I'm still a complete dunce when it comes to cars, but our new faces of The Grand Tour have far from dampened my spirits. Expect the same thrills and knowledge with a fresh feel… but the OG trio's legacy isn't too far out of reach.
Our new trio's knowledge and passion for cars is second to none
Francis Bourgeois easily the breakout star
Genius Easter eggs for fans of the original
Amazon's commitment to the show's scope hasn't been scaled back
I still really miss Clarkson, May and Hammond
Stilted in paces, but that's to be expected
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When I spoke to new presenting trio James Engelsman, Francis Bourgeois and Thomas Holland about their debut on The Grand Tour, I admitted that I am an absolute dunce when it comes to cars. Are they prepared to impart wisdom to idiots like me? "Well, did you enjoy it [the series]?" Engelsman asks me. When I reply yes, he says "That's all that matters."
In a nutshell, this is what I think we need to keep coming back to now that Prime Video has revamped its hit car show. Not everybody is going to be thrilled with the changes, and understandably so — original presenters Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond are the absolute lifeblood of the concept. But at the end of the day, no single person can sustain a light entertainment show forever.
And light entertainment The Grand Tour is. None of the core sections of the show have been altered, with our new trio still galivanting across the world in expensive supercars, or doing something stupid like sticking parts of a classic school bus to a microcar. If chaos is what you're tuning in for, it hasn't gone anywhere.
Neither, in a way, have the original trio. Amazon has shrewdly been able to include their spirit and legacy in a way that doesn't overshadow the authority of the new presenters (no spoilers here, though), and the new six episodes feel like the perfect homage to everything that has come before.
Do I miss Clarkson, Hammond and May having the run of resources and Amazon budget? Without question. But just because something has changed doesn't inherently make it worse.
If, like me, you're chronically online but don't fall into any type of niche content, you might only recognize one of the three faces above. Bourgeois went viral on TikTok for his (frankly, nerdy) love of trains, but the internet was won over by his wholesome charm. As luck would have it, his love and understanding of cars is almost as strong as a high-carbon steel train track.
But our other two presenters shouldn't be overlooked. Engelsman and Holland are the creators of popular car YouTube channel Throttle House. Fans have dubbed it "the spiritual successor to Top Gear for years," and with a similar blend of fun and smarts, it's easy to see why. They even had Hammond on in a cameo role years before any of the TV stuff took off.
