Tesla suing Top Gear over bad reviews
04-02-11 | 01:30 PM
#31
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Sep 2010
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From: TX
Actually, they said they liked the Hyundai Coupe (ie Tiburon) better. That review was from the early 2000s, long before the Genesis Coupe.
It was amusing watching Tesla's stock plunge 30% the day of the insider IPO lockup period expiring. Gee, I wonder what they know that we don't.
It was amusing watching Tesla's stock plunge 30% the day of the insider IPO lockup period expiring. Gee, I wonder what they know that we don't.
04-02-11 | 04:32 PM
#32
Lead Lap
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From: MD
And, if you publiclly state incorrect or misleading facts about someone or a company's product...and those statements cause harm, you can be sued for libel.
04-02-11 | 06:32 PM
#33
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
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From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
Originally Posted by grabber
In addition, they said the Hyundai Genesis coupe is better than Lexus sc430. From their favor word: "bloody hell!!!"
Only ignorance british will compare the two.......
Last edited by mmarshall; 04-02-11 at 06:41 PM.
04-03-11 | 08:43 AM
#34
04-04-11 | 09:17 PM
#35
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From: CA
UPDATE: Top Gear fires back.
I'll be cheering for Top Gear, Go Team Clarkson.
I'll be cheering for Top Gear, Go Team Clarkson.
Top Gear Executive Producer fires back at Tesla Motors
In the eyes of many parents, their children can do no wrong. Efforts by others to point out any wrongdoings can be met with contempt or denial by parents. Like a parent scorned by a watchful school teacher, Tesla Motors lashed out at the BBC's popular Top Gear program after its battery of tests showed that the all-electric Roadster was anything but perfect.
Tesla filed a lawsuit against the BBC last week, citing numerous errors in Jeremy Clarkson's review of the Roadster and basically called the Top Gear crew a bunch of liars. Tesla went on to say that even though the original episode featuring the roadster aired over two years ago, the fact that the episode is still rebroadcast and available freely over the internet means that potential customers are not getting the "real" story on its "baby".
While the BBC issues a brief statement following the announcement of the lawsuit last week stating that it would "vigorously defend" Top Gear, the show’s executive producer is firing back with full force now.
"The normal procedure for the BBC in a legal case is to acknowledge receipt of the other party’s claim, and then say no more and get on with preparing its [defense] for court," said Top Gear Executive Producer Andy Wilman. "Tesla, however, doesn’t seem content to wait for the legal eagles to settle matters. On the contrary, it’s been very busy promoting its side of the argument through the media."
Wilman goes on to counter three of Tesla's sticking points in a blog post:
We never said that the Tesla’s true range is only 55 miles, as opposed to their own claim of 211, or that it had actually ran out of charge. In the film our actual words were: “We calculated that on our track it would run out after 55 miles”… The figure of 55 miles came not from our heads, but from Tesla’s boffins in California. They looked at the data from that car and calculated that, driven hard on our track, it would have a range of 55 miles.
We never said that the Tesla was completely immobilized as a result of the motor overheating. We said the car had “reduced power”. This was true.
Tesla claims we were lying when we said the brakes were “broken”. They now say that all that had happened was that the fuse to the vacuum pump had failed, which meant that the brake just had to be pushed down much harder than usual. Well – to my mind, if the brakes are broken, then they’re broken, and if this happened to your car, you’d take it to the garage to get it fixed.
We'll keep you posted on how this legal dustup progresses, but it appears that Tesla may be biting off more than it can chew in this case.
In the eyes of many parents, their children can do no wrong. Efforts by others to point out any wrongdoings can be met with contempt or denial by parents. Like a parent scorned by a watchful school teacher, Tesla Motors lashed out at the BBC's popular Top Gear program after its battery of tests showed that the all-electric Roadster was anything but perfect.
Tesla filed a lawsuit against the BBC last week, citing numerous errors in Jeremy Clarkson's review of the Roadster and basically called the Top Gear crew a bunch of liars. Tesla went on to say that even though the original episode featuring the roadster aired over two years ago, the fact that the episode is still rebroadcast and available freely over the internet means that potential customers are not getting the "real" story on its "baby".
