Is it Fair to Blame Top Gear for Car Destruction?

Apparently offended by the critics brought to the Australian Top Gear regarding the damage made to the vehicles during the show due to the “wild and silly stunts”, host Warren Brown wonders whether it is fair or not to blame this kind of TV show for such results. Associating the show with the destruction of cars is not at all the purpose of the TV series.

It should have been obvious for anyone who knew anything about the Australian and the UK versions of the Top Gear that the program is about a passion for motoring. Since it's not a program that simply embraces a car and admires its radio or color, one should not expect Top Gear's hosts praise things like how great a car is for the environment because it reduces “whatever hole in the ozone layer.”

It's all about preferences, they claim. In case the car is worth receiving the admiration of the Top Gear's team, then they will how it. If not, everyone should be aware of the consequences. As the matter of fact, Top Gear's production company Freehand has a fair discussion with car manufacturers to ensure they are comfortable with the stunts or conditions in which they would be filming.

Given the specific of the show, Top Gear hosts must “push cars to their limits in order to deliver a verdict on their performance.” Viewers and potential buyers should know what a certain vehicle is capable of. The risk of certain damage is always there and if there are brands who “ have no appetite for automotive jackass", it's simply their opinion and it should be respected. Of course Australian car manufacturers and dealers might be not used to seeing their products displayed on local television that way. The example of the six Holden Astras is already famous.

Yet, when you come to think that the Astras now have the image of terrific little cars (see video below), so the logic question would be: isn't a manufacturer willing to pay anything for such brilliant advertisement?