‘Brit flick’ the key to film future
THE £250,000 supercar crashed by Paddy McGuinness while filming Top Gear failed an MOT just weeks before the accident.
The owner of the Lamborghini Diablo was also warned about the state of one of its tyres.
Presenter Paddy, 46, lost control of the 200mph vehicle on a country road at Ribblehead in the Yorkshire Dales.
He described it as a “bit of a shunt”. But pictures of the car show it with its rear bumper hanging off and damage to the offside bodywork.
The BBC is still looking into the circumstances surrounding the crash, which happened in torrential rain on a stretch of road notorious for accidents. It said the car was being driven below the 60mph limit.
Now it has emerged that the red Lamborghini – a 1991 collector’s item – failed its MOT test on May 1 this year, just 47 days earlier.
Vehicle logs show a garage did not deem it roadworthy due to having windscreen wipers that didn’t work properly and issues with drive shaft joints. They were corrected and the car passed its re-test three days later. However, its owner was warned about the state of one of its back tyres, and was given an advisory.
Although an advisory isn’t deemed immediately dangerous, the DVLA says flagged issues should be closely monitored in case repairs are needed.
It read: “Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge.” Replacement tyres were apparently placed on standby but had not been fitted by the time of the crash.
A Top Gear spokesman said the car had been “extensively examined” on the day of filming.
He added: “The cause has not yet been fully determined but the incident will be shown in the upcoming series.”
The statement went on: “The car had a fully valid MOT certificate for filming and all tyres were legal and roadworthy. Top Gear also had an independent vehicle inspector extensively examine the car’s condition prior to the shoot – and a specialist supercar mechanic accompanied the production team throughout the day.
“Tyres are one of the most frequently checked aspects of the cars when we film and a replacement set were on standby should the mechanic had deemed a change necessary.”
TV star Paddy told on Instagram how the crash happened. Posting images, he said: “It’s been a mad old day on Top Gear today, you might have seen I’ve had a bit of a shunt. I finally got to drive a Lamborghini Diablo but it turns out 30-year-old supercars don’t like torrential rain – who’d have thought it.
‘I’m totally fine. If you’ve ever owned a Diablo or you’ve driven one, you’ll know just as well as me that ‘oh my god’ she can be a cruel mistress – oh she can be a cruel mistress that one. That V12 lures you in and then rawr, it bites you like that – but I’m totally fine and fingers crossed we will get the car up and running again because it’s an absolute beauty. I’m going to have a cuppa tea, Paracetamol and a little cry.”
The crash came after presenter Richard Hammond was almost killed in a Top Gear accident in 2006.
He was in a coma for two weeks after losing control of a dragster while filming at Elvington Airfield, near York.
A BRITISH director and largely English cast could hold the future of cinema in their hands in the first summer movie blockbuster since the pandemic.
Spy thriller Tenet is due to hit screens in 37 countries on August 12, making it the first major film, with a budget in excess of £200 million, since lockdown.
It stars Robert Pattinson alongside American John David Washington and Brits Sir Michael Caine and Sir Kenneth Branagh.
London-born Inception director Christopher Nolan is in charge.
Studio executives hope the action-packed movie could pave the way for a massive return by audiences, despite new distancing protocols.
But others worry it could signal the beginning of the end of cinemas.
Entertainment Weekly’s Clark Collis said: “If audiences stay home out of fear, or the film is postponed, then Hollywood may have to forget about summer altogether.”