Photo: Instagram / Paddy McGuinness
A couple of weeks ago, Top Gear resumed filming for the upcoming series – and almost immediately came to a sudden but brief stop, when host Paddy McGuinness crashed a Lamborghini Diablo, taking it off the road.
The crash happened in North Yorkshire, on a stretch of the road known for incidents of this type. On his social media, McGuinness explained that speed and the wet road played a part, making him lose control of the car that went off the road and through a fence. He insisted all efforts were being made to bring the Diablo back to its previous condition – and hopefully back on the show.
Reports in the British media note that, while it’s true it was raining, McGuinness wasn’t really going that fast or, at least, not as fast as he hinted. In fact, it is said he was doing under 60 mph (96.5 kph) when he crashed.
The latest from the Daily Star comes to show the car – a 1991 collector’s item – did indeed have some issues shortly before it was supposed to make its debut on the show. On May 1, 47 days before McGuinness got behind the wheel, the Diablo failed the MOT test because of faulty windscreen wipers and issues with the drive shaft joints.
The MOT test is an annual test of vehicle safety, roadworthiness and exhaust emissions performed by the Ministry of Transport and mandatory in the UK for all vehicles over three years old.
The issues with the Diablo were fixed within a couple of days, and the car passed the MOT test. However, it was still issued an advisory for its tires, which were “worn close to legal limit / worn on edge.” Advisories do not require immediate attention, though the DVLA stresses they should be monitored closely.
Speaking to the same media outlet, a BBC spokesperson says the car was in proper order when the network arranged for it to appear on Top Gear, as verified by MOT documentation and an inspection by their own professional mechanic. “A specialist supercar mechanic accompanied the production team throughout the day,” he says. “Tires are one of the most frequently checked aspects of the cars when we film and a replacement set were on standby should the mechanic had deemed a change necessary.”
The crash and, presumably, the context in which it happened, will be shown on the upcoming series of Top Gear, the same spokesperson says. McGuinness, for the time being, is not saying anything more on the topic, which is understandable given that an investigation into the causes is still underway.
Reports in the British media note that, while it’s true it was raining, McGuinness wasn’t really going that fast or, at least, not as fast as he hinted. In fact, it is said he was doing under 60 mph (96.5 kph) when he crashed.
The latest from the Daily Star comes to show the car – a 1991 collector’s item – did indeed have some issues shortly before it was supposed to make its debut on the show. On May 1, 47 days before McGuinness got behind the wheel, the Diablo failed the MOT test because of faulty windscreen wipers and issues with the drive shaft joints.
The MOT test is an annual test of vehicle safety, roadworthiness and exhaust emissions performed by the Ministry of Transport and mandatory in the UK for all vehicles over three years old.
The issues with the Diablo were fixed within a couple of days, and the car passed the MOT test. However, it was still issued an advisory for its tires, which were “worn close to legal limit / worn on edge.” Advisories do not require immediate attention, though the DVLA stresses they should be monitored closely.
Speaking to the same media outlet, a BBC spokesperson says the car was in proper order when the network arranged for it to appear on Top Gear, as verified by MOT documentation and an inspection by their own professional mechanic. “A specialist supercar mechanic accompanied the production team throughout the day,” he says. “Tires are one of the most frequently checked aspects of the cars when we film and a replacement set were on standby should the mechanic had deemed a change necessary.”
The crash and, presumably, the context in which it happened, will be shown on the upcoming series of Top Gear, the same spokesperson says. McGuinness, for the time being, is not saying anything more on the topic, which is understandable given that an investigation into the causes is still underway.
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