The Algarve’s International Racetrack in Portimão and parts of the Monchique hills were the set for the record-breaking first episode of The Grand Tour, the new motoring show hosted by Jeremy Clarkson and his former Top Gear co-hosts Richard Hammond and James May.
The episode, released on November 18, was a huge success and became Amazon Prime’s most watched premiere. Millions of Prime members streamed the show’s debut in the USA, UK, Germany, Austria, and Japan, the company said, though the exact number of viewers was not revealed.
It was filmed in October 2015 and saw the trio comparing three “supercars”: a Ferrari LaFerrari, a McLaren P1 and a Porsche 918 Spyder.
“The guys are back, doing what they do best – the chemistry between Jeremy, Richard, and James is what makes The Grand Tour so entertaining,” said Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, in a press release.
He added: “Their creativity, along with the amazing production quality and 4K HDR streaming, has Prime members responding in a big way. Kudos and congrats to the whole team.”
The filming of the episode in the Algarve does not come as a surprise. Jeremy Clarkson had posted a picture of the trio at Portimão racetrack on his Twitter account in October last year, with a caption reading: “With a skeleton crew, filming for Amazon Prime’s new motoring programme has begun.”
