When Amazon first announced it was rebooting The Grand Tour, car enthusiasts had good reason to approach the idea with trepidation when details were scarce. The presenting team of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May changed car television forever and kept it up for more than two decades. Replacing such an iconic roster of presenters isn’t easy, but promise emerged when it was announced that the hosts of the Throttle House YouTube channel and train enthusiast Francis Bourgeois would be the new torchbearers. Flash forward to Sept 4, 2026, and the first rebooted season of The Grand Tour is out. Guess what? It’s even better than much of Clarkson, Hammond, and May’s later work.
I have a confession to make. Even though Clarkson, Hammond and May were part of my formative car media diet, I don’t go back to many of their post-studio-show Grand Tour specials often. ‘Seamen’ was quite good and ‘Carnage a Trois’ was fabulous, but towards the end, I got the impression that the people who changed automotive video forever were getting a bit bored of it. As the schedule dwindled down to about one episode per year, it largely seemed that the hosts just weren’t having that much fun anymore. James May’s seemingly abject trip in ‘Eurocrash’ made that special feel a lot like a two-man show, and ‘Sand Job’ wasn’t particularly memorable beyond the bizarre bit about a runaway snowmobile in the desert. The finale with the original hosts was different. They were clearly enjoying themselves in Zimbabwe, even if some of the gags were heavy-handed. From sending a Volkswagen New Beetle off a cliff to silver smuggling-related japery, the influence of the writing room was laid on thick, but the trio we’re familiar with seemed to be in on it again.
I’m going to defer to LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy here, with his iconic line “If you’re not having fun, you suck.” Sure, the phrasing’s rather brusque, but if you’ve grown visibly tired of a creative pursuit, bringing it to a landing on your own terms is the best possible way to end things. The end of an era isn’t necessarily the end of a title, though. Especially when the culture needs good high-budget car shows more than ever.
The trick here is more than just fresh eyes to this scale and sort of production: it’s making sure those fresh eyes absolutely adore cars with every fiber of their being. Anything that looks like mere celebrity moonlighting is usually rather obnoxious, with a few notable exceptions. This is part of the reason why I was so pleased to learn that Thomas Holland and James Engelsman from Throttle House, plus trainspotter and engine swap madman Francis Bourgeois, were chosen to succeed one of the most iconic casts in factual entertainment television. They’re not the sort of people you’d normally see on talk shows; two of them are bona fide car journalists; and we all know shows are better when the hosts really care about the subject matter. If you want to get a better sense of how deep the love runs, check out the AMA they did with us in August.
Make no mistake, these are some enormous shoes to fill, although it’s worth noting that the Clarkson, Hammond, and May era didn’t get The Grand Tour perfect right off the rip. Celebrity Brain Crash wore out its welcome quickly, Episode 2 with the military training was rather weird, and the trope of the stereotypically American racing driver would’ve likely landed better pre-2016. With that in mind, the new trio deserves some time to find their wings. Turns out, they didn’t need much.
SPOILERS BEGIN BELOW
The first episode of the new series features one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen: a relay race between some of the quickest gasoline-powered American cars on sale today and actual jets. There’s also hilariously awkward fangirling over an F1 driver, proper banter, and Francis Bourgeois immediately bursting on the scene and demonstrating that the producers have absolutely made the right choice. Amazon showed me this one under embargo, and it was one of the best episodes of car TV I’ve seen in a long time. Awe and belly laughs in equal measure. At the same time, it also feels a bit like a pilot. The road trip in ridiculously powerful American performance cars felt like a loose series of awesome challenges without an enormous deal of narrative or purpose tying them together, and it seemed like Holland, Bourgeois, and Engelsman were progressively finding their feet as a team throughout the episode. Now, I’m not privy to the order in which this series was shot and/or edited, but as the runtime went on, pacing got tighter, voiceover improved, ease of camaraderie seemed to grow, and the early jitters melted away. Starting off with a passing-of-the-torch from Jeremy Clarkson himself certainly helped too.
As such, I wanted to wait until the full series was released to give my verdict, and am I ever glad I did. All six episodes dropped at once, and they pretty much just keep getting better. The second episode immediately transported me back to the magic of my favorite era of Top Gear, only with more likeable hosts and better cinematography. If the first episode is the warm-up, the second episode is where the chemistry of the new trio starts to absolutely shine. No man’s left behind due to a breakdown, there’s real sympathy for machinery, and the pranks are lighthearted, non-destructive, and yet still giggle-inducing. Oh, and Francis continues to be an absolute ringer behind the wheel.
