where does topgear get those cars they bulldog on the show

where do they get all those ferraris, lambos, astons, zonda, and every other 1/4 mil car that they get to abuse on every show. im talking about the original show in europe, no one in there right mind would let them "borrow" a car for a tv show to burn the tires off. im watching show right now that they are abusing a ferrari 4.3 liter v8 scuderia 430. 1.19.7 around they're track.

 

I'm pretty sure most of them are loaners from private owners or the factory. It's great publicity, regardless if the presenters like the car or not, most people are going to buy a car they really like no matter what Clarkson says about it.

 

I dont know if "abuse" is the right word.

I mean if they were jumping the car off a jump, or doing 50 red-line limited donuts, or towing 20 thousand pounds with it... up hill, or teaching a newbee to drive with one... Then that MAY be abuse. But to drive the car around a track & set a lap time? These are performance cars, meant to be driven quickly, its not a couch.

Try it, your car may like it.

 

+1
I never feel as if they are abusing the cars just driving them like they are meant to be driven. With all the run-off area/space they have the chances of them writing-off a $.5-$1M car is highly unlikely imho (but I have been wrong on a few occasions lol).

 

The Enzo used in the show belongs to Nick Mason.

 

ok ok so maybe not abusing but atleast new tires after getting their fast lap. tires smoking for 3 or 4 minutes on the show sideways the whole time about to break loose. dont get me wrong im all for it. it might not be abuse but they sure do go to the cars limit. it is just hard to believe that someone would spend big $ on a car then let someone else drive it to its limit. maybe a dealership would but would they tell the customer that they put the car on topgear and obviously replaced the tires, one i saw they ran a ferrari lambo audi and something else out of gas to see the best gas milage at race speed. ferrari was out first by the way, audi won. that cant be good to run them out of gas, i mean i guess if you have a stable of cars and technicians it wouldn't matter. anyway i was just curious about the origin of the contestants on topgear.

 

I hate to say this but you obviously do not know what will or will not hurt a car. I've never seen them do anything to a car on the show to damage them in any way. The cars are engineered to perform as they do and pushing them to their limits as long as a collision does not occur should have no affect on them, tires and a good detail is a small price to pay for one of the most watched shows on earth.

Smoking tires, drifting a car, or runnung the out of gas will not hurt a modern car.

 

Agreed. The worst you get is a ruined set of tires, if that.

I believe most new car tests are with cars supplied by manufacturers. They like the PR, even if some of the comments are negative.

 

i'd say they do/could do in more then just a set of tires on that show, there is a vid segment (i'll try to find) where they talk about how most cars they track test on the show suffer some degree of mechanical failure as a result of being pushed so hard

i heard that nick mason's enzo did just get a set of tires replaced, but clutch, flywheel, and a dealer service (to what degree i don't know?)

 

A Uk f-chatter also lent top gear his Ferrari for a segment in the show.

 

Was there a thread about that Steve?

All the best,
Andrew.

 

wasnt the daytona in the south of france from someone on here?

 

I believe there was

EDIT.
Here it is. http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=221855

That is the one I am talking about, the Daytona belongs to a UK f-chatter

 

The majority of them are media cars provided by the manufacturer. They are usually the same cars that are provided to the magazines like Car & Driver, Road & Track, etc...

Even humble freelance journalists like myself get seat time in some of them every once and a while. Top Gear USA reviewed the Lamborghini Superleggera. Shortly after I was provided with the same exact car that they gave the show to write my review.

http://www.examiner.com/sports-car-review-in-national/first-drive-2010-lamborghini-gallardo-superleggera

 

A lot of the manufacturers will lend them cars to test because frankly its just good publicity for their latest vehicle. For example, Koenigsegg allowed Top Gear to test the CCX when it was new. Top Gear then ended up wrecking the Koenigsegg, and sent it back to Koenigsegg saying it needed a spoiler on the rear for better down force. Koenigsegg, believe it or not, put a carbon fiber spoiler on the rear, sent it back to Top Gear and let them drive it around their track again.

 

Uh? Morris Marina anyone? LOL

 

No thanks!, there's too many piano problems with a Marina!

 

Cool - thanks Steve!

All the best,
Andrew.

 

As said, most manufacturers give them a car, and sometimes with a whole set of technicians who take care of the car, make sure the car is optimum set up for the track etc (like Ferrari, Porsche, Mclaren and most likely Lamborghini. I have no doubt that all of the small manufacturers do the same).

Ferrari let Marc Gene or Luca Badoer (depends who is available) drive a lap round the track (in a stig suit) so that they are satisfied that the absolute most got out of the car. I'm sure the same goes on with other significant manufacturers.

If they can't get a car from the factory (say, like the F40 segment) they source the car from owners if they're willing to let them use it. If a set of tires gets destroyed I'm sure they'll replace it .

They also fully insure the car.

 

The BBC are tightar*es and never pay for anything if they can get away with it. They consider they are doing you a favor by allowing you to lend them stuff. I once lent them a couple of classic arcade games machines for a show and they said "when can you deliver them?". I politely declined and eventually they agreed to send a van to pick them up.
I did end up with Konnie Huq playing with my joystick though...

 

I was able to put the Daytona owner ( who's car featured on top gear), in contact with a guy who owned the car 10 yrs prior and is a motor trader. Anyway not sure exactly what the Daytona owner got from it ( I think he was just happy to create more provenance for the car, it was originally used by prince Charles as a young man when it was a demonstrator).

However when I got in touch with guy i know who was the old owner, he is a porsche man really, but told me about when the carrera gt came out he owned one of the first and top gear got in touch with him through Porsche uk, and pleaded with him to loan them his new car, and he could have 6 tickets to come to the show, but were unable to offer any money.

 

For the episode when they had best car for under $5K they purchased my friends Jaguar with the V8 Engine. He said it was simple...they called about it, wired the money, and that was it.

 

So does the 250GTO, the 288GTO and I believe the Maserati 250f Jezza drove intro'ing the MC12 test was Mason's as well.