BBC Top Gear Thread 2021/2022

[skwdenyer]

toastyhamster said:

Is it just he new ones? My Dad used to take me to Cadwell to watch vintage bike racing (on the back of his Vincent!), Morgan 3 wheelers ran in the sidecar class and they used to hammer round the club hairpin at a fair lick and never looked like tipping. I seem to remember reading they were quite popular race cars back in the day. The only sidecar we saw flip was (I think I recall) a Velocette sidecar with two ladies piloting it who lets say, had plenty of natural cushion to help their fall when the sidecar wheel dug in and they gently tipped over.

As I wrote earlier, the failure mode used to be spokes causing punctures leading to hitting kerbs and flipping. On a circuit, and lowered even further than when new, I’d be pretty comfortable with one. But the modern reincarnation wasn’t anything like as low; and the Super 3 is a whole other ballgame.

If Morgan are lucky, this case will be settled rather than litigated. Otherwise I can see them getting dragged into it. Worst case would be some sort of attempt to join them in the case on product liability grounds. Especially as some have suggested it happened at relatively low speed.

I must say, the compete lack of photos on social media surprised me. Dunsfold isn’t exactly a closed circuit (assuming it was there).

[carlo996]

ajap1979 said:

Can't reveal that unfortunately, but let's just say it's common knowledge within the corporation.

If so, the BBC are really slack.

[E90_M3Ross]

ajap1979 said:

carlo996 said:

ajap1979 said:

trickywoo said:

ajap1979 said:

Fundoreen said:

All the silence probably means he's going down the 'had an accident that wasn't your fault?' route.

It's this unfortunately. He's suing them.

He doesn't need the money though so whats the motive?

Everyone should just move on.

Emotional and physical trauma apparently.

Source?

Can't reveal that unfortunately, but let's just say it's common knowledge within the corporation.

I find this bizarre. I'd be willing to bet they didn't force him to do whatever caused the injuries. You get the impression that (perhaps incorrectly) that he likes to do this stuff and was "fair game" for trying these stunts.

[Kevin Cozner]

Blown2CV said:

would it not be a lot safer just to have 4 fking wheels

It just has to be treated with respect. It's like someone who's never ridden a bike before jumping on a S1000RR, dicking around and then being surprised to fall off.

Edited by Kevin Cozner on Saturday 25th March 06:52

[Pflanzgarten]

E90_M3Ross said:

I find this bizarre. I'd be willing to bet they didn't force him to do whatever caused the injuries. You get the impression that (perhaps incorrectly) that he likes to do this stuff and was "fair game" for trying these stunts.

As I said above though, we don’t know the full story. He could have had a serious knock to the head, one bad enough where a doctor has said another hit and you’ll likely be permanently brain damaged.

So no more cricket, no more boxing, no more driving fast cars on track…

Career over.

He might be disfigured, we just don’t know.

Personally, I enjoyed Flintoff the most of the new team but I did wonder at some of his stunts.

I know you always think it’s just for telly but some of them seemed remarkably risky for what they were doing.

[Jordie Barretts sock]

Don't underestimate the stupidity of the BBC. They used to get John Noakes doing very dangerous stuff on Blue Peter. He discovered some years later that he'd been totally uninsured. They also seemed to have turned quite a few 'blind eyes' to what Savile was up to.

So, no, I don't buy the line that FF was doing this off his own back. Do you think it was his idea to strap him into a Metro and chuck him off a dam? And what was it they were doing that McGuinness refused to do? One of those giant hamster ball things wasn't it?

[NDA]

Common Porpoise said:

having driven an aero 8 i assume they are all diabolical.

The Aero 8 is hardly 'diabolical':

"The Aero 8 has competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice, in 2002 and 2004. There have also been several entries in the FIA GT series from both works cars and privateers. It is also used in the British GT Series. It is currently racing in the FIA GT3 European championship and has proven competitive. The Aero 8 GT3 car is built by AUTO GT. The Aero 8 was also used in the 2003 Bathurst 24 Hour scoring a DNF with a rare BMW engine failure and the 2004 12 Hours of Sebring finishing 20th outright and 10th in the GT class."

[DonkeyApple]

ajap1979 said:

Can't reveal that unfortunately, but let's just say it's common knowledge within the corporation.

Ah, a 'Jimmy Saville' as they call it in the industry.

[Cold]

Top Gear doing reckless things with a dangerous Morgan on a race track, yesterday.

[honda_exige]

E90_M3Ross said:

ajap1979 said:

carlo996 said:

ajap1979 said:

trickywoo said:

ajap1979 said:

Fundoreen said:

All the silence probably means he's going down the 'had an accident that wasn't your fault?' route.

It's this unfortunately. He's suing them.

He doesn't need the money though so whats the motive?

Everyone should just move on.

Emotional and physical trauma apparently.

Source?

Can't reveal that unfortunately, but let's just say it's common knowledge within the corporation.

I find this bizarre. I'd be willing to bet they didn't force him to do whatever caused the injuries. You get the impression that (perhaps incorrectly) that he likes to do this stuff and was "fair game" for trying these stunts.

Really depends on if it was his fault or not. If the car failed then that's on the beeb, if he's managed to flip it just by being a st driver that's on him.

Ultimately its a road legal car that meets all necessary legislation to be driven in the road so you can't say that inherently it's a dangerous car in the 'legal' sense.

