But it's like 2/3rds of a sandwich. Better than nothing but you're not quite satisfied. Oh well. Amazon's new "Not Very Grand Tour" reunites Hammond and May, but Clarkson is AWOL. Is this the automotive equivalent of a sad tribute band? In the world of disappointing automotive news, this one ranks somewhere between "your MOT has failed" and "we've discontinued manual gearboxes." If you've been holding your breath for a triumphant return of The Grand Tour, I suggest you exhale before you pass out. It's not happening. At least, not in the way we all desperately want it to. The final curtain fell last September with "One For The Road," a swansong that left petrolheads around the world reaching for the tissues. Shortly before that, the trio disbanded their aptly named production company, W. Chump and Sons. All signs pointed to the end of an era that revolutionized car entertainment. BUT WAIT, THERE'S... SOMETHING Just when you thought it was safe to cancel your Amazon Prime subscription, a curious listing has appeared in their April 2025 programming schedule. Something called "The Not Very Grand Tour" will apparently grace our screens on April 18th. The title alone tells you everything you need to know about what to expect – less grandeur, more... well, we're not entirely sure. Amazon has been remarkably tight-lipped about the whole affair, merely advising viewers to "stay tuned for updates." How cryptic. How annoying. WHAT WE ACTUALLY KNOW The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has listed the show as a television series starring our beloved trio. Meanwhile, the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has gone a step further, revealing that the first episode is titled "The Glory and the Power" . The BBFC has also said it will feature "the team celebrating the combustion engine, with a look back at footage from past adventures and test drives." In other words, it sounds suspiciously like a clip show. A greatest hits compilation. The automotive equivalent of "Now That's What I Call Clarkson" volume one. Reports from RadioTimes.com suggest that only Hammond and May will serve as actual hosts, reminiscing about the show's eight-year run, while Clarkson will appear solely in archived footage. It's like getting two-thirds of a sandwich – better than nothing, but you'll still leave hungry. WHAT THEY'VE BEEN UP TO Hammond has remained firmly in the automotive spotlight, regularly appearing on DriveTribe and filming the occasional snippet with Captain Slow. May has been keeping busy with his own projects, occasionally reminiscing about the good old days when he was routinely called a "blithering idiot" on international television. Clarkson, meanwhile, appears to be fully committed to his farming empire. Season five of "Clarkson's Farm" has been confirmed, suggesting he's more interested in tractors than supercars these days. This is the same man who, during his watch party for The Grand Tour's final episode, declared that modern cars are "all shit." So perhaps his absence from this new venture isn't entirely surprising. Let's be honest – while "The Not Very Grand Tour" isn't the reunion we've been praying for, most of us will still watch it. Even if it's just Hammond and May sitting on a sofa, narrating clips we've seen a dozen times before, there's something comforting about these two middle-aged men and their automotive banter. The combustion engine may be dying, but our love for these three idiots is eternal. Mark your calendars for April 18th, and in the meantime, I'll be rewatching the Bolivia special for the 47th time.
