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Why The Grand Tour: A Scandi Flick Is The Trio’s Best Special Since Mongolia

The new Grand Tour special is possibly the best one yet, as the trio take three rally cars across the wilderness of Scandinavia

Ever since Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May move to Amazon and created The Grand Tour, they have kept up the tradition of epic specials such as the ones they did on Top Gear. There has been Seamen, where they took three epic boats across Asia. There were the two lockdown specials as well , keeping us entertained during the Covid-19 pandemic and as we came out of it. And of course, who can forget Mongolia where they built John , an epic off-roader.

That Mongolia special was perhaps the best of the lot, until however A Scandi Flick came to our screens . Launched recently, the special sees Hammond in a Subaru Impreza , May in a Mitsubishi Evo and Clarkson in an Audi RS4 , as they take their rally derived machines across the Scandinavian landscape including Sweden, Denmark and Finland. It's an epic road trip, with some brilliant scenery, great laughs and a heroic machine at the heart of it. This is perhaps the best Grand Tour special yet, and certainly one of the most enjoyable to sit down and watch.

The Story Of A Scandi Flick

If you don’t want the plot ruined, then look away now! But we are giving you a bit of an overview of the story. The trio start at the top of Norway, get their three cars on a football pitch and then set off. One of the first places they go to is an old submarine base from the Cold War, where they play a top speed test. This is where the Evo May brings gets its first big douse of damage, and is the crash May had that we had all heard about. It is a big one, but May does manage to climb out on his own with just broken ribs.

The Evo gets repaired, Hammond and Clarkson modify their cars and the trip continues. The trio later build their own small sheds to live in and tow behind their cars, although they don’t last that long. Near the end of the adventure, the Evo gets a dunking in an icy lake but incredibly, the car is brought back to life by May and the Grand Tour team and it is back in action before the end of the adventure.

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What Makes The Special So Enjoyable

First of all, there are the cars. These three cars are some of the finest there is, and everyone loves a rally homologation special. True, Clarkson’s RS4 is not a true Quattro. But its DNA goes right back to that first Quattro, and it shows itself to be a truly brilliant car in the special. Fast everywhere and a hero for dragging the Evo out of the water later on. It’s a bit of a geek fest really, as we know the three presenters love their rally cars and rally specials.

Then there is the scenery. Every single country the trio visit offers snow capped majesty, with hills, forests, quaint towns and more. It’s a feast for the eyes, and we are jealous of everyone that is able to enjoy this special in glorious 4K resolution. The adventure itself isn’t the most grueling for the three, but sometimes it's nice to see them not get bogged down in swamps or on truly dangerous roads. Just three mates, in three very good cars, enjoying the scenery. When one of them isn’t crashing one of their cars anyway.

A Truly Enjoyable Scandinavian Trip

What else helps to make the trip so enjoyable to watch is the trio themselves. The three mates offer plenty of laughs throughout the adventure, and it feels more much honest and genuine than other Grand Tour specials have. Above all else, this is just very enjoyable and pleasant viewing. Perfect for a quiet evening in, perfect for a lunchtime bit of TV and just perfect to watch whenever you have the time. It's one of those classic specials that we could watch multiple times, like the Botswana and USA specials from the glory days of Top Gear.

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A Scandi Flick Is A Must Watch

If you love the trio and haven’t seen it yet, then you must go and watch it! Just for the Evo itself, which really becomes the hero of the trip and the car we all love and grow fond of. The best bit about it is, it's nearly two hours long! So to sum up, we have three great rally derived cars, a wonderful landscape, plenty of laughs and a truly epic adventure. This feels like a good old return to some of the classic Top Gear adventures, and with more trips from the trio no doubt on the way, we can’t wait for the next one.

Source: Amazon Prime

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

The Grand Tour: A Scandi Flick

• Episode aired Sep 16, 2022

Jeremy, Richard, and James head to the Scandinavian Arctic Circle. Driving their favorite rally cars, the boys embark on a catastrophe-filled adventure, taking in Cold War submarine bases, f... Read all Jeremy, Richard, and James head to the Scandinavian Arctic Circle. Driving their favorite rally cars, the boys embark on a catastrophe-filled adventure, taking in Cold War submarine bases, frozen lake racetracks, and ski resort chaos. Jeremy, Richard, and James head to the Scandinavian Arctic Circle. Driving their favorite rally cars, the boys embark on a catastrophe-filled adventure, taking in Cold War submarine bases, frozen lake racetracks, and ski resort chaos.

