What manufacturers refuse to give Top Gear their cars to review?
- Thread starter PWooster
- Start date
Fiorano
Active Member
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2009
- Messages
- 297
- Location
- London, currently in Atlanta.
- Car(s)
- 1989 Supra Turbo, 2002 BMW M5
yesh chrysler did not own mercedes, lol
Whitevanwoman
Active Member
As this recent article shows the manufacturers think hard about whether to let TG loose on their prize babies.... (****** to save having to spoiler the extract)
...However, the episode was enough to have the MD of ****** worried too. In a blog on the manufacturer's website for dealers, *********.co.uk, boss Paul Willcox explained it was always a tough decision for manufacturers whether to lend cars to Top Gear.
"Some of you may be wondering why we let Top Gear borrow a **** at all, especially after what happened with Tesla on a previous episode," he wrote.
"Well, dealing with Top Gear can be a bit of a double-edged sword. If you lend the show a car you're at the mercy of the script writers and the presenters as to how it will be represented.
"Then, on the other hand, if you refuse to give them a car you could end up like our friends at Bentley did ? being represented by a battered old Yugo.
"And, with that last scenario, there's an even bigger problem ? the show, and its millions of viewers across the world, could end up believing you don't have enough faith in your ground-breaking car to let the world's favourite motoring show get behind the wheel."
However, Willcox was confident the ****'s "cabinet full of trophies" shows they have good reason to be confident it'll be liked by Clarkson and Co and added that he'll be reserving judgment until after the Top Gear episode has been aired.
The whole debacle does just go to show how powerful Top Gear has become, though ? now manufacturers have to issue statements before the show has even been aired!
...However, the episode was enough to have the MD of ****** worried too. In a blog on the manufacturer's website for dealers, *********.co.uk, boss Paul Willcox explained it was always a tough decision for manufacturers whether to lend cars to Top Gear.
"Some of you may be wondering why we let Top Gear borrow a **** at all, especially after what happened with Tesla on a previous episode," he wrote.
"Well, dealing with Top Gear can be a bit of a double-edged sword. If you lend the show a car you're at the mercy of the script writers and the presenters as to how it will be represented.
"Then, on the other hand, if you refuse to give them a car you could end up like our friends at Bentley did ? being represented by a battered old Yugo.
"And, with that last scenario, there's an even bigger problem ? the show, and its millions of viewers across the world, could end up believing you don't have enough faith in your ground-breaking car to let the world's favourite motoring show get behind the wheel."
However, Willcox was confident the ****'s "cabinet full of trophies" shows they have good reason to be confident it'll be liked by Clarkson and Co and added that he'll be reserving judgment until after the Top Gear episode has been aired.
The whole debacle does just go to show how powerful Top Gear has become, though ? now manufacturers have to issue statements before the show has even been aired!
Last edited:
Ilpav
Forum Addict
Saleen
Aussie Muscle
Active Member
it's not like we DIDN'T know what they were going to say about it. i mean, they KNOW its made in the usa and are going to bag it for being non-british. i suspect they'd hate the aston-martin if it was made in korea, even if it's quality was just as good.
GerFix
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2007
- Messages
- 1,461
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
- Car(s)
- Jaguar XKR, BMW E92 M3, MG TF, Riv 4000
Did Saleen refuse Top Gear access to the car, or are you just listing because they never tested it?
DubyaStep
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2008
- Messages
- 2,944
- Car(s)
- Ford Thundercougarfalconbird
its just damn true. Its great that we are away from the stuffy old men telling you about cars on a sunday morning while boring the piss out of you with a stupid slolam run. This is proof that the relevence of top gear is become a landmark to consumers everywhere. Im glad to see it.
that thing looks like someone puked on a napkin then ate it and puked again. IMHO
Mr. Nice
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2007
- Messages
- 2,419
That opinion isn't very humble. It's a good looking car. It's old now and it has seats that require a wrench to adjust. I believe the first S7s were built in the UK by RMLthat thing looks like someone puked on a napkin then ate it and puked again. IMHO
C53A_4G63T
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2005
- Messages
- 843
- Location
- Farmington, Connecticut
- Car(s)
- 99' Infiniti Q45t, 89 Mitsubishi Mirage Turbo
Top Gear would not test the S7 because it was not avaliable in the UK for sale.
I dont really get it. Some companies are complaining that Top Gear tarnished their reputation but if they didnt make crappy cars in the first place, the boys wont have anything bad to say about them. I mean yea they have British bias especially to Aston Martin, Jag, Noble but you cant fault them because they make good cars. Okay sure they advised the public not to buy the 350z because its a Nissan, but thats a recurring joke a regular will surely get. (They loved the GTR)
GerFix
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2007
- Messages
- 1,461
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
- Car(s)
- Jaguar XKR, BMW E92 M3, MG TF, Riv 4000
It wasn't available anywhere. My local Saleen dealer never had any stock and still don't have any; even second hand.
jack_christie
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2006
- Messages
- 4,306
This would be a perfect Tesla substitute:
DubyaStep
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2008
- Messages
- 2,944
- Car(s)
- Ford Thundercougarfalconbird
that has never stopped them before. off the top of my head James's review of the Honda Element?
Gyvon
Well-Known Member
and the Nissan GTR, which was not available in the UK at the time they sent it around the track
shellygrrl
Well-Known Member
Maybe it's more like they wouldn't test the Saleen because Jeremy is a hardcore Veyron fanboy? Weird thought, I know, but... maybe?
Labcoatguy
Forum Addict
Or maybe Saleen is sorta like what Bristol is to the Ukanians: a proud homegrown company that almost nobody overseas knows or cares about.
GerFix
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2007
- Messages
- 1,461
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
- Car(s)
- Jaguar XKR, BMW E92 M3, MG TF, Riv 4000
Sorry, but that's all the way up there with the "FIATs are French" audience member they had on long ago.
captain_70s
Forum Addict
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2008
- Messages
- 6,209
- Location
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Car(s)
- '77 Triumph Dolomite 1300 + '83 Triumph Acclaim
I'm a classic car enthusiast and I thought Bristol had gone bust... Until I heard about them going bust... :lol:
I bet 90% of the country don't even know Bristol ever existed, let alone that is was in operation fairly recently!
A lot of people I know have essentially been taught if its not from Germany or Japan its not worth having, being proud of Britain or anything it has ever achieved is almost taboo now-a-days.
Back on topic though I find that a manufacturer not giving a car to TG just looks worse than it getting a awful review. But then I know that TG is a series about entertainment, its no more about reviewing cars as Zero Punctuation or AVGN are about reviewing video games.
Way too many people take TG as car knowledge gospel, especially the general public, so its understandable why manufactures would be wary of giving a car to TG. Especially low volume production cars working with small profits.
I can only hope you are being sarcastic there...Sik Pony said: