The government of South Tyrol has banned car and bike tour groups from the Italian Alps on roads above 1,600 metres. The rules mean that famous mountain passes such as the Stelvio, Furka and Timmelsjoch will be out of bounds for drivers and riders travelling in organised tour parties.

Citing congestion and environmental concerns, the provincial government’s ruling puts a stop on any motorsport events and organised recreational gathering, but crucially, does not stop individuals from accessing the region’s marvellous mountain roads.

The wording of the regulations is a bit vague, so it’s unclear what actually constitutes an ‘organised’ event, but if a small group of friends are driving or riding together then that should still be ok. It’s where enthusiasts have paid a commercial event organiser and are travelling in a larger convoy that is likely to fall foul of the new rules. It’s also worth noting that neighbouring Switzerland and Austria have not taken similar action, so the passes can be still be tackled by groups from a different side.

The Stelvio Pass celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2025 and remains a mecca for drivers and riders, but despite this South Tyrol’s governor Arno Kompatscher says that he is working on “additional, targeted measures” to counter the large volumes of traffic and over-enthusiastic driving that takes place in the mountains. Watch this space…

The Faroe Islands are a traffic-free drivers’ delight, but one road bests the rest.

There are more sheep than people on the Faroe Islands, so it won’t surprise you to learn that the roads are almost empty.

Some 370 miles of asphalt cover 16 of the 18 islands (the other two aren’t inhabited), which doesn’t sound much, but with 21,000 of the 54,000 islanders living in and around Torshavn, you don’t have to travel far from the capital to experience the emptiness.

In four days criss-crossing the islands in ‘my’ Morgan Supersport 400 the only real traffic I encounter is the handful of vehicles disembarking the Smyril Line ferry from Denmark with me.

Yes, there are occasional tourist buses, rental cars and foreign-registered campers, dawdling along, but in a 400 bhp sports car they’re just momentary delays.

It’s not that I spend all my time driving as if my trousers are aflame, for the islands are so distracting in their beauty that it would be impossible not to slow down and soak in this landscape of craggy peaks that literally exploded out of the Atlantic in a violent volcanic eruption. Sheer sea cliffs are home to millions of birds, waterfalls tumbling down the rock faces into the ocean. The islands are barren, devoid of any trees (bar a few that have been imported), yet rich in verdant grass, providing year-round feed for the 80,000 sheep.

The Faroe Islands are pushing for more human visitors but for now they still feel relatively undiscovered. Soon more wildlife watchers, hikers and history buffs will arrive, but keen drivers should also add the islands to their lists.

The roads are, for the most part, smooth and well-cared for. You’ll find fast and flowing sections that run parallel with the edges of deep lochs, leading to isolated fishing villages of black sandy beaches, multi-hued wooden houses and turf-topped churches.

Then there are steep, switchback-strewn parts that cut inland over the peaks and sometimes right through them via narrow tunnels.

There’s one road, however, that beats the rest for pure driving entertainment. It leads from Eiði to Gjógv on the island of Eysturoy and even the build-up is brilliant.

From Torshavn you track the Kaldbaks fjord, running just high enough above sea level to look down at the fisheries as waterfalls crash down the mountainside. The road rises into a valley reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands then disappears into a tunnel, emerging to reveal the edge of Kolla fjord which you follow north. So far, it’s an unchallenging route, with curves that gently follow the coastline and passing through small settlements – every one with its own church, some ancient, some modern.

Cross the short bridge at Oyrarbakki and you leave Streymoy for Eysturoy and take the road to Eiði, choosing the right fork to Gjógv. Signs warn that the road may not be cleared of snow in the winter months – a clue to the climb ahead.

Sure enough the road rises as it first follows the coast before cutting sharply inland into the domain of the bovine. Sheep are everywhere and the road is narrow, but the sight lines are good and there are plenty of passing places in the unlikely event that you should meet another vehicle. Soon the corners start to come, and they just get better and better, with swift sweepers leading to a brace of hairpins and then a faster, more open part that brings you to the high point of the road. Over the crest another fabulous fjord view greets you, but pay attention as the road drops dramatically through a sequence of switchbacks and then takes a winding, undulating path, with more crazy curves thrown in, before a final gentle run into Gjógv.

It’s a perfect postcard village in a natural harbour and an opportunity to stretch your legs before the drive back to Torshavn. You’ll retrace your steps at first, before peeling off left to Funningur and tackling some final, fantastic hairpins that take you to the edge of Funnings fjord. Now you have time to breathe again as you follow the road down to Strendur, where there’s one last chance to have it taken away once more.

Enter the Eysturoy tunnel and you’ll plummet down into one of the longest, deepest road tunnels in the world. It’s 11 km to the other end, just outside Torshavn, and you’ll also have to negotiate the only undersea roundabout in existence – but that’s another story.

For further information about exploring the Faroe Islands check out https://visitfaroeislands.com/en

Words Nik Berg‍ ‍Instagram
Photography Nick Dimbleby & Matt Jennings

ROADBOOK

CLASS: ISLAND LIFE

NAME: Fun in The Faroe Islands

ROUTE: Torshavn to Torshavn

COUNTRY: FAROE ISLANDS

Distance: 71 Miles

Owners of Škoda’s electric vehicles can now make use of a new Camp Mode to maintain a constant temperature overnight, if they’re kipping in their car.

An update to the MyŠkoda app means that drivers of the Epiq, Elroq, Enyag and Peaq can now have a climate-controlled sleep, as long as there’s at least 30 per cent charge in the battery pack.

Car camping is becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to pitching a tent for an overnight stop on a road trip, with SUVs offering sufficient space to lie flat in the back, and offering the kind of weather protection that no canvas can compete with.

Drivers of many EVs - now including Škodas - can stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter by running their car’s heating and ventilation system. In a combustion powered car you’d have to fire up the engine to do the same thing - which just isn’t practical or responsible.

For those who enjoy the spontaneity and freedom that car camping allows, but with added comfort, Škoda can now be added to the list of camping candidates.

Nothing beats the heat like a sea breeze on an ocean drive.

If you’re looking to cool down this summer then take a cruise on one of these seven coast roads, in the UK, USA, Australia, Namibia and India.

From an early start at Morgan’s home in Malvern, across six countries, and including a high-speed autobahn run, Detour founder Nik Berg and the Morgan crew reaches the tip of Denmark in just two days. They hop aboard the Smyril Line ferry and, having borrowed some old school paper maps from car photographer Stan Papior, plan a route that criss-crosses the islands, taking in its most picturesque locations.

Grass-roofed houses, majestic mountains, causeways, undersea tunnels and deep blue fjords form a stunning backdrop, while the island’s intoxicating roads are an opportunity to put the Morgan Supersport 400 to the test, driving all day and all night, as the sun never sets.

In an otherwise unremarkable trading estate in Newbury you’ll find cool cars, great coffee and sophisticated sim racing rigs.

They’re all at Podium Place, a hub for petrolheads, where enthusiasts meet to admire metal and shoot the breeze in a stylish club house. From the outside it doesn’t stand out from the other industrial units, but behind the glass is the kind of slick setup you’d find in a Formula 1 team’s hospitality suite.

To the left there’s a small coffee bar, plenty of seating on a mix of armchairs and diner tables and chairs, with more room outside. There’s always a couple of interesting cars and bikes on display, together with plenty of F1-inspired artwork.

To the right of the entrance is the sim lounge, with three very fancy full-motion racing simulators, each enclosed in a pod with a massive wraparound screen. Visitors can book up to an hour at a time in the hope of getting their name on the Top Gear-style leader board.

There’s also members club, which offers discounts on everything from coffee and merchandise to sim laps and driving events, with Podium hosting monthly local drive-outs and occasional trips further afield. To help the local car community look after their vehicles there’s also an on-site detailing facility.

When Detour visited on a sunny Saturday morning the café was packed, and there was a constant flow of arrivals on two and four wheels.

It’s not exactly a glamorous location, but it’s a popular spot for Berkshire bike and car fans and worth a visit if you’re in the area.

Words Nik Berg  Instagram
Photography Nik Berg

ROADBOOK

CLASS: Cars & CoFFEE

NAME: Podium Place

ROUTE: 31A Bone Lane, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 5SH

COUNTRY: UK

For stunning sandstone canyons draped in eucalyptus forest and a leisurely meander through heritage towns, few drives can match Australia’s Blue Mountains.

An hour’s drive west of Sydney, the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains form part of Australia's Great Dividing Range, where sandstone plateaus are dissected by vast valleys cloaked in gum trees. The eucalypts release aromatic oils into the air, creating the distinctive blue haze that gives the region its name.

I begin my 100-mile tour in Richmond, originally home to the Darug people and settled by Europeans in 1794. The route heads southwards across the western Sydney fringe before joining the M4 near Emu Plains. Crossing the mighty Nepean River, its broad, languid waters marking the edge of the city, the motorway becomes the Great Western Highway, and the Blue Mountains rise ahead as a dark, heavily wooded escarpment.

The highway climbs steadily through a series of gentle curves. This is nothing like blasting along a European motorway; the pace is relaxed with steady traffic, smooth asphalt, courteous driving and speed limits between 60 and 90km/h. Eucalypts, rainforest vegetation and flashes of seasonal deciduous colour crowd the verge as the road threads past historic mountain towns, affording occasional glimpses east across Sydney's rolling plains and west into a sweep of green-clad folds. Bushfire warning signs are a constant reminder of the landscape's volatile nature, while sulphur-crested cockatoos swoop to gather noisily by the roadside.

A brief detour leads to Wentworth Falls, where the waterway plunges over successive sandstone ledges into the immense Jamison Valley. A few miles farther west, Leura’s colourful shopfronts sit beneath awnings typical of Australian country towns. Then comes Katoomba, home to the Three Sisters, although today only two rocky pinnacles emerge clearly through the mist.

A little further, the outdoor terrace of the historic Hydro Majestic is hard to beat for a flat white and an unfolding panorama across the Megalong Valley, where layer upon layer of forested ridges fade into a soft blue with distance.

At just over 1,000 metres, Blackheath and Mount Victoria are among the Mountains’ highest towns. Beyond, a structural failure has closed the route west towards Lithgow. The Darling Causeway is the main alternative, and with a woodland canopy spilling away on either side from its winding, undulating ridgeline, it hardly feels like a diversion.

At Bell I reach the quieter alternative to the Great Western Highway: the Bells Line of Road. Named after the man who in 1823 enlisted the help of two Aboriginal guides to find a route across the Mountains, it follows a corridor that had long been known to Indigenous people. The road’s remoteness hints at the difficulties encountered during its construction, and why it fell into disrepair not long afterwards, before being revived during WWII.

S-bends, dense vegetation and steep gradients surround Mount Tomah, where signs warn against stopping due to rockfalls. The mist that lingered in the southern valleys now spills across the rain-slicked tarmac, and the constant twists and turns are almost dizzying.

At Bilpin, I’m in the heart of apple-growing country; orchards replace forest, while cafés and cider houses advertise homemade pies and local produce. The landscape opens once more, particularly from Bellbird Lookout, where Sydney's plains again stretch toward the horizon.

The final highlight arrives at Bellbird Hill near Kurrajong Heights. With gradients of up to 1:8 and a series of tight bends, it’s one of the most satisfying sections on the entire circuit. Before long, suburbia reappears and I'm back in Richmond, having completed a loop that captures the Blue Mountains at their finest: engaging roads, characterful towns and a landscape that seems to stretch without end.

Words & Photography Indi Bains

ROADBOOK

CLASS: Mountain High

NAME: Blue Mountains Grand Circular Drive

ROUTE: Sydnet to Sydney

COUNTRY: Australia

Distance: 100 Miles

Hagerty has named a Pennsylvania byway as its 2026 Road of the Year.

American auto enthusiasts know Hagerty as a classic car insurer and champion of the car community. Hagerty’s founders and its members have a real passion for driving, as demonstrated by its annual award for Road of the Year.

For 2026 the prize goes to Pennsylvania State Route 144, which runs 109 miles north-south, bisecting the state in its most mountainous region.

“Paved nearly a century ago to provide an automobile-friendly connector to lumber and railroad towns, the road now delivers a recreational paradise,” writes Hagerty’s SVP of Media and Editorial Larry Webster. “Outdoor pursuits on or near PA 144 include hunting, fishing, river rafting, hiking, off-roading, and of course, fantastic driving.”

Webster describes “large-radius sweeping curves carved with generally excellent pavement cut through a less dense, sun-drenched area of pitch pine and scrub oak,” and “abundant wildlife but not another human for miles.” Near Hall Run Creek Webster says: “This is where PA 144 is most like an amusement ride, hugging steep hillsides edged by steel guardrails.”

Visit Hagerty to read his full guide to Pennsylvania 144 and why it captured the award for 2026.

Perhaps it’s a cliché to liken a scintillating stretch of road to a rollercoaster. But with Timmelsjoch, the toll road which straddles the Austrian-Italian border deep in the Tirol region, the comparison feels uncanny.

You sit in its short, polite queue to pay your 20 euros (€28 return), excited tingles building in your belly as you ponder what G-forces await you. Much like a visit to a theme park, though, the anticipation begins much earlier. Getting to Timmelsjoch typically involves a drive from Innsbruck, whose mountainous approach is a sight to covet whether by car or plane.

Immersing yourself in its scenery doesn’t take long, and sticking in Kühtai as my waypoint – ski resort in the winter, verdant valley in the warmer months – proves a neat way to cut the highway miles short. This 26-mile stretch is warm, inviting and chockful of everything we love as drivers: hairpins, 90-degree corners and quicker, more flowing bends, all perfectly surfaced and wide enough to maintain decent momentum. The car helps, too. I’ve commandeered a Mini John Cooper Works for the journey, one of the few remaining small petrol hot hatchbacks on sale and an ideal device for a day like this.

Human endeavour weaves neatly into the work of mother nature here. Tunnels twist and bend sympathetically through the rock, their open sides allowing light to dapple their interiors, while the swooping Längental dam boasts banking to rival an American speedway, the reservoir it keeps in place as dazzlingly turquoise as any I’ve seen.

Reaching Sölden, I start to pick up more enthusiast traffic, the little Mini rubbing shoulders with the copious Porsches, Ferraris and McLarens of supercar tour groups. Yet we’re all pottering along at the same speed and I’m wincing far less as we skulk through contraflows or meet oncoming timber lorries. Out of Sölden you have the choice to turn right onto the Ötztal Glacier Road, among Europe’s highest passes and the shoot location of a Spectre chase scene, or carry on along route 186 to Hochgurgl and the beginning of Timmelsjoch.

Today, I’m doing the later, and the 186 plays its own support act ahead of the main event, its subtle jinks and chicanes an utter joy in something so nimble. This JCW may be a 1.4-tonne car nowadays, its onslaught of borrowed BMW tech not without consequence, yet it still handles gleefully.

Ten miles later it wends into a briefly dizzying ascent to the Timmelsjoch toll booth and its neighbouring café and motorcycle museum, a fine pitstop before rolling up to pay for the pass and begin our plunge into the Tirol scenery. The breakneck run to the road’s 2,509m peak begins right out the gate, with long straights, sweeping bends and a rapid climb to its crescendo through a series of hairpins. This isn’t a chance to wring out every last ounce of the Mini’s 231hp and 280lb ft; tourists pepper the route, as do the cows, sheep and goats who claim free reign over the road surface. Yet visibility is always vast and you can safely up your pace on demand, the road often quiet enough to spin around in a layby and repeat a favourite section with a mite more commitment.

The Timmelsjoch peak also marks the Italian border a switch in identity to Passo del Rombo. A shift in character, too: much like cresting the Stelvio Pass and descending its fiddly eastern side, leaving Austria means stemming the lovely, rapid flow you’ve hopefully enjoyed so far. I’m into a world of tight, nadgery lanes and the sort of acute hairpins that larger campervans take several bites to clear, slowing traffic further.

