Riding shotgun with a Formula One hero
What’s it really like to lap Silverstone in a Formula One car?
Detour #31: Lake Baikal, Siberia
Drifting across a frozen Lake Baikal might be the drive of a lifetime but you’ll remember it for all the wrong reasons if you don’t follow an expert guide.
Detour Pit Stop #17: Hot laps at California's BMW West Coast Performance Centre
Wish they could all be Californian: the BMW & Mini West Coast Performance Centre is one of the world’s best destinations for a thrilling driving experience
Detour #30: Glasgow to Inverness
Scotland has roads and landscape that will seduce drivers. Plot a course from Glasgow to Inverness and no matter what you’re driving you can’t fail to have a good time
Chasing top-secret Ferraris around Maranello in a 599 GTO
James Mills recalls the time he tried to catch top-secret prototype Ferraris prowling the hills around Maranello by giving chase in the new 599 GTO.
Detour #29: Sao Miguel, Azores
The Azore boasts roads so challenging that they form the basis of the European Rally Championship
Detour Pit Stop #16: Touring the Bentley factory
Bentley builds more cars than ever but they continue to be crafted and built by people. You can tour the factory at Crewe for just £30; here’s what you can expect to discover.
Detour #28: London to Nordkapp
It seemed like a good idea. Drive from London to the northernmost point in Europe. In a convertible. With the roof down. In February.
Detour #27: Applecross Pass, Scotland
You know you’re about to experience something special when you see a road sign that reads “Not advised for learner drivers, very large vehicles or caravans.”
Detour Pit Stop #15: Fish 'n' chips at The Magpie Cafe, Whitby
What better reward could there be after a day’s driving across the North York Moors than a plate of the finest fish ‘n’ chips the county has to offer?
Detour #26: Mulholland Highway, Los Angeles, California, USA
Locals call it The Snake, and, if all the crash videos on YouTube are anything to go by, then this road certainly can bite.
Detour #25: Snake Pass, Peak District, UK
On a good day this 14-mile stretch of sinewy Thomas Telford-engineered tarmac affords glorious views of the Pennines.
Detour Pit Stop #14 ~ The Vault at The Petersen Museum, Los Angeles, USA
It’s the darker, grimier underbelly of the Petersen – The Vault – that will make your visit most memorable.
Detour #24: Uluru to Alice Springs, Australia
If it’s real adventure you’re seeking, then avoid the Lasseter Highway and do as the locals do. ‘Go bush’ in a 4x4.
Detour #23: Llanberis Pass , Wales
You can literally drop a pin on a map of Wales at random and find an amazing driving road
Detour Pit Stop #13: Bicester Heritage, UK
On the site of a former Royal Air Force base is the future of motoring’s past.
Detour #22: Tour de Corse, France
In Corsica the post is never late. To cross from one side of the 3,350-square-mile island, which is one vast mountain range, you have to conquer the wildest roads in Europe.
Detour #21: Transfagarasan Highway, Romania
Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May have a lot to answer for. Before Top Gear visited Romania, the Transfagarasan Highway was near enough a secret.
Detour Pit Stop #12: Parker Palm Springs hotel, California, USA
Palm Springs is a glamorous oasis in the desert and the Parker is the place to stay, finds James Mills. Especially for a roadtrip on the nearby Palms to Pines Scenic Byway.
Detour #20: Targa Tasmania, Australia
For the past 27 years, the island state of Tasmania has given itself over as playground to a rally quite unlike any other.