Formula 1 - an ever-changing championship

Tom Fitz-Hugh
Written by Oliver Wesley

The 2009 F1 season was brought to a close under the twilight skies of Abu Dhabi; ending a season of surprises, unforgettable moments involving new and old faces and a new World Champion in the likeable Jenson Button.

It is fair to say the sport is entering a Golden Era where each season throws up an unpredictable story and a new winner. I for one have been glued to this years BBC coverage of F1 and am amazed how the sport keeps getting better and better.

In 2007, it was about the drivers, Lewis Hamilton then a rookie driver leading the championship for most of the year against his own team-mate and former double World Champion Fernando Alonso, only for Kimi Raikkonnen to come in and snatch the championship by a single point. 2008 followed and the crowds watched as the two great F1 teams (Ferrari and McLaren) went head to head at the top of the table. It was a tight finish, but Hamilton held on to grab the title on the last lap and become F1's youngest champion.

So what has been the story this year? For one thing, the importance of the car has been thrust into the spotlight more than ever: the hugely successful emergence of Brawn GP capitalised on their superior car before rivals caught up on their speed. It has been a hugely entertaining watch where we've seen six different race winners, the prospect at one point of a Schumacher return and of course another Brit lifting the coveted drivers’ trophy.

It begs the question then: after a season of complete and utter unpredictable outcomes, what can we come to expect from Formula 1 in 2010? First and foremost, new regulations will not allow any team to refuel their car mid race, so after season upon season of teams creating a streamlined car, we will now be seeing limousine style cars holding enough fuel inside to last the whole amount of laps. However, it is the drivers who are catching the headlines, and most significantly Fernando Alonso joining Ferrari heralds the continuation of a rivalry with Hamilton, which has the potential to surpass past F1 encounters such as Frost/Senna or Schumacher/Hakkinnen.

It is realistically the two greatest drivers of this generation pitting themselves against each other in the sport's two most successful cars. There is also the small matter of the rise of Red Bull, headed by the enormous young talent of Sebastian Vettel. Robert Kubica being behind the wheel of a former champion Renault car and dare we right off the worthy driver and constuctor champions Brawn as just a flash in the pan?

So really, what lies in store for us fans is a painful wait until the Bahrain Grand Prix in March, and the start of another exciting F1 season.

America's Dirtiest Vehicles

Just because a car has low fuel efficiency doesn't mean it's the worst polluter on the road. The Chevrolet Suburban and Dodge Challenger are some of the biggest gas-gulpers available, but they don't cause quite the environmental harm other cars do.

That title is reserved for vehicles that combine their poor gas mileage with high tailpipe and greenhouse gas emissions. Think along the lines of some of the bulkiest cars on the road, like the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Chevrolet Trailblazer and Dodge Dakota.

In Pictures: America's Dirtiest Vehicles

In Pictures: What You'll Drive In 2010

In Depth: World's Top Luxury Cars

Ten Exciting Cars For 2010

In Depth: Cars With The Worst Fuel Economy

While fuel economy is linked to emissions, it's not the only factor. Pollution levels also have to do with the type of fuel being used and the age and condition of the engine, among other things.

"You can have a really fuel-efficient, dirty vehicle and a really clean, not-so-fuel-efficient vehicle," says Karl Simon, a director of compliance and innovation for the EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality. "It really is pretty wide open from a technical perspective."

To determine the dirtiest cars on America's roads, we used air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The EPA rates air pollution on a scale of 0 to 10; the score reflects the amount of tailpipe emissions a vehicle releases. Vehicles that score 10 are the cleanest--they don't emit pollutants like hydrocarbon, nitrous oxides, particulate matter, carbon monoxide and formaldehyde. Greenhouse gas levels (carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane) are based on the vehicle's fuel economy and are evaluated on the same 0-10 scale. That score represents the "relative global warming potential of each car," the EPA says.

For our list, we combined air pollution and emissions scores and then chose the vehicles with the smallest results (the greater the score, the more environmentally friendly the car). We broke ties by evaluating the combined fuel efficiency of each vehicle. (Driving a car that gets 25 miles per gallon rather than 20 mpg will prevent 10 tons of carbon dioxide from hitting the air over a vehicle's lifetime, according to EPA data.) We did not evaluate vehicles classified as "heavy duty," like the 3500 series of the Dodge Ram, which are exempt from federal fuel economy requirements.

We also deliberately omitted some vehicles that rated higher on the particulate-emissions scale, including exotics like the Ferrari F430, uber-luxury cars like the Bentley Continental Flying Spur, and high-performance variants from Mercedes-Benz's AMG line. Those cars have marginally worse emissions ratings than some of the entries on our list but are produced in such small quantities and driven so infrequently--on weekends or on racetracks--that they often don't contribute much to air-pollution problems.

Lonnie Miller, an automotive analyst for R.L. Polk, says it's OK that performance and design dictate the aim of those vehicles, while others emphasize fuel economy and practicality. There's a place in the market for each type, he says.

Even had we included those supercars, though, the Jeep Grand Cherokee still would have topped the chart. It scored a paltry three out of 10 for air-pollution ratings and two out of 10 for greenhouse gas emissions. The flex-fuel engine--prized because it uses a renewable resource that reduces dependency on traditional gasoline--on the Cherokee was even worse: three out of 10 and one out of 10 for the air pollution and gas emissions, respectively.

In terms of finger-pointing, however, it's not just Jeep maker Chrysler that needs to clean up its act. In all, cars and trucks account for almost one-third of the total air pollution in the United States. And while EPA emission standards have gotten increasingly strict since they first were instituted in the early 1970s, there's still a long way to go, especially at home: 60% of the entries on our list are from domestic automakers. The remainder are German; no Japanese or Korean cars make the list.

Of American automakers, though, Chrysler is the worst offender, with six vehicles on last year's "dirtiest" list (the Jeep Commander, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Dodge Durango, Chrysler Aspen, Dodge Ram 1500 and Dodge Dakota), and five this year.

It's important to note that each of the cars on our list are street legal--and much cleaner than anything on the road years ago.

"We continue to drive our fleet average even lower," Chrysler spokesman Nick Cappa said in a written response to the rankings. "Chrysler Group products are 99% cleaner than vehicles of 30 years ago and meet or exceed United States federal emission standards, the most stringent in the world."

Many auto manufacturers are making concerted efforts to produce models that are easier on the environment; most offer hybrid, compact or turbocharged 4-cylinder versions, all of which record low pollutant scores. Next year will see the long-awaited arrival of several low- and emission-free options, like the compact but "ecoboosted" Ford Fiesta and the plug-in electric Chevrolet Volt.

Some high-end carmakers are making considerable emissions efforts as well, but don't look to them for the latest in high-volume electric technology. It's prohibitively expensive and technologically difficult to get anywhere near the same performance out of an electric motor as a combustion engine, and aside from notable entries from Tesla and (perhaps) Fisker, it will be years before any meaningful amount of electric motors find their way into high-performance and luxury cars.

Besides, there's much to be done to improve the combustion engine, engineers from Bentley, BMW and Porsche say, either through increasing its efficiency or developing alternative fuels. Bentley developed the flex-fuel-capable, $245,000 Continental Supersports coupe for that very reason.

"We believe bioethanol is a really good alternative to reducing CO2 emissions," says Brian Gush, Bentley's director of chassis and powertrain engineering. "This is a renewable source, which will be growing into the future."

Simon at the EPA says emissions levels have indeed improved significantly over the last 20 years and will continue to do so. But with 40,000 Jeep Grand Cherokees sold this year so far, there's a long way to go.

To determine the dirtiest cars on America's roads, we used air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA rates air pollution on a scale of 0 to 10; the score reflects the amount of tailpipe emissions a vehicle releases. (Vehicles that score 10 are the cleanest--they don't emit pollutants like hydrocarbon, nitrous oxides, particulate matter, carbon monoxide and formaldehyde.) Greenhouse gas levels (carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane) are based on the vehicle's fuel economy and evaluated on the same 0-10 scale. For our list, we combined air-pollution and emissions scores and then chose the vehicles with the smallest results (the larger the score, the more environmentally friendly the car). We broke ties by considering the combined fuel efficiency of each vehicle.

A Vroom of One's Own: Muscle Cars Return

Wieck

Chevrolet Camaro

Amid a dismal market for auto sales, one category is seeing a surprising uptick: muscle cars.

The promise of a speedy, fun and flamboyant drive is winning over an increasing number of drivers, despite the struggling economy and rising unemployment—and despite a steep dropoff in auto sales since the "cash for clunkers" incentive program ended in August.

Sales of low-priced sports cars such as the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger jumped 68% in October, compared with the same month last year. Sales for 2009 are up 7.2%, while most segments have posted double-digit declines, according to J.D. Power & Associates.

The definition of "sports car" is broad, ranging from a $22,000 Mazda Miata to a $300,000 Ferrari 599 Fiorano. The current sales surge affects a sub-segment known in the industry as "midsize sporty." The group also includes imports like the Mazda RX-8 and Toyota Camry Solara.

The formula that's working right now includes a big engine—typically at least 300 horsepower—two doors, a cramped backseat, flashy exterior styling and a starting price under $30,000. They're generally aimed at middle-aged buyers, but they appeal to a broad demographic, ranging from 20-somethings to seniors.

Affordable Muscle Cars

Amid a dismal market for auto sales, one category is seeing a surprising uptick: affordable sports cars. Here are some popular models.

View Slideshow

Wieck

The 2010 Ford Mustang

Dave Drobek of Spring Hill, Tenn., bought a 304-horsepower Chevrolet Camaro in August for $28,000. The chief attractions? Its looks, its speed and the way it attracts attention. "I fell in love with it," says the 55-year-old maintenance technician. "And the first time I drove it to the grocery store there were three people checking out my car when I came out."

