Just because the names and faces have changed doesn’t mean Top Gear has changed with the times. It’s still a magnet for controversy, and just as sure as summer months bring unbearable heat, the show’s latest dive into hot water has found itself on the naughty list of the Norwegian government. According to The Drive, representatives of Norway’s Public Roads Administration revoked the show’s permit to go past speed limits in the country after magnetic loop speed sensors embedded in the road captured instances of cars used by Top Gear doing speed runs well beyond what was allowed in the permit. The show’s permit required it to not go past 87 mph on public roads, but these same speed sensors caught separate instances of cars from Top Gear going as fast as 151 mph. Top Gear}

The issue is currently under investigation by police authorities in the country, so said Møre og Romsdal police inspector, Anne Berit Lian, who told local news outlet TV2 that it’s natural for law enforcement officials to “investigate whether these speed overruns have been committed in the period when the road has been closed and has been used for filming.” For its part, the BBC has also come out with a statement of its own, telling The Drive that the network and the show are “fully cooperating with the police investigation into the matter.” It is worth noting, too, that neither Matt LeBlanc nor Chris Harris were in the area where the alleged speed infractions occurred.

The Drive

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Top Gear has a long and often amusing list of troubles, so hearing about this latest brouhaha isn’t really something new. It is nice to see that even without Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond, the show still finds ways to get into headlines in this regard.

That said, it is a pretty serious issue going that fast without getting the permission to do so. It’s even more serious when you consider that this happened in Norway, a country that’s pretty serious about its road laws. Go a little over 10 mph over the speed limit and you’re looking at a fine of almost $700 and a couple of weeks in the slammer. Go over 25 mph and the penalties each $1,300 and as much as six months in jail.

For what it’s worth, too, the absolute speed limit in the country is 68 mph, so for the country’s Public Roads Administration to allow the show to do 87 mph is a big deal. You can understand why Norway is taking this matter very seriously. If it manages to prove that Top Gear did 151 mph when it was explicitly told to stick to the allowed 87-mph limit, then a revocation of the permit could be the least of the BBC worries.

Fortunately, LeBlanc and Harris don’t appear to be involved in the investigation so they should come away from this episode unscathed.