Life's little luxuries for the lads

Life's little luxuries for the lads

Dian Kuswandini ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sat, 05/30/2009 10:34 AM  |  Lifestyle

When it comes to shopping, the tendency is to think of women as the ones working the malls and running up credit card bills buying up everything in sight.

But companies have men in their sights too, with more stores targeting men, and more men's fashion and lifestyle magazines jostling for space on the shelves.

Surprisingly or not - and gender wars aside - men do need to be well-groomed in the metrosexual era, and, perhaps thanks to some clever marketing, feel they deserve to enjoy luxuries like women do.

So what is it that men are keen to open their wallets for? Those things that make them look and feel stylish and prestigious: Clothing, shoes, gadgets, cars.

Upscale department store Harvey Nichols Jakarta, for example, reveals what gets men handing over their gold credit cards at the store. According to Susanne Laible, the store's buying general manager, men go for brand-name clothing, shoes and accessories, with popular labels being Paul Smith, Givenchy, Alexander McQueen, Emporio Armani, Mulberry and True Religion - a penchant for fashion that shows how clothes shopping is no longer just a female activity.

Consider MTV VJ Daniel Mananta, who admits most of his spending goes on clothes. "I'm someone who's quite into the latest fashion trend," he says. "If *those clothes* can make me look good, then I'd go for them."

Just like women who enjoy a detour through the sales section, Daniel says he does the same. When the sales are on, he says, he gets a complete "shop till you drop" experience.

"Just in the past two months, for example, I had the chance to travel back and forth from Jakarta to Singapore," he says. "There, I shop like crazy - Hugo Boss, Calvin Klein, you name it."

And when asked how much he spent on all that retail, Daniel laughs.

"Don't dare to ask that. It'd embarrass me," he says. "I kept telling myself: *Gosh Daniel, you shop like a woman'."

Daniel need not be embarrassed, for he is not alone. A study by Dr. Lorrin Koran, emeritus professor of psychiatry at Stanford University, reveals findings that run quite counter to the conventional view of compulsive buying as a "woman's disease".

According to the largest study of its kind, published in American Journal of Psychiatry in October 2006, men are just as likely as women to suffer from "compulsive buying".

Koran and his team discovered that 5.8 percent of 2,500 respondents interviewed did, in fact, meet the criteria they set for compulsive buying. Of the percentage, rates differed only a little between women (at 6 percent) and men (5.5 percent).

"That's the biggest surprise - that men engage in this behavior almost as commonly as women," Koran said of his study.

So if the tendency to spend money is evenly spread, we can drop arguments about which sex does it better or worse. But of course, women and men are not buying the same things. Which raises the question: "What are men spending all their dough on?"

According to Koran, while women tend to buy clothes, jewelry, makeup, home wares and craft goods, "Men tend to buy tech items, cameras, CDs, books, tools and gadgets."

As an insider in the retail business, Laible has formed a similar view, saying that "in general, men update their gadgets more frequently than women".

Daniel, for example, puts gadget-shopping third after clothing and entertainment, such as books and movies. He says he spends money on gadgets like laptops, iPods and cell phones. And tech toys like a sound system and mini-television are just what he needs for his car.

"I love a sound system that can bring me *sophisticated sounds'," he says. "Just put that sound system along with a television in my car, and I could make my car my second home."

Gadget fever has also infected actor Edric Tjandra, who spends a sizeable proportion of his income on tech toys. Edric admits he takes a bundle of gadgets with him wherever he goes.

"My friends even label me the *hand phone man'," says the Extravaganza star. "Once in every six months I replace my cell phones with the latest ones," he adds.

He confesses that he always carries at least three cell phones - a GSM-type one, a CDMA and a Blackberry. He also admits to carrying portable video game players with him.

"*Those video game players* are effective *killers' for my boredom during shooting hours," he says.

And while gadgets easily add up to blow-your-budget proportions, men still have plenty of money for bigger toys: Cars and motorcycles. Just look at how crazy comedian Indrodjoja Kusumonegoro, known as Indro "Warkop", is for his Harley Davidson collection.

Indro reveals that he even slipped off to shop for some Harley Davidson accessories in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, after going on an umrah, or minor pilgrimage, to Mecca in 2004.

"Shopping for Harley Davidson accessories is just like an annual ritual for me and my family," says Indro, who has nicknamed his children Harley, Hada and Hade, out of his admiration of Harley Davidson motorbikes.

Or consider prominent lawyer Hotman Paris Hutapea, who happily indulges his love of luxury cars. If you happen to meet this flamboyant lawyer, he will probably be with his Mercedes-Benz, Hummer, Porsche, Ferrari, Jaguar . Just how many cars does he have? More than 20.

"I started to collect cars after I became a successful lawyer. That would be in 1991," he told The Jakarta Post recently. For Hotman, his longtime adoration of best-of-the-best cars is due to the way they flaunt the idea of luxury.

"The cars can really reflect my pride and how successful I am in life," he reveals. "Owning such cars grants me satisfaction in life."

Unlike most people who zip their mouths shut about how much they spend on luxury items, Hotman kindly shares some numbers.

"I enjoy riding my Hummer, which cost Rp 2.4 billion," he says. That is nothing compared to his cherry red Ferrari Spider, which, he says, cost a cool Rp 6 billion.

But Hotman also has to shop for his clothing and jewelry. Yes, it might be hard to separate Hotman's image from his iconic Brioni striped-blazers, Stefano Ricci ties, gold and diamond rings and Rolex watches.

"I love a modish and eye-catching style," he says. "I want to look different from other people. But really, it doesn't mean that I'm arrogant or anything; I just want to be myself."

And it turns out that for many men, "being myself" means spending countless hours and plenty of cash on life's little luxuries.

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Tesla Motors recalls electric Roadster

May 29, 2009 8:24 AM PDT Yup, should be a story about Lotus, not Tesla. And it's a rare wonder for a company to make "house calls", no matter how high end the car. If this happened on your Porsche or Mercedes-Benz or Ferrari or any other high-end car, you wouldn't see them coming to you!

While we're on the subject. Why is it that the US government is bailing out Chrysler and GM on the condition that they explore and produce electric vehicles when Tesla is producing viable cars NOW!? Tesla had to look for funding on its own. What was it, a measly $100 million investment? That's a bargain when compared to the untold BILLIONS shelled out to Chrysler and GM. And GM and Chrysler are still losing money. There's no guarantee they'll ever be profitable again. And they did it to themselves. GM had a viable electric vehicle ten years ago, but instead of continuing its development, they trashed it. They preferred to build gas guzzling SUVs and trucks. They deserve to burn. Give that money to startups like Aptera and Tesla that have viable cars. Lift restrictions on letting foreign manufacturers (many of which have plants in the US) import their vehicles here, as is. Give them cash to let them produce European spec cars here in the US. That'll put people to work in a hurry. Instead, lobbyists and politicians are going to run us even further into the ground. I'll never own an American branded car again, ever, with the possible exception of Tesla. Reply to this comment by Dalkorian May 29, 2009 12:13 PM PDT Here we go again. Why doesn't it ever occur to people that the reason GM was building SUV's and trucks was because that's what people were buying in the showrooms? Personally, I never walked onto a car lot and had a salesman hold a gun to my head, demanding I buy a truck or SUV. Never once. Yet trucks and SUV's sold like hot cakes. Was I alone in not being threatened, or could you be mistaken?

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Fiat CEO says Italian car giant plans to use Canada's Chrysler plants

Fiat CEO says Italian car giant plans to use Canada's Chrysler plants

By Andy Blatchford – 3 hours ago

MONTREAL — Fiat SpA chief executive Sergio Marchionne says the Italian automaker plans to make use of Chrysler's plants in southern Ontario after the Italian company buys a stake in the ailing U.S. car manufacturer.

Marchionne said Fiat officials have toured Chrysler's Canadian assembly lines, concluding that they are efficient operations that churn out high-quality products.

"We have a large commitment to fully utilize these assets and the opportunity is going to be visible relatively quickly about what can be done here," he told reporters Friday after giving a speech in Montreal.

Fiat is on the verge of taking control of a 20 per cent share in Chrysler, pending the completion of bankruptcy court procedures in New York.

The Italian car giant, which owns Ferrari and Maserati, has been plotting a return to North America, where it last sold cars two decades ago.

It would gain access to Chrysler's dealer network, while the U.S. company would expand into Fiat's international markets.

Marchionne said he hopes Fiat can work with the Canadian Auto Workers union, a relationship that he acknowledges got off to a bumpy start. The CAW, however, managed a cost-cutting deal that helps save Chrysler Canada on labour costs at its plants.

The Windsor, Ont.-based automaker, with more than 9,000 employees, operates vehicle assembly plants in the southwestern Ontario border city of Windsor as well as Brampton, just northwest of Toronto, and a parts factory in Toronto.

"I think that if we start working together with the Canadian Auto Workers, I think these plants have got a great future," he said.

Fiat has also been in the bidding for GM's German unit Opel, but absented itself from talks this saying it faced "unreasonable" funding demands. Marchionne stressed that Fiat was not withdrawing its bid, but sources said Friday that the German government and Canadian auto parts maker Magna International (TSX:MG.A) have agreed on the framework of a deal for Magna to take a majority stake in Opel.

Marchionne, who took over as Fiat's CEO in 2004, said the company has "rebuilt the business from its ashes" under his guidance in the last five years.

Fiat, which employs 200,000 people in 190 countries, is well-positioned to be Chrysler's major operating partner, he added.

"Fiat has proved that it can manage a downturn and manage it well," he said.