[FiF]

1

honda_exige said:

E90_M3Ross said:

ajap1979 said:

carlo996 said:

ajap1979 said:

trickywoo said:

ajap1979 said:

Fundoreen said:

All the silence probably means he's going down the 'had an accident that wasn't your fault?' route.

It's this unfortunately. He's suing them.

He doesn't need the money though so whats the motive?

Everyone should just move on.

Emotional and physical trauma apparently.

Source?

Can't reveal that unfortunately, but let's just say it's common knowledge within the corporation.

I find this bizarre. I'd be willing to bet they didn't force him to do whatever caused the injuries. You get the impression that (perhaps incorrectly) that he likes to do this stuff and was "fair game" for trying these stunts.

Really depends on if it was his fault or not. If the car failed then that's on the beeb, if he's managed to flip it just by being a st driver that's on him.

Ultimately its a road legal car that meets all necessary legislation to be driven in the road so you can't say that inherently it's a dangerous car in the 'legal' sense.

The devil will be in the detail as always, and we have none of it here.

Two possible extremes,
a) vehicle available, driver says I've always fancied a go in one of those, takes it out for a spin, bins it.
b) vehicle being driven on camera for a shot, driver is given instructions to try and achieve something the director desires for the best footage, ends up binning it.

Very very different sets of circumstances and one would argue mutual liabilities.

[Oakey]

Every now and then I'm reminded how stupid some PH'ers are

[velocemitch]

It said in the newsletter I got from Hagerty insurance that it was a low speed accident, less than 25 mph. Not sure what the source was, but I wonder if it was a reversing manoeuvre or something, I expect the Morgan is relatively stable going forwards, but anything but stable in reverse.

[Spleen]

Oakey said:

Every now and then I'm reminded how stupid some PH'ers are

Irony, much?

[Common Porpoise]

NDA said:

Common Porpoise said:

having driven an aero 8 i assume they are all diabolical.

The Aero 8 is hardly 'diabolical':

"The Aero 8 has competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice, in 2002 and 2004. There have also been several entries in the FIA GT series from both works cars and privateers. It is also used in the British GT Series. It is currently racing in the FIA GT3 European championship and has proven competitive. The Aero 8 GT3 car is built by AUTO GT. The Aero 8 was also used in the 2003 Bathurst 24 Hour scoring a DNF with a rare BMW engine failure and the 2004 12 Hours of Sebring finishing 20th outright and 10th in the GT class."

The one i drove was, but then it wasnt a fully race prepped gt3 which you will probably find has a few upgrades

[Gladers01]

Debaser said:

It would be a shame if it is cancelled. There aren't many pro-car voices on the telly.

Would be a shame, was hoping the new series would go ahead, there's not many car related programmes on mainstream TV, what is available seems to consist of endless repeats, hopefully FF will make a good recovery whatever the legal outcome may be

[HustleRussell]

Blackpuddin said:

Common Porpoise said:

I came here to say that after watching Tiff's close shave on fifth gear a few years back I don't think Morgans have any business being on a track whatsoever. They aren't proper cars and should not be driven hard under any circumstances, if things go wrong you are in deep trouble.

100 percent this.

You both need to hand your PH badges back. You should see the state of antiquity on some of the machines frequently raced in vintage and historic motor racing. Everybody doing that is prepared to underwrite the risk to their own life and limb against their level of skill only. Nobody to pay out, nobody to sue.

If there’s any TV presenter who can make a car do outrageous looking stuff for a camera it has always been Tiff and it seems like he also had the skill to save his own neck. Whether he’d do it again in a Morgan three-wheeler is another matter. But then he is also a participator in historic motorsport so maybe he is that mad.

Flintoff’s balls outweighed his talent. If the BBC has any blame in this it is their failure to recognise that, as it was obvious even to the viewer. Nothing at all here for Morgan to answer.

Edited by HustleRussell on Saturday 25th March 14:39

[pork911]

HustleRussell said:

Blackpuddin said:

Common Porpoise said:

I came here to say that after watching Tiff's close shave on fifth gear a few years back I don't think Morgans have any business being on a track whatsoever. They aren't proper cars and should not be driven hard under any circumstances, if things go wrong you are in deep trouble.

100 percent this.

You both need to hand your PH badges back. You should see the state of antiquity on some of the machines frequently raced in vintage and historic motor racing. Everybody doing that is prepared to underwrite the risk to their own life and limb against their level of skill only. Nobody to pay out, nobody to sue.

If there’s any TV presenter who can make a car do outrageous looking stuff for a camera it has always been Tiff and it seems like he also had the skill to save his own neck. Whether he’d do it again in a Morgan three-wheeler is another matter. But then he is also a participator in historic motorsport so maybe he is that mad.

Flintoff’s balls outweighed his talent. If the BBC has any blame in this it is their failure to recognise that, as it was obvious even to the viewer. Nothing at all here for Morgan to answer.

Edited by HustleRussell on Saturday 25th March 14:39

And so concludes the HSE investigation.

[Fundoreen]

This sort of thing closely mirrors what bankers are like. 'Stop trying to regulate us! We know the risks! And we have it covered'
followed by....
'you must save us! Its critical for the survival of planet earth!'

[NDA]

Common Porpoise said:

The one i drove was, but then it wasnt a fully race prepped gt3 which you will probably find has a few upgrades

I am surprised. I've had a few quick cars and also have an Aero 8, it handles very well - I've tracked it a few times too.