First Drive: Audi RS 6 And RS 7

Boasting the most powerful internal-combustion engine the marque has given a road car, we take the RS 6 Avant Performance and RS 7 Sportback Performance for a spin.

By Bradley Iger 07/07/2023

When Audi introduced us to the latest RS 6 Avant and the mechanically identical RS 7 sedan back in 2019, we had a hard time identifying any glaring faults in the luxurious, high-powered brutes, but there were a few areas that offered room for improvement. Rakish good looks, twin-turbocharged V8 power, and intuitive technologies made these RS-tuned machines impressive daily drivers that fused practicality with performance, yet the latter aspect of their split personalities seemed a little too hushed for the sake of civility. And according to RS product line director Florian Mair, we weren’t the only ones who felt that way.

“We take customer feedback very seriously, and it was clear that we needed to address a lack of emotionality,” Mair explained just prior to setting us loose on the winding roads of Napa Valley, Calif., with the automaker’s latest hot rods.

The 2024 Audi RS 6 Avant Perfomance.
The 2024 Audi RS 6 Avant Performance.

That’s where the new Performance iterations of the RS 6 Avant and RS 7 Sportback come in. Effectively replacing the standard version of both models from 2024 on, Audi sought to ratchet up the intensity with the Performance iteration through strategic improvements rather than reinvention. With the design and tech remaining familiar, the main goal of this effort was to produce a car that offers more fireworks and outright capability without sacrificing usability.

There are a few visual tweaks, like matte finishes for the mirrors, side sills, rear diffuser, and a few other trim pieces, as well as new paint options (Grenadier Red metallic and Ascari Blue metallic). The cabin also benefits from new trim and stitching flourishes, along with new performance-focused visuals on the 12.3-inch digital-gauge cluster, but ultimately the focus is on function rather than form.

The 2024 Audi RS 7 Sportback Performance.
The 2024 Audi RS 7 Sportback Performance.

Thanks to larger turbochargers and higher boost pressures, the 4.0-litre DOHC V-8 now makes 463 kW and 850 Nm of torque (up 22 kW and 50 Nm from the outgoing RS 6 Avant and RS 7 Sportback), figures which make this the most powerful internal-combustion engine that Audi has ever offered in a road-going production vehicle. The standard models never really felt like they were lacking for grunt, but the additional shove chops two-tenths of a second off of their official zero-to-100km/h sprint times, which now stand at a decidedly urgent 3.3 seconds. Truth be told, from behind the wheel, it feels significantly quicker than that. Aided by all-wheel-drive grip and updated transmission software that produces quicker shifts, launch control catapults the RS 6 Avant Performance off the line with a ferocity that belies the vehicle’s 2000kg curb weight, and we wouldn’t be surprised if testing reveals real-world performance in the high two-second range.

The 621 hp, 4.0-liter DOHC V-8 inside the 2024 Audi RS 6 Avant Performance and RS 7 Sportback Performance models.
For the 2024 RS 6 Avant and RS 7 Sportback Performance models, the 4.0-litre DOHC V-8 now makes 463 kW and 850 Nm of torque.

The Performance models aren’t purely about straight-line speed, though. Lateral grip was another metric where the outgoing cars felt held back by a tire that prioritised ride quality over road-holding capability, and to that end, the 2024 models—equipped with 22-inch wheels—will score a new, stickier Continental Sport Contact 7 high-performance tire. The wheels themselves are new as well: Available in titanium matte, matte black, and bi-colour black finishes, this forged five-spoke roller is said to be 5kg lighter than the 22-inch wheel it replaces. That might not seem like much in a car that weighs nearly two and a half tonnes, but it’s a significant reduction of rotational mass that noticeably improves overall responsiveness.

An enhanced air-suspension setup with adaptive dampers remains standard equipment for both vehicles, while a more traditional coil spring and adaptive damper configuration—known as Dynamic Ride Control (DRC) in Audi parlance—is optionally available. Both systems carry over from last year.

A close-up of a wheel on the 2024 Audi RS 7 Sportback Performance.
The models are fit with new 22-inch, titanium five-spoke wheels dressed in Continental Sport Contact 7 high-performance tires.