• Phil Churchward
• Jeremy Clarkson
• Richard Hammond
• 55 User reviews
• 1 Critic review

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• Trivia The plane back to UK is registered as G-LATO (gelato)
• Goofs When the trio arrive at the football field, there was no rain. However, when it started raining and the scene cuts to Jeremy getting into his Audi, the seat will already be wet, possibly from him sitting on it with his rain soaked jacket.

Self - Host : Have you just stolen a bus shelter?

User reviews 55

• Sep 17, 2022
• September 16, 2022 (United States)
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• Runtime 1 hour 39 minutes

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Prime Video Unveils the First Look at New Special The Grand Tour Presents: A Scandi Flick

In the first episode of season 5 and their first post-pandemic road trip, Jeremy, Richard and James head for the icy wastes of the Scandinavian Arctic Circle.  At the wheel of their three favourite rally cars the boys embark on a catastrophe-filled adventure that takes in Cold War submarine bases – frozen lake racetracks, crashes and ski resort chaos as they drag their homemade houses from the coast of Norway to the Russian Border.   

TRAILER LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9vdHoxuaQc   

FIRST LOOK IMAGES:  https://amznstudios.box.com/s/15hy0xdq6r7kr2l0jwthv1n05ht187u3

CREDIT:   The Grand Tour presents: A Scandi Flick   launches on Prime Video on 16 th September 2022.

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The Grand Tour Presents: A Scandi Flick —air date, interview, trailer and everything we know

The Grand Tour Presents: A Scandi Flick — the boys are back on the road for an icy adventure through Scandinavia's Arctic Circle.

The Grand Tour boys are back filming in far-flung destinations as series five kicks off with a chaos-fuelled special episode — The Grand Tour Presents: A Scandi Flick — which is set in Scandinavia’s icy wilderness.

The Grand Tour Presents: A Scandi Flick begins in the Lofoten Islands in northern Norway, where Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May set off on their mission to drive their pick of rally cars through Sweden and onto Finland, without ever dropping below the Arctic Circle. 

Their stunning road trip takes in frozen lake racetracks and Cold War submarine bases, with plenty of pranks along the way that leave the trio on thin ice! 

Here, Richard Hammond tells us everything we need to know about The Grand Tour Presents: A Scandi Flick …

Release date of The Grand Tour Presents: A Scandi Flick

The Grand Tour Presents: A Scandi Flick is available from Friday 16 September on Prime Video.

What happens in The Grand Tour Presents: A Scandi Flick?

After two specials filmed during lockdown, Carnage a Trois and Lochdown (both aired last year), the trio is all revved up to be back touring foreign climes. Tasked with driving through what’s described as ‘Europe’s last great wilderness’, Clarkson and co take viewers on a front-seat tour of spectacular snowscapes in Norway, Sweden and Finland. 

There are challenges along the way, including pulling makeshift houses across Finland to the Russian border and speeding through ominous tunnels in an old Cold War submarine base.

"It felt great to be allowed back out into the world, but that’s not to play down the specials we shot in lockdown. We were really pleased with them," Richard tells us via video link. "They reminded us that it’s not all about the ambitious scale of a trip; it can be more about how we three get along and our passion for cars.

"But we do explore gorgeous terrain here," says Richard. "It’s described as 'Europe’s last great wilderness', and when the weather permitted, it was spectacularly beautiful. But it gradually became gritty and forbidding."

What cars will we see in The Grand Tour Presents: A Scandi Flick?

Richard tells us: "We figured rally-bred cars would give us the potential to cross rugged terrain, plus they're really exciting. I went for the Subaru Impreza because it was literally born out of rallying. James went for the Mitsubishi Evo, which has a slightly nerdier element. 

"Jeremy, however, chose an Audi RS4 because Audi also made a rally car, but it wasn't that one," Richard continues. "It was more powerful than the others, though, so that made him happy. It's usually one rule for him and one for everyone else, but we’ve learned to live with that." 

What else happens in The Grand Tour Presents: A Scandi Flick?

Despite often-perilous weather and terrain, as always, the petrolhead pals’ pranks and stunts cause the most chaos. Look out for Richard Hammond hurtling down a ski slope in a homemade house, Jeremy setting fire to his own car and scenes of skiers being towed across a frozen lake at high speeds. 

But when James May dramatically crashes in a tunnel and is carted off to hospital, will it cut his trip short?

"I heard a boom from the other end of the tunnel and feared James’s arms, legs and head might have come off because he's not that well strapped together at his age," Richard reveals. "But the motto is, 'We're always prepared to leave a man in the field, if necessary'.

"We were concerned, of course, but on one hand you've got damage to a classic example of a spectacular breed of car, developed and honed over many years," Richard continues. "On the other, you've got possible damage to a gangly, blond-haired old man."

