Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May launch their brand new programme by hosting their first episode from within Rabbit Dry Lake, California.^[3] The presenters begin proceedings by comparing a selection of hybrid hypercars in Portugal at the Algarve Race Track—Clarkson backs the McLaren P1, Hammond favours the Porsche 918 Spyder, and May has a liking for the LaFerrari—and putting them through a series of drag races, road tests, before seeing which is the fastest in timed laps. Meanwhile, Clarkson takes a look at the BMW M2 while introducing the programme's own test track and their test driver known only as "The American".

The trio set up their tent on the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa for their next episode.^[7][8] The presenters find themselves in Jordan undertaking a SAS-style military training exercise per their producer's instructions, escorting a "VIP" to an important location while tackling a review of the Audi S8 Plus. Meanwhile, May takes part in the specialised South African motorsport of "Spinning" and finds out how to compete in it, while Clarkson tests the Aston Martin Vulcan at the Eboladrome.

The trio host their next episode within Whitby, United Kingdom.^[10][8] The presenters take on a tour of Northern Italy, travelling across the country in a car of their choosing—May takes the Rolls-Royce Dawn with him, Clarkson travels in the Aston Martin DB11, and Hammond occupies the driver seat of the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. The group begin at the Palio di Siena horse race, exploring art in Florence, racing each other at the Mugello Circuit, visiting the Lamborghini Museum and Piazza dei Signori, Vicenza, and finish off their tour in the city of Venice. Meanwhile Hammond and May fulfil a bet from the first episode during their hypercar reviews, by destroying Clarkson's old home in Chadlington, Oxfordshire as part of the wager Clarkson lost.

Notes: The demolition of Clarkson's Oxfordshire home was scripted for The Grand Tour, as it was scheduled to be demolished at the time of filming for this episode.^[11]

The trio continue to host the programme in Whitby for the fourth episode.^[10][8] The presenters take on the challenge to make their own environmentally friendly car bodies using the platform of a Land Rover Discovery, before tackling an 11-mile road trip in Wales to a dirt track to race against three normal cars. Meanwhile, Clarkson performs a comparison test between the Porsche 911 GT3 RS and the BMW M4 GTS at the Eboladrome.

The trio set up within the port at Rotterdam, Netherlands for the next episode.^[14] Following an argument over the best affordable roadster, the presenters travel to Morocco for a road trip in the roadster they prefer—Hammond arrives for the trip with a Mazda MX-5, May seeks to prove that the Zenos E10S is the best, and Clarkson puts his trust for enjoyment in the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider. Along the way, the trio engage in a drag race, weigh their cars, and then conduct a timed lap of each car on a specially made circuit at Atlas Corporation Studios in Ouarzazate. Meanwhile, Hammond and May make their own version of Battleships, using old cars as the "ships" and several G-Wizes as "missiles", and play their game to see who has the keenest strategy to win.

The trio set up their tent for a festive episode, within the forests of Saariselkä, Finland.^[16] Hammond and Clarkson get into an argument over which is the best - the new right-hand-drive Ford Mustang GT, or the new Ford Focus RS—reviewing their respective choice before seeing which is the fastest around the Eboladrome. Meanwhile, May talks about the historic 24 Hours of Le Mans rivalry between Ford and Ferrari, which gave birth to the Ford GT40 and the Ferrari P3, while the trio take a look at a selection of festive motoring-themed gift ideas.

The trio find themselves taking on a special challenge arranged by their producer—prove that beach buggies are not poor vehicles, by each making one to their own specification, before taking them one thousand miles (1,600 km) along Namibia's Skeleton Coast. May bases his on the original 1960s buggy design, Clarkson opts for his to be fitted with a V8 engine, while Hammond upgrades his with rally grade suspension and off-road tyres. In the first part, the trio journey towards the shipwreck of Eduard Bohlen, cross the harsh terrain and sand dunes of the Namib Desert, and make for the capital of Windhoek.^[18]

The trio continue their journey in their modified buggies, finding themselves heading for the Namibia-Angola border. Starting out at Windhoek, the group contend with rough roads and harsh off-road terrain, and traverse a crocodile infested river, whereupon they soon come to the conclusion that their producer might have been right about beach buggies, when they find themselves within sight of their goal.

The trio set up their tent for the next episode, near Stuttgart, Germany.^[21][22][23] Clarkson attempts to make a "proper" car by combining classic car bodies with the chassis of a Land Rover Discovery, whereupon he tries out his creation by taking his fellow presenters for a trip to Chelsea Football Club and later seeing how much it fetches at a car auction in Kensington. Meanwhile, the presenters take a look at ingenious charging methods, May heads for the Eboladrome to review the new Honda NSX, and Hammond tries to make some post-apocalyptic creations that his colleagues soon destroy via different methods.

The trio host their next episode at Nashville, Tennessee.^[3] To help save dying coral reefs off the coast near Barbados, the trio attempt to shore them up by dumping the shells of five car bodies to help them rebuild, but soon face issues from losing most of the bodies they bring, leaving them to attempt to complete their job with the body of a Land Rover. Meanwhile, Clarkson travels between Wales and the Eboladrome, as he gives an extensive review of the new Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio.

The trio set up on the shore of Loch Ness, Scotland, for their next episode. Heading to France, the presenters seek to prove that second-hand Maseratis are a good purchase, by each buying a specific Maserati they think will prove their point—Clarkson buys a Biturbo S Coupé, Hammond chooses a 430 Saloon, and May selects a Zagato Spyder. The trio put their cars through a series of tests, before embarking on a road trip across Northern France, finishing in a race to the Port of Le Havre. Meanwhile, Hammond heads to the Eboladrome to try out the new Fiat Abarth 124 Spider.

The trio remain on the shore of Loch Ness for their next episode. Heading over to Germany, the trio decide to take a road trip on the Romantic Road, in order to review a selection of British 4x4s—May tests out the Bentley Bentayga, Clarkson drives a Range Rover, and Hammond reviews the Jaguar F-Pace. Travelling across Germany, Bavaria, and Austria, the pair pass by several places with humorous names linked to sexual actions, before eventually ending their journey at a quarry, whereupon each conducts a timed lap to see which car is the fastest. Meanwhile, Clarkson heads to the Eboladrome to review the new Lexus GS-F.

The trio pitch up their tent in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for the final episode of the series.^[28] Clarkson compares his retro Volkswagen Golf GTI against May's futuristic BMW i3 to see which is the better—past or future—including testing them with a drag race and taking them on a road trip from London to Dartmoor. Meanwhile, Hammond pits the Porsche 918 Spyder takes part in two drag races within Dubai to determine if it is faster than the Bugatti Veyron and a 1900 horsepower Nissan Patrol, May is tasked with taking part in the sport of Off-road Winching, and Hammond travels to Michelin's proving grounds in France to learn how to drift and then prove his skill against professional drifters, followed by a series of outtakes showcasing how skilled Clarkson and Hammond are with drifting cars.

The trio head to Switzerland to see which supercar, either from the past, present or future, is best, Clarkson represents the past with a petrol powered Lamborghini Aventador S, May represents the present with a hybrid powered Honda NSX, and Hammond represents the future with an all-electric powered Rimac Concept One. On a journey amongst the Swiss Alps, the trio check out museums around Lucerne, conduct a drag race, and then compete in a hill climbing race at Hemberg. For the brand new series, the trio introduce a new segment called Celebrity Face Off, with Ricky Wilson and David Hasselhoff becoming the first guests for this segment to compete to see who is the fastest amongst them.

Notes: Richard Hammond was injured in the course of filming for this episode, after his car crashed upon finishing the hill-climbing race. Footage of this and Hammond being airlifted to hospital was released on YouTube.

The trio engage in race to see who can get from Manhattan, New York City, to an observation tower overlooking the Niagara Falls—Clarkson opts to win the race in the new Ford GT, while May and a recovering Hammond seek to beat him using public transport. Meanwhile, Clarkson takes a look at the Mercedes AMG GT R before handing it over to new test driver Abbie Eaton for a timed lap around the Eboladrome, and Kevin Pietersen competes against Brian Wilson in "Celebrity Face Off" to determine who is the fastest driver amongst them.

Clarkson recreates a jet set lifestyle, as he finds out what it is like to drive the new Bugatti Chiron, taking it on a journey from Saint-Tropez to Turin via the Alps, with a drag race along the way. May heads to Majorca to test out the Kia Stinger GT in a race against longboard riders along a mountain road. Meanwhile, Hammond and May invent a new motorsport for relieving office workers of lunchtime boredom, the trio take a look at festive motoring gifts, and Hugh Bonneville and Casey Anderson compete to see which of the two is the fastest driver.

The trio head out to Croatia, to combat criticism that their programme is too "scripted", by making a completely "unscripted" film—as part of this film, Clarkson and Hammond focus on comparing the Audi TT RS and the Ariel Nomad through a drag race and a rally stage, while May turns up with Lada Riva and sees how good it can work as a fire engine. Meanwhile, Hammond tests out the McLaren 720S at the Eboladrome, the trio host an awards ceremony for "Conversation Street", and Michael Ball and Alfie Boe compete to see who is the fastest classical singer amongst them.

Hammond travels to Dubai to test out the Ripsaw EV2 around the city and the surrounding desert, while May heads to the Eboladrome to try out the Volkswagen Up! GTI. Meanwhile, Clarkson creates a Ken Block-styled film entitled "Farmkhana"^[34] complete with outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage of the filming, and Bill Bailey and Dominic Cooper compete in "Celebrity Face Off" to see who is the fastest amongst them.

The trio head to the State of Colorado,^[36] to establish Jaguar's reputation for reliability by purchasing a selection of its classics—Clarkson brings along the XJR, May buys an XK8 convertible, and Hammond takes with him a Mark X. The trio take their choices for a road trip from Grand Junction to Telluride, taking part in a series of challenges, but soon face issues that include two of the cars having to be replaced by a different set of Jaguar classics. Meanwhile, Kiefer Sutherland and Luke Evans face off as the latest guests competing to see who is the fastest amongst them.

Clarkson takes a look over the rivalry between Audi and Lancia in rallying, by showcasing two of their most renowned cars in rally motorsport history—the Audi Quattro, and the Lancia Rally 037. Meanwhile, Hammond heads to the Eboladrome to review the Lamborghini Huracán Performante before pitting it in a drag race against May's Ferrari 458 Speciale, the pair look into ingenious methods of refuelling, and Anthony Joshua competes against Bill Goldberg on "Celebrity Face Off" to see who is the fastest amongst them.

Hammond and Clarkson head out to Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France to drive two modernised classic cars—a Jaguar XK SS and Aston Martin DB4 GT - before they are interrupted by May in a modern Honda Civic Type R who argues that new cars are better. To settle their argument, the trio take them on a journey across the Pyrenees mountain range, and towards Barcelona, Spain. Meanwhile, at the Eboladrome, Clarkson reviews the Ford GT in more extensive detail since he used it in the Niagara Falls race, and Nick Mason and Stewart Copeland compete against each other to see who is the fastest drummer amongst them.

The trio seek to build their own amphibious vehicle and use it to break the UK speed record for vehicles of this class, creating two different vehicles - one based on a Rolls-Royce Spey, and the other using a Bond Bug—whereupon their finalised creation faces setting the record at Coniston Water during the Coniston Power Boat Records Week. Meanwhile, at the Eboladrome Clarkson takes a look at the Jaguar XJ220 and the Bugatti EB 110 Super Sport, two supercars from the early 1990s, and Penn & Teller compete against Dynamo to see who is the fastest magician between them.

The trio head out to Canada to prove that small SUVs are useless—Clarkson attempts to prove their point with an Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio, May chooses to showcase the uselessness of a Range Rover Velar P380, and Hammond attempts to demonstrate what can't be done with a Porsche Macan Turbo Performance Pack. Along the way, the trio test their choices out through, lap times, carrying Newfoundland dogs, race round a barrel course against a horse, and towing a boat up a mountain. Meanwhile, Clarkson reviews the new Tesla Model X at the Eboladrome and on the road, and Rory McIlroy competes against Paris Hilton as the latest guests on "Celebrity Face Off".

The trio head to Mozambique on a mission to bring fish from the capital of Maputo to the people of Bingo. To cover the 200 mile journey of their task, each presenter chooses a vehicle they believe will work, with a modification for the job—May brings along a Mercedes-Benz Estate with a Perspex tank filled with sea water, Clarkson drives in a Nissan Hardbody truck fitted with an ice machine, and Hammond arrives with a TVS Star motorcycle and an attached rack on its rear. Along the way, the group endure multiple breakdowns as they try to reach their destination as best as they can, only to face a problem when they finally arrive with the fish they have brought with them.

The trio head to Detroit with three iconic tuned American muscle cars—Clarkson driving the Ford Mustang RTR Spec 3, May selecting the Hennessey Exorcist and Hammond choosing the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon—putting their choices through their paces with some drag races on a deserted street, a noise test, and a race around a specially created track in Cadillac's old factory. Meanwhile, Clarkson reviews the McLaren Senna at Thruxton Circuit, before it is put through a timed lap at the Eboladrome.

At the request of Amazon, the trio head out for a road trip across Colombia, seeking to photograph a condor, a spectacled bear, a jaguar, and a hippopotamus, all in the wild, with the photos becoming the company's new screensavers. For the trip, the group each bring along a vehicle they believe they will need—May brings with him a Fiat Panda 4x4 Sisley, Clarkson turns up in a Jeep Wrangler, and Hammond arrives in a Chevrolet C/K Silverado Monster Truck. Starting from Cartagena, they journey for Santander, dealing with narrow bridges and jungle terrain along the way, as they focus on acquiring the photograph of their first animal in the region.

With one animal checked off their list, the trio continue southwards to find their remaining animals to photograph. After getting their next animal, the presenters make modifications at their overnight spot in Bogotá, while taking part in a football match with their Colombian fixers. Heading south, they soon swap jungles for the mountains, higher altitudes, and a hail storm to find their third animal, before eventually discovering that their final animal they seek will not be a difficult search.

Notes: All photographs taken in the two-part special were displayed as part of the credits for this episode.

