Most liked posts in thread: Tesla sues Top Gear for libel and malicious falsehoods

I'm with Tesla on this. Top Gear is entertaining, and I'm fine with them having their own opinions on the show that make for good entertainment. That said, they still portray the show as a legitimate automotive review show, and therefore, they should not be fabricating stories or facts just to back up their admittedly entertaining opinions.

There are many instances of this:

- Tesla: We don't like EVs... we'll pretend like it ran out of power and the brakes failed.
- GT500: We don't' like Mustangs and Straight Axles... We'll claim that the Roush Mustang handles better than the GT500 because it has Independent Rear Suspension (which it doesn't... it has a straight axle, too). Then, we'll claim the GT500 doesn't make the Ford-claimed 500 hp and prove it by putting it on a dyno and saying "Look, it only made 450 WHEEL horsepower".... Except that 450whp is roughly 530hp, so the GT500 is actually way UNDERrated.

Again, I find Top Gear entertaining, and I don't mind them coming up with legitimate reasons to not like the Tesla or Mustangs or anything else... there are plenty of them. I disagree, however, that just because it's an "entertainment" car review show that they are free to fabricate whatever facts they feel like.

 

Eh, right or wrong they aren't suing to make $$$. They just want the brodcast of that info to stop. It's kinda too late as the cat is out of the bag but I can see it from thier side.

*shrug*

Besides the Brits are just as litigious as we are.

 

It's kind of interesting how TG stays in the news headlines. They sure aren't wallflowers.

 

I love the fact that they are not afraid to say what they really feel.

Tesla says....

 

BWAHAHAHAHA!!! :lol:

Nice.

 

Sorry folks, but I am just not a Top Gear fan. I agree with Redbeard. They just say what they need to to keep the ratings up and make headlines. Was a good show once I think, but not any more. Heading to the bunker again, as I know it is well liked here, but that is just how I see it, for what ever that is worth which is not much I'm sure. :cornut:

Jim

 

Maybe the truth hurts..

Fly in the ointment for me is the two year wait before taking action.... If the show was so wrong and the assessment so damaging, why would you wait two years and countless airings of the episode around the world to activate the attorneys? Wouldn't you want some sort of injunction to stop further airings until a judge deemed the facts true or not? Or would letting the show air for two years before filing a lawsuit increase the damages? ;(

 

Tesla could not afford to activate the attorneys for 2 years. They had to save up some $$$. :aureola:

 

Tesla said that they tried contacting BBC many times but didn't get a response, so a lawsuit was their only option. Legal action is always expensive, I don't blame Tesla Motors for waiting and using it last.

Dave

 

Hyperbole is TGs long suit. There can be little doubt that, for dramatic effect, they exaggerated the limitations of the EV platform. They have to produce interesting stories year-in and year-out, it's the nature of the business. I think that there are very few potential Tesla buyers that see the TG piece and take it so seriously that they decide against a Tesla. That having been said, it's a good move for Tesla to bring this suit against TG, for no other reason that they are piggybacking onto a very well-oiled publicity machine. Why else would they publicize the suit on their website (it's not a common thing for corporations to make a big public show of lawsuits)? It's money well-spent to be entangled with the most talked-about car show in the world.

Disclaimer: I'm obviously loyal to Tesla: Helix is an official power station.

 

Exactly, right or wrong specific to the suit......... any publicity is good publicity! Tesla can only benefit regardless of suit outcome!

 

Well, I guess they would not like my opinion.

I'm with "TOP GEAR"

I think all of the so called electric cars are pretty stupid if you are going to get one to be green and save the earth.

They need to be plugged into the grid to charge them. (Expensive) "YES" *** There isn't enough electricity to fill our needs now let alone a million or so electric cars being plugged in. ( Let the rolling brownouts begin )

It's going to be nice when the batteries need to go to the landfill. ( More Toxic Waste)

Safe??? I don't think so when you can get electrocuted in a certain type of accident. OR they can't cut you out of the car if needed because of a hi- voltage short.

I can't believe they are wasting so much time, $$$$ and energy trying to jam this crap to the public when a Hydrogen powered car would be safer, easier on the planet and would not use up all of the much needed electric power.

Using electric is even more stupid then using the worlds food supply to run a car.

I guess the people that introduced the hydrogen technology just did not grease the right palms.

This is my opinion and if anyone has a better one, please let us hear it.

 

I actually agree with the fact most full electric cars don't make any sense.

Buuuutttt.... I have difficulty with the whole hydrogen car being "safer". It's also not really a cost effective solution either as it takes a great deal of power to create. Can't escape those laws of thermodynamics. :crazy:

Safety:
Hydrogen safety - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

General:
[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_hydrogen]Liquid hydrogen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

 

They have been on the Highways for years

Read this,

EV WORLD: Hydrogen Car Fire Surprise

Honda has been providing cars and trucks in the USA for 5 years now. No burns or deaths at all.

Consumer reports as well as the National highway safety could not get a hydrogen powered Honda to explode or catch fire no matter how many they crashed.

You have to cause a leak like in this report to cause any trouble at all.

The Prius is a good car but it still uses gas.

Redbeard has a good point though

Try reading this too,

http://www.evworld.com/article.cfm?storyid=847

 

Ronnie, you have a PM. I don't want to keep thread-jacking the Tesla Suit thread.

 

I think it's a joke....

I watched a show about the building of Tesla's on SPEED the other night. The on track footage that was used was of the Tesla on Top Gears track. :lol: They did not use Clarkson's commentary.

 

If Tesla needs cash so badly, maybe they should contact John Delorean. Im sure he could hook them up......

 

Read the filing. They aren't suing for the money. They are asking for less than 100K GBP. It's probably just enough to cover thier legal costs...

 

Here is a silly question: Have any Tesla's actually been produced for public consumption? I keep seeing "gonna have" dates, but no actual production numbers. I am being lazy by not going and checking myself, but I remember seeing the dollar amount on the original Tesla and it was stupid expensive and years away from production... Not a good combo to keep any interest.

I could see the suit if they actually stood to lose money, but is anyone actually buying one of these overpriced plug and plays?

 

Yep. I've seen'em running around here in LA and there are two that show up at Cars and Coffee in Las Vegas as well. :frown2:

BTW, +10 for the "Overpriced Plug and Plays". Best description I have heard yet. :lol: