the best driving adventures with cars

the best driving adventures

Fancy learning how to race cars across a frozen lake and drive at speed along snow trails? Read how to do it here!

How easy is it to drive to 12 countries in ONE DAY? Simon Heptinstall tried to do it. Read how successful he was here.

Is it possible for a visitor to drive right across the motoring mayhem that is Rome in the rush hour... and live? Read the full grisly story here.

SEE SOME GREAT OLD CARS:

Buick Skylark - the Jane Russell of automobiles

Porsche 955 Spyder - James Dean's motor

Aston Martin DB5 - Bond's barnstormer

Bugatti T57 - Ralph Lauren's stylish wheels

Chevy Bel Air - the rock and roll car

Frog-eyed Sprite - something for a chap to keep in the shed

Iso Rivolta Daytona - cool, fast and rare Italian supercar from the sixties

Ferrari Superamerica - pricey, pokey and posh

Wally Larson LE1 Groundfighter - 2000hp mental king of the road

Tramonta R - superfast sci-fi race car from Spain

highlights
of my motor writing career include:

Tackling the Monte Carlo Rally route in the snow with former winner Erik Carlsson in a Saab Turbo. Erik demonstrated taking sharp bends alongside mountain precipices while steering with one hand. Scary!

Being a passenger squashed in alongside rock star Chris Rea as he showed off what he claims is the world's fastest Caterham... in the rain.

Tackling the Nurburgring in a turbo-charged Renault, Castle Combe in a four-wheel-drive sports car and Castle Donington in a single-seat racer.

Winning a race in a single-seater on an ice track in the Alps.

Successfully driving from Land's End to John O'Groats for Top Gear in a Hillman Avenger Estate he bought for £50 - despite being rushed to hospital in Walsall with exhaust poisoning.

Sitting alongside Rauno Aaltonen during a night race through a thick forest in deep snow. The 'track' was lit by flaming torches.

Rauno Aaltonen taught Simon to
race Minis on an ice lake in Finland

Simon Heptinstall is a former Top Gear motoring writer. He is currently Editor of the BMW UK magazine.

As well as a career as a travel writer and editorial consultant, Simon has worked for Autocar and AutoExpress and was hired by BBC Magazines to help launch Top Gear Magazine. He also worked on Jeremy Clarkson's TV series.

He was one of the regular writers for What Diesel magazine and website, and often contributes to Peugeot Rapport and Lexus magazine.

He is also working on a motoring book and edited The Complete Book of the Car and The Goldfish Guide to Cars, for which he reviewed every car on the market.

Wally Larson LE1 Groundfighter - read about this mental car by clicking on the photo

Tramonta R looks like a normal car seen through a broken window but drives like an F1 car