Drive the Pan-American Highway

Peruvian Fuel is Terrible

With the middle grade gasoline (marked as “90”), our top speed has topped out at 90 mph (as tested in the desert). Funny thing is, it’s almost three times as expensive.

If you need to drive through Peru, stock up on additives for your gasoline!

Bad Gasoline and Other Fun Facts

We had our first minor crisis today: our engine abruptly (and jarringly) lost a lot of torque while cruising at 70 mph down the highway. The problem? Bad Peruvian gasoline.

After a few phone calls to the Land Rover dealership and an oil change we decided to carry on and burn the bad tank of gas. To our satisfaction, the bad gas burned through and our engine regained power roughly one hundred miles into the desert highway.

All in all, it was not a fun experience, considering that the Pan American highway is surrounded by desert in Peru.

We recommend bringing extra fuel additives to increase octane (and clean the engine) and possibly a filter for your gasoline if you want to be extra cautious. And just know to be weary of getting pure, unadulterated gasoline in a country with a massive gas tax.

Other fun gas facts:

1. It’s a lucrative (and illegal) business to smuggle natural gas from Ecuador to Columbia, as the price difference is more than five times. Ecuador apparently subsidizes the price of natural gas so that the poor can cook their food.

2. Likewise, it’s illegal to import regular gasoline from Ecuador to Peru. Gasoline in Peru is heavily taxed, much more so than it is in Ecuador.

3. Peruvians call Ecuadorians monos (monkeys) because they produce and consume a large quantity of bananas. Likewise, Ecuadorians apparently refer to Peruvians as chickens because of the Peruvian chicken industry.

4. If possible, a car bought in the US can fetch a selling price of two to three times.

5. Peru has lots and lots of sand… And chickens.