Top Gear sued for libel over faked race claim

The BBC’s Top Gear programme is being sued by electric car manufacturer Tesla over claims that the show faked a race.

Tesla issued a writ at the High Court in London claiming for libel and malicious falsehood against Top Gear.

The spat stems from an episode, first shown in 2008, in which the Tesla Roadster was raced against a petrol-powered Lotus Elise in what was described as the ultimate test for an electric car.