Is there a trailer?

Yes, you can watch a trailer for The Grand Tour Presents: A Scandi Flick here. It’s hair-raising stuff!  

What else is coming up in series five of The Grand Tour? 

The boys have been spotted shooting in Europe but are keeping tight-lipped about details surrounding the next episode. Rumour has it they’ve filmed in Poland, Slovakia and Hungary. Can Hammond tell us more?

"No, I will be shot!" he laughs. 

The Grand Tour Presents: A Scandi Flick is available from Friday, September 16 on Prime Video.

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Rebecca has more than 20 years' experience in journalism and is now writing about all things telly-related for TV Times, TV&Satellite Week, What’s On TV and whattowatch.com .

She’s interviewed all sorts of big-name stars, including Al Pacino, Ewan McGregor, Tom Hardy, Winona Ryder, Benedict Cumberbatch and more. She’s also been known to step in front of the camera, dressing up as a 1920s flapper to star in ITV’s Mr Selfridge a nd co-hosting ITV News at Ten with Mark Austin – all in the line of duty! 

When she’s not quizzing actors, directors and producers, you’ll find her bingeing US dramas and anything horror/sci-fi/zombie-themed. But her greatest love will always be Game of Thrones … just don’t mention the ending!

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What Happened To The Grand Tour: A Scandi Flick Cars? Their Future Revealed

The Grand Tour: A Scandi Flick was released last week to Prime Video. Since then, many fans have been asking what has happened to Jeremy Clarkson , James May , and Richard Hammond’s cars that they drove in the episode.

May drove, and crashed, the Mitsubishi Evo 8, Hammond had a Subaru Impreza and Clarkson chose an Audi RS4 B7.

Taking to The Grand Tour’s YouTube channel, Hammond and May took another look around the cars and discussed what has happened to them since filming and what are the plans for them in the future.

The former Top Gear hosts revealed that Hammond has decided to keep the Subaru Impreza and plans to do some work to it.

“I am actually [going to keep it]. I love it.

“I’ve always loved these, but it’s a bit like, the only car that I can think of that does it is the Porsche Boxter, you see them around think it’s a Porsche Boxster. It’s nothing, any generation. And then you get in it and you drive it and you think, ‘Oh my God, this thing is absolutely amazing.’

“And it’s the same with this. I thought, I know what Subarus are like and how it feels, then as soon as I got in it, I was like ‘Ohhhh’.”

After comparing the Subaru and Mitsubishi for a while, and Hammond and May debating over which car was more stripped back and about the driving and which was had more technology, they moved onto the touchy subject of how May managed to wreck the Evo. Hammond asked just how ruined is it, to which May responded:

“Well, it still goes. Which is the point. Let’s be honest, I did a more thorough test. The point about a rally car, in use on a rally, is that they get crashed about all the time. And they are out in the field so it is ‘bush mechanics’. They are beaten back into shape with rubber mallets and crowbars and they continue. And I proved that the Evo can sustain that sort of punishment. You [Hammond] didn’t do that and neither did he [Clarkson].

“As a motoring journalist, I did a proper test of this car.”

Hammond went on to ask May what he was going to do with the Evo and if he was going to keep it. May explained:

“No. I don’t know if we can admit this. It is actually a write off, in road use terms, because it’s bent.

“Because in the garage, they had to put a hydraulic jack in to push the engine that way about three inches.”

Excitedly bringing conversation back to his Impreza, Hammond elaborated on his earlier point about keeping the rally car:

“I am keeping this and I think I am going to re-work it and turn it into an absolute monster.”

“I’m going to see if I can get massive horsepower out of it and make it a bit angry”

For the whole of the duration of the video, they joked that Jeremy Clarkson had been locked in the boot of his Audi RS4 as it is ‘not a real rally car’. Going on to talk about it, describing it as an ‘executive business car’, Hammond and May said:

“Just because it has the word ‘Quattro’ on it, doesn’t make it a Quattro.

“You could write space shuttle on it and it doesn’t make it one of those either.

“It merely means it has a four wheel drive system. It is not a rally car.”

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The Grand Tour's "A Scandi Flick" Crashes, Bangs, and Contrives to Fill Its Length

It’s been nearly three years since The Grand Tour switched its format away from the elaborate traveling tent and to its all-special format. On Friday, Amazon released the fifth such special, and the first “post pandemic” episode (their term, not mine). In “A Scandi Flick,” the familiar trio heads across Scandinavia in three rally-inspired all-wheel drive sedans. It’s certainly not the show’s worst work, but it’s far from the best. You’ll need to suspend disbelief and leave your thinking skills in another room.

