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.
Season 3 hit a creative high note. Sent to the Namibian desert, each man builds his own dune buggy from scratch. Clarkson’s is overpowered and terrifying; Hammond’s is small and flips constantly; May’s is meticulously engineered to be slow. The episode captures what makes the show great—not just speed, but the genuine friendship that emerges when you’re stranded in 40° heat with a broken suspension and no phone signal.
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 best the grand tour episodes
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
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. Filmed during the pandemic, Lochdown feels smaller in
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
The first of the “road trip” specials after the studio tent was retired, Seamen sees the hosts swap wheels for waves. Tasked with navigating the Mekong River from Vietnam to Cambodia, they choose three absurd vessels: Clarkson on a speedboat, May in a traditional wooden riverboat, and Hammond on a floating RV. The episode is a masterclass in slow-burn comedy—watching three middle-aged men learn to pilot boats while arguing about navigation is unexpectedly thrilling. The sight of a massive Coupe de Ville
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