39 roads · 20 countries

Great roads for light cars

An owner's guide to the passes, coast roads and rally stages that suit your Lotus, with the events, clubs and model knowledge to go with them.

Start here

Roads worth the trip

Hairpin passes, coast roads and old rally stages, each with notes on how it drives in a low, light sports car.

By region

20 trails

Europe

Alpine passes, rally stages and the British B-roads these cars were developed on.
8 trails

North America

Appalachian ridges, Pacific cliffs and high passes in the Rockies.
4 trails

Asia & Middle East

Japanese toll roads, Thai mountain loops and a perfect desert climb.
4 trails

Oceania

Targa country: Tasmania, the Victorian Alps and New Zealand's Southern Alps.
2 trails

Africa

Cape Peninsula cliffs and the mountain passes of the Winelands.
1 trail

South America

The stacked hairpins of southern Brazil's Serra Geral.

The cars

Years, engines, variants and what each one is like to live with on a long trip.

Know before you go

How to Prepare Your Lotus for a Road Trip

What to check, what to pack and what to expect when you take a low, light sports car a long way from home.
Track Mods for Your Lotus: What to Fix First

The well-known weak points, the upgrades owners fit to deal with them, and the bigger projects: data dashes and Honda engine swaps.
Buying a Used Lotus: What to Check

Which model to choose, what goes wrong, and how to inspect a car built from bonded aluminium and glass fibre.
Lotus Elise, Exige and Evora Recalls and Known Issues

The safety recalls on record for these cars, how to check your own VIN, and the well-known faults that were never recalls.

Latest

News · 4 Oct 2026

Targa New Zealand Becomes the Silver Fern Tarmac Rally from 2027

New Zealand's Targa is being rebranded as the NZ Silver Fern Tarmac Rally and will run every two years from 2027, with two, five and seven-day options.
History · 3 Oct 2026

Thirty Years of the Elise: Why a 1996 Design Still Sets the Standard

The first customer Elises were delivered in 1996. Three decades on, a look at what Lotus got right and why nothing has replaced it.
Events · 2 Oct 2026

Targa West Is Now Tarmac West: Perth's Rally Under a New Name

Western Australia's four-day tarmac rally ran in September as Tarmac West, with stages in the Perth Hills and a finish in the city. A short guide.