(Warning: Big spoilers are ahead, so if you want to avoid them then stop here.)

The new special is the longest in the show’s revised format portfolio, as the first three episodes “Seamen,” “ A Massive Hunt ,” and " Lochdown ” all spanned an hour and 30 minutes, while “ Carnage A Trois ” was an hour and eight minutes. The premise is an interesting one this time, and avoids the corny “What’s with this and that?” prompt of both “Lochdown” and “Carnage A Trois.” Clarkson explains that for this episode the team wants to explore the world of the 2000s rally-inspired four-door. 

An interesting topic for sure, but there’s an immediate flaw in the prompt when the presenters pull their cars around for a first look. Hammond selects the most obvious car in the class, a 2003 Subaru Impreza WRX STi, while May goes for the second car any enthusiast would think of, a 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII. For his choice, Clarkson goes with a 2007 Audi RS4. 

Immediately, Clarkson is lambasted for his RS4 choice because “it’s not a Quattro.” Hammond and May are referring to the B2 Audi Quattro that went rallying in the Eighties, and its accompanying road-going version. Clarkson defends his selection saying that Audi has a long rallying history, which it does. 

But as the question is limited to four-doors, the Quattro (out of production since 1991) was off-limits anyway. It was a two-door hatchback, and that latter characteristic was shared by almost all rally cars in the 90s and 2000s. Four-doors were the rare exception, and Subaru and Mitsubishi made the only spicy road-going versions a consumer could purchase.

One thing to note about this particular episode (unlike “A Massive Hunt”), is how the trio is intent on enjoying themselves throughout. The unscripted moments in shops and on the road bring back a feeling of the old Top Gear episodes. And that’s been lacking in much of The Grand Tour back catalog.

The three of them are assigned to explore which of their cars is the best by traveling 600 miles across Norway, Sweden, and Finland and completing challenges. It’s a classic Top Gear prompt for sure. The team is assured by various news outlets they’ll be in the wilderness for most of their journey. A map is shown with the route but does not include cities or points of interest, only national borders. Start suspending belief here.

The snowy Scandinavian landscape reveals itself immediately and stays put through the entire show. As usual for The Grand Tour it’s all excellently filmed, and accompanied by appropriately subtle background music. The show does nature shots and sweeping views of roads so perfectly.

Accompanying the team is the expected Terrible Backup Car, a Volvo 345 in this instance. It’s communist-looking and from the Eighties, and doesn’t really fit the program, apart from its Swedish origin. It’s first noticed early on when they visit a shop to buy some cold-weather car supplies for the wilderness. Eventually, it vanishes but that doesn’t matter.

Almost immediately the first challenge takes place, in a submarine base located within a mountain. There’s a straight stretch of tunnel that presents an opportunity for a speed and bravery test, which can’t happen outdoors because of the weather. Clarkson goes first, and in a moment James May probably regrets, he goes next. 

His Evo loses traction upon braking at the end of the tunnel, and the yellow car fishtails and slams driver’s side into the concrete wall at considerable speed. Viewers are presented with the footage as it happens, and see James hit his head against the window and B-pillar of the Mitsubishi as he crashes. EMS are present immediately, and various crew look on as a bloodied and shaken James gets out of his wrecked Evo.

May is absent from the episode for a while as he’s in the hospital, and has a broken rib. He sticks around in Norway as the other two cross into Sweden to continue the journey. It’s around this moment, 28 minutes in, that the episode starts its decline.

Hammond and Clarkson find a shop “in the wilderness” where they can modify their cars and get them more rally-ish. Clarkson applies an excellent Audi Sport livery to his RS4, and Hammond goes for a classic Martini racing livery on the WRX. Clarkson also adds a special feature to his exhaust, a flamethrower.

A theoretical flamethrower, that is. In an unusual turn for the show, CGI flames are presented instead of real fire. Perhaps laws or lawyers prevented the real thing, but when Clarkson presses the Flame On button some unconvincing CGI does the rest. The two do some rally driving on a frozen lake that’s been plowed into a race track, which they just happen to find on their drive. The driving is entertaining, at least. 

May hires a shop to repair the extensive damage done to the Evo, which allows him to join the other two at the frozen lake at about the 40 minute mark. The Evo is clearly worse for wear, but still in functioning condition. Skiers turn up at the lake, and then a race ensues as the sedans tow their human skier cargo around as fast as possible. It’s all very choreographed as it would be too dangerous to do it for real.

Driving through more “wilderness,” the team ends up spending the night in a wood survival hut they find that’s filled with meat. Turns out they fail to notice they’re at a museum property, and wake up in the morning surrounded by tour groups. Hammond has covered Clarkson’s Audi completely with ice, and Clarkson dumps gasoline on the Audi’s hood to help get the door open (?). It’s time for more fire, which also looks like CGI.

