Pacific Coast Highway in an Exotic Car: The Sections Worth Driving

PCH is not a fast road and it's not a technical one. It's the road these cars were built to be seen on. The 4 sections worth your time are Dana Point to Laguna, Laguna to Newport through Crystal Cove, Santa Monica to Malibu, and Malibu to Point Mugu. Go early in the morning, take a convertible, and don't try to drive it fast.

Dana Point to Laguna Beach, 20 minutes

The best section in Orange County. The road runs right along the water with the ocean on your left and the hillside homes on your right. The stretch past Dana Point Harbor is the photo. Traffic moves but not fast, which is fine, because this section is about the view. There are pullouts along Laguna if you want to stop.

Laguna Beach to Newport Beach, 15 minutes

This is Crystal Cove. The road climbs a little above the beach and the land between the two towns is empty. No houses, no shops, just coast. It's the best photo backdrop in the county and it's 15 minutes from anywhere in Newport.

Santa Monica to Malibu, 30 minutes

The section everyone pictures. Wide, faster, ocean on one side and the Santa Monica mountains on the other. It's comfortable in a bigger car, so this is where a Cullinan or a Urus makes sense. The problem with it is traffic. Weekend afternoons it stops moving.

Malibu to Point Mugu, 25 minutes

The best section on the whole road. Past Malibu the houses thin out, the road narrows, and rock formations come straight up out of the water. It feels remote. It's the most dramatic stretch and the most rewarding one to drive.

How to plan it

Dana Point to Point Mugu is about 3 hours without stopping, so with photos and lunch it's a day. Start early from Orange County heading north, eat in Malibu, do Point Mugu, and come back on the 101. Weekday mornings or before 9 on a weekend are the only times the Malibu section moves. Heading north in the morning also puts the sun behind you for photos.

Which car

A convertible. The Lamborghini Huracan Evo Spyder, the Ferrari F8 Spider, the McLaren 720S Spider, or the Audi R8 V10 Spyder. Top down, the engine mixes with the ocean, and you can see everything. That's the PCH experience and a coupe doesn't give you all of it.

If you'd rather glide than go, the Rolls Royce Dawn with the top down or the Cullinan with the starlight roof. PCH doesn't reward aggressive driving anyway. It rewards showing up in the right car and taking your time.

The whole thing fits inside the 100 mile allowance if you stay in Orange County, and runs about 150 miles if you go all the way to Point Mugu and back. Say so when you book and we'll price it in.