It’s a classic pub quiz question, isn’t it? One that lingers on the tip of your tongue, but sometimes eludes you until the answer is revealed.
Just for the record, the longest road in the UK is the A1, which begins in London and concludes in Edinburgh. Once the primary northbound artery before being replaced by the M1, the A1 continues to be used by millions of drivers each year.
Nowadays, the road, which originates near St Paul’s Cathedral in central London, is alternately referred to as the A1 or A1(M), a moniker you’ll become familiar with during your sub-eight-hour journey north.
When I embarked at half past five on a brisk September Saturday morning, the road was as bustling as you’d anticipate for such an early hour.
The scene remained largely unchanged the further I travelled from London, with the sun rising over the capital first, followed by Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, and Cambridgeshire.
By late morning, traffic had increased and the road surface had improved. Like many UK roads currently, the surface quality varied, alternating between European smoothness and British bumpiness.
Despite this, the journey was generally relaxing, except for the occasional glance at my fuel gauge as I tried to calculate the MPG I needed to avoid another fuel stop.
Not that what I had to fill up was particularly unwelcome, as it gave me another opportunity to admire the vehicle I was driving from the outside – the brand new Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, a super saloon from one of Italy’s legendary ‘automobili fabbricanti’.
It was in this bi-turbo 500bhp V6 legend that I spent many hours hypermiling, the practice of driving slowly to conserve fuel. Despite being armed with 443 lb-ft of torque and that massive power output, the Quadrifoglio is no hypermiling hybrid special.
However, what the car did have in its arsenal was a relatively low weight of 1.6 tonnes, an eight-speed gearbox, and a footprint roughly the same size as a second-generation MINI Clubman. As a result of some economical driving, I managed to squeeze a lot of extra mileage out of the Quadrifoglio’s tank, delivering enough MPG to eliminate one fuel stop from the 800-mile-plus equation.
As I navigated through South and North Yorkshire, passing Doncaster and co, the Quadrifoglio proved to be very well-behaved and comfortable on the many motorway miles, thanks to its refined leather seats and easily adjustable driving position.
Alongside these features, there’s an infotainment system complete with a de rigueur touchscreen and an array of button-based shortcuts, allowing one to switch between various functions without swiping.
My journey took a turn for the better as I left behind Sheffield, Leeds, Middlesbrough and Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Despite heavy traffic taking a toll on my fuel efficiency, I finally began to see signs for Scotland and, crucially, Edinburgh.
This marked the beginning of the best part of the A1, the stretch that runs along Scotland’s east coast past Alnwick, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Eyemouth, Cockburnspath, and Dunbar before veering west into Scotland’s capital. As the sea sprawls out on your right, the A1 elegantly traces the rolling landscape on your left.
So what truly blew me away on the journey?
The biggest surprise was that for the most part, the route was smooth and not entirely riddled with lumps and large bumps. It was a stark contrast to many of the UK’s side roads and urban streets that continue to deteriorate.
On the return trip back to London, I opted for a different route home that led me on some of Scotland’s more winding roads past towering hills shrouded in clouds with local wind farms protruding from them like the aliens from the film Arrival.
These more dynamic and freshly tarmacked turns showcased the Quadrifoglio’s dynamic suspension settings, proving the car to be very capable, gripping into turns and maintaining vehicular stability through them despite the stiffly sprung set-up.
Once through this particular route, this Italian Hyde transformed back into Dr Jekyll as we moved south and back towards the familiar folds of England.
Having driven the car, I can’t say for certain if I would choose it over rivals from the UK or the rest of Europe, but what I do know is that when car/engine combinations like the Quadrifoglio and its V6 are no longer around, the roads will be a less characterful place without them on it.
As for the A1, it is certainly an interesting way to travel north. It provided an opportunity to observe the ever-evolving British automotive landscape along a road filled with awesome views.