At an hour into the episode it’s out of steam and out of material, but keeps on going. At a restaurant the trio see a house being moved across a town. This prompts them to put their own accommodation on skis, because they’re about to be “in the wilderness.” The reason there’s no information shown when a map is presented becomes obvious, because the team has been in or near populated areas at almost all times during the journey. 

A couple of minutes elapse and the trio has their selected homes on skis, which they proceed to drive around and crash into snow banks, dumpsters, “important signs,” and similar. The team reiterates they don’t know where they’re going at different points, and drives into the evening. A serious storm happens so they call it a night, and park where they are.

This is of course at a ski resort, at the top of a ski slope. Antics ensue, and they take turns heading down the ski slope. Clarkson decides to push a sleeping Hammond down the slope in his portable house in a moment of attempted murder. Fortunately, the house is miraculously stable and Hammond incurs no injury when he slams into the barrier at the base of the slope. 

We’re still watching a car show as Clarkson takes the RS4 down the slope with his house attached. He accidentally presses the CGI fire button, which lights his wooden house on fire for real. May leaves his trailer at the top of the hill because he can’t figure out how to attach it to the Evo.

The final gag lasts for 15 minutes as the team drive across a handy plowed frozen lake so they can speed toward their final destination (an airport) in time. Suddenly they know exactly where they’re going. May drives his car into a soft patch of ice in the middle of the lake, and accidentally falls through. Hammond and Clarkson create a rudimentary winch device out of wood which miraculously works, but the Evo is theoretically ruined once again.

The show ends with yet another accident! The presenters hop on a private jet and take off, while the crew stands there in dismay. They aren’t supposed to take off on that plane, it’s a prop! They’re supposed to take off on a commercial airliner parked just nearby. Those ornery presenters!

“A Scandi Flick” is about 45 minutes of content presented in an hour and 39. The team are enjoying themselves throughout, but lots of fluff and script should have been left on the editing floor along with the CGI. It’s certainly better than “Carnage A Trois” and “A Massive Hunt,” but pales against “Seamen” and the 2019 Mongolia special “Survival of the Fattest.” It’s only a fun watch if you don’t think about it too hard. 

[Images: Amazon Prime]

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Interested in lots of cars and their various historical contexts. Started writing articles for TTAC in late 2016, when my first posts were QOTDs. From there I started a few new series like Rare Rides, Buy/Drive/Burn, Abandoned History, and most recently Rare Rides Icons. Operating from a home base in Cincinnati, Ohio, a relative auto journalist dead zone. Many of my articles are prompted by something I'll see on social media that sparks my interest and causes me to research. Finding articles and information from the early days of the internet and beyond that covers the little details lost to time: trim packages, color and wheel choices, interior fabrics. Beyond those, I'm fascinated by automotive industry experiments, both failures and successes. Lately I've taken an interest in AI, and generating "what if" type images for car models long dead. Reincarnating a modern Toyota Paseo, Lincoln Mark IX, or Isuzu Trooper through a text prompt is fun. Fun to post them on Twitter too, and watch people overreact. To that end, the social media I use most is Twitter, @CoreyLewis86. I also contribute pieces for Forbes Wheels and Forbes Home.

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This is still the only 'car' show that our entire family enjoys. This is not Willie Mays with the Mets style of decline. More like Gretzky with the Blues. It may not be their 'best' work but when it works the magic is still there.

It's really just a modern, automotive take on the Three Stooges. Suspend disbelief, lower your expectations and just enjoy it, it's not really a car show.

Although, I must admit, I did go browsing through cars.com for an S4 with the 4.2...

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A Review of the ‘The Grand Tour: A Scandi Flick’

A review of this film on ‘rally culture’ set against the backdrop of an Arctic road trip.

Gabriel Marinescu , Staff Reporter | December 28, 2022

Monicore / Pexels

Here is a seaside image of Lofoten Norway, the archipelago where the Grand Tour began their journey heading for Finland.

Who would have thought that The Arctic Circle, Europe’s last great wilderness , would be conquered by three Brits in rally cars? Set to a road trip, The Grand Tour returns in their special The Grand Tour: A Scandi Flick , and they are back better than ever. They experience danger and surprises as they venture from Norway in the Lofoten Islands to Ivalo airport in Finland near the Russian border. Given the harsh conditions of Scandinavia, they risk crashes and accidents. With only six days to travel 600 miles, the trio, James May, Jeremey Clarkson, and Richard Hammond, embark on this journey, regardless of the risk. Presenting comedy at its highest quality from the moment the special begins, while also paying homage to rallies in the early 2000s, this film is a love letter to rallying.

