Tesla's (TSLA) Model S Gets Positive Mention by Super-Popular Auto Program

Popular U.K. automobile-focused show Top Gear recently gave solid marks to Tesla's (Nasdaq: TSLA) Model S sedan.

Notably, the review comes a few years after some controversy. In a 2011 episode, Top Gear was testing the Tesla Roadster when it was (jokingly) said to have run out of juice before the test was over. The show said overall range for the vehicle was poor, which didn't sit will with Tesla.

In 2011, Tesla sued Top Gear, which airs on the BBC, for libel and malicious falsehood. Misrepresentations Tesla claimed Top Gear made include:

-- The Roadster ran out of charge and had to be pushed into the Top Gear hangar by 4 men.
-- The Roadster’s true range is only 55 miles per charge (not 211).
-- One Roadster’s motor overheated and was completely immobilized as a result.
-- The other Roadster’s brakes were broken, rendering the car undriveable.
-- That neither of the two Roadsters provided to Top Gear was available for test driving due to these problems.

Tesla ended up losing the case.

The recent review of the Model S (which is pitted against the Maserati Ghibli, but few pages are dedicated to the Ghibli) is a breathe of fresh air for investors, fans, and Tesla Motors itself.

More than that, given the popularity of the show, Top Gear mentioning the Model S could seriously drive sales gains in Europe, where Tesla is still working to find momentum (outside of Norway, that is). According to the latest market data, Top Gear's regular Sunday program draws in around 5.6 million viewers to BBC2. Market share in the U.K. for the program each week is about 20.2 percent then. That compares with the opening day of the 2014 Sochi Olympics, which saw just 12.9 percent of viewership in the market.

You can read the full thing here. Shares of Tesla are down 1.3 percent.

As a reminder, here's a Model S sedan:

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