The real baptism, however, came at the “river of sorrows,” a rushing, boulder-strewn death trap that the production team had laughably described as a “ford.” Hammond in the Jeep went first, bouncing and sliding but ultimately surviving. May in the Chevy went next, with all the grace of a librarian waltzing—cautious, effective, but utterly boring.
Water exploded over the hood. The engine note changed from a roar to a gurgle. For a horrible moment, nothing. Then, with a deep, mechanical cough , the big V6 cleared its throat and powered on. The Raptor clawed its way up the opposite bank, mud and water streaming from its wheel arches, looking like a prehistoric beast emerging from a tar pit. grand tour ford raptor episode
He never did get his coffee. But the Raptor got its legend. The real baptism, however, came at the “river
“SEE?!” Jeremy shouted, climbing out to inspect the damage. The grille was full of leaves, the interior had two inches of brown water, and the infotainment screen was flickering in Morse code. “Character! The Jeep didn’t have character. It just had… not drowning.” The engine note changed from a roar to a gurgle
The trouble began five minutes into the first jungle trail. The Raptor, you see, is six inches wider than the Silverado and four inches wider than the Jeep. On a normal road, that’s “presence.” On a Colombian mountain pass carved by donkeys, where the road was a single muddy groove between a rock face and a 2,000-foot drop, it was a problem .
Here’s a fun, detailed story based on The Grand Tour Season 3, Episode 2 (titled “The Colombia Special”), which famously featured the Ford F-150 Raptor alongside a Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 and a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. The Amazonian sun hadn’t even risen over the Colombian mountains, but Jeremy Clarkson was already yelling. Not at Richard Hammond or James May—yet—but at a recalcitrant can of coffee. “It’s frozen,” he grumbled, shaking the tin. “It’s the equator . How is it frozen?”