Jeremy Clarkson, James May, Richard Hammond in The Grand Tour: One For The Road (© Amazon MGM Studios)

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The Grand Tour Wraps Up With ‘One For The Road’

By Olivia Emily

2 months ago

...And everyone is reminiscing on a Top Gear special

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The Grand Tour Wraps Up With 'One For The Road'

Jeremy Clarkson, James May, Richard Hammond in The Grand Tour: One For The Road (© Amazon MGM Studios)

Fans of Amazon Prime’s sneaky Top Gear reboot – starring original presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May – The Grand Tour will be sad to see the series end. After 22 years of travelling around the world together and putting a range of top cars to the test, a grand finale is officially streaming on Prime Video now, entitled ‘One For The Road’ – and it has echoes with 2007’s Top Gear: Botswana Special.

The final episode of The Grand Tour features the trio heading to Zimbabwe in three cars they’ve always wanted to own – a Lancia Montecarlo for Clarkson, the first generation Ford Capri GXL for Hammond and the Triumph Stag for May – journeying through stunning landscapes and eventually happening across a strangely familiar island. And it will be familiar to fans of the original Top Gear, too.

Way back in 2007, Clarkson, Hammond and May traversed Africa in second hand cars costing no more than £1,500 each. This was the Botswana Special, and the trio ends at an otherworldly island: Kubu Island, located in the Makgadikgadi Pan area of Botswana. Clarkson famously calls it ‘just about the most astonishing place I’ve ever seen’. So astonishing, in fact, he chose to return to the island for this important finale of The Grand Tour.

Jeremy Clarkson, James May, Richard Hammond in The Grand Tour: One For The Road (© Amazon MGM Studios)

If you’ve already watched One For The Road and you’re looking for more, or you’re just wondering why everyone is reminiscing on this 17-year-old Top Gear episode, here’s how you can watch it for free.

How To Watch Top Gear: Botswana Special For Free

Top Gear: Botswana Special is available to stream for free on BBC iPlayer, along with every episode of Top Gear ever on TV. You can go right back to series 1, which aired in October 2002, and follow Clarkson, Hammond and May on their adventures right up until series 22, which aired in 2015. After that, Clarkson and co departed the series, and four more series were made before the hiatus we find ourselves in now.

Will Top Gear Return?

No, Top Gear will not return for the ‘foreseeable future’, as was reported by the BBC in November 2023. The series was cancelled – or put on ‘rest’ – after a horrific car accident that has led to newer presenter and former English cricket captain Freddie Flintoff being airlifted to hospital and left with facial scars. After a £9 million settlement with the BBC, Flintoff has said he is open to returning, and co-presenter Paddy McGuinness has reassured fans ‘Top Gear hasn’t been cancelled. It’s just on hold at the minute while they get a few things in place.’

How To Visit Kubu Island

Kubu Island is a small island located in the salt flats of Botswana imbued with sacred significance for indigenous locals. It can be accessed by four-wheel drive cars from the local towns of Gweta and Lethlakane, and is home to basic camping facilities, but certainly isn’t ready for mass tourism.

If you’re interested in a trip to Botswana, you can read a selection of our travel articles below.

What Was The First Top Gear Special?

In the modern era (2002–), the first Top Gear special was a Winter Olympics Special, which aired in 2006 and saw Clarkson, Hammond and May journey across Norway. The full list of international specials featuring Clarkson, Hammond and May is as follows: