Driving the Silk Road

Peking to Paris – A Bentley Odyssey Across the Silk Road

Have you ever imagined taking a luxury saloon—built for ministers, tycoons, and effortless long-distance comfort—and driving it across the Gobi Desert in one of the world’s toughest endurance events?

In Peking to Paris, Douglas McWilliams and his brother Mike set out to do exactly that. Following a spirited family Christmas dinner in 2019, the pair entered a Bentley Si into the legendary Peking to Paris Motor Challenge, an epic rally tracing the ancient Silk Road from Beijing to the heart of Europe.

What followed was a 16,000-kilometre journey across nearly half the globe, through some of the most remote, demanding, and spectacular terrain on earth. From deserts to mountain passes, from China through Central Asia and Russia, the rally tested both machine and crew to their limits.

Their Bentley was one of only 21 cars to complete the route without mechanical retirement or being towed or flat-bedded—a remarkable achievement in an event known for its extreme conditions.

But this is more than a driving adventure. The book explores how the journey became a lens on a shifting global landscape, as the brothers travelled through regions at the centre of a changing economic order. Along the way, they reflect on the growing influence of China, Central Asia, and Russia, and what this means for the West in an increasingly interconnected world.

Part travel memoir, part geopolitical insight, and part motorsport adventure, this is an extraordinary story of endurance, curiosity, and discovery across Eurasia.

A compelling read for anyone fascinated by rallying, exploration, and the forces shaping our modern world.