Six unlikely epic drives

Vicki Butler-Henderson started racing 100cc karts at the age of 12 against the likes of David Coulthard. Born into a racing family – her grandfather raced at Brooklands, her father was in the British karting team, and her brother, Charlie, is a racing driver – Vicki has worked as a racing instructor at Silverstone, presented BBC’s Top Gear with Jeremy Clarkson, before moving on to Channel 5’s Fifth Gear, and has contributed to motoring magazines such as Auto Express and What Car?. We can’t think of a better person to take us on a tour of their favourite ‘roads less travelled’.

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SP18, Maranello, Italy

A short drive eastwards – and then skywards – from Ferrari’s HQ in Maranello, Italy, is the SP18 road through Levizzano Rangone. It has a handful of hairpins, some adverse cambers and the most fabulous acoustics for a noisy engine. I’ve slid both the Ferrari V8-powered 458 Italia and the V12 F12 Berlinetta round these enticing bends and can’t wait to return.

Car of choice: Anything with a prancing-horse badge

Photo: Alamy

A2 Coast Road, Northern Ireland

Starting from Larne, half an hour’s drive north of Belfast, this coast road unfurls alongside the Irish Sea for miles of seemingly little-used tarmac. This is a trip for a big car, as there aren’t too many tight turns – and a convertible, of course.

Car of choice: Bentley Continental Supersports convertible

Photo: Alamy

Col de Turini, French Alps

This road in France fell from heaven. On one side of its never-ending hairpins is a sheer rock face, and on the other, breathtaking mountain views. Focus is the key to swift progress here (taking a business call certainly wouldn’t be a good idea). It’s as much a workout for the body – with gear changes, steering movements and throttle action – as it is for your concentration.

Car of choice: BMW 1 Series M Coupé

Photo: Getty Images

Brands Hatch, Kent, UK

This UK racing circuit was home to the British F1 Grand Prix from the 1960s to the 1980s. My first car race was here in 1989 in a single-seater (having raced 100cc karts for the previous five years), and the exhilaration of the compression at the bottom of the steep first corner, Paddock Hill Bend, is unrivalled on a British circuit.

Car of Choice: Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racer

Photo: Alamy

Calais to Le Mans, France

The Le Mans 24-hour race is the pinnacle of sports car racing and is thrilling to watch. The fun can start days before, with a road trip from Calais to Le Mans, driving along the E402 motorway and through car-mad villages, in a long line of fellow petrol heads in exotic machines – a living motoring museum.

Car of choice: Lamborghini Aventador

Photo: Alamy

B660, Bedfordshire, UK

A keen driver won’t want for anything with this road. It’s so engaging that I moved nearby to use it as my daily commute. Stretching from Bedfordshire to the A1, just south of Peterborough, it is a gem for every kind of car, from a racy 4x4 to a small sports type.

Car of choice: Lotus Elise

Photo: Getty Images

Vicki Butler-Henderson

Six unlikely epic drives

SP18, Maranello, Italy

A2 Coast Road, Northern Ireland

Col de Turini, French Alps

Brands Hatch, Kent, UK

Calais to Le Mans, France

B660, Bedfordshire, UK

SP18, Maranello, Italy

A2 Coast Road, Northern Ireland

Col de Turini, French Alps

Brands Hatch, Kent, UK

Calais to Le Mans, France

B660, Bedfordshire, UK

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