Jeremy Clarkson..abuse Of Toyota Cars On Top Gear

[Red Yaris 54]

Watched last nights edition of Top Gear and was frankly disgusted at the abuse that Clarkson handed out to the TWO Toyota Corollas that the programme hired from Avis car rentals for the "Race" in New Zealand against James May in a catermeran

However can Clarkson consider himself a motoring journalist when he misuses and abuses cars as he did on last nights programme?

I hope that such auto vandalism was not funded by the British TV license payer

Come on BBC.....This programme is well passed its best......Lets see some more positive use of the cars that the presenters are allowed to drive in the name of "entertainment" ! :(

[Ftlfixxxer]

Top Gear hasn't been an informative automotive programme for yonks.

Clarkson hasn't been a serious journalist for as long.

Top Gear makes BBC serious money money via BBC worldwide sales so it won't get canned until it starts makings losses.

I wouldn't buy anything based on what those 3 twunts say anyway

[Red Yaris 54]

Top Gear hasn't been an informative automotive programme for yonks.

Clarkson hasn't been a serious journalist for as long.

Top Gear makes BBC serious money money via BBC worldwide sales so it won't get canned until it starts makings losses.

I wouldn't buy anything based on what those 3 twunts say anyway

I am not suggesting that Top Gear be canned.......Just that it shows a bit more positive car content and a bit less auto vandalism as it does not need such content to sell itself worldwide

[Deon47]

I agree with Chris,about the "3 twunts" There is noting to learn out of a "Top Gear" progamme,they act like clowns!They don't have to pay for the cars!!That's why!

[Raistlin]

It's just pap for the masses but I think it has now run it's course.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Clarkson has never liked the Corolla and never will - see the attached clip from a 1997 Top Gear in which he describes the Corolla as his bête noire:

Over the years Top Gear has moved more towards entertainment, yet still, I think, is BBC2's best performing series in the TV ratings and is hugely successful worldwide.

Yes, the New Zealand part of the show was questionable in the way it damaged the Corollas - but one cannot expect any better from Clarkson.

[Uncle Buck]

Yeah - what could almost have been an interesting drive across N.Z. turned into a clown's demolition derby. Any sane person or even one possesing half a brain would know you could never return a car in that condition without paying a fortune in compensation for the damages ! It's a programme to be taken with a large dose of salt & nothing else.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Back in 1994 I won a place for my partner on a Top Gear Ladies Day (told her after I'd got the place). Spent the day at Silverstone. All cars provided by Nissan. The ladies were split into teams and each one of them had a go at go-kart racing, skid pan driving, driving a slalom (driving a Nissan Primera at 70mph and controlling the car through a slalom course - I was in the back seat of the Primera for my partners slalom), and various other driving skills tests. She also got driven around Silverstone for a couple of laps by Jason Plato in a Nissan 300ZX.
I teamed up with a couple of the blokes and we followed our team of ladies around from event to event. One of the other BTCC drivers, taking pity on us, took us around the circuit in a Terrano and showed us all the racing lines, etc.

This was when Top Gear was catering less to the masses.

Clarkson spent most of the day trolling around Silverstone in another 300ZX.

[Cyker]

I was kinda hoping he'd get a damages bill at the end or something and freak out in an amusing way. Ah well.

Maybe the New Zealanders will do a Churchill/Somerset and go after them for damage to highway

Still, it's a testament to his respect for Toyota - He only ever seems to do these mad hat adventures in Toyotas because, I assume, he knows they have the best chance of surviving

[Uncle Buck]

That's probably true actually ........

[MikeSh]

I suspect that it was all done with Avis cooperation and approval (and maybe Toyota's too). Getting that kind of product placement (ie. advertising) on BBC/Top Gear is probably worth the cost of a couple of cheapish cars.

I doubt TG 'costs' us licence payers anything as they sell it or licence the format all over the world. I'd think it turns a tidy profit.

[Cyker]

Well just on revenue they get from Dave alone!!