That interplay of hugely likeable, car-crazy personalities continues throughout the rest of the series. It’s obvious that the new hosts are very much their own people, but they play off each other beautifully and are all tremendously talented presenters. From historical pieces to challenges to road tests to a proper race over distance, the hosts shine just as bright as the cars. You cannot fake enthusiasm in this business, and with how easy it is to be cynical about some of the ultra-luxury stuff out there, the zeal and expertise of Holland, Bourgeois, and Engelsman are absolutely contagious. They’re also all properly funny, and they won’t absolutely smash up anything for a laugh.
Okay, so episode three is likely to be the most controversial episode because taking an Autozam AZ-1 down fire trails is rather cringeworthy, but the school bus pantomime horse as a plot device for getting through town seems like a stroke of genius. It appears that the sections of school bus are effectively mounted as outriggers in a non-destructive bolt-on manner, meaning attachment was reversible and bits of decrepit school bus seemed to make contact with each other before the bodies of the actual cars would touch. The result is all of the accidentally-crashing-into-each-other slapstick with none of the severe, uneconomical-to-repair automotive destruction. Likewise, in the challenge to find the most durable passenger car of all time, none of the three cars involved are especially nice examples. We’re talking quickly exposed hidden rot, signs of previous abuse, and major cosmetic defects. In short, the sorts of cars you’d probably skip over on Facebook Marketplace because they look too rough. If you want more evidence, the Singapore and Malaysia special shows in a somber way that in Singapore, it’s often more economical to cut up a reasonably modern car for scrap than to fix it. Everyone on screen looks genuinely broken up about it, so expect more general mechanical sympathy than you’d often see from the previous trio.
With this new Grand Tour series, the new hosts and the team behind them have done something magical: Make brand new high-grade car television that’s passionate, authentic, and enormous fun to watch. Something that carries the ethos that beyond commuting, cars should be a laugh, and other forms of transportation have huge entertainment value too. Questionably cheap used performance cars, restomods, microcars, hypercars, cop cars, locomotives, electrically assisted bicycles, planes … they’re all things that should spark infectious joy, especially among friends. Please, Amazon. Renew this for another season because I need more of this in my life. Oh, and if you find yourself feeling slightly unsure after viewing the first episode, do stick around. The future of The Grand Tour feels megawatt-bright.
Top graphic image: Amazon/The Grand Tour
Finally got to sit down and and watch some episodes. Is it Top Gear? No, it wasn’t meant to be. Is it Grand Tour? Yes, in the sense that the production company behind all of it kept the formula that worked for so many years, The new hosts are a good fit and come off honest to a point, just like the originals. Snark is still a part of the show, which I always liked.
From their names, you’d almost guess there was one Dutch, one Englishman and a Frenchman. An odd Mod Squad for those of you old enough to remember that show.
I enjoyed watching Clarkson, Hammond and May, but when the US version of TG came out and was so clumsily scripted, it made me a lot more skeptical of later CH&M adventures and choreographed drama. And I really got sick of the ceaseless teasing (at best) of May.
I skipped over the spoilers because I want to watch without preconceived notions. I am looking forward to it, on your recommendation.
We had a historic train come through our very small town over the summer, and someone showed me a video with a painfully British guy named Francis geeking out over the train and chasing it from crossing to crossing. I watched and enjoyed the entire video, he and his girlfriend drove right by my house and his enthusiasm was infectious.
Then in the video comments I noticed someone said “Congrats on The Grand Tour” and I was BLOWN AWAY when I realized this awkward nerdy guy was going to be the third of the new Grand Tour trio. I think he’s a great choice.
I have watched half of the shows over the weekend.
I feel like Francis is going to be the breakout star due to his genuine excitement about the subject matter, his general awkwardness, and he can really drive.
I like that they have mechanical sympathy for the cars, even though many of them have been modded rather badly.
Also, the angry tromboning sound from a 350Z modified exhaust grates my nerves to no end.
I watched the new series over the weekend. I didn’t really care for the trainspotting guy until maybe 2-3 episode. The Kei car episode was stupid. We all know it’s based on title/registration in your home state. However I did like the race up the Peak. The old host cameos, well they seemed like they didn’t want to even do it.
Overall, it just seemed like the same bits just being redone again with new hosts, but I guess you can only come up with so many bits over decades 🙂
I”m so incredibly stoked and proud that the Throttle House boys are getting behind the wheel of the Grand Tour. I have been following those guys since their second video posting on YouTube and they feel almost like family at this point.
I’m fairly new to Francis, but his enthusiasm is unbridled and I hope they find all the success they deserve.
