Claude Lelouch’s dawn dash across Paris has become movie and automotive legend. Gavin Conway attempted the devil-may-care drive himself.

Just outside the small town of Niland in the Californian desert, around a one and a half hour drive south-east from Palm Springs, you’ll find Salvation Mountain, quite one of the weirdest, most profoundly strange art installations you’re ever likely to encounter.

“Africa, Africa, Africa, Africa, Africa, Africa – there is no other place for me,” is how Ari Vatanen replies when asked where his Favourite Detour lies.

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.

The best car park in the world sits below an expressway intersection on a man-made island in Tokyo bay.

Today’s car commercials are computer-generated fantasies, blandly mindful of not upsetting the ad authorities but only a few years ago they were memorable mini movies that would sell, sell, sell.

A drive through Japan’s frozen north is a journey that’s alternately zen-like in its tranquil beauty and treacherously terrifying.

Hidden under some railway arches in Shoreditch is a haven for bikers, wannabe bikers and, frankly anyone who fancies fine food and drink in very cool surroundings.

Are you tempted by the #vanlife pictures on Instagram? All those perfect couples in perfect camping spots, showering and snuggling together in the wilderness? While reality is rather different from what the hashtag hedonists portray, camping doesn’t need to be that cramped as these ingenious extending vans prove.

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.

It’s never too early to get your kids behind the wheel. And for some lucky little tikes that first drive could be in scaled down supercar. Here’s a quick look at the some of the most exotic and exciting machines for a diminutive Detour.

There are many, many reasons to visit the Lake District: climbing, hiking, riding, sailing and sausages are but a few. The perilous passes and lakeside roads make Cumbria a must-have on any keen drivers’ tick list and the delightful Lakeland Motor Museum simply makes any trip to the lakes even more compelling.

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.

Are you nutty enough to drive across the USA in a 26-foot peanut or an even bigger hot dog?

As the esteemed Dr Emmett Brown once said: “Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads!” If that’s your idea of the most awesome automotive adventure then you’ll probably want to go fully off-grid as well as off-road when you hit the trail. Here are five fantastic vehicles that are mission-ready.

The NC 500 has been pitched as a Scottish Route 66 – although with fewer diners, giant ketchup bottles and dinosaur museums, says Luke Ponsford.

Sitting on Sunset Boulevard, just down from The Comedy Store and opposite the Oppenheimer Group (of Selling Sunset fame) is another American icon – Mel’s Drive-In.

It’s not just the scale of natural scenery that can take you by surprise on a road trip. Sometimes it’s the strangest man-made objects that catch you off-guard.

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.

You don’t need to own a luxury sports car to drive one on a road trip to remember.