THE LONGER WAY
Take the longer way with Detour and enjoy epic road trips, perfect pit stops and stories from the road. Powerful photography and words to inspire you on your next journey.
Gavin Green, Journalist
Gavin Green, former editor of Car, tells us about competing in the London to Sydney Marathon with his late father.
Detour Pit Stop #25: The World's Biggest Truck Stop, Iowa, USA
With spaces for 900 trucks it’s the biggest in the world, serving around 5,000 visitors every day. Since it was founded in 1964 Iowa 80 claims to have served over 65 million people - that’s the population of the UK.
Detour #46: Death Valley, USA
It was only a matter of minutes outside in this vast, desolate oven before we were pining for the car’s ice cold a/c.
Memories of meeting Stirling Moss: the Lotus Esprit road test
James Mills recalls taking the new Lotus Esprit S4 to the home of Stirling Moss and returning several days later to learn that Britain’s greatest race driver didn’t like what he found.
Cars named after race circuits
There’s nothing more synonymous with speed than a race circuit. So it’s not surprising that car makers have been taking track names for their swiftest machines for decades.
Detour #45: Nürburgring to Bonn, Germany
Find out why the B257, the road from the Nürburgring to Bonn, is almost as good as the race track.
Detour Pit Stop #24: Cesare Fiorio's Masseria Camarda, Italy
Fiorio is the mastermind who put Lancia on the motorsport map. He created cars like the Lancia Stratos and 037, which to this day remain some of the most exciting machines ever to put spark and fuel to good use.
Racing the first hybrid rally car in the world
I would enter a first-generation Toyota Prius in the Midnight Sun to Red Sea Marathon Rally. Starting from northern Sweden, we would have 5,000 miles and ten countries to cover, arriving in Jordan in just 20 days.
Detour #44: Isle of Man TT Course, UK
The Isle of Man TT is the most revered of motorsport landmarks. Join Detour for a lap of the island circuit.
Nik Berg, Detour Founder
Detour co-founder Nik Berg reckons that the best driving road in Europe isn’t in Italy, but Austria.
Detour Pit Stop #23: Millbrook Proving Ground, Bedfordshire, UK
Road testing new cars is a serious business, but anyone who has ever been to Millbrook Proving Ground can’t help but think of it as a massive playground.
Detour #43: Swakopmund to Windhoek, Namibia
200 miles of parched desertscape separate Swakopmund on Namibia's Atlantic coast from its capital Windhoek. The quickest route is to take the paved B2, but the more adventurous option is to tackle the undulating gravel of the C28.
Detour #42: Military Road, Isle of Wight, UK
It’s often said that stepping onto the Isle of Wight is like stepping back in time. If you like uncrowded roads and seaside attractions, that’s no bad thing.
I was The Stig
For the pilot episode of Top Gear the producers called Nik Berg to put on the now-famous suit.
Steve McQueen: The Man and Le Mans shows his drive for perfection
Steve McQueen: The Mans and Le Mans leaves you in no doubt that McQueen was one stubborn son of a bitch.
Detour Pit Stop #22: Museo Ferrari, Italy
The cars are the obvious stars, but the most fascinating part of the Ferrari Museum is the exhibit dedicated to the man himself.
Detour #41: Jebel Jais, United Arab Emirates
The Jebel Jais road leads to a massive mountain adventure playground, but the road itself is worth the adventure alone.
Detour #40: Mont Ventoux, France
Long before the MAMILs took over, the extinct volcano of Mont Ventoux roared to the sounds of motorsport.
The first Gumball 3000
A party that would roll across Europe for five days, taking in race circuits, nightclubs and five star hotels. A party where the super unleaded and the champagne would flow in equal measure.
Detour #39: Tail of the Dragon, USA
There are just three numbers you need to know when it comes to the Tail of the Dragon: 129, 11 and 318. The first is the road number, US129, the second is the distance between Robbinsville, North Carolina and Marysville, Tennessee, and the third, the number of corners on this legendary road.