Great roads can turn the dull, everyday grind of commuting into an experience that’s truly epic, and no doubt every single driver, whether they’re into cars or not, will have a favourite route.
Yet no great road is complete without a great car to drive on it, so from hatchbacks to full blown supercars, white-knuckle rides to relaxing road trips, here’s our list of the ten best driving roads in the world, and the best cars to experience them in.
Route 66, USA - Ford Mustang
The quintessential American road trip, there are few stretches of tarmac more widely recognised than Route 66 and surely none on earth that enraptures the imagination and the essence of the American spirit.
For 80 years it’s inspired musicians, filmmakers and writers and the 2,448-mile route still features all of the kitsch Americana that first attracted vacationers in the 1950s, with motels, diners, remote gas stations and hokey attractions.
Surely the only vehicle of choice in which to take in the greatest American driving road is arguably the most iconic American car of all time, the Ford Mustang. Take your time, soak in the scenery and listen to that big-displacement V8 purr beneath the bonnet.
Sani Pass, South Africa - Toyota Land Cruiser
One of the most notoriously difficult routes in the world, you’ll need a heavy-duty off-roader before you even think about tackling South Africa’s Sani Pass as border authorities won’t let any vehicle that’s not up to the challenge anywhere near it.
A nine kilometre pathway that sprawls from the Kwazulu-Natal region into neighbouring country Lesotho, drivers are treated to a hair-raising trek across steep and slippery slopes with sheer drops off the side of the Northern Lesotho Mountains.
It should be no problem for Toyota’s Land Cruiser though, which is widely regarded as one of the most hardcore and capable 4x4s ever built. Just make sure the road’s open though, as it’s often closed off due to bad weather.
Trollstigen, Norway - Ford Focus RS
One of Europe’s twistiest roads, Trollstigen in Norway is a real stomach-churner with a steep 10-degree incline, an alarmingly narrow width and 11 hairpin bends.
It’s the sort of route that wouldn’t look out of place in a WRC round, but it’ll reward anyone brave enough to tackle it with spectacular vistas of the Stigfossen waterfall which tumbles more than 1,000 feet down the mountainside.
With its supremely challenging road surface, you’ll need a car that can hold on regardless of any condition. What about the brand-new Ford Focus RS, with 345bhp and its unique four-wheel drive system that’ll help you blast round those hairpins like a real professional?
Furka Pass, Switzerland - Aston Martin DB11
You mightn’t recognise the name, but you’ll definitely have seen the Furka Pass in the Swiss Alps before, thanks to its starring role in Goldfinger, where Bond’s Aston DB5 is chased down it by a 1964 Ford Mustang.
One of the most glamorous roads anywhere on earth, it’s also a real challenge with steep slopes, tight hairpins and switchbacks that all combine to make it a proper white-knuckle ride for all but the most ballsy (or reckless) of drivers.
The new Aston Martin DB11, the most recent descendant of the iconic DB5, mixes the speed, style and substance you’ll need to traverse Furka Pass in true suaveness worthy of the world’s greatest spy.
Mazda Turnpike, Japan - Nissan GT-R
From afar, the twisting, tree-lined Mazda Turnpike route up the Hakone mountain in Japan might look like a serene and meditative place, but tight roads like these are the original birthplace of the drifting scene.
Built in 1962, it’s essentially an 8.6-mile bypass for Japan’s National Route 1 which gained popularity with togue racers and drifters. Mazda became its sponsor in 2014, and the road is popular with automotive thrill-seekers from all over the world.
We wouldn’t necessarily recommend tackling it sideways like the original drift racers did, but if you’re going to do it why not take a Nissan GT-R along, the successor to the R33 and R34 Skylines – two of Japan’s most legendary drift-mobiles.
Stelvio Pass, Italy - Alfa Romeo 4C
The Stelvio Pass shot to fame after being featured in Top Gear back in 2008 where Clarkson described it as the greatest driving road in the world. Now, it’s become a place of pilgrimage for petrolheads and has even had a new Alfa Romeo SUV named after it.
Sitting 2,757m above sea-level it’s the highest paved pass in the Earth Alps and features a buttock-clenching 48 hairpin turns, so needless to say you’ll have to have your wits about you to tackle it.
Of course, the right car won’t hurt either. The Stelvio SUV won’t be out for a while yet, but we reckon Alfa’s dinky supercar, the 4C, is a better choice with its rapier-like agility and rasping exhaust note.
Transfagarasan, Romania - Lamborghini Huracan
Just a year after Top Gear declared the Stelvio Pass the greatest driving road in the world, the team changed their mind. The reason why? The 90km stretch of tarmac known as the Transfăgărășan Highway.
Straddling the Southern Carpathian mountains and passing Vlad the Impaler’s infamous Poienari fortress, Transfăgărășan is a winding, twisting route of steep descents, S-bends and hairpins that’ll put the fear of God into all but the most committed motorists.
James May claimed that the Lamborghini Gallardo was the ultimate car of choice for this route, but given that the Gallardo is no longer made we reckon it’s successor, the Huracan, will do the job just as well.
Nordschleife, Germany - BMW M3
Generally known as the most notorious racetrack in the world, the Nurburghring’s Nordschleife is technically actually a public toll road that anyone, in any vehicle, can drive on.
Referred to as ‘the Green Hell’ thanks to its uncompromising twists, dangerous landmarks and its complete lack of run-off, the Nordschleife is a punishing 12.93-mile loop comprised of no fewer than 154 turns and has a nasty reputation of humbling even the pros.
The BMW M3, one of Germany’s most famous performance cars, is a fitting choice for the infamous ‘Ring we reckon. After all, it’s one of the most common cars on the track, and there’s a good reason why.
Amalfi Coast, Italy - Fiat 124 Spider
Widely considered as one of Europe’s most scenic stretch of road, the pastel-hued villages and sun-soaked coastline conjures up images of classic 1950s and 1960s Italy.
The Amalfi Coast’s roads are also notoriously winding, narrow and challenging to drive. Add in some amazing views and daring Italian drivers, and this road trip offers one of the most exciting driving experiences anywhere on earth.
What better car to take in the sights than Fiat’s all-new 124 Spider, a reimagined modern version of one of the most famous, desirable and fun-to-drive Italian roadsters of all time?
Horseshoe Pass, Wales - McLaren 650S
A short but sweet blast over the mountains of North Wales, the Horseshoe Pass offers some fantastic views and some fantastically challenging terrain to drive on.
Rising to a maximum height of 1,367 feet above sea level, it used to be a stage of the Tour of Britain cycle race but is now more popular with drivers and motorcyclists, with the long, winding hairpin that gives it its name and little room for mistakes with sheer drops off huge slate embankments.
In truth, it’s the sort of road that can make driving any car feel like the ride of your life, but if you want to do it in style why not opt for the McLaren 650S, a beastly British supercar for a beastly British road.
