Mosler, Saleen.... etc.

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I did a quick search and did not see an answer....


Does anyone know how Top Gear decides which cars to test? Do car companies approach TG, is it the other way around or a combination of both.

For instance, I have never seen a Mosler or a Saleen on TG. I have seen tests on smaller makes like the Ascari...but since that was engineered in England it may have been easier to obtain.

Personally I would like to see how a Saleen stacks up against some of the other exotics. (Especially considering it's astronomical price.)
 
They gave the Mosler a nice review in 10x09, even crashing it a bit. (At night, during the Britcar 24h.)


As for the Saleen... It's a shame that it couldn't appear on the show. But they did reject the Ultima GTR and the SSC Ultimate Aero and stuff like that.
 
Does anyone know how Top Gear decides which cars to test? Do car companies approach TG, is it the other way around or a combination of both.

It's the same as most automotive journalism, normally. Carmakers tend to have a select pool of 'review vehicles' that they lend out to the press for review purposes. Top Gear just borrow one of the manufacturer's cars (or in the case of small indie carmakers, their only press car) and film it.

The exceptions are when the carmakers refuse to let TG have one. Then TG gets creative, either by borrowing a privately owned one (hello, Enzo review) or by other means (hello, ShittyRover review).

Many people have asked why the Saleen or the Mosler or the Ultimate Aero Chocolate Now With More Bubbles haven't been reviewed. There's no satisfactory answer, other than "TG chooses what TG wants to review". I guess they've just not chosen to pick them yet. You could argue that niche British cars are interesting to a UK audience, as are mass market supercars, whilst on the other hand niche American cars (or Canadian, Australian, Brazilian, wherever) are less so. Inaccessibility isn't really a factor, as there are Moslers in the UK (some are built there, I believe) and there's at least one Saleen in Europe.
please let's not go through the usual routine here
 
i thought they only reviewed cars that were for sale in the UK
 
...and there's at least one Saleen in Europe.


Think so? I think there's more.

(S7R, of course, for the FIA GT, LMS and 24 Hours of Le Mans; they're race-prepared by European teams, like Oreca-in recent years, and now, as I heard, Larbre and also Vitaphone Racing, who used to work with MC12s)
 
Think so? I think there's more.

(S7R, of course, for the FIA GT, LMS and 24 Hours of Le Mans; they're race-prepared by European teams, like Oreca-in recent years, and now, as I heard, Larbre and also Vitaphone Racing, who used to work with MC12s)

Yup, you're right. In fairness, I was referring to this post, from last time we talked about the Saleen S7 TT.

Besides, GT and Le Mans race cars tend not to be road legal.
 
I'm surprised that they haven't ever mentioned the Saleen as it was designed and developed in the by a UK company.
Some Moslers are built in the UK as well so again it's a bit of a surprise they haven't received any coverage.
 
Not really all that surprising, but frustrating. I suppose cars that are 'all performance' and 'no style' go against some kind of TG philosophy... that doesn't explain the Ascari though (maybe that's a Stig thing).
 
Saleen's aren't on sale in the UK but are exportable, As much as it is an interesting car in the sense that its a good American car (Despite been designed and developed by RML....in Europe) its not that interesting compared to Ferrari's, Koengsiggs, that kind of thing

Mosler is sold and built in the UK, but the only reason why they make road cars is so the FIA will allow it to race so I don't think its worth testing.
 
Mosler is sold and built in the UK, but the only reason why they make road cars is so the FIA will allow it to race so I don't think its worth testing.


If I remember correctly, Panoz had to make road legal cars for much the same reason.

I wonder if we could get the boys to Road Atlanta to have a go. :p I haven't been there for a few years but they used to have a race school.

If anyone is familiar with that track, they re-did part of it in the hope of attracting international racing. Basically they added a lot of run-off and removed the gravity cavity. Back in my track days, the gravity-cavity was a real gut check.

Back on topic:

Every time I go to Laguna Seca or Road Atlanta there is always a Panoz or something there. Maybe I should hound the representative to get in touch with the BBC. (Possibly they haven't even heard of TG.)
 
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