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Prime Video has officially released the first teaser trailer for the 2026 return of The Grand Tour ahead of its global premiere on 4 September 2026. While the teaser focuses on establishing the new presenting team, executive producer Andy Wilman recently confirmed that the original hosts, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May, will appear as surprise guest cameos throughout the six-part series to pass the baton.
Taking over full-time hosting duties are Throttle House creators Thomas Holland and James Engelsman, alongside mechanical engineer and TikTok trainspotting star Francis Bourgeois.
Executive producer Andy Wilman and Jeremy Clarkson pushed to hire real motoring enthusiasts who built their passion naturally rather than parachuting in mainstream celebrities, unlike past Top Gear reboots, with the brief exception of Chris Harris. Holland and Engelsman bring nearly a decade of road and track testing experience, while Bourgeois adds practical mechanical credentials from his stint at Rolls-Royce and a genuine passion for cars, as the owner of a custom K20-swapped Honda Jazz sleeper.
The official trailer below gives fans a look at what to expect across the six new episodes. With action ranging from crossing the Angolan desert in tracked cars and exploring custom car culture in Malaysia to high-speed airfield tests with former Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button. Viewers also get a look at high-performance machinery, including the Ford Mustang GTD, Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, and the Hennessey Venom F5 Revolution Evo.
Meet ‘The Grand Tour 2026’ New Hosts
Thomas Holland and James Engelsman
New to some corners of the internet, but household names for those of us who have been watching automotive YouTube for the last decade, Thomas Holland and James Engelsman built a large audience as co-hosts of Throttle House. While this will certainly be a new challenge for them, their automotive YouTube channel has always focused on the humorous side of vehicle reviews and track battles. Holland, originally from Canada, started the channel in 2015 out of boredom while holding a biology degree.
Engelsman, who is from the UK, joined Throttle House in 2018 after suggesting video ideas to Holland, leading to their first in-person meeting at a Mazda Miata owner gathering. Reflecting on taking the job, Holland joked that when he first heard Prime Video was replacing Clarkson, Hammond, and May, he thought only a moron would take the position. Engelsman added that after nearly a decade of making car films together, adding Bourgeois was the missing ingredient.
Francis Bourgeois
Francis Bourgeois, real name Luke Nicolson, is a young mechanical engineer who gained widespread fame for his hilarious trainspotting videos on TikTok and Instagram. His viral videos previously featured guest appearances by Joe Jonas and the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Bourgeois has consistently demonstrated his petrolhead credentials outside of social media. He collaborated with former Top Gear presenter Chris Harris in a Mercedes CLK DTM Cabriolet to chase down a steam train, and recently completed a sleeper build by swapping a 200 HP Honda K20 engine from a Civic Type R into his little pink Honda Jazz (and then stuck a turbo on it). Bourgeois compared joining the show to running in oversized wellies, so it will be an interesting watch for fans.
Clarkson, Hammond, and May Return for Surprise Cameos
While the original trio concluded their full-time hosting duties in September 2024 with their final special, One for the Road, executive producer Andy Wilman confirmed they would appear on screen throughout the new season in an interview with The Sun. Wilman noted that the former presenters wanted to actively support the transition rather than walk away completely, adding that having Clarkson, Hammond, and May appear in cameos allows the franchise to hand over the show naturally.
The news follows the formal winding up of W Chump and Sons, the production company founded in July 2015 by Wilman, Clarkson, Hammond, and May. Named as an acronym using Wilman and the presenters’ initials, W. representing Wilman, and “Chump” being the consonants “CHM,” the business produced the early flagship seasons of The Grand Tour for Prime Video while expanding into video games, merchandise, and the DriveTribe content platform. The company began liquidating its business assets after the final special, clearing the runway for a new production team to step in.
The on-screen cameo in the upcoming season will also mark a notable screen return for Clarkson following his health update earlier this year, where he confirmed he’s in remission after undergoing early detection and treatment for prostate cancer.
Why Andy Wilman and Clarkson Chose Petrolheads Over Celebrities
Look at the success (or lack of) of Top Gear post the Clarkson, Hammond, and May era, and it’s clear that Wilman and Clarkson wanted to learn from their mistakes. It’s near impossible to find replacements for the original trio, and you can’t parachute in three funny presenters and expect instant chemistry, something Wilman explained when he spoke with 3Bs radio at the Buckingham Literary Festival.
“That’s like describing the show over the phone to an alien,” he said. “You just need three funny blokes, and they muck about… It’s not going to work.”
Clarkson previously advised producers in an interview with The Times of London against hiring mainstream celebrities or casual car fans, insisting that the show required complete petrolheads who built their passion from the ground up.
“There’s no point hiring somebody who likes cars, because that’s not enough,” Clarkson noted. “I would get three complete unknowns. Start small, as we did. They’ve got to be absolute petrolheads.”
He added that after driving cars higher and further north than anyone else, coming up with outlandish adventures required presenters with genuine mechanical enthusiasm rather than television actors playing a role.
“We’ve done everything you can do with a car,” Clarkson admitted. “When we had meetings about what to do next, people just threw their arms in the air.”
So, knowing this, it will be interesting to see how the new series unfolds and whether and how they push the boundaries beyond what the original three have already accomplished. For now, at least, we have an official trailer to dissect.
First Look at The Grand Tour 2026 Trailer
The 75-second teaser offers a good, albeit quick, breakdown of the humour and high-risk stunts planned for the new series. Opening with “Welcome to our first grand tour,” the episode shows clear chemistry among the new hosts and establishes the dynamic among Thomas Holland, James Engelsman, and Francis Bourgeois. The banter ranges from unscripted comedic moments, such as Engelsman deadpanning “Missionary” when asked about a rowing position, to high-stress towing antics where Engelsman exclaims, “I’m tense as hell” while pulling heavy equipment.
Guest appearances and track battles also feature heavily in the footage. Former Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button makes a cameo during a track session, prompted by Holland observing “I guess that’s Jenson Button” before engaging in high speed track driving.
Some of the high-performance vehicles featured during the trailer include the Ford Mustang GTD, Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, and the Hennessey Venom F5 Revolution Evo.
Beyond the hypercar shootouts and explosions, the trio navigate the Angolan desert in track cars, explore Malaysian custom car culture, and drive cheap cars, including an older BMW M3 Convertible, a Porsche 911, and a hot hatch.
Is The Grand Tour Coming Back? Release Date and Streaming Details
Yes, is the answer. The Grand Tour returns worldwide on 4 September 2026. All six new episodes will launch simultaneously on Amazon Prime Video in over 240 countries and territories.
Local viewers here in Australia can stream the entire six-episode season directly on Prime Video starting at 5 PM AEST on premiere day.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The Grand Tour returns globally to Prime Video on 4 September 2026 with a six-episode season.
The new presenting trio consists of Throttle House YouTube creators Thomas Holland and James Engelsman, alongside mechanical engineer and TikTok trainspotter Francis Bourgeois.
Yes, the original trio will appear in guest cameos throughout the 2026 season to pass the baton to the new team.
Vehicles shown include the Ford Mustang GTD, Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, Hennessey Venom F5 Revolution Evo, a Porsche 911, an older E46 BMW M3 Convertible, and even a Pagani.
Australian viewers can stream all new episodes exclusively on Amazon Prime Video from 4 September 2026.
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