The World's Best Driving Roads

[AF News Desk]

If you're any kind of car enthusiast, chances are you've thought of the roads you'd most like to drive on in the world. Whether by way of photographs or direct knowledge, there are some roads - known for their scenic views, enticing curves or their famous roots - that simply scream "drive on me!"

Thanks to our friends at Forbes, we can take a look at just a handful of roads that our little driving hearts may lust for on a regular basis.

Now, just because there are a few names listed inside the slideshow from Forbes doesn't mean that is the definitive list, so by all means, let us know what needs to be on that list in your opinion!

The story from Forbes:

Don't forget to check out the slideshow, too!

Originally Posted by Dan Lienert, Forbes - 9/19/05

If you have the chance to visit France, make sure you take a drive down the Route des Vins.

Men and women throughout the world fantasize about cars they would like to afford one day. How nice would owning a $173,000 Aston Martin DB9 Volante be, and thinking of all the vacations, mountain passes, country roads and coastal highways to which it could deliver you in style?

We wanted to take such fantasies to the next level. Where does the chief executive of Aston Martin fantasize about driving his brand's cars? Do you love your BMW Z4 convertible? Ask yourself this: If BMW's engineers could take the car anywhere to show off its capabilities, where would they go? The answer, as you can see in the following slide show, is a German racetrack on which you, too, can drive for a small fee.

The slide show features all kinds of different, exciting vehicles and all kinds of different roads on which to take them, from African mountain and desert trails for your Range Rover to seaside routes in Japan for your S2000 from Honda Motors.

But the roads we have showcased as the world's finest are not based on our opinions; they are based upon the opinions of experts, including automotive executives and chief engineers. We asked for their opinions with no qualifications, allowing them to call certain roads their favorites for any reasons they chose.

This was a fun question for many to answer. The head of Aston Martin is a busy man but wrote back to us almost immediately. A Honda chief engineer said he had a hard time whittling down his list of favorite Japanese roads.

But the question of where you might take your vehicle, given unlimited resources, is not just fun but sociologically significant. The wide range of scenery in the slide show demonstrates that with the right vehicle you can go almost anywhere. In the last century, cars were among the foremost accelerants of globalization, connecting cities and suburbs, urban and rural areas, different countries and even different continents.

Some U.S. cities, such as Los Angeles and Atlanta, were literally shaped by the automobile, which replaced commuter rail lines in such areas and provided for far-reaching suburbanization.

In reaching remote parts of the world, cars were invaluable. During World War I Rolls-Royces were so well built they could be used in the Arabian desert--and were. Famed British military figure T.E. Lawrence (i.e. Lawrence of Arabia) once remarked, "A Rolls in the desert is above rubies."

Certainly, if you have a $175,000-plus Ferrari F430 and can take it anywhere it Italy you like, you, too, must feel you have found a prize greater than riches (well, you have riches, but hopefully this means something more personal and special). For models from Ferrari and for several different, exciting nameplates, we present a list of recommendations for where to take them.

Now, what roads do YOU want to drive on most?

[Moppie]

Originally Posted by AF News Desk

Now, what roads do YOU want to drive on most?

West Coast of the South Island in New Zealand.

Amazing twisty roads with beautiful views and not a lot of traffic.

[speediva]

US 129/The Dragon/Deals Gap on the Tennessee/North Carolina border.

Just rode it on Friday and had a BLAST! Made it on 3 photo websites (because the Diva is a Diva) and I can't wait to take my motorcycle on it! 318 turns in 11 miles, baby!

[Moppie]

I need to get a video camera into a fast car and do a run down the East Coast here.
Some really nice fast roads.

[crxlvr]

The transfagershian highway or however you pronounce it located in Romania would be my ideal stretch of road.