Tesla (TSLA) Loses Bid to Overturn 'Top Gear' Verdict

Tesla Motors (Nasdaq: TSLA) CEO Elon Musk must be seething. Again.

According to reports out Wednesday, Tesla lost a legal battle against the U.K.'s über-popular TV program Top Gear. Tesla was seeking to overturn dismissal of a claim of libel and damages against Top Gear following a December 2008 program, which questioned the range of Tesla's Roadster sports car.

Top Gear said the Roadster fell short of its advertised single-charge range. Tesla said the comments were defamatory, accusing Top Gear of "intentionally or recklessly grossly misled potential purchasers."

Appeal Court Judge Martin Moore-Bick said that the range realized on Top Gear's test track wasn't comparable in a meaningful sense to the car's true range, which would be obvious to a reasonable viewer.

The recent news comes following an unfavorable report made in the NY Times a few weeks back following a test drive of Tesla's Model S sedan. For more color, click here.

Shares of Tesla are indicated for a higher open Wednesday.

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