Although it doesn’t smooth out road imperfections quite as effectively as the air springs do, the DRC setup delivered an additional dose of poise that we appreciated during spirited driving, and we felt it was worth the minor compromise in ride quality. The optional carbon-ceramic-brake package—which includes massive ten-piston callipers with 17.3-inch carbon-ceramic discs up front and 14.6-inch rotors in the rear—also carries over from last year and continues to provide consistently impressive stopping power. However, the latter’s tendency toward overeager response at lower speeds makes the standard brake package better suited to everyday driving.

The interior of the 2024 Audi RS 7 Sportback.
The cabins in both models also benefit from new trim and stitching flourishes, along with new performance-focused visuals on the 12.3-inch digital-gauge cluster.

Regardless of which suspension and brake packages are selected, the RS 6 Avant Performance and RS 7 Sportback Performance feel more at home when hustled through a technical stretch of road than their outgoing counterparts did. While much of the credit goes to the new Continental tire, engineers also updated the cars’ centre differential to reduce understeer at the dynamic limit, which also allows the back end to step out just enough to keep things lively.

The Performance models also seek to address a common complaint that the outgoing cars were simply too quiet. We did note, while recently testing a ’23 RS 6 Avant, that the wind noise created by opening a window just a bit to let some fresh air in was enough to make the engine virtually inaudible. While it seemed unfortunate that the song of a 447 kW V8 could be overpowered by so little, the bigger issue was that it made it nearly impossible to determine when to upshift and downshift by ear when using the eight-speed automatic gearbox in manual mode.

The Audi RS 6 Avant Performance.
The RS 6 Avant Performance (shown above) and RS 7 Sportback Performance feel more at home when hustled through a technical stretch of road than their outgoing counterparts did.

Rather than replacing the existing active exhaust system with a less restrictive design, Audi instead decided to reduce the amount of sound insulation throughout, in order to bring more of the power plant’s soundtrack into the cabin. This approach does indeed make the V8’s growl easier to hear without actually making the car any louder, but the drawback is that it allows in more noise from the road and the outside world as well.

Still, it’s a small compromise to make for what is otherwise a tangibly improved driving experience. Through a variety of subtle, well-executed updates, the Performance treatment makes the RS 6 Avant and RS 7 Sportback feel more earnestly aimed at driving enthusiasts while also providing a few aesthetic touches that freshen up the look.

The 2024 Audi RS 7 Sportback.
The Performance treatment makes the RS 6 Avant and RS 7 Sportback feel more earnestly aimed at driving enthusiasts.

For those seeking something a bit more exclusive, Audi will also offer the Bronze Edition, a package which includes Sebring Black paint, matte neodymium gold-finished 22-inch wheels, black callipers, bronze interior stitching, and a few other odds and ends that should help these sharpened machines stand out from the crowd. Bronze Edition production is limited to just 75 examples of the RS 6 Avant Performance and 50 examples of the RS 7 Sportback Performance, with Australian allocation yet to be announced.

Pricing for the Audi RS 6 Avant and RS 7 Sportback Performance are yet to be confirmed, but expect them to sit above that of the regular models ($232,200 before ORC and $239,200 before ORC, respectively). Both models are slated to launch in Australia later this year.

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First Drive: Bentley’s Flying Spur Speed Is a Muscular Heavyweight That Sets a New Benchmark

The most cumbersome part of the marque’s most powerful sedan to date is perhaps the infotainment system.

By Jaclyn Trop 01/12/2024

“Remember, it’s 25 years in jail for damaging a cactus,” warns Wayne Bruce, communications czar for Bentley Motors Limited, as he tosses us the keys to the marque’s newest and most powerful four-door ever, the fourth-generation Bentley Flying Spur Speed. Sufficiently admonished, we’re set loose from the veranda of the Four Seasons Scottsdale and into the foothills of the Sonoran Desert. We have no plans to damage local flora, but beneath the sophisticated lines and refined amenities of the vehicle lurks a beast begging to be unleashed on this cacti-flanked thoroughfare.

Bentley’s Beyond 100+ strategy, geared toward greater sustainability, has a number of components underway as incoming CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser takes the helm. Primary among these is the brand’s first all-electric model, due in 2026. The Flying Spur Speed—a Dr. Jekyll-and-Mr. Hyde of a car—is a bridge between the old Bentley and the new, a model variant that must compensate for the loss of its W12 engine.

The 771 hp Bentley Flying Spur Speed hybrid. James Lipman, courtesy of Bentley Motors Limited

The new all-wheel-drive Flying Spur Speed comes equipped with a plug-in-hybrid power train comprising a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V-8 and an electric motor. The pairing delivers a total of 574 kilowatts, an acceleration time of zero to 96 kph in 3.3 seconds, a top speed of 284 mph, and 75 kilometres of electric range. It’s also the first Flying Spur to get four-wheel steering.