Mr. Drobek says he has been "a car nut" for years and previously drove a red Honda S2000 convertible. Its stiff ride was "too harsh" for his aging frame, he says, while the Camaro is more comfortable and easier to drive. Its large trunk is also more practical. When he drives sedately, he can eke out 29 miles per gallon.

Not that he does that a lot. "On the interstate, I like to find a hole in the traffic and just go, and I usually drive about 80 miles per hour," he says. "In Tennessee they let you go a bit."

More

Chevy's Revived Muscle Car

Many people in the auto industry are surprised by the sports-car boom. Few expected sales of the cars to grow as unemployment worsened.

"We're all kind of surprised—a little bit—that [the Camaro] has done so well," says John Fitzpatrick, marketing manager for Chevrolet's performance vehicles. He says he expected an initial surge from pent-up demand when the car went on sale in the spring, but the Camaro's sales have stayed high, totaling 8,082 in October, up from 7,961 in September.

It helps, of course, that muscle cars are fairly inexpensive. Some even have good fuel economy, so buyers can more easily rationalize their purchases. Indeed, Mr. Drobek says he bought a Camaro with a six-cylinder engine instead of the thirstier eight-cylinder model.

Billy Slemons of Collierville, Tenn., went for the V8 Camaro. The 42-year-old alarm-company technician says he wanted a new Camaro ever since he saw the prototype three years ago. Its design reminded him of Camaros from the 1960s but still looked modern. He isn't worried about losing his job and says he didn't hesitate to order the $36,000 car despite the faltering economy.

"I worked hard to get it," he says, adding that driving 28 miles each way to work, shifting gears and hearing the engine roar simply makes him happier.

Muscle cars got their start in the 1960s, which many car fans still consider the high point of U.S. automotive prowess. They reached their zenith of power, performance and appeal around 1970, after which restrictions related to pollution and insurance—and steeply rising fuel prices—slowly killed off the muscle car. The new models are reminders of that period, attracting older drivers who remember the original cars, while their styling and speed appeal to younger buyers who missed the 1960s completely.

The sports-car boom, if it continues, won't be enough to lift the auto industry out of its doldrums: It accounted for only 2% of overall passenger car and truck sales in October, which have declined 25% this year.

Ferrari to produce its first hybrid?

his is the debut of Green Highway, a weekly round-up of news from the world of environmentally-friendly cars and driving

Ferrari will come out with its first hybrid system on the upcoming replacement for its 612 Scaglietti grand touring car. Britain's Autocar magazine quoted unnamed Ferrari sources confirming that the Italian exotic car company is working on a hybrid system that will see electric power going to the front wheels, giving the car all-wheel-drive capability. The system reportedly won't become available before 2014.

Although Ferrari has not officially confirmed the report on the magazine's site, Ferrari CEO Amadeo Felisa confirmed at the most recent Frankfurt Auto show that the first Ferrari hybrid was “likely to be” a V12 model.

Spy shots have since appeared suggesting that the 612's replacement will be the next all-new V12 car from the home of the Prancing Horse. The hybrid system would not be available at that car's launch, but debut closer to the 2015 model year, said the latest report, released last week.

The current 612 offers a massive 5.7-litre V12 engine driving the rear wheels, but this hybrid system would focus more on improving handling and acceleration than fuel economy, according to the company insiders.

But Ferrari is nevertheless interested in reducing fuel consumption and lowering the emissions produced by its products, even though they and exotic car fans in general have long maintained that the limited numbers of these cars sold and the relatively low mileage they accumulate account for a tiny blip in the overall carbon footprint of the global auto industry.

Felisa confirmed that Ferrari's new-for-2009 California hardtop convertible would receive a start-stop system in 2010, which automatically turns off the engine at red lights and restarts it instantly upon letting go of the brakes, which is the system that accounts for the majority of real world fuel savings in most gas-electric hybrid vehicles.

Ferrari is not the only Italian car maker going the planet-friendlier route, while still maintaining its focus on high horsepower performance. Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann also admitted in August that the Volkswagen-controlled company will launch a hybrid model by 2015, likely in the Gallardo, he suggested to a German auto trade journal in August. Winkelmann said Lamborghini was not planning to go the all-electric route, which Mercedes-Benz will pioneer among supercars with its upcoming SLS eDrive, and which Lambo's sister company Audi has recently confirmed it will pursue with an all-electric version of its mid-engine R8.

-- Michael Bettencourt

Climate change? What climate change?

The Frontier Centre for Public Policy is never afraid to rattle the cage of the Greenies. The privately run think tank, active in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, recently hosted an event proclaiming “Global Warming is a Fraud.” Last week they released a paper calling for a “Canadian Autobahn,” a new, high-speed highway system across Canada. “The United States, Europe, China, and Japan all have motorway systems that reach virtually all of their major urban areas; Canada is an exception,” said the report.

Their first priority would be to upgrade the Trans-Canada Highway from Halifax to Vancouver to motorway standards. Then a motorway from Edmonton to Calgary to the Canada-U.S. border, one from Ottawa to Sudbury and another across Newfoundland. They want expressway links to the U.S. interstate highway system and through it to the expressway system of Mexico. All this they want completed within 15 years. No price tag was attached.

The argument in favour of this was stated as follows, “Motorways have been shown to have a significant positive impact on national and local economies, principally because saving time improves productivity.” There was no comment on whether the new “autobahns” should be speed limit-free as some sections are in Germany.

There is a logic behind their proposal. If one starts with the position that “Global Warming is a Fraud” and presumes that Western Canada can keep us all in petroleum forever - then go for it. Nobody likes a high-speed road trip better than me. But I have the feeling that a high-speed electrified rail network will be on the public agenda before the 1930's autobahn concept goes sea-to-sea in Canada.

- Michael Vaughan

Green cars' Canadian awards breakthrough

Green vehicles made something of a breakthrough in the recently announced AJAC Cars of the Years awards.

In direct competition with conventional gas vehicles, three diesels and a hybrid won four of 12 categories of 2010 new models.

As category winners, they qualify for 2010 Canadian car of the year and utility vehicle of the year, which will be announced in February at Toronto's Canadian National Auto Show.

The four class wins is s big step up. Grene vehicles won single category victories in the 2007 and 2009 model years, but there were never multiple winners. Up to 2006, ‘green' vehicles were consigned to a class of their own (Best New Alternative Power) as though they weren't directly comparable with regular gasoline-burners. This year, manufacturers entered diesels and hybrids in seven of the 12 categories.

Significantly, the diesels - BMW 335d, Volkswagen Golf TDI Wagon, Volkswagen Touareg TDI and the Lexus RX450h hybrid were judged superior not just on the basis of their fuel efficiency but in voters' evaluations of such factors as vehicle dynamics, styling and safety features.

The 335d, for example, was the AJAC experts' selection as best new luxury car ahead of the worthy Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon and Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan.

The VW Golf TDI Wagon outscored Ford Fusion, Subaru Legacy Sedan and the best-selling hybrid, Toyota Prius, as best new family car under $30,000. Another of VW's growing family of turbo-diesels, the Touareg, topped six competitors in the $35-60,000 SUV/CUV class.

The sole hybrid winner, the Lexus RX450h, excelled Audi Q7, Acura MDX, Cadillac SRX and Lincoln MKT as best SUV/CUV over $60,000.

Both full hybrid entries fared poorly in their categories. Honda Insight finished fifth out of seven in the Best New Small Car Over $21,000 and the Prius, fourth of four in Best New Family Car Under $30,000. Their advantages in fuel efficiency were negated by low ratings in other considerations on the AJAC experts' scorecards.

As for other green entries, the hybrid model of the Ford Fusion placed second behind a conventional Ford Taurus in the family car over $30,000 category. Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid, the first hybrid from this company that has long staked its environmental future on clean-burning diesel technology, stood third in best new prestige car voting won by the Porsche Panamera Turbo.

--Dan Proudfoot

Ferrari Confirms Hybrid All-Wheel Drive System For 2014

I am extremely vocal on the topic of electric cars, especially when it comes to their performance potential. Instant torque is very, very fun—to say the least—and makes a lot more sense on the racing circuit than internal combustion engines (at least in short bursts). Makers of high-end exotics are starting to pick up on this trend, though Ferrari is (as far as I know) the first supercar maker to confirm it will be adding and electric-hybrid to its lineup.

Of course, they claim this is to improve handling and not fuel efficiency. But hey, I’ll take what I can get from the prancing horse.

Ferrari currently uses a hybrid electric drive system in its Formula One cars called KERS, or Kinetic Energy Recovery System. This system recaptures a chunk of otherwise wasted brake energy and converts it to electricity, powering an electric motor drive system that can deliver a 82 second horsepower “boost” for up to 6.6 seconds. This system allows Formula drivers to easier pass the competition, though adds 60 pounds to the extremely light car. The minimum weight allowed in Formula One is 600 kgs, or about 1,300 pounds. at the end of the race including driver and fuel. Anything lighter and you are disqualified.

This system will be replicated in street legal Ferraris, probably around 2014. The likely recipient of the hybrid drivetrain will be the front-engine 612 Scaglietti, a car already capable of reaching 196 MPH thanks to its 5.7 liter V12 engine. How much of an effect the hybrid all-wheel drive system will have on the 612 is anybody’s guess (currently it gets 10/15 MPG with a manual transmission). Will the KERS system remain basically untouched, acting as a torque dump of sorts and doing nothing for fuel efficiency? Or will Ferrari actually aim to improve their fuel mileage, while denying it up and down?

Either way, even the hybrid haters (me) have to admire a hybrid prancing horse.

Source: Autocar | Images: Carpix

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Mechanics' 125mph Joyride In Customer's Car

The driver had installed a Roadhawk 'blackbox' camera on his Vauxhall Monaro

The owner of the car, who doesn’t want to be named, had installed a Roadhawk black-box recorder three months earlier.

When he left his car for repair at the garage in Redditch, there was a quarter of a tank of petrol left. When he collected it, he noticed the tank was empty.

"I looked at the video from the Roadhawk and was completely stunned. They had taken it out for a spin on the A435 at 120mph.

"When I confronted the garage they denied it. Then I told them I had the video and they admitted everything and apologised."

The Roadhawk device records video, GPS data and g-forces for every journey.

Video captured during the incident, which has been posted on YouTube, shows the driver overtaking cars and lorries on the A435 Alcester Road between Redditch to Portway.

The vehicle speeds past a garage at 100mph, before hitting a narrow slip-road at 90mph and continuing through country lanes.

The owner said: "The outside of that lane is marked off and lorries sometimes park up there. If you go wide on that corner at that speed you could easily slam into the back of one."

Fans of the film Ferris Bueller's Day off will enjoy the video.

In a scene from the film, Ferris persuades Cameron to let them borrow his father's 1961 Ferrari 250 GT. After leaving it at a garage they return to discover 100 miles have been added to the clock.

The 5.7 litre Vauxhall Monaro has a top-speed of 170mph and won Top Gear's best Muscle Car award.

West Mercia police confirmed they are investigating the incident. The owner of the garage said he had seen the video but refused to comment.

Virgin unlikely to sponsor team in 2010, says Ross Brawn

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But team principal Brawn has conceded that he does not expect the Virgin partnership to continue as his all-conquering team look to repeat their success in 2010.

"We had a great year with Virgin but they have different ambitions next year so it's unlikely you will see their name on the car next year," he said.

"They had the faith or good luck to be with us from the start and won a championship with us but it doesn't look like they will continue."

Brawn also hinted that a link-up with engine manufacturers Mercedes-Benz was not far away from being finalised.

The German car giants have been linked with taking a 75% stake in the Brackley-based team which could provide the financial backing required to again see off Ferrari and McLaren.

"Mercedes is a very important part of our team and without the engine we would not have won the championship," said Brawn.

"It was the best engine in Formula One and we have formed a great partnership together.

"We are looking at all opportunities for the future but it is too early to announce anything yet.

"But it is an amazing contrast we have been through as a team this year.

"We were in the depths of despair last winter when we didn't know if we would have a team at all and then to win the World Championships was amazing.

"It has been an incredible journey but now we must focus on next year."

Brawn revealed the team have been working hard in order to ensure their continued progress next season.

"We are in good shape for next year," he added.

"We were fortunate to get a big lead early on and that allowed us to start on next year's car early.

"We could consolidate and concentrate on finishing races and picking up the points to wrap up the title and our design team have been working flat out on the 2010 car since the summer."

Auckland Reactor smashes NZ record

Even Mark Purdon was surprised at the acceleration Auckland Reactor displayed when powering to a New Zealand harness racing record win in today's Junior Free-For-All at Addington Raceway. In fact the Rolleston horseman likened the brilliant 5-year-old to driving a Ferrari.

"It was like he had a turbo button. The only way I could describe his accelration was like driving a very nice car like a Ferrari or a Porsche. Sometimes when you drive nice cars you can be startled by how fast you are actually going when you look at the speedo. It was like that today, he was cruising in top gear," Purdon said.

The Mach Three entire paced the 1950m mobile in a scintilating 2:17.8 - smashing Awesome Armbro 2008 record of 2:20.2. His winning mile rate was a slashing 1:53.7 with final 800m and 400m sectionals of 54.8 and 26.9 seconds. Fake Chance and Ohoka Dallas were a distant second and third.

"He's unbelievable. He was really jumping out of his skin today. He was primed for the race. He will strip nicely for Friday's Free-For-All," said Purdon, who co-trains Auckland Reactor at Rolleston with Grant Payne.

The Reactor has now won 25 of his 29 starts and placed two others for $1.46 million in stakes.

It wasn't the only record set by a Purdon and Payne runner today. The Canterbury duo have had a phenomenal day winning four races in a row after just six races.

Mercurio won the second event, with Mercurio (race two) and Joyfuljoy in race five. But it was Highview Tommy's race record in the third event which had the time-keeper taking a second glance at his stopwatch.

The 4-year-old son of Bettor's Delight equaled Desperate Comment's 2600m mobile record of 3:08.5 thrashing his opponents by 3-3/4 lengths. His winning mile rate was 1:56.6 with final 800m sectionals of 56.8 and 28.2 seconds. It was his 11th win from 31 strats and his third in a row this campaign.

Driver Blair Orange described him as the perfect racehorse.

"He's got a beautiful gait and I drove him like he did (three wide and parked) because he is a genuine stayer. He's matured so much as a racehorse in the last 12 months. That has been the making of him," Orange said.

Meanwhile the seco nd favourite Band On The Run suffered a suspected heart fibrillation and ran a long and lonely last.

"He never felt right at any stage and that's why I pulled him up," Dexter said.

The horse has since been vet checked and is on the road to a quick recovery.

Results from the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club's New Zealand Cup meeting at Addington Raceway today (Tuesday) were:

Race 1: The Mark Jones trained and driven UNIQUE STAR (Sundon).

Race 2: The Mark Purdon & Grant Payne trained MERCURIO (Christian Cullen) Mark Purdon.

Race 3: The Mark Purdon & Grant Payne trained HIGHVIEW TOMMY (Bettor's Delight) Blair Orange.

Race 4: The Mark Purdon & Grant Payne trained AUCKLAND REACTOR (Mach Three) Mark Purdon.

Race 5: The Mark Purdon & Grant Payne trained JOYFULJOY (Mach Three) Blair Orange.

Race 6: The Lynn and Justin Smith trained SPECULATE (Sundon) Justin Smith.

Race 7: Pending.

Duane RANGER and Steve DOLAN

Brawn: Team can be even stronger

By Jonathan Noble and Jamie O'Leary Monday, November 9th 2009, 13:31 GMT

Ross Brawn believes that his team can be even stronger next season, thanks to beginning work on its definitive 2010 car far earlier than a year ago.

Brawn's first Formula 1 car, the BGP 001, was originally designed around a Honda powerplant, and adapted for a Mercedes engine only weeks before the start of the season.

Despite this, the team still took the constructors' world title in its maiden season with Jenson Button winning six grands prix on his way to the drivers' crown.

Brawn believes that heading into a second season with Mercedes - this time with a rear end designed around the German manufacturer's engine � will help strengthen the team's bid to retain its titles.

"The main thing for us is that it�s the second year of working with Mercedes," said Brawn.

"It should be a much better installation because we've had an opportunity to begin early and have the sort of exhaust system that we need, design the gearbox properly for the engine, design the chassis properly for the engine, put the right coolers on... all of those things.

"Obviously we've had a good run into installing this engine in the car, so things like the cooling system and the airbox have been developed a bit more thoroughly in the new car.

"Fuel consumption's going to be critical, so efficiency in those areas and also in keeping the startline weight to a minimum is going to be critical."

Brawn said that the Brackley-based team's determination to retain its front-running status next year was the primary cause of it losing ground to chief rival Red Bull during the second half of the 2009 season.

"We have been trying to balance what we do this year with next year," he added. "With the aerodynamicists going through their programme regularly, we decided at mid-season only to take a week to work on this year's programme, while keeping the rest of the windtunnel time focused on next year.

"If I�m honest, we didn�t throw enough at it, but on balance we got away with it.

"But we needed to get on with next year�s car. Next year we've got no refuelling, a different chassis shape, different tyres and there's a lot of work. And because we don't want to be a one-season wonder, we've had to make sure we can balance this year's and next year�s cars."

2010 Tesla Roadster Sport first drive

According to EPA numbers, the Roadster Sport goes 244 miles on a full charge. During our day with the car we were looking at 150 to 200 miles of range. But another way Tesla changes the driving paradigm is that, instead of waiting for a near empty battery for recharging, you treat it like a cell phone, plugging it in whenever you have the opportunity. Where you wouldn't refill the tank on a gasoline-powered car at the end of each day's commute, you can plug in the Tesla whenever you get home.

Tesla includes a cord with the car to plug it in at any AC outlet, but using this solution only gets you five miles per hour of charging. A home charger available from the company will give it 56 miles per hour, running the battery to full from empty in less than four hours.

Single DIN cabin tech

The cabin of the Roadster Sport is tight, but a little easier to get into than a Lotus, as Tesla lowered the door sills. Expect to be rubbing shoulders with your passenger while on the road. But Tesla pretties up the cabin with leather, carbon fiber, and aluminum surfaces. It may not have the pure lushness of other high-end sports cars, but it passes well.

The JVC stereo is very capable, with navigation, iPod, and Bluetooth.

(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)

We frankly didn't expect much for the car's cabin electronics, as Tesla currently relies on an aftermarket head unit for infotainment. But we applaud the company for picking the JVC KD-NXD505. This head unit provides navigation, Bluetooth, iPod connectivity, and even an internal hard drive for music storage.

Although we spent most of our time driving the Roadster Sport, we did have occasion to use the head unit's navigation feature. Surprisingly, it was intuitive and easy to input a street address using the minimal controls, all while stopped at traffic lights (the system doesn't allow input while the car is in motion). The screen is small, but nicely rendered, so we could see where to turn, while voice guidance also proved helpful.

Tesla mounts the iPod cable from this stereo on the console. There is no hatch or holder, but our iPhone rested easily on the flat surface, and didn't seem inclined to fall off as we drove.

