[helmut_hed]

Both of those assertions are semi-true, at least - It looks like he averaged around 54mph between 400 and 460 miles. He also turned down the heat as claimed, but not when he stated - roughly between 250 and 300 miles. I'm willing to chalk that up to poor note-taking.

[timbre]

For a professional reporter writing in the New York Times, I think it's right to lump "semi-true" with "flat-out lied."