The Grand Tour

The Grand Tour Episode 11: Italian Lessons Through Amazon X-Ray Trivia

Greetings and welcome to week 11 of The Grand Tour! In this weeks episode we are in the beautiful country of Scotland and on the road in the gorgeous country of France. This week the boys have 3 second hand Maseratis and have to put them through a number of challenges. Also, The Richard takes the new Fiat 124 Spider Abarth around Eboldrome and discusses it’s differences between it and its semi-twin the new Mazda MX-5 Miata. Join us below for all the facts and trivia that Amazon’s X-Ray teaches us this week, then after pop on by our quiz and test what you’ve learned.

What is General Trivia and where can you find it?

For those of you who watch The Grand Tour on the television, (like myself), Xbox or other means other than computer, (or I’ve heard tablets as well), you may have missed out on Amazon’s “X-Ray.” X-Ray provides General Trivia facts about the cars, track, places, crew and all sorts of things about The Grand Tour and everything involved, so for those that missed it here is X-Ray General Trivia for Episode 11!

Scene 1: Intro

Alrighty then, Scotland and France this week, along with 3 used Maseratis and a Fiat 124! Let’s see where they go with this mash up.

General Trivia  Starts at 0:00:00

Jeremy Clarkson: Writer, broadcaster, ghibli.

Scene 2: Intro

3 more random cars in this intro. What are they? They are an AC 3000ME, a Hillman Avenger Tiger, and a Hillman Super Minx.

General Trivia  Starts at 0:00:04

Richard Hammond: Writer, broadcaster, mistral.

Scene 2: More Intro

Looks like this week its Brian (James) May who gets the goofed up name. Did you catch it?

General Trivia  Starts at 0:00:09

James May: Writer, broadcaster, bora.

[button color=”red” size=”big” alignment=”center” rel=”follow” openin=”newwindow” url=”www.grandtournation.com/quiz/s1e11″]Test your knowledge with our quiz from episode 11![/button]

Scene 2: Even More Intro This Week….

I’ll be honest…the first time watching this episode I thought the guy in the lighter green jacket was James May…I was wrong.

General Trivia  Starts at 0:00:17

The cars in the titles are an AC 3000ME, a Hillman Avenger Tiger, and a Hillman Super Minx.

Scene 3: Welcome to Scotland!

This week’s studio audience was filmed on the shores of the stunningly beautiful Loch Ness in Scotland.

General Trivia  Starts at 0:01:24

Body of water fact alert! Loch Ness is over 22 miles long, almost 2 miles wide at its widest point, and up to 744 feet deep. By volume, it’s the largest lake in the British Isles.

Scene 3: The Scots are Pretty Smart…

Jeremy goes over a list of things invented from around the world…Scotland has a very large list compared to the others…

General Trivia  Starts at 0:02:20

Buick was founded by David Dunbar Buick who was born in Arbroath, Scotland in 1854.

[button color=”red” size=”big” alignment=”center” rel=”follow” openin=”newwindow” url=”www.grandtournation.com/quiz/s1e11″]Test your knowledge with our quiz from episode 11![/button]

Scene 3: Crazy Facts

Jeremy now explains to us why the Scots are to thank for so many inventions…well, cause it’s wet and cold there. At least that’s why Jeremy thinks so.

General Trivia  Starts at 0:02:24

John Paul Jones, the ‘father of the American Navy’, was born in South Western Scotland in 1747.

Scene 5: The Fiat 124 Spider Abarth!

The gorgeous little Italian sports car! Richard takes this beauty to the Eboladrome and puts it around the track. Does he prefer this to the Mazda MX-5? Yup, he does.

General Trivia  Starts at 0:06:37

The Abarth 124 Spider has a 1.4-litre turbocharged four cylinder engine making 168 horsepower. It can go from 0-62 in 6.8 seconds and has a top speed of 143mph.

Scene 5: Abarth History

Richard, while enjoying his drive in the 124, explains to us a bit of history on what Abarth is.

General Trivia  Starts at 0:07:23

Abarth was a sports car maker and tuning shop, founded in 1949. It was bought by Fiat in 1971 and these days is to Fiat what AMG is to Mercedes or the M Division is to BMW.

