DETROIT — British television personality James May, best known for “Top Gear,” was spotted filming scenes for season three of “The Grand Tour” in Detroit.
I spoke with him one-on-one just outside The Foundation Hotel in downtown Detroit. May along with Jeremy Clarkston and Richard Hammond were seen racing sports cars outside the former Packard Plant.
“We’re filming a top-secret film about cars,” May said during my exclusive interview. “They are a bit muscular. Yeah, they’re not hybrids. Let’s put it that way.”
He said that the Motor City is definitely in a renaissance period and affirmed the city’s comeback.
“We’ve decided that Detroit is probably the coolest city in America,” he explained. “Because it’s got a mixture of grittiness and sort of new tech, upcoming trendy stuff, farming. There’s some nice coffee, a beach in the middle of town. It’s just cool. It’s happening.”
The British TV host said he visited last Detroit 25 years ago and said: “It was a bit scary to go around in those days. But not anymore. Now it’s actually pretty nice.”
Then, May’s production manager whisked him away and said they had work to do. It appears that season three will be available on Amazon Video beginning on Nov. 3, 2018 according to GrandTourNation.com.
Watch my exclusive interview with James May:
Watch James May driving muscle cars near the Packard Plant: