Bolivia Special

Episode Summary & Review

Summary

Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May are dropped deep in the Bolivian rain forest armed only with three shabby 4x4s which they bought from the local small ads for a maximum of £3500 a piece. What follows is set to be their most extraordinary journey to date as they attempt to drive from the heart of Bolivia to the coast of Chile, encountering local drug lords, the debilitating effects of high altitude and the terrifying sheer drops of the infamous Death Road along the way. But before all that, they’ve got to escape from the deep, dark centre of the rain forest in what is without doubt the toughest and most unmissable challenge Top Gear has ever faced.

Our Take

The Bolivia Special has all the ingredients of classic Top Gear: cheap cars, genuine peril, and the three of them whining at each other in beautiful, horrible terrain. The rainforest slog in the first half drags a bit, but the Death Road section delivers real tension you can’t fake. Worth your time, even if it doesn’t quite hit the heights of the Polar or Africa trips.