The Zimbabwe Special, entitled "One for the Road", is the twelfth and final special episode of the Amazon Prime motoring show The Grand Tour. It is the only episode of the show's sixth series, the forty-sixth episode overall, and the final episode presented by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May. This episode marks the end of their 21-year-long partnership and careers as motoring show presenters (22 years for Clarkson and Hammond).
The episode saw the presenters travel around Zimbabwe in a selection of classic '70s cars.
Synopsis[]
The final adventure sees the trio ignore Andy Wilman's instructions (choose an EV and start going around the M25 to see which car lasts longer on battery), and travel to Zimbabwe to cross it in a range of classic sports cars from the 1970s that they have personally always wanted to own.
Cars[]
| Vehicle | Make/Model | Driver |
|---|---|---|
 |
Lancia Montecarlo | Jeremy Clarkson |
 |
Ford Capri GXL | Richard Hammond |
 |
Triumph Stag | James May |
Production[]
The episode was filmed in Zimbabwe in September 2023.
During production of the episode, it was reported that all three of the presenters were hammered drunk during filming.
Trivia[]
- Due to the indefinite hiatus of Top Gear, this could be the last production of either show for the foreseeable future.
- In a September 2024 interview with Richard Porter, it's stated that the original idea for the final Grand Tour episode was going to be a salute to the Internal Combustion Engine and was to be filmed in the United States. It was Clarkson who shot down this idea.
- Clarkson mentioned they weren't allowed to travel to Zimbabwe during their tenure on Top Gear as the BBC was banned in the country, referring back to a joke in the Botswana Special.
- This is the third time the trio directly acknowledges their previous work at BBC's Top Gear.
- Clarkson also drives a Lancia in this special as he did in the Botswana Special.
- Once again, a back-up car was present, this time the Rover SD1. It was originally a Volkswagen New Beetle (yet another callback to the Botswana Special), which the boys destroyed by pushing it off a cliff in a rather contrived fashion (as usual), which involved a dog named Oakley.
- The second backup car (the SD1) was recognized as a car which the trio would not complain to be driving.
- Do the math of 45kg of silver at 60¢/g and the boys spent $27,000 on silver.
- This is the second time that the trio modified cars to run on rails, the first time being in Series 17, Episode 4 of Top Gear, with Clarkson stating "Wait... we have done this before."
- This is the second time the production crew uses Ludovico Einaudi's "Experience" in a film, the first time being during the Disco Volante review in Series 21 Episode 4 of Top Gear. Though this could merely be coincidence.
- Also, the second time the production crew use the theme to The A Team, the last time, funnily enough, being in the previous special.
- This is the only episode of both Top Gear and The Grand Tour to not end with "And on that terrible disappointment...".
Trailer[]
The Grand Tour- One For The Road - Official Teaser
The Grand Tour- One For The Road - Official Trailer