Even with Clarkson, Hammond and May gone, Top Gear is still a good automotive show, especially if Matt LeBlanc, Chris Harris or Rory Reid do the talking. So, here’s their take on the Tesla Model X, Top Gear style.

In charge of running the all-electric SUV through its paces is British journalist and television presenter Rory Reid, who’s taken it to the hectic Big Apple in order to test it out, and make a grandiose analogy.

Granted, by now, all there is to know about the Model X is out in the open, but we’re not that interested in technical details as we are in the presentation, especially as Reid will have his fair share of air time now that the BBC revamped the series.

This video is part of Top Gear’s brand new Season 23, and it shows why the show plummeted with viewers. Some would argue that it’s missing the essence, a certain “je ne sais quoi”, lacking the comedic genius.

For instance, the bystanders’ reaction in the drag race against the Challenger Hellcat was clearly staged, as it’s hard to imagine that “die-hard petrolheads” are not familiar with Tesla’s performance on the straights.

Don’t get us wrong, Top Gear had staged segments before, but they weren’t as artificial. At the end of the day, it’s all about scripts and writing skills, as Clarkson mentioned in a recent interview.

Sure, the segment isn’t perfect, even becoming annoying at times – particularly when Reid’s voice is almost entirely covered by the background music – but it’s a step in the right direction.

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