The Grand Tour’s “Eurocrash”: A Road Trip with a Missing Thread
The Grand Tour, Amazon Prime’s popular automotive show, released its latest episode on June 16th, titled “Eurocrash.” With a runtime longer than any previous episode (1 hour 47 minutes), the presenters embark on a long road trip through central Europe. However, unlike past episodes with strong themes, “Eurocrash” lacks a clear connecting thread between the presenters, journey, cars, and events.
The Prompt: A Road Trip Nobody Has Done Before
The prompt for “Eurocrash” is to take a road trip that nobody has done before. The presenters must select a car that has not been used for a road trip previously. Hammond selects a Chevrolet SSR, Clarkson shows up in a Mitsuoka Le-Seyde, and May arrives in a Crosley CC convertible from 1947. While the Crosley is interesting, it is not a practical choice for a journey of that length.
The Journey Begins
The trip starts in Gdansk, Poland, and ends at Lake Bled in Slovenia, covering a distance of 1,400 miles and crossing four countries. The route is pointed out on the map by two delicate hands wearing jewelry and nail polish. The presenters’ cars are introduced in the first 10 minutes of the program, with some brief vehicular information given as the trio leaves the port of Gdansk.
A Visit to a Race Track in Poland
Within a couple of minutes, the journey pauses at a race track in Poland where some Formula Easter cars are gathered. Hammond is selected to be the driver as Clarkson is too fat to fit in the cockpit. May misses the race but manages to catch up as he’s bailed on the Crosley and is driving the comedy backup car instead. The racers seem not to try very hard as Hammond shoots to the lead, but then his car breaks down and spills fuel all over the track.
Tourism Spots and Non-Car Content
The show takes a pause from car content for a while and visits a statue of Jesus, billed as the second tallest in the world. Nearby is the Stalag Luft III, the German prisoner-of-war camp from which prisoners dug an escape tunnel. Clarkson and Hammond explore the camp, where Clarkson mixes the reality of the camp and the fiction of the Hollywood film. May misses the camp entirely but manages to catch up driving the comedy backup car.
The trio then visits the Krakow Wax Museum, where they “steal” a statue of Nigel Mansell. The show continues with non-car content and a trip to an airfield where the Crosley races against a three-wheeled communist trike, a man on a bicycle, a tractor, and a dump truck. The Crosley loses, and the race is not interesting.
Highlight of the Episode: Slovakian Flying Car
The highlight of the episode is in Slovakia, where the presenters showcase the ingenuity and engineering prowess of the Czech and Slovakian people. A skunkworks of engineers inside Skoda built a Le Mans racer in secret but never got to race it. There’s also the Czech-made Praga Bohema, a 720-horsepower supercar with a 0-60 time of under three seconds. Also featured is a fully-functional Slovakian flying car, the Klein Vision AirCar. Notable as the first flying car to ever travel between two airports, the impressive vehicle is probably the most interesting part of the episode.
The Finale: Silly Presenters on the Wrong Plane
The last 15 minutes of the episode take place at Lake Bled, the end point of the journey. James is back in the Crosley by process of elimination and arrives late. Departing early for the airport, he steals a tire from the SSR and the Le-Seyde and puts them in a rowboat on the lake to cause general inconvenience. As a grand finale, the presenters hurry to the airport near Lake Bled to see a cargo plane taking off with its ramp down. All three manage to make it up the ramp but… oh no! The producer texts to relay they’re on the wrong plane again! Their plane home is a commercial flight, not a cargo plane.
Final Thoughts
“Eurocrash” is light on car content and heavy on tired, corny jokes. With tourist segments and a lack of cohesion in car purpose underneath it all, the show is more fragmented than ever. It’s not as good as “Carnage a Trois,” or indeed “Lochdown,” as those had stronger themes. “Eurocrash” is roughly on par with the mess that was “A Massive Hunt,” though it lacks a specific mission like the treasure hunt of that episode.
In any event, the sun is setting on The Grand Tour. The show has been canceled (or “not renewed” in PR speak) after Clarkson’s incendiary comments earlier this year about Meghan Markle. Amazon did decide to renew Clarkson’s Farm, which will proceed through at least a third season. The Grand Tour will have its final handful of episodes throughout 2024.