The trio head for Wales to compare a selection of European Pickups—May using the Mercedes-Benz X-Class, Hammond driving the Ford Ranger and Clarkson using the Volkswagen Amarok. As part of their comparison tests, the presenters put them through their paces in an agriculture challenge, before conducting a series of third-world tests including overthrowing dictators, chaos fleeing, refuelling the military and civil war riots. Meanwhile, Clarkson reviews the Jaguar XE Project 8 at the Eboladrome.

Clarkson puts the Lamborghini Urus through its paces in Arjeplog, Sweden, driving it up a ski slope then racing Eaton in a Porsche 911 Turbo S on an Ice Track. Meanwhile, May reviews the new Alpine A110 at the Eboladrome, and Hammond pays tribute to racing legend Jim Clark.

The trio head to the city of Chongqing, China, where after Clarkson reviews the Hongqi L5, they agree to prove that second hand western luxury cars are superior—May purchasing a Mercedes–Benz S600, Hammond settling on a Cadillac STS, and Clarkson buying a BMW 750iL. They are put through a series of challenges including a handling test, a luxury challenge and a race of durability and speed. Meanwhile, Hammond drives the Chinese Built electric NIO EP9 round the Eboladrome.

The trio head to Inverness, Scotland, with a selection of inexpensive rare Italian classics—Clarkson infatuated by his Alfa Romeo GTV6, May over the moon with his Lancia Gamma Coupe, and Hammond in awe of his Fiat X1/9—setting off on a road trip around the North Coast 500 experiencing many mechanical faults along the way. Meanwhile, at the Eboladrome, Clarkson compares the new BMW M5 to the same but different Alpina B5.

The trio are sent to Nevada for a holiday in an RV but after just 5 miles they decide to separate and each buy and modify their own RVs. They drive on roads and across the desert, putting their creations through several challenging conditions ultimately concluding with a Demolition Derby. While in Nevada, the presenters have a go at certain activities, firstly going dune buggy racing before heading to the Spring Mountain race complex in a selection of American Cars—Clarkson reviews the Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1, Hammond tests the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, and May drives the Cadillac CTS-V.

May visits Florida to look back on the history and events leading up to the Moon Landing Space Mission by exploring the Cars driven by the Apollo astronauts. Meanwhile Hammond heads to the Eboladrome to test the new Aston Martin Vantage, and Clarkson gives an extensive review of the Citroën C3 Aircross, performing many thorough tests in England, France and Italy.

The trio argue which is the best new hot hatch—Clarkson believes it to be the Volkswagen Polo GTI, Hammond argues in favour of the Ford Fiesta ST, and May states the best will be the Toyota Yaris GRMN. After thorough testing on The Grand Tour Rally Track, the presenters are informed to make their cars more appealing to millennials through various methods involving the DailyMail, Instagram, and YouTube. Meanwhile, at the Eboladrome, May and Hammond argue which 1980s Italian Supercar is superior, the Ferrari Testarossa or the Lamborghini Countach LP5000.

The trio drive from Georgia to Azerbaijan each in a powerful Grand Tourer—Clarkson takes the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera with him, Hammond settles on the latest Bentley Continental GT, and May uses the new BMW 8 Series. Starting from the Black Sea they drive over 1000km to the Caspian Sea, across motorways, rural roads and beautiful cities staging many challenges along their Journey to determine which of their chosen GT's is best.

May celebrates the 50th Birthday of the Porsche 917, looking into its victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with racing legend, Dickie Attwood, before the latter races it against a modern Porsche 911 GT2 RS, driven by Neel Jani, at the Algarve Race Track in Portugal. Meanwhile, at the Eboladrome, Clarkson has a look at two modernised versions of classic Lancias, the Delta Futurista and the Stratos MAT, before both he and Hammond attempt to speed up air travel by building motorised suitcases which they test at London Stansted Airport.

The trio are dropped in the vast wilderness of Mongolia near the Gobi desert where they are tasked with building a car and driving it towards civilisation. After completing their creation which they name "John", the presenters set off across the vast wilderness. Throughout their journey despite breathtaking scenery, they are left with limited, unpleasant food and have to deal with harsh weather conditions. After travelling across deserts, over mountains, past trees, around bogs and through rivers, their journey eventually concludes in the city of Mörön.

The trio conclude their series by paying tribute to the mid-size Ford saloon. Clarkson and May look into the history of the Ford Cortina, through its many generations such as the Lotus Cortina, while Hammond reviews the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth at the Eboladrome. Later, the presenters regroup as they wave goodbye to the Ford Mondeo with a car meet at Lincoln Cathedral. The trio then return to the tent and bid farewell to their studio based car shows, a format Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May have followed for 17 years since the 2002 reboot of Top Gear.

Notes: A montage was played at the end of the episode showcasing memorable moments from both Top Gear and The Grand Tour.