Macan times eight
One car, five continents: As an all-round talent, the
A piece of future
Why is the
Humid heat waves and freezing cold spells alternate in Korea. These environmental factors have an impact on the road conditions and as a result on vehicle purchasing trends. An increase in preference for 4WDs and crossover vehicles, to name a few. Most cars in that segment sacrifice their driving performance. The
What is the best tour to do?
The
What were your impressions when driving it?
I drove a
What roads or trip would you recommend to a visitor?
Regardless of road conditions, the
What was a typical episode when doing this story?
When a new car arrives, people pay attention. It’s a natural impulse to compare the new car with theirs. The outburst of reactions from people who witnessed a
How can the driving generally be described?
The
By Jung Sang-Hyun
Photo by Min Sung-Pil
Push the button
Why is the
Because almost everywhere in Australia the quality of the roads varies from smooth freeways to broken bitumen on back roads and the teeth-rattling corrugations of major “highways” in remote outback areas.
What is the best tour to do?
One of the world’s best driving roads is the
What were your impressions when driving it?
That it is a true sports car, especially after pressing the Sport Plus button to engage the most sporting mode of
What roads or trip would you recommend to a visitor?
The Great Ocean Road stretching 243 kilometers west of Torquay along the southeastern coast of Victoria, with its absolutely coastal road winding in and out of rivulets in between small coastal communities, delivering spectacular wild ocean views.
What was a typical episode when doing this story?
There is one central requirement when visiting a world-famous winery like Kilikanoon, which in 2005 was judged to produce “the world’s best Shiraz”: to bring home enough cases for the cellars of yourself and fellow travelers. That was our mission when we took on a wine odyssey to South Australia’s famous Clare Valley, located 137 kilometers north of Adelaide, and our
How can the driving generally be described?
Driving in Australia is all about making the most of every situation: the poise to cruise quietly, safely, and frugally on speed-limited freeways; the ability to cope with a range of road surfaces; the in-built talent to reward the sporting driver when the road and the occasion beckon … all within the vast capabilities of the
By Michael Browning
Photo by Michael Browning
Get out early
Why is the
Russian customers prefer to get more value for money, so an SUV seems like a lot of car for their cash. And with its drivability and image value, the
What is the best tour to do?
With its ground clearance, getting away from Moscow or Saint Petersburg shouldn’t be a problem. I can recommend the Golden Ring tour, which is the journey through famed old towns of the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries, a true cradle of Russian culture and character.
What were your impressions when driving it?
A very compact and powerful thing to drive. Energetic and handsome, eye-catching and surprisingly agile. Very comfortable.
What roads or trip would you recommend to a visitor?
Just stay in Moscow. Sadovoe koltso, which in some parts has five lanes in one direction, can give you the necessary impressions. Wait till the early morning, when the traffic is not so dense. You can do your own Le Mans 24-hour race here, but watch out for radar traps!
What was a typical episode when doing this story?
People were constantly coming to see “the new
How can the driving generally be described?
Russians in general know the road laws quite well, but obeying them is a different matter and may depend on the mood or temperament of each individual whom you meet on the road. So if you monitor the situation constantly and don’t try to mimic common behavior, including overtaking on the right, driving into busy intersections, and speeding, you should do pretty fine.
By Alexander Evshtokin
Photo by Alexey Sulima
The metamorphosis
Why is the
You’ll struggle to find more exhilarating roads than those of Scotland, and the
What is the best tour to do?
With a car as talented as the
What were your impressions when driving it?
The sports-car DNA of a true
What roads or trip would you recommend to a visitor?
From Edinburgh, cross the Forth Road Bridge and head northward on the M90, to Perth. Consider a stop-off at Knockhill racing circuit, then after Perth head west on the A85 toward the wilderness and the lochs. At Tyndrum, head north on the A82 to Glencoe.
What was a typical episode when doing this story?
Huge vistas filling the windscreen; a glorious road stretching off to the horizon with very little traffic—that was the essence of our drive in this beautiful country. Then a stop for tea and cake; a chance to chat with new acquaintances, and to enjoy a spectacular view of lochs and mountains, with a fresh breeze and warm sun on our backs.
How can the driving generally be described?
In Edinburgh you drive for the view, yet you also discover how clever
By Adam Towler
Photo by Malcolm Griffiths
City for chameleons
Why is the
The
What is the best tour to do?
Start with hairpin curves on Latigo Canyon Road, above Malibu, where there’s even a challenging dirt road. Then Pacific Coast Highway to Sunset Boulevard and the park under the iconic Hollywood sign.
What were your impressions when driving it?
The
What roads or trip would you recommend to a visitor?
Los Angeles is a chameleon city for driving: mountains along its spine, beaches defining its western boundary. Picking a single road is as easy as choosing which of your children you love most.
What was a typical episode when doing this story?
The
How can the driving generally be described?
Los Angeles drivers used to be polite, but increasingly impenetrable rush-hour traffic on freeways and streets has frayed people’s nerves. Residents have strategies to get where they’re going. A visitor trapped in bad traffic will wonder how anyone lives here. Sunday morning’s empty streets and freeways answer that question.
By Lawrence Dietz
Fotografie Axel Koester
Tiger’s preserve
Why is the
The
What is the best tour to do?
What can titillate the motoring senses more than meandering through the vineyards, taking on the challenge of the rugged mountain passes, and venturing off-road to exotic viewpoints along the Cape winelands?
What were your impressions when driving it?
Even in some extremely windy conditions, the
What roads or trip would you recommend to a visitor?
Start at the
What was a typical episode when doing this story?
Passing through the Cape Winelands. The placid green cultivars are broken up by rugged and picturesque mountain passes which boast good, well-marked asphalt roads with many opportunities to take the
How can the driving generally be described?
One word sums up the performance of both petrol and diesel versions: responsive. This dashing tiger, which sits lower on its haunches than the best-selling
By Derek Watts
Photo by EJ Langer
Dream of parking
Why is the
In a country with a sizable amount of really bad roads, the
What is the best tour to do?
A road that allows you to drive it at the limit in terms of both speed and dynamic capability is perfect. Like the national highway from Satara in Maharashtra to Belgaum in Karnataka. I normally test-drive sports cars there.
What were your impressions when driving it?
Enchanting. It behaves like a car, so you need to get used to the fact that you are sitting a bit higher than you normally would. Still, it handles and behaves like a car.
What roads or trip would you recommend to a visitor?
Take it to the hills. I would like to take it to the world’s most dangerous road, from Sangla to the Indo-Tibet border. There is a nice highway leading to the final, treacherous stretch. The compact and agile
What was a typical episode when doing this story?
The TopGear office in Mumbai is at a prime Mumbai location with absolutely no parking. But when I arrived and requested a slot, they took one look at the car and said, “Sure, park right here!” Unbelievable.
How can the driving generally be described?
Because
By Girish Karkera
Photo by Rajeev Gaikwad
The south–north axis
Why is the
Rio is an overwhelming place, spread between great beaches and green mountains. On the same day you can surf in Ipanema and walk through a forest trail in Tijuca, 1,000 meters above sea level. With the
What is the best tour to do?
An amazing place in the city is the Aterro do Flamengo, a beautiful park surrounding a calm water bay at the foot of the Sugar Loaf—incredible scenery, where the
What were your impressions when driving it?
The
What roads or trip would you recommend to a visitor?
What was a typical episode when doing this story?
How can the driving generally be described?
Traffic in Rio can be very heavy, and some people may think that you cannot really enjoy the qualities of the
By Jorge Meditsch
Photo by Jorge Meditsch