In sum

Given the 2010 Tesla Roadster Sport's $129,000 price tag and small cabin, it is a niche car for early adopters. But those early adopters will find a car suitable to drive to work every day while not spending a penny on gas. Engineering types can thrill to the car's statistics, such as the electric motor's 92 percent efficiency, while sporting types will get a kick out of the immense acceleration, if not the cornering. The bottom line is that this car has the most technically advanced powertrain in a production car today, with greater range and speed than any other electric car on the market.

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Feds seize embattled lawyer Scott Rothstein's property

Federal authorities are seizing Fort Lauderdale attorney Scott Rothstein's properties -- sports cars, waterfront homes, power boats and bank accounts -- as part of a criminal investigation into his alleged multimillion-dollar investment scam.

Shortly before 10 a.m. Monday, two FBI agents, an IRS agent and two truck drivers were spotted in downtown Fort Lauderdale seizing Rothstein's fire engine red Ferrari Spider convertible.

The car was being towed near the intersection of Southeast Sixth Avenue and Second Street close to the Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler law firm, where Rothstein is suspected of carrying out a massive fraud against dozens of investors. Rothstein, 47, has not been charged.

FBI agents were also seen shortly before 11 a.m. at Rothstein's Fort Lauderdale home at 30 Isla Bahia Dr. Agents appeared to be logging in information about Rothstein's cars, including a silver Rolls Royce, a white Bentley with a blue convertible top and a white Cadillac Escalade. A few FBI agents and an IRS official were outside manning the gate while several others were inside.

National Liquidators, which had a government contract to seize his boats, took a 33-foot Aquariva, 55 foot Sundancer and 87 foot Warren, said spokeswoman Alayna Gossan.

``We have them and will maintain the care and custody of the vessels,'' she said.

FBI agents on the scene in downtown Fort Lauderdale confirmed they were towing Rothstein's Ferrari.

An FBI source on the scene referred a reporter's phone call to Jennifer Kuehl, a spokeswoman with the criminal division of the IRS. Kuehl declined to comment.

``Everything is under seal right now,'' she said.

Federal authorities obtained seizure warrants Sunday night signed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Lurana S. Snow to confiscate Rothstein's cars, homes and other assets, according to sources familiar with the criminal investigation into the lawyer's alleged Ponzi scheme.

One warrant, obtained by The Miami Herald, reads: ``Warrant to seize personal property subject to civil forfeiture.''

Authorities are able to obtain warrants to seize Rothstein's properties -- even before criminal charges are filed in federal court -- because they have evidence to support that the lawyer acquired those assets with ill-gotten gains from his alleged investment scam. The U.S. attorney's office is using the tool of a civil forfeiture action. Eventually, if Rothstein is indicted, prosecutors could transfer the inventory of his properties for criminal forfeiture.

Rothstein, who is staying at an undisclosed location under federal surveillance, has been accused by investors of stealing hundreds of millions of dollars and by his law partners of wiping out their firm.

The federal seizures come as some investors prepare to sue Rothstein and his law firm, and to block the firm from grabbing any recovered assets for itself in a receivership case in Broward Circuit Court.

During a brief court hearing Monday in Broward, the receiver -- Herbert Stettin -- said that Toronto Dominion Bank is cooperating and providing access to financial records.

The bank reported that it will take about three weeks to finish the process of turning over records.

``We have moved mountains this weekend,'' said Glenn Goldstein, attorney for the bank.

Attorney Bill Scherer told Judge Jeffrey Streitfeld that he had filed a motion to intervene on behalf of investors. Scherer represents investors who lost at least $98 million. Those investors wants to block Rothstein's law firm from collecting money recovered from political candidates, charities and other sources.

Ferrari 599 China auctioned in Beijing for 1.2 million euro

Last week Ferrari held an auction for the unique Ferrari 599 China, which was won by an anonymous client from Shanghai at the final price of about 1.2 million euro (including taxes).

The auction was the climax of the Gala dinner organized by Ferrari at the Red Gate Gallery in Beijing. Lu Hao, the first Chinese artist to work with Ferrari, created this special model decorated with Song Dynasty Ge Kiln pottery patterns.

The proceeds from this auction will fund outstanding students and young teachers of Tsinghua Universitys Department of Automotive Engineering to study at Italys Politecnico di Milano University and internship at Ferraris headquarters.

Video courtesy of Ferrari S.P.a.

--> About the Author Vince Pettit is the Editor-In-Chief of The Checkered Flag and can be found on twitter at @vincepettit or on the TCF twitter account @thecheckerflag. No Comments

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'Motivated' Raikkonen will only stay in F1 if he can 'fight'

Kimi Raikkonen bids a fond 'ciao' to Ferrari after three years at Maranello and turns his attentions to the future - as the 2007 world champion re-iterates that only a competitive car will keep him in F1 in 2010... Former F1 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen has re-iterated that he is only interested in remaining on the grand prix grid in 2010 should he have at his disposal a competitive car – as he reflected that he has 'fond memories' of his three years at Ferrari.Raikkonen will make way next season for fellow title-winner Fernando Alonso at Maranello, and the Finn has been linked with McLaren-Mercedes, Renault and Red Bull Racing – and also with Toyota prior to the Japanese manufacturer's withdrawal announcement last week. However, RBR team principal Christian Horner has categorically asserted that there is no room at the Milton Keynes inn for the 30-year-old, Renault's future in the top flight is looking somewhat tenuous and Raikkonen himself has stated that the only one of his potential suitors of genuine attraction to him is McLaren, with whom he and his management team remain unable to agree on financial terms [see separate story – click here]. Otherwise, he affirms, he will simply walk away – and rallying has been mooted as a likely destination.“It's hard to believe that I have been in Formula 1 for nine years already,” he told his official website. “I am very motivated to win races and a championship again, and will only remain in F1 if I can race for a team that can give me a car to fight at the front. Let's wait and see what happens.“I can do whatever I want, but like I said before, I haven't made my decision about what I want to do yet. Basically, I have a few different options, and we will see what is the best one overall and then I'll make my decision.”Raikkonen joined Ferrari for the 2007 campaign, and sped to title glory in his first season with the celebrated Scuderia, pinching the crown away right at the last from under the noses of McLaren rivals Alonso and Lewis Hamilton – his likely team-mate in 2010 should he return to Woking, for whom he competed from 2002 to 2006, triumphing 13 times along the way. Whilst 2009 fell some way short of expectations – characterised by a distinctly low-key farewell in the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix finale earlier this month – the Espoo native insisted that he had no regrets.“My three years with Ferrari are over,” the 18-time grand prix-winner mused. “I had an opportunity to fulfil one of my dreams, and now I'm looking for new challenges. Now everybody can focus on next year, like Ferrari has been doing already for many weeks. “Is it going to be different? At least there are not so many changes next year; no refuelling and smaller front tyres are the main things. At the start of the race the cars will feel very difficult to drive with so much fuel on-board, so preserving the tyres will play a part. Qualifying is now old days where we do not use fuel, so that will be more fun too.“I leave Ferrari with very fond memories, and say 'ciao' to everyone at Maranello. I won the drivers' world championship and helped the team to two constructors' championships in three years. I've made many friends at Ferrari, and we had a nice time together. “This year did not go according to plan, but that's life. The package was not very competitive yet we still finished in fourth place in the constructors' championship, only one point from third. We struggled a lot with the car, but still we managed to get some good results – the highlight being the victory at Spa. At least the team showed we could tackle the problems we had at the beginning of the season. “It was not a great finish to the season and we knew before we went [to Abu Dhabi] that it would be very difficult to score any points. There are many corners there and we lacked overall downforce and grip. The car did not ride the curbs very well, so that added to the problems. We started eleventh and finished 12th in the race – and that says it all.”

Turf Moor Diaries: Pound-For-Pound, Manchester City Game Was No Contest

I've never seen so many sightseers in a car park in almost half a century following football. The players' section of the car park at the City of Manchester Stadium that is, where a yellow-jacketed steward was telling excited autogawpers which Ferrari, Porsche, Maserati or personally customised giant 4x4 belonged to which highly paid members of Mark Hughes's £100 million-plus squad.

I've never really been one for cars but there are a lot of men who are, including a few Burnley fans stopping to take pictures. I know Chris Eagles has a Lamborghini, but the fact it made the national press suggested Burnley top of the range car purchases are the exceptions not the rule. The only time I can remember photographers in the Turf Moor car park was to snap former goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly arriving in the Mini he drove all the way from Hungary.

All a long-winded way of saying that from the minute we arrived on Saturday, we felt the gulf in wealth between Abu Dhabi-backed Manchester City and Burnley-backed Burnley.

As my son Calum and I walked towards the away end, a Rolls Royce was dropping a dark suited man in shades at the main entrance, alongside a blacked out Hummer from which emerged a tight-trousered, low-cleavaged, gum-chewing blonde dripping jewels, followed by what looked like a nanny carrying a curly-haired child. The blonde might as well have had WAG tattooed on her forehead.

Nice stadium away end packed lower and upper tier, not a bad atmosphere in the home sections either side of us but not as good as Maine Road. It was Burnley's first visit here though so many more pictures being taken than at Anfield or Stamford Bridge. Big gulf in grounds too.

Then came the football. And suddenly the gulf was not so big at all. To be fair to City, for parts of the game they were nearly as good as us.

"Where were you when you were shite?" Came the question from the City fans. The answer, for most of us, was following Burnley, and loving it when we took on bigger so-called better clubs and reminded them that money isn't everything.

Joleon Lescott cost seven times more than our most expensive player, and at £22 million a lot more than the entire Burnley squad, and then some. Yet when it came to a cross from Tyrone Mears, (£500k rising to £600k if he plays a lot, which he will) no amount of transfer fee or inflated wages could legislate for the stupidity of Lescott raising his arm to give us a penalty. Up stepped Graham Alexander, aged 38, signed for £200k from Preston. 1-nil.

