
Can you take the heat of these nine desert drives?
Shimmering heat haze, mesmerising mirages and an endless vanishing point are just some of the distractions of desert driving. Could you handle these hot, lonely drives?
Detour #96: Arizona's "Alps", USA
Thought Arizona was all arid vanishing-point desert roads? Dan Trent goes off-piste to discover a hillier, twistier side…
The World's Fastest Roads
Speed freaks and velocity-raptors of the globe, welcome to the world’s fastest roads.
Detour #95: Nullarbor Plain, Australia
Cutting a path parallel to the Indian-Pacific railway, Gavin Conway explores the vast emptiness of Australia’s Nullarbor Plain as he drives from Perth to Sydney.
Detour #94: Oberalp Pass, Switzerland
The Swiss are spoilt for choice when it comes to amazing mountain roads. Start with the Oberalp Pass and you can easily tackle a quartet of challenging drives in a single day.
Detour #93: Dempster Highway, Canadian Arctic
Following in the wheeltracks of the Ice Road Truckers, Gavin Conway tackles one of the most extreme drives on the planet: the Yukon’s Dempster Highway.
9 of the world's most dangerous roads
Statistics say most accidents take place close to home, but it’s not the local high street that gives us palpitations. It’s the perilous drops and narrow paths of the world’s most dangerous roads.
Detour #92: By Jimny! It's the Gatesgarth Pass, UK
The Gatescarth Pass is a proper 4x4 adventure in the heart of the stunning Lake District – just make sure you plan ahead and read the small print first, says Dan Trent.
Detour #91: Rendezvous in Paris, France
Claude Lelouch’s dawn dash across Paris has become movie and automotive legend. Gavin Conway attempted the devil-may-care drive himself.
Detour #90: Natchez Trace Parkway, Tennessee, USA
Beyond the honky-tonks of Music City – Nashville, Tennessee – a 444-mile ‘Recreational Road’ traces 10,000 years of American history, and the diverse soundtracks of the South, says Peter Grunert.
Detour #89: Sapporo to Niseko, Japan
A drive through Japan’s frozen north is a journey that’s alternately zen-like in its tranquil beauty and treacherously terrifying.
Detour #88: Bologna or bust, Italy
Breathless tales of supercars flat-out across Europe were a rite of passage for motoring journalists back in the day. Dan Trent enjoys a swift trip to Bologna by Lamborghini for his own take.
Detour #87: Tblisi to Batumi, Georgia
Don’t let the giant potholes and self-taught drivers put you off. A road trip across Georgia can be a breathtaking adventure of unspolit scenery and welcoming locals, says Zoe Whittaker.
Detour #86: North Coast 500, Scotland
The NC 500 has been pitched as a Scottish Route 66 – although with fewer diners, giant ketchup bottles and dinosaur museums, says Luke Ponsford.
Detour #85: An Alpine Adventure, France
The history of French sports car brand Alpine traces a fascinating geographical path taking in race tracks and epic mountain passes to create one hell of a road trip says Dan Trent.
5 ways to go on a road trip in a luxury sports car without buying one
You don’t need to own a luxury sports car to drive one on a road trip to remember.
007 of the best James Bond drives
“Do you expect me to walk?” “No Mr Bond, I expect you to drive.”
Detour #84: Havana good time in Cuba
A road trip around Cuba is a journey back in time, where 1950s Yank tanks still own the roads. Let Charlotte Vowden be your guide on this 600-mile drive around the island.
7 days, 7 Great British roads and a Caterham 7
Living in London and owning a Caterham Seven means that getting to a good road to enjoy it takes some work. But no pain no gain. So in a brief interlude between lockdowns Nik Berg and son Max embraced the effort and sought out seven of the mainland’s most amazing roads in just seven days.
Detour #83: Marek Reichman's Yorkshire, UK
Aston Martin’s Sheffield-born chief designer Marek Reichman lives by a mantra of ‘find the beauty’, so that’s exactly what Dan Trent searched for in his native Yorkshire.