The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
New series, new cars, same passion
Vicki Butler-Henderson and the team review the Tesla Model 3 as Fifth Gear returns
At 9pm tomorrow, the latest series of Fifth Gear kicks off. Hurrah! In this week’s show, I test the latest offering from the electric car manufacturer Tesla. Called the Model 3, it is self-billed as “the world’s first mass-market electric vehicle”, and is a rival for the mighty trinity that is the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C-Class and Audi A4.
It starts at £39,000 and claims to do 250-350 miles between charges (depending on the spec), which will perk the ears of those used to petrol power.
If you think the Model 3 looks a bit futuristic, getting into it certainly is – there’s no key. You use your smartphone. Inside there
“What else goes on behind the scenes? A lot of snacking. And gossiping. And laughing, mainly at each other”
are no buttons or switches, either, just a 15-inch touchscreen that controls pretty much everything from the heating to the sat nav. It’s tech heaven. It’s also really good to drive, with a powerful punch from the off, and fourwheel drive for stability. It lacks one thing, though – sound.
To make up for that in the show, I also test a trio of second-hand heroes with traditional engines and which I loved when they were brand new. I really enjoyed revisiting them here – the Porsche Cayman, BMW Z4 and Audi TT.
One of my favourite features on Fifth Gear is the Team Test, where three or four of us take a new car, nothing too fancy, and review it. We’ll each have a fairly strong opinion on the looks, detailing, interior and how it drives, and we always end up having a right laugh. One time, when we were testing the Audi RS5 Sportback, guest presenter Karun Chandhok was driving round a short handling circuit with all of us on board. Not content with putting one wheel off the track at a 50mph corner, he proceeded to take us offroad when he misjudged the exit angle at another.
And he used to be a Formula One driver! Jason Plato (double British Touring Car Champion) and I couldn’t get out of the car quickly enough.
What else goes on behind the scenes? A lot of snacking. And gossiping. And laughing, mainly at each other, but also at YouTube clips of silly things. Above all, we’re passionate about cars and do our best to deliver expert reviews, give advice and hopefully entertainment along the way. I hope you enjoy it!
■ Watch Fifth Gear at 9pm, on Quest, every Thursday for 10 weeks. Twitter: @vb_h