London is a rich and multicultural city – there is something for everyone, especially for car spotters who love luxury cars. You can find many hidden treasures even if your visit is brief, taken you have the right route, of course.
We have seen plenty of expensive cars on some of our hikes through the heart of the city, so we created the ultimate car spotting route that will keep you and your companions happy. If you like seeing high end cars without getting bogged down by crowds (while visiting a few famous places), you’ll love this route!
London has a very deep car culture and on a lucky day, you can see some of the rarest cars in the world.
Why you should try this route for spotting luxury cars in London
It all started with a short car spotting video we put out on Youtube. It received a lot of attention so we promised our viewers we’d create another one shortly after. Summer is perfect for keeping a lookout for luxury cars and since we live in London, we’ve been busy finding the best route that would bring joy to even the most seasoned car spotters.
After a few walks, we realised just how important it was to pick the right streets – central enough but just off the busy roads. We had to consider the eventuality that your comrades might not be as interested in cars, so the route had to also include some nice architectural buildings and points of interest to keep them happy.
The six areas of London that made the cut all have one characteristic in common – high density of luxury and sports cars.
- Marylebone/Baker Street
- Mayfair
- The Dorchester
- Knightsbridge
- South Kensington and Harrods
- Belgravia
Fortunately, they line up next to one another, so the walking distance between then isn’t too far and the whole car spotting route takes about two hours to complete (depending on your pace).
You can see what kind of cars you can spot with our guide by watching the YouTube video below. Not to spoil it for you but there are four Lamborghini’s, a purple Rolls Royce Dawn and Ghost, plenty of Ferrari’s and a pretty Bentley Continental in purple. Enjoy!
It all starts at Baker Street
Our suggestion is to start from the Marylebone or Baker Street station as these are easily accessible whether you live in London or are travelling to see it as a tourist. Most coaches (that’s how we call intercity buses here) coming from the airports usually stop at Baker Street, so you can get into car spotting right away.
Whilst both stations are usually fairly crowded with people – you’ll notice that as soon as you start walking the south side of Baker Street, a number of people will rapidly reduce allowing you and your friends to freely walk down the street and capture those money shots fairly uninterrupted.
Here you’ll find an abundance of great cars parked next to the pavement, though they’ll rarely exceed the value of £100,000 (yes, that may be a luxury to some, but not in Central London). What you need to know is that Baker street is actually one of the main roads heading directly towards Hyde Park and Mayfair where you’ll have a fantastic chance of spotting truly exclusive cars on the move.
If you’ve free time – you can wander around the side streets and we’re sure that you’ll find something that pleases your taste. If not, we recommend sticking to Baker Street (A41) all the way until it changes into Portman Square (A41) and then into Orchard Street (A41).
When you’ve finally reached Oxford Street (and you’ll know that you have as you’ll see big street decorations over your head, grand window displays for shops and of course, a big crowd of people).
Oxford Street is one of the busiest streets in London so you really want to avoid the bustle and cross the road immediately to get onto North Audley Street. Once you’re there keep your eyes and ears sharp – this is one of the most rewarding areas for checking side streets as plenty of Bentley’s and Rolls Royce’s are usually parked nearby.
Breathe in the luxury in Mayfair
However, do stay on the west side of North Audley Street until you get to the Embassy of the United States, which is the point from where you can (and should) take a turn to the east for a while to explore what is known as Mayfair.
Our suggestion is to pass the embassy and turn left onto Carlos Place which will lead you right to Mount Street. On your way, you’ll most likely be greeted by parked sports cars, great architecture, and at the very least – a Porsche dealership at the end of the street where you can feast your eyes on the cars whilst questioning the price tags associated with them.
At the end of Mount Street, you’ll see Berkeley Square. This green park is a real sweet spot so we suggest walking around it a few times if need be. Just across the road of the square, you can window shop for the newest Bentley’s and Rolls Royce’s, even a Bugatti, if you’re a clever enough car spotter.
It’s quite typical to see parked sports and Gran Turismo (GT) cars as well. One of the best features about this place is that it’s relatively empty (for super Central London especially) so to avoid getting onto overcrowded streets again, we suggest taking Charles Street towards Hyde Park (back to the west part of the city). It’s absolutely fine to have a little wonder about on the side streets as we’re fairly confident that you’ll find something worthy of a photo.
Saw quite a few luxury cars on the way? Brilliant, but there is no stopping now. We’re midway through and we still have quite a few aces up our sleeve.