My driving companion, Kristin, and I depart the hotel in Bentley mode, the automaker’s eponymous default setting, and—first things first—begin scrolling through the manifold touch screen controls to customise the individual climate and postural settings for our quilted, hand-stitched leather seats.

The car purports to “measure and maintain the perfect body temperature via zoned heating and ventilation.” It shouldn’t take long for the Flying Spur to learn about us. I tend toward freezing, whereas Kristin veers the other way, mentioning, “I’m a 53-year-old woman. I’m always hot.”

At least the functionality should eliminate any fighting over climate control. But we are equally intrigued by Bentley’s twist on seating comfort: a postural adjustment feature that the automaker claims “soothingly and seamlessly varies the pressure on the occupants’ muscles throughout their journey” to minimise fatigue. This sounds promising. As our route to Sedona and back is a circuitous mix of surface streets, highways, and twisty canyon roads, the prospect of traveling the 482 miles without a nap seems unlikely.

“Sitting consistently the whole time—that’s what gives you a numb bum,” says Bentley spokesman Mike Sayer, explaining more about the seating system. “It’s about blood flow. If that seat is very slowly changing shape underneath you, that [numbing] never happens.”


A look at the V-8 engine inside Bentley’s hybrid Flying Spur Speed.
The 4.0-litre twin-turbo V-8 pairs with an electric motor for a combined output of 574 kilowatts James Lipman, courtesy of Bentley Motors Limited

Leaving Scottsdale, Kristin and I get to work, so consumed with jabbing at the car’s cumbersome, 31 cm touchscreen that we hardly notice the car seems to be doing the driving for us. “Cruise control isn’t engaged?” I asked. “No,” Kristin replies. “I’m not even touching the pedals.” Yet there are no preternatural powers at play here, as this particular street features a long, imperceptible descent that requires no throttle input, a fact we learn only later.

The four-door fires from zero to 96 mph in 3.3 seconds on its way to a top speed of 284 kph.
James Lipman, courtesy of Bentley Motors Limited

That, though, is the point of the Flying Spur Speed. Like its two-door Bentley Continental GT Speed sibling, it benefits from the automaker’s most advanced chassis ever. On exhibition is Bentley’s suite of performance enhancements that includes the aforementioned four-wheel steering as well as active all-wheel drive, torque vectoring, an electronic limited-slip differential, and twin-chamber air springs.

“Then we have our little secret weapon,” says Bruce: a twin-valve damper sitting within the air springs. The independent control over compression and rebound damping means that Bentley can improve the Flying Spur’s Comfort mode without sacrificing performance.

The distinctly Bentley interior features the de rigueur rotating dashboard panel and impeccable fit and finish.
James Lipman, courtesy of Bentley Motors Limited

As we near Sedona, we toggle between chassis settings, observing for differences in ride quality. We alternate between Comfort, which loosens the dampers to absorb bumps on the road, and Sport, which stiffens the suspension and uses active all-wheel drive to send more power to the rear axle. We also drop it into EV mode, which activates at speeds up to 140 kph. And best yet, plugging in is optional. The new Flying Spur comes with a charge mode that allows the engine to fully replenish the battery even while driving.

This new dual-character Bentley leaves us with no reason to bemoan the loss of its gas-guzzling W12 engine. True, the hybrid version is heavier, but it delivers a surprisingly nimble yet planted ride, and requires less time spent topping off the tank.

The car has an EV mode, which activates at speeds up to 87 mph, and a solely electric range of 75 kilometres. James Lipman, courtesy of Bentley Motors Limited

Kristin and I had no qualms about the performance—even though I did find the postural adjustment at times abrupt and bordering upon naughty—but considered the car’s main kink to be the infotainment system, which shut off the navigation just before important turns, obfuscated the menus we wanted, and continually stopped its job to nose its way into our private conversations. Didn’t we almost have it all?

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Porsche Design Tower Bangkok in Photos

The automotive icon has announced plans for a 21-story residential building in Thailand. Set for completion by 2028, the 21-story building will house 22 “Sky Villas” priced from $23 million to $60 million.