Almost 2-nil from a free kick, saved by Shay Given, (£8 million) but when Gareth Barry (£12 million) was dispossessed by Wade Elliott (free), who has played in every league from non-league up, we set in motion another flowing move which ended with another defensive error from Lescott, and a tap in from our record signing - at three million quid - Steven Fletcher, who was brilliant all day.

When Shaun Wright-Phillips, (£8.5 million reduced from £21 million) their best player, pulled one back just before half-time with the help of a deflection off Stephen Jordan (released by City in 2007) I cannot have been alone in my "here we go again" sinking feeling.

Hughes must have read the riot act at half-time because City were much better in the second, and the sinking feeling went deeper with each of the two goals, from Kolo Toure (£14 million) and Craig Bellamy (also reported to have cost £14 million) which put them 3-2 ahead.

Suddenly the joy and mayhem which greeted the penalty and Fletcher's tap-in seemed a distant memory. But we never gave up. And we had another schoolboy error from another multimillionaire international defender with a big car to come.

What Wayne Bridge (their third £14 million man on the field on Saturday) thought he was doing when he headed the ball lackadaisically into the path of David Nugent (on loan from Portsmouth) is beyond me. It will doubtless be beyond Fabio Capello when he sees the tape.

Nugent pounced, crossed for Fletcher, whose exquisite cushioned header found substitute Kevin McDonald who volleyed home. McDonald was a £500k snip from Scotland's lower leagues, succeeding where 50 million quid's worth of Emmanuel Adebayor and Carlos Tevez had failed.

Cue joy and mayhem with a Claret and Blue cherry on top. Cue the exit of hordes of City fans. How anyone can leave a match at 3-3 with four minutes added time left is as beyond me as Bridge's header. But thousands did. Perhaps they'd gone to look at Lescott's limo.

Burnley fans stayed to cheer every one of the players off the field, and to celebrate our first away point.

Three goals - all scored by Scots - more than doubled our away total for the season. It felt great. Even better to get home in time to see David Haye beat Goliath and then find we were the main match on Match of the Day. I tweeted asking when was the last time that happened? Nobody can remember!

It was a bonus to have Motty as commentator. Still the best in my view and to be fair to him, and to Alan Hansen and Gary Lineker, the story was as much Burnley playing well and fighting hard as it was City misfiring. We even made Lineker's last line, which I know he takes a lot of trouble over.

City - minus their international players - are now off to Abu Dhabi for a nice sunshine break and doubtless for Hughes a nice session or two with Sheikh Mansour who must be wondering, as the Burnley fans were, "where's your money gone? Where's your money gone?"

It is a good question. We have the smallest squad, the smallest transfer bill, the smallest wage bill by a mile, and yet we were more than a match for the Sheikh's expensively assembled collection of car park tourist attractions. Comments (4)

Tags: David+Haye, Ferrari, Gabor+Kiraly, Gary+Lineker, Hummer, Lamborghini, Maine+Road, Maserati, Porsche, Rolls+Royce, WAG

I scooped £11M but didn't squander it ..today I'm worth a Lotto more

I scooped £11M but didn't squander it ..today I'm worth a Lotto more

By Sarah Arnold 8/11/2009

15 YEARS OF LOTTO: MY LIFE SINCE, BY THE ROLLOVER ROMEO

When one-time bad boy Karl Crompton won nearly £11million on the lottery he couldn't spend the cash fast enough.

Karl, who was then just 23, splashed out on Porsches, Ferraris and super-bikes as well as buying designer suits he'd only wear once. He was dubbed Britain's most eligible bachelor, the Rollover Romeo. Yet soon people were muttering that it would not be long before former jailbird Karl got through the lot.

Yet 13 years after he hit the jackpot he's said to be worth twice as much, with an expansive property portfolio. He's also happily married to Nicole, 32, with two sons, Ethan, five, and Jenson, 18 months.

But the former £100-a-week Comet trainee from Blackpool has learned some hard lessons along the way.

"You could say I've been there, done that," said Karl in an exclusive interview to mark 15 years of the Lottery - and as two Brits scooped the £90m Euromillions jackpot. "Now I'm happy just to wear the T-shirt."

Karl is now 35 and all the luxury cars have gone. "I've got a Golf and people keep asking ask me, 'Why haven't you got a '' Ferrari? But that's just not me any more. I'm married with two kids and I've got everything I want. Why would I want to go out and buy all that stuff again?"

It's a dramatic turnaround for Karl. In the months after his win he raced and crashed bikes, flew a helicopter and spent a fortune on holidays around the world. "Once I was sitting in a Bentley in a showroom when the salesman came over, looked me up and down and told me, 'that car is sold'," says Karl.

"I went, 'Oh sorry', and got out. Then I said, 'I'm just waiting for the salesman to bring me the Ferrari that was here because I've just bought it.' You should have seen his face."

He now prefers beer to champagne, but it didn't stop him enjoying a bottle of bubbly or seven at the Cafe de Paris in London when he picked up his Lottery cheque in 1996. "I'm not a champagne drinker but that night we had a complete blow-out. We had about seven bottles of Krug and the bill came to something like £2,000."

But canny Karl also ploughed his winnings into bricks and mortar. When he was 24 he spent £1.5million building a fivebedroom Gothic-style mansion on the Fylde Coast in Lancashire. Last year it was valued at £3.6million.

"My only regret is not buying more properties," said Karl, who bought six places, which he did up and now rents out. He also has another home in Vancouver, Canada, where he plans to move with his wife when the kids have grown up.

Karl had known Nicole Roach since they were at school in Blackpool. She had a boyfriend when he won but they got together 12 months later. They married on September 30, 2006. At home Karl does the gardening but he admits a cleaner now comes once a week as mopping the 10,000 sq ft mansion became too much for him and his wife.

He loves the house, but the heated indoor swimming pool drives him mad. He switched it off in February when he struggled to find some parts and it's now gone green. "That's my next job, to clean it out," he says.

His snooker table is now covered with children's toys, but he found the gym useful training for an amateur fight he won earlier this year. There's a pond in the landscaped gardens and his parents Keith, 67, and mum Pat, 64, live in a separate property at the front. "Sometimes I wonder why I built this house so big," says Karl. "I don't really need it."

Looking back, he confesses he's been ripped off in the past, but got his own back recently on a trip to Marbella with six of his pals.

"We were out with some lads at Nikki Beach having a right laugh. And we ordered a bottle of vodka and it came with sparklers and all these cans of Red Bull.

"It was 900 euros a bottle, so we had two. We knew these other lads were hoping to lumber me with the bill, so we legged it," he says.

But there was no running away when Karl was jailed for assault when he was 20. "Two of my friends got in a fight at a pub when one of them threw a punch and it smacked me on the nose," he says. "My first reaction was to smack him back, but I had a pint glass in my hand and it went in my pal's face.

"The police came and I was arrested. I got nine months. Obviously, I didn't do it on purpose.

"Why would I put a pint glass in my pal's face? I tried to get in contact, but he didn't want to know.

"I've never seen him since. I know he's scarred. I just wanted to tell him, 'Look, you know I didn't mean to hit you, you were my pal'. My mum was devastated.

"When I got sent down I thought I'd be breaking rocks, but in reality it was a joke.

Fassler-Camathias (Trottet Ferrari), New GT Open Champions!

Posted by: MSulka on Saturday, November 07, 2009 - 12:43 PM Texas: NASCAR Sprint Cup Practice 2 Results - Reutimann, Toyota Fastest

It is early morning at Texas Motor Speedway, but the NASCAR Sprint Cup series has fired up the engines for their second practice for Sunday's Dickies 500.

At the front of the field was David Reutimann and his No. 00 Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota with a lap of 28.906 seonds/ 186.812 mph.

Two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart and his No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet were second quick in the session with a lap of 28.921 seconds/ 186.716 mph.

Juan Pablo Montoya and his No. 42 Target Dream In Color Chevrolet was third quick with a lap around the 1.5-mile oval of 28.991 seconds/ 186.265 mph.

Fourth overall, and fresh off a victory last night in the NASCAR Camping World Truck series was Kyle Busch and his No. 18 M&M's Toyota.

Kurt Busch and his No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge rounded out the top five.

All 43 qualified cars turned laps during the practice session.

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Charlie Mitchell column: Edwards hoping for a return to victory lane at Texas

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What REALLY is Raikkonen's plan for 2010?

Kimi Raikkonen is a former World Champion and has spent nine (yes, NINE) years in Formula 1, and what do you know, he may very well not get a drivers seat for the 2010 season.

With the way things are going it looks like Kimi is really not interested in returning to Formula 1 for the next season, the Finn has bid goodbye to the Ferrari team following Fernando Alonso's entry into the Scuderia. Kimi was in fact paid off by Ferrari, since his contract with the team was till the end of 2010. And the former world champion has still not confirmed about which team he would go to for the next season.

The 30-year-old has the McLaren team in negotiations, but that may well be as concrete as water, since he had stated that he Toyota team was interested in roping him in. And we all know what happened to that team (hint: Toyota announced that it has quit F1, and will not return for the 2010 season). Reportedly, Kimi;s asking price is way too high and the Woking team have expressed displeasure with the mammoth figure. Despite the reports, though, the 2007 World Champion it not at all anxious about his future.

"It's hard to believe that I have been in Formula One for nine years already," Raikkonen told his official website. "I am very motivated to win races and a Championship again and will only remain in F1 if I can race for a team that can give me a car to fight at the front. Let's wait and see what happens" he added.

Kimi stated that returning for the next season would indeed be interesting what with the new changes made by the FIA. "Everybody can focus on next year like Ferrari have done already many weeks," he said. "Is it going to be different? At least there are not so many changes next year. No refueling and smaller front tyres are the main things. At the start of the race the cars will feel very difficult to drive with so much fuel on board, so preserving the tyres will play a part.