The dual Canadian-Italian citizen said that while Fiat cannot substitute Chrysler's judgment on the North American market, it can offer technical expertise on how to produce smaller, more efficient cars.

"We showed up at the right time, with the right technology, the right engines and the right transmissions to help Chrysler complete its product range," he said.

"And we're going to benefit from what they do at the upper end of the spectrum."

The company has been developing a new fuel-efficient, cleaner-burning engine it hopes to put into its new vehicles.

"North American needs to get there," Marchionne said of greener cars.

"You just cannot afford to go around with 5.7-litre V8s - you don't need them."

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Maserati and Ferrari come to Colombia

Exclusive Italian sports car brands Maserati and Ferrari will be available in Colombia from June 4. A range of the vehicles will be showcased in Medellin.

The companies' representative in Colombia is Frank Kayenet Yepes, a businessman and major shareholder in Ecopetrol, Colombia's largest petroleum company.

Kayenet, a self-confessed sports car lover, said that no one should be deprived of the privilege of trying out a car before they buy it. As a result, the showcase will allow potential buyers to personally go over every detail of the car.

The showcase will permanently display six cars, three of each brand. Among the vehicles are a 4.7 liter Maserati Quattroporte Sport with a 430 horsepower engine, which can accelerate from 0 to 100 in 5.1 seconds and a 6 liter Ferrari 599 Fiorano with a 620 horsepower engine, which can accelerate from 0 to 100 in 3.7 seconds.

The showcase was originally planned to open several days ago but four of the vehicles were damaged during their transportation to Colombia and so the opening was postponed until next Thursday.

Kayenet said the price of the vehicles will vary depending on the exchange rate when they enter Colombia.

The Maseratis will cost on average around 550 million pesos (US$250,000), while the Ferraris will cost between 900 million (US$420,000) and 1.3 billion pesos (US$600,000).

Exporter Kanayet has a Croatian father and a colombian mother. He is a racing car driver in Colombia.

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Ferrari leads group F1 sign-up

Ferrari leads group F1 sign-up Racing series   F1 Date 2009-05-29

By J.K. Thompson - Motorsport.com

The deadline arrived. The teams complied. Kind of.

Nine teams currently contesting the International Automobile Federation (FIA) Formula One Championship signed up "conditionally" Friday for the 2010 season. Friday was the deadline set by the FIA, which sanctions the sport. Ferrari, Toyota, BMW Sauber, Brawn GP, Force India, Renault, McLaren Mercedes and Red Bull Racing, which comprises Red Bull and Scuderia Toro Rosso, agreed to join if they can operate on 2009 technical regulations.

The nine teams were unified as Formula One Teams Association (FOTA), a group that suspended Williams F1 this week after that team filed its entry Monday without conditions. The group wants a new Concorde Agreement signed by June 12, after which teams will commit through 2012, and regulations for 2010 that are based on current FIA rules with FOTA-proposed amendments.

The Concorde Agreement is the confidential accord among the FIA, F1 teams and Formula One Administration by which the sport operated from 1981 before the pact's 2007 expiration. FOTA amendments to the FIA's proposed 2010 rules would delay imposition of a 40 million pound optional budget cap FIA president Max Mosley wants to bring down the sport's spending. Mosley wants a cap in part to attract new teams. Mosley for the past year has called the sport's spending rate "unsustainable." Formula One is the world's most expensive sport staged annually. New teams find start-up expense out of reach. Established teams, especially big-spending teams like Ferrari and Toyota, find scaling down to Mosley's budget cap just as difficult.

The FOTA statement read:

"FOTA confirms all its members' long-term commitment to be involved in the FIA Formula One World Championship and has unanimously agreed further and significant actions to substantially reduce the costs of competing in the championship in the next three years, creating a mechanism that will preserve the technological competition and the sporting challenge and, at the same time, facilitate the entry in the F1 championship for new teams. These measures are in line with what has been already decided in 2009 within FOTA, achieving important savings on engines and gearboxes."

The sign-up is a climb down for Ferrari, which threatened not to compete next year.

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo, FOTA chairman, had been vocal in asserting Ferrari, the only team to have contested every F1 season to date and the jewel of the sport, would not race if proposed 2010 regulations were not amended.

Mosley, too, ceded after initially insisting the FIA would not compromise.

Friday's sign-up does not resolve the struggle for a final version of the 2010 rules. Mosley at first sought to impose a 30 million pound budget cap that although optional would have given compliant teams greater leeway in meeting technical regulations. That figure was amended to 40 million ($64.6 million). FOTA wants a spending cut to be implemented in a more gradual fashion. The FIA wants to publish the entry list by June 12, at which time a financial agreement needs to be in order. Current thinking puts a 2010 spending cap at 80 million to 100 million pounds with the 40 million figure adopted for 2011.

FOTA teams joined newcomers Campos Racing and USF1. Spanish Formula Three campaigner Campos was first to submit an entry when the window opened Monday. Charlotte, N.C. based USF1 reiterated its intention to compete next year. Other entry filers included Prodrive, Litespeed GP and Lola, bringing the total entries to 15 teams or 30 cars. The FIA is seeking 26-car fields for next year's grids.

Sports car builder Lola Racing bills itself as the largest-selling customer race car supplier in the world. The company's closest association with F1 was the Haas Lola team that entered the 1985 and 1986 championships. That team was founded by Carl Haas and Teddy Mayer and was not a Lola factory-backed team.

Litespeed is an English Formula Three team whose principal, Nino Judge, worked in F1 as an engineer. BBC Sport reported Litespeed will work with the Mike Gascoyne-led MGI Ltd. Gascoyne worked for a half-dozen F1 teams, including as technical director for Jordan, Renault and Toyota.

Prodrive is headed by David Richards, who replaced current Renault team principal at Benetton in 1997 and guided BAR Honda to second in the 2004 FIA Constructors' Championship. Richards bought Aston Martin from Ford in 2007 and with backing by Kuwait's investment bank, Dar Capital, is expected to give the marque its first F1 team.

Aston Martin originally hired Jim Clark to drive for its F1 team in 1960 but a car was never sorted and the team was scrapped, leaving the Scotsman, then driving F2 cars for Team Lotus, free to step into Lotus F1 cars. Clark, of course, went on to win two world championships for Team Lotus.

 

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Staging a coupe - Hyundai Coupe TSIII

Staging a coupe - Hyundai Coupe TSIII

4:10pm Friday 29th May 2009

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FOLLOWING the crowd has its merits. Often you stumble across a car that proves to be the best thing since sliced bread, and you can share your experiences with the many like-minded folk doing the same as you.

Alternatively you can go off on your own and find something different, something that challenges your perceptions of a particular brand. In the sports car world, following the accepted wisdom of others is the norm - trusted brands and particular cars rule.

This makes Hyundai’s Coupe all the more alluring. In the metal it certainly looks the part. Its low-slung stance and rakish profile easily puts it in the same category as more exotic machinery. Take the badges off and I bet you’ll have the average man and woman expressing an unhealthy interest.

The Coupe is comfortable with its identity though, so those Hyundai badges can stay. In fact, it would be fair to say that the car’s left-field identity is part of its appeal. We all like a plucky underdog, so for a less well known fighter to go up against the establishment it’s got guts - but can it deliver?

Underneath its Ferrari-esque appearance, Hyundai’s Coupe is not short of firepower. Well, for something costing this much at least. The front-drive Coupe is available with a gutsy 2.0-litre petrol motor that likes to be pushed hard. It might not be cutting edge, but what it lacks in the latest super-duper trick electronics it makes up for with low-down grunt and a gritty roar that’s surprisingly addictive.

Frankly, with the roads the way they are - crowded, poorly maintained, greasy in the winter - the sleek Hyundai’s 141 horsepower is more than ample. Acceleration is brisk if not hot hatch quick, however the car’s willingness to power through bends thanks to a welcome slug of mid-range power makes your efforts all the more rewarding.

You sit low down in the Coupe’s snug cabin; this is very much an experience with its roots in a time before seats were mounted so high you expected to get a nose bleed. Also, the Hyundai’s purposeful steering wheel delivers a decent amount of feedback, which should suit keen drivers seeking to safely eek out that extra bit of performance.

Overall, Hyundai’s Coupe is something of a pleasant surprise. A gutsy engine, slick gearshift, communicative steering and a sung, sporty driving position all conspire to question your initial perceptions of this outsider.

On looks alone it easy scores higher than some of its more plentiful rivals. The trend appears to be for a white exterior to match the car’s rather tasty-looking black alloy wheels. Although white still hasn’t met with universal appeal, in the context of a sleek coupe and contrasting wheels there’s something exotic and expensive about Hyundai’s Coupe.

Just because the car is being compared to more expensive machinery don’t think that it’s about as practical as something German and highly strung, because it’s not. In fact, for all the Coupe’s sporty connotations, so long as you’re not weighed down by the burden of family life this Hyundai could easy cope with being your sole means of transport.

Predictably the car’s rear seats are largely for looking at - accommodating adults will easily survive a short run to the pub but not much more. At the front things are far more civilised, whether it’s the supportive sports seats, plenty of oddment storage room or the decent audio unit.

Despite the car’s low driving position forward visibility is good, making navigating the urban sprawl an easy task. It will also swallow everything you throw at it, thanks to the voluminous boot that hides under the large and be-spoilered tailgate.

What’s likely to seal the deal for many in favour of the Coupe is its relative rarity. Usually an attribute more costly rivals attempt to use to their advantage, in the case of Hyundai’s two-door wannabe racer it’s simply a numbers game - its efforts are dwarfed by those of European car makers.

As such, the Coupe is not a common sight. Such exclusivity is the reward for your faith and investment in something a little different.

