Episode two starts in the tent, but it’s not long before we find Jeremy Clarkson driving through “the concrete canyons of Manhattan” in a Ford GT. It’s “the fastest, most beautiful, and most expensive car Ford has ever made,” says Clarkson. But why is Jezza in New York?

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• 2016 Honda NSX first drive
• The 221mph electric hypercar Hammond crashed
• No replacement for displacement: the 25 cars with the biggest engines

The race to Niagara Falls

Quite simply, to find out what’s quicker to Niagara Falls: the Ford GT or an airliner. Obviously, Clarkson takes the 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged 647hp GT, hoping to make some use of the 216mph top speed and 2.8 sec 0-60mph time. May, on the other hand, will be using public transport.

Hammond on crutches

May thinks he’s got this race in the bag, before Clarkson points out that he’s “got a handicap”. The camera then pans to Richard Hammond, who arrives on crutches. He’s suffering from the effects of his crash in the Rimac Concept One, much to the annoyance of ‘Mr Slowly’. Later, May points that they missed a train because Hammond doesn’t know how to slow down when it says ‘finish’ across the road. Ouch.

The race is on

There’s a feeling that we’ve been here before. A Clarkson vs. Hammond and May battle, complete with photo finish finale. Who will emerge victorious following the 420-mile race? That would be telling.

Hammond and May

It’s fair to say that Hammond and May aren’t huge fans of American public transport. Hammond is body searched at JFK airport, while the pair have to endure the indignity of flying economy class. #FirstWorldProblems

Ford GT

“I have been turned into Richard Hammond by six hours in that car,” said Clarkson, as he makes his way from the Ford GT to the finish line. This follows a claim that the GT has “literally the hardest ride of any car he has driven”. Not that he didn’t enjoy it, comparing the fast Ford to a “mad Caterham” when you put your foot down.

Mercedes-AMG GT R

Back in the UK, Jeremy Clarkson takes to the Eboladrome to test the Mercedes-AMG GT R. The ‘Beast of the Green Hell’ is powered by a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8, developing a mighty 585hp. It will accelerate to 62mph in 3.6 seconds, before going on to reach a top speed of 198mph. The price: £143,260.

If you want a Porsche…

But Clarkson and the team aren’t fans, claiming that if you want something that’s like a Porsche, you should buy a Porsche. On the plus side, the GT R sets the third fastest time around the track, sitting behind the Aston Martin Vulcan and McLaren 650S.

Celebrity Face Off

In this week’s Celebrity Face Off, it’s cricket vs. baseball, as Kevin Pietersen takes on Brian Wilson. Both drivers take to the track in the Jaguar F-Type Coupe, to find out who is the fastest person who makes a living by throwing and hitting and catching small balls. Who wins? Put it this way: it’s extremely close.

Season 2, Episode 1

If you missed the first episode of The Grand Tour (where have you been?), he’s a recap of what happened when the boys went to Switzerland. The challenge was, quite simply, to find out which is best: the past, the present, or the future? Over to you, Jezza…

Supercars do battle

“We all know how that ends,” quips Jeremy Clarkson as the first challenge of the new season is introduced. Yes we do: with Hammond, in an air ambulance, after crashing. Again.

Things started out bang on form: Clarkson, the Neanderthal, was representing the past, with the 730-horsepower Lamborghini Aventador S, all 6.5-litres of snorting, gasoline-guzzling V12. In far-from-subtle bright yellow.

Destination: Switzerland

James May, the “crisp and contemporary” sophisticat of the trio, was showing off the present, with the hybrid Honda NSX. It has 581hp, from combining a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 with three electric motors. It can both run on electric and do 0-60 mph in under 3.0 seconds.

Hammond, we know, is in the future – the all-electric Rimac Concept One. The Croatian company was founded by Mate Rimac, and Forbes described the firm as “a company that’s cooler than Tesla”. The Concept One is an all-electric supercar described as having around 1,200 hp.

The location for the challenge was Switzerland. Rather improbably, the boys’ base was a natural detox retreat.