The Grand Tour always felt like a cash grab, but leaving Top Gear was sort of the end of the original creative spirit. The thing is, they did all the stupid things you could do with automobiles. The new Grand Tour is just retreading the same old thing. Drive some fast cars, make some bumbling statements, complain about the Corvette….yawn. Nothing to see here, move along. bip bip bwEEEEEEooop.
While I imagine Clarkson, Hammond, and May are genuinely good friends, their on-screen bickering grew very tiresome. At best, it was just bad scripting. At worst, it seemed like true spite.
In contrast, Engelsman, Holland, and Bourgeois seem to genuinely care for each other. Sure, there are little pranks (the badge modification to the Mercedes had me laughing harder than I have in a long time!), but the new trio seems to work like a team, where the old gang seemed to be constantly competing.
This is what I enjoyed most about the Chris Harris, Freddie, etc. reboot for Top Gear. They all appeared to root for each other and it was more about them against the challenge vs. each other.
Watched all 6 episodes. Yeah, a handful of times during the episodes, an exchange felt a bit ‘scripted’ though those times didn’t linger and passed quickly without leaving a bad taste in my mouth. Maybe I’m biased because I’ve enjoyed Thomas and James on “Throttle House” for many years. I hadn’t known about Francis until the hype and interviews started rolling out on YouTube for the new show. So, I watched 3-4 interviews prior to my first GT episode.
During this new Grand Tour, I felt there are so many moments where they’re genuinely enjoying themselves – all three of them. I wasn’t comparing them to past trio hosts of past shows. I was there to be entertained and ‘go along for the ride’ of these guys, Thomas, James and Francis.
And, I was entertained, smiling with them many times, and laughing a few. Simply enjoyed tagging along during the ride.
I have a Prime subscription for shipping but not at whatever level is required to avoid commercials. I just muted the sound and picked up my phone or left the room while commercials played. At least there’s a countdown.
Before writing my comment, I read all the comments here from my Autopian friends. Some are disappointed; some are elated; some in the middle.
Maybe some won’t eat a dessert because it’s not as good as their best memory of it. Maybe some think it must taste exactly the same as their favorite version’s flavor. But, I’m not passing up the dessert as it still tastes really damn good!
Only seen the first one and I think it was good. Not great. Not terrible. Just good.
I knew it would have amazing cinematography and a great sound track with beautiful eye candy. That was a given being that it was a highly watched Prime show.
What I disliked about the old GT and even later episodes of TG was just how scripted it was. Yeah, someone is going to say it “has to be scripted since you have to track shots, get permits, safety reasons, blah, blah, blah”, but there is a difference between being scripted and being obviously scripted. That’s the part that was a let down for the old shows with the previous hosts and now the new hosts. I’ve been watching Throttle House for years – almost from the beginning – so I know James and Thomas have good natural chemistry together. I hope more of that comes out in subsequent episodes of the new GT.
It also didn’t help that they had a $300k Mustang and a $1M Venom as their first cars. Like the automotive industry is already alienating old jaded car-guys by making everything so expensive, so its hard to care about these cars with house-like prices. I rather see the three guys modifying $500 shitboxes than racing $500k exotics.
Lastly, enough with the goddamn fucken commercials. Holy shit, every 12 mins. On an account that we already pay for.
I have a habit of instantly changing channels when commercials come on, faster with the ones that think they’re clever to break at a jarring point.
And I don’t care if I go back.
The danger sports, including motorsports, obviously faced with paywalling has come to pass.
They have now lost generations of potential fans. This show was paywalled here, so never became a habit.
Now some are available, but I mostly don’t bother. Same for races that are too hard to find when they are broadcast.
When I hear about most shows now, not a clue what they are, same for their totally unknown “stars”, to me anyway.
Profiteering is marketing suicide.
No fans exposed = eventually no fans, no show.
Influencers specializing in dumbidity are hard to top, since they routinely fling themselves at bears and off cliffs, but unsustainable.
Anything reminescent seems dull
“enough with the goddamn fucken commercials. Holy shit, every 12 mins. On an account that we already pay for.” – reason #1 I dropped Prime a year ago. I might try using the GF’s account to watch this.
This is literally the only thing I use it for. We have Prime already because of free shipping with Amazon. It is especially jarring because 90% of the things we watch are on YouTube and YT Premium is well worth not having to sit through commercials. Since we don’t watch regular over-the-air TV, cable TV or radio its crazy when you hear a commercial every 10 minutes or so.
I dropped cable in 2009, no regular TV, no radio. Only commercials I ever hear are at my barber with his TV, or restaurants, etc. I have Netflix and Disney, both commercial free, and Youtube Music she pays for so commercial free music.