Rides so good, you won't give a second thought to what your hair looks like.
By Mara Balagtas, Condé Nast Traveler
The best part about a road trip is picking your route. The second best part? Picking the car you'll be driving, top down with wind whipping your hair into your eyes as you're zip through back roads up towards a scenic overlook. We've done the decision making for you—with these eight incredible stretches across America and the convertibles we would drive them in. All that's left to do is drive them for yourself.
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The best part about a road trip is picking your route. The second best part? Picking the car you'll be driving, top down with wind whipping your hair into your eyes as you're zip through back roads up towards a scenic overlook. We've done the decision making for you—with these eight incredible stretches across America and the convertibles we would drive them in. All that's left to do is drive them for yourself.
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Mulholland Drive, Los Angeles
Sure, the Pacific Coast Highway is one of the most iconic (and scenic) routes on the map. While we love its breathtaking views of the surf, real gearheads go for a drive in the hills of Los Angeles. Jay Leno once compared Mulholland Drive to the German Nürburgring race track and The Weeknd piloted his McLaren P1 along its curves in his music video "Starboy." The best bit is the 30-minute stretch of Mulholland Drive connects Highway 405 to Highway 101. Start at Skirball Cultural Center and head east toward Franklin and Fryman Canyon Parks until you hit Jerome C. Daniel Overlook above the Hollywood Bowl. This short-but-squirrelly road will give you a real ride.
Total driving distance: 11.2 miles
Best convertible for the trip: McLaren 570S Spider. If you can't get your hands on a P1 (like most of us), the British supercar manufacturer's newest convertible in their Sports Series will have you handling the road like legendary McLaren racing driver, Ayrton Senna.
Seven Mile Bridge, Florida Keys
[post_ads]Seven Mile Bridge—one of the longest bridges in the world—is a stretch of the 110-mile-long Ocean Highway that connects the Florida Keys to the mainland. Start just below the tip of Florida at Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park and continue south through Islamorada, Marathon, and Sugarloaf Key until you can't drive anymore and hit Fort Zachary Taylor—it'll take you roughly 2.5 hours.
Total driving distance: 110 miles
Best convertible for the trip: Rolls-Royce Dawn. Since every Rolls-Royce is made to order, you'll be able to create a bespoke paint color for your car to match the turquoise hue of the glistening ocean water around you. Who wouldn't want to take in the vast scenery in a spacious, stylish, comfortable and color-coordinated drophead coupé?
Hells Canyon Road, Idaho
This byway runs along the border of Idaho and Oregon, wrapping its way through the Wallowa Mountains. Start out in Cambridge, Idaho and head north toward Oxbow Bridge, making your way to Hells Canyon Dam. You'll travel along winding roads and changing elevation with nearly constant views overlooking the Snake River.
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Total driving distance: 61.9 miles
Best convertible for the trip: Jaguar F-Type SVR. You'll want to pilot a car with a guttural purr that will echo through the canyon. Lucky for you, with 575 horsepower and 6,500 rpm, this is the perfect cat car for you.
Total driving distance: 61.9 miles
Best convertible for the trip: Jaguar F-Type SVR. You'll want to pilot a car with a guttural purr that will echo through the canyon. Lucky for you, with 575 horsepower and 6,500 rpm, this is the perfect cat car for you.
Route 9W to Storm King Highway, New York
One of the most perfect driving routes exists just an hour outside of a city where few people drive themselves. Head north through Manhattan on the Henry Hudson Parkway and cross the river west to the Palisades Parkway, into Bear Mountain State Park where you can carve up and down the winding roads. Keep driving north to Storm King State Park and Art Center to take in some scenic overlooks and oversized sculptures.
Total driving distance: 58.7 miles
Best convertible for the trip: Mazda MX-5 Miata RF. You'll want a car that's small enough to park on crowded city streets, but agile enough to handle some back country roads with a nearly perfect 50/50 weight balance.
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Highway 179, Sedona, Arizona
The Red Rock Scenic Byway connects Highway 89A to Interstate 17, but the short stretch of desert road is surrounded by towering rock formations and Native American cliff dwellings that make it well worth the 25-minute detour. Start at the bottom of Highway 179 and head north, ending in Sedona. If you haven't had your fill of these natural beauties, keep traveling north past Flagstaff for another two hours (110 miles) and you'll eventually hit Grand Canyon National Park.
Total driving distance: 14.49 miles
Best convertible for the trip: Lamborghini Huracán Performante Spyder. You'll have plenty of wide open spaces to let your car loose here, so we picked a ride with active aerodynamics working to minimize drag and downforce as much as possible.
Piilani Highway, Maui, Hawaii
[post_ads]Skip the crowds on Maui's popular Hana Highway and head to the island's southern coast for a more local but equally as beautiful tour. Start in Kula and head southwest toward Kaupo until you hit Highway 31 (Piilani Highway). Keep driving toward Haleakalā National Park and you'll reach the Seven Sacred Pools at Ohe'o, just in time to take a well-deserved dip in a waterfall.
Total driving distance: 38 miles
Best convertible for the trip: Audi TT Roadster. On this route, you'll want a convertible that's small, spirited, and incredibly agile. Plus Audi's virtual cockpit—with the help of Google Earth—will have you navigate island roads with ease, so you'll only get lost if you want to.
Haines Highway, Alaska
Also known as Eagle Valley, this stretch of road is a nesting ground for bald eagles, so be sure to keep an eye out for incredible wildlife sitings. Start in the town of Haines and make your way north. The hour-long drive will take you through lush forests with snow-capped peaks in the distance. You can stop just before the Canadian border or continue north toward the St. Elias Mountains and the Yukon Territory of Canada to explore the alpine tundra.
Total driving distance: 44 miles
Best convertible for the trip: Range Rover Evoque. You'll need a car that can handle the weather up there. With All-Terrain Progress Control, the Evoque helps to set and maintain a steady speed on challenging road conditions, whether it's gravel, sand, snow, or tarmac.
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Pike’s Peak Highway Gateway, Colorado
It doesn't get more legendary than Pike's Peak. Each year, along this route, car makers and drivers race to the top in a Race to the Clouds, more formally known as the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. This year, X Games champ Travis Pastrana competed in the annual event and climbed the peak in 10 minutes, 33 seconds in a Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport. We don't condone speeding quite so fast up the mountain, but if you want a taste, start at mile seven on Pikes Peak Highway and make your ascent through 156 turns, eventually climbing to 14,110 feet. Shoot for sunset and jaw-dropping views of the Coloradan landscape below.
Total driving distance: 12.42 miles
Best convertible for the trip: Porsche 718 Boxster S. You don't need to be a pro to tackle this windy drive—just make sure your ride is worthy of a victory photo when you reach the top.
See more at: Condé Nast Traveler