Burning rubber

It was EV-driving Hammond who was in charge of the challenge, and he even chose the hotel, despite it not serving beer or anything tasty. What was he thinking? We can’t imagine. Hold on, what’s that in his hand…

Naturally, after driving through beautiful mountains and scuppering Hammond’s plan to keep driving in between electric chargers, the boys decided to have a race.

Clarkson was, of course, brimming with confidence, as his car was the lightest, and the noisiest, and the thirstiest. With an empty airfield to play with, Clarkson of course decided to then have a hoon. Which resulted in the destruction of one massive Lamborghini rear tyre. “The tyre pressure warning light came on,” he said. “I ignored it.”

Run to the hills

And then to the big finale – and THAT incident. Although you can’t go circuit racing in Switzerland, you can go hillclimbing. And it was only 200 miles from the hotel. “Which was fine, for some of us,” says Clarkson.

As for Hammond’s range-limited EV, well… “People don’t ride their race horses to the Grand National, do they,” he muses…

They finally got there, to “the most beautiful hillclimb event in the world”. First up, Clarkson, who discovered he couldn’t actually fit in the big Lambo with a helmet on. But who’s that over there – why, it’s Lamborghini test driver Giacomo Barri, who has curly hair and looks a bit like an early-1990s-spec Clarkson. Jezza had a plan…

May was next, sauntering up the hill with inevitably the slowest time to his name.

Burning batteries

Then, Hammond, in the Rimac – but first, a ‘pep talk’ from Clarkson and May, about how the whole of Croatia was there expecting him to set a new course record.

This was Hammond’s face just before he set off…

… and this was the result. Yes, that crash, another Hammond crash, with another air ambulance summoned for him. But did he get the fastest time before crashing after the finish line? 

Celebrity Face-Off

Celebrity Brain Crash is no more. “You all hated it,” said Clarkson. Instead, it’s a new spot, Celebrity Face-Off, where two people working in the same field go head-to-head in a Jaguar F-Type Coupe (a 300hp 2.0-litre turbo). This week – which is the fastest former talent show judge, Ricky Wilson or David ‘The Hoff’ Hasselhoff?

Kaiser Chief’s Wilson looked pretty handy on the new Celebrity Face-Off course, which is part tarmac, part gravel. The Hoff, meanwhile, was less handy. On his practice lap, he stopped just shy of the finish line, for no discernible reason. He did get better on his timed lap – you’ll have to head over to Amazon Prime to find out just how well he did.

Electric dreams

Oh, and that drag strip race? Yes, it was the Rimac that won, by a ludicrous margin. It’s worth tuning in just to see how much faster than the Lambo and Honda it is. The future wins this challenge: can it beat the past and the present to grab overall spoils in The Grand Tour’s first Season 2 challenge, though?

The UK new car market continues to decline – and the SMMT says it’s now becoming a major concern as both consumer and business confidence continues to be hurt by the government’s ongoing anti-diesel messages.  

New car sales declined 11.2 percent in November 2017, to 163,541 vehicles, but even this was dwarfed by the fall in new diesel car sales. They were down a whopping 30.6 percent, with a five percent rise in petrol car sales failing to offset the declines.

• Vauxhall takeover: PSA wants a refund
• Opinion: why are people not buying Vauxhalls?
• SMMT warns anti-diesel agenda will hit falling CO2 emissions

Alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) sales were up an impressive-sounding 33.1 percent, but such cars represent just a 5.4 percent market share. Diesel, in contrast, now holds a 37.7 percent share – down from 48.3 percent in 2016.

The SMMT strongly disagrees with the current anti-diesel mood. “Diesel remains the right choice for many drivers, not least because of its fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions,” says chief executive Mike Hawes.

“The decision to tax the latest low emission diesels is a step backwards and will only discourage drivers from trading in their older, more polluting cars. Given fleet renewal is the fastest way to improve air quality, penalising the latest, cleanest diesels is counterproductive and will have detrimental environmental and economic consequences.”

The only individual car sector which grew was sports cars, which was up 6.7 percent. Executive cars plummeted 22.2 percent and even mini cars fell 19.8 percent. The UK’s best-selling car segment, superminis, was down 15.4 percent.

The Ford Fiesta continued its re-emergence as the UK’s best-selling car in November, followed by the Volkswagen Golf and the British-built Mini. Also performing strongly was the Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage and Ford Kuga, proving how much Brits love their SUVs.