It’s a chance to slow down, rest the brakes and absorb the scenery, then, the pass’s lower stretches dipping through a cooling forest whose fresh scent simply has to be enjoyed with the windows rolled down an inch. The euphoric epilogue that signs off any great rollercoaster ride.

Words Stephen Dobie
Photography Mini

ROADBOOK

CLASS: Mountain Pass

NAME: Timmelsjoch

ROUTE: Innsbruck to Timmelsjoch

COUNTRY: Austria

Distance: 85 Miles

Father and son Phil and Will Churchill, and their trusty Aston Martin V8 Vantage have just covered 3,500 miles from Sydney to Perth as part of their ongoing Vantage World Tour.

The Churchill’s 11-day Antipodean adventure saw them lap the legendary Mount Panorama circuit at Bathurst and cross the desolate Nullabor Plain, taking in Australia’s longest straight road, the 90 Mile Straight.

On this stage of the journey the Aston Martin’s odometer ticked over 250,000 km (155,000 miles) and marked its 33rd country as the car had previously been deployed by Aston Martin on a number of international adventures. In the Churchill’s hands it has covered 21,500 miles and visited 16 countries so far, with the journey set to continue later in the year.

Phil and Will have been fitting their epic drive into manageable two-week chunks to fit in with Will’s university schedule and Phil’s work commitments. The duo have also raised over £33,000 so far for the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM). You can donate at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/vantageworldtour

The next leg of the Vantage World Tour will take the Churchills and their Aston Martin to India and Nepal, and, as always, we’ll be reporting back on their progress.

Driving over 1,000 miles just to lap a roundabout might seem insane, but when it’s also an art installation over 250 feet beneath the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, this epic journey makes total sense.

The Esturoy tunnel is one of four undersea tunnels that connect the Faroe Islands, linking the capital Torshavn to the towns of Runavik and Strendur. It took four years to construct and takes four days just to get to it by car from the UK.

In my case that car is the all-new Morgan Supersport 400 and the trip begins at the company’s 109-year-old home at Pickersleigh Road in Malvern, Worcestershire.

Not only is the Supersport 400 the most powerful Morgan ever made, it’s also the best-suited to serious road tripping. There’s a fixed hard top, space behind the seats and even a useable boot space.

Once loaded up, it’s a stop-start 200 miles to the Eurotunnel at Folkestone and then, over the next couple days I tick off France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark in quick succession.

The Supersport 400 is cool and comfortable in the midst of a heatwave, and an absolute monster on Germany’s autobahns. 150 mph is all too easy, if rather noisy, so a steady ton seems like the best compromise between speed and sound.

The Smyril Line ferry departs from Hirsthals at the northernmost tip of Denmark and despite being more than 700 miles distant the Faroe Islands are still part of the Kingdom of Denmark, albeit self-governing since 1948.

The crossing, on the MS Norrona, takes 36 hours, or 66 for the many automotive adventurers carrying on to Iceland. On board there’s a cinema, several bars, restaurants, a gym and even hot tubs to help while away the hours.

It’s a spectacular arrival into Torshavn, as the Norrona passes up through the fjords and it seems like all 1,500 passengers are on deck to witness it.

The capital is home to 21,000 of the 54,000 people who live on the Faroe Islands and I base myself at the Hotel Hafnia for a few days of exploration. That starts with the Esturoy tunnel, which has transformed the islands, with more than 6,000 people using it every day.

“You can travel when it suits you,” Teitur Samuelson of P/F Eystur, the company which built and runs the tunnels tells me. “It is not like with ferries, at certain times, with the risk of postponements and cancellations, as the weather conditions in winter are quite extreme and ferries regularly need technical maintenance. In addition, the capacity is unlimited.”

The 11km undersea route may now have been eclipsed by Norway’s new Ryfylke Tunnel, but the Faroe Islands could soon get its record back. “We are currently working on planning the Suðuroyartunnilin. It is an approximately 23 km long underwater tunnel to the southernmost island of the Faroe Islands. This is a mega project, so the planning is extremely important. This will be one of the longest underwater tunnels in the world,” adds Samuelson.

The massive cost of engineering the Esturoy tunnel is being gradually recouped through tolls, which are paid by an online system, so I register the Supersport to cover the 175 Danish Krone fare (£20) beforehand.

At this time of year, it just doesn’t get dark in the Faroe Islands, so plunging into the gloom of the tunnel is all the more dramatic. It’s quite a dive down, the road ahead plunging away into the bare rock cavern.

What’s also different from most road tunnels is just how curvy the route is, which helps keep the concentration levels up. Not that there’s much danger of nodding off in the Morgan, for in this vast echo chamber the car’s exhaust is amplified, wailing off the walls when I drop down a gear or two and mash the throttle. It sounds sensational, with a tremendous intake roar, accompanied by shotgun-like bangs from the exhaust on the over run.

Every kilometre there’s an emergency layby, with several wide enough to turn a truck, while the lighting subtly changes colour as you progress through the tunnel’s length.

Ten kilometres in is the roundabout that I’ve travelled all this way to see. It’s nicknamed the Jellyfish Roundabout for its organic shape and multi-hued lighting, and also features an art piece by local creator Tróndur Patursson which shows the silhouettes of Faroese people, lit by a rainbow of lights. Tune your radio to a specific frequency and you can listen to a soundscape crafted to accompany the visual artwork.

It’s really rather spectacular – all the more so when I remember that I’m well below the ocean floor.

