The aggressive position lamps of the explicitly masculine Lamborghini Huracan Spyder fade into the distance of the long, winding tunnel while a sweetly accelerating ruby Porsche 911 GT 3, with its unmistakable rear spoiler, arrives in the rear-view mirror on the futuristic silhouette of the vents of a royal blue Honda NSX. My foot is becoming seriously heavy on the accelerator, my senses sharpening, and as I accelerate, I become more aware of the delicate texture of the leather on the sports steering wheel in my palms. The power of the moment, and in absurd contrast to the events around me, the tones of Compay Segundo on guitar, resonate in my ears.

 

 

The roar of the 580 horsepower Japanese hybrid 3.5-litre six-cylinder engine under the hood is deafening in itself, but in this case, it is just a part of the wild cacophony of thunder booming from another five cars of similar performance. Spontaneous Brief reports from the crew in front interrupt the hum of the transmitter in the leading car at the head of the fleet, which reports the road conditions to the convoy. The crew has already left the tunnel and can see the winding roads stretching away to the legendary mountain passes of Susten, Grimsel and Furka. If your heart rate just rose a little in excitement – don’t feel bashful – this is the most natural of reactions.

The atmosphere swells and time slows down. The darkness and specific acoustics of the tunnels alternate with the magnificent scenery of the Swiss Alps, alpine lakes and cows grazing with bells around their necks. Of the villages where time most likely stood still a century ago, we say nothing so as to preserve the soul of the mountains.

 

Fleet of dreams

This scene is an illustration of just a few short seconds on the four-day Swiss Wonders driving tour organised by Ricard & Bonette. The tour maps out the most beautiful mountain passes, opening up an entirely new dimension of getting to know the true potential of the top super sports cars of the day. The bends along a 610-kilometre route test your driving accuracy and your ability to coordinate and merge with the road. On our tour, the fleet counted six specimens – an exciting orange Lamborgini Huracan Spyder, a red Ferrari 488 Spider, a golden yellow Mercedes AMG GT-C Roadster, a ruby Porsche 911 GT3, and finally, two rare Honda NSX, one in blue and the other in red.

 

 

Perfect cars are only half of the experience. The other half illustrates the extraordinary environment of the high-end Swiss lifestyle. Swiss Wonders starts in charming Geneva, where the programme officially opens with an aperitif in the lavishly elegant cigar lounge of The Leopard, followed by a private gourmet dinner at the Windows restaurant in the iconic five-star Hotel d’Angleterre on the banks of Lake Leman. The evening set-up, with steaks and wine, is a relaxed environment to get to know the people embarking on the expedition. After dessert comes what might be considered the high point of the evening, certainly in the context – drawing the order of the cars. This draw decides, equitably, who will be first to sit in the Ferrari, who will take the Porsche, and so on. By that time, of course, all the cars have been lined up neatly in the courtyard of Hotel La Resérve on the outskirts of Geneva, from where they will head into the mountains the very next morning.

 

The best of Switzerland in one day

Those embarking on the expedition change places behind the wheel of each car according to a pre-planned schedule so that everyone can enjoy each car in the best possible conditions. On the first day, the journey takes them through the Marchairuz mountain pass, where the highest point is at an altitude of 1,600 metres above sea level, then across the Valley de Joux, where brands such as Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin make their watches. Another point along the road to the evening destination on the first day is Molandruz Pass. The scenic drive takes you through the charming wine-growing region of Lavaux, situated on the slopes of the northern shores of Lake Geneva.

The first extended break of the day is in the picturesque historical town of Gruyères – yes, where the famous cheese of the same name hails form –within castle fortifications with views onto the valley which are impossible to describe. It is time for lunch at Le Chalet, one of the oldest restaurants in the world. And true to the Swiss spirit, a traditional fondue with white bread and raclette with hot potatoes are served, all with a view of the steep slopes of the Alps. The atmosphere of the restaurant, a place of wood and peaceful hospitality, sharply contrasts the explosive energy of the super sports cars waiting just below the castle walls.

 

 

And we still have the best of the first day in front of us. I am, of course, talking about the Jaun Pass, with the most beautiful view of the Bernese Alps, then through the Simmental valley to the little mountain town of Grindelwald, near the famous Interlaken, where day one comes to a close.

The generous, but technically challenging bends of the Jaun Pass literally caress the agile reactions of the Lamborghini, which offers a taste of the on/off mode of centrifugal force in practice. The breath-taking, intuitive and self-evident acceleration of this savagely powerful convertible, with 610 horsepower under the hood, is even more dramatic at (relatively) low speed in the bends than in any other place. The welcoming flats lined with green carpets of meadows simply serve to confirm this.

 

A few minutes on a glacier

After a dynamic drive through each pass, where reading the bends is all about seconds and millimetres, we arrive at the plateau, hemmed in by mountain walls. The fleet of cars, with angrily sputtering exhausts, intuitively and geometrically park in front of a helicopter pad. A helicopter awaits in the middle of a meadow in a scene taken straight from a Bond film. The sports seats, low to the ground, are replaced by those in a helicopter high above it. After a twenty-minute flight, the pilot lands on Petersgrat glacier over the Mönch massif at an altitude of 3,130 metres above sea level. The snowy view from this place cannot be described in any way other than unparalleled.

 

 

Only upon arrival at the traditional, typical mountain hotel of Schweizerhof does the level of adrenalin in my blood begin to calm and the whirlwind of emotions from the day fully take form. The smooth transition back to full consciousness is helped along by some chilled Prosecco and a waiter expecting us at a white-clothed table in front of the entrance to the hotel. The refined wine encourages passionate discussion in the group as delicate canapés and chilled bottles fast disappear against the backdrop of laughter and cries of delight. The sun begins to set over the mountain peaks as we enjoy the foretaste of another outstanding evening of degustation paired with choice wine in the company of people who we most certainly have plenty to talk to about, given the events of the day. What is almost unbelievable in this setting is that the organisers keep telling us the best is yet to come.

 

The Alpine Holy Trinity

The highlight of the carefully planned Alpine route is the three mountain passes of Susten, Grimsel and Furka, the highest pass point being at an altitude of 2,500 metres above sea level. Incidentally, Furka Pass featured in the cult film Goldfinger, in which Sean Connery in the role of James Bond drove an Aston Martin DB5. Anyone who likes the smell of petrol will tell you that this is one of the most beautiful roads in the world. The road’s concert of curves, which take you alongside the precipices of mountain slopes, takes longer than you might think. The choreography of motion determined by the lines of turns lead you to the brink of ecstasy.

 

 

Then it is on to Andermatt and the impressive hotel The Chedi, a place of dark wood and leather ranked as one of the most beautiful mountain hotels in Europe. Here, we look forward to an informal al fresco lunch in the style of Asian fusion, followed by the other side of the Susten Pass, and on to Zurich, our final destination. We spend the last night of our Swiss tour amid the designer trends of Hotel Atlantis by Giardino, where for the last time we bid farewell to the cars which have taken us through Switzerland. Chilled Prosecco and gourmet canapés again wait for us on the terrace of a private lounge in the Atlantis, as the backdrop to a shared recap of the whole expedition. The echoes naturally continue on into an elegant dinner, and because the next day is one of flights and not driving, to the bar, with its view over the flickering lights of Zurich.

 

author: Jitka Krulcová