Alarmingly though, not a single Vauxhall appeared in the UK top 10 registrations chart, continuing the eye-opening decline for what was once Britain’s second-largest car brand.

Top 10 best selling cars – November 2017

1 Ford Fiesta

2 Volkswagen Golf

3 Mini

4 Ford Focus

5 Nissan Qashqai

6 BMW 1 Series

7 Mercedes-Benz A-Class

8 Kia Sportage

9 Mercedes-Benz C-Class

10 Ford Kuga

The new electric London taxi has now been fully certified for use by fare-paying passengers and LEVC, the firm behind the new cab, has celebrated with an event at Battersea Power Station – on the 65th anniversary of the Great London Smog.

Chairman of LEVC Carl-Peter Forster called the certification a real milestone. “Our new TX has passed all certification tests and is now able to carry fare-paying passengers.

• Mercedes-Benz taxi outsells real London taxi… in London

“It will save drivers money, bring new levels of comfort and convenience to those who hail one and provide the safest and cleanest way of getting around a city by taxi.”

From 1 January 2018, all new taxis in London must be Zero Emission Capable (ZEC). This stipulates they should not emit more than 50g/km CO2, and have a minimum 30-mile electric-only range. No new diesel taxis will be registered in London from January 2018.

Luckily, following ordering opening in August 2017, the first TX taxis will be delivered to London cabbies later this month. Shirley Rodrigues, London’s deputy Mayor for environment and energy, said they “will play a transformational role in the Mayor’s plan to phase out diesel and clean up the transport network. This will help to accelerate improvements to London’s toxic air.”

By the end of 2020, hopes London Mayor Sadiq Khan, there will be 9,000 ZEV taxis on London’s roads, from a total fleet of 23,000 black cabs.

Now it’s been certified in London, LEVC is looking further afield for sales of the new TX cab. “We will deliver new TX models in Europe later in 2018,” said Forster, “and around the world. Our goal is to be the global automotive leader in urban commercial vehicles. We are well on our way to achieving that.”

What is the new LEVC TX London taxi?

The new TX taxi is the most advanced London taxi ever, says LEVC. Passengers are probably going to love it: there’s less noise and vibration than in the rattly, clattery old model, plus more space for six people, charging points for smartphones and even wi-fi connectivity.

It’s accessed via Rolls-Royce-style rear-hinged doors that open 90 degrees, there’s a massive panoramic glass roof, and it can all be paid for via contactless card machines.

The new London taxi even helps protect occupants from toxic air. There’s a multi-filter air intake system – and when the onboard pollution sensor detects outside pollution is really bad, it closes the external air intake and recirculates the air within.

The TX has a range of 400 miles, says LEVC – which includes up to 80 miles of zero-emissions electric driving. It achieves this by juggling battery power with, then they run low, electricity generated by a 1.3-litre three-cylinder petrol range extender engine.

Its fuel efficiency will save cabbies £100 a week in fuel costs, compared to the old diesel taxi. It also has service intervals twice as long and is both easier and faster to repair. The design of the taxi is advanced too. It’s made from aluminium that’s bonded together, a bit like the tech used by Lotus and Aston Martin.

Prices? £55,599 on the road, compared to £45,945 for the old taxi. That’s an increase – but over a five-year deal, it equates to £177 a week, only £10 more than the old taxi… which, reckons LEVC, will be more than accounted for by the fuel cost savings.

The new Lamborghini Urus – the firm’s first modern-day SUV – has been revealed in Italy, claiming to have created an all-new niche: the world’s first ‘super sport utility vehicle’, or SSUV. Deliveries begin in spring 2018, with UK prices starting from £157,800.

Packing a Lamborghini-designed 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo engine (that the firm insists is unrelated to the 4.0-litre V8 in the Porsche Cayenne), it’s the firm’s first turbo motor and will put out a healthy 650hp. This gives it the best power-to-weight ratio in its class (although it still weighs nearly 2,200kg…).

0-62mph? A tasty 3.6 seconds, aided by a punchy eight-speed auto and standard four-wheel drive that can send up to 87 percent of drive rearwards.

