‘The Grand Tour’: Five Moments To Cherish as the Curtain Closes
If you’re a fan of Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond, you’ll know that the trio has decided to end “The Grand Tour.” It’s bittersweet news for the show’s fanbase. On the one hand, enthusiasts won’t have any more content from the beloved celebrities. However, we can revel in the fact that Clarkson and company have logged over 20 years of automotive shenanigans for viewers to enjoy.
The Amazon Prime Video show reunited the three world-famous petrolheads after a falling out forced them off the BBC set of “Top Gear” in 2015. The trio didn’t stay off-camera for long, though. The three were back to reviewing cars in a year. Well, with the show ending, we look back at some of our favorite moments beyond the beautifully crafted shots of the latest cars.
- “The Excellent”
- Creating a coral reef
- Racing supercars from the past, present, and future
- Breaking a speed record with an amphibious car
- Creating a path through the Highlands
“The Excellent”
In Season 1, Episode 9 of “The Grand Tour,” Jeremy Clarkson “sympathetically marries” the chassis and drivetrain of a Mk 1 Land Rover Discovery with the admittedly lovely body of an R107 Mercedes-Benz SL. “The Excellent,” as Clarkson deemed it, is an exciting prospect. I’m afraid it was less than spectacular in execution.
Creating a coral reef didn’t go so well for the ambitious trio at ‘The Grand Tour’
Season 1, Episode 10 pits Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May against the clear, aquamarine waters of Barbados. They had a bizarre mission: sink bare-metal husks of popular cars to jumpstart a coral reef ecosystem. As expected, everything goes wrong, and the team ends up accomplishing very little of their mission.
‘The Grand Tour’ had no shortage of supercars, but these three demonstrate diversity
“The Grand Tour” starts with a hypercar holy trinity in the pilot. However, season 2, episode 1 begins with an automotive juxtaposition: a strictly gas-powered Lamborghini Aventador S, a hybrid Honda NSX, and a fully-electric Rimac Concept One. It’s a delightful dichotomy, right up until Hammond tragically crashes the million-dollar Rimac. Unfortunately, it isn’t the first time Hammond has had a potentially deadly crash.
‘The Grand Tour’ broke a speed record on the water
In the ninth episode of season 2, Clarkson, Hammond, and May cannibalize several vehicles to create an amphibious car. Not only that, but the trio have to take their creation to Coniston Water in England’s lake district. The site is itself famous; it’s where Donald Campbell died attempting to break a speed record in 1967. Luckily, the team emerged victorious, if also silly-looking.
Carving a path through the Highlands is a gorgeous scene
In season 3, episode 7, the team heads to the Scottish Highlands to attempt the North Coast 500. Instead, they decide to turn the trip into a lesson in laziness and shorten their route. Still, it’s breathtaking views from start to finish, and Clarkson’s Alfa Romeo GTV6 prompts you to stifle your common sense.
It’s understandable, though. I have to advise against attempting the NC500 without ample time. I took to the Highlands aboard a 750cc Suzuki motorcycle without factoring in weather and time. Rookie mistake. That said, the parts of the NC500 that I traversed were nothing short of stunning.