FACTS AT A GLANCE

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Italy Celebrates The Most Stylish Cars In The World!

MARANELLO, ITALY – May 29, 2009: Museums across Italy have joined forces to celebrate 110 years of the most stylish cars in the world, with the country’s leading museums organizing displays of the most celebrated cars produced in Italy and headlined by a special display the Galleria Ferrari, the official museum of Italy’s legendary super car maker.

Under the banner of “L’Automobile Italiana” (The Italian Automobile), the nationwide series of exhibitions will attract car lovers from around the world and will run throughout the northern summer until 31 October 2009.

Italian cars are international symbols of style, class, elegance, technology and performance, and “L’Automobile Italiana” brings together the great iconic Italian marques as part of a voyage of discovery of the most exclusive products of Italian ingenuity between 1899, the year in which Fiat was founded, and the present day.

The exhibition illustrates the extent to which the automobile has changed our way of life and customs at various turning points in history, and the influence of creative thought and the economy on the evolution of the cars themselves.

It holds a mirror up to an entire era, revealing the advertisements, the aspirations, the sense of freedom and escape, and scientific application involved. This is the story of an entire century told by looking at the car, which probably more than anything else has characterised its direction and fuelled the dreams of every strata of society.

In its role as official Ferrari museum and home to Maranello’s permanent single-seater and GT collections, the Galleria Ferrari has for the occasion decided to pay special homage to such technological masterpieces as the 1907 FIAT 130 HP, the 1954 Lancia Aurelia B 24, the 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 B and the 1948 Maserati A6 1500 as well staging the “110 Years of the World’s Most Beautiful Cars” exhibition of photography with original film clips produced by the various marques.

The Galleria Ferrari is taking part in the exhibition in collaboration with other prestige collections which include: the Museo dell’Automobile di Torino at the Turin Esposizioni centre, the Collezione Umberto Panini at Corlo di Formigine (just a few kilometres outside Modena), the Museo Nicolis dell’Auto, della Tecnica, della Meccanica at Villafranca near Verona, and the Centro Storico Fiat, home to the designs and actual vehicles (destined for air, sea and land) produced by the renowned multi-faceted Italian company over the years. Other museums across Italy will include special “L’Automobile Italiana” presentations within their normal displays.

Until October 31, visitors will enjoy reduced entry fees at the other museums involved in the exhibition when they produce the ticket purchased at the first one they visit. Most importantly of all, they will be able to book very special visits to two private collections: the Collezione Umberto Panini, which houses one of the most complete collections of Maseratis in the world, and the Centro Storico Fiat, which opened in 1963 and is based in the first extension made to the workshops on Corso Dante in Turin, where Fiat began life.

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In praise of the supercar

Supercar customers have clearly decided to adopt the same bullish attitude this year. Half of Aston Martin's One-77 £1million supercars have sold before they hit the road, Rolls-Royce is expecting sales to match figures for 2008, which was a record year, Bugatti's £1.5 million Veyron convertible has 30 customers already, and so it goes on. The supercar market shows few signs of drying up, despite the recession and stiff new EU emissions laws, so just what is it that keeps customers flashing their cash? Why are we addicted to supercars?

Here's why. The gleaming red lump of metal you see above is the fastest production Bentley ever built and costs more than the average price of a terraced house. It's the new Continental GTC Speed.

Underneath the bonnet lies a 6.0-litre W12 engine that develops 600bhp and sends 553lb ft of torque through four huge driven wheels. It will thrust the 2.5-tonne leviathan from standstill to 60mph in 4.5 seconds and carry you to a maximum speed of 200mph. The car above costs £171,760: the range starts at £153,400 but this one has red stitching on black leather (£630), an iPod interface (£280), a special Naim audio system (£4,840), a boot lid that opens and closes itself (£620), a reversing camera (£4,840), an alloy fuel filler cap (£170), 20in alloy sports wheels (£790) and aluminium facia panels and centre console (£6,190).

Sounds expensive, doesn't it? Actually, it's a bargain. The supercar sits at the pinnacle of man's automotive achievements. It's the result of decades of honed craft, countless hours spent in laboratories sweating over intractable engineering problems, working out how to defy physics by shifting an inordinate amount of weight around corners at high speed, how to send 500lb ft of torque through the tyres without the car digging a hole the size of the Albert Hall and, above all, how to make people gasp, blink, laugh and cry out in excitement as a flash of metal and power thunders by.

The supercar is a huge success story for mankind. We've worked out how to make boxes of metal that are as plush as Claridges' lounge on the inside, yet accelerate two tons of metal to 60mph in under five seconds. We've discovered how to deliver peerless sound quality from car speakers, how to install tiny lights that illuminate footwells at night and how to build speed into the look of a supercar.

Specialist Bentley engineers working on the GTC Speed build each W12 engine by hand and test it by listening, because their aural skills beat any machine. It takes an average four and a half hours to trim a GTC steering wheel; the cross-stitching for an interior takes a week by hand. It takes 150 hours to build the whole car; a typical family car takes about 30 hours to manufacture on an assembly line. That £153,000 price tag isn't all sunk in profit.

Or consider Rolls-Royce. It takes 460 hours to hand-build a Phantom. Craftsmen weld the aluminium spaceframe chassis in 2,000 separate locations; every morning, the team does a 12-inch test to check the atmospheric conditions on the metals. Each car is painted five times, sanded between coats and polished by hand for five hours.

Then, of course, there are the hours and money spent on technical development, which the supercar industry drives in its quest for ever-quicker, more-efficient cars and occasional Formula One forays, the results of which filter down to other manufacturers. Why does your Audi A4 have a paddleshift gearbox option? Because Ferrari invented it. The Italian marque's quest for better aerodynamics and efficiency – from rear diffusers to super polishing the camshafts – gradually emerges in moderated form on cars from volume manufacturers looking to decrease emissions.

But the clincher, the dealmaker for these beasts, is the experience of driving one. I realise I'm in the fortunate position of being able to get behind the wheel of these cars. Most people will never touch one, which is why they see no reason for its existence. And yet, I can honestly say that it thrills me nearly as much simply to pass one on the road, or hear one approach from behind on the high street, as it does to drive one. In a sense, the former is more thrilling because once you're inside a Ferrari or Lamborghini, you can't see the shape of it on the road, how it squats and shudders with heaving, throbbing power.

But driving such a rare species is a transcendental moment that goes way beyond motoring. Time and space distort when you touch the throttle. You can't believe that forces so violent can be expelled so smoothly. In the Bentley, while a classical symphony washes over you from the speakers, and quilted, silky leather wraps itself round you, a mere blip of the throttle pedal sends you from 70mph to somewhere very illegal, very quickly, and only the fact that you are up the backside of the car in front, which was a speck on the horizon a second before, will alert you to your speed. The chassis certainly won't because the suspension has been trained not to let on that you are in a car and not on a magic carpet.

Whether jolts are soaked up in a Phantom, or transmitted to the roaring cabin of a Murcielago, however, a supercar transforms the brutality of a thousand tiny petrol explosions into opulent, magnificent transportation, that is available any time you turn the key. It's like having U2 play in your living room whenever you fancy, or the RSC at your call to perform in the garden. It's like a private jet, only better, because it is more usable.

It invokes the emotion Concorde used to, and look at that sad eagle now, its wings clipped. Heaven forbid that our supercars end up in museums, or confined to race circuits, because mankind wouldn't let them breathe on the road. In the words of Pink Floyd, whose drummer, Nick Mason, has some pretty special supercars, "Shine on, you crazy diamond."

THE FACTS

Price/availability: from £153,400. On sale now

Tested: Bentley Continental GTC Speed, 6.0-litre W12 with six-speed auto

Power/torque: 600bhp @ 6,000rpm/553lb ft @ 1,750rpm

Top speed: 200mph

Acceleration: 0-60mph in 4.5sec

Fuel economy (Urban): 11.2mpg

CO2 emissions: 396g/km

VED band: M (£450)

Alternatives: nothing until Rolls-Royce launches the new Ghost Verdict: insane power for four seater

On the stereo: Underdog (Save Me) by Turin Brakes

Telegraph rating: Five out of five

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F1 Revival Races: Let's Race With The Best F1 Cars From The Past

Why at all do we need to change the specifications every year. Let's just presume that we have hit the highest note possible in the Formula One technology rack.

We have those fantastic cars from the past—the Lotuses (125), the Tyrrels, the Maseratis, the McLarens, the Ferraris, the Coopers, the Brawns (now). So let's club all these cars altogether and let them allocate to the teams on the grid.

Bring back the Lotus 25, or the Ferrari F2002 on to the grid.

The important thing is we have had great races in some of the best cars in the past, and those cars have since been retired to be replaced by modern versions with more aero packaging and different technical specifications and all that razzle-dazzle.

The best thing I can think of is to allocate a specific number of these vintage/best old specification race cars and allow the drivers to race in them.

There could be two ways to do it.

One—have the same model for all. Thus making at a "Lotus Climax 25 Revival Race" or "Ferrari 312 T2 Revival Race" or a "McLaren MP4/2 Revival Race" or a "Williams FW14B Revival Race."

Two—have the drivers drive different old model cars and compete against each other, so a Kimi Raikkonen could drive a "Maserati 250F" or an "Alfa 159."

Don't you think this will be glorious? Who would not want to see those old dames back on the grid for that one Revival Race?

I would pay to see a Hamilton or a Button drive a Bugatti 35.

