The new hosts of The Grand Tour have swerved onto screens with a brand new series of the motoring show. Replacing former presenters, Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond are YouTubers Thomas Holland and James Engelsman, best known for their motoring content, as well as social media star and train enthusiast Francis Bourgeois. The six-episode series premiered on Friday (4 September), and will “tackle motoring’s most pressing, and delightfully absurd, questions across some of the world’s most challenging terrains”.
The new season will see the new trio cross the Angolan desert in track cars, explore Malaysia’s vibrant car culture, and head to California where they will test cutting-edge performance cars. Bourgeois, Hammond and May told The Independent that they’re well aware that some fans might be wary of the reboot, but revealed that they’ve been given their blessing by the original trio, who will cameo in the new series. Bourgeois shot to fame for his viral trainspotting videos and is also a qualified mechanical engineer with experience at Rolls-Royce.
Holland and Engelsman are the duo behind Throttle House, a popular automotive YouTube channel known for its car reviews and track tests. Bourgeois said of his appointment: “The saying ‘big shoes to fill’ spring to mind. Well, in this case, it’ll be like Mo Farah running in Size 14 wellies – it’ll be a little awkward at first, perhaps blister-inducing, but will overall be an interesting watch.” Meanwhile, Engelsman added: “I’ve worked with Thomas for almost a decade making car films.
Who knew that all this time, the one ingredient that was missing was a Francis Bourgeois? Let the car adventures commence.” New subscribers only. £9.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.
This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Holland joked: “When I first heard they were rebooting The Grand Tour and replacing Clarkson Hammond and May, I said, ‘Only a moron would take that job.’” Holland, who is originally from Canada and studied biology, founded Throttle House in 2015 “out of boredom”. The channel initially focused on BMW builds and occasional car reviews, but began to gain momentum when Engelsman joined in 2018.
Engelsman, who is from the UK, became part of Throttle House after suggesting ideas to Holland and asking to be part of his videos. The duo had their first meeting in person at a gathering of Miata car owners. Of the new trio, Bourgeois is arguably the most famous, having amassed millions of followers and celebrity fans for his trainspotting videos.
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