By Demetrius Sims 01/12/2024

For some time now, branded residences by household names like Armani and Fendi have attracted those with a lust for designer luxury. Car makers have entered the real estate market, too, with unique offerings by Bugatti and Bentley as well as Porsche Design, which has launched residential towers in Stuttgart, Germany, and Miami, Florida. The German lifestyle brand, founded by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, creator of the iconic Porsche 911, now has plans to take their real estate endeavours to Asia.

This month, the company unveiled its third real estate development, a collaboration with Ananda Development, a Thailand-based developer, to introduce the Porsche Design Tower Bangkok. Construction on the 21-story tower begins next year and is set to wrap by the end of 2028. The ultra-luxury condo will be located on Sukhumvit 38, one of the most prestigious addresses in Bangkok.

The two-and four-floor condos will be wrapped in walls of glass. Photo: @Porsche Design

Photo: @Porsche Design

“The Porsche Design Tower Bangkok is the next big thing for Porsche in Southeast Asia,” says Lutz Meschke, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board at Porsche AG, in a statement. The region is becoming increasingly important for us, which is highlighted by major events taking place here these days. To name just one example: in January we celebrated the world premiere of the new all-electric Macan in Singapore.”

A plunge pool is shown outside one of the Sky Villas.  Photo: @Porsche Design

The tower’s striking design, as seen in renderings, is inspired by the kinetic movement of the 911 Targa roof mechanism, according to a press release. Its exposed pedestal structure, called “X-Frame,” takes cues from the design of the auto brand’s Mission R concept car and its exoskeleton structured to create a unique entry experience. A vibrant red light strip crowns the building, mirroring light displays on Porsche’s iconic sports cars.

“The Loop” garage ramp. Photo: @Porsche Design

The tower will house 22 exclusive duplex and quadplex “Sky Villas,” aimed at attracting “ultra-high net-worth individuals,” according to a press release. The abodes will range from 5,651 to 12,217 square feet, with a price range of $23 million to $60 million.

A Close-up view of the tower base’s distinctive X-shaped framing. Photo: @Porsche Design

Owners can expect to find luxury furnishings and high-end appliances throughout the residences and the building that evoke the car company’s commitment to elegance, power and flawless craftsmanship.

A red strip of light at the building’s crown mimics the streak of a tail light zooming by. Photo: @Porsche Design

The complex’s many amenities will include an 82-foot-long swimming pool, fitness center, spa, social lounge, and a luxury garage with “passion spaces,” similar to showrooms, that can be tailored to the individual liking of residents. Upscale restaurants and shopping malls are located nearby for a variety of entertainment options.

Visit pdtowerbangkok.com for more details

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How to Make a Gimlet, the Gin and Lime Cordial Cocktail That’s Perfect for Summer

It will also keep scurvy at bay, which is nice.

By Jason O'bryan 01/12/2024

“Why on earth this stroke of genius stands unheralded and unsung in this fair and allegedly free land of ours shall, to us, always be a mystery…” –Charles Baker Jr., The Gentleman’s Companion: An Exotic Drinking Book

The above was published in 1939, when the author, an American food writer travelling through Asia, first discovered the Gimlet. This is honestly a fairly common reaction to a well-made Gimlet, and the only major thing that’s changed in the last 80 years is that while we didn’t know why it wasn’t more popular then, we know exactly why the Gimlet is not more popular now. The answer is a saccharine, highlighter-yellow liquid that can be found entombed in plastic on the bottom shelf of every liquor store in this country called Rose’s Sweetened Lime Juice.

Rose’s Sweetened Lime Juice, a.k.a. Rose’s Lime Cordial, wasn’t always this way. It started as medicine and was literally lifesaving technology when a Scot named Lauchlin Rose invented it in the mid 1800s. Before then—basically, from the beginning of human sea-travel until about 150 years ago—the biggest threat to a mariner wasn’t pirates or sharks or sea-madness but scurvy, which claimed some 2 million sailors between the 16th and 18th centuries. We now know scurvy is caused by about three months without any vitamin C, but it took millennia to figure that out. Once we did, there was still the problem of preservation, because some other forms of preservation (things like boiling it or storing it in copper) are, as it turns out, incredibly efficient ways to destroy the vitamin C. It was ultimately Rose who figured out a way to preserve lime juice with sugar in 1867, the same year the Merchant Shipping Act decreed that all British sailors must have an ounce of lime juice in their rations every day. Rose’s new “lime cordial” fortified the entire British Royal Navy against scurvy, all at the mere cost of suffering the nickname “limeys” for the rest of time.