Top speed is 189mph which means it will be the fastest five-seat SUV in the world, beating its Bentley Bentayga sister car). It’s also bound to be the fastest around the Nürburgring, and the fastest anywhere else the firm decided to test it, probably.

Lamborghini’s given it a range of bespoke driving modes: Strada, Terra and Neve are the standard ones. Strada is on-road, Terra is off-road and Neve is snow. You can also hook up Sport and Corsa mode for when you’re feeling racy, and Sabbia for when you’re on sand. It’s all masterminded via the central Tamburo driving mode selector.

Like the Aventador S supercar, the Urus has rear-wheel steering, which has the effect of shortening its massive three-metre wheelbase by up to 600mm at speed. It also makes the big SUV easier to park.There’s also electromechanical active anti-roll, tech being used for the first time on a Lamborghini.

When it arrives, Lambo sales will double overnight, to over 7,000 a year. It’s going to be a serious profits-driver for the Italian firm, and is thus one of the most important models it has ever launched.

Lamborghini Urus – Q&A

Where does the name ‘Urus’ come from?

Urus, also known as aurochs, were wild cattle that roamed Europe centuries ago. They were last seen in Poland in 17th century. They were the early Modern Ages ancestors of today’s domestic cattle. Presumably, they also had a fighting edge: all Lamborghini names are derivations of raging bulls.

What platform will the Lamborghini Urus use? 

The Urus will be built on the same flexible architecture already used by the Bentley Bentayga, Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne and (future) Volkswagen Touareg. It’s called the VW Group MLB evo platform.

How big are the wheels on the Urus?

Standard alloy wheels are 21-inches, and the Urus can have wheels up to 23-inches in diameter. These are the largest in the segment. It also has standard carbon ceramic brakes, which are also the biggest around: the front discs are 440mm, or over 17 inches in diameter…

How economical is the Urus?

This is not something that will worry most owners, but still: the Urus officially averages 22.2mpg and emits 290g/km CO2.

When did we first see the Lamborghini Urus?

Lamborghini first revealed the Urus as a concept car way back in 2012. It’s taken this long for the project to become a production reality; perhaps that early concept car was shown so early simply in order to get people used to the idea of a Lambo SUV?

Is the Lamborghini Urus the firm’s first 4×4?

The Urus is not Lambo’s first 4×4. Back in the 1980s, it sold the LM002, a remarkable military-grade off-roader that was about as subtle as a smack in the face. It wasn’t very sporting but it was still very Lamborghini.

All UK practical driving tests from today will follow a new format, set to reduce the number of crashes involving young drivers by reflecting real-life driving conditions.

Road collisions account for more than a quarter of all deaths of young people aged between 15 and 19, and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency says it needs to make the driving test a greater representation of real-life driving conditions.

• ‘Show me, tell me’ questions form part of new UK driving test
• Revealed: the reason why driving test changes are already outdated
  
• The UK’s most popular cars for new drivers

The driving test will incorporate more high-speed roads (not including motorways), where the majority of fatal collisions occur. With more than half (52 percent) of car drivers using sat-nav, the DVSA says it wants to teach new drivers how to use it responsibly.

“DVSA’s priority is to help you through a lifetime of safe driving,” said DVSA’s chief executive, Gareth Llewellyn. “Making sure the driving test better assesses a driver’s ability to drive safely and independently is part of our strategy to help you stay safe on Britain’s roads.

“It’s vital that the driving test keeps up to date with new vehicle technology and the areas where new drivers face the greatest risk once they’ve passed their test.”

What are the changes?

Independent driving

The ‘independent driving’ section of the driving test was introduced in 2010. Learner drivers were asked to spend 10 minutes of their test navigating from one area to another using their own knowledge and road signs. This is now being extended to 20 minutes – half of the test – and incorporates another change in the test…

Using a sat nav

For the first time, driving test candidates will have to follow directions from a sat-nav rather than turn-by-turn instructions from the examiner during the independent driving part of the test. The examiner will provide and operate the sat-nav device, a TomTom Start 52, meaning all the driver has to do is follow the instructions.

