Development plans may endanger Top Gear's test track

By Stephen Edelstein December 20, 2016

top gear test track fracas — Image used with permission by copyright holder

As if mixed reviews from its first relaunched season and the departure of lead host Chris Evans weren’t troublesome enough, Top Gear may soon lose its famous test track.

Last week, the local government approved plans for a housing development at the Dunsfold Aerodrome, the decommissioned airfield that encompasses the Top Gear track and studio, as well as a corporate park with other businesses. The Waverly Borough Council voted 10-8 to approve a plan to build housing on the site, according to the BBC. Top Gear executives have not commented on the vote so far.

The current Dunsfold Business Park includes more than 100 businesses employing more than 800 people, according to the BBC, but the plan calls for replacing it with 1,800 new homes. A health center, as well as “public open spaces and sports facilities” would also be built on the site as a condition of the project’s approval. Some of the development must also be set aside for affordable housing, the Waverly Borough Council said.

The Top Gear test track has existed in its current form since the show relaunched in 2002 with Jeremy Clarkson at the helm. It was one of the elements of the show kept after Clarkson was let go as the result of a “fracas” in which he punched a producer. Along with co-hosts Richard Hammond and James May, Clarkson launched a new car show on Amazon Prime called The Grand Tour, and Top Gear was rejiggered with a new set of hosts.

While Top Gear has never taken itself that seriously, the test track provides an important service. Over the years, nearly every new performance worth hearing about has gone around, making Top Gear’s lap leaderboard an excellent, controlled benchmark. That will be erased if the track really is closed to make way for a housing development.

Meanwhile, Top Gear is still trying to find its way. Chris Evans quit at the end of the first season after low ratings. Co-host Matt LeBlanc will stick around for at least two more seasons, the BBC confirmed in September. Chris Harris and Rory Reid are expected to get more screen time in future series, while Sabine Schmitz and Eddie Jordan will continue making appearances as well.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

Cars

Tesla’s fix for faulty Cybertruck pedal is simpler than you might think

Tesla Cybertruck

Less than five months after handing over the first Cybertrucks to customers, Tesla has had to recall the electric pickup to fix an issue with the accelerator.

In a notice issued on Friday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said that the recall impacts Cybertruck vehicles manufactured from November 13, 2023, to April 4, 2024. This suggests that all -- or almost all -- of the 3,878 Cybertrucks being recalled are those that have been manufactured to date.

Cars

Ford Mustang Mach-E 2024 vs. Mach-E 2023: What’s new in Ford’s electric Mustang?

Blue Ford Mustang Mach-E on a rooftop

The Ford Mustang Mach-E is easily one of the best EVs for the price, offering a solid range, sleek design, and pretty good tech on the inside. In recent years, it has gotten even cheaper -- thanks in large part to a price war between it and the Tesla Model 3. And, the company just took the wraps off of the latest and greatest version of the Mach-E, labeled as the 2024 model.

The 2024 Mustang Mach-E is notably different from the 2023 iteration in some meaningful ways. So much so that we decided to take a look at the two head-to-head -- to see if it was better to pay for the 2024 model or save some cash on any remaining 2023 stock.
Design
The Mustang Mach-E looks relatively unique -- in a good way. And thankfully, Ford has largely kept the overall design the same for the 2024 model, at least when it comes to the more consumer-focused models. The car retains the slatted taillights and crossover size. It also offers a large selection of colors, including the very blue Grabber Blue Metallic, as well as Rapid Red Metallic. It's a good selection of colors, and there should be an option for most buyers.

Cars

Tesla to begin production on new, more affordable models

Tesla Model 3

With competition increasing from Chinese and other automakers, Tesla boss Elon Musk revealed on Tuesday that his company is planning to begin production of new, more affordable models in “early 2025, if not late this year.” Notably, that's earlier than the previously stated date of late 2025, though whether Musk actually succeeds in meeting the earlier production time frame is another question entirely.

The news came as Tesla released its latest quarterly figures. Revenue for the electric vehicle maker came in at $21.3 billion, down from the $23.3 billion it reported for the same three-month period a year earlier and also down from the $25.2 billion reported in the previous quarter. Profit reached $1.1 billion, marking a 55% fall compared to the same period a year ago.