When Amazon Prime announced that The Grand Tour would officially continue without Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May, fans were naturally skeptical. Could anyone actually replace the legendary trio?
But just weeks into the 2026 reboot, the new hosting lineup—Throttle House creators Thomas Holland and James Engelsman, alongside TikTok trainspotter-turned-petrolhead Francis Bourgeois—are proving they have exactly what it takes to carry the torch. Case in point: a brilliantly absurd road trip through Colorado that ended with a fake school bus, an angry local in a van, and a highly confused American police officer.
In a newly released clip from the episode “It’s OK to be Kei” (which Amazon UK just dropped on YouTube), the trio is on a mission to drive tiny Japanese Kei cars up the legendary Pikes Peak. There’s just one major problem: Kei cars face notorious legal restrictions on American roads.
The Pantomime Horse Disguise
To bypass local traffic laws, the boys came up with a foolproof plan: hiding all three Kei vehicles under a massive, hollowed-out school bus shell.
Functioning essentially like a giant automotive pantomime horse, Francis drove the front vehicle (acting as the front wheels of the “bus”), while Thomas and James drove blindly in the middle and rear.
Predictably, the disguise was an absolute disaster in town traffic. “I suddenly have a lot of sympathy for pantomime horses; it’s not easy,” Francis laughed over the radio as he struggled to navigate the tight streets.
The breaking point arrived when the three-part bus encountered an American traffic staple. “The dreaded four-way stop,” they panicked over the radio, trying to coordinate three separate accelerators to keep the bus shell moving seamlessly.
Instead of moving as one, Thomas got trapped in the middle of the intersection. “Thomas, where are you?” they yelled. “Behind the angry man in the van,” Thomas replied, as pedestrians stopped to film the collapsing yellow bus on their phones.
“We’re Being Pulled Over”
The chaotic driving didn’t just attract angry locals; it eventually summoned the local police. As the sirens wailed, the trio went into full panic mode. Because a school bus is supposed to have one driver—not three guys in tiny cars hidden inside—Thomas yelled over the radio, “James, go into the driver’s seat… the driver’s seat of the bus. Buses have drivers”.
When the officer finally walked up to the side of the bizarre contraption, he could only ask: “What the hell is this?”
“It is a contraption that was meant to solve a problem that has not worked out, apparently,” James politely explained from inside the shell.
Unamused, the officer issued a swift and severe warning. “Get this thing off the highway. Don’t drive it on our roads anymore. OK?” he demanded. “If I see this thing moving again, you’re going to take a ride with me”.
Pikes Peak or Bust
Having narrowly avoided a trip to the local jail, the boys happily ditched the heavy disguise. “That bus almost worked,” James joked as they set off on the dirt trails. “At least 10% of the people were fooled”.
Still over a hundred miles away from the base of Pikes Peak with vehicles they legally couldn’t drive on the pavement, the boys had to rely on the kindness of American strangers. They pulled into an equipment yard and begged some heavy machinery operators for help.
Fortunately, the locals were instantly enamored with the tiny right-hand-drive Japanese imports. “I’ve never seen one of these,” one of the locals marveled, praising the practicality of the 4WD Kei truck.
When Francis explained their mission to bring “K-pride” to America by conquering Pikes Peak, the locals immediately agreed to load the tiny cars onto a flatbed trailer and haul them to the mountain.
“You know, in the UK we’d call you guys proper blokes,” Francis smiled, perfectly summing up the chaotic camaraderie that makes The Grand Tour great.