The Grand Tour is an Amazon Prime Original Series hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond. The history between these three runs far greater than The Grand Tour; in 2002, they created car reviews, entertaining viewers with their exceptional sense of humor. In 2003, the trio went on to host Top Gear, an automobile show on the BBC. A decade later, in 2016, after a fallout between Jeremy Clarkson and a producer of Top Gear , The Grand Tour was eventually created. 

They continued the original format of car reviews and guest stars for the first three seasons but then announced they would end the show. Later, The Grand Tour announced that they would continue the show in a specials-like format, with the yearly or bi-yearly movie-length episode ‘A Scandi Flick’ as the first episode of season 5 . Their dynamic rapport was possibly the most endearing aspect of the trio’s performance.The juxtaposition between adult conversation regarding the systems in the car, the modification of their vehicles, and the history behind motorsport is contrasted with their childlike behavior. The pranks they pull on one another, the situations they find themselves in, and the stupid modifications they make to their cars add to the humor, because they choose to use their knowledge to entertain the audience.  

The Grand Tour has always been focused on cars, and on the culture behind motorsports. They have used the new format to show the history and love for cars in a more entertaining way than in a traditional studio audience network show. They have shown their passion for cars by going out, and driving them, putting them to the test and pushing them to their limits with different challenges and types of motor sporting events. There is always a theme or message to an episode, but in the end, they are three friends bonding over the journey they made in these cars. The show embodies the idea that it is not the destination but the journey. 

Rallying is the central theme around “A Scandi Flick” which ties together every aspect of the special. Rallying is a specific kind of motocross event typically completed on dirt roads with hills and jumps, where racers either compete against a clock or in a more traditional head-to-head competition. Rallying and rallycross can exist in any environment, from roads covered in snow, dirt, or even sand. Snow rallying was how they chose to test the cars since it is especially popular in Scandinavia. Snow rallying allows for the use of the natural Scandinavian terrain and constant winter environment, which is perfect for pushing cars to their limits. The title of the special is even named after a common rally move: ‘Scandinavian Flick.’ A ‘Scandinavian Flick’ is when a driver, typically on a snow track, purposely oversteers to slide around the outside of a turn and line up to the exit of the turn while maintaining momentum.

It is the cars that make rallying heritage so special. The cars are such a big part of the rallying community because the cars make or break the competition and are built to handle even the toughest of conditions. As Hammond said in the film, “It’s not a car that you crash or ding in the usual way. It’s a car that gets injured ‘cause there’s so much passion wrapped up in it from a lot of people.” Rallying is often hectic, so cars are built to withstand the unusual strain and endure what normal stock cars cannot. According to the FIA World Rally Championship regulations World Rally Championship, Rally 1 uses a 1.6T Engine, meaning that rally cars are characterized by their small engine capacity but high speeds, as well as their stock build. These regulations are what define rally and what makes rally unique, as not any car can be fit to be a rally car. You cannot take a standard factory-line car and make it work for rally; it has to be built for rally and be able to put up with tremendous amounts of force upon the car. To the viewers and drivers alike, these cars represent all the crashes, the suspension shocks, every hill jump, and obstacle climb. The cars represent how they are built for endurance and, by extension, the endurance of spirit. Each car means a different thing to different people, but they can all agree that rally cars represent the best possibility of what cars can be. 

The Subaru Impreza is the rally champion, with 47 world championship wins and a total of 212 versions available on the market. Subaru fans are divided on which version is the best, but Hammond believed his 2003 Subaru Impreza WRX Sti limited edition was the best Impreza to choose from. 

The Evo (short for Evolution), with 27 championship wins and ten versions released, is the other head honcho in the rally scene. Despite fewer releases than the Impreza, it has just as much of a loyal fan base. It has a community just as large as the Impreza has, and oftentimes, the Evo and Impreza are seen as rivals. James was content with his Evo XIII GSR and had full faith in the car and its rallying capabilities. 

However, for those who are not familiar with the rallying scene, Clarkson made a bold choice with his Audi. Instead of taking an Audi Quattro, an iconic rallying symbol, he instead claims  RS4 is the heir to the Quattro since it is a fast and powerful track car. However, because of the RS4’s large engine and wide body frame, it cannot be called a rally car. Despite the lack of a real Quattro, it is more than made up by Clarkson’s humor and charisma as he depends on his Audi throughout the special, which makes up for his straying from the task.

Their task is simple, to take their cars and cross Europe’s last great wilderness in six days. In those six days, they must cross more than 600 miles to the Finnish border. Most importantly, they must find out whose car is the best rally car there is. 