"Qualifying is now old days where we do not use fuel so that will be more fun." he added. One thing is for sure, Ferrari dumped Kimi because of the lack of sponsors he gets for the team, and his lack of interest in PR hits Ferrari as well. Fernando Alonso is a very marketable driver, he appears on more magazine covers in a month than Kimi has done so in his whole life.

November 8, 2009

Raikkonen still undecided

After nine years in Formula One, Kimi Raikkonen faces an uncertain future as the former world champion has yet to put pen to paper on a deal for next season.

Having opted to leave Ferrari a year early, Raikkonen said farewell to the Scuderia at last weekend's season finale in Abu Dhabi. However, it remains to be seen whether it was also his goodbye to Formula One.

The 30-year-old, who turned down an offer from Toyota prior to the team's withdrawal from the sport, has on numerous occasions stated that he will only race for a team capable of winning the world title. More to the point, he'll only race for McLaren.

And although he had been talking with the Woking team, reports claim the negotiations broke down due to Raikkonen's salary demands.

Despite the reports, though, the 2007 world champion it not at all anxious about his future.

"It's hard to believe that I have been in Formula One for nine years already," Raikkonen told his official website.

"I am very motivated to win races and a championship again and will only remain in F1 if I can race for a team that can give me a car to fight at the front.

"Let's wait and see what happens."

And although Raikkonen has already stated that rallying or even a year on the sidelines are options, the Finn would like to tackle Formula One's new 2010 regulations, which include a ban on refueling.

"Everybody can focus on next year like Ferrari have done already many weeks," he said. "Is it going to be different? At least there are not so many changes next year.

"No refueling and smaller front tyres are the main things. At the start of the race the cars will feel very difficult to drive with so much fuel on board, so preserving the tyres will play a part.

"Qualifying is now like the old days where we do not use fuel so that will be more fun."

The car in front is no longer a Toyota

Toyota's Jarno Trulli crashes at the start of the Spanish Grand Prix. Photograph: Albert Gea/Reuters

Jarno Trulli says he was not in the least surprised by Toyota's sudden withdrawal from Formula One on Tuesday. In which case, he was almost alone among more than 800 team members, led by John Howett, the president of Toyota Motorsport. When interviewed by the BBC during qualifying for the Brazilian grand prix on 17 October and asked about his driver line-up for 2010, Howett said: "We've made an offer to Kimi Raikkonen. We think it's fair. We've got a good track record looking after Scandinavians who like to enjoy themselves."

Howett was either deliberately misleading the Ferrari driver, not to mention the television audience, or he did not have the faintest clue about the thunderbolt that was about to travel from Tokyo and impact on the team's headquarters in Cologne. Given the 57-year-old Englishman's status as one of the most honest and uncomplicated men in the paddock, it was undoubtedly the latter. The fact that the sole person responsible to the board of the largest motor company in the world did not see this coming says everything about the dangers of a relatively small business such as Formula One not so much embracing motor manufacturers, but allowing itself to be sucked in by their profligate ways.

Formula One only has itself to blame for expanding rapidly with highly paid technicians and making the payroll a significant item of expenditure. That figure accounts for at least 30% of the Toyota team's $330m (£200m) 2009 budget, into which the parent company paid $214m, the rest coming from sponsorship and television fees. And this was a substantial reduction from a €390m ($580m at today's rate) budget in 2006.

It will have mattered little to the Toyota board that their team ranked fourth in the spending chart behind Ferrari, BMW and McLaren-Mercedes or that the Formula One investment – and that is the correct word given the global profile and accelerated technical feedback provided for the road car division – would not have scratched the surface of an ashtray redesign on the Yaris. The company will lose an estimated $8.3bn and something had to be seen to be done. The board, many of whom would have known little about Formula One and probably cared even less, had no alternative. Their best intentions were crushed by a global recession the scale of which was beyond the imagination of even the shrewdest company accountant when Toyota committed to Formula One in 1999. No one in the sport should be in the least surprised.

Trulli's wise-after-the-event analysis was prompted less by clever forecasting and more by the thought that Toyota were unlikely to re-employ him after another mediocre season. The Italian's frequently excellent qualifying runs were not matched in the races, to such an extent that rival teams, when planning pit-stop tactics, would go to great lengths to avoid having their drivers stuck behind the Toyota in what became known as the "Trulli train".

True to form, Trulli qualified sixth in Abu Dhabi last weekend and finished seventh, his lacklustre showing being exacerbated by Kamui Kobayashi as the novice, in yet another feisty drive, leapfrogged his team-mate while moving from 12th to sixth. Kobayashi is one of the many unfortunate victims of the withdrawal since he had done enough to warrant a full‑time drive with Toyota in 2010. It will be no surprise if one of the four new teams snaps up the 23-year-old Japanese.

Either way, early reports of Formula One's death are exaggerated as the sport regroups. The disappearance in 11 months of Honda, BMW and Toyota could be seen as the tipping point as the emphasis returns to compact and efficient teams with racing as their core business.

Regardless of the structure of the entry for 2010 and beyond, the processional race in Abu Dhabi – enriched only by a superb fight for second between Mark Webber and Jenson Button during the closing laps – demonstrated that you can spend millions on a facility that wants for nothing, but which is meaningless if the cars cannot run in close company and the track design, despite being brand new, incorporates chicanes that throttle the life out of wheel-to-wheel racing.

The in-tray of Jean Todt will be filled with legal correspondence over Toyota suddenly quitting despite having committed to Formula One until 2012. The new FIA president needs, as a priority, to examine why teams such as Brawn and Toyota were able to legally introduce the double diffuser at the back of their 2009 cars, thus negating at a stroke the valuable work of the so-called Overtaking Committee and making the aerodynamic device de rigueur at the expense of overtaking on new tracks with their cardboard cutout, standard‑issue corners. Not, of course, that the double diffuser did Toyota any good as the Formula One team failed to score the maiden win that might, just might, have kept them in the sport. 

Behind the Wheel | Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport

This removable-roof version of the Veyron coupe costs 1.4 million euros, or roughly $2.1 million. I say roughly, because the Bugatti’s price can fluctuate about $14,000 a day simply from one-cent adjustments in exchange rates.

For that price, a rare species of car owner gets a rocket that gleams across the planet’s surface faster than any true production automobile that has come before. The Bugatti shifts occupants around like a Star Trek transporter: from a standstill to 60 miles per hour in 2.7 seconds, to 125 m.p.h. in just over 7 seconds and on to a top speed of 253 m.p.h. — though 401 kilometers per hour has a better bullet-train ring to it.

Particulars include 1,001 horsepower, 16 cylinders, 8 liters of engine displacement, 4 turbochargers, all-wheel drive and a dual-clutch automatic transmission. Only 150 Grand Sports will be built, tacked onto 300 editions of the Veyron coupe, making the Bugatti the automotive equivalent of a Fabergé egg. A $450,000 deposit gets that egg rolling at Bugatti’s atelier in Molsheim, France.

As a fast-car fanboy, this is where I should need a squeegee to wipe the drool off the page. But while the Saudi sheiks who’ll buy the Grand Sport want my advice as much as they want electric cars, the Bugatti ultimately doesn’t do it for me.

Though I generally test cars for a week, I was granted barely an hour’s audience with the Bugatti. But as with my previous test of the coupe, my impression was of a car so overqualified for public roads that even the ultra-rich would be better off with a more approachable sports car.

Bugatti’s main achievement was making a car that weighs nearly 4,400 pounds — 1,100 more than a Corvette or Porsche 911 — accelerate and handle so well. The second achievement, and no small feat, is how a midengine exotic with more power than a Formula One racer manages to feel comfortable and pliable even in city traffic. With just a little instruction, your grandmother could drive this car at 150 m.p.h. while knitting a Nomex racing suit.

Press the gas pedal, thwack the paddle shifters and the next thing you know the aero wing emerges from the rear deck — a sign that you’ve already crested 137 m.p.h.

To run safely at speeds above 233 m.p.h., drivers must insert a second, special key that lowers the body and closes the front diffuser flaps Batmobile-style. That key, I might add, stayed hidden in the pocket of John Hill, Bugatti’s American market manager, who rode shotgun with me.

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The convertible buttresses the lost roof with reinforced doors and carbon-fiber bracing, including supports in the roof-mounted air intakes to bolster rollover protection. With near-zero storage space (and nary a cup holder), the removable transparent hardtop must be stashed in a garage, perhaps on a chinchilla throw. The carries a flimsy canvas roof for sudden downpours, but it’s not recommended above 100 m.p.h., lest it fly off like a bad toupée.

I definitely prefer the targa-top Grand Sport to the Veyron coupe, because it lets you hear the 16 cylinders churning behind your head, along with the quad turbochargers slurping air and burping off the excess.

The car comes with a great cocktail-party boast: if your Veyron, at rest, were passed by a $500,000 Mercedes McLaren SLR doing 100 m.p.h., you could floor the accelerator and still reach 200 m.p.h. before the Mercedes could match its speed.

That kind of physics-textbook problem is where my issues begin. At speeds where cars from a $40,000 Nissan 370Z to a $90,000 Porsche 911 become your wingmen, delivering pure blasts of driving joy, the Bugatti feels bored to death. The artillery-shell acceleration is diverting, but the Bugatti leaves you nowhere else to go, except directly to jail.

Many Bugatti buyers surely have access to racetracks, yet I’m equally sure that 90-some percent of them won’t have nearly enough driving talent to exercise this car. Mostly, I picture Euro-poseurs needing valet assistance to back up the Bugatti in Monaco, while jaws drop and the owner barks orders into his diamond-encrusted cellphone. When your car makes a Lamborghini seem tasteful, there’s a problem.

