The Grand Tour. (Top Gear is dead).

[Lint]

Jalopnik found the new test track

 

Also, I didn't like "The American".  I was hoping they'd go with Ben Collins, who had previously played The Stig, and they made jokes about it in Top Gear Live

 

[MDK]

They should dust off Tiff Needell for the track driver.

[JasonM]

Yeah, I like that they wanted to give the new driver an actual personality to not completely rip off the old Top Gear style. But Mike Skinner just doesn't really have any personality or comedic timing to pull it off, and certainly not whilst trying to vet cars in the process. And he was grating on me very quickly because it was just the same 'I hate non-American non-muscle cars equally' joke repeated with little change from one car to the next.

I haven't seen episode 2 yet, but if he continues to fall flat I can certainly see him get replaced by another guy. Possibly even a guy like Tony Stewart to have a big name to really tap into that American market.

[MDK]

Its like that Tom Cruise movie!
What, Cocktail?

[thatshortguy]

Echoing the sentiment that Mr. Skinner needs to step away from his current post, but alas.

The special forces course was arguably the most I've laughed at a single challenge outside of the themed episodes.  Also, that Aston was gorgeous.

[MDK]

1 minute ago, thatshortguy said:

Echoing the sentiment that Mr. Skinner needs to step away from his current post, but alas.

The special forces course was arguably the most I've laughed at a single challenge outside of the themed episodes.  Also, that Aston was gorgeous.

As much as all these modern cars look all lovely and smooth and all that, but nothing will ever get as close to a Dodge Alhambra or a Citroen Shark DS.

[MalaCloudy Black]

What's a Dodge Alhambra? I tried to Google it and see if I was familiar with it but.. it's not turning up much. 

[MDK]

11 hours ago, Cloudy said:

What's a Dodge Alhambra? I tried to Google it and see if I was familiar with it but.. it's not turning up much. 

Something like this:

But it isn't that. Its similar. There is one parked up in a road where I grew up and it is the most beautiful car I've ever seen. I can't even say why, maybe it is because it looks so out of place.

[Colly]

One of these bad boys?

[MDK]

4 minutes ago, Colly said:

One of these bad boys?

I'm splooging as we speak

[JasonM]

Between the special forces buffoonery, and James May being forced to do 'Spinning' with a bunch of kids, and that insane Aston Martin, this was a brilliant episode from start to finish.

And Brain Crash is still silly.

Edited November 29, 2016 by Jasonmufc

[K]

Liked ep 2, not quite as much as ep 1 as I found the special forces stuff wore on quite a bit, but still enjoyed it on the whole.

[MJB]

Loved ep4. Especially the feature film with the three environmental cars. Everyone was back on form. Top stuff.

[MDK]

Anyone else noticed Clarkson wearing high heels?

[JasonM]

Personally love they're completely sticking to not having celeb interviews + time trials anymore, and are instead purely just having fun in finding new inventive ways for the stars to 'get killed' by all kinds of silly hazards.

Of course, the surprise has dulled considerably and only the Renner spot was one of legit shock and hilarity. But it's still a fun way to involve the celebrities and not turn it into a boring talking segment. And it'll make the first survivor interview that much more interesting.

[MDK]

6 minutes ago, Jasonmufc said:

Personally love they're completely sticking to not having celeb interviews + time trials anymore, and are instead purely just having fun in finding new inventive ways for the stars to 'get killed' by all kinds of silly hazards.

Of course, the surprise has dulled considerably and only the Renner spot was one of legit shock and hilarity. But it's still a fun way to involve the celebrities and not turn it into a boring talking segment. And it'll make the first survivor interview that much more interesting.

But you didn't notice the high heels on Clarkson?

[K]

Don't think I'm really enjoying the new series lads. The army thing in episode two dragged on, I can't even remember what happened on episode three and I only watched it an hour ago, and I feel like I've been watching this eco cars thing in episode four forever.

[K]

Two weeks from now we get our first Special episode.

Spoilers I guess, if you consider TV listings to be spoilers.

 

The episode released a week after, on Friday 30th December, won't even be coming from the travelling tent at all. Here's the episode info in full.

"In this special show, The Grand Tour abandons its usual travelling tent for a road trip across Namibia as Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May attempt to demonstrate the brilliance of that great ‘60s throwback, the beach buggy. The Grand Tour boss, Mr Wilman, has declared that beach buggies are terrible and it’s up to the hosts to prove him wrong as they saddle up three examples built to their own specifications and set off on an epic journey across south west Africa, taking in sand dunes, rough roads, dirt tracks, animals, accidents, incidents, arguments and some incredible scenery.

[MDK]

I thought we'd done Namibia? 

[K]

1 hour ago, MDK said:

I thought we'd done Namibia? 

So did I, but I did some googling and it seems not.

They went to Botswana and finished on the border with Namibia in that one. And apparently they drove a Hilux through Namibia once for Top Gear Magazine, but the show hasn't been there. (Happy to be corrected on this one)

 

Also it's only now that I found out the genesis of the killing celebrities sketch: they're not allowed to do interviews because it's too 'Top Gear' and might get sued.