BBC urged to sack Jeremy Clarkson after he admits driving at 186mph on public road

[st13phil]

It's likely the "Public Road" was an unlimited Autobahn in Germany and He's been purposely obtuse so He can make the journalist look like an ass when it's published.

I tend to agree. Clarkson would have mentioned the Limehouse Link because he (and most people with any sense) realise that achieving that speed there is absurd - a fact totally lost on Mary Williams the chief executive of Brake, who he has succeeded in making look even more foolish (if that were possible ) through her characteristic knee-jerk response.

 

[LeighW]

IIRC I read that he 'achieved' 186mph many years ago in a Lamborghini Countach. Obviously this was way before the country was plagued by speed (s)cameras.

 

[barryj]

Funny as hell and just goes to show that people will believe most anything they read.

 

[hawk20]

Here’s some of his better quotes: -

“Speed has never killed anyone, suddenly becoming stationary… That’s what gets you.”

“We all know that small cars are good for us. But so is cod liver oil. And jogging. I want to drive around in a Terminator, not the heroine in an EM Forster novel."

"Much more of a hoot to drive than you might imagine. Think of it, if you like, as a librarian with a G-string under the tweed. I do, and it helps."

"The Maserati 3500 GT. Now this for me, when I was little, was like kind of like Jordan and Cameron Diaz in a bath together playing with lots of jelly."

"I don’t often agree with the RSPCA as I believe it is an animals duty to be on my plate at supper time."

"Racing cars which have been converted for road use never really work. It’s like making a hard core adult film, and then editing it so that it can be shown in British hotels. You’d just end up with a sort of half hour close up of some bloke’s sweaty face."

"This is a Renault Espace, probably the best of the people carriers. Not that that’s much to shout about. That’s like saying ‘Oh good, I’ve got syphilis, the best of the sexually transmitted diseases!’"

"There are shanty towns in South Africa that are built better than Renaults!"

"The Suzuki Wagon R should be avoided like unprotected sex with an Ethiopian transvestite."

"I don't understand bus lanes. Why do poor people have to get to places quicker than I do?"

"Britian's nuclear submarines have been deemed unsafe...probably because they don't have wheel-chair access."

On America: "250 million w---ers living in a country with no word for w---er."

"They’re thick, humourless, over-governed and have no dress sense."

 

[C240Sport97]

I use the Limehouse Link regularly .. it is a tunnel with bends in it .. there is no way you could get up to 186 mph either at the beginning, the middle or the end (where the speed cameras are) of the tunnel

 

[jadefox]

I'm sure one of you clever souls can work this out, but what distance do you think you need to accelerate up to 186mph? (I know it depends on the acceleration times, but perhaps we can get a ball park fgure from a supercar).

 

[recycled]

an mp4 23 will do it in less than 15secs,
1000meters

 

[st4]

Funny as hell and just goes to show that people will believe most anything they read.

Lets say he did do 186mph and got away with it, he wouldn't surely undo it by blabbing it on the daily mail. The guy is having a laugh. Its the silly PC lot who are going silly over what is a harmless joke.

 

[st4]

an mp4 23 will do it in less than 15secs,
1000meters

How much faster or slower is the big Vee Dub than the F1 car.

 

[jadefox]

an mp4 23 will do it in less than 15secs,
1000meters

MP4 23, isn't that some sort of Video file?

Just out of curiosity - how do you calculate the distance? Surely if you were travelling at a constant 186mph it would be over 1km? 186 miles in 1 hour, 3.1 miles in 1 minute, and 0.775 miles in 15 seconds. So to accelerate to that speed must take a greater distance?

...N.B. as the previous members have said - anyone who know knows the Limehouse Link tunnel knows you couldn't do that speed in it!

 

[chriswt]

Dont forget thet JC has a home on the IOM and there are NO speed limits there...so it quite possible ( but also unlikely ) that he could have reached 186 in his GT 40 which he kept garaged there....its also more likely it a windup

Intrestingly, my old man reached 150mph+ when driving this very GT40 (Ford Motor Companies own car) on the M1. Thankfully it was before they had speed limits although I guess Clarkson can't argue that point!

 

[whitenemesis]

M1 @165mph in this (well, one very similar!), in 1983

 

[Dragon]

of course it's just possible that Mr Clarkson is taking the p*** out of journalists but I do think he has a few memory problems - didn't he get a ticket in France when driving the Ferrari 612 in the race to Verbier?

Andy

He was stopped but didn't get a ticket, because it was an arranged race, the police encouraged him to go even faster.

 

[timskemp]

Ahh I'm glad I've never worked for the BBC - there'd have been calls for my sacking years ago.

 

[robert.saunders]

He mentioned the 186mph in his column in The Sun (I read it whilst in the newsagent, honestly) and he said it was in the SLR whilst in Germany

 

[glojo]

Intrestingly, my old man reached 150mph+ when driving this very GT40 (Ford Motor Companies own car) on the M1. Thankfully it was before they had speed limits although I guess Clarkson can't argue that point!

I do love those cars but I'm told that only very short folks could drive them. Seeing as your father had the priviledge of driving one, is that correct?

Terrific looking cars

Regards
John

 

[recycled]

MP4 23, isn't that some sort of Video file?

Just out of curiosity - how do you calculate the distance? Surely if you were travelling at a constant 186mph it would be over 1km? 186 miles in 1 hour, 3.1 miles in 1 minute, and 0.775 miles in 15 seconds. So to accelerate to that speed must take a greater distance?

...N.B. as the previous members have said - anyone who know knows the Limehouse Link tunnel knows you couldn't do that speed in it!

.
I meant form a standing start. if it enters the tunnel at 186mph it will be over in seconds probably a bit more than a 1km then
well if you go into the tunnel upside down as you will have enough downforce to drive upside down in an MP4 23
so it will hit 60mph in 1.9 secs
0-100 in 5secs
0-160 in 10secs
0-200mph approx 15secs

 

[DansSlk]

I do love those cars but I'm told that only very short folks could drive them. Seeing as your father had the priviledge of driving one, is that correct?

Terrific looking cars

Regards
John

In the original GT the taller you are the more uncomfortable it is, i wouldn't say you had to be very short and an average sized person should fit alright.

Its not a prob in a new GT

 

[recycled]

He was stopped but didn't get a ticket, because it was an arranged race, the police encouraged him to go even faster.

that was on the way to monaco in the db9. he did pay in the scaglietti

 

[recycled]

M1 @165mph in this (well, one very similar!), in 1983

was that an arranged race?