The Model Spot - SA

If “Everybody Hates Chris”, as the TV series own name states, Mini would suffer from the same problem if it was a character, but in different terms: “Every Compact Car Hates Mini”. All competitors aim to beat it somehow and Alfa Romeo is no exception. Its little contender has been called many (good) names, such as Junior, Furiosa (furious) and, lately, MiTo, an acronym for Milano (Milan), Alfa’s headquarter and the place where the little car has been designed, and Torino (Turin), Fiat’s headquarters, where the car will be built. And this is the name chosen for the new car, only with a dot in the middle (Mi.To), with the meaning we have already told you. It could also stand for “Mini Torturer”, but Alfa would elegantly not admit it (only wish for it). It will rather say Mi.To could also be understood as Myth (Mito, in Italian). And this is also something Alfa wishes the new car to become.

With its official presentation for the international press members scheduled for June, and sales little after it, in July, the Mi.To is based on the Fiat Grande Punto’s platform (hence Turin as its manufacturing site) and is 4.06 m long, 1.72 m wide and 1.44 m high. Wheelbase has not been informed, but it will quite likely be the same one that its Fiat counterpart holds: 2.52 m.

Ferrari tuning, some see it as in bad taste while some argue that everything, including prancing pony super cars, can be improved upon. Most tuning companies draw the line at new rims, over-sized rear spoilers and carbon-fibre body kits, but sometimes you come across more extremely 'tuned' cars.

One of these extreme cars is the stretched 2000 Ferrari 360 which seats 8 people and is now on sale on eBay for GBP 150,000 (Euro 195,000). This is not a collectors item, this is a business all on its own and comes with two website URL's and will cost customers GBP 700 an hour to rent. The eight carbon fibre sport seats can be accessed through two huge electric gullwing doors.

Ferrari headquarters however are not amused by this unique Ferrari and sent out their lawyers to ask Dan Cawley, the current owner, to remove all Ferrari and 360 Modena badges from the car. Reasoning behind it is that the 6 meter long limo is no longer an actual Ferrari and that he is infringing on their copyright.

Cawley asks in return via TimesOnline: “What kind of precedent does it set when you can’t do what you like with your own property?”

With sales totaling just over 1000 units in Europe during 2006, the Corvette lacks traction for this market. With the likes of Maserati's, Aston Matin's, Porsche's, Audi RS's, Ferrari's, Mercedes AMG's, etc. painting the urban landscape in Europe, Corvette just doesn't evoke the same passion. In fact, it's quite a different reaction as demonstrated by Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson who took a helicopter gunship to the C6 Corvette last year. Why should that be? Perhaps it is a lack of credibility with American high-performance cars since there are only a handful of vehicles capable of mixing it up with their European and Japanese counterparts. Or maybe it's America's fascination with straight line performance? Whatever the reasons, Americans don't care. Their beloved Corvette is the culmination of motorsport excellence and 50 years of refinement and this latest pure-bred is the most anticipated and best Corvette yet.

Due for arrival in summer of 2008 as a 2009 model, the Corvette ZR-1 represents the ultimate Corvette.

First '08 Ferrari F430 GT2 Delivered

The world's first 2008 Ferrari F430 GT2 was delivered this week, and racing team CR Scuderia were the lucky recipients.  Team driver Andrew Kirkaldy put the car through its paces in near-freezing conditions at Fiorano, Italy, accoring to Italiaspeed.

Our friends over at Autoblog believe the changes on the 2008-spec to be minimal, since it already took home the GT2 championships in the FIA GT series and American Le Mans series.  However, Kirkaldy seems emphatic that this new GT2 is an improvement on the '07.

Kirkaldy told Italiaspeed, "The new car is a clear step up from this year, so I'm excited about our prospects for 2008."  That might be enough for us to place some bets with our bookies.

The car is now on its way to England, where it will be put through the ringer one more time by CR Scuderia.  The 2008 Ferrari F430 GT2 will make its public debut when it is shown at January's Autosport International.