Taking in the sights of a foreign land by car isn't a new approach to tourism, but this variation on the theme provides an extra injection of speed – supercar speed. The "Elite Car and Castle Tour" merges old world British castles with high adrenaline track days and luxury driving in 15 of the hottest cars in the world including the Aston Martin DB9 Volante and V12 Vantage, Audi R8, Bentley GT Convertible, Ferrari 430 F1 Spider and California, Jaguar XF, Porsche 997 Turbo PDK, Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder and Maserati Quattroporte.
Developed by Australian-based Como Travel, the tour starts off in London where the group – capped at 30 people – will pick up their cars before heading on a three week tour of England and Scotland, staying at five star luxury accommodation, enjoying Gala dinners and two days of race track driving. Drivers can swap cars along the way.
The two race track days are held at two of the best-known tracks in motorsport –Brands Hatch and Silverstone. Brands Hatch has hosted many famous driving champions from the last 50 years such as Stirling Moss, Jim Clark, Barry Sheene, Jack Brabham, Derek Minter, Emerson Fittipaldi, Ayrton Senna and current F1 star Jenson Button. The circuit includes a combination of dips, cambers, fearsome corners and hills making it a favorite for many drivers. Silverstone hosts a wealth of history and was originally opened as a World War Two airfield in 1943 until 1948 where it was transformed into a race track for the RAC Grand Prix. The first Grand Prix was taken by Luigi Villoresi in a Maserati, who recorded an average speed of 72 mph to claim the first prize of £500.
Off the tarmac, the tour takes in Amberley Castle and the world-famous Sharrow Bay Hotel which hosts a Michelin star restaurant coupled with a breathtaking setting on the shore of the beautiful Lake Ullswater.
The Como Travel tour will take off in September and costs approximately US$34,500 per couple including car hire, most dinners, racing rack days and specialized group tours. Just remember, in England they drive on the left side of the road!
(Disclosure: Bridget Borgobello is the daughter of the managing director of Como Travel, Maurizio Borgobello, but Gizmag.com has no commercial association with the company).
Here's the company's promo video of the tour: