Supercars of Grand Tour Episode 9: James May starts the show with Honda NSX

After the Christmas special episodes that saw Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond driving along Namibia's Skeleton Coast in three beach buggies built to their personal specifications, the Amazon Prime show is back. In its ninth episode of the season named Berks to the Future, the tent is in the courtyard of Ludwigsburg Palace in Germany. The show starts with James May testing the Honda NSX.

Also read: Watch The Grand Tour season 1 episode 9 live online

Car lovers would be disappointed to know that the Audi R8, Mercedes-AMG GT and Porsche 911 shown in the trailer will not be a part of the show. Instead, Clarkson has come up with his version of a "proper" sport utility vehicle. Here are the details of cars showcased in the episode 9 of the Grand Tour.

Honda NSX
Japanese car maker Honda sold first generation of the NSX, a two-seater mid-engine sports car, from 1990 to 2005. The sports car was so popular that there was a growing demand from enthusiasts for a successor. In December 2007, Honda announced plans to launch a NSX successor by 2010. However, the company had to shelve the project due to financial crisis in 2008.

The project again got wings in 2011 when Honda officially announced a second generation NSX concept, which was unveiled at the 2012 North American International Auto Show as the Acura NSX Concept. The production-spec was displayed three years later at the 2015 North American International Auto Show and its sale started in 2016.

The NSX stands for "New Sports eXperience" and the new generation is a hybrid sports car. It features Sport Hybrid SH-AWD, which combines a mid-mounted, direct-injected and twin-turbocharged V6 engine with a rear direct drive motor. The 3.5-litre unit is mated to not one, but three electric motors, and a battery pack which recharges when you apply the brakes. The hybrid powertrain is capable of achieving close to 600bhp. The power is transmitted to a 9-speed dual clutch transmission (DCT) and the car features electrically powered left- and right-wheel torque vectoring.

Honda has not revealed the official acceleration time of the new NSX. James May tests the time on episode nine and the car requires only 3.2 seconds to breach 96kmph. Honda NSX is priced at £144,000.

Jeremy Clarkson's "proper" SUV
In the show, Clarkson makes a new type of SUV and tests it across the countryside. "I have created something which has alluded the might of the motoring industry," he claims. He fused the body of a 1978 MGB Roadster with the chassis of a Land Rover Discovery, giving his discovery a hot road stance. MGB is a two-door sports car manufactured and marketed by the British Motor Corporation (BMC), and later British Leyland, as a four-cylinder, soft-top roadster from 1962 until 1980.

Though the vehicle was successful initially, it overheated and shed its body when it encountered a muddy field. Clarkson then fuses the body of a 1980s Mercedes-Benz SL. The SL is the second longest single series ever produced by Mercedes-Benz after the G-Class. The SL R107 was a 2-seat car. It replaced the W113 SL-Class in 1971 and was replaced by the R129 SL-Class in 1989. Clarkson's proper SUV was eventually displayed at the Coys of Kensington car auction, where it fetched £4,000.

Richard Hammond's full armored van
Towards the end of the show, Richard Hammond comes with a van that will ensure his survival in the face of nuclear winters, alien invasions, and blood-thirsty zombies. "My vehicle is armour-plated. I feel invincible. Prepared, Ready," Hammond said about his vehicle. The van features think screen windows, armour plating, a plow and various crossbows. The show ends with Clarkson and May destroying Hammond's creation.