Stelvio Pass

The Stelvio is the second-highest paved pass in the Alps and the one everybody has seen in a photograph: 48 numbered hairpins stacked up the north-east wall above Trafoi, climbing to 2,757 m. It is not the fastest road in Europe, and on an August afternoon it is not even a pleasant one. Early on a weekday morning it is unforgettable.

The drive

Most people climb from Prato allo Stelvio on the South Tyrol side, where the hairpins are numbered in descending order on stone markers. The road is narrow, the turns are tight enough that long cars need two bites, and the gradient is relentless. A Lotus turns each one in a single sweep in second gear.

The Bormio side is the better drive. It is wider, faster and more varied, with a run of short tunnels, a waterfall section and open sweepers across the upper valley. From the summit you can also drop over the Umbrail Pass into Switzerland and loop back through the Val Müstair, which makes a full day of it.

In your Lotus

This is a road that rewards low weight over power. Even the least powerful Elise is in its element; you spend the whole climb between second and third gear, and the steering tells you exactly how much grip each polished hairpin has. Brakes matter more than horsepower on the descent, so fresh fluid is worth doing before the trip.