There’s a choice of exits to Runavik, Strendur or return to Torshavn and during my time on the Faroe Islands I’ll travel back and forth on many occasions, never failing to marvel at this engineering wonder.

For further information about exploring the Faroe Islands check out https://visitfaroeislands.com/en

Words Nik Berg‍ ‍Instagram
Photography Nick Dimbleby & Matt Jennings

ROADBOOK

CLASS: TUNNEL RUN

NAME: ESTUROY Tunnel

ROUTE: Torshavn to Runavik and Strendur

COUNTRY: FAROE ISLANDS

Distance: 7 Miles

Speed is on the menu at this racy ristorante in Emilia-Romagna.

The small town of Varano de' Melegari is relatively unknown in the larger scheme of the automotive world. In fact, it may have ceased to exist a few decades ago, were it not for the efforts of its most famous son: Giampaolo Dallara. Signor Dallara set up shop in the town of his birth, effectively ensuring its survival by providing the bulk of employment for its residents. 

Attractions in the town include the Dallara Museum, where one can view the history of the world-famous racecar producer and the Dallara Academy, a learning centre for budding motorsport engineers and technicians. There is also the Autodromo Riccardo Paletti, should you wish to test a new race car far from the prying eyes of your competition. 

Those are the sights already on my list before visiting. However, it is the Circuit del Gusto, a few hundred metres from the racetrack, that is a pleasant surprise. The ristorante, whose name translates directly as ‘Taste Circuit’ has, unsurprisingly, a strong motorsport theme.

Circuit del Gusto is one of less than a dozen eateries in the small town, and during our mid-week visit it is the busiest. Stepping inside we are immediately greeted by the smell of cooking dough and melting cheese.

The walls are adorned with paraphernalia from various motorsport teams, including signed shirts, caps and race gear. There are also a number of model cars in display cases, mostly of the single-seater ‘red’ variety from Maranello.

Eyeing the menu we note dishes named Lamborghini, Ferrari, Maserati and Dallara. Other racing themed names on the extensive menu include 12 Cilindri, Delta Martini, Schumacher, Hamilton, Niki Lauda and Lando Norris. Ham features strongly on the menu as the town of Parma is just up the road.

The burgers, which come highly recommended, feature the names of two-wheel heroes such as the VR46, the Petrux and the Dovizioso, and both are great. Post dinner we take time to check out the paraphernalia before indulging in a spot of dolce.

Some other diners are clad in corporate gear with the logos of a few leading racing teams. Most seem like race mechanics and engineers, wolfing down pizza as fast as they can and downing a quick beer before, no doubt, heading off to their BnB before another day of thankless testing. There are no famous faces in attendance, but one or two are wearing their ‘fast shoes’.

Varano isn’t as famous as Maranello or Modena, but should petrolheads find themselves in this part of Italy, Circuito del Gusto is definitely the place to satiate one’s hunger.

Words & Photography Sudhir “Banzai” Matai Instagram

ROADBOOK

CLASS: restaurant

NAME: CIRCUITO DEL GUSTO

ROUTE: VARANO DE’ MELEGARI, EMILIA-ROMAGNA

COUNTRY: Italy

It’s high time to head out on a high-altitude, high-octane driving adventure. To sweep through the switchbacks and climb to heights that will take your breath away.

If you’re an advocate of alpine automotive adventures then you’re in the right place, as Detour has a multitude of mountain pass guides available.

Here’s ten of the best to get you started.

A cavalcade of Cayennes and Dakar 911s has just crossed the vast expanses of the Gobi desert.

On the Porsche Gobi Desert Experience, a group of hardy owners departed from the city of Hami in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China right into the heart of the desert.

Driving across gravel fields and dunes the drivers tested their car’s off-road ability, as well as their own resilience. Camping under the stars in roof top tents, it was the journey of a lifetime for those lucky enough to take part.

“Ultimately, this journey was never about perfection, but about perseverance, trust, and the certainty that true luxury lies in genuine achievement, no matter where the journey leads,” reports Elisa Weber-Behluli. “The Cayenne tells the stories of our journey through every terrain and every challenge. It is more than a vehicle, much more a companion, a friend who will not fail even at the ends of the Earth. We turn away from the Gobi as if it had a face we will never forget. Its waves of sand, its endless expanses, and its merciless harshness leave traces that are bigger than we are ourselves. An adventure that knows no comfort zone – and whose effects linger long after, far beyond the desert.”

Discover more Porsche Travel Experiences here.

An Electric DENZA Z9GT has embarked on an epic journey to follow in the footsteps of Marco Polo along the route of the Silk Road.

Starting from Rome, the Marco Polo Drive of Peace will take 43 days to reach Hong Kong travelling a distance of more than 9,300 miles, with the Denza Z9GT shooting brake leading the charge. The idea for the drive, some 750 years after Polo’s big adventure, comes from Patrick Zhong, Founding Managing Partner of M31 Capital, and Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Development. Their mission is to “to promote sustainability, electric mobility and global connectivity” along the way.

Patrick Zhong explains: "When we travel today, from Rome to Hong Kong, we take a flight, watch a movie, have a good meal and sleep a little bit, and then land. But when Marco Polo travelled, you had to do this step by step. Being on the road allows to you experience the majestic splendour of the world in slow motion. You appreciate the multi-dimensional nature of this place, experience the world for real. We're very lucky to be able to do that on this trip – truly a journey of peace, culture and sustainable development."

During the journey Sachs will also host a series of online lectures as the route passes through Croatia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and China before reaching its final destination in Hong Kong.