(Spoiler Warning Ahead) 

This being said, the movie itself was outstanding. The trio is back and re-energized after their hiatus. With the last two specials having been released during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lockdown and Carnage A Trois , being restricted in where they could go also seemingly limited the comedy. However, A Scandi Flick is a return to greatness for the Grand Tour, delivering 1 hour and 39 minutes of laughs. I also found it incredibly informative, as it taught me the real meaning of motorsport and the heritage behind the cars that I have always liked. The only pause in comedic relief was the collective concern for James May during his crash at the twenty-minute mark. Despite the crash being widely known prior to the release of the film, we were so surprised how early it was, fearing that any serious injuries might impair him or possibly remove him from the special. Thankfully, his injuries were minor, and the show went on. His journey would instead become a message of triumph for the rest of the runtime. 

The redemption and survival of James May and his Evo are at the centerpiece of the special. May crashed his Evo into a wall after taking a turn too quickly, breaking a rib and totaling the car. He completely destroyed it during the crash but made a surprising effort to resurrect the Evo and bring it to Sweden. Later, while falling through a frozen lake in Finland, he got the Evo working again. That Evo became a symbol of the power of old-school rally cars and the power of the Evo. May’s Evo survived to work for the reunion they had months later despite being bodied twice and missing part of its chassis. For a comedy-based car show, the idea of perseverance would shine through special, as it not only embodies the struggle that the Evo went through, but also the spirit of rallying itself. These cars crumple and are destroyed but they always persevere. They run even with the frame and doors fallen off because of the determination of spirit. We connect to rally racing because it reflects the human condition; life is not paved and easy but rough with many ups and downs. Much like these cars, the human spirit takes every beating and still makes it to the finish line because that’s what humanity stands for. 

From the discovery of the Dutch-Norwegian War to the ice-related pranks, and the extreme modifications to their cars like Clarkson’s fire exhaust, the bar is set high for their cars. One memorable event is in Skijoring, when skiers are pulled behind cars to race. We can see the passion return in the trio, and in my opinion, this is the best part of the special, ever since the series changed format to these full-length specials in 2019. On-par specials like Seamen and A Massive Hunt were fueled by their ambition which gets them into all sorts of trouble. This special surpasses those two in not only humor but as well as in subject. Seamen was a journey to Vietnam in boats and A Massive Hunt was a trip across Madagascar in modified cars. Both were entertaining to watch, but A Scandi Flick clearly had a lot more love behind it. In their distinct style and sense of humor, the Grand Tour showed the power and love that the motoring community has for rallying. This proves the power of rally cars and the passion which comes when you drive these cars. As well as just providing us with their antics, the visualization of them surviving the night in a Sami museum exhibit, Clarkson burning his car in order to melt the ice, and Hammond barreling down the ski slope in his shack, A Scandi Flick provides images that still remain in my memory weeks after I watched it. 

Its visual imagery of the Arctic Circle also does wonders, creating a sense of sublimity when the men are surrounded by the vastness of nature. The beautiful sights of Norway, Sweden, and Finland added to the viewing experience, by showing us the true beauty of “Europe’s Last Great Wilderness.” The B-roll footage of the black forest, contrasted with the stark white snow, provided a nice sense of calm to the visual intensity of the races. The peace of the snow falling was a breath of fresh air against the constant roaring engines of the cars. The visual imagery reinforces the idea of Europe’s Last Great Wilderness due to the vastness of nature depicted. In these moments, we see how small we are in respect to nature, as the cars are mere blips on the screen, while the forests, mountains, and frozen lakes encompass everything, with only a mere road cutting through nature. Nature is ever present in the special because of its meaning; the rally was meant to overcome nature’s obstacles. With every leg of the journey, nature became more unruly, and the closer they got to the finish, the harder it was to travel. From the moment they entered Finland, the final leg of the journey, they had experienced the power of nature at its fullest. From maneuvering between trees in the forests or having to cut across frozen lakes, mature checked the power of the rally cars. The stunning visuals gave us an understanding of what they really were up against in the Arctic.  

When the episode premiered in September 2022, it was refreshing to see the return of the Grand Tour that I’ve loved watching for the last six years. Due to the extensive history behind both rallying and the trio making the movie, so much depth, passion, and love are added to this film. Even if you don’t like cars, you still can’t help but laugh and find yourself enjoying their childlike antics and pranks. If you have Prime Video and are looking for a laugh-filled hour and forty minutes, then I would recommend “ The Grand Tour: A Scandi Flick.’

