Of the more than 100...
Of the more than 100 on-sale cars that I"ve driven in the last 12 months, which examples proved to be best in class? It"s something I am asked at the end of every year, and it"s a question that"s considerably easier to ask than answer. But here goes... Starting at the bottom of the ladder, it seems to me that the battle is between the Citroen C1/Peugeot 107/Toyota Aygo family, the Volkswagen Fox and trusty Kia Picanto for the title of top budget motor. But the VW just nicks it, because it"s a proper, spacious, if slightly crude, car for silly money - £6,590.
The new supercar will...
The new supercar will slot in between the F430 and the flagship 612 Scaglietti. While the mag"s snappers have caught test mules on the road before (issue 829), a new picture in this week"s issue shows the production version under a thin sheet on the back of a trailer. They"ve also captured a more heavily disguised model out on a test drive.
Its distinctive front-end styling is borrowed from the 612, but the rear is far sleeker. With seating for two, the designers have been free to give the new GT classic proportions to match its awesome performance. Expected to be called the F600 Imola, the Lamborghini Murci©lago rival takes the first part of its name from its powerplant - a 6.0-litre, 600bhp V12. This is a detuned version of the engine from the Enzo supercar, and is likely to help propel the new model from 0-60mph in around four seconds. Imola is a reference to the famous circuit which hosts Formula One"s San Marino Grand Prix.
Ferrari"s team of engineers are currently putting in countless laps of the firm"s Fiorano test track near the factory headquarters in Maranello to ensure top-quality handling.
Supercar fans are likely to see the F600 in showrooms next year. As with its 575M predecessor, the newcomer is also expected to be available as an open-top Berlinetta. It could even adopt a similar roof mechanism to that of the latest Superamerica.