Watched this special a couple of nights back, and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. At some points, it really made me feel like I was watching old Top Gear, not GT. I loved the choice of cars too - always a big fan of the STIs and Evos - and the scenery was breathtaking as well.
That said, there were some things I didn't enjoy (which ironically is also in the spirit of some of the later TG specials). Some of the jokes felt forced and unnecessary (Clarkson putting Hammond's keys in ice and the whole caravan catastrophe) that I saw coming from a mile away, although some did make me laugh (Hammond running behind May's shed trying to write on it).
At this point, I know most people don't care but I really wish they had done some genuine car testing instead of the usual antics. I'd have rated this a 10 if they had done a proper 3-way race or a time trial instead of that snow-ski-racing thing - the tunnel run was the closest to what I wanted to see, but it obviously didn't end well - and if Hammond and Clarkson had left their cars visually stock; I like liveries otherwise but I didn't like them in this episode. But I will say that seeing the Evo rise from the dead at the end culminating in the montage was good enough that I had to watch it multiple times. So over all, I'd rate this an 8 or 8.5.