Jeremy Clarkson: All we know about the former Top Gear host's new show The Grand Tour

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With Chris Evans quitting Top Gear following a ratings slump, many will be looking forward to seeing how its rival show fares on Amazon Prime.

The Grand Tour – so called as its presenters will travel the world - will be hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, who left the BBC's motoring programme last year in the wake of its main presenter's "fracas" with a producer.

So what do we know so far?

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When does it air?

There’s no official starting date yet, but it is expected the show will arrive around October.

In a Reddit Ask Me Anything session, May said he had been sworn to secrecy over the exact date of the series premiere, but that it would be "the autumn, or fall if you're in the US. That's as specific as I can be."

What is the format?

According to the hosts' contracts, the first series will feature a total of 12 episodes, with another 24 to come over the next two years, although that will probably be renewed for a longer period if the show is successful.

The format will be similar to the original Top Gear - a magazine show featuring pre-recorded films shot from across the globe. However, rather than the studio-audience recordings all taking place in one studio in the UK, The Grand Tour will travel to a different international location each week, reports Vulture.

These pre-recorded studio sections will be filmed in a giant green tent in front of a live audience. The only confirmed locations so far are Yorkshire, where all three hosts grew up, and Johannesburg, South Africa.

As well as Johannesburg and Yorkshire, Amazon has announced new studio locations in the UK, US and Germany.

"Fans have been asking us where The Grand Tour will be filming and how they can attend," said Jay Marine, the vice president of Amazon Video Europe. "We’re delighted to announce today new studio locations in the UK, US and Germany as we continue our plans to bring this anticipated Amazon Prime show to fans around the world."

The exact date and location of the UK episode is yet to be confirmed, although it is set to film in autumn. As for the US and Germany, details will be announced in due course, said the online retailer.

Amazon also announced there will be regular prize draws to give lucky fans the chance to travel with The Grand Tour crew to attend the studio recordings across the globe.

"More cities are expected to be added to the live audience filming schedule later this year," says The Guardian.

Currently, fans can only apply for tickets for the show in Johannesburg, so the "Amazon competition is the only way to join the UK shoot for now", says the London Evening Standard.

New retro logo

The Grand Tour even has a brand new logo - described as "effortlessly cool" by Alphr - which Clarkson unveiled on Twitter last month, with a caption referencing the furore then surrounding the EU referendum, which had taken place a few days earlier.

First clip 'looks and feels exactly the same as old Top Gear'

A 30-second preview clip sees the three presenters standing around as a broken Range Rover, making quite horrible noises, passes by.

"Notably, the trio's chemistry has gone nowhere, sharing jokes and laughing as May points out that it's a rental car," says the Independent's Jack Shepherd.

"As you may have suspected, the Amazon Prime motoring show looks and feels exactly the same as old Top Gear."

The video certainly sees the trio up to their old tricks, with Clarkson saying: "It's called gentle rental. 'You’re not taking it off road, are you?' 'No, no, no…'"

Hammond interjects: "'No, No, No - a bit...'"

Cue much guffawing.

Alongside the clip, Amazon Prime also released new images showing the presenters in Match of the Day-esque poses, discussing cars in front of a stunning South African backdrop.

How will we be able to watch it?

The show will be exclusively on the Amazon Prime Instant Video service, which cost £79 per year in the UK, and will be available globally, although the exact details of how that will work remain unknown. For anyone wanting to see the new show, you can sign up here.

How much Amazon Prime paid to sign up the trio has not been made public, but the Financial Times believes it is worth £160m - "one of the largest ever agreed by a digital streaming group" and more than double the amount Netflix paid for two seasons of House of Cards.

Win tickets

In celebration of 'Prime Day', Amazon's mid-year online sale, The Grand Tour is offering the chance for UK fans to win tickets to see the first episode of the show filmed live in the country. The competition closes at 23:59 BST on 12 July 2016.

Prize includes travel, accommodation and a chance of meeting Clarkson, Hammond and May.

Precisely where in Yorkshire the filming will take place is still unclear. After the concept of The Grand Tour was unveiled, Clarkson invited fans to appeal for it to come to them and motoring enthusiasts from around the country wrote back to request a visit.

So what should winners expect? "Regular elements of Top Gear, such as The Stig and the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car, are the property of the BBC, so won't be carried over," the Daily Telegraph says. "However, the format will still be familiar to Top Gear viewers, with a mix of studio-based chat and international adventures.

According to former Top Gear executive producer and long-time Clarkson collaborator Andy Wilman, who has signed up to be part of The Grand Tour, the presenters would have "more time to yak" and their team chemistry would be central to the show.