You can’t use your own sat-nav for the test, but you are allowed to ask the examiner for advice if you get confused. You will not be penalised for making a wrong turn unless you make a fault while doing so. One in five learner drivers will be chosen at random, having to rely on road signs rather than a sat-nav to reach their destination.

New reversing manoeuvres

The traditional ‘reverse around the corner’ and ‘turn-in-the-road’ manoeuvres are being scrapped from the test, although the DVSA says driving instructors should still teach them ahead of the test. Instead, candidates will be asked to perform one of the follow reversing manoeuvres:

• Parallel park at the side of the road
• Park in a bay (your examiner will tell you whether to drive in and reverse out or the other way round)
• Pull up on the right-hand side of the road, reverse for two car lengths and rejoin the traffic

Some driving instructors are questioning how safe the last manoeuvre is, especially as the Highway Code states that you must not park against the traffic flow. The DVSA says that, in reality, many drivers do perform this manoeuvre, and it’s better to practise it with a qualified instructor.

’Show me, tell me’ questions

While learners will continue to be asked a ‘tell me’ safety question at the start of the test (such as how to check the tyre pressures), the examiner will now ask a ‘show me’ question during the driving part of the test. An example is how to operate the horn.

Why are driving test examiners striking?

As the new test comes in, driving test examiners are staging a 48-hour strike in a dispute over pay and work hours.

The Public and Commercial Services Union says examiners will be required to work for longer and harder in exchange for no extra pay as part of the new testing regime.

“PCS members in the DVSA have tried to negotiate around their concerns but the door has been slammed shut in their face,” said PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka.

“They now feel they have no alternative but to take industrial action to bring home to the public how damaging the DVSA proposals are.”

However, the DVSA has responded describing the claims as ‘desperate’ and ‘simply not true’.

“In the last year we’ve recruited more than 320 extra driving examiners – reducing waiting times to an average of seven weeks across the country,” said the DVSA’s director of people, communications and engagement, Adrian Long. “It’s also significantly reduced the number of times we ask examiners to work at other centres – 1.5 days on average in the last four months.

“This means that we are not asking examiners to travel an extra day each week as PCS claim.

“DVSA has met with PCS more than 40 times to try to solve this dispute but, despite our best efforts – including an offer of mediation – PCS has stuck to its unreasonable demands.

“The possibility of constructive discussions has been made even harder by their strike action.”

What does the public think of the changes?

The changes follow a public consultation that over 3,900 people took part in, while a trial of the changes involved more than 4,300 learner drivers and 860 driving instructors.

The proposals were widely supported by the public, with more than 88 percent agreeing with the proposed increase in the length of the independent driving part of the test.

Transport Minister, Andrew Jones, said: “Our roads are among the safest in the world. However, road collisions are the biggest killer of young people.

“These changes will help us to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads and equip new drivers with the skill they need to use our roads safely.”

The Motoring Research-sponsored Breakthrough award was presented to The Motoring Podcast at last night’s Guild of Motoring Writers awards.

Formerly known as the Breakthrough Blogger award, it was refocused for 2017 in a bid to reward talent across a wider range of platforms. As such, it attracted entries from videographers, social media influencers, bloggers and podcasters. It was the latter that impressed the judges the most, with the award presented to The Motoring Podcast hosts Andrew Clews and Alan Bradley at the Guild of Motoring Writers annual dinner.

“We chose The Motoring Podcast as a great example of two knowledgeable enthusiasts using their experience and petolheaded passion to create highly engaging and innovative new media,” said Motoring Research managing director, Richard Aucock.

“They clearly commit a lot of time to it each week, consistently creating high-quality broadcasts, and we think this deserves to fully break through and reach a broader audience – and for Alan and Andrew to hopefully then take the next steps in professional automotive journalism.”

As part of the prize, the podcast hosts will win a paid work experience package with Motoring Research, as well as two years’ provisional membership of the Guild.

“Podcasting is still such a fledgling outlet and we’re both surprised and honoured that Motoring Research and the Guild of Motoring Writers have recognised that it has a place in the spectrum of content available today,” said Alan.

Former winners of the award include MR’s newsletter editor, John Redfern, as well as Keith Jones, continuity editor at Parkers. Other winners include Driving Spirit’s Chris Auty and Fun Rover’s Ben Gribbin.