 

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Aston Martin V12 Vantage review

As most of us know, the fastest way of getting anywhere by road is by a van, painted white, powered by diesel. It will scatter all traffic ahead of it like straw to the wind, sweeping past in a blur, its driver seemingly confident that no radar system short of something very secret and very military will ever track it. While most mere mortals are still plodding homeward, its driver will be relaxed, feet up in front of the television, tugging at the ring-pull of a can of amber nectar.

But, if anything is going to stay way ahead of any known white van it is going to be the new V12 Aston Martin Vantage.

I rate it as the best of all modern Aston Martins and it could become one of the world's greatest sports cars. Hugely powerful, it makes absolutely no pretensions to having low CO2 emissions, a frugal thirst for fuel or being the bargain of the week. It is unashamedly a glorious, totally high-spirited thoroughbred – and the most accelerative road car ever produced by Aston Martin.

Its rivals, like the super-competent Audi R8 V10, the road-dominating Ferrari F430 and the quality-led Porsche 911 GT2, are each magnificent in their own right. But, the Aston has the plus of a classic powertrain layout: front engine, rear-wheel drive and almost precisely equal front/rear weight balance of 51/49.

Its sibling, the V8 Vantage with a mere 420bhp, is also a fine car and at a glance the two look similar. But the new £135,000, V12 is far, far more than just a V8 with carbon-fibre sinews and a louvred bonnet. It has been engineered to become an almost totally different machine.

Its 6.0-litre engine is shared with the DBS and produces the same power and torque: 510bhp and 420lb ft, sufficient in raw performance terms to propel it to 62mph in 4.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 190mph.

But, the DBS already does much the same thing, you might be thinking – and the slightly less powerful DB9 is also a 190mph car. So what's the point? The point is in the driving. The V12 Vantage is a total sports car: very sharp, very firmly suspended, with super-precise steering (controlled via an Alcantara-trimmed wheel), ceramic brakes as standard, superbly comfortable lightweight seats and the most wonderfully thunderous engine and exhaust sound you could possibly wish for.

Aston Martin boss Dr Ulrich Bez reckons a driver can appreciate what the V12 Vantage has on offer within a few metres of driving it. Such apparent hyperbole is typical of car makers, only this time it's right on the button.

Driving some sports cars is a bit of a lark. Not this one. This is not a toy for boys (or girls); it is a very serious, hugely powerful, demanding, satisfying, hard machine.

It covers the ground at a truly amazing rate, devouring distances – even on curving, swooping mountain roads – to the point where you wonder if the navigation system is hopelessly miscalculating. It isn't. You just get there very quickly.

On some hairpin bends, the mid-front engine effect becomes noticeable and there is a need to wind on a lot of lock but it's not a problem, and even adds to the great character of the car. A weight-saving programme makes the car only about 50kg heavier than the V8.

Accelerating away again – particularly if the car's "sport" button is pushed to give a very rapid throttle response and even more exhaust thunder – is all highly satisfying. On dry roads it feels utterly safe; wet would probably call for some circumspection.

Minuses are few: the gearlever is too far back and the shift quality of the six-speed manual gearbox is acceptable but not brilliant; the main instruments could be clearer; rear three-quarter visibility is limited. But, most importantly, the rear-view mirror seems to have a blind spot: I didn't see a single white van.

THE FACTS

Price/availability: £135,000. On sale now

Tested: Aston Martin V12 Vantage with six-speed manual

Power/torque: 510bhp @ 6,500rpm/420lb ft @ 5,750rpm

Top speed: 190mph

Acceleration: 0-62mph in 4.2sec

Fuel economy (Urban): 11.6mpg

CO2 emissions: 388g/km

VED band: M (£405)

Alternatives: Porsche 911 GT2, from £131,070; Audi R8 V10, from £99,580; Ferrari F430, from £135,685

Verdict: big-boned sports car that says, "Drive me!"

On the stereo: Take it to the Limit by The Eagles

Telegraph rating: Five stars out out of five

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Budget crunch throws spotlight on cop-lawyer divide

May 29, 2009 6:00 AM

Every day seems to bring more rosy news about San Joaquin County's criminal justice system - if you're one of the bad guys.

Budget cuts. Hiring freezes. Layoffs. The situation is sort of like when Republicans take over Washington and cut regulations restraining big business. It's a bull market for crime.

The latest is the district attorney's announcement that he may have to lay off 12 prosecutors.

This angered folks in the DA's Legal Division. Some of them believe the cuts would better be directed at the DA's Bureau of Investigations.

Let me explain. The DA has lawyers and cops. Most are lawyers.

But around 45 full- or part-timers in Investigations (37 of them sworn "gun-toters") investigate, serve subpoenas, transport witnesses and processes evidence.

Since the recent courtroom attack on a judge, they do some security, too.

Though the cops and lawyers are on the same team, there are institutional divisions between them. One, well, some are lawyers and others are cops. Two, they work out of different buildings.

Some lawyers believe the cops are top-heavy with brass. Many cops get take-home cars. And they're hiring top cops when process servers will do, lawyers contend.

Some of that is true. The cops have a chief, an assistant chief and four lieutenants. Others earn sergeant's pay.

But the brass' "span of control" - their number of subordinates - looks greater than the number recommended by the Peace Officers Standards and Training, the industry arbiter. Concern about top-heaviness may be misplaced.

Plus, it's not as if the cops escaped cuts entirely. Two empty positions may be cut, as well as seven part-time employees.

Furthermore, around a half-dozen cops are paid by outside funding. State money pays insurance fraud investigators, for example. They do not drain funding from prosecutors.

True, cops in the Bureau of Investigations earn higher pay than do, say, deputies. And they want a still sweeter deal - their association has requested going on the 4/10 program of four, 10-hour days and three-day weekends.

With due respect to these cops, it would not be prudent to grant such a perk at this time. Or any perk.

More controversial are these take-home cars. Thirty cops get them. Ten others get cars as needed. Gas is provided courtesy of Joe Taxpayer.

Why? In case they are called out from home by a "critical incident" such as an officer-involved shooting, a jail death or a police pursuit accident.

There have been nine critical incidents this year. Enough to justify the fleet?

An area where the county indisputably blew it involves cops who live out of county. Several do. I fail to see how a cop who lives in Sacramento County can respond quickly to a critical incident in Ripon, county car or no.

To be fair, though, cops take subpoenas into rough neighborhoods. Using their own cars, by day at least, could be dangerous.

Serving subpoenas requires skill, added Larry Ferrari, the DA's top cop, disputing claims that any old process server would do.

The summons recipient may be mobbed up, hostile and elusive. "The young (read: cheaper) guys can't find their ways around," Ferrari said. "I guarantee you a young person would not have that moxie, that ability to finesse things. It's a skill that's acquired over many, many years."

Anyway, these wages and car perks go back to a county bargaining agreement. The cops wanted "standby" pay. The county concluded take-home cars were cheaper. (I'd like to see the math on that one.)

The DA, Jim Willett, is not a part of the bargaining unit. He didn't giveth; he can't taketh away.

Nor did the cops alone get this perk. Back when times were good, the county lavishly gave take-home cars to around 75 other employees. Nine live out of county.

The county administrator ought to take a very hard look at these cars versus the number of times the employees who have them are called out on emergencies.

Or I could stake out these employees and write columns about them using county cars for trips to Indian casinos. I'm perfectly willing to file a story from Jackson Rancheria.

Seriously, it's hard to render a final verdict on these cuts, or lack of them, if the choice is between prosecutors or DA investigators.

What is clear is the times are forcing us to look more closely at public employee's wages and benefits. Given what we're discovering, that's a good thing.

Contact columnist Michael Fitzgerald at (209) 546-8270 or michaelf@recordnet.com.

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Judgement day

MOTOR Sport

Judgement day By: WIWAT CHANG Published: 29/05/2009 at 12:00 AM Newspaper section: Motoring

It's an awful shame that when people want more free entertainment to escape the gloom circling world economy, the sport they like to watch is mired in dispute and controversy.

Budget cap: not something to easily walk away from.

First came the lie involving Lewis Hamilton and his McLaren team in Melbourne, Australia. And second was the legal challenge by the big teams over the legitimacy of the double-decker rear diffusers on the cars from Brawn GP, Toyota and Williams, although one must concede that both were issues that actually added zest to the sport.

But the third big issue to surface in five months is a turn-off that could prompt fans to turn off the telly and go do something else instead _ unless you are a Ferrari fan: the ongoing dispute over the FIA's proposed 40m (around B2.2bn) annual team budget cap for 2010.

If the FIA wanted to put a budget cap in fear of loosing a player like Honda, then all they had to do was to ask the teams how they could help to ensure their survival in the medium term, but they did not.

The FOTA (Formula One Teams Association) demanded last Sunday that FIA revert the proposed budget cap rules to its present version _ albeit okaying to the refuelling ban _ or else some of the teams would walk out next year.

One day later, Team Williams became the first of the current ten teams to confirm entry for next year. albeit supporting FOTA's push for dismissal of the budget cap.

Team Williams is one of the smaller budget teams and not backed by a car manufacturer, so it virtually has nothing to loose from a budget cap anyway.

One team for sure that could loose either way is Ferrari. By squeezing its wallet, the Scuderia's race cars might not be competitive. And since the company's only advertising medium is through F1 racing, the cap is more like castration.

Should Ferrari walk away before 2012 and breech its F1 contract with the FIA and FOM (Bernie Ecclestone's F1 commercial arm) then it would have to pay back millions of dollars of TV revenue share from FOM.

The proposed budget cap has a strange set of clauses penalising teams that cannot keep spending under the limit by imposing stricter, less competitive technical limitations to the cars.

At the same time, teams that abide by the cap would be given more technical freedom that practically reads better performances.

Such rules are deemed by all the current teams to corrupt F1 in to a two-tier series.

