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The Grand Tour: All The Special Episodes Ranked From Worst To Best

Despite The Grand Tour being presented by Jeremy Clarkson , Richard Hammond, and James May from Top Gear , it felt very different from the BBC car show. For one, fans complained of the show feeling more scripted than before. Regardless of this, it’s still been incredibly successful with it now becoming a show that focuses on specials only, with no more studio/tent episodes alongside an audience. So, with the new Scotland special on the way as well as a special that found the trio in Wales and Warwickshire, we had to go through all of the special episodes released up to this point.

So, with one hell of a budget from Amazon, The Grand Tour has managed to explore the world in all sort of different cars, and even boats. But which are the best to watch? Read on and we’ll find out together. We’ll go from the worst to the best episodes in this list. Enjoy.

The Grand Tour Presents: Seamen

This was possibly one of the least liked specials from The Grand Tour, with fans complaining about a lack of storyline and a severe lack of cars. Clarkson, Hammond, and May boat from Siem Reap, Cambodia to Vũng Tàu, Vietnam, on the Mekong Delta. May brought a 1939 Wooden Cruiser, Hammond a Scarab, and Clarkson brought a custom-built PBR.

Interestingly, this was the first episode without the usual writer Richard Porter behind the script and was the first to really come under negative criticism from fans. While there’s a definite correlation here, it was also the first full episode of The Grand Tour without the tent. It may have been too much of a change from the previous season.

Executive Producer Andy William found the change of format very challenging . He told BT the following:

“We’ve always tried to make a special feel special,” he said. “If you look back at the Top Gear ones, they started at an hour. Then they became 90 minutes. Then some of them became two-parters. None of that was planned. The key thing is the 90 minutes. That’s the biggest thing that beats you around the head. “A 90-minute special needs a narrative. In an hour you can piss around more. Just jump around like children with too much sugar. But these longer specials need a journey and narrative, which is added pressure.”

Alex Harrington

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Top 10 The Grand Tour specials list, ranked

When Amazon announced The Grand Tour following the finale of Top Gear , fans were delighted. However, after an eight-year journey with Amazon, Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond have decided to say goodbye.

While the news has made fans quite sad, we're here to take you on a nostalgic journey of the top The Grand Tour specials that have aired over the years.

We have ranked the top 10 special episodes and while it may not take away the sadness of watching the show end, it will definitely remind you of the good times you had while watching the show.

The article rankings are based on the author’s opinion.

1. One For The Road (Season 5, Episode 4)

The final episode of the show charts at number one for obvious reasons. This episode marked the ending of the 22-year-long journey of May, Clarkson, and Hammond and the trio nailed every aspect of it.

The episode was a perfect blend of adventure, thrill, tenderness, and humor. Everyone working on the episode seemed to have made this their way of saying goodbye to the audience who have been enjoying the ride for the last two decades.

2.Carnage À Trois (Season 4, Episode 4)

This one was an off formula Covid special and the episode, with all its controversial aspects will remain a memorable one. The trio took a look at the French car industry and its weirdness in this episode and it was refreshing to see something like this on a Covid special.

What particularly worked was the obvious excitement of the presenters, who were able to shoot after many months of restrictions. Their infectious giddiness oozed over the screen and made the viewers laugh their hearts out.

Moreover, the fact that it was a completely car focused episode, also appealed to the car enthusiasts.

3. Eurocrash (Season 5, Episode 2)

Despite the roads not being as extreme and remote as other episodes of The Grand Tour , Eurocrash worked well because of the charm of the leading trio.

May, Clarkson, and Hammond had chosen three hilariously contrasting cars for this episode. There was also enough fun to keep the episode going. Moreover, Eurocrash explored some often ignored corners of car culture and motorsports.

4. Survival of the Fattest (Season 3, Episode 13)

This episode stands out because of the unique twist it pulled through. While the presenters had often bought vehicles and then modified them as per their requirements, in this episode, they actually built one from scratch.

The trio was dropped in the middle of a remote part of Mongolia and they had to build their own car to drive back to civilization. Even after they were done building their car, May, Clarkson, and Hammond didn’t stop their antics.

From naming their car ‘John’ to preventing Hammond from driving because of his reckless history, Survival of the Fattest was one of those episodes that just kept getting better with each scene.

5. A Scandi Flick (Season 5, Episode 1)

This episode followed the standard formula of a special episode and yet the trio’s journey into the Arctic Circle in saloon cars that were rally bred satisfied the viewers.

A Scandi Flick got everything on point that makes a Grand Tour special episode great! It had elements that car nerds would love, the scenery was beautiful, the pranks that were executed were legitimately funny. Moreover, there was enough adventure as May drove along a thin sheet of ice.

Despite not breaking any stereotypes or giving anything new, this episode followed the established pattern quite neatly, with great results.

6. Lochdown (Season 4, Episode 3)

This one was the first of the two UK specials that were filmed under Covid restrictions. In this episode, viewers were blessed with the mismatched sight of three American land yachts taking a tour of the rugged beauty of Scotland.