As Richard Hammond said in the film, “It’s not a car that you crash or ding in the usual way. It’s a car that gets injured ‘cause there’s so much passion wrapped up in it from a lot of people.”

• A Scandi Flick
• Arctic Circle
• Europe’s Last Great Wilderness
• Jeremy Clarkson
• Richard Hammond
• The Grand Tour

Gabriel Marinescu is the Arts and Entertainment editor for ‘The Science Survey.' He enjoys the fact that journalism allows you to convey the facts in...

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The Grand Tour Returns For A Rally Around Scandinavia In Latest Special

In their three favorite rally cars, Hammond, Clarkson, and May race from the coasts of Norway to the Russian border

by Sebastien Bell

The Grand Tour will return on September 16, 2022, as the trio of James May, Richard Hammond, and Jeremy Clarkson will tour snowy Scandinavia in three all-wheel-drive, rally-inspired cars.

According to Amazon Studios, the special will see Hammond , Clarkson, and May “at the wheel of their three favorite rally cars” embarking “on a catastrophe-filled adventure that takes in Cold War submarine bases, frozen lake racetracks, crashes, and ski resort chaos as they drag their homemade houses from the coast of Norway to the Russian border.”

Although the official challenge is to take their favorite rally car around the northernmost part of Europe, as May and Hammond point out, the Audi that Clarkson chose was built quite a few years after the brand’s rallying heyday .

Read Also: The Grand Tour’s Abbie Eaton Gets Behind The Wheel Of A Race Car After Breaking Her Back

Regardless, the Audi RS4 will take on a Subaru Impreza WRX STI and a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII in a series of challenges that sees the cars towing skiers and cabins and racing through the snow.

In a trailer for the new special, May appears to be driving the yellow Mitsubishi Evo VIII, which apparently was the cause of some distress. As previously reported , while driving through a tunnel at a Norwegian naval base near Tromsø, he reportedly lost control of the car at 75 mph (121 km/h) and crashed into a rock wall.

Indeed, a shot near the end of the trailer appears to show the Mitsubishi sliding sideways into a wall in a tunnel at a particularly high rate of speed. May reportedly suffered at least one broken rib and an impact to the head that bloodied him. Fortunately, the host has been publishing videos on YouTube as recently as three weeks ago , suggesting that he suffered no lasting damage in the incident.

The episode will be titled The Grand Tour Presents: A Scandi Flick , a reference to the driving style made famous by Scandinavian rally drivers, who first turned away from a corner, then into it, in order to encourage a vehicle to rotate and slide through a slippery turn.

• Guided tour

Moscow at Night: City Sightseeing Tour by Car/Bus

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When the Sun begins to set, the myriad lights and firefly-like cars buzzing around on the wide highways see Moscow burst into life. This unreal sight is best enjoyed from the height of the capital’s famous viewpoints, Moscow in the evening is truly, truly spectacular. We invite you with pleasure to see the magic of Moscow under the bright night lights!

On this tour, you can expect to see incredible views and the magical transformation sunset has on Moscow’s most iconic buildings, the highlights of which being:

• The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is a more solemn yet festive sight with its dimly lit lanterns.
• Basil's Cathedral’s fun and colourful onion domes give off the aura of a mysterious castle, growing out of the darkness of the imposing State Duma building nearby.
• The spectacularly illuminated Bolshoi Theatre and the Alexander Garden walkway, itself painted in a whimsical pattern of shadows.
• The legendary Lubyanka Square, steeped in secrecy; just its hearing its name after dark is enough to trigger goosebumps, given its murky past.
• The House on the Embankment, where old legends are revived and ghostly silhouettes lurk.
• The Russian State Library, where vague shadows have been seen flickering in its windows. Who knows, could this be the legendary bibliologist Rubakin protecting the works of literary art that lie within its walls?
• Incredible views from the height of the observation deck at Sparrow Hills. The candle-like skyscrapers of "Moscow-City" shoot into the night in a blaze of glorious light, all reflected back to the observer by the dark waters of the Moscow River. Lest not forget the blood-red fountains on Poklonnaya Hill! An absolutely fantastic spectacle which cannot be seen by day.

Our expert guides will share one thousand and one interesting stories about the aforementioned and other sights, whilst at the same time detailing the vast history of our beautiful capital, past and present.

Come with us and treat yourself to an unforgettable experience amongst the bright lights if Moscow!

The cost of an excursion with a personal guide for 1 person

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St. Basil's Cathedral

House on the Embankment

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

Vorobyovy Hills

Poklonnaya Hill

Moscow-City

Alexander garden

Russian State Library

Bolshoi Theatre

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• Excursion Moscow at Night: City Sightseeing Tour by Car/Bus
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