Lifestyle Fun to drive
The perfect
road trip
N-ZINE 07 Nov 2019
by Chris Pickering
The perfect road trip
2019.11.07
by Chris Pickering
A great road trip requires a special type of car. It needs to be capable of thrilling on mountain passes or winding country lanes, yet civilised enough for long drives. That’s where N excels, with its switchable drive modes, adaptive suspension and sporty-yet-comfortable driving environment. It thrives on covering long distances over challenging roads.
Of course, that’s not all you need. A road trip is best experienced with people who share your passion for driving, or even together with a playlist crafted for a series of alpine hairpins — though you might want to turn off the tunes and simply immerse yourself in the growl of the engine, complete with its chorus of pops and bangs on overrun.
So where to go? Here are three suggestions to whet your appetite:
Of course, that’s not all you need. A road trip is best experienced with people who share your passion for driving, or even together with a playlist crafted for a series of alpine hairpins — though you might want to turn off the tunes and simply immerse yourself in the growl of the engine, complete with its chorus of pops and bangs on overrun.So where to go? Here are three suggestions to whet your appetite:
/ The North Coast 500, ScotlandStitching together over 500 miles of dramatic coastline, soaring mountains and achingly beautiful glens, the North Coast 500 is effectively a lap of the Scottish Highlands. Much of the route is narrow and windy — none more so than the famous Bealach na Ba pass that snakes its way through the mountains of the Applecross Peninsula. Here, N’s agile handling and compact dimensions come into their own, allowing you to thread them along this spectacularly twisty ribbon of tarmac.
/ Route Napoleon, FranceIf you were to visualise the perfect driving road it would probably look a lot like the Route Napoleon. Named after the diminutive French general who passed this way on his return from exile, it consists of mile upon mile of beautifully surfaced, wonderfully twisty roads that carve their way through the hills of Provence. Away from the coast, these roads can be surprisingly quiet, even in the summer. And despite their twists and turns, they are generally wide and well-sighted, making them the perfect place to unleash the high-performance N.
/ The Mille Miglia, ItalyThis is the big one. Quite literally. Christened “the world’s most beautiful race”, the Mille Miglia was a 1,000-mile road race from Brescia to Rome and back that ran between 1927 and 1957. You can still trace the complete route, taking in the streets of Rome, Sienna and Modena along the way, but we’d recommend cherry-picking some of the rural sections instead. The SR65, which takes in the Futa and Raticosa passes, is a particular highlight, with its hairpin bends and fast sweeping corners scything through the olive groves.
Allow yourself time to explore roads less travelled, to linger in the most beautiful locations and to embrace unexpected highlights, because wherever you go, a road trip in an N s bound to be a rich and rewarding experience.
The perfect road trip 07 Nov 2019
Chris Pickering
A lifelong petrolhead, obsessed with performance cars and classics. Full-time motoring journalist, former development engineer and occasional racing driver. Usually found on the road or in the garage.