While the BBC issues a brief statement following the announcement of the lawsuit last week stating that it would "vigorously defend" Top Gear, the show’s executive producer is firing back with full force now.
"The normal procedure for the BBC in a legal case is to acknowledge receipt of the other party’s claim, and then say no more and get on with preparing its [defense] for court," said Top Gear Executive Producer Andy Wilman. "Tesla, however, doesn’t seem content to wait for the legal eagles to settle matters. On the contrary, it’s been very busy promoting its side of the argument through the media."
Wilman goes on to counter three of Tesla's sticking points in a blog post:
We never said that the Tesla’s true range is only 55 miles, as opposed to their own claim of 211, or that it had actually ran out of charge. In the film our actual words were: “We calculated that on our track it would run out after 55 miles”… The figure of 55 miles came not from our heads, but from Tesla’s boffins in California. They looked at the data from that car and calculated that, driven hard on our track, it would have a range of 55 miles.
We never said that the Tesla was completely immobilized as a result of the motor overheating. We said the car had “reduced power”. This was true.
Tesla claims we were lying when we said the brakes were “broken”. They now say that all that had happened was that the fuse to the vacuum pump had failed, which meant that the brake just had to be pushed down much harder than usual. Well – to my mind, if the brakes are broken, then they’re broken, and if this happened to your car, you’d take it to the garage to get it fixed.
We'll keep you posted on how this legal dustup progresses, but it appears that Tesla may be biting off more than it can chew in this case.
04-05-11 | 09:25 AM
#37
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From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
04-05-11 | 09:41 AM
#38
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From: tech capital
If it's settled most likely it will not be interesting to see for the following reasons:
1. The $ amount of the settlement will not be disclosed
2. No admission of wrong-doing will likely be made by Top Gear as part of the settlement.
3. The dollar amount will be so insignificant, it will not be clearly identified in the published financials of Tesla (a public company). Keep in mind Tesla is a highly leveraged company with a history of huge losses, so it would take a lot to be considered significant.
The only parties that will surely benefit will be law firms.
Regardless, Top Gear might benefit from the exposure and become even more notorious/outspoken.
1. The $ amount of the settlement will not be disclosed
2. No admission of wrong-doing will likely be made by Top Gear as part of the settlement.
3. The dollar amount will be so insignificant, it will not be clearly identified in the published financials of Tesla (a public company). Keep in mind Tesla is a highly leveraged company with a history of huge losses, so it would take a lot to be considered significant.
The only parties that will surely benefit will be law firms.
Regardless, Top Gear might benefit from the exposure and become even more notorious/outspoken.
Last edited by IS-SV; 04-05-11 at 09:45 AM.
04-05-11 | 09:48 AM
#39
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From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
The only parties that will surely benefit will be lawyers.
04-05-11 | 09:52 AM
#40
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Joined: Nov 2008
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From: tech capital
Depending on the location, that may not be possible. Once the trial is over, the judge can't keep the jury from talking about it. Of course, in some places (as here in VA) juries, in civil cases, render the verdict, but are still not told how much the plaintiff is suing for. I myself was the jury foreman on an auto-related civil-case some years ago, and I and my peers had to deal with that....not knowing what the suit-amount was.
Depends on the firm, and the conditons of the representation.. Some legal-firms don't get paid (and can't charge their clients) if they lose the case.
Depends on the firm, and the conditons of the representation.. Some legal-firms don't get paid (and can't charge their clients) if they lose the case.
Has nothing to do with a jury verdict.
04-05-11 | 10:12 AM
#42
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 91,607
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From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
True. Sorry, perhaps I misunderstood your intention. Verdicts and settlements (particularly those setled out-of-court) are sometimes two separate processes.
04-05-11 | 10:14 AM
#43
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From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
04-05-11 | 10:15 AM
#44
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Joined: Nov 2008
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From: tech capital
No problem. And the word is not sometimes, it's always. I've spent plenty of time in court to know the difference (and not just sitting in jury box with that select group).
04-05-11 | 10:16 AM
#45
i don't think so. while it might make top gear more careful about what they do and say (which i think will be a shame), i think most people would be unhappy that tesla could make money off top gear and the show might become even more popular.