From the September 2022 concern of Car and Driver.
Colorado may perhaps bring to head 4-by-fours and all-wheel-drive wagons, but when we ended up there not too long ago, we appreciated how a lot the mountains’ winding curves begged for a downshift of the six-velocity manual on the 2023 Acura Integra we were being driving. This car’s tiny dimension, relaxed again seat, and big cargo hold make it best for hauling vacationers and their baggage to a substantial city. So we chose an experience in and all-around Denver, Colorado.
It’s possible you’ve only schussed there, but the mountains and cities of the Denver space are total of automotive delights. From scenic drives that will take a look at your bravery and your brakes to all forms of transportation museums, in this article are the finest roadways and sites to check out.
Illustration by Anthony CalvertCar and Driver
Bigs and Littles
Shrink it down and enter a remote-regulate race at MHOR R/C Raceway in Aurora. Or go significant and scope out the selection of trains (such as a Union Pacific Big Boy), planes, automobiles, and bikes at Denver’s Forney Museum of Transportation.
Get Soiled
Lease a Jeep, an ATV, or even a scooter and delight in some of the scenic off-street trails just outdoors Denver. Check out out Yankee Hill and Estes Park.
Vista Cruising
Colorado is justly famous for winding byways with wonderful views. Mount Evans Scenic Byway rises previously mentioned Denver, and the Lariat Loop operates west. Founded in 1918, the famed Peak to Peak Scenic Byway around Boulder is Colorado’s oldest scenic highway. Note that on some routes, heading to the summit requires a timed-entry permit.
Elana Scherr
Peak Practical experience
If you can wait that extensive, a June excursion could overlap with the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, America’s next-oldest auto race (the Indy 500 beats it by 5 decades). It can market out, so make options early and costume warmly. Teams apply for months beforehand, and early risers can obtain tickets to watch from selected spots. Throughout nonracing hours, the mountain is open to everybody, with a museum and superb doughnuts at the best. Once more, reaching the 14,115-foot summit may well call for a reservation.
Elana Scherr
- Penrose Heritage Museum: You’ll come across autos that span the century-extended record of the hill-climb, which includes Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima’s wild twin-motor Suzuki Cultus from the 1993 event.
- Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Museum: Positioned above a food items courtroom in downtown Colorado Springs, the attraction functions a tightly packed array of two-wheeled machines.
- Bandimere Speedway: At a monitor tucked versus a hillside around Denver, listen to an NHRA nitro Humorous Motor vehicle echo off a canyon. On grudge night time, for $40, see what your rental car or truck can do.
- Pikes Peak Intercontinental Raceway: For a lot more traditional racing, this road class in Fountain presents monitor times, autocross sprints, and drags—no oxygen bottles essential.