RALLY AROUND
The Grand Tour BACK: Clarkson, Hammond & May take on 1,200-mile rally trip in second last episode after hosts quit show
Watch the trailer in the video above
THE Grand Tour has released the trailer for the penultimate special in the series before it comes to an end.
Iconic presenting trio Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May shockingly announced plans back in November to shelve the popular show when its current run concludes.
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Bosses at Amazon are understood to be considering continuing the show in a tweaked format, with the current hosts said to be comfortable with the concept as they embark on other projects.
Now, though, the team have revealed that they will finish up with two blockbuster special episodes in different parts of Africa.
The first, Sand Job, will see the crew head to Mauritania, a large coastal nation in the North West of the continent, to follow the course of the legendary Paris-Dakar Rally.
The annual event, which was established in 1979, saw professional and amateur petrolheads make a mammoth 3,000-mile intercontinental journey between the French and Senegalese capitals.
READ MORE ON THE GRAND TOUR
It has been held in Saudi Arabia since 2020 due to security concerns in West Africa but Clarkson, Hammond and May have set out to follow in the footsteps of the original rally racers across a 1,200 mile section of the route.
This being The Grand Tour, though, they will have to do so in cheap modified sports cars rather than the custom-built rally machines used by the competitors.
The episode will see them experience the world's longest train and cross a part of the Sahara Desert, all while trying to protect the sizeable fuel container that will sustain their motors across the epic trip.
In the newly released clip, the trio are seen speeding through desolate sand dunes and near-abandoned towns under the baking sun.
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At one point, Hammond finds himself barreling through a barbed wire fence before finding himself bogged down in a minefield, though his fate is left a mystery.
The Grand Tour's most shocking moments as stars leave Amazon Prime show
Elsewhere, the team tackle bustling cities and even a major river, having to turn their cars into makeshift boats using plastic bottles lashed together.
Overall, it looks set to be another healthy helping of motoring fun as we hurtle towards the final destination of the beloved show.
Previewing the episode, May said: "It's a very long special because there's a lot of material.
"We always tell ourselves we don't actually need to do 1200 miles or whatever, because we have enough adventure in 200 miles to make a special.
"But we still go back and do 1200 miles, because either we like it or we're a bit stupid."
Why did Clarkson, Hammond and May leave The Grand Tour?
The Sun exclusively revealed in November 2023 that the beloved motoring trio would be stepping back from The Grand Tour.
They started the show together in 2016 after Clarkson was fired from BBC's Top Gear, which they had all hosted since 2003.
Since then, they have trotted the globe, with specials emanating from countries including Vietnam, the USA, Norway and Colombia.
However, they have now decided to step down after the remaining specials, both set in Africa.
A TV insider told The Sun: "It’s a surprising decision and everyone realises it very much marks the end of an era for the three presenters.
"But the guys have made no bones about the fact they’re all advancing in years and they have lots of other projects to pursue.
"They just felt like the time was right and wanted to go out on a high when the show remained popular."
Amazon Prime, which hosts the show, are understood to be looking into the idea of continuing the show in some form, which the hosts are said to be comfortable with.
As for the future, Clarkson and May both have major projects with Amazon in the form of Clarkson's Farm and the Our Man In... series, while Hammond runs The Smallest Cog, a classic car restoration business with its own Discovery Plus show.
And Clarkson added: "It’s my favourite one we’ve ever done.
"I've always thought we'd never go anywhere better than Botswana, and now we have."
The Grand Tour: Sand Job will be available to stream on Amazon Prime from February 16.
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