PistonHeads Tours - USA Sept 28 - Oct 5

V8s, stunning scenery and amazing roads - come and join the Stateside tour!

Las Vegas, Hollywood, Death Valley, Route 66, The Golden Gate Bridge, Napa Valley, The Hoover Dam, Yosemite, Mojave, Beverly Hills, Malibu Beach, the Grand Canyon, Laguna Seca and the Calico Ghost Town.

Take your pick - they're all proper V8s!

All of these are must-see places when travelling to the West Coast of America, but this is far more than just a sightseeing tour. The Pacific Coast Highway that twists and turns with mountains on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other, Mulholland Highway, Angeles Crest and the Mojave National Park roads are all as good as anything you'll find in Europe, plus we've got a few surprises up our sleeves.

The 2013 trips take us through three states: California, Nevada and (briefly) Arizona. Every day brings something new. One day you have the Pacific Ocean, the next you're in a desert. In fact, on day six we go from the over-the-top Las Vegas to the stunning (and hot) Death Valley before ending up in a ski resort with temperature and altitude changes to match.

We include the hire of the cars in the price of this tour and even give you a choice from the following (all powered by V8 petrol engines): Corvette convertible, Chevrolet Camaro SS convertible, Chevrolet Camaro SS, Dodge Challenger RT, Ford Mustang GT Premium.

All excess mileage and insurance is prepaid by us, so the only vehicle expenses will be fuel (really cheap) and tolls (very rare).

This is a trip you simply cannot miss, but it is limited to 15 cars so if you don't book up early then you will regret it until 2014...

Calico ghost town is on the itinerary

ITINERARY (SEPT 28-OCT 5)

DAY ONE: San Francisco Airport to Monterey Bay
Arrive at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). You will be met at the hire car desk by your tour managers and allocated a car (to be shared between two people). A short drive over the mountains to Santa Cruz and then out to the beautiful Monterey Bay.

DAY TWO: 255 miles, Monterey Bay to Santa Barbara
We begin the day with the first of our treats: a visit to the famous Laguna Seca raceway to soak up the atmosphere. Driving south along the famous Pacific Coast Highway to Santa Barbara (southbound is by far the best direction for the PCH) there's plenty of time to pause and take in the sights, or we can just enjoy driving with each other in true Petrolhead Nirvana style. We'll break off PCH to to check up our sleeve again (we'll keep this one a secret for now). Back on track, there are long sweeping bends and other more technical sections but always a stunning ocean view. We end the day just outside Los Angeles at Santa Barbara where we stay at a stunning beachfront hotel.

DAY THREE: 260 miles, Santa Barbara to Barstow
The Santa Barbara, Malibu, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Angeles National Park leg of the trip: the locations speak for themselves. We'll be enjoying the California air and revelling in the surrounding beauty. We may not be film stars but we'll be causing a stir as we meet with some of our local friends from the Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche owners clubs in L.A. on our way, driving along Mulholland Drive, passing Rodeo Drive and the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where using more sleeve technology we'll have lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe. We then move on to view the famous Hollywood sign and, the highlight of the day, a 7,000 foot ascent on the Angeles Crest Highway.

DAY FOUR: 275 miles, Barstow to Las Vegas
From Barstow we head to the Calico Ghost Town to sample some real cowboy history, and then on to the 1.6 million acre Mojave National Preserve. After a fun drive on Route 66 and the undulating back roads through the park, we head to the architectural wonder that is the Hoover Dam (this one was too big to fit up our sleeves) and then another highlight of the tour: our arrival in Las Vegas!

DAY FIVE: Welcome to Las Vegas!
Las Vegas - a rest day - and where better to spend it? Our hotel is right on the strip, and with all the glitz and glamour you'd expect and hope for. A helicopter ride to the Grand Canyon? A ride on a rollercoaster at New York New York? Watch the famous dancing fountains at the Bellagio? You can wander around the casinos, take in a show or just soak up the Las Vegas atmosphere.

DAY SIX: 300 miles, Las Vegas to Mammoth Lakes (via Death Valley)
Leaving Las Vegas we head to Death Valley National Park which will be relatively uncrowded at this time of year. The park includes our favourite road of all - Artist's Drive, a scenic loop drive through multi-hued volcanic and sedimentary hills. The nine-mile paved road is one-way with smooth tarmac, undulations and tight hairpins, and is like a mini Nurburgring. This is just one of the amazing areas of the park. We then have lunch and refuel at Furnace Creek on our way out to Mammoth Lakes, a beautiful ski resort for our night's stop.

DAY SEVEN: 230 miles, Mammoth Lakes to Napa Valley
We trail along the Yosemite National Park, past Mono Lake, then head through the Eldorado National Forest in the Sierra Nevada mountain range with some amazing driving roads to enjoy. Finally, we emerge in the world famous Napa Valley for a final night of revelry.

DAY EIGHT: 65 miles, Napa to San Francisco Airport
Heading back towards the airport we cross the Golden Gate Bridge, a fitting ending to an amazing week and one that will change your mind about American roads, cars and exactly what tour managers can hide up their sleeves. Arriving at the airport we hand the cars back ready for our flight home.