[button color=”red” size=”big” alignment=”center” rel=”follow” openin=”newwindow” url=”www.grandtournation.com/quiz/s1e11″]Test your knowledge with our quiz from episode 11![/button]

Scene 6: The American…Again

Here, the American puts the 124 Spider Abarth around The Eboladrome for a hot lap time…and goes on and on annoying us all with bs..

General Trivia  Starts at 0:13:20

Nerdy cheat note – The Barchetta was Fiat’s last two-seater sports car, made from 1995 until 2005. In Italian it’s name means ‘little boat’.

Scene 6: Results?

The results of the 124 Abarth are…a bit disappointing, but it WAS wet so that factors in. Jeremy points out that “that lake is wet”, so theres some info for you guys.

General Trivia  Starts at 0:14:31

Jeremy is referring to John Cobb who was killed in 1952 while attempting to set a new water speed record on Loch Ness in a jet powered speedboat.

Scene 7: Conversation Street

On this weeks Conversation Street we learn that leather seats weren’t what people really wanted in their cars back in the day, in fact it was the chauffeurs that had them up front, while the people in the back had cloth seats.

General Trivia  Starts at 0:15:28

A car with an open front and closed read interior is called a coupe de ville, a town car or a sedanca. If you knew this, award yourself 20 nerd points.

[button color=”red” size=”big” alignment=”center” rel=”follow” openin=”newwindow” url=”www.grandtournation.com/quiz/s1e11″]Test your knowledge with our quiz from episode 11![/button]

Scene 8: On the Road

The boys meet up at this race track, Circuit de Croix-en-Ternois, with their 3 second hand Maseratis.

General Trivia  Starts at 0:21:00

The race track in the Maserati film is Circuit de Croix-en-Ternois.

Scene 8: Jeremy’s Maserati

Here is Jeremy’s pick for second hand Maseratis. A 1987 Biturbo!

General Trivia  Starts at 0:21:35

Jeremy’s Maserati is a 1987 Biturbo S. It has a 2-litre, twin turbo V6 engine making 217 horsepower. When it was new, it could go from 0-62 in 5.7 seconds and had a top speed of 142mph.

Scene 8: Jeremy Making Fun of Richard’s Choice..

Richard arrives in a Ford Cortina! No wait…it’s a 1988 430. Haha, oh Jeremy.

General Trivia  Starts at 0:21:54

The Ford Cortina – a very boxy and boring British saloon car from the 1960s and ’70s. And a bit of the ’80s.

[button color=”red” size=”big” alignment=”center” rel=”follow” openin=”newwindow” url=”www.grandtournation.com/quiz/s1e11″]Test your knowledge with our quiz from episode 11![/button]

Scene 8: Richard’s 430!

According to Jeremy, this too is a Biturbo. He isn’t too far off. The 430 and Biturbo do have a lot in common.

General Trivia  Starts at 0:22:19

Richard’s Maserati is a 1988 430. Which is basically a Biturbo. It has a 2.8-litre twin turbo V6 engine which originally produced 221 horsepower. In its day it could cover 0-62 in 5.3 seconds and on to a top speed of 145mph.

Scene 8: James’ Maserati!

Poor broken James has arrived and he brought with him a 1989 Biturbo Zagato Spyder! (The ugliest of the 3 in my opinion)

General Trivia  Starts at 0:23:38

James’s Maserati is a 1989 Biturbo Zagato Spyder. It has the same 2.8-litre twin turbo V6 engine as Richard’s car and also makes 221 horsepower. However, thanks to its greater weight and automatic gearbox, it takes 6.4 seconds to go from 0-62 and has a top speed of 137mph.

Scene 8: James is Broken

 

Yeah, James did break his arm, so you will notice that he is in an automatic for once.

General Trivia  Starts at 0:23:47

James May broke his arm after falling over, He was on his way back from the pub but he swears that had nothing to do with it.

[button color=”red” size=”big” alignment=”center” rel=”follow” openin=”newwindow” url=”www.grandtournation.com/quiz/s1e11″]Test your knowledge with our quiz from episode 11![/button]

Scene 8: A Drag Race

The boys decide that their first test should be a…yup you guessed it…a drag race! They are going up against a newer Suzuki Celeryio! Oooooo

General Trivia  Starts at 0:24:32

The Suzuki Celeryio has a 1-litre three cylinder engine making 67 horsepower. It has a top speed of 96mph and a 0-62 time of 13.5 seconds.

