A £3 million hypercar should have little trouble beating public transport across Europe. But in Episode 5 of the new Grand Tour, Thomas Holland discovers that extraordinary horsepower is not much help when ferry delays, traffic and road restrictions get in the way.
A Relaxing Spa Weekend brings back one of the most recognizable Top Gear-style challenges: a race between a spectacular car and a much less glamorous means of transportation. This time, the destination is Belgium’s Spa-Francorchamps circuit, and the stakes involve delivering a racing helmet to Formula 1 driver Alex Albon.
Pagani Utopia Roadster vs the European Railway Network
The challenge begins at the Williams Formula 1 team’s headquarters in Oxfordshire, England. The presenters have approximately 13 hours to reach Spa before sprint qualifying.
Thomas chooses the Pagani Utopia Roadster, a rare Italian hypercar with a twin-turbocharged V12 engine and a price of approximately €3.1 million.
James Engelsman and Francis Bourgeois take a different approach. Rather than competing with horsepower, they use trains and bicycles to cross Europe.
The official Prime Video episode description confirms that the race combines the Pagani’s performance with a multi-country public-transport journey.
Francis’s enthusiasm for trains becomes one of the episode’s strongest ingredients. Instead of simply enduring public transport, he understands its possibilities and enjoys the experience.
The Unexpected Race Winner
Thomas quickly discovers that the Pagani’s extraordinary performance cannot eliminate the practical difficulties of driving through Europe.
His journey involves a ferry crossing, traffic delays and the challenge of navigating toward the race circuit. Meanwhile, James and Francis take advantage of fast rail connections before completing the final stage on bicycles.
The railway team reaches the Williams garage first, delivering its helmet to Alex Albon just before qualifying.
James and Francis win the challenge, while Thomas is left with the disappointment of losing despite having one of the world’s most desirable sports cars.
Their achievement is particularly entertaining because the pair cycle approximately 42 kilometres during the journey. The episode demonstrates how an organized transport network can outperform a high-performance car over a long journey, especially when traffic and border crossings are involved.
Thomas Finally Tests the Pagani
The race gives Thomas little opportunity to explore the Utopia’s full performance. Afterward, he takes the hypercar to an open airfield to experience it under more suitable conditions.
The sequence shifts attention from the race to the car itself. Thomas explores the powerful engine, manual transmission and mechanical character of the Utopia.
It is an important contrast with the journey to Belgium. On public roads, the Pagani’s performance advantage is largely theoretical. On an appropriate closed course, the car can demonstrate the engineering that makes it extraordinary.
James Explores the BMW Isetta’s Cold War History
The second major story changes the episode’s pace.
James investigates the BMW Isetta, the tiny bubble car that helped BMW establish a successful small-car business during the 1950s.
The most remarkable part concerns Klaus-Günter Jacobi, who modified an Isetta to conceal his friend Manfred Koster during an escape from East Berlin in 1964.
The documented BMW Isetta escape story explains how the modified vehicle carried a hidden passenger past border guards. Similar modifications later helped other people escape East Germany.
The episode also introduces the modern electric Microlino, highlighting how the Isetta’s unusual design still influences small-vehicle engineering.
Why This Episode Works for the New Grand Tour
A Relaxing Spa Weekend succeeds by giving each presenter a different opportunity to contribute.
Thomas provides the performance-car enthusiasm. Francis brings genuine railway knowledge to the challenge. James helps connect the automotive spectacle with an engaging piece of history.
The result builds on the different personalities discussed in TopGearbox’s earlier look at the new Grand Tour presenters.
Most importantly, the episode demonstrates that the new trio does not need to imitate Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May in every detail.
By combining a classic car-versus-train race, an extraordinary Pagani and the history of a tiny BMW, Episode 5 offers a distinctive example of what the relaunched Grand Tour can do well.