Top Gear’s Bolivia Special: Season 14’s Most Ambitious Road Trip
Clarkson, Hammond and May cross Bolivia to Chile in £3,500 off-roaders, facing jungle, altitude and the notorious Death Road in the Season 14 finale.
BBC’s Top Gear closed out its fourteenth series with an episode that sent Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May on a 1,000-mile journey across South America. The trio set out from the Bolivian rainforest in pre-owned 4x4s, aiming to reach the Pacific coast of Chile. Each vehicle was bought locally for less than £3,500, setting the stage for a punishing test of both man and machine.
Three used 4x4s, one brutal crossing
The team’s vehicles were a Range Rover Classic, a Toyota Land Cruiser (J70) and a Suzuki SJ413. All three were sourced in Bolivia, with little preparation and no prior inspection. The challenge was simple: drive from the heart of the Amazon basin, through jungle tracks and mountain passes, to the Pacific coast. The route included notorious hazards such as the Yungas Road, better known as Death Road, where sheer drops and unpredictable weather have claimed hundreds of lives.
- Range Rover Classic: V8 petrol engine, well-known for comfort but prone to electrical and mechanical issues, especially at altitude.
- Toyota Land Cruiser J70: Diesel, rugged reputation, popular in South America for reliability.
- Suzuki SJ413: Lightweight, 1.3-litre petrol engine, simple construction but limited power and off-road ability compared to the others.
Jungle, altitude and mechanical failures
The journey began with the vehicles being delivered by river barge, already hinting at the logistical difficulties ahead. The Amazon rainforest posed immediate problems: thick mud, river crossings and biting insects. All three vehicles suffered, with reliability issues emerging early. The high altitude of the Andes created further headaches, particularly for the Range Rover’s V8, which struggled for power as the team climbed above 4,500 metres.
Mechanical failures and makeshift repairs became a recurring theme. The Suzuki’s compact size helped it through the jungle, but its limited power and ground clearance put it at risk on rougher terrain. The Toyota, widely regarded as the most robust, still faced its own share of issues as the route turned to loose gravel and sand in the Atacama Desert.
Not just entertainment: Used 4x4s under pressure
For viewers, the Bolivia special offered more than spectacle. It was a rare televised demonstration of what cheap, locally sourced off-roaders could endure under extreme conditions. The journey highlighted the appeal and limitations of each vehicle type in real-world adventure use, from the Range Rover’s comfort to the Suzuki’s agility and the Land Cruiser’s durability. The episode has since become one of the most talked-about specials in Top Gear’s history, both for its drama and for its focus on used 4x4s in a true endurance setting.
Top Gear Season 14 Episode 6 originally aired on 27 December 2009, and remains available for those wanting to revisit one of the show’s most ambitious journeys. For more on the series, see Season 14 Episode 4and Season 14 Episode 7.
