Driving America’s Nürburgring and upsetting the law – car pictures of the week

When you think of great driving roads, you probably imagine Italy’s Stelvio Pass, the Route Napoleon or further afield, perhaps Romania’s Transfăgărășan highway. There are gems closer to home too, in the Scottish Highlands, Peak District and Brecon Beacons. You probably don’t think of the US, however. For whatever reason America has never really established itself as a stand-out driving destination for enthusiasts, but that doesn’t mean truly great roads don’t exist across the pond. 

Take the Tail of the Dragon in Tennessee. With 318 corners packed into just 11 miles it’s described by locals as America’s Nürburgring, and harbours a fascinating car culture that includes modified car meet ups, Japanese-style Touge runs and, predictably, crashes. Quite a few of them. In issue 343 of evo, we explored the Dragon in the latest Mini JCW to find out whether it lives up to its notoriety, and whether it can mix it with the best roads Europe has to offer. To read the full feature, pick up a copy of evo 343 in-store or online via the evo shop. 

Stretching across the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, the Dragon attracts driving enthusiasts from all over the States with its relentless sequence of turns that wind through the forest, with many modifying their cars specifically for the job of tackling it. 

We chose a standard Mini JCW to explore it, and though we haven’t quite gelled with the current generation of hot Minis so far, the technical twists of the Dragon should, in theory, be perfect for it. Small, compact and with 228bhp, it’s one of the last remaining hot petrol superminis and a different flavour to the usual string of Camaros, Corvettes and JDM cars you’ll find on the Dragon. 

Given the Dragon’s popularity with performance car owners – many of whom are tempted to play fast and loose with speed limits – you’ll regularly find law enforcement patrolling the area, which caught us out in the Mini… Extract from the feature below: 

‘It turns out I’d crept over the speed limit by a few clicks but thankfully there’s no ticket – just a warning and a few wisecracks from the trooper (he wonders if I was going to be ‘driving like an ass’ today.) After the telling off, I gingerly head towards the border and eventually come across a gaggle of modified cars hidden in a car park, having spotted the officer and bolted for the border. As well as being a brilliant place to drive, the Tail of the Dragon is renowned for speed and mischief, and is home to a thriving car culture. Some even call it America’s Nürburgring.’

To read the full story and find out whether the Dragon really is among the world’s greatest driving roads, pick up a copy of evo issue 343 in-store or online.