It's that time of year again, as a new series of Top Gear is skidding onto our TV screens very soon. A new trailer has dropped for series 26, which will once again be fronted by Matt LeBlanc, Chris Harris, and Rory Reid, with Sabine Schmitz also making a few guest appearances. It looks like it will be another stellar series filled with exotic cars being driven around equally exotic locations, and crazy car challenges.

New cars seen in the trailer that will feature in Top Gear series 26 include the new Bentley Continental GT, Rolls-Royce Phantom, Ferrari GTC4 Lusso, and Porsche Panamera. Challenges will include racing up a mountain in some of the UK's smallest SUVs, driving Tuk-Tuk taxis across Sri Lanka, and measuring the fear factor of the Porsche 911 GT2 RS – it must be a handful to drive if even Chris Harris struggles to tame it. Another challenge somehow involves Matt LeBlanc and Chris Harris wearing wingsuits.

No air date for the new series of Top Gear, but it should start around the end of February or early March judging from past series. With only five episodes, it's going to be the shortest series yet since the show was rebooted back in 2016.

Sadly, series 26 of Top Gear will also be Matt LeBlanc's last. It's a shame because the trio was really starting to hit their stride in the last couple of series. "My experience on Top Gear has been great fun. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the whole team," LeBlanc said in a statement last year. "However, the time commitment and extensive travel required to present Top Gear takes me away from my family and friends more than I'm comfortable with," he said. "It's unfortunate, but for these reasons I will not be continuing my involvement with the show. I will forever be a Top Gear fan and I wish the team continued success. Thanks for a great drive."

New presenters Paddy McGuinness and Andrew Flintoff will replace LeBlanc and Reid as lead hosts when series 27 of Top Gear starts later this year. Harris will stay on as a lead host, while Reid will "remain part of the Top Gear family" and will no longer be one of the main hosts.

Coincidentally, Top Gear's rival show The Grand Tour fronted by Clarkson, Hammond and May also returns this week for a new series on Amazon, so it's a good time to be a fan of motoring TV shows.