With The Grand Tour debuting its inaugural episode, many were unprepared. Many weren’t sure what to expect or how the program would play out.
What they got instead was an incredible show with all three presenters engaging in some very unconventional challenges. Notable moments include Jeremy’s polar expedition in an “authentic” SUV and a celebrity star driving an economically priced vehicle who made faster laps around the track than Hammond and Clarkson did.
1. Opera & Arts & Donuts
After several seasons of struggling to find their footing, The Grand Tour finally seemed back on course with its inaugural Namibia special. Jeremy, Richard, and James finally had some leeway to let loose, which I wasn’t disappointed with either; the banter was hilarious while the scenery was breath-taking – not forgetting some genuinely heart-stopping moments too – making this episode one of the best Grand Tour episodes yet.
This episode featured Jeremy, Hammond, and James’ modern take on what a grand tour is. This involved visiting several cities in Italy via car while engaging in challenges and learning new skills along the way – it quickly became a classic that helped put their back on the map.
It also featured them testing out a Ferrari LaFerrari, Porsche 911, and McLaren P1 on a desert racetrack in Morocco – providing viewers with a fun and uplifting watch while demonstrating the talents of all three individuals involved.
Next on the agenda for this season was a road trip through Cambodia and Vietnam, providing the trio an exciting chance to get out from under their tent for some real adventure – as well as showcase some of their best cars seen throughout this show!
2. Beach Buggies
In the first episode of a two-part special, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May set off to Namibia on beach buggies for an action-packed two-part special. Although not the most comfortable drivers, the trio experiences incredible desert landscapes during this episode – making this episode one of the best so far.
The Grand Tour remains at its core a car show, yet it has evolved beyond simply featuring supercars and pub banter. Over time, its presenters have also taken up various challenges; one such adventure saw them traversing from Georgia into Azerbaijan via different cars with multiple obstacles along their path – including rickety bridges, camping outdoors, and even river crossings! This episode, in particular, was an outstanding example.
This episode shows another side to Jeremy Clarkson – that of being both humorous and intelligent. As opposed to his usual try-hard, death-by-banter opinions with his co-hosts, Clarkson appears far more measured and often hilarious in this one. Not afraid to criticize Brexit or say he doesn’t eat red meat, Clarkson adds some much-needed variety to this episode.
This episode showcases The Grand Tour hosts competing in an intense car-centric challenge, from revving engines in tunnels to donuting outside the Colosseum. There’s even an iconic Celebrity BrainCrash challenge featuring a Dodge Hellcat driven by one of its celebrities! It’s a must-watch episode for any fan of The Grand Tour and an excellent way to adjust to its new format!
3. Hypercars
As the debut episode of The Grand Tour, ‘The Holy Trinity’ sets a strong foundation. Boasting an astounding PS180m budget over three seasons — making it the largest in British television history — its success can be seen here in Portimao, Portugal, where Belgian race car driver Jerome D’Ambrosio tested hybrid hypercars such as McLaren P1, Porsche 918 Spyder, and Ferrari LaFerrari before going back into a tent where Clarkson made a bet against Hammond and May that his McLaren would have faster lap times; in doing so he lost big time; in doing so his house got demolished as well.
The Grand Tour has come a long way since it first premiered, yet its first episode remains one of its finest moments. Season one premiere saw former Top Gear hosts dive right into work even as they adjusted to one another and found their groove; it set an excellent benchmark for season 2.
The Grand Tour has seen many variations since it first premiered, but in this episode of its latest iteration, an attempt at being environmentally friendly backfires spectacularly. They attempt to create a coral reef using stripped-down cars, but, unfortunately, one drops a body, and they lose track of where it was situated. Luckily though, other highlights of this episode include Jeremy lapping Eboladrome and Hollywood icon Tim Burton participating in Celebrity Brain Crash – making for an enjoyable and thought-provoking episode that is well worth watching.
4. Seamen
With Stig tied to BBC’s floundering Top Gear series, The Grand Tour needed something to fill its time slot and fill its void – this something being a series of feature-length specials, each bearing an episode prefix indicating its content.
Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May set off on one of their finest-ever Grand Tour episodes to discover why some people in Mozambique live in fear of hunger while others enjoy abundant supplies of fish. It turns out those living along Mozambique’s stunning coast enjoy access to fresh seafood while those in its interior depend on dried food from markets, thus forcing Jeremy, Richard Hammond, and James May to transport seafood from sea to market using Ford Ka cars, Porsche Cayennes and Mercedes G-Classs across some of Africa’s most challenging terrain.
Although this episode did not contain the typical power tests or reviews found in Grand Tour episodes, we still include it among our list of great Grand Tour episodes as it proved that Clarkson, Hammond, and May were capable of shining outside their tent when given enough material to work with. Plus, it proved an epic journey!
5. Moron
Grand Tour fans generally regard this episode as one of their favorites. The trio travels to Mongolia near an expansive desert and is challenged to build and drive a kit car back to Moron. There are numerous comical obstacles along the way, and things go terribly wrong with each vehicle, which makes this an outstanding episode to watch, not to mention all the fantastic banter sessions between the three characters!
While the first series was still getting used to its new format, this episode shows the hosts quickly picking up where they left off from Top Gear. There are plenty of laughs throughout this episode – from Clarkson taking liberties with subtitles to Hammond and Jeremy being hit on the head with shovels, followed by some timed laps as well as Celebrity Braincrash, which provides even more cartoonish multi-car tests than before!
Although James May has increasingly become sidelined, he still manages to assert himself with his sharp commentary and call out the other two for their foolish behavior. He manages to find his niche within the show and steal the spotlight with his attempts at clever banter. It helps that he’s an impressive racing driver, but even when without one, he can still put up extraordinary times on an ice track race track; sometimes, this gets in his way, but eventually, in one particular episode of The Reassembler he did get his chance race with a Porsche 911 GT3 R in an episode dedicated solely to him!