The Gimlet fits into this like so: The sailors drank rum, but the officers drank gin. A shot of lime juice is some fairly unpleasant business, but alcohol seems to help the medicine go down, so one story is that it was Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Gimlette who first took his Rose’s Lime Cordial with a spot of gin. Another story is that the Gimlet was named for the metal tool used for opening the barrels to get the alcohol out. In either case, we meet the Gimlet officially in 1923, in Harry MacElhone’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails as equal parts Plymouth Gin and Rose’s Lime Juice Cordial. Fifteen years later Mr. Baker (above) calls it a “stroke of genius.”

So why aren’t Gimlets more popular now? Because Rose’s has become a zombified version of itself, embalmed with high-fructose corn syrup and sodium metabisulfate, and is now one of 125+ brands owned by the gargantuan Keurig Dr. Pepper group. This is a problem, because while you need a lime cordial to make a proper Gimlet, Rose’s is explicitly the type of mass market, highly processed bullshit that the whole “mixology” thing was resurrected to combat. It helped get us to where we are—Lord knows I made my share of Mojitos with Rose’s in those dark and early days—but fortunately for all of us, we now have a better way, because fresh cordials are quick, easy, and savagely delicious.

If a Gimlet with Rose’s is the speaker on your phone, a Gimlet with a fresh cordial is a concert hall. It’s like tasting in technicolor, what was a chemical note of lime now a chord of acidity, piquant and resonant. A good Gimlet is bright and full, sharp and piercing, with a clarity that sings no matter what gin you choose. To try a good one is to really get what Baker was talking about, or to see why Chandler and Hemingway wrote the Gimlet into their fiction, or to understand the type of joy that comes from knowing you won’t die from scurvy, after all.

Gimlet

  • 60 ml. gin
  • 40 ml. lime cordial

Add ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake hard for 10 to 12 seconds. Strain off the ice either up into a cocktail glass or else onto fresh ice in a rocks glass, and garnish with a lime wheel or peel.

NOTES ON INGREDIENTS

Gin: As mentioned, use whatever gin you like. Some gin cocktails have ingredients which strongly prefer one brand over another—the raspberries in a Clover Club, for example, uniquely complement the rose petals in something like Hendrick’s—but here we’re just dealing with gin and lime, and all gins will go well with lime. My perennial favorite for shaken gin drinks is Beefeater, which indeed works great. You could also take a note from both the original recipe and from Naval history and make it with Plymouth Gin, which works fantastically well in both its standard (41.2 percent) bottling and its Navy Strength (57 percent).

Lime Cordial: There’s lots of ways to make a lime cordial, and as your faithful servants we’ve made / bought every single one we could find and tried them in side-by-side to determine the best. Our surprise and breakaway favorite was a cordial developed by Portland bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler, which has the perfect balance of full lime flavor and sharp zesty edge. It requires getting some citric acid, which sounds intimidating but is natural and abundant and about $10 next day on Amazon (recipe below). If you absolutely insist on not making your own cordial, a good option was to just make the Gimlet using fresh ingredients (2 oz. gin, 1 oz. lime juice, 30 ml. simple syrup) and throw a lime peel into the shaker to shake with the ice. It lacks the cordial’s intensity, but the extra zestiness helps.

What’s great about the cordial is that not only is this spectacular with gin, it’s delicious with literally any clear spirit: tequila, vodka, rum, you name it. The sweet and sour of it is already balanced, so you can just add soda for a quick and easy limeade, or use it as a starting point for your own creativity (i.e. a Raspberry Pisco Gimlet is what happens when you add three raspberries to the shaker tin and use pisco instead of gin). The cordial will last in the fridge for at least a month and in the video above, I show you my favorite way to make, but here’s the complete recipe below.

Lime Cordial Recipe

Recipe from jeffreymorgenthaler.com

  • 220 grams. white sugar
  • 240 ml of warm or hot water
  • 40 ml. fresh lime juice
  • Zest of 2 medium or 1 large lime
  • 30 grams citric acid

Zest the lime and put the lime zest into a blender. Juice the zested lime(s) into the blender, then add the sugar, water, and citric acid. After blending on medium speed for 30 seconds, strain with a fine strainer. Bottle and refrigerate or mix a cocktail immediately, if you so choose.

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Gut Samaritans

Other top clinics around the globe are also offering microbiome-oriented remedies. Here are four to book.