The historic Kop Hill Climb tops out a day’s drive in the Chilterns.

Since as far back as 1910 the Chilterns have echoed with the roar of internal combustion.

It was motorcyclists who first came to Kop Hill to test their machines against the steep incline, but soon the Kop Hill Climb would become a major fixture in British motorsport.

In its heyday the likes of Malcolm Campbell in Bluebird, Henry Seagrave in his Sunbeam and Raymond Mays behind the wheel of a Bugatti would thrill the crowds. Count Zborowski took his aero-engined Ballot up the 900-yard course in a scant 26.7 seconds, while Freddie Dixon rode his Douglas motorcycle to a record, averaging 81 mph from a standing start.

In 1925, however, the engines stopped when a spectator was injured and Kop Hill would host no more competitive events. In 2009, the event returned as a festival of motoring with historic vehicles once again taking to the course in demonstration runs.

Except for the annual festival on a September weekend, Kop Hill is a public road. Just outside the market town of Princes Risborough, off New Road, it’s marked by a small signpost that’s battling against early summer growth escaping from the neighbouring field.

Unlike other hillclimb venues, Kop Hill is short on hardcore corners, with the first few hundred metres almost dead straight. The biggest challenge is one of visibility as the road heads into the woods, bright sunlight giving way to near darkness as you enter the tree tunnel. Intermittent patches of dappled light can make it hard to spot the occasional pothole, or any on-coming traffic (much of which will be pedal powered, as the hill forms part of the official Chilterns Cycleway).

Peering out across the long, louvred bonnet of a Morgan Plus Four I can almost picture the heroes of yesteryear powering up the hill.

The initial part of the climb is a steady 1 in 6, reaching a plateau before the only significant right-hand bend. Then the gradient steepens to 1 in 4, topping out at a blind crest and the final run to the junction with Peters Lane. During the festival weekends soap box racers start their gravity-powered runs at the top, free-wheeling all the way back to New Lane.

At road legal speeds it takes not much more than a minute to cover the course in either direction, but fortunately the winding roads through the Chilterns to get here are even more enjoyable.

Highlights include Park and Rignall Roads from Great Missenden to the east, while to the southwest is the A40 and the dramatic drop and sweeping corners of Aston Hill. Join the A4010 Wycombe Road north and it will take you right to the foot of Kop Hill. If you’re coming from Tring on the B4009 it’s worth a short detour on foot to climb Coombe Hill for one of the best views of the Chilterns.

No matter your route to get there, a climb up Kop Hill will certainly top a great driving day in the Chilterns.

Words Nik Berg‍ ‍Instagram

ROADBOOK

CLASS: Historic Hill Climb

NAME: Kop Hill

ROUTE: New Lane to peters Lane

COUNTRY: ENGLAND

Distance: 0.7 Miles

Bentley’s historic factory in Crewe now has a visitor centre that welcomes everyone.

Previously the British luxury car maker only let its wealthy customers into its hallowed ground, but the new centre features a front-of-house area where anyone can pop by and sit in a modern Bentley. Those wishing to discover more about the storied company’s past, present and future can also book a tour that takes in an immersive digital journey starting in 1919 when Bentley began.

Selected cars from the firm’s heritage collection are on rotating display, as well as the entire current line-up, including limited edition coachbuilt cars by Mulliner.

“Opening our doors to a wider audience marks an exciting new chapter for Bentley,” explains Wayne Bruce, Director of Visitor Experience and Heritage. “CW1 House and Lineage have been created to offer a truly immersive experience of our brand, from our rich heritage to our vision for the future. We are delighted to now welcome members of the public to Crewe, giving them the opportunity to explore our world of craftsmanship, innovation and luxury first-hand.”           

The hour-long tour costs £20 per person and will take place on selected weekdays with full details to be found at https://www.bentleymotors.com/uk/en/about-bentley/factory-tours.html

It hasn’t escaped Detour’s notice that there’s a fairly major sporting event taking place in the USA, Canada and Mexico, and it got us thinking…

What if there was a World Cup of Road Trips, where each country’s best driving roads were pitted against each other to determine the greatest on the planet?

On this site you’ll find over 350 road trips in more than 70 countries to choose from, so we’ve dug into the archive and created our own unique tournament, to highlight the best Detours in each nation. Read on to see who hoists the glorious gold trophy.

Group A

Mexico plays Highway 40D from Durango to Mazatlán. With 115 bridges and 61 tunnels on its 159 mile route through the mountains, it’s one of the most incredible feats of engineering in the Americas.

South Africa has a strong squad with a dozen routes on Detour, but is fielding the short Chapman’s Peak Drive for its combination of astonishing ocean views and coastal curves.

South Korea is hoping to get the crowds crooning with its Singing Road, which plays Mary Had a Little Lamb via your tyres as you drive along at 100 km/h.

Czech Republic is opting for speed by selecting its D3 motorway from Prague to Linz, which has a limit of 150 km/h, making it one of the fastest roads in Europe.

Winner: South Africa. A close call with Mexico, but Chapman’s Peak drive is more thrilling from behind the wheel.

Group B

Canada is playing it cool with the Dempster Highway, high up in the Arctic where temperatures plummet to 50 below and Ice Road Truckers are usually the only ones brave enough to make the journey in winter.

The passes of Switzerland are world famous and it’s hard to single one out from the dozen amazing alpine drives we’ve got on the site. However, if forced to field just one, it would be the Bernina Pass for its year-round opening, majestic mountain views and challenging curves.