We suggest going west on Charles Street all the way until you reach Waverton Street, then take a right turn (to the north) and then a left to Hill Street. This will lead you directly onto Deaney Street which is seconds away from one of the most exciting places for car spotting very expensive and rare cars in London.
The elite meets at The Dorchester
Some may think of The Dorchester only as an expensive hotel and spa with about 10 parking places in front of it. But the fact is that almost always without fail, you’ll find Lamborghinis, Ferraris or even something much rarer parked right at its entrance. The best cars we’ve seen include a Bugatti Veyron, Mercedes-Benz 6×6, La Ferrari and colour-matching Lamborghini Aventador’s.
This location may impress you so much, you’ll be looking to pass by the hotel multiple times throughout your stay in London. Once your appetite has been satisfied on the route though, our suggestion is to cross Park Lane towards Hyde Park (just stay safe and follow traffic lights). Then, head down the street – you know you’re on the correct path if the Hyde Park is on your right.
Along the way, you’ll be able to look at great architecture and a few monuments including the Wellington Arch and the New Zealand War Memorial. At this point, you’re only 15 minutes away from the Buckingham Palace. So if your companions want a break from car spotting, you can make a quick detour to see the house fit for a Queen and her royal family.
Approaching the epitome of luxury in Knightsbridge
Once at the corner, we suggest crossing the Knightsbridge Road (A4), then heading west towards Knightsbridge which will also bring you closer to one of the most luxurious department stores in the world – Harrods. After a short walk you’ll pass by a small hotel called the Wellesley and even though it only has enough parking spaces for three cars at the front, the price tags of those cars aren’t what you would call “small” at all.
The odds are you’ll see a minimum of one Rolls-Royce. Then, there is a gift to all Ferrari lovers out there. After another few minutes of following the road, you’ll come across a Ferrari dealership where at least two Ferraris are on display at any time.
Just around the next corner and on your left you’ll see The Berkeley Hotel. This hotel often attracts insanely expensive supercars and even hypercars. Not always of course, but it’s worth a quick look. If you don’t see anything, don’t get discouraged and keep going straight until you reach Sloane Street where you’ll be taking a turn to left.
As of now, you’d be awfully close to the Harrods and since this route avoids large crowds and busy streets, we’ll be walking to the behind of the store instead of in front of it. Pro car spotter tip: that’s where you’ll often find fancier cars. Feel free to explore the little streets, but you’ll first have to get there.
Our favourite path is to take a right turn to Hans Crescent, followed by a left turn onto Basil Street. This will lead you directly on the opposite side of the Harrods main entrance. This is where a lot of people getting out of the shop directly into their cars or taxis. Chances of you not seeing a Rolls Royce within the span of 10-15 minutes is nearly zero. As you take the next left turn, you should find yourself coming onto Hans Place.
This is where you’ll usually find some of the rich shoppers parking their own cars, so chances are great for spotting a nice red Italian stallion.
There is also an abundance of chauffeurs in suits waiting patiently for their wealthy clients, giving you enough time to bask in the beauty of freshly waxed luxury cars. It’s quite awkward to film or take photos here, but sometimes the experience is so good, you just want to be in the moment and your phone stays in your pocket.
Finishing off with a slow walk in Belgravia
We’re approaching the very end of our car spotting route and hope that you’ve enjoyed it so far. From here, it gets a lot looser in terms of where to go next. Our suggestion is to exit Hans Place directly on the opposite side of where you entered, then cross the road to land on Pont Street.
Then, you can roam free and get lost in the small residential streets which always reward us with a surprise or two. It’s really worth exploring and enjoying the atmosphere of the quieter side of London.
The route should take two to three hours to complete. The length depends on how many side streets and architectural wonders you want to explore on the way. And with about 12,000 steps accumulated along the way, you’ll probably build up an appetite. Not to worry though as you’re no farther than 15 to 20 minutes from a great meal. Simply walk towards Notting Hill or take a bus to Central London.
Lots of hard work and love went into making this car spotting route for luxury cars. We hope you like it and we’d love to hear from those of you who try it! As always, any feedback or thoughts are super welcome.
Happy car spotting,
LifeViewers
4 comments
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Wow , Hot cars on London roads…..
Right? There are so many luxury cars to go around! 😉 But then again, of course, you’d know as you offer rentals! That’s an impressive fleet and choice you have! 🚗👏