The Grand Tour is an Amazon Prime Video series featuring former Top Gear hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May. In 2018, the car enthusiasts traveled to Turkey for an episode filled with stunning scenery, cultural discoveries, and of course, exotic cars.
About The Grand Tour Turkey Special
Season 3, Episode 5 sent Clarkson, Hammond, and May on a road trip around the Turkey countryside They explored major sites like Istanbul and Cappadocia in three vintage sports cars – a Mazda MX-5, Fiat 124 Spider, and an Alfa Romeo 4C Spider
The premise was to determine if older sports cars match the enjoyment of modern models. The Turkey episode aired in February 2018 and offered amazing views of the country.
Touring Istanbul
The Grand Tour episode started in Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city. Situated on the Bosphorus strait, Istanbul is home to over 15 million residents. It’s known for historic landmarks like the Hagia Sophia mosque, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, and Grand Bazaar.
After picking up their cars, the hosts drove through the busy streets of Istanbul before stopping for breakfast beside the water. They tried traditional Turkish foods like olives, cheeses, breads, and Turkish tea.
Driving the Turkish Coast
Leaving the city, the trio took the coast road towards the town of Amasra. They enjoyed the ocean vistas along the way in their open-topped cars.
Clarkson, Hammond, and May stopped at an old castle and harbor in Amasra to take in the sights The Mediterranean seaside provided a perfect backdrop for exploring in their vintage vehicles.
Hot Air Ballooning in Cappadocia
The next destination was Cappadocia, an area famous for its unique geography of rock spires and cave dwellings. It’s one of Turkey’s most popular places for hot air ballooning.
The Grand Tour hosts attempted ballooning as the sun rose over the fantastical landscape. Hammond and May struggled to get their balloon airborne. Clarkson eventually took a graceful tour over the “fairy chimney” rock formations.
Off-Roading to an Underground City
After ballooning, the trio switched their sports cars for off-road 4x4s. They traveled to Derinkuyu Underground City, an ancient multi-level cave complex below ground.
Only Hammond could handle descending in the cave’s narrow passageways. Outside, Clarkson and May went rock crawling along cliff edges to take in the Cappadocia scenery.
Trying Turkish Foods
No Grand Tour episode is complete without the hosts sampling local delicacies. In Turkey, they enjoyed fresh seafood cooked street-side, kebabs, eggplant salads, lamb stews, and Turkish coffee.
Of course, they also downed plenty of raki – a strong Turkish spirit. The food and views perfectly complemented their sports car adventures.
Finishing the Road Trip
For the final drive, the three continued their sports car journey along the Turquoise Coast. They took in stunning coastal views before crossing the Göksu River in canoes.
The episode wrapped up with more delicious Turkish cuisine as the hosts reflected on the pleasures of classic open-air motoring through the backroads of Turkey.
Why Fans Love This Special
The Turkey episode of The Grand Tour highlighted local culture, cuisine, and scenery alongside exotic cars. Here’s why it’s a fan favorite:
- Breathtaking cinematography of major Turkish landmarks
- Hilarity and hijinks as the hosts experience ballooning and caving mishaps
- Fascinating history of sites like Cappadocia and Derinkuyu
- Joy of open-top driving along the swooping Turkish coast
- Humorous banter between Clarkson, Hammond, and May
For spectacular views, cultural glimpses, and automotive antics, The Grand Tour’s Turkey special encapsulates the best of the show. It’s a must-see episode for all fans.
Sea to Unsalty Sea
- Jimmy Carr, Richard Hammond, and James May are on a quest in Azerbaijan and Georgia. They will race three brand-new GT cars on a real Formula One track to see how they handle, how well they drive, and how fast they can go.
- The Aston Martin DBS, the Bentley Continental GT, and the BMW M850i are being driven by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May on a 1000 km trip from the coast of the salty Black Sea in Georgia to the coast of the fresh Caspian Sea in Azerbaijan. —Baysara.
