Izzy Hammond Tesla Model 3 Clip Proves the Grand Tour: Next Generation Could Be a Thing

The times for TV shows were a lot simpler back then too as the Internet was yet to fully take over from regular television as the main provider of entertainment for the masses. The BBC was clever enough to realize it was sitting on a gold mine, so, with the kind of funding that was unthinkable for other shows of the same genre, it helped the Clarkson, Hammond, and May trio rise to unprecedented fame.

They became so famous, in fact, that they didn't really need the BBC or the Top Gear brand to ensure their success, so once the British broadcasting giant decided to kick Clarkson out following the so-called "fracas" involving him and one of the producers, the three presenters quickly embraced the online streaming phenomenon that had been already growing for a number of years, and the story continued, albeit under a different name.

The recipe for success isn't really that difficult to crack but is almost impossible to replicate - just look at the complete mess the Top Gear show has found itself in ever since Clarkson, Hammond, and May left. Having likable characters with different personalities is paramount, but the key ingredient, the one thing that can make or break the lineup of a show, is the chemistry between the hosts. That's why you can take these three and have them present a cooking show, and it would still be the best cooking show ever. Definitely better than Jamie Oliver's.

Well, Jeremy Clarkson has been part of the automotive journalism world since the '80s, so you won't be surprised to find out he's getting old - and with him, Hammond and May as well. They're still capable of flying to places like Botswana with three broken-down 4x4s to film a special, but that won't go on forever. There will come a time when they have to retire for good.

That could be the end of the entire franchise they created. Alternatively, we could witness a passing of the baton to the newer generation, and it looks like Izzy, Richard Hammond's daughter, might just be ready.

Izzy has recently finished college (or "Uni," as they say over there) so, like it or not, she's ready to start her adult life. That involves leaving the family farm in Herefordshire (a mostly rural area in the west of England, just on the border with Wales) and moving to London where she'll undertake a yet undisclosed activity. However, if this clip is anything to go by, she'd be doing the world a great favor if she considered becoming part of the Drivetribe and, why not, even the Grand Tour.

Anyone who remembers the old Top Gear not-so-hidden advertorials for the Ford Fiesta, the Toyota Hilux, or the Skoda Yeti will instantly recognize a bit of them in this relatively short feature that sees Richard Hammond ask Mike, a friend of his, to pick a new car to accompany Izzy in this new chapter of her life. The requirements? Under £25,000 (about $30,000) and "not too fast."

What does Mike choose? A £57,000 ($70,000) Tesla Model 3 Performance, obviously. Not only is the Tesla more than double the initial budget, but it also has an obscene amount of power for such a casually-looking sedan. Or even for a sports car, for that matter.

Izzy, on the other hand, finds its looks "angry and a little bit intimidating," so she might be on to something. She has never driven a Tesla before and, by the looks of it, she's not all that familiar with EVs in general. Either that or she's a very good actor.

Right off the bat, very much in Top Gear fashion, she comes up with a few challenges for the Model 3 to see whether it's good enough to take over from the Mercedes-Benz E-Class she's currently driving. Even if it'll mainly be used for the trips to and from London, it'll still need to show its worth around the farm. So, the EV has to be able to go up and down a track and it needs to carry the occasional hay bale.

First, though, it needs to squeeze through an old archway that was built back when the only things that went under it were carts pulled by horses. Izzy seems a little unnecessarily nervous considering it's not that long ago that Richard took a RAM 1500 TRX through there, and the footage shows the gap is at least two feet on either side. Still, it's a new car, and scratching it in the first few seconds wouldn't be a good start.

Time to hit the track, though it might not be the kind of track we usually talk about when it comes to cars. It's more like a path for vehicles. Don't worry, though, they don't drive over it too long before steering straight into the field, heading for the hay shed and the next challenge. Still finds time to compliment the car's suspension.

Despite the Model 3 being a sedan and having that relatively small trunk opening, the hay bale fits in just nicely. It's only just the one, though, so let's hope the horses weren't that hungry. It's enough to earn the Tesla a passing grade from Izzy, and that pretty much tends to be the recurring theme of the video.

In fact, I could be cynical and say that Tesla probably offered the Hammonds a discount on the vehicle in exchange for a promotional video, but the truth is we'll never know. It's also not all that important because it's not the clip's conclusion that matters here. What we should all be excited about is the fact that Izzy seems to have followed in her father's footsteps as she makes for a very entertaining presenter. Now, if only one of Clarkson's three kids showed similar promise, all we needed to have a young version of the complete trio would be James May adopting someone. Choose wisely, James, our future depends on it.
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