The FIA probably wrote such new proposals to attract new entries into the sport and help make up for financial losses FOM may incur.

Within days of the proposals, teams racing down the order in the Formula series signalled their interests in joining the new cheaper F1.

But FIA boss, Max Mosley, has already hinted at the FIA becoming flexible to the needs of FOTA, so it is likely that all the fuss will be cleared today _ the deadline for 2010 F1 entry applications.

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Infineon set to host Classic Car Races

Practice starts at 8:10 a.m. Saturday, followed by qualifying from 1-5 p.m.

The main events begin 12:40 p.m. Sunday, with races lasting until 5 p.m.

The cars will navigate a 12-turn, 2.52-mile course, with all being 10-lap races.

Among the featured cars are Morgans, celebrating their 100th anniversary. Included will be a special race for the Morgans.

Some local racers and their cars include: Ferdinand Schoch of Santa Rosa (1953 MG-TD), John Shirley of Sonoma (1954 Austin Healey) and Fred Cziska of Petaluma (1974 Shadow DN4).

Some of the top cars from last year that are returning include a 1935 Alfa-Romeo, a 1952 Schaaghticoke, a 1961 Ferrari, a 1963 Lola, a 1966 Lotus, a 1965 Cobra, a 1968 McLaren and a 1970 Boss Mustang.

The weekend will also be highlighted by the Wine Country Pavilion, featuring gourmet wine and food from area purveyors. Entry into the pavilion is included with the price of admission.

Admission is $40 Saturday and Sunday and $60 for a weekend pass. Children 12-under are free and parking is free.

Call (800) 870-RACE or visit www.infineonraceway.com for more information..

REISCHLING HONORED

Petaluma resident Mark Reischling, who taught English at Petaluma High School for 29 years, was inducted into the Chico State Sports Hall of Fame May5. A 1969 graduate of Chico State, where he was the starting point for his junior and senior years, Reischling has been a DivisionI college basketball official for 40 years.

Reischling, 63, was the official in the 2001 Final Four and has made it to the NCAA Tournament 22 times. He has officiated 1,750 games of DivisionI basketball and 18 conference championships in five leagues. He plans to officiate another two years.

�I am deeply honored by this award,� Reischling said. �It all started by me working in a Chico rec league, three games a night, three times a week, at $5 a game. It was a special time for me.�

AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL

Elsie Allen football player Ronald Burt will play for a California football team at the 21st annual Down Under Sports Tournaments June and July in Australia.

Please send Empire sports news and notes to The Press Democrat at sports@pressdemocrat.com

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Tesla Roadster comes to Seattle

 

Tesla Motors announced last week it would be opening a showroom and service facility for their electric supercar, in the South Lake Union area, at 425 Westlake Ave. The showroom is expected to open by September, and have prototypes of the new sedan and a Tesla Roadster for prospective buyers. Last fall, Tesla Motors came to Seattle on a 4 day roadshow where the cars were mobbed and the enthusiasm was high at a closed course in a Bellevue parking lot.

The Tesla Roadster is the slot car you always wanted to drive. The roadster reaches 60 mph in 4.1 seconds, meaning you have performance to match the car's sexy carbon-fiber shape. Top speed is 125 mph, if you have the will to go that fast in an open- top roadster. On the skid pad, the roadster will hang on like that slot car you had as a kid, generating .90g, that’s centrifugal force pulling you sideways at 90% of gravity.

The Lotus Elise is similar to the Tesla Roadster, both are built by Lotus in England; the Tesla Roadster "glider" (less engine) is then shipped to Tesla Motors in San Carlos, CA, for finishing. The result is a lightweight, responsive, two-seater with supercar performance from an electric motor.

All other cars have a multspeed transmission to get the power to the road; the Tesla as a single speed transmission. As Aaron Robinson writes in Car and Driver, "… the car whirs to 122mph in one long, seamless windup from zero…. There is no slack from gear lash, no hang time while a transmission computer thinks about which gear to select."

It costs between $4 and $7 to recharge the Roadster, depending on where you plug it in, and will recharge overnight with the 240-volt portable recharging cord. The electric motor is a 375-volt AC air-cooled motor, producing 248 hp, 276 foot-pounds of torque, and is redlined at 13,000 rpm. Using the EPA city/highway driving cycle, the Roadster will travel about 220 miles on a fully charged battery. Needless to say, there are zero emissions from this source.

The battery that powers the motor is a Li-ion 18650, about the size of a AA battery. 6800 of these batteries are used in the battery pack that weighs 992 lbs. The Li-ion battery is very common in laptops, mobile phones, and many consumer electronics products, so is very reliable. The expected battery life is 100,000 miles.

What do the people who've driven this roadster say about it? Motor Trend said the car would be, "profoundly humbling to just about any rumbling Ferrari or Porsche that makes the mistake of pulling up next to a silent, 105-mpg Tesla Roadster at a stoplight."

In Slate magazine, Paul Boutin wrote, "A week ago, I went for a spin in the fastest, most fun car I've ever ridden in—and that includes the Aston Martin I tried to buy once."

At a time when the America car as we know it is in trouble and thousands of dealerships are closing, Tesla Motors is opening dealerships for its $109,000 electric sports car. That’s a very high priced market, and fewer than 500 cars have been sold, but this is still just the beginning. Perhaps you won't have to drive a Prius after all.

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Enthusiasts still want to drive exotic cars, even in this economy

Enthusiasts still want to drive exotic cars, even in this economy WEBWIRE – Thursday, May 28, 2009 Contact Information Tim Jones President Premier Performance Group 919 412 9202 tim.jones@ppg-nc.com

Cary, NC March 30th, 2009 - Even in times of recession, exotic car enthusiasts still devour the web and car magazines to read about the latest release from Ferrari, Lamborghini or Aston Martin. Some will be fortunate enough to own one or more of them, some will seek them out to look at them, but few get a chance to drive one. Premier Performance Group (PPG) in Cary, NC, launching in April 2009 aims to provide these enthusiasts with a chance to drive these cars without the hassle of ownership and the costs associated with these types of cars.

Tim Jones, Founder and President of PPG says �We want to provide access to a collection of cars that people want to drive. They are the cars that you read about in the magazines and are a financial challenge to own. Our goal is to remove the barriers to ownership and provide a sense of community amongst our members and customers around these cars that we all have a passion for.�

�Even the people that own one or two of these vehicles are looking for ways to reduce their expenses in this current economy, and this is a perfect way for them to be able to drive the cars of their choice without the overhead of ownership�.

PPG will provide 3 offerings to customers with access to the growing collection of cars:

Firstly, individual vehicle rentals on a select set of vehicles for those special day trips or occasions;

Secondly, a corporate program to provide companies with unique rewards for employees or customers such as a day in a Maserati or a weekend in a luxury hotel with the keys to a Ferrari;

Lastly, the full Group Membership, with access to the full fleet of vehicles and other member benefits including a number of events throughout the year to provide networking opportunities and experiences based around the cars.

PPG launches with Rentals and Corporate in April with the full Group launching later in 2009.

For additional information, contact us via email at info@ppg-nc.com or visit the website at http://www.ppg-nc.com

About PPG:
PPG is an exclusive social club for the exotic automobile enthusiast with access to a collection of the finest exotic cars on the road and a community that fuels the drive.

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Private Collection of Dream Machines to be Showcased at City of Dreams

Private collection McLaren F1 limited to only 64 street versions worldwide displayed at City of Dreams

Dream machines Enzo Ferrari to be showcased at City of Dreams allowing guests a close up and personal look

To celebrate the grand opening of City of Dreams, a private collection of ��Dream Machines�� will be showcased at City of Dreams, an integrated urban entertainment resort set to become the ��must experience�� destination in Macau, and is developed by Melco Crown Entertainment Limited (NASDAQ: MPEL) (��Melco Crown Entertainment��), an entertainment company listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. The limited edition McLaren F1 and Enzo Ferrari will be displayed at the property allowing guests a close-up and personal look at two of the world��s most spectacular production sports cars.

��The McLaren F1 and Enzo Ferrari are the ultimate dream cars for the most discerning individuals,�� said Mr. Lawrence Ho, Co-Chairman and CEO of Melco Crown Entertainment. ��They echo our aspiration to provide the ultimate leisure and entertainment experience for the new generation of discerning visitors from Asia and around the world. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the private collector for his generosity in sharing his rare collection and for the privilege of presenting these Dream Machines at City of Dreams.��

The McLaren F1 won the Le Mans 24 hour endurance race in 1995 and dominated various GT endurance events. With its all carbon composite body and 627 brake horsepower engine, the McLaren F1 can accelerate from standstill to 100 kph in just over 3 seconds. It held the record of being the world��s fastest production car for over seven years achieving a phenomenal top speed of 387 kph. Only 64 street versions of the McLaren F1 were ever manufactured and sold.

The Enzo Ferrari is named after Ferrari��s founder, Enzo Ferrari, and was built in celebration of Ferrari��s first Formula One World Championship of the new millennium. This dream machine was built using Formula 1 technology and production was limited to only 400. With a 660 brake horsepower engine, the Enzo Ferrari has reached a top speed of 362 kph. The first 399 cars were sold to an elite group of selected Ferrari customers and the final car was auctioned in 2004 to benefit survivors of the 2004 tsunami.