- Each of them drives a powerful Grand Tourer from Georgia to Azerbaijan. Clarkson takes the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera, which is 72 kg lighter than the DB11 but costs BP 67,000 more than the DB11, which costs BP 225,000. They choose the latest Bentley Continental GT (626 BHP, very comfortable for long drives, 6L twin turbo W12), Hammond goes with the 715 BHP twin turbo V12 (211 mph, whisper quiet), and May drives the new BMW 8 Series (Bp 100,000, 4 4L turbocharged V8, 523 bhp, all-wheel drive, 8-speed transmission The Aston and BMW both have bad voice recognition systems. From the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea, they drive over 1000 km on highways, country roads, and through beautiful cities. Along the way, they set many challenges to see which of their chosen GTs is the best. Their first town is Gori (birthplace of Stalin). They go to Stalin’s childhood home to see where he grew up. The next night, May and Clarkson break into a local statue of Stalin, cut off its head, and put it on Hammond’s car as a masthead. There is a fence between Russia and Georgia that Russia slowly moves into Georgian territory at night. On the way, they stop to look at the fence. This is how they are annexing Georgia bit by bit. One person from the village went outside at night and couldn’t get back because he was now surrounded by Russian barbed wire. Next, they find a racetrack at Tbilisi. Aston can drift even with the traction control on. The Bentley weighs 2. Tech like torque vectoring, active diff, dynamic suspension, and more make it go fast, even though it weighs 25 tonnes. The Bentley also drifts around corners. The BMW has the least amount of power and the least amount of power to weight, but it makes up for it with technology. 4-wheel drive, 4-wheel steering etc. Around the track Aston: 2:00. 0, Bentley 2:04. 8, BMW 2:05. 8. Mr. Wilman then tells the three to drink three pints of water, wait twenty minutes, and then do their laps again. Clarksons pees himself on the 2nd corner. All three of them were slower this time than the first time. Next, they visit a wine spa in Tbilisi. Then they check their trunk space at the nearby flea market. The Aston has the smallest trunk and a back seat that lives up to its name. BMW has the biggest boot. Soon after they cross Georgia and enter Azerbaijan, or Asia. In the third century, oil was found in Azerbaijan, making it the birthplace of oil. In a country with a long history of oil, the three need to put their cars in cruise control because they can’t find a gas station. Bentley gets 30 mpg (30.6 mpg with 6 of its 12 cylinders shut off). The BMW has an active grille up front and other important features that can be turned off to save gas. Aston has zilch. The whole country runs on Lada cars. The trio stop at the town of Ganja. May sets out to show that their fast cars aren’t really faster than regular cars in the real world. They go 50 miles in an old, broken-down Renault 9 to the “Garden of paradise.” After giving Abbie a two-minute head start, the challenge is to catch up to her. All cars go the same speed in real life because of the traffic, lights, and speed limits. Abbie is first the at finish line, proving Mays point. Next, they go to Azerbaijan’s huge oil fields, where oil rigs are busy drilling oil out of the ground. They find a crude oil spa where Clarkson takes dip. The trio sum up their cars. Clarkson doesn’t think the DBS is worth all the extra money, but Hammond and May love theirs. Azerbaijan’s capital city, Baku, is the site of a street F1 race. The three ask that the roads be closed so that they can race their cars on the real track. It’s too wet for the Aston to stay on the track, but the BMW and Bentley finish almost tied, with the BMW just ahead. In attempts, the result is the same. They will soon get to the Caspian Sea, which is 50 feet below sea level and the world’s largest body of water that is not in the ocean. May talks about the BMW’s lane keeping system back at the tent. This system keeps you between the white lines on the road. Because it couldn’t be turned off, May couldn’t get her racing lines straight while she was racing because the BMW’s system kept putting the car back between the lines on the road. The two of them agree that the Bentley is the best of the three.
Top gear presenter Richard Hammond dies insides as the Turkish boarder guards don’t find him
FAQ
Did Top Gear go to Turkey?
Where is Grand Tour season 5 episode 2?
Where is Grand Tour season 4 episode 2?
Why did Grand Tour get canceled?
What happened to ‘the Grand Tour’?
On 13 December 2018, Amazon announced that The Grand Tour had been renewed for a fourth series. With this, Amazon and the production team retired the studio and audience format in favour of films dedicated to road trips and adventure specials. [ 36 ]
Is ‘the Grand Tour’ a British show?
“GMT, it’s a British show” (Tweet) – via Twitter. ^ abJuss, Mindy. ” ‘The Grand Tour’ with executive producer Andy Wilman”. Edinburgh International Television Festival. Archived from the original on 20 November 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2016. ^ Sharples, Sarah (29 November 2016). “Lawo gears up for The Grand Tour with former Top Gear presenters”.
Are Jeremy Clarkson and Operation Desert Stumble still on ‘the Grand Tour’?
“The Grand Tour episode two review: Operation Desert Stumble and Jeremy Clarkson is still off the leash – plus all the talking points”. The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2016. ^ “Viewers divided over “difficult second episode” of The Grand Tour”. RadioTimes.
Will the Grand Tour tent return to Oxfordshire for 2018?
“The Grand Tour tent will return to Oxfordshire for 2018”. MotoringBox.com. Archived from the original on 25 September 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2018. ^ Clarkson, Jeremy (15 June 2019). “Jeremy Clarkson on Instagram: “Back in the saddle” “. Instagram. Archived from the original on 23 December 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
Does Eurostar have the Grand Tour?
At the start of 2018, high-speed Eurostar train services between Paris or Brussels and London began to feature The Grand Tour as part of the available on board entertainment package. [ 120 ] Starting September 14, 2024, The Grand Tour will be syndicated to local stations across the United States. [ 121 ]
Is the Grand Tour game a bad game?
“The Grand Tour Game is a bad game, but an interesting vision for interactive TV”. www.eurogamer.net. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2019. ^ Will Dron (27 January 2019). “THE GRAND TOUR GAME REVIEW – Our thoughts on The Grand Tour Game so far”. driving.co.uk. Sunday Times.