BBC Top Gear Magazine have had a Yeti 2.0 TDi CR 110bhp 2WD on their long term fleet since July now.

This months review (January 2011) is it's last as after 13,000 miles it's off back to Skoda UK (watch out for OV59 VVS on a Skoda forecourt near you!).

Great two page article touching on poor MPG, optional spare wheel and long lead times but with an overall thumbs up :thumbup

BBC Top Gear Magazine have had a Yeti 2.0 TDi CR 110bhp 2WD on their long term fleet since July now.

This months review (January 2011) is it's last as after 13,000 miles it's off back to Skoda UK (watch out for OV59 VVS on a Skoda forecourt near you!).

Great two page article touching on poor MPG, optional spare wheel and long lead times but with an overall thumbs up :thumbup

OV59VVS WILL BE SCRAPPED, TOP GEAR ARE BANNED FROM SELLING THEIR VEHICLES...

OV59VVS WILL BE SCRAPPED, TOP GEAR ARE BANNED FROM SELLING THEIR VEHICLES...

Why?

I presume they will also be scrapping the Jag XJ plus all of the other long termers then????

Top Gear magazine is a commercial entity with all profits going back into the BBC coffers.

Why?

I presume they will also be scrapping the Jag XJ plus all of the other long termers then????

Top Gear magazine is a commercial entity with all profits going back into the BBC coffers.

Which we pay for....

Mike

OV59VVS WILL BE SCRAPPED, TOP GEAR ARE BANNED FROM SELLING THEIR VEHICLES...

I take it you are joking?

The Yeti is on a 6 month loan. After which it is collected by Skoda UK and fed back into their dealer network for resale...

I believe it is the cars they have altered for their trips or used in their "star in a reasonably priced car" which have to be scrapped.

Normally used long term test cars will go back into the manufacturers fleet and ultimately be sold as will all the other cars you have seen them burning the rubber off in their track tests. Didn't Hammond import, repair and keep the little Opal car he used to cross africa as he was so impresed with it?

In some cases early test cars have become sort after much later in their life by restorers as the car has a public history and early photos are avaialble.

OV59VVS WILL BE SCRAPPED, TOP GEAR ARE BANNED FROM SELLING THEIR VEHICLES...

Codswallop!

The Yeti taken to the USA for the Top Gear Magazine, Best Family Car of 2009 is still on the road - checked yesterday with DVLA!

The only 'test' cars that get scrapped these days are the prototypes and mules built by manufacturers whilst developing new vehicles.

Which we pay for....

Mike

What's that go to do with anything?

What's that go to do with anything?

Don't we pay for them in the first place through

a taxes?

b licence fee?

So it is good to know that they try to recoup some of the money spent.......

Mike

OV59VVS WILL BE SCRAPPED, TOP GEAR ARE BANNED FROM SELLING THEIR VEHICLES...

they are only banned from selling the car thats used for the the star in a reasonably priced car because it has been used on the track. all the other cars are loan cars and are returned.

with a lot less rubber

Just looked OV59 VVS up on the DVLA site; registered 11/01/10, however it was re-taxed for another 12 months a month ahead of time; so maybe already moved on :wonder: My link

TP

Edited 8 January, 201115 yr by The Plumber

Which we pay for....

Mike

LIke all car magazines Top Gear doesnt actually pay for test cars - they are loaned by the manufacturer. Mind you , whilst anybody would buy Top Gear magazine is beyond me- the TV stuff is a hoot but if I want to know about cars I read Autocar(and EVO for sporty stuff)

Don't we pay for them in the first place through.

No, they are on loan for a set period / mileage.

The BBC pays for their running costs - fuel, insurance, servicing, repairs etc.

Skoda UK then take the car back, what is quite often less than a year old, average mileage, one registered owner (Skoda) full service history etc. and they simply drop it back into their dealer network for resale.

The depreciation (if any, assuming they get them at cost) is a small price for Skoda to pay for what is pretty good, generally open and honest media coverage of their products and services.

I imagine it might even work out cheaper than leasing thier own fleet to be used as company cars!

LIke all car magazines Top Gear doesnt actually pay for test cars - they are loaned by the manufacturer. Mind you , whilst anybody would buy Top Gear magazine is beyond me- the TV stuff is a hoot but if I want to know about cars I read Autocar(and EVO for sporty stuff)

The magazine follows a similar theme to the TV show, so if you find the TV show a "hoot" then I imagine this is a good a reason as any to buy the magazine?

I guess this may also explain why it has been the UK's leading general interest car magazine in terms of sales for several years now.

The magazine follows a similar theme to the TV show, so if you find the TV show a "hoot" then I imagine this is a good a reason as any to buy the magazine?

I guess this may also explain why it has been the UK's leading general interest car magazine in terms of sales for several years now.

Top Gear is a very funny TV programme for people of all ages which is strong on personalities and has a loose car based theme- the main one being 'cocking about'. TG magazine is bought by people who think they are car enthusiasts because they watch TG and/or once went to a BTCC meeting when they won salesman of the month award. The Sun sells more than the Times but ..ermm..not really a better paper.Or even a newspaper at all really. Havoig said that- and yes, tongue in cheek of course - both May and Clarkson are very good journalists even if JC's politics are certainly not mine.

Edited 10 January, 201115 yr by grayson

OV59VVS WILL BE SCRAPPED, TOP GEAR ARE BANNED FROM SELLING THEIR VEHICLES...

Any proof of this?

I've seen cars that WhatCar used before so why would it be any different for TopGear.

Before we moved to Wales I spent 8 years working for Vauxhall Demo Fleet, which was managed by White Arrow out of Worcester, and we often delivered cars to the press and TV companies. None of the vehicles were "special" and at the end of the contracts they were collected as normal and put into the Vauxhall second-hand system. At that time if they had a V? ?? reg they invariably came out of our Fleet. The "Police cars" on The Bill were a good example.

The Skoda used by Top Gear was/is exactly the same as any other VAG demo vehicle, and is owned by VAG/SkodaUK and was delivered to them from the pool of cars held by the Press Office. When it is finished with it will go into the dealer network as a second hand car.

The only vehicles that Top Gear are forced to destroy are those that they modify in some way, such as the VW Sailing camper or the Toyota pick-up.

I believe it is the cars they have altered for their trips or used in their "star in a reasonably priced car" which have to be scrapped.

Peculiarly though if you put the first "reasonably priced" Liana's number plate into the tax disc checker it shows up as still being taxed!!! So seeminly it has not been scapped (yet).

In the write ups Top Gear usually say that the cars have to go back - indicating that they go back to whoever supplied them , probably as part of a test fleet. As to the magazine itself, I don't think it can really be compared to the tv show in that there is more factual information on test drives etc. but it is more off the wall so to speak in it's approach compared to other car mags in that views are often based on personal impressions rather than raw data as in What Car and the like hence the reason the Yeti comes out so well , the feature reviews are more like stories involving the car rather than about the car and I think more accessible to non petrol heads. Perhaps this is why the sales are so good.

Mark

Peculiarly though if you put the first "reasonably priced" Liana's number plate into the tax disc checker it shows up as still being taxed!!! So seeminly it has not been scapped (yet).

Don't they still use the original liana for f1 drivers to do times with?

...and I think more accessible to non petrol heads. Perhaps this is why the sales are so good.

Why on earth would you regularly buy Top Gear, or any other motoring mag if your not a petrol head?