James May hints at Grand Tour return with co-stars Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond

James May has revealed a fresh concept for The Grand Tour alongside co-hosts Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond. After departing BBC's Top Gear in 2015, the television presenter joined his colleagues on the Prime Video programme.

Following more than two decades of collaboration on both shows, the trio chose to wrap up their professional partnership with a final special in 2024.

Last year, The Grand Tour: One For The Road saw James, Jeremy, and Richard journeying to Zimbabwe and Botswana in Africa.

This final adventure signalled the conclusion of their professional alliance, much to the disappointment of fans who were keen for more exploits from the trio, reports Gloucestershire Live.

Nevertheless, in an exclusive interview with the Oxford Mail, James has revealed an idea for a Grand Tour episode that never materialised.

"The one bit we never really went to, and it's a part of the world I have never been to, is sort of everything between Southeast Asia and Australia. Malaysia, the Philippines and all that sort of whole strip of stuff.

"I've never been to any of that as far as I can remember, and I don't really know anything about it. We never came up with a good reason for going there, which is a shame really, because just about everywhere else we went."

When questioned about what type of car he would select for this hypothetical Grand Tour, James replied: "Well, I suppose it would depend on which bit we were in, but I think we used to have the best results when we picked something a bit old and shabby.

"I always wanted to do a trip where we bought the cheapest car you could locally, which is an idea that works everywhere.

"It would work in Britain, it would work in the States, and it would also work in the bits of Africa we went to, as well as Southeast Asia, India, and so on.

"There's always a subculture of incredibly knackered cars that somehow keep going, and they make the best material. Driving terrible cars is always much more interesting than driving really nice ones."

The television personality revealed these thoughts before his Explorers - The Age of Discovery Tour live performance at the New Theatre in Oxford on Tuesday, October 21.

The show will explore the stories of adventurers who have boldly journeyed into uncharted territory, utilising dramatic methods and James's narrative skills to deliver an evening of cerebral entertainment.

These tales will cover everything from Ice Age migrations through to space exploration, bringing alive the adventures of both celebrated and forgotten pioneers.