As with the New York Yankees or most Picasso paintings, I respect the Bugatti as an engineering exercise and a conglomeration of overpriced talent. Yet I might argue that any $2 million car should be powered by hydrogen, electricity — even nuclear fusion — not a gas engine blown up to overkill proportions. The Bugatti isn’t the future of the fast car; it’s the past writ in extra-large type.

I try to avoid the pointless game of adding up the many cars you could have for the price of one exotic. The truth is that the exotic-car buyer is quite proficient at math. He wants what he wants, and he can afford it.

But this time I’ll make an exception. For half the Bugatti’s price, one could buy four genuine exotics that I find better looking and more rewarding: the Ferrari F430, Lamborghini Gallardo, Audi R8 V-10 and Aston Martin DBS. That would still leave $1 million for a 10-car garage filled with classics like a Jaguar E-Type and a Corvette Sting Ray fuelie.

But once again, why would a Bugatti prospect care what I think? I’d be the guy tracking exchange rates on the Veyron, hoping to save enough to get a free Hyundai.

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INSIDE TRACK: Right at home on a richer planet.

Next Article in Automobiles (3 of 27) » A version of this article appeared in print on November 8, 2009, on page AU2 of the New York edition.

PF1's Prediction Bloopers & Troopers

PF1's Michelle Foster, Frank Hopkinson and Pete Gill, plus Skybet's Dave Pilgrim and Autotrader's Keith Collantine looked at their crystal balls at the start of the season. Some were dustier than others...

01. Who will win the Drivers' Championship?Jenson Button won the titleMF: Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn is determined to bounce back from last year's humiliation and I'm confident he can do it. - 0FH: Robert Kubica - Now that we've dispensed with that pesky driver-with-the-most-wins formula, Kubica has an ever greater chance of taking his maiden title. He has Schumacher's (that's Michael not Ralf) Terminator-like ability to never give up. Even with a slower, less-developed car he was able to challenge till late in the 2008 season. His biggest hazard will be Nick Heidfeld taking points away from him. - 0PG: Kimi Raikkonen. It's make or break time for the Finn. And I reckon it might - hopefully - be the making of him. - 0DP: Robert Kubica - the young Pole was arguably denied a realistic shot at the title last season after BMW chose to develop the 2009 car primarily, and they could find themselves among the quickest cars this time around. - 0KC: I've been watching F1 for 20 years and I've never known a season that's been harder to predict. BMW have looked consistently strong throughout testing, made an early start on the F1.09 and got a lot of mileage in. So I'm going to say Robert Kubica. - 0

02. And the Constructors' will go to?Brawn GP the titleMF: Ferrari. Naturally. The Italian outfit has a great car and two strong drivers. McLaren, though, have only one strong driver in Lewis Hamilton so once again Heikki Kovalainen will cost them the Constructors' crown. - 0FH: BMW. They have spent the most development time on KERS and have experienced fewest pre-season problems of the Ferrari-McLaren-BMW triumvirate. That's not to say that Toyota, Renault and Brawn won't win races in 2009, but last season's top three can be relied on to keep the car fast over the course of a season. - 0PG: Ferrari. - 0DP: Ferrari - Two experienced drivers who both know how to win, and positive noises coming from the Maranello outfit. - 0KC: BMW. Reliability will play a big role and theres has been outstanding in recent years. - 0

03. Who will score more points - Button or Hamilton?Jenson Button scored 95 to Lewis Hamilton's 49MF: Hamilton. I can't for the life of me see Brawn GP matching McLaren. - 0FH: Hamilton, but not at first. Button's early season success will be dependent on the Brawn diffuser not being deemed illegal. If they have to radically alter the back end of the car with limited on-track testing then that picture could change radically. - 0PG: Button will start the season with the fastest car and as there's no guarantee that McLaren will be able to recover what they've lost then it's only sensible to back Button here. - 1DP: Tough one given the early testing times, but I'm going to say Lewis by a narrow margin. McLaren may find themselves playing catch-up but they have the experience to fight at the front once they get the car sorted out. - 0KC: Hamilton. Brawn are fast now but will they still be halfway through the season? - 0

04. Who will be in pole position in Melbourne?Jenson Button took pole position in AustraliaMF: Ferrari. - 0FH: Jarno Trulli. He's good on the streets and the Toyota is in spanking form. That doesn't mean to say he'll win, though. - 0PG: Jenson is probably the favourite so I'll take an outside shot with Rubens Barrichello. - 0DP: Button looks to have as good a shot as anyone, and I'd not be surprised to see him pip Felipe Massa to pole. - 1KC: Button. - 1

05. And who will suffer the first retirement of the season?Heikki Kovalainen retired on lap 1 in Melbourne due to a broken front suspensionMF: It will be one of the Toro Rosso drivers. They've barely tested and I think they will pay the price come Australia. - 0FH: If it's for a mechanical reason then the gods always favour Red Bull. Let's just hope it's not Mark Webber at his home GP. If it's for a pushing-too-hard reason then it could well be Lewis Hamilton. The barriers are close in Albert Park and the McLaren MP4-24 isn't as fast as he wants it to be. - 0PG: Considering their lack of testing, either a Force India or Toro Rosso. Seb Bourdais doesn't seem to be one of life's lucky men so he'll be my pick. - 0DP: Much depends who chooses to run KERS, but I'm going to have a stab at Force India who haven't had a lot of testing time. - 0KC: Mark Webber, luck running true to form. - 0

06. Who will cause the year's biggest scandal?Renault did with their Singapore GP race-fixingMF: Well here's hoping Max Mosley stays out the headlines (I'm still having nightmares over that) but alas I think it will be him but in his capacity as head of the FIA. In fact the FIA have already caused a scandal with their rather daft 'winner-takes-all' scheme, which has now been pushed back to 2010. - 0FH: It looks like the FIA and FOTA are heading for a showdown over budget caps. There could be significant fall-out. It's hard to tell if this barking idea from Max is yet another of his negotiating points or he really is sincere in the belief that what F1 needs to attract more people to watch it is a set of incomprehensible technical rules. - 0PG: Tamara Ecclestone. Well, we can but hope. - 0DP: I'm going for the Diffuser Row which threatens to over shadow the beginning of a cracking season. - 0KC: Max Mosley, again. - 0

07. Which driver will be replaced before the year is out?Renault replaced Nelson Piquet Jr and Toro Rosso, Sebastien BourdaisMF: I think all the drivers will see out the season. Given the new in-season test ban it would be one hell of a risk to bring someone else in during the year who hasn't had time in the car. - 0FH: None. They'll all have too much fun for that. The only rookie, Buemi, looks like the real deal, the only replacement might come through injury. The drivers who might go at the end of the season are Fisichella and Barrichello. But if Rubens has a good year who's to stop him going on? - 0PG: Nelson Piquet jr. Another humiliation awaits. - 1DP: I think the same 20 drivers will complete the season this time around, but Nelson Piquet Jr needs to improve his stock if he is to ensure a full season in F1. - 1KC: Nelson Piquet Jnr, for Romain Grosjean. - 1

08. Raikkonen or Massa?Kimi Raikkonen won the Ferrari battle as Felipe Massa was injuredMF: Raikkonen. As said earlier I think he will win the title. - 1FH: Raikkonen. Massa works best when he's got pole position and a clear track and he can just wind out faster and faster laps. It looks like they'll be less chances of that in 2009 thanks to the progress of Toyota, Brawn and BMW. Raikkonen can mix it in the pack and still come through and so he's a much better driver for a slower Ferrari. - 1PG: I've backed Kimi for the title so I'll have to back him here as well. But I do consider Felipe to be the most under-rated driver in the sport. - 1DP: Massa - showed maturity in 2008 and can kick on from there with another good season. - 0KC: I'm not going to make the mistake of underestimating Massa yet again - but I think Raikkonen will be closer this year. - 0

09. Will the season prove Brawn's winter testing pace was real?It did, especially as they won both titlesMF: Hmm, I'm in two minds about this. Yes and no. I think Brawn's winter pace is in qualifying trim, so give them points for qualifying near the front of the pack. But I think in grands prix they may suffer from a lacking of mileage. - 1/2FH: Yes. Providing they don't have to redesign the back end of the car around a different diffuser. It looks like there will be protests over their interpretation of the 2009 regs in Melbourne. - 1PG: Why wouldn't it be? They were consistently quick throughout testing and have been working on that car for over a year. Honda should be kicking themselves. - 1DP: Yes. I was initially sceptical about the pace, but it looks genuine and they will start the season strongly. Whether they can keep improving ahead of their rivals is probably the bigger question. - 1KC: They will be quick (though not whole seconds per laps quicker than the opposition) early in the season, but I suspect most of their rivals will develop their cars more quickly. - 1

10. Will this be Toyota's breakthrough year?Nope, it fact it was the year Toyota announced they're quittingMF: They had better otherwise it seems Toyota could withdraw from F1. But will they? I don't think so. - 1FH: Yes (but see above). It has to be. The world's car giant is not immune from the massive emergency stop that has happened to car sales. They should come away with at least a couple of victories and it might be Glock that does it for them. - 0PG: If by 'breakthrough' we mean race wins then I still suspect they will come up just short. - 1DP: No. I don't expect a great deal form the Japanese outfit despite upbeat talk from the team. - 1

11. Will Force India score any points?Force India bagged 13 points, including two podium finishesMF: Yes, not many, but yes they will. - 1FH: Yes - with all the front wing carnage that's going to happen, being tucked away at the back of the grid is going to be a good option for them to come through. They won't win from pole, though. - 1PG: Nope. - 0DP: Yes, I think we could see some unexpected results this year, and Force India can capitalise with the odd point here and there. - 1KC: Yes, when it rains. - 1

