GT sticks to winning format
There is now just a week to go until Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond finally hit the road with their much anticipated, noexpense spared motoring show
And as fans look ahead to what one hopes will be be an extension of the hugely successful formula they developed on BBC flagship
online streaming service Amazon Prime has offered a taste of what to expect in a series of newly released publicity stills.
Shot on location in Johannesburg and its surrounding Gauteng province, images from the show's second episode find the trio engaged in a series of increasingly wacky, high- speed escapades.
With the rugged South African countryside providing a suitably dramatic backdrop, Clarkson and his long- time co- hosts are pictured lining up in three individual sports cars during the first of numerous set- pieces.
One stunt finds them drawing a crowd while testing a vehicle's durability by hitting the brakes and spinning in tight circles around one of Johannesburg's bridges.
There are additional moments of drama, with separate images capturing a silver Audi racing ahead of a trailing Range Rover while explosions send debris flying across an empty road.
The three presenters are later seen sporting army fatigues and brandishing assault rifles as they drive through the parched desert.
Mirroring the dynamic that made them such an enduring force on the show appears to offset its more thrilling set- pieces with moments of humour. Indeed, lighter moments include Hammond appearing to play butler by serving a seated Clarkson savoury treats from a tiered tray. Another finds the pair preparing for another stunt by attaching the rusting exterior of a wrecked car to a crane pulley.
Elsewhere the enduring Stills from the new show suggest it is cast in the thrill- humour mould of popularity of Clarkson, Hammond and May is never more evident as the gang find their car completely surrounded by fans. As always
Top Gear.
studio interaction proves to be as essential as their off- road exploits, and — in a move that suggests they have rigidly stuck to the successful format — the trio are seen engaging with their audience.