost
Top gear just stated the facts, Lets hope that they put the money into fixing it instead of giving money to lawyers. I am a fan of electric cars, they just have to get those new lighter longer lasting batteries they have been talking about, then it will out handle it's gas twin with way more power.


neutralneutral - 12/20/2008 1:18:30 AM
+1 Boost
Tough for Tesla,

I never saw anyone being upset about the myths and BS about the Big3 that were blabbered in congress. That obviously hurt sales....

Tesla,

Welcome to the big leagues.


Clarkson is an arrogant, anti-environmentalist & stubborn individual... what did Tesla expect?


DinamoRDinamoR - 12/19/2008 6:55:17 PM
+2 Boost
we don't need to change the minds of old farts like clarkson. I remember reading about how when cars came around 100 years ago there were people saying "cars are a joke" and that "horses will always be human transportation" LOL

these old people just don't like anything new and have a hard time letting go of what they are used to. but its OK. they're old. they'll be dead soon. who cares what they think.


DinamoRDinamoR - 12/19/2008 7:43:54 PM
0 Boost
I have no respect for TopGear anymore. They lied and faked the show. They abviously hold the interests of the oil companies above the interests of the people and the world


truckmantruckman - 12/19/2008 10:16:18 PM
+1 Boost
Where did they fake the show? They ran out of battery power and blew a fuse for the brakes? Enlighten us all, maybe I missed something? Clarkson didn't sound to enthused about the car other than the gobs of torque, it sure smoked its corolla powered twin in acceleration.


DinamoRDinamoR - 12/19/2008 10:30:01 PM
+2 Boost
oh please, clarkson is a total moron. He might as well come out and say that Putin and saudi arabia are paying him.

Tesla runs out of power. he says it takes 16 hours to charge up (takes 3.5 and after daily driving for most people 45 min are enough) then he has to say that electricity comes from dirty burning coal, and offcourse he has to include a shot of a wind generator he says does not work (in the full video)

what a crock of S#!T. Clarkson reviewing an electric car is like KKK reviewing a rap album


DinamoRDinamoR - 12/19/2008 10:31:01 PM
+1 Boost
oh, and that "corolla power twin" is faster 0-60 than a BMW M3


truckmantruckman - 12/20/2008 1:46:19 AM
+4 Boost
Lol, the comparison of the Clarkson reviewing an electric car is like kkk reviewing a rap album! lol that was priceless! You are right he did bash electric power when I saw the full video, I still like him, I give will him the benefit of the doubt that he is just uninformed on electric vehicles, he does have some good points on coal burning power plants,if your community is powered by a coal plant. And as much as I would love a wind generator, the wind doesn't blow all the time everywhere.Clarkson was definitely biased against an all electric vehicle.Maybe he is on the Saudi payroll? I can't wait until the future electric cars are on his top 20 stig times, he will have to swallow his pride, and it will happen!


tesla311tesla311 - 12/19/2008 7:57:21 PM
+1 Boost
tesla ftw


chewychewy - 12/19/2008 11:35:06 PM
+1 Boost
Road & Track actually tested the Tesla.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/assets/download/0209_tesla_datapanel.pdf

0-60 in 4 seconds and 12.7 second quarter mile @ 105.3 mph.

It has 950 pounds of batteries that according to Road & Track's spirited driving are only good for 132 miles.

However, the bateries contain the energy of about 2 gallons of gas. Giving it over 60 mpg equivalent.

Pretty impressive. But I still don't see them making a 60,000 family sedan.
Copyright 2026 AutoSpies.com, LLC