12. Lewis Hamilton will first be punished by the stewards/summoned to appear in front of them at which grand prix?Hamilton was punished post-Melbourne in the liargate scandalMF: It won't happen before the half-way stage of the season and the title race starts to heat up. So lets go with... - 0FH: Melbourne. Lewis will tread on a crack in the pavement and that will be enough to haul him in. - 1PG: Melbourne. - 1DP: Monaco always throws up controversy so lets go for that one! - 0KC: Monaco. - 0

13. Will Max Mosley be re-elected as FIA President?Max didn't even stand, Jean Todt was elected presidentMF: Geez I was seriously surprised that he was given a vote of confidence. But given the way he's pushing for cost-cutting measures I'll say yes. - 0FH: Max doesn't want to go when there's unfinished business and it's highly unlikely that he'll be able to wrap up an agreement on budget caps before the end of the season. Despite all the lurid revelations in the press, the latest mistake about the driver points system might hurt him most. It was an embarrassing slip up, compounded by the explanations afterwards. Max says he "was told by Bernie" that the teams had agreed it. What a casual way to make rules. Considering FOTA had trumpeted their new points scoring system which the FIA considered and rejected how could they possibly think that FOTA were in agreement. It's not even a sensible excuse. Max will stand again but he won't be re-elected. - 1.2PG: Rule number one: Never, ever underestimate Max Mosley. So that's a 'yes'. - 0DP: No. Time for a change, and there are better men for the job in my opinion. - 1KC: Inevitably. - 0

14. Which grand prix will learn they've been axed during the course of the season?Although the Brit GP was held at Silverstone, new home Donington got the bootMF: Hungary. Please, please drop Hungary. - 0FH: Turkey. (Though Donington is the obvious answer) - 0PG: Great Britain. - 1DP: Spa and Monza could be under threat if Bernie continues to hike prices. - 0KC: Germany. - 0

15. Kubica or Heidfeld?Nick Heidfeld beat Robert Kubica by two pointsMF: While Heidfeld's smaller stature will count for a lot with the cars fitted with KERS, I reckon Kubica is heads and shoulders above the German. - 0FH: Kubica, but it will be closer than 2008. - 0PG: Nobody could back Heidfeld over Kubica, could they? - 0DP: Kubica. No contest. - 0KC: Kubica. - 0

16. The biggest disappointment of the season will be...The new technical regulations failing to make good race ranks at the topMF: KERS. It won't have the desired effect of increasing overtaking. If both drivers push the button, well that negates it. And as for those front wings... all they are going to do is increase the number of accident. - 1FH: Red Bull. The 'clean sheet of paper' was going to be just what Adrian Newey needed to show that he was the pre-eminent F1 designer, but it'll be the engineering side of the operation that lets the team down. Heikki Kovalainen should also be in a position to battle it out with Lewis Hamilton. And won't. - 0PG: Seeing Fernando Alonso in an uncompetitive car. Then again, I wouldn't write him off for somehow salvaging a few decent results from a bad job. - 0DP: For us personally it will be the day we payout on Button for the Drivers' Championship, but assuming we avoid that day, I'll predict Hamilton's defence of his title if McLaren don't get their act together quickly. - 1KC: See question 13. - 0

17. In what month will the first 'Alonso to Ferrari' story be published on the site?They started when the year began and finally ended with the confirmation in SeptemberMF: Haven't we published it already? - 1FH: The moment that Renault start to look like non-contenders in the Championship race, or the second that Raikkonen or Massa falls behind their team-mate. - 0PG: April. As I have the publishing rights, this is one prediction that I can guarantee will be prescient. - 1DP: April. - 1KC: You mean it hasn't been already? - 1

18. Will 2009 be Rubens or Fisichella's last season?Rubens will move to Williams next season, Fisichella is out of racingMF: Hey I'm surprised Barrichello even made the grid this year! - 0FH: Fisichella's for sure. He was a lucky boy to be racing in 2009. As a big Rubinho fan I can see him going on like Celine Dion. - 1PG: Hopefully both. I'm a fan of neither. - 1/2DP: Yes, both will hang up their gloves come the end of the season I think. - 1/2KC: Fisichella. - 1

19. Biggest surprise of the year?Brawn GP pulled off the surprise of the seasonMF: Nothing actually changes. Despite all the new regulations, blah, blah, the order will remain the same. No one is going to pull of a surprise and hit the front when they aren't expected to and McLaren and Ferrari won't be finishing last. - 0FH: Flavio Briatore will walk away from the sport. Once he knows for certain that Alonso is off to Ferrari in 2010 then he'll call it a day. - 1/2PG: Timo Glock. - 0DP: Brawn GP - 1KC: Jarno Trulli. - 0

20. Biggest mistake of the year?The 2009 Championship was a year full of mistakes from all quartersMF: McLaren sandbagging in winter testing because it's going to cost them when they head to Melbourne and realise they actually are not that fast and could have rather used the time doing something productive - like working on their pace. - 1FH: Has already happened. The FIA's failure to read their own rulebook and try and implement a rule without checking with the teams - going on the nod of the person whose idea the whole thing was - is verging on the ridiculous. No slip-up under pressure, no missed red light, no errant wheel, no wrong strategy call, no poor overtaking move, no refuelling disaster can come close to the utter stupidity of it. All the face-saving bluster just makes it worse. If you want something that's yet to happen, then we'll have some stewarding decisions on the epic scale of Mount Fuji 2008. - 1PG: Probably my endorsement of Kimi and Timo... - 1DP: Not sure, but it will involve decision making, the Stewards and the FIA... In no particular order. - 1KC: Putting green paint on half the tyres. Ugly as sin, blatant greenwash. - 1

ResultsMF: 6 1/2FH: 7PG: 9 1/2DP: 10 1/2KC: 7

Congrats to Dave... good thing he's the betting man

The car that's a breathtaking work of art

hen it comes to choosing a career, they say “do you something you love and you'll never work a day in your life.” I'm very fortunate that I fit into the category of people who, quite literally, were able to make their dreams come true.

When I was young I dreamed of being a racecar driver. I think that every five year-old boy, when they grow up, wants to be a fire fighter, an astronaut or a racecar driver. I guess I just never grew up because several years on, I am incredibly fortunate to be a driver in the Indy Lights series. I'm sure you've all heard of IndyCars, and to put things in perspective, Indy Lights is to IndyCars what OHL is to NHL, or what college football is to the NFL.

Now that you understand a little bit about who I am and what I do, I hope you can appreciate that cars and driving are passions of mine and my goal through this column is to share some of my experiences and thoughts of road cars and the goings-on of the automotive world.

James Hinchcliffe

Being someone who races cars for a living, I get the opportunity to drive a lot of road cars. I have had the chance to drive everything from family transporters to exotic super cars. One of the perks of the job. A common question I get asked is this: What do I think is the best car on the road?

This is a tough question to answer because the auto industry does this pesky little thing called designing new cars. That means that what you think is your favourite car today could be easily usurped by the latest creation from Ferrari or Lamborghini tomorrow. New cars come out so often, with the expectation that they will be better than their predecessor, that it is rare that one car will hold the top spot for too long.

I was a victim of this phenomenon for a while. The Ferrari F355 was followed by the Aston Martin Vanquish was followed by the Porsche Carrera GT, all in quick succession. There was always a new car to shock the senses and win over the masses.

Then I started driving them.

I'll never forget the first Ferrari I got to drive, or the first Porsche, or the first Lambo. Actually getting to drive these cars, rather than forming opinions based on looks and 0-60 times, changed my perspective dramatically. Yes, they are beautiful. Yes, they are fast enough to scare you. However, they were pigs to drive at low speed, the electronics often got in the way, the seats were great for the track but not comfortable for a drive to work. Unless you only owned one for track days, they simply weren't practical. Beautiful, but not practical.

I started to think that maybe that's just what super cars are all about. You had to be willing to sacrifice a smooth ride, a reasonable clutch and some creature comforts to drive something that sounded like an eight-cylinder orchestra and looked like Angelina Jolie on wheels. They didn't have to be practical.

That was until Audi packed on some pounds and entered the ‘heavy weight' class of the automotive world; this class is known as the super car. It is not hard to find a car that looks beautiful. To find a car that is beautiful, drives well, sounds great and will not cost you an arm, leg and first-born child is tougher than getting your money back from Madoff.

Audi did the impossible with the work-of-art-on-wheels they call the R8. In a class of car that includes the Ferrari Enzo, Porsche Carrera GT and Bugatti Veyron, they created a car that ticks every single box you could possibly imagine. And some you hadn't thought of yet.

When you think “super car,” you think “fast.” The R8 certainly doesn't slack off in this category. With 414 hp and a 0-100km/h time of 4.4 seconds, this German goddess keeps up with its greatest rivals from Italy, America and Japan. Going fast is something all super cars do well. What makes the R8 the valedictorian of the super-car class is how comfortable it is when driving slow.

This car can cruise around town effortlessly and is even a dream in bumper-to-bumper traffic! If you didn't know that you were sitting in a super car, it would be easy to think you were driving a luxury sedan. The ride is a dream, the finish is top class and it has all the bells and whistles you could want in a ride. And then, just when you think you are getting comfortable, you step on it, and instantly this car turns into more racecar than should be legal.

I have never driven a car that is so easy and forgiving to drive around town, but can still hold its own when being put through its paces. On top of that, the look of this car is breathtaking. It bucks the trend of wedge shaped, rear-engine cars and went the way of curvy lines and soft edges without losing that sexy, aggressive look. It's such a unique look that it won't be mistaken on the road.

Top all that off with a price tag of around $160,000, a fraction of most of its immediate competition, and the bang-for-buck ratio is unmatched on the road today. The industry will keep on making new cars, but I feel like the R8 will sit atop my list for quite some time.