Scene 8: On the Road

On the road to South France they have a discussion on the history of Maserati.

General Trivia  Starts at 0:30:43

Doncaster – a town in South Yorkshire, northern England, not known in the 1960s for its large population of Maseratis. Or indeed any Maseratis at all.

Scene 9: Celebrity Braincrash!

On this weeks episode of Celebrity Braincrash…Sir Chris Hoy! Guess what….he doesn’t make it on. Crazy huh?

General Trivia  Starts at 0:34:22

Sir Chris Hoy – Olympic gold medal winning cyclist, racing driver, backwards rowing enthusiast.

[button color=”red” size=”big” alignment=”center” rel=”follow” openin=”newwindow” url=”www.grandtournation.com/quiz/s1e11″]Test your knowledge with our quiz from episode 11![/button]

Scene 9: Jeremy gets a Massage

Jeremy shows off this BMW 7 Series and it’s ‘features’ such as hands free telephone, automatic unlocking doors and even a massaging rear seat!

General Trivia  Starts at 0:38:52

Massaging rear seats in the current BMW 7-series are are a £895 option.

Scene 10: A VW Commercial

You may recognize this bit from an old VW Golf GTI commercial from many many years ago. And I may say they did a damn good job on it’s recreation.

General Trivia  Starts at 0:39:55

Jeremy’s opening to part 2 of the Maserati film is an homeage to the VW Golf GTI ‘Casino’ ad, first shown in the UK in 1987. Although the last line is a tribute to ’70s Brit sit-com Fawlty Towers. Mmm, references.

Scene 10: A Maze

After nightfall the boys decide to turn in for the night. The only problem was navigating these extremely tight streets in hopes to find the hotel sooner than later.

General Trivia  Starts at 0:42:47

The first written reference to Honfleur dates back to 1027, several years before the Maserati Biturbo was designed.

[button color=”red” size=”big” alignment=”center” rel=”follow” openin=”newwindow” url=”www.grandtournation.com/quiz/s1e11″]Test your knowledge with our quiz from episode 11![/button]

Scene 11: Another Race!

They decide to have a race back to England. And since they all ‘love’ their cars, the last one back has to sell their car. Also James gives us some food for thought.

General Trivia  Starts at 0:50:09

“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” – Matthew 20:16. Another valuable lesson from Reverend James May.

Scene 11: A Small Crash

Jeremy’s car has now died and he has lost all power and braking, so he has a bit of a bump into the camera vehicle. Thankfully there wasn’t any damage.

General Trivia  Starts at 0:52:10

The crew car Jeremy uses as a brake is a Land Rover Discovery, the Grand Tour tracking car of choice thanks to its split tailgate which tops the expensive camera falling out. And also the cameraman.

Scene 11: Jeremy’s Solution!

Desperate not to lose the cars, thus losing his car, he puts his car on a tow truck and continues on down the road.

General Trivia  Starts at 0:54:45

Jeremy’s small truck is a Renault Master dCi120. It has a 2.5-litre turbo diesel engine making 118 horsepower.

Scene 11: The End

Does James make this jump?? Did he lose? Win? Well technically he did make it closer to England than Jeremy BUT his car is at the bottom of the water soooo they both lost.

General Trivia  Starts at 0:57:58

One of the seats from James’s Maserati was salvaged and now lives in the Grand Tour office as a stylish and slightly smelly easy chair.

Well folks, there you have it, another amazing episode of The Grand Tour. A beautiful Fiat, gorgeous countries, broken James May, some Maseratis, Jeremy peeing on his motor and a bit of knowledge. What was your favorite part? Also, what did we learn? Well, let’s head on over to our episode 11 quiz and test that! Good luck and see you next week!

[button color=”red” size=”big” alignment=”center” rel=”follow” openin=”newwindow” url=”www.grandtournation.com/quiz/s1e11″]Test your knowledge with our quiz from episode 11![/button]

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4 Comments

  1. Couldn’t have been filmed ‘in’ Loch Ness as stated, or the cars would have had to be amphibious.

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