Besides making the best of the location and giving the viewers an adventurous feel, the episode also examined different aspects of car culture, something the fans always appreciate.

7. Sand Job (Season 5, Episode 3)

This recent episode did pretty well in terms of location selection and overall execution. It featured some rather new and high-value cars, which have quite an obvious appeal to a certain section of car enthusiasts.

What stands out is the location of Mauritania as the episode provided honest insight into a country about which not much is heard. Moreover, as the trio retracted the original route of Dakar Rally, the geeky audience was elated.

Their driving side by side to the rally’s waterfront finish had created one of the most stirring sequences in the history of the show.

8. International Buffoons' Vacation (Season 3, Episode 8)

International Buffoons' Vacation l Via: Amazon

In this episode, which often gets forgotten as a special, May, Clarkson, and Hammond explored the idea of the great American RV vacation with a trip across the deserts of Nevada.

Despite having some fairly contrived setpieces, the episode did well with some genuinely funny mechanical maladies. The trio also did car reviews, which the fans always like.

Moreover, this episode introduced a large chunk of the audience to the honest fun of RV games.

9. The Beach (Buggy) Boys (Season 1, Episodes 7 & 8)

This was one of the very first specials of The Grand Tour, but did fairly well despite some aspects of it feeling forced to make it stand out from Top Gear .

What mostly worked for the episode was the chosen landscape, the beautiful sand dunes of Namibia. Moreover, with the involvement of helicopters, rhino poachers, and gear knobs with unusual shapes, it felt like the danger was real in this episode.

10. A Massive Hunt (Season 4, Episode 2)

This episode of The Grand Tour should be remembered for first showing the kind of budget that Amazon had allotted to the show. It featured three mostly new and expensive cars that were then subject to serious changes.

The episode took place across Madagascar and the French overseas department of Réunion. The usage of the modern and expensive cars somehow put a dent on the rugged charm of the show that had previously featured mostly old and knackered cars.

Despite the treasure hunt plot feeling a bit stretched, the episode did have its moments and definitely gave the fans some unforgettable laughs.

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All the grand tour specials, ranked.

After eight years with Amazon, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May have called time on their tenure on The Grand Tour – and on their two-decade-long working relationship. To say we're sad is an understatement, so to cheer ourselves up, we've done the only thing we know – a good, scientific ranking.

We've looked back at all 13 specials the show has put out and ranked them in descending order. We’re counting a ‘special’ as any episode (or two-parter) that saw the entire show dedicated to one big film. That includes the eight shows since The Grand Tour moved to its irregular, feature-length episode format from series four, but also the ones that were produced during the three seasons of the show’s regular, studio-based format.

Oh, and obviously this is our list, and therefore contains personal opinions. If you disagree with our ranking, please don’t shout at us.

13. Feed the World

This series two episode saw the team travel through Mozambique, transporting live fish under the pretence of ‘solving world hunger’. It was a rather flimsy setup that led to some pretty repetitive gags.

May getting soaked by his own fish tank or Hammond falling off his motorbike were funny the first few times, and the only real challenge was navigating Mozambique’s muddy roads. Feed the World felt like it ran its course pretty quickly, and is the least memorable of all the specials in our book.

We know there are plenty of people without the slightest interest in cars who still enjoy the work of Clarkson, Hammond and May, and maybe to them, Seamen is a more enjoyable episode.

The show, which saw the trio travel through the Mekong Delta in boats, had a proper sense of adventure through some gorgeous scenery, with some genuine peril and the odd serious topic thrown in. However, you’re not reading a website called Boat Throttle, so Seamen doesn’t really leave us feeling fulfilled. No, wait…

11. A Massive Hunt

Taking place across the French overseas department of Réunion and the island nation of Madagascar, A Massive Hunt was perhaps the first special that truly showed how much money Amazon was throwing at TGT, as it featured three relatively new, expensive cars which were then subject to serious modification.

This perhaps denied it some of the ramshackle charm that earlier specials of both TGT and Top Gear had with their knackered old cars, and the whole treasure hunt plot was a bit contrived. It certainly had its moments, though, and the sight of a mud-covered James May behind the wheel of a Caterham will always be a funny one.

10. Colombia Special

Oddly the only TGT episode full stop to not have some sort of punny title, this series three two-parter had all the hallmarks of a classic Clarkson/Hammond/May special: three mismatching, mechanically questionable cars all united under a single theme; plenty of challenging but beautiful scenery; and some very genuine-feeling arguments.

It’s certainly an entertaining watch, although it’s held back by some pretty cheap-shot jokes and the fact that we’d already seen the trio tackle dense South American jungle in knackered off-roaders years earlier, with Top Gear’s legendary Bolivia special.

9. International Buffoon’s Vacation

Oft-forgotten as a special, this series three episode nevertheless counts as the whole show was given over to it. The trio explored the concept of the great American RV holiday with a trip across the searing deserts of Nirvana.