City of Dreams has been a passion of Mr. Lawrence Ho, with its initial opening featuring a 420,000-square-foot casino, a diverse array of accommodation consisting of the Crown Towers, which offers unrivaled levels of personalized service, lavish style and uncompromising sophistication, and the exciting music-inspired Hard Rock Hotel, with its unique combination of electrifying music themes and memorabilia. Over 20 restaurants and bars, an impressive array of some of the world��s most sought-after retail brands within The Boulevard, a unique lifestyle precinct operated by leading travel retailer DFS, and the iconic and spectacular audio visual multimedia extravaganza, Dragon��s Treasure, featured in a dome-shaped theater known as The Bubble, completes the line-up.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as "may," "will," "expect," "anticipate," "target," "aim," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "believe," "potential," "continue," "is/are likely to" or other similar expressions.? The parent company of City of Dreams, Melco Crown Entertainment Limited (��Melco Crown Entertainment��) may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about beliefs and expectations of Melco Crown Entertainment, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors affecting Melco Crown Entertainment could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: growth of the gaming market and visitation in Macau; finalization of credit facilities to finance construction of projects; the completion of the construction of hotel casino resort projects; the acquisition and development of the Macau Peninsula site; increased competition and other planned casino hotel and resort projects in Macau and elsewhere in Asia; the completion of infrastructure projects in Macau; government regulation of the casino industry; the ability to raise additional financing; obtaining approval from the Macau government for an increase in the developable gross floor area of the City of Dreams site; the formal grant of an occupancy permit for City of Dreams; anticipated growth strategies; and future business development, results of operations and financial condition.? Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Melco Crown Entertainment��s Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on March 31, 2009 and other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Melco Crown Entertainment does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this release, and Melco Crown Entertainment undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.  

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Formula One teams end budget cap row

Jenson Button is set to be rewarded for an outstanding start to the season by Brawn with a lucrative new contract. Photograph: Paul Gilham/Getty Images

The row that has threatened to rip formula one asunder is expected to be settled today when the nine remaining members of the Formula One Teams' Association are expected to follow Williams' example and submit their entries for the 2010 world championship before the final deadline expires.

The teams are seeking to bring economic stability to a sport which in the past has seen its spending run out of control and if the final few loose ends can be tied up, it is expected that at 12.30 today the formal entries from Ferrari, McLaren, Renault, Toyota, Red Bull, Toro Rosso, BMW Sauber, Brawn and Force India will be delivered by hand from FOTA's office in Geneva to the base of the sport's governing body, the FIA, which is in the same Swiss city.

None of the teams would comment on the issue but it is understood that the teams' conditions are that all should sign a new Concorde agreement, the regulatory and commercial protocol which has governed the sport for the past 25 years. The technical regulation should essentially remain the same in 2010 as they are this year, and the controversial budget cap, which the FIA wants to peg at 45m euros, should be deferred until 2011 with the spending limit set at 100m euros for 2010 as an interim measure. In the event of the number of cars on the starting grid dropping below 20 in future years, contingency plans under consideration include some teams fielding a third car, with the proviso that it would be driven by a young novice driver.

As far as new teams are concerned, despite much speculation and tub-thumping on the part of the FIA, it is clear that most of those who showed interest initially are in no position to raise 45m euros, let alone next year's proposed cap of 100m euros. As one insider commented yesterday: "When you think just how much trouble the Brawn team are having bagging a major title sponsor, even after winning five of the season's first six races, then you can see just what sort of effect the economic depression is really having."

However it emerged last night that Prodrive, the Banbury-based automotive specialist preparation group which for many years has fielded the factory Subarus in the world rally championship, will be the only new team to enter with a serious likelihood of being accepted into the formula one fold.

Founded by former rally co-driver David Richards, Prodrive has been flirting around the edges of formula one for many years and Richards has had spells as team principal of both the Benetton and BAR-Honda teams.

He has on many occasions described formula one as "unfinished business" as far as he is concerned and it would come as no surprise if Prodrive's entry was lodged today. In line with an accord thrashed out between FOTA and the FIA that the existing teams should be prepared in the longer term to help smaller organisations make an entry to the sport's most senior category, Prodrive may benefit from the use of Mercedes engines. Many of the sport's insiders believe that a Prodrive formula one team will be a trailer for a fully-fledged entry from iconic British sports car maker Aston Martin, possibly in 2012.

Meanwhile, one man who is happy to be feeling the effects of the credit crunch is Jenson Button. The world championship leader was willing to see his £8m retainer slashed in half when Honda withdrew and Ross Brawn engineered a lifeline to save the team. Now Button is poised to be offered a lucrative long-term deal which will more than make up for his financial shortfall at the beginning of the year.

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IL Insider: Lexus LF-A Finds Its Feet and a New Top Speed

TOKYO — Toyota has succeeded in its bid to reach a higher top speed for Japan's most expensive and fastest production car ever, the Lexus LF-A. According to a well-placed source, the LF-A's 550-horsepower-plus 4.8-liter V10 is now capable of 220 mph.

Inside Line was told by a source more than a year ago that the development team was not happy with the car's top speed of 198 mph and had sent it back to the shop for fine tuning. And now, after a year of testing in wind tunnels, strategic revisions to the car's aerodynamics and minor adjustments to its V10 engine, we are the first to reveal that the R&D team has finally found the extra legs.

Channeled through a six-speed Aisin AMT transmission bolted to a transaxle, that 220-mph top speed is 27 mph faster that the production Nissan GT-R and even the legendary Ferrari Enzo, the Lamborghini Murci�ago LP640 and the Pagani Zonda F.

Our scoop squad has also learned that the actual production model looks very different from the prototypes seen at the N�rburgring, "especially around the headlights and grille." So we can expect a surprise when the car finally surfaces later in 2009. When queried as to whether the LF-A looks better now than the current prototype, our source could only scratch and tilt his head, and suck air through his teeth.

We are now being told that the LF-A will be produced in a limited edition of 500 cars, which includes a high-performance sport version with a wider body and beefed-up aero parts similar to those seen on the racing version at the N�rburgring. Speaking of the Green Hell, if the race version's lap time of 7 minutes, 13 seconds is anything to go by, we can expect a blistering time from the production model, too.

Sitting on a steel and aluminum chassis with a body employing copious amounts of lightweight carbon fiber and aluminum, the base model will cost between $220,000 and $250,000, while the top-of-the-line full-spec sports package will clear $300,000.

One rumor surfaced recently that Toyota's bosses still had not decided where to reveal the car and that both the Tokyo and Frankfurt shows were being considered. However, all the signs point to a 2009 Tokyo Auto Show launch in October, especially given that Toyota wants to maximize exposure with the double reveal of its all-new rear-wheel-drive, 2.0 liter three-door sport coupe, co-developed with Subaru.

So expect to see the production-ready version at this year's Tokyo show, and you can bet that Lexus will start taking orders almost immediately.

Inside Line says: Whether a Lexus has the brand image to demand such a high sticker price and compete with the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini buyers, only time will tell. — Peter Lyon, Correspondent

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Outrun Online Arcade

800 Microsoft points » Platform: Xbox Live » Genre: Racing » Rating: 7/10

FOR annoying front-seat drivers, look no further than the hot girlfriend in the classic arcade racing game, Outrun.

Repackaged as Outrun Online Arcade on Xbox Live, the objective of the game is not only to zip your Ferrari past the many checkpoints and finish line in this race around town, but also to keep your girlfriend happy and in love with you.

If you happen to miss a drift, bang into other cars or lose to a rival driver, you can be sure she will give you an earful, much like if you mess up in real life.

Such is the basic set-up of the iconic game, previously found in arcades across the island and now in your living room.

Developer Sega has not done much to tweak the game but over 20 years later, it is holding up rather well.

The aim here is to manoeuvre your car around bends by drifting and zig-zagging your fancy wheels alongside traffic to beat the clock.

The variety in the game comes at each checkpoint, which presents players with a fork in the road.

One leads to an easy track while the other, the more difficult one.

With five checkpoints to cross, players have different paths to pick, making each course somewhat unique as they can choose to alternate between easy and difficult, go easy all the way or go for any other permutation they see fit.

As with many classic games, the key here is precision.

Each route comes with its own sharp turns and traffic conditions and a good player must know how and where to drift to maximise the vehicle's speed.

Miss anything, the car starts to slow down and you lose precious time.

There is also a Heart Attack mode, which, you guessed it, comes back to your annoying girlfriend.

During a race, she will demand you perform specific tricks like drifting or to avoid hitting other cars and if you fail, her fury knows no limits.

Still, the nostalgia factor in this game is not as evident compared to other arcade classics and the repetitive gameplay can get tedious after a while.

 

This story was first published in The Straits Times Digital Life.

For more The Straits Times stories, click here.

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Fast Cars, Man vs. Machine and So Much More

Asian Festival Of Speed Shootout report Racing series   TOURING FBMW OPENWHEEL ROADRACING Date 2009-05-27

Fast Cars, Man vs. Machine and So Much More

Today, members of the media were invited to Sepang International Circuit to witness for the first time the Asian Festival Of Speed Shootout. Aimed at introducing the Asian Festival Of Speed (AFOS) season opener which is to be held on May 31st at the Sepang International Circuit, the AFOS Shootout showcased one car from each Series taking part in the upcoming event this weekend.

Each car was flagged off the line at different times, with the fastest one starting last, giving the media a chance to capture a photo finish, with all cars crossing the line at almost the same time. The Formula V6 Asia was driven by Singaporean driver Hafiz Koh of DTM Team while at the wheel of the GT3 Asia is John Shen from Hong Kong.

The sole Malaysian driver who took part in the exercise today was Fahmi Ilyas of E-Rain Racing was at the wheel of the Formula BMW Pacific.

Added into the mix was a road car, courtesy of Proton R3 and driven by Faidzil Alang, an addition to the AFOS Shootout to show the performance difference between the race cars and what we all drive on the roads.

