Performance Passport
Ford’s high-performance tour of Europe’s greatest driving roads
By Steve Turner
Photos courtesy of Ford Motor Company
There are few things we enjoy more than traveling and driving great cars on great roads. It’s something most performance enthusiasts love, but it’s often reserved for regional road trips. Thanks to a new video series from Ford, we can all dream big when it comes to planning that next epic adventure, as they have worked with longtime automotive journalist and former race driver Steve Sutcliffe to select and document some of Europe’s greatest driving roads.
“It’s amazing some of the roads that didn’t actually make the list—but we weren’t just looking for twisty runs to please the petrol heads. We scored each route for thrills, quality of road surface, accessibility, hospitality, scenery, and food and drink,” the former racing driver and veteran journalist said. “Enthusiasts will know of some of the roads, like the Transfăgărășan Highway in Romania, but perhaps not the C462, in Spain. In some ways it would be nice to keep these roads to ourselves—but when roads are this good they need to be shared.”
Obviously, Ford Performance wanted to showcase some of its vehicles in dramatic fashion, so they worked with Steve to match the roads to the vehicles. The result is a an envy-induction trip across Europe in the latest Fiesta ST, Focus ST, Focus ST Diesel, Focus RS, EcoBoost Mustang and Mustang GT.
“Our goal was to share our knowledge of the finest driving roads across Europe with people who love cars and love driving,” Mark Truby, vice president, Communications & Public Affairs, Ford of Europe, said. “It’s a true ‘bucket list’ not just for petrol heads, but anyone who wants to plan an amazing road trip.”
The video series definitely has our dream wheels turning. So as long as you are ready to renew your passport and start making plans, you can check out this epic series here…
1. Romania: Transfăgărășan Highway
Ripping around the Transfăgărășan Highway in Romania that overlooks Dracula’s castle in a new Ford Mustang GT looks amazing…
[video=youtube;5mIqlB3QOSk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mIqlB3QOSk[/video]
“If you are a true driving enthusiast, the Transfăgărășan is genuinely a bucket list kind of place to visit,” Steve said.
2. United Kingdom: Blakey Ridge, North Yorkshire
Driving the new Focus RS in the UK is definitely on your scribe’s bucket list, and watching Steve navigate the 15-mile-long Blakely Ridge only stoked the desire to give this a try…
[video=youtube;uPIXRv0pgi0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPIXRv0pgi0[/video]
“The way it winds itself across the moors, throwing blind crests and fast but ever-tightening corners at you all the way along, is completely fascinating,” he said.
3. Spain: C462, Catalonia
The Fiesta ST is one of the most revered affordable performance cars around. It’s the kind of car that urges you to push harder around corners whenever the road is clear, so what better place to enjoy it than a pretty deserted road that delivers you to a stunning view…
[video=youtube;stxoXE0-4zQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stxoXE0-4zQ[/video]
“There is just about everything a road could ever offer, and there are three distinctly different sections to it,” Steve said. “One that’s fast and fluid, another that consists mostly of tunnels, and then a third section that’s narrower and far more twisting.”
4. France: D526 & D926, The Alps
If you’ve watched the Tour de France and thought it would be a lot more fun to drive on those roads than ride a bike, you aren’t alone. This path served as the 19th stage of the 2015 event and is one of Steve’s favorite roads. After watching him navigate it in an EcoBoost Mustang, we can see why…
[video=youtube;_YjIeyK_bSw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YjIeyK_bSw[/video]
“Of all the roads we went to I think this was my personal favorite. It was/is thoroughly epic to drive on, yes, but it’s also just stunning to look at, to be among.”
5. Germany: B500, Black Forest Highway
Only available overseas, the diesel version of the Focus ST is definitely on our driving wish list and ripping it around the Black Forrest in Germany looks like a great way to sample its unique attributes…
[video=youtube;BFDiQJ0Bmts]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFDiQJ0Bmts[/video]
“Bikers flock to the B500 in the summer months, and who could blame them when the rewards are this rich?” he said.
6. Mallorca: MA10, ‘Mountain Road’
As huge fans of the gas-burning Focus ST, burrowing through tunnels, flying across lakes and gliding across rocky bridges in an bright-orange hatch to a 13th century monastery looks and sounds tantalizing…
[video=youtube;0P2k9lRsWOw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P2k9lRsWOw[/video]
“The road itself is an absolute peach to drive on, spiraling its way across the northern tip of the island, going through tunnels and across lakes and over rocky bridges in the process,” Steve enthused. “There were a few adventures along the way. Not least when the drone crew we hired in Germany pulled out at the last minute to help out on Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I’m proud of this selection—and the debate it will no doubt provoke among driving aficionados.”
Ford and veteran auto journo Steve Sutcliffe have selected and documented Europe’s Greatest Driving Roads in an epic new video series that shows Steve driving the likes of the new Focus RS across some amazing patches of pavement.
Would you like to take on roads like this in a new Fiesta ST, Focus ST, Focus ST Diesel, Focus RS, EcoBoost Mustang or Mustang GT? Even if you can’t make the trip to Europe, you can watch and enjoy as several Ford Performance vehicles carve up corners across Europe.
