May’s boat, The Bugger , getting stuck under a low bridge for 45 real-time minutes. 3. “The Beach (Buggy) Boys” (Season 3, Episode 8) The Namibia Dune Trip
Clarkson’s Bentley becoming a makeshift boat. 2. “Seamen” (Season 4, Episode 1) The Cambodia & Vietnam Boat Special
Hammond’s buggy catching fire, and Clarkson using his own fire extinguisher… on May’s perfectly fine vehicle. 4. “Lochdown” (Season 4, Episode 3) The Scottish Lockdown Special best the grand tour episodes
Many fans call this the best thing the trio has ever done. Dropped in the remote Altai Mountains of Mongolia, they are given a pile of rusty parts and told to build a car (named “John”) to drive to the nearest road. There are no producers, no backup cars, and no scripted punchlines—just three blokes genuinely fighting for survival. It’s raw, emotional, and features May finally losing his temper in a way that feels utterly real.
If you only watch one episode, make it this two-hour epic. Sent to the French island of Réunion, the boys decide to cross the Indian Ocean to Madagascar in search of a lost treasure. What follows is pure, unfiltered Grand Tour : Hammond in a doomed rally-spec Ford Fiesta, May philosophically stuck in a Caterham, and Clarkson in a modified Bentley Continental GT that has no business surviving. The scenery is Jurassic, the breakdowns are legendary, and the final beach race is one of the most spectacular stunts the trio has ever filmed. May’s boat, The Bugger , getting stuck under
Here’s a draft feature for a website, blog, or magazine listicle. When The Grand Tour roared onto Amazon Prime in 2016, it carried the weight of a motoring dynasty on its shoulders. Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May had left Top Gear behind, but they hadn’t left their chemistry in the shed. Over five seasons (including a run of specials), the trio delivered chaos, beauty, and genuinely moving television. Here are the absolute best episodes to watch before the tent finally folds. 1. “A Massive Hunt” (Season 4, Episode 2) The Madagascar Special
Filmed during the pandemic, Lochdown feels smaller in scale but bigger in heart. Forced to stay in the UK, the trio buys three clapped-out American land yachts (a Lincoln, a Cadillac, and a Mercury) and tries to drive them across the narrow, winding roads of the Scottish Highlands. It’s a love letter to impractical V8s and a meditation on getting older. The sight of a massive Coupe de Ville trying to reverse down a one-lane track while a local farmer watches in disbelief is comedy gold. “Lochdown” (Season 4, Episode 3) The Scottish Lockdown
The homemade “car ferry” made of two canoes and a plank of wood. It goes exactly as well as you’d expect. 5. “The Mongolia Special – Survival of the Fattest” (Season 3, Episode 13) The Ultimate Build-Your-Own Adventure