The other draw of the AFOS Shootout was the 'Man vs Machine' challenge where one of Malaysia's best cyclists and current National Road Champion raced against John Shen in his GT3 Asia Ferrari 430 GT3. Shen was lined on the start/finish grid at the ready, while Fauzan Ahmad Lutfi started at turn 15 to get up to full speed. As soon as Lutfi crossed the start/finish line, Shen gunned his engine and started down the straight, the duo finished a few meters down the straight crossing the line in a photo finish.

"It was an exciting outing today and we got the chance to introduce to the media the different cars that we will have over the weekend. We hope that everyone got to feel the adrenaline and the power of these cars to come and join us again this Sunday, right here at the Sepang Circuit" said David Sonenscher, CEO of Motorsport Asia after the Press Conference.

"Having these four great series and a whole range of side events is our way of making it more than just a race event. This year, we have very strong partnerships to make the Asian Festival Of Speed even more exciting. With the support of groups like Sepang International Circuit, Turn It Up from Capital FM, Kayu Nasi Kandar and of course, having the NAZA Group on board gave us the chance to create a bigger impact.

The AFOS Shootout is also a chance for the organizers, Motorsport Asia, to announce the partnership for the AFOS Sepang event with one of the biggest car companies in Malaysia, the NAZA Group. The recent collaboration will see NAZA being represented throughout the event with luxury car displays at the Paddock, general cars and motorbikes display at the grandstand, the appearance of two Porsche Cayenne Turbo's as the Safety Car and Fast Intervention Vehicle and also the use of their NAZA Ria's as the media shuttles.

"The Naza Group has long been synonymous with luxury and performance cars and bikes which our clientele have come to love us for", elaborated SM Faisal Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin, Naza Group Chief Executive Officer.

"We saw a great opportunity to bring value add back to our clientele in partnering with Motorsport Asia as AFOS is a great day at the track complete with VVIP treatment at the Naza Paddock lounge and a privileged chance for a close-up view of the action which features many of the cars they drive such as the Ferrari's, Porsche's and Lamborghini's, albeit raced-tuned".

This year, the AFOS event in Sepang will feature four FIA-Sanctioned race series; the GT3 Asia, Formula V6 Asia, Asian Touring Car Series and Formula BMW Pacific. The event draws drivers from around the world, from young up-and-coming Formula 1 aspirants to current stars and Asian racing legends, all in one action-filled power packed event.

Witness some of the fastest road cars in the world when Lamborghini's, Ferrari's, Porsche's and Aston Martin's go head to head in the GT3 Asia. Also see the Formula 1 stars of the future with the Formula BMW Pacific, as well as the high speed action of Formula V6 Asia and the bumper to bumper clashes in the Asian Touring Car Series.

The event is a true festival, where spectators get a chance to witness not only the non-stop race action but a whole host of festivities. This year at Sepang there will be a Supercar display by NAZA at the paddock area and a display in the Mall area of the various cars under the NAZA banner alongside many other displays.

Entrance to the Asian Festival Of Speed in Sepang is FREE of charge! Apart from the racing events, spectators will also be entertained with hard-thumping sounds coming from 10 top-class DJs from 'Turn It Up' and a bevy of cars in the ICE Competition. They are also allowed access to the paddock where they can ride-along with the fast charging Rally X Cars & Buggies or watch the thrilling AutoCross Competition, all happening from 11am to 4pm.

Following a special request by the Car Clubs last year, Kayu Nasi Kandar has agreed to set up a 'Mamak' stall for some outdoor 'TT' session at the circuit.

There is a special RM10 pass that allows access to the Paddock Rooftop, the air-conditioned dining area at the Paddock and join in the Pit-Walkabout where they can get up close to the race drivers and their cars and take photos with the AFOS Race Queens.

-credit: afso

 

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Motor Racing / AFOS: Sepang promises thrills aplenty

And Fahmi Ilyas promises to get over his first-round heartache in Formula BMW Pacific and bring some cheer to what is expected to be the best ever home crowd for the series at the circuit. The 17-year-old Team E-Rain driver was leading the second race in the opening rounds of the Formula BMW Pacific during the Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix in March before spinning off. He is now ninth in the championship, but believes he has what it takes to deliver his first victory of the season. "It was really a case of first-time jitters I suppose. Nevertheless, I am very much determined and confident of my chances this weekend. "I am targeting to score as many points as possible and also to get on the podium for all races," said Fahmi. The launch of the event yesterday featured the AFOS Shootout, a 'Man vs Machine' race, where road cycling national champion Fauzan Ahmad Lutfi, riding his time trial bicycle, took on John Shen on board a GT3 Asia Ferrari racing car. Shen was lined on the start/finish grid at the ready, while Fauzan started at turn 15 to get up to full speed. As soon as Fauzan crossed the start/finish line, Shen gunned his engine and started down the straight. The duo finished a few metres down the straight crossing the line in a photo finish. The launch also showcased a mock race between cars from each of the series contested in the AFOS this weekend -- a Formula V6 Asia car driven by Singaporean Hafiz Koh, the Ferrari driven by Shen, a Formula BMW car driven by Fahmi and a Proton Satria Neo R3 road car, driven by R3 test driver Faidzil Alang. The AFOS this weekend features the Formula BMW Pacific, Formula V6 Asia, the GT3 Asia and the Asian Touring Car Series. "Having these four great series and a whole range of side events is our way of making it more than just a race event. "This year, we have very strong partnerships to make the Asian Festival Of Speed even more exciting. With the support of groups like Sepang International Circuit, Turn It Up from Capital FM, Kayu Nasi Kandar and of course, having the NAZA Group on board gave us the chance to create a bigger impact," said Motorsport Asia chief executive officer David Sonnenscher. The organisers yesterday also unveiled Naza Group as the main sponsors of this weekend's event, with the group's chief executive officer SM Faisal SM Nasimuddin stating the company's keen interest in the series, seeing that it ties in with its efforts to provide wholesome experiences to ownership of various levels of cars. Sonnenscher promised fans a different AFOS event from previously, with every need catered for, including various car enthusiast-related shows, 10 deejays spinning music throughout the weekend, while side events at the circuit include the Rally X series and autocross competition.There is a special RM10 pass that allows access to the paddock rooftop, the air-conditioned dining area at the paddock and join in the Pit-Walkabout where they can get up close to the race drivers and their cars and take photos with the AFOS Race Queens.

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Lexus LF-A exclusive new details

Lexus has its sights set on joining the supercar elite! We have it on good authority that Toyota has finally succeeded in its bid to find a higher top speed for Japan’s most expensive, and fastest production car ever, the Lexus LF-A.  One source close to the company told us over a year ago that the development team was not happy with the car’s top speed of 199mph, and had sent it back to the shop for fine-tuning. And now, after a year of testing in wind tunnels, strategic revisions to the car’s aerodynamics and minor adjustments to its V10 engine, we are the first to reveal that the R&D team has finally found the extra legs.The LF-A’s 550bhp-plus 4.8-litre V10, channeled through a 6-speed semi-auto transmission bolted to a transaxle, is now capable of over 218mph. That’s faster than the production Nissan GT-R and puts the LF-A on hallowed ground with the likes of Ferrari Enzo, Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 and Pagani Zonda F, that have similar top speeds.Our scoop squad has also learned that the actual production model will look very different to the prototypes seen at the Nurburgring, especially around the headlights and grille, so we can expect a surprise when the car finally surfaces later in 2009. We are now being told that the LF-A will be a limited edition model of 500 cars and that includes a high performance sports package version boasting a wider body and beefed up aeroparts similar to those seen on the race version at Nurburgring (pictured). And if the race car’s lap time of 7 minutes 13 seconds is anything to go by then we can expect blistering pace from the production model too.Prices are expected to range from around £140,000 to £190,000, but whether a traditionally luxurious brand such as Lexus has the kudos to demand such a high sticker price is a hot topic of debate.All the signs point to a Tokyo Motor Show launch in October for the LF-A, especially given that Toyota wants to maximize exposure with the double reveal of its all-new rear-drive, 2.0-litre 3-door sports coupe, co-developed with Subaru.

Check out what the LF-A is up against in our world's fastest cars special here.

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Ferrari close gap

Raikkonen was second fastest to Button, a mere two-hundredths of a second slower with around 0.1s-worth less fuel - definitely slower, but by a margin that would be overcome by a slight missed apex or momentary locked brake, in other words.

Had Raikkonen been able to start from pole, there is every chance he could have converted that to victory, given how difficult it is to pass here.

Ferrari were quick enough in Monaco that Brawn's race day victory effectively hung on Button's near-perfect qualifying lap.

Button got his lucky break in the race when team-mate Rubens Barrichello, following close behind in second, and forming a barrier between Button and Raikkonen, suffered graining tyres 10 laps into the race.

The Brazilian's pace slowed dramatically but he stayed out for a further five laps. Given that Raikkonen couldn't pass, it gave Button a margin of 13 seconds, which he was able to simply monitor for the rest of the afternoon.

Barrichello was always there to thwart Raikkonen's efforts at getting in the fast laps in clear space needed to leapfrog past into second.

Felipe Massa in the other Ferrari set the race's fastest lap and he, too, might have leapfrogged Barrichello - had he not been stuck behind the newly refuelled and therefore slower Button when he needed to be banging in the fast low-fuel laps.

In determining the result, their positioning on the track at the critical phases of the race was much more significant than any performance difference between the two cars.

That positioning was a result of the very small but decisive pace advantage of Button's Brawn in qualifying.

Asked where that advantage was coming from, Massa said: "I think they have just a little more downforce than us. That's not hugely important at Monaco but I think it did allow them to use their tyres more flexibly in qualifying.

