Best drives on the planet????

[murphymurf]

Hi Guys

Was wondering if any of my fellow spirited drivers could suggest some stretches of road and/or tracks around the world with unique driving experiences. I'm looking for the lesser known ones that if you could drive them all back to back it would be driving nirvana. Just doing a little research ;)

For example: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=109278

[crashaholic]

Hi Guys

Was wondering if any of my fellow spirited drivers could suggest some stretches of road and/or tracks around the world with unique driving experiences. I'm looking for the lesser known ones that if you could drive them all back to back it would be driving nirvana. Just doing a little research ;)

For example: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=109278

I think it's called the Coastal highway on the Coromandel penninsula, North Island, NZ.
What a blast that road was.
So many elevation changes as well as turns. It was like being on a roller coaster. That was the first time I ever felt car-sick...as the driver.

[fastbmw]

Definitely the one that tops my list....

http://www.nurburgring.de/

[murphymurf]

Thanks for the New Zealand tip! I just checked it out on google earth, some great looking winding hwy. I may just use some of it thanks ;)

I build worlds for video games, so right now I'm in the early stages of developing some test roads.... so one way to quickly get some real world info is to simply trace from google earth stretches of road, build it so it can go into the game engine, then I take a BMW csl and drive around it in game. I actually built 4km's of the Nurburgring the other day, it was awsome!

So if you have any other road suggestions let me know.

[Nick]

+1 for the 'ring

Other roads/routes I'd like to drive are:

Klausen pass (switzerland)
Targa Florio (sicily)
Mille Miglia (italy)

Basically: any historic race-route that has since been abolished for safety reasons. If organizers deem it to be unsafe, then it must be one hell of a drive.

-Nick

[VtwinVince]

Stelvio Pass, Stelvio Pass, Stelvio Pass.....oh ya, and the Grossglockner Pass. And ditto on the 'ring.

[Mark D.]

Forget all those fluppenflappen gugenheim roads in Europe, has anyone ever driven the old road to Vernon from Kelowna around the Okanagan Lake? I used to drive it for fun and to work when I lived in Kelowna. I also had my 01 HD Road King with K & N, pipes, ignition and huge air breather kit. I used to chase down sport bikes on that road and pass them. ( Right now Vince is calling major bull shit, but a properly set up 88 cube twin cam with a seasoned rider can eat a lot of bikes up, plus I knew the road well on both the HD and 318is, rode it twice a day every day for 7 months) Hairpins, elevation changes, twistys along the lake, awesome. A well kept secret but was named in the top 25 roads in North America at one time in some automotive book.

[fastbmw]

What's that old road called? I'm heading to kelowna this upcoming long weekend and I wouldn't mind going for a blast.

Here's one in Oregon state

http://www.caranddriver.com/bestroads/road74/oregon/oregon-242-and-126-mckenzie-pass-santiam-pass-scenic-byways/

Here's a good link also

http://www.caranddriver.com/bestroads/road74/oregon/oregon-242-and-126-mckenzie-pass-santiam-pass-scenic-byways/

I'd also loved to drive on Honda's super secret test track. The guy who designed it took every famous bend on the most famous race tracks and put them all together....

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/firstdrives/19495/honda_integra_type_r.html

http://world.honda.com/AutomobileRandDCenterTakasu/



Here's a good link to satellite pics of the test tracks around the world

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/204239/inside_story_secret_test_tracks.html

[Bimmer_Racer]

I think it's called the Coastal highway on the Coromandel penninsula, North Island, NZ.
What a blast that road was.
So many elevation changes as well as turns. It was like being on a roller coaster. That was the first time I ever felt car-sick...as the driver.


indeed!!!! the Coromandel rocks! well worth a trip just for that stretch, and the view is wicked too.

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/9530/cathedral2ko8.jpg
http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/3847/cathedral3lc2.jpg

haha, just hope your passengers don't get car sick easily! it's a twisty one!

[Mark D.]

What's that old road called? I'm heading to kelowna this upcoming long weekend and I wouldn't mind going for a blast.

Here's one in Oregon state

http://www.caranddriver.com/bestroads/road74/oregon/oregon-242-and-126-mckenzie-pass-santiam-pass-scenic-byways/

Here's a good link also

http://www.caranddriver.com/bestroads/road74/oregon/oregon-242-and-126-mckenzie-pass-santiam-pass-scenic-byways/

I'd also loved to drive on Honda's super secret test track. The guy who designed it took every famous bend on the most famous race tracks and put them all together....

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/firstdrives/19495/honda_integra_type_r.html

http://world.honda.com/AutomobileRandDCenterTakasu/



Here's a good link to satellite pics of the test tracks around the world

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/204239/inside_story_secret_test_tracks.html

Go here for a map
http://ca.maps.yahoo.com/maps_result?...&csz=Kelowna,B.C.,&country=ca

It is called Westside Road and is the last intersection going North before heading down the hill to the floating bridge. If you are coming in from Vancouver on the Coq. then you hit Westbank, keep going till you see Westside Road
hang a left and it becomes boring for 2km then all hell breaks loose. Hit it on a dry day and its truly amazing...

[Bimmer_Racer]

What's that old road called? I'm heading to kelowna this upcoming long weekend and I wouldn't mind going for a blast.



the crow's nest?

[Blakeoffire]

Oooh boy...

Having just returned from the U.K. on a major driving holiday, I can happily offer up a whole slew of roads/routes to check out in both England (Cotswolds, North Wales, Lake District, Moors etc.) and Scotland (Glencoe, Grampian Mountains, etc.).... but I don't have my map here right now so I cannot specify the exact names/numbers of the routes at this very moment...

Let me get back to you on this one... :thumbs:


B.

[Mark D.]

Cmon guys, how about the best drives in B.C.? Stuff we can actually afford to do....hehehe

[Bimmer_Racer]

come on august 5th! haha, it'll be one of the better ones going to the lookout!

[Blakeoffire]

Cmon guys, how about the best drives in B.C.? Stuff we can actually afford to do....hehehe

Oh yeah for sure... those too. :D He was initially just asking about famed roads/routes around the world for his gaming-creation tech.

As Mark said guys... where are those awesome roads in B.C. ..?!

I'd also offer up the highway leading out to Gold River on Vancouver Island... :thumbs:



B.

[murphymurf]

Wow! You guys rock, this is more than enough info for me to sift through. I love that mini 'ring track the japanese built, it's very close to my intention of pulling the worlds best stretches of road and combining them ( characteristic wise).

And funny enough I don't know if any of you caught this the other night but Discovery HD had a speacial on Mega structurse Germany. They profiled a guy who builds F1 tracks and they spent alot of time talking about the 'ring. It was cool.

[VtwinVince]

LOL, Mark, you called that one right. I just got back from the south OK, and ripped it up old school on the 33 from Rock Creek. Of course if you haven't done HWY 6 out of Lumby to the Needles ferry, this is a MUST DRIVE. And don't forget a few laps of Green Mountain Road, just watch out for cattle and horses on the road.