Yes, it had some fairly contrived set-pieces, but at this point we all should have learned to suspend our disbelief a bit with TGT. Moreover, it featured some genuinely hilarious mechanical maladies, was propped up with a bit of genuine car reviewing, and most importantly, introduced a wider audience to the endless entertainment of the anal caravan game.

8. Lochdown

The first of two UK specials filmed under Covid restrictions, Lochdown gave us the wonderfully mismatched sight of three vast American land yachts traversing Scotland’s rugged beauty.

The episode made the best of the circumstances, with a proper mini-adventure feel that also took some left turns to examine various aspects of car culture – something we always appreciate. Throw in some standard pranks and hijinks and some always-welcome caravan destruction and you have a good, if not great, episode.

7. The (Beach) Buggy Boys

The very first TGT special was also one of the stronger ones in our opinion. It’s more classic Clarkson/Hammond/May fodder – three vehicles (beach buggies being an inspired choice), and an arduous journey across a beautiful but inhospitable landscape – in this case, the sand dunes of Namibia.

In among the standard japes involving rhino poachers, helicopters and, erm, unusually-shaped gearknobs, this felt like one of those episodes with proper peril involved. Perhaps the setting of endless sand dunes got monotonous after a while, but The (Beach) Buggy Boys kept us entertained throughout its two parts.

6. Sand Job

The most recent special did a pretty good job. Again, it featured some reasonably new, high-value cars, which will certainly appeal to some, although I personally found myself cringing every time May’s Maserati clattered into a rock.

The setting of Mauritania was a fascinating one, though, providing genuine insight into a country we hear very little about. Meanwhile, the premise of retracing the original route of the Dakar Rally satisfied our inner geeks and culminated in one of the most epic, stirring sequences the trio has ever produced as they drove side-by-side down the rally’s iconic waterfront finish.

5. Survival of the Fattest

This was one of a couple of specials that strayed from the traditional formula of an arduous journey undertaken in three vehicles, and was all the better for it. It saw the presenters dropped in the middle of a remote part of Mongolia, and left to assemble a rudimentary kit vehicle that could get them back to civilisation.

Like an extended version of that Top Gear segment that saw them race to build a Caterham, this film really allowed each presenter to lean into their established personalities, leading to plenty of hilarious moments. This continues as the second half of the episode transitions into a more traditional journey-based plot as the trio make their way across Mongolia’s beautiful and varied landscapes.

4. Carnage A Trois

Perhaps a controversial one to place this high, but our abiding memory of Carnage A Trois – an off-formula Covid-spec episode which took a look at the weirdness of the French car industry – is joy.

Perhaps it was the infectious giddiness of the presenters – this was one of the very first things they were able to film together after months of restrictions – but we can’t remember laughing as much at a TGT special as we did at this one. It’s an unashamedly car-focused episode, and that appeals to us as much as it might put some other people off, but this stands up as one of the greatest, most memorable TGT episodes.

3. A Scandi Flick

We’re back to the standard special recipe now, but A Scandi Flick – centred around a journey into the Arctic Circle in rally-bred saloon cars – satisfied all our cravings.

Content that satisfies us as car nerds? Check. Beautiful scenery? Check. Plenty of properly funny pranks? Check, check and check. Genuine danger? Just ask May about driving at high speed in an unlit tunnel, or along a sheet of thin ice. A Scandi Flick didn’t break any new ground (unlike May’s Evo ), but it delivered the classic formula very well.

2. Euro Crash

And we can say the same about our number two pick. Euro Crash had everything we could ask for from an epic Clarkson/Hammond/May adventure, even if the location wasn’t as remote and the roads not as extreme as some others.

You had the hilarious contrast between the three cars the trio selected, plenty of wanton but entertaining destruction, and – something that really wins it points for us – serious looks at some often unexplored corners of motorsport and car culture. What tips it over the edge for us, though, is the B-plot which sees a terrible Nigel Mansell waxwork go on the adventure of a lifetime. Comedy gold, quite frankly.

1. One For The Road

One For The Road is an era-closer, the culmination of nearly 22 years of Clarkson, Hammond and May working together. Thankfully, they nailed it. The final episode of the show as we know it serves as a heartfelt thank you to those who’ve been along for the ride since the very beginning.

Perfectly balancing humour, adventure and tenderness, it felt like everyone involved in the creation of One For The Road was working at their very best, aware that this was one last chance to make a truly wonderful bit of TV. We couldn’t think of a better way of rounding off something that’s been a constant source of joy in so many people’s lives for over two decades, and while we’re sad it’s over, we can be very grateful that it ended this way. You can read our full review here .

The first full sentence spoken by an infant Mike was a review of the ride quality of a Volvo 850. It was “Daddy’s car goes bumpy-bump on a bumpy road,” so would probably need proofreading a bit, but it was a start.