"That extra little bit of downforce allowed them to be able to do two-lap runs, with their fastest time coming on the second lap.

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Jenson Button rolls at the Monaco Grand Prix

Brawn GP driver Jenson Button of Britain gets the checkered flag as he crosses the finish line to win the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix, at the Monaco racetrack, in Monaco, Sunday, May 24 2009. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Jenson Button and his dream season kept right on rolling beside the casino among the high rollers and 200,000 fans at the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday. Jenson's checkered flag in Monaco was his fifth win out of six races in the 2009 Formula One season, and he also became the first Brit to win Monaco from pole since Jackie Stewart in 1973. Button's Brawn GP team mate Rubens Barrichello grabbed second spot on the podium, helping cement Brawn team leader and master race strategist Ross Brawn's iron grip on the 09 F1 Constructor's Championship. Brawn GP's lead of 86 points seems insurmountable, it is more then double their closest rival Red Bull Renault's total of 42.5 points.

Scuderia Ferrari finally got to see a small sliver of a silver lining in what has been a most cloudy season for the legendary team. Ferrari leap-frogged several teams into 4th place in the Constructors Championship when Kimi Raikkonen took the 3rd spot on the podium and team mate Felipe Massa came in 4th place.  

Brawn GP driver Jenson Button of Britain, center, winner of the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix, celebrates on the podium with his Brazilian teammate Rubens Barrichello, left, second placed, and third placed Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen of Finland, at the Monaco racetrack, in Monaco, Sunday, May 24 2009. Background left is Charlotte Casiraghi, daughter of Princess Caroline of Monaco. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

But the story of the 2009 season is still a case of real life unfolding like a George Lucas movie script, who come to think of it, was seen at the spectacular Mediterranean setting, also conveniently right down the coast from the Cannes film festival. It is just a lot of fun to think about what it must have been like to be Jenson Button yesterday, idolized by the many celebrities, pop stars and glamorous models on the scene before the race, and then toasted by the Prince and Princess of Monaco as winner of a race thats been around since 1929. Can a dream get any better than this?

"Wow!" said Button on Sunday. "Winning the Monaco Grand Prix is something that you dream about as a child and as a racing driver and the reality of taking that victory just feels awesome. To win in Monaco is truly a special feeling. With Rubens taking a superb second place, a one-two finish for the Brawn-Mercedes team in Monaco is fantastic. The race felt like it went on forever and you feel that the barriers are getting closer and closer as the end of the race approaches. But for the last couple of laps, I was able to relax and really enjoy the moment."

Brawn GP driver Jenson Button of Britain leads his teammate Brawn GP driver Rubens Barrichello of Brazil into turn one, at the start of the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix at the Monaco racetrack, in Monaco, Sunday, May 24 2009. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

The race itself was not any sort of dramatic thriller, Jenson got off to a great start, as did Barrichello, who was able to rocket past Kimi's Ferrari to the first turn. From there, the two Brawns were never really challenged. Their early lead was helped by the struggles of Red Bull's Sebastien Vettel who was noticeably slow as he shredded his option tires in the early laps.

In fact, I thought the most exciting sequence in the race happened very early on at lap 6. Felipe Massa's Ferrari was clearly faster than the very twitchy Red Bull car, and Felipe decided to put a move on Vettel as they zoomed through Monaco's famous tunnel section. This entire ultra narrow track demands nerves of steel and surgical levels of concentration, as Massa was about to rediscover. Massa nearly had Vettel as he emerged into the blinding sunlight out of the tunnel, but had to cut the chicane as Sebastien remained on track. Felipe had to let Vettel go by him, since he had taken the spot by cutting the chicane. As Vettel went past Massa, Nico Rosberg's Williams car also slipped by Massa riding on Vettel's gearbox.

Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany leads Ferrari driver Felipe Massa of Brazil during the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix at the Monaco racetrack, in Monaco, Sunday, May 24 2009. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Vettel's position in the race was short lived, as his tires continued to shred, he was repassed by at least 3 cars before pitting at lap 10. Sebastien's forgettable day then ended on lap 15 when he crashed into a wall. Team mate Mark Webber had another under the radar solid performance when he finished 5th after qualifying 8th. Webber maintained 4th place in the Driver's standings right behind Vettel.

Team Ferrari seemed for the most part pleased with the results of their day. For the first time all season, I thought the Ferrari cars looked like, well, Ferrari's, nimble and very fast, darting through the famous twists and turns of the most beautiful race track in motorsports.

 Brawn GP driver Jenson Button of Britain, top right, leads his teammate Brawn GP driver Rubens Barrichello of Brazil and the rest of the pack during the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix at the Monaco racetrack, in Monaco, Sunday May 24 2009. Button won the race as Barichello finished in second place. (AP Photo/David Vincent)

 "Now we can see that we are closer to the other cars in front of us," Ferrari Team boss Stefano Domenicali said. "That's a good sign....That is good motivation for all the people at home who are working flat out to improve our performance. We now have to stay focused on our job and stay focused on our need to improve internally. Downforce is the most important thing that we have to recover as this will help a lot in the high-speed corners."

Kimi's comments after the race seemed cooler and a match for his Iceman nickname as the former World Champion showed his displeasure that Ferrari is not winning yet. "It is a nice result but it's still disappointing not to be winning," said the Finn. "We still need to improve the car and to be fighting for first places and hopefully at the next race we can fight against them again. We should get some new package again for the next race, and that should help."

 Ferrari Formula One driver Kimi Raikkonen of Finland steers his car during the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix at the Monaco racetrack, in Monaco, Sunday, May 24 2009. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Ferrari also finally got ahead of rival McLaren Mercedes in the Constructor's Championship race as McLaren had another bad day, far off the pace. Heikki Kovalainen's dismal season continued when he crashed out of the race at lap 51. World Champ Lewis Hamilton knew he was in for a long day starting from last position on the grid, but afterwards he did seemed pleased with his 12th place finish.

“It was an extremely tough race,” said Hamilton. “I raced my heart out and feel satisfied with my performance today. Hoping to borrow a little of Jenson Button's Hollywood magic, Lewis had his own movie in mind, “I was thinking about one of the Rocky films" said the defending Monaco GP champion. "In the first film, Rocky says, ‘I just want to see the end of the fight’ and I got to the flag, pushing as hard as I could throughout the race."

Brawn GP driver Jenson Button of Britain celebrates spraying champagne after winning the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix at the Monaco racetrack, in Monaco, Sunday, May 24 2009. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

The question in Formula One now becomes will there be any drama at all in the Driver's Championship this year? Jenson Button's domination of F1 in 2009 has reminded some observers of the path tread so many times before by the legendary Ferrari World Champion Michael Schumacher. Button's smooth and unflappable driving style sure does seem similar at least so far to Schumy, but he has a very long way to go before Button can claim anything like legendary status. One thing I'm sure Michael never did was park his race car in the wrong space after winning Monaco. Button seemed only too happy to jog a victory lap from the faulty parking spot and as he ran down the straight to the podium, one could hardly blame him for hoping that his dream roll this season will never end.
Renault team manager Flavio Briatore arrives with his wife Elisabetta Gregoraci at the starting grid of the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix, at the Monaco racetrack, in Monaco, Sunday, May 24 2009. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

 

Results

1 Jenson Button 22 Brawn-Mercedes 1 1:40:44.282 10
2 Rubens Barrichello 23 Brawn-Mercedes 3 1:40:51.948 8
3 Kimi Raikkonen 4 Ferrari 2 1:40:57.724 6
4 Felipe Massa 3 Ferrari 5 1:40:59.392 5
5 Mark Webber 14 Red Bull-Renault 8 1:41:00.012 4
6 Nico Rosberg 16 Williams-Toyota 6 1:41:17.868 3
7 Fernando Alonso 7 Renault 9 1:41:22.121 2
8 Sebastien Bourdais 11 Toro Rosso-Ferrari 14 1:41:47.424 1
9 Giancarlo Fisichella 21 Force India-Mercedes 13 1:41:49.322 0
10 Timo Glock 10 Toyota 19 lapped 0
11 Nick Heidfeld 6 BMW Sauber 16 lapped 0
12 Lewis Hamilton 1 McLaren-Mercedes 20 lapped 0
13 Jarno Trulli 9 Toyota 18 lapped 0
14 Adrian Sutil 20 Force India-Mercedes 15 lapped 0
RET Kazuki Nakajima 17 Williams-Toyota 10 crash, 76 laps 0
RET Heikki Kovalainen 2 McLaren-Mercedes 7 crash, 51 laps 0
RET Robert Kubica 5 BMW Sauber 17 retired, 28 laps 0
RET Sebastian Vettel 15 Red Bull-Renault 4 crash, 15 laps 0
RET Nelson Piquet Jr 8 Renault 12 retired, 10 laps 0
RET Sebastien Buemi 12 Toro Rosso-Ferrari 11 crash, 10 laps 0

Drivers' Championship

1 Button 51
2 Barrichello 35
3 Vettel 23
4 Webber 19.5
5 Trulli 14.5
6 Glock 12
7 Alonso 11
8 Hamilton 9
9 Raikkonen 9
10 Massa 8
11 Rosberg 7.5
12 Heidfeld 6
13 Kovalainen 4
14 Buemi 3
15 Bourdais 2

Constructors' Championship
1 Brawn GP 86
2 Red Bull 42.5
3 Toyota 26.5
4 Ferrari 17
5 McLaren 13
6 Renault 11
7 Williams 7.5
8 BMW Sauber 6
9 Toro Rosso 5
10 Force India 0

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