By Mary Holland 08/11/2024

ANANDA IN THE HIMALAYAS India
Using a more natural approach, Ananda in the Himalayas heals the gut, among other problem areas, through ayurvedic treatments and medicine with a holistic program overseen by a senior ayurvedic physician specialising in gastro health and metabolic disorders. The spa is ensconced in a former palace in the foothills near Rishikesh, making the location just as relaxing. From around $1,235 per night for seven- or 14-night programs

LANSERHOF SYLT Germany
On the weathered island known as the Hamptons of Hamburg, the year-old Lanserhof Sylt boasts a team of medical experts specialising in cardiology, neurology and dermatology, among other fields. Its gastrointestinal package includes a sonogram of the entire abdomen and comprehensive stool examinations. From around $6,940 for a one-week program, not including accommodations, which begin at around $1,145 per night

RAKXA Thailand
This integrative wellness retreat in Thailand has a seven-night gut-health program that blends medical technology with traditional regimens. Treatments include colon hydrotherapy and chi nei tsang (a form of abdominal massage); guests also undergo a food-intolerance test and leave with a month’s worth of supplements. From around $16,890 for a seven-night program

ARO HA New Zealand
The Revive & Thrive program here nurtures vibrancy with gut-focused, detoxifying plant-based meals. Guests enjoy nutrient-rich plates that support the gut-brain connection, enhancing overall wellbeing from the inside out. From around $6,950 for five nights.

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Upcycle Your Vacation

For merging serious riding with high-end hospitality, Le Blanq isn’t the only game in town. Here are a few others to consider. 

By Ben Oliver 25/11/2024

When it comes to merging serious riding with high-end hospitality, LeBlanq isn’t the only game in town. if you are up for unapologetically indulgent weekends of eating, drinking and riding we have collected a few other travel operators to consider for your next cycling holiday abroad.

The Slow Cyclist 

The reassuringly named company was founded by British author Oli Broom, who spent 412 days riding—via 23 countries—from London to Brisbane to watch a few games of cricket (and raise money for charity). The company is part of the “slow travel” movement, which aims to minimise your impact on local communities while maximising your engagement with them—and what better way to do so than arriving by bike. The Slow Cyclist will put you on two wheels in locations you might never have considered, from the mountains of Transylvania to the volcanoes, lakes and gorilla-filled wilds of Rwanda. 

Cycling for Softies 

As its name suggests, Cycling for Softies focuses unabashedly on the luxury hotels and Michelin-starred dining that punctuate its easy trips (e-bike optional)—“a gâteau in every château”, in the words of author and client Kathy Lette. The company operates in five European countries, with itineraries traversing the regions with the best comestibles, whether Provence or Portugal’s Douro Valley. Your bags are transported between hotels each day, and you ride at your own pace, following an app that even details the best cake stops en route. 

Courtesy of Sportive Breaks

Sportive Breaks 

If you want to go harder than even LeBlanq can offer, Sportive Breaks will fast-track you into the most sought-after events of the year. From L’Étape du Tour, in which “civilians” take on a hard mountain stage of the Tour de France, to the roughly 314-km-long Mallorca 312 and other spectacular closed-road, mass-participation events (known as sportive rides), this specialist eases the logistical pain, if not the physical. Our pick? The slightly gentler annual Strade Bianche, whose 87 and 142 km routes over the white-gravel roads of Tuscany are bucket-list stuff for many. 

Butterfield & Robinson
Established nearly 60 years ago, Butterfield & Robinson is the OG of the luxury cycling world. A coterie of loyal and well-heeled clients has followed the Canadian company into new fields, from safaris to superyacht charters, but bike trips remain its beating heart. Don’t bother packing energy gels or even your wheels: the aim here is seamless, stress-free travel, with itineraries curated by a firm with more experienced hands and likely a broader range of destinations— covering Europe, Asia, South America and Africa—than anyone else. 

Courtesy of Trek Travel

Trek Travel 

The travel wing of the behemoth Wisconsin-based bike maker is your go-to for North American trips, with itineraries in 18 US states, Canada, Australia, Chile and Japan, and can organise custom private vacations for as few as one rider. As an official affiliate of the Tour de France and a team sponsor, Trek also offers excursions that follow the greatest race at a gentler pace: for around $17,000, you get six nights in top hotels in Nice and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, with VIP access to the final stage of this year’s event. 

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