Winner: Switzerland. A striking but straight highway or a scintillating series of switchbacks, it’s an easy win for the Swiss.

Group C

Brazil’s Costa Verde route throws in captivating views of sea and sand and the option of heading deep into the jungle.

Morocco could field drives in the Sahara desert or high in the Atlas Mountains, but it’s the dramatic Dades Gorge and its telegenic twists and turns that get sent out to face the opposition.

Scotland is also spoiled for choice. The North Coast 500 would be an obvious contender, but it’s the Snow Roads that get selected. Whether in winter or summer these routes through the Cairgorms are stunning.

Winner: Morocco. Scotland will always feature on Detour’s favourite drives, but head-to-head with the Dades Gorge makes the Scots the underdogs, ahead of Brazil.

Group D

The USA has a plethora of bucket-list drives from sea to shining sea, but this year Route 66 celebrates its 100th anniversary so the host nation simply has to pin its hopes on The Mother Road.

Australia’s options vary from incredible ocean drives to deserted Outback bashes. The Stuart Highway which runs through the very heart of the country from Adelaide to Darwin over more than 1,600 miles is a strong contender for the Roadaroos.

Turkey is playing a dangerous game by putting the Derabasi Turns on the pitch. Climbing over 1,000 feet in just three miles this dirt road features 13 switchbacks and perilous drops.

Winner: Turkey. The home nation is in a tough group here and really nobody is a loser, however the heart-in-mouth moments on the Derabasi Turns make it top of the group.

Group E

Germany gets lucky as the only country in its group to have routes on Detour. However, that doesn’t mean picking one to play is easy. Obvious options include the Nürburgring (a toll road) or a flat-out autobahn, but we’re sentimental so it’s the Romantic Road that gets Germany through the Group Stage.

Winner: Germany. An easy pass through the group stage through lack of competition on Detour. We’ll have to fix that before the next tournament.

Group F

The Netherlands is fielding the most colourful road trip in Europe - the Tulip Route. Will it be bloom or bust?

Japan’s Touge roads are legendary thanks to the outlaw drift racers who slid their way through the mountains. For some, driving the Irohazaka Winding Road is an almost religious experience.

Sweden could play the Santa card with a Lapland drive, but instead it’s a darker Scandinavian Noir route over the infamous Bridge to Denmark that aims to scre the opposition.

Winner: Japan. A colourful play by the Netherlands and a sombre mood from Sweden can’t knock Japan from the top spot.

Group G

Belgium banks on its neighbour for its entry with the brilliant drive from the Nürburgring to Spa-Francorchamps. It’s well worth taking the longer way between these two iconic race tracks.

New Zealand is a remarkable country and it’s the Remarkables Road on the South Island that gets pitched here.

Winner: Belgium. For motorsports fans a drive between two of Europe’s most famous race tracks on a twisty road is a shoe-in.

Group H

Spain is always a front-runner in the World Cup and Detour’s title fight is no different. We’ve got a host of different roads that could have mad the cut, from the Road of a Thousand Bends to playing Fast and Furious in the Canary Islands. It’s the Llosa del Cavall in Catalunya, where a single stretch of road is light a greatest hits album.

Saudi Arabia may well be in the record books for having the world’s longest, straightest road, but it’s still a long shot for the cup.

Uruguay’s Atlantic coast road reveals beautiful beaches, great golf courses and fine wine. An unexpected play.

Winner: Spain. A good effort from the competitors, but we’ve not found a road quite like the Llosa del Cavall anywhere else on the planet. Bucket list stuff.

Group I

France is another team with a massive pool to pull from. Amazing alpine passes, curvaceous coast roads, tree-lined avenues, race tracks past and present, all compete to represent the nation. A tough choice, but the simply super road to Superbagnères is Detour’s pick.

Don’t underestimate Norway. Whether it’s the road to Hell or a drive to Nordkapp this Nordic nation offers endless driving adventures. The Atlantic Ocean Road is a prime example. Featured in a Bond movie, this amazing route includes eight bridges that span a series of small islands, some so low that you feel you’re skimming the sea, while others are a roller coaster ride into the sky and down again.

Winner: Norway. France put up a fight, but you can’t beat a Bond location, especially one as beautiful as the Atlantic Ocean Road.

Group J

Argentina isn’t just handy with a ball, the country is world famous for motorsport, and with roads like the Uspallata Pass high up in the Andes it’s no surprise that Argentina turns out some very tasty drivers.

Austria is an alpine driver’s dream come true. There are too many amazing mountain roads to list, but the Grossglockner High Alpine Pass is going to be hard to beat.

Jordan’s Kings Highway has existed for millennia – you’ll even find this desert drive referenced in the Bible. Is making history in this world cup a possibility?

Winner: Austria. The Grossglockner was built just for drivers and it shows.

Group K

Portugal kicks off with a scientific study that says its N222 is the best road in the world. But driving is about emotion as much as physics, so will it be enough?

A drive from Colombia’s capital to its Caribbean coast offers a diverse mix of lush rainforest and craggy Andean peaks. Variety is the spice of life.

Winner: Portugal. A close call, with Colombia offering the road less-travelled, but we do like a challenging road and the algorithm reckons the N22 is just that.

Group L

England is Detour’s home nation, so forgive us if we throw our support behind the Lions’ drives. We’ve got many, many English road trips on Detour and it’s tough to pick a favourite, but things don’t get much more quintessentially English than Driving the Picture Perfect Wye Valley in a Morgan.

