When is the Prime Video’s The Not Very Grand Tour releasing? Release date for the Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond show revealed

The Not Very Grand Tour, the much-anticipated special from Amazon Prime Video, finally arrives on April 18, 2025. Reuniting Richard Hammond and James May, and paying a touching tribute to Jeremy Clarkson, the episode isn't just another chapter in their journey. It’s a love letter to their shared past, to the combustion engine era, and to everything that made them the most unforgettable trio on television.

Packed with humor, heart, and a healthy dose of chaos, this special promises one last ride down memory lane, with the kind of authenticity that only they could deliver.

What is The Not Very Grand Tour really about?

This isn’t about horsepower or the fastest lap. It’s about friendship, memory, and the quiet realization that something you’ve loved for years is gently drawing to a close. The Not Very Grand Tour trades epic stunts for heartfelt storytelling, taking Hammond and May on a journey less about the road ahead and more about where they’ve already been.

Jeremy Clarkson, though not present in new scenes, appears through handpicked archival footage that threads him back into the story in a way that feels natural, and necessary. His voice and presence are felt throughout, reminding us just how much of the magic came from the alchemy between the three. It’s not about reliving glory days. It’s about acknowledging them, smiling at them, and letting them go with grace and humor.

From Top Gear to The Grand Tour: a story worth telling

The show’s roots stretch all the way back to Top Gear, the BBC series that reinvented how we talk about cars, and, more importantly, how we relate to each other through them. Clarkson, Hammond, and May didn’t just review vehicles. They turned them into characters in their own right. Whether racing across continents, converting cars into boats, or surviving bizarre challenges, the trio gave us something more than entertainment. They gave us companionship, chaos, and real, unfiltered connection.

When they moved to Amazon and launched The Grand Tour, the tone evolved, but the soul remained the same. Bigger budgets brought even grander adventures, yet their humor and unpredictable chemistry stayed front and center. The Not Very Grand Tour is a spiritual continuation of everything they built and the first of three final specials under the Grand Tour-ish name. It’s not just another spin of the wheels. It’s the beginning of a proper farewell.

Plot, direction, and the end of an era

Directed by longtime collaborator Phil Churchward, the special captures something rare: the ability to laugh and look back at the same time. Set against the backdrop of an industry shifting toward electric vehicles, the episode doesn’t fight the future. It embraces the past. It doesn’t argue against progress. It simply says, Let’s remember how far we’ve come.

Hammond and May revisit some of their favorite moments and machines, not just to show them off but to reconnect with the emotions attached to them. There's grease on their hands, nostalgia in their jokes, and an unspoken warmth in the way they tease each other. Whether they’re restoring an old classic or reminiscing about a crash that almost ended in disaster, the mood is relaxed, reflective, and just self-deprecating enough to stay real.

The cast that never needed a script

Even without Clarkson in the room, The Not Very Grand Tour feels complete. Richard Hammond still wears his signature grin, full of reckless energy and wild optimism. James May, dry as ever, continues to be the voice of reason no one listens to until it’s too late. And Clarkson, via flashbacks and perfectly timed quotes, anchors the episode with that gruff charm fans have come to expect.

The dynamic isn’t forced or overly sentimental. It simply works, because it always has. Watching Hammond and May share stories, stumble through repairs, or pause for a quiet moment is like watching two friends you’ve known for years letting you in on a private conversation. And somehow, even when saying goodbye, they make it feel like a beginning.

A global audience and the critics who finally came around

Since the early Top Gear days, the trio has drawn in millions of fans who didn’t just care about cars, but about connection. Their escapades became comfort viewing for many, and even the critics who once rolled their eyes eventually had to admit that the show had heart.

The Grand Tour consistently topped Amazon’s streaming charts, and The Not Very Grand Tour looks ready to follow in its tire tracks. Industry buzz hints at this being their most emotionally rich special to date. And with a free trial option on Prime Video, even those who’ve drifted away from the show might find themselves drawn back for one more ride.

Unforgettable episodes and iconic moments

What would a retrospective be without callbacks to the chaos? The special revisits some of the most legendary episodes from the past, including:

Vietnam Special – where the trio tackled the Southeast Asian landscape on motorbikes, in a journey as absurd as it was beautiful.

Botswana Special – a dusty, unpredictable, and hilarious road trip that tested patience, cars, and their ability to not completely fall apart.

The Colombia Special – where they failed, spectacularly, to photograph wildlife but succeeded in creating one of the most cinematic episodes of the series.

There’s also a quiet tribute to Sabine Schmitz, a beloved figure in the world of motorsports and a frequent guest on their shows. Her memory adds a personal touch to a series that, for all its roaring engines and fireballs, always had a human core.

Goodbyes done the right way

The Not Very Grand Tour doesn’t end with fireworks. It ends with perspective. It’s funny and touching and occasionally awkward in the most endearing way. Instead of building toward a grand finale, the episode leans into the little things, the glances, the silences, the way May gently corrects Hammond for the hundredth time, and Hammond still does it his way anyway.

There’s no manufactured drama, no fake tears. Just three men (well, two and a memory) who once made us laugh with a camping trip gone wrong, now giving us one last laugh as they reflect on everything they didn’t plan, but wouldn’t change.

Save the date. You’ll want to be there.

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Will this be the last time we see them together? Maybe not. But The Not Very Grand Tour feels like the first time they’re truly letting go and inviting us to do the same. Whether you’ve watched every episode or just caught a few viral clips, this special is a chance to reconnect with what made their story matter in the first place.

April 18, 2025, on Amazon Prime Video. Set a reminder. Grab a drink. Call your dad, your best friend, or whoever you watched Top Gear with back in the day. Then sit back and let the engines purr one more time, for old time’s sake.

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