I'm at my mom's place in Eastern Switzerland, and finally realized after checking a map that the Stelvio pass is 24 miles from here as the crow flies (so probably 30 due having to dodge some peaks).
I knew the pass was somewhere not too far away, but didn't realize that it's the next valley south from a road I tend to drive about every second time I'm here. Doh. Hey, it's not like my mom's lived in this place for three decades plus, or that I've been here by motorcycle or FD RX7. Sometimes I'm a bit slow.
Oh well, I'll be back in early summer to celebrate a big birthday of hers anyway, so maybe I should rent something that's not an overweight EV SUV then...
You ought to do this in an Alfa Stelvio, just because.
In reply to brandonsmash :
Only if it's a QV 
.
As it's in Italy, I probably should rent a Fiat 500 that I need to drive flat out everywhere.
Do it in a cheap European econobox and drive the wheels off it. I had a lot of fun in a Panda on some of the French passes back in the 1900s.
I suspect it's a lot more than 30 miles away by road if it's only 24 by crow, I look forward to hearing just how far it really is :)
In reply to Fueled by Caffeine :
That delivery fee makes me wonder where they're delivering from. Plus I'm in a little village glued to the side of a mountain, with the only access road being of the "have fun driving your flatbed up there and good luck turning it around at the top" kind.
Pity that the airlines tend to frown upon trying to sneak in a Miata as your carry on.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
Apple Maps says it's about 50 miles from here to Stelvio at the top of the pass, and a bit more than 3h, probably a bit more if I don't try to drive like the locals.
BTW, the 30 miles was for transport by crow or eagle due to the peaks of some of the mountains being in the way .
I'd spring for a sportscar rental if I were in the area, but I'm an enabler. 
Hopefully someone with first-hand experience will chime in on the following: what are the chances such a rental and drive will be hampered by the usual "mundane" traffic?
The reason I ask, is because so many people ask about scenic drives in the U.S. (like The Pacific Coast Highway specifically and many others) and they have to be forewarned about the low speed limits, fog/weather, and the ubiquity of other, less "enthusiastic" drivers of motor homes and double yellow lines, etc., that will be encountered. Meaning, it will still have incredible views, but may not require a dedicated sportscar (extra cost of a sportscar may be wasted.)
In reply to Coniglio Rampante :
Chances of encountering mobile chicanes on the roads around here is close to 100% during anything remotely resembling tourist season. And that's probably about 8 months out of the year.
The roads around here are more Miata or Fiat 500 Abarth territory than late eighties Testarossa compatible. I can confirm that because I've encountered the latter a few times over the years.
Go early in the am on a weekday. That place can be a real zoo, sharing the road with cyclists, buses and even clowns in RVs.
A better road down is the Umbrailpass into Switzerland...much less traffic, more rustic (no guardrails!) and just as scenic.
We stayed at an Inn right at the bottom and made a couple of loop runs.
Snow and/or ice could make it challenging this time of year...be careful out there.
BoxheadTim said:
In reply to Coniglio Rampante :
Chances of encountering mobile chicanes on the roads around here is close to 100% during anything remotely resembling tourist season.
Yeah, I'd hate to tell you to spend the extra money on something and then "that" happens.
Those Top Gear videos make everything look blissfully perfect (not just Stelvio)...and it's likely they had permission to shut the road down so they're all alone. It's not "in real life" so to speak.
In reply to Andy Hollis :
The Umbrail pass past the Swiss National Park is the "next valley over" that I was referring to in my first post. I can confirm it's a great drive in a naughty'd up RX7 .
No way im going now, I've got a Volvo C40 BEV SUV at the moment. The weather isn't too bad but it's not what I'd consider a fun to drive car.
Is January a good time to be driving on a mountain pass?
In reply to BoxheadTim :
The pricing is silly. Yes.
In reply to stuart in mn :
It's so great a time that I'll be taking the train through a mountain pass when leaving here instead 
. Although several of the passes are open right now, they didn't get that much snow yet.
But I'll be back in late June, and that's good driving or motorcycling time.
In reply to Fueled by Caffeine :
I suspect they might be delivering from one of the big cities (Zürich being the obvious choice) but that feels cheap again given the time, distance and how much things cost over here in Switzerland.
Saw this and thought it was cool
https://www.epikdrives.com/driving-tours-europe/stelvio-pass-swiss-alps
with your local knowledge yiu could probably put this together yourself if you could rent an appropriate car. Looks like sixt rents an m4 out of Zurich for not a ton of money. Thst seems like a deal vs the other site I found. Same price almost for a week.
In reply to Fueled by Caffeine :
Yes, I've probably driven 75% of the passes they're likely to hit in Switzerland already. Although the Klausenpass is still on my list.
i keep forgetting about Sixt when renting cars. The M4 might be a little too big for my liking, but I notice that they also have an M135 for less than half the price.
If you rent something with massive capability, you'll never be able to play with it. Something like an M4 would just be frustrating. At that point, just get a convertible with a nice exhaust note so you can enjoy the sounds and the scenery as you cruise. That's why I recommended the same thing the locals drive - a little hatchback. Preferably French.
When I lived in the Alps in 1990, I would just look on maps for roads with lots of hairpins. No need for guides or tours.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
If he wants to get super local he can get a clapped out Renault Kangoo, making sure the dashboard is covered by 286 crumpled packs of Parisenne's and then cover it in the back with stickers for "us car freaks Switzerland" stickers.
https://www.redbubble.com/i/sticker/US-CAR-FREAKS-SWITZERLAND-by-stickerwicker/45566254.Z7RJ3
In reply to Keith Tanner :
All I need to do to find the nearest hairpins is to drive down into the valley from here .
Based on the sample of cars spotted today, the locals are likely to drive anything from a base model Fiat 500 to a Ferrari 458. My budget is probably more at the Fiat end . Small hatchback definitely works better around here, although trying to convince someone at a car rental counter that I can drive a manual despite having a US license has been fruitless so far.
In reply to Fueled by Caffeine :
Nah, for that, I need a 57 Chevy or a Mustang or similar. Switzerland tended to have a much higher percentage of US cars other than maybe Sweden and Norway, so there are plenty of people who keep them as collector cars.
At least at this end of Switzerland, they don't reallly do clapped out anymore.
In reply to BoxheadTim :
kangoo's are just the rattiest of little work vans. They will be nearly brand new and clapped out.
except this turbo one. Becusee apparently they are the same as a Renault Mégane. Shoot now I need one.