Croatia’s Adriatic Highway is a seashore drive to savour as it hugs the coast from Rijeka to Dubrovnik. A decent qualifier for sure.

Panama’s place on the Pan-American Highway also puts Central America into the competition. Calling it a highway is optimistic as it can be narrow, twisty and treacherous in places.

Winner: England. Home team bias wins out, but that certainly doesn’t make the other two losers.

THE FINAL

Detour’s rules of the tournament are less complex than FIFA’s so we’re just pitting the winners of each group against each other in one massive kickabout – or driveabout to be more accurate. Although we drive with our hearts, it’s Germany’s Romantic Road that is the first to fall. It’s a lovely route, but not such a dynamic drive. Portugal may have science on its side but while the N222 offers plenty of twists and turns it’s not so scenic. Belgium drops out for the same reason, for a truly great drive one needs a beauty and bends. South Africa’s Chapman’s Peak score on both but is quickly dispatched, and so too is Morocco’s Dades Gorge and Japan’s Irohazaka Winding Road, and even Turkey’s treacherous Derabasi Turns. England narrowly misses out on a medal, simply because the final three are so strong. Taking the bronze medal is Spain, the Llosa del Cavall is amazing for just how much variety it squeezes in. Silver goes to Norway’s Atlantic Ocean road, which is just breathtaking (and Bond-famous). Lifting the World Cup is Austria thanks to the absolute icon that is the Grossglockner High Alpine Road, tunnels, twists, mountain views and a toll that keeps traffic levels low, make it a deserved winner.

A massive engineering project to build four undersea road tunnels linking the Shetlands has been proposed to boost the Scottish islands’ population and economy.

Under the proposal Yell, Whalsay, Unst and Bressay would all be joined to the main Shetland island by tunnels buried under the seabed. The idea echoes a scheme that revitalised the Faroe Islands.

According to a report by BBC News the cost of the tunnels would top one billion pounds, but, in the long run, it would be cheaper than refreshing and maintaining the ferry fleet currently employed.

To join Yell to Shetland would require a 4.2 mile tunnel dug 50 metre below the seabed and would cost £352 million, plus a further £90 million to maintain it over the following 60 years. A ferry, meanwhile, would weigh in at £548 million as a minimum. The Whalsay tunnel would be £427.5 million, plus £95.5 million for maintenance, which would be just over half the price of ferries. To build the Unst link is estimated at £375 million and the Bressay tunnel £268 million.

“Emma Macdonald, the Shetland council leader, told the BBC: “When islands have fixed links like causeways, bridges and tunnels, they experience repopulation, economic growth and a reduction in average age. Doing nothing is not an option in Shetland. We have islands depending on old, unreliable, carbon-heavy ferries, which are depopulating and continually at risk of ferry breakdowns.”

Shetlands councillors are expected to make their decision at a meeting at the end of June.

Tracking the Queensland coast for over 1,000 miles from Brisbane to Cairns is the Bruce Highway. There’s little danger of getting lost, but it’s not always plain sailing.

We were already well north of Townsville when I began to worry. The fuel warning light of our rented motorhome had just flicked on and there were no signs of civilisation.

I was mentally kicking myself for not stopping to fill up at the last servo (as the locals call it), which was now at least 20 miles in the rear-view mirror. We had two choices; press on in the hope of finding fuel ahead or track back. Either way it would be touch and go.

It was a rookie error, made worse by the fact that it wasn’t just me who was at risk but the whole family. The only consolation was that it was so noisy in the back that young Max and Oscar couldn’t hear the swearing up front.

Since leaving Brisbane it was a problem I hadn’t even contemplated. While not exactly densely populated, the Sunshine Coast is well-geared up for travellers and we passed plenty of big-name fuel stations as we headed north.

We’d stocked up on food and water for our five-day drive, and initially our biggest concern was the aftermath of a typhoon which had done considerable damage to buildings and hurled palm trees across the highway.

As the A1 Bruce Highway cut inland towards Gympie the lush green bush seemed even more vivid after the storm, and we made steady and uneventful progress to our first overnight halt. A small township pub near Marlborough was happy for us to stay in its car park as long as we tucked into their grub. We also managed a few games of pool before retiring for the night, to the sounds of the local fauna.

The next morning, we paralleled the coast once more, running alongside old railway tracks, the ocean just tantalisingly out of view to our right. At Townsville, though, we’d get a proper taste of it, taking a boat tour out to the barrier reef for snorkelling and a desert island visit.

All in all, it was proving to be an amazing family adventure. Until it almost went wrong. On the next leg of the Bruce Highway there are few fewer places to refuel and refresh. 60 miles or more might separate the two closest servos. So, after a quick look at a map which we’d barely needed to refer to until this point, we pulled a U-turn and made it back to the pumps on fumes.

Cairns came as a relief, a bustling city, with no shortage of amenities and family activities. Any lingering anxiety was washed away in the warm ocean, and the kids had barely noticed the unplanned detour anyway.

We made plenty of memories on this trip, but that one moment I’d rather forget.

If you’re planning on following the Bruce Highway don’t make the same mistake I did and keep your tank topped up.

Words Nik Berg‍ ‍Instagram

ROADBOOK

CLASS: OCEAN DRIVE

NAME: BRUCE HIGHWAY

ROUTE: Brisbane to CAIRNS

COUNTRY: AUSTRALIA

Distance: 1,060 Miles