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The second series of the Amazon Prime motoring show The Grand Tour, featuring ex-Top Gear presenters Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond, began on the 8th of December, 2017 and concluded on the 16th of February, 2018. Although the series was slated to begin in October or November, following Hammond's broken knee and Clarkson's pneumonia diagnosis, the series was delayed to December.

Filming for the studio segments began in October in the Cotswolds and concluded in December, which served as the permanent studio base for this series and the one following it, abandoning the previous policy of a mobile tent from the first series.

During the tenure of the second series, a third series began production, which aired in January 2019.

Episodes[]

Episode Synopsis Track Test CFO
Past, present or future The guys test the past, present, and future of supercars on a road trip in Switzerland, which culminates in a hill-climb event that ends in disaster. None Ricky Wilson vs. David Hasselhoff
The Falls Guys May and Hammond race Clarkson from New York City to Niagara Falls, with Clarkson riding in the new Ford GT and May and Hammond using public transport. Mercedes-Benz AMG GT R (Clarkson) Kevin Pietersen vs. Brian Wilson
Bah humbug-atti Clarkson takes the Bugatti Chiron on a trip through the French and Italian Riviera. May heads to Mallorca to race a pair of skateboarders in the new Kia Stinger. Back home, May and Hammond invent the sport of car-park racing. None Hugh Bonneville vs. Casey Anderson
Unscripted After receiving complaints that The Grand Tour is "too scripted", the presenters head to Croatia to make a completely unscripted film, resulting in one very confusing trip. McLaren 720S (Hammond) Michael Ball vs. Alfie Boe
Up, down and round the farm Hammond causes chaos in Dubai in a test of the Ripsaw, a high-speed tank seen in the Fate of the Furious. Back in the UK, Clarkson attempts to make his own Gymkhana video on a farm. Volkswagen Up! GTi (May) Dominic Cooper vs. Bill Bailey
Jaaaaaaaags In an effort to prove the reliability of second hand Jaguars, the presenters embark on a road-trip across Colorado, taking in a race around an off road circuit, a drag race at America's highest commercial airport, and a run down a ski slope along the way. None Luke Evans vs. Kiefer Sutherland
It's a gas, gas, gas Hammond and May attempt to invent a way to refuel on the move while Clarkson recounts the epic battle between Lancia and Audi at the 1983 World Rally Championship. Lamborghini Huracan Performante (Hammond) Bill Goldberg vs. Anthony Joshua
Blasts from the past Hammond and Clarkson take on a tour of Southern France in a pair of reborn sports cars from the 50s, but their fun is interrupted by May who attempts to prove that a modern Honda Civic is better in every way. Ford GT (Clarkson) Nick Mason vs. Stewart Copeland
Breaking, badly Clarkson, Hammond, and May attempt to break a speed record for amphibious cars by strapping a jet engine to an old off-roader, taking their creation to the Coniston Speed Week. Jaguar XJ220 vs Bugatti EB 110 (Clarkson) Dynamo vs. Penn & Teller
Oh, Canada The trio head to British Columbia for a test of three high-end off-roaders in a series of tests that include a punishing off-road race. Tesla Model X (Clarkson) Rory McIlroy vs. Paris Hilton
Feed the world (Mozambique Special) The guys embark on an epic road trip to feed the impoverished in Africa, by devising an ingenious plan to transport fish from Mozambique's coastline to it's underfed interior. None None

Production[]

Filming for the series began sometime near the end of March. During a DriveTribe livestream on Facebook, the presenters revealed that they were planning to visit Africa, France, the United States, and Georgia over the course of filming for the new series. With the exception of Georgia, the presenters have filmed in all of the above locations for the show.

On the 20th of March, 2017 news emerged that Hammond had been injured in a motorcycle accident while filming in Mozambique. Clarkson, Hammond, and May were all in Mozambique for the shoot at the time of the accident. Hammond did not sustain any life-threatening injuries from the crash, though various reports suggest that he was knocked unconscious.

On the 11th of June, 2017 news emerged that Hammond had been involved in another accident while filming for the series. This time, Hammond had crashed a Rimac Concept One during filming for a hill climb segment in Switzerland. Hammond sustained no life-threatening injuries but has a fractured knee as a result, while the car caught fire after the incident.

In early August, while on holiday, it was reported that Clarkson had been admitted to hospital in Mallorca to be treated for pneumonia. This event, coupled with Hammond's accident, pushed the series premiere from October to December and delayed filming of The Grand Tour's Colombia special to January.

The team has also visited Colorado and Croatia and filmed segments in the U.K. Further, the trio has been spotted shooting in New York - though only Clarkson was seen in a car, the new Ford GT. Later in September, Clarkson, Hammond, and May were seen in Pau, France with a series of classic British sports cars. In early October, the trio were spotted in Penticton in the province of British Columbia, Canada with three SUVs. Later, they were spotted boarding a flight from Calgary International Airport in the nearby province of Alberta, Canada.

Studio Segments[]

Following numerous delays in the production of the series - notably Hammond's accident and Clarkson's diagnosis with pneumonia - it was announced in late September that the show would not featuring the roaming tent studio segments as in the previous series. Instead, it was announced that the show would film its studio segments for the second season entirely within the U.K., as was the case when the presenters starred on Top Gear.

The tent, from series 2-3, was permanently based in the Cotswolds.

Previously, in the last series, the show filmed in numerous locations around the world, including the U.K. in addition to Germany, the U.S., South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates.

Other Changes From Season 1[]

Series 2 also saw the departure of Mike Skinner as The American, The Grand Tour's test driver and lap time setter. His replacement was revealed during The Fall Guys as British racing driver Abbie Eaton.

The Grand Tour's second series introduced a new segment, Celebrity Face Off, as a replacement for Celebrity Brain Crash. The new segment saw two celebrities, who were "connected in some way", competing against each other in a timed lap around a new circuit, using a Jaguar F-Type.

Reception[]

'Past, present or future', 'The Fall Guys', and 'Bah humbug-atti' were mostly well-received by critics and fans of the show alike. " Overall the ratings were positive and higher than the first series with a score of 8.5/10, now being shown.

Known Items[]

  • The trio head across Mozambique to deliver fish from the coast to the interior, with May in a Mercedes Estate, Clarkson in a Nissan pickup and Hammond on a bike. (11)
  • The trio head to Switzerland for a look at the past, present, and future of supercars. Clarkson represents the past in a Lamborghini Aventador S, May the present in a Honda NSX, and Hammond the future in a Rimac Concept One. (1)
  • The trio head to the Mountain State of Colorado to demonstrate the brilliance of second-hand Jaguars. (6)
  • The trio head to Croatia for an unscripted film. Hammond is in an Ariel Nomad, Clarkson in an Audi TT-RS, and May with an old Lada Riva, which he later converts into a fire engine. (4)
  • The team try their hand, once more, at building an amphibious vehicle (9)
  • Clarkson drives the Bugatti Chiron in the French Riveria (3)
  • Hammond drives a tank in Dubai (5)
  • Clarkson, Hammond, and May head to Pau in three classic British sports cars. (8)
  • The trio head to Western Canada, British Columbia, with a series of new SUVs for a number of gruelling off-road challenges. The trio also, allegedly, visited a race track called Area 27 south of where they were spotted in Penticton. (10)
  • Clarkson races Hammond and May from New York to Niagara Falls, with Jeremy taking the new Ford GT for a ride and Hammond and May using public transport. (2)
  • Hammond and May compete in the made-up sport of car-park-racing. (3)

Gallery[]

Trailer[]

The_Grand_Tour_II_-_Trailer_2

The Grand Tour II - Trailer 2

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