Grand Tour host James May has revealed some of the things to look forward to from season three and why he thinks cars have never been better. 

Speaking with Mike Hosking, May said the third season will be the same as the others just refined and reduced.

"This is the last one where we will have the tent element...so this serious is as you know it, but without the guests, we dropped that, we tighten up the studio bit and we spent more time and more money and more effort on making the big films."

He said it has three specials with season four being only specials. 

"We've got the real special which is Columbia, but we've also got what we call 'mini specials' which are very slightly shorter [and] are in Las Vegas and Mongolia."

"Next year (we've already done the deal) we are doing specials only sort of approach to the Grand Tour, so we really are the Grand Tour now because we will set off and go around the world doing stuff and not come home until it's finished."

May said the success of the Grand Tour and Top Gear is still a mystery to him.

"I sometimes wonder, because we are popular all over the world with people who don't have English as their first language and may miss some of the subtleties...I wonder if actually, it's because the pictures are so nice."

"But we don't tell the crew that because otherwise they will rebel and want more money or something."

The Grand Tour host's TV career may span 20-years but he said he's not done yet.

"I don't think I have done enough because I still have the desire and just about the capacity to do it, so to use the language of the day, I haven't quite achieved closure on making TV."

"But I was 56 last week and I never imagined I would be that old and I suppose there will come a time, this is true for other two as well [co-hosts Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond] especially Jeremy, where we won't have it in us to do the idea justice because we will be too decrepit."

"Maybe we will just have to give it up forever and hand it over to someone else or we may retire or we may not have balls to just bail out and we may try and make programmes about gardening and woodwork."

However, May said retirement isn't on the cards anytime soon.

"I like the subject of cars. It's a very fascinating way to look at the world and people as a whole."

"Nothing really reflects the conceited notions of individuals like the car industry does...and I still enjoy driving cars, I'm still amazed that I'm allowed to do it."

"So I haven't tired of it and if I did I hope I would have the good grace to bow out but at the moment, it's still good."

When it comes to technology, he said he is very sceptical of self-driving cars. But that doesn't mean the host isn't enjoying all the other technology.

"I think the olden days are greatly overrated."

"I think the car has never been better and although I find old cars fascinating...when it comes to driving a car I want to drive a modern one."

"I love paddle shift gearboxes, I like connectivity, I like reconfigurable dashboards."

While emissions have become a hot topic over the last few years, May said cars will be sticking around for some time.

"I wouldn't worry about cars, they will be around for a bit yet."

James May started his career as a magazine journalist writing articles about cars and travel.

He said making it into television was never in his plan and was a "massive stroke of luck".

May spent his Christmas holidays "snorkelling in the Maldives".

"They were quite relaxed actually. I had a very quiet Christmas day, just me and Sarah my other half. Then we had members of my family around on Boxing Day so that I could buy them all lunch and sort of dispatch them and then we went on holiday."

When asked whether he recommends the Maldives, he said as long as you like snorkelling and eating, it's worth it.

"It's a fabulous place, you have to like snorkelling mainly and eating, there isn't really much else you can do."