Car Companies outraged at Top Gear AU

TomCat said:
They tend not to damage press cars. They have had a few genuine accidents, but that's about it. The VW's and Toyota's they played soccer with showed up in later episodes, so they probably weren't press cars either.
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For the original idea, I remember James saying on a radio interview that Toyota called them up, asking if they wanted to do something with 8 Agyos. The producers called back saying "Yeah, that'll be great, but can we have 10?" :lol:
 
I remember a quote from Jeremy about some small (Korean??) car that they crashed on the way to filming. They apologized to the company owner (or whoever was running the company) and he said, "Don't worry, we make one every 15 seconds!" :p
 
Honestly, when I saw the one guy JUMP that soft-roader over the sand dune, I started wondering how much damage estimate would be before he hit the ground. There are accidents, and there is carelessness. Two different things.
 
What we seem to forget, is there are 'actual' advertisers in the bits that aren't TopGear.

I still don't understand how Shannons and Castrol are happy paying good money for the bits that people skip over, when Holden are paying less for the bits that people watch.

It doesn't make good advertising sense and it's the commercial impurity that will eventually bring TGA undone.
 
TomCat said:
I remember a quote from Jeremy about some small (Korean??) car that they crashed on the way to filming. They apologized to the company owner (or whoever was running the company) and he said, "Don't worry, we make one every 15 seconds!" :p
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That wasn't for TopGear, it was many years ago and Jeremy wasn't working for the BBC at the time.
 
TomCat said:
They can't even afford to pay for the damage they cause to decent cars, apparently.
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:rofl:

I suppose that compared to much of the product that GM spews out, Astras are 'decent'.
 
TomCat said:
I remember a quote from Jeremy about some small (Korean??) car that they crashed on the way to filming. They apologized to the company owner (or whoever was running the company) and he said, "Don't worry, we make one every 15 seconds!" :p
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Vague recollection it was something Japanese like a Daihatsu Charade or a Mitsubishi Mirage...
 
tone76 said:
:rofl:

I suppose that compared to much of the product that GM spews out, Astras are 'decent'.
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My mum had astras for work (previous generation) and they were fine (centrelink had/has lots in their fleet)
 
tone76 said:
:rofl:

I suppose that compared to much of the product that GM spews out, Astras are 'decent'.
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They're decent compared to most stuff. Not much is significantly better for similar money, besides the Euro Focus and Golf.
 
I posted a comment on Warren's story asking him if he was saying that it was a media beat up. It didn't get published for some reason.....
 
TomCat said:
I remember a quote from Jeremy about some small (Korean??) car that they crashed on the way to filming. They apologized to the company owner (or whoever was running the company) and he said, "Don't worry, we make one every 15 seconds!" :p
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Daihatsu Charade, I believe.

"Awww dun warray, we make one every twweenty-three secondz!"

02x02
 
A lot of people are also forgetting that the BBC has a much larger budget that it can 'afford' to play with for producing Top Gear UK. SBS is not in that position.

Am I sticking up for the pansy PR boys? No. I'm really quite glad that Australia has a car show that involves more than just the car being put through some Orange Ice Cream Cone Slalom course at 5kph.

I like the idea posted earlier about 'dealing' with the manufacturers through a little diatribe jab at them. Top Gear UK did a test on a Rover car 'undercover' purely because Rover wouldn't loan them a car. Stick it to the manufacturers, they'll end up looking like right gits with egg on their face.
 
TomCat said:
They tend not to damage press cars. They have had a few genuine accidents, but that's about it.
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Accidents like Jeremy accidentally crashing into a barrier with a Porsche GT2, well after the press car was done with?
I bet On The Box had to cough up some cash for that one... or maybe not, because Porsche aren't softco**s
 
There are some good points here, but TGA need to remember to get some runs on the board with the manufacturers before they can go damaging stuff. eg, the road test Clarkson did the other week with the Ford, yes it would have been ruined, but the idea was fantastic and it was executed brilliantly. I'm pretty sure Ford didn't mind losing a car to that. The lawn bowls with cars by TGA - a lot of damage could have been avoided - proper placement of the ramp and removal of the cars after their "bowl" (yes not strictly the way the game is played, but would have been cheaper). This could have been something done with second hand junkers instead - a la TGUK darts game.

TGA need to be a bit smarter about whether they're using new or second hand cars for the game/challenge etc. The trip up north was done with new cars, and should have been done with new cars, and manufacturers need to (and do) recognise that vehicles are going to get damaged. I'm sure there is a budget set aside for exactly this. What really gets them off side is excessive, deliberate, unnecessary, damage. More care needs to be taken if cars are being privately loaned (ie the GT40) or borrowed from dealers. But if TGA can get some good films together, most manufacturers will grumble about reasonable damage (fair wear and tear), but still hand over cars in the future.
 
Ironlord said:
even one Commodore sale is due to Charlie's impassioned plea at the end of the series for Aussies to buy Aussie cars... if anyone was still watching by then. And I'll bet someone buys an Astra because they saw it on the lawn bowls and realises that even if it isn't a Commodore, it doesn't automatically have to be a rebadged Daewoo.
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seems there was at least 1
 
whiteb said:
Some of the most expensive repair bills involved a Lamborghini, which is believed to have sustained about $25,000 damage during filming
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They can't have been too upset. They've given the boys and even more expensive Lambo to play with in series 2.:rolleyes:
 
watto said:
They're just shocked because Australia has never had a balls out car review show before. The most Glenn Ridge ever does on 'The Car Show' is take a soft roader onto sand. Oooooohhhhhhhh, scary.

The 2nd last comment is right though, they may see some doors shut on them. Not bad though, they can have some good cheap car challenges in place.
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actually once they took a mazda 2 on an airstrip and went from 0-80kph in under 10 seconds :shock:
 
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