Ferrari 430 Scuderia

40. Ferrari 430 Scuderia: Considered the greatest road-going sports car of all. The Stig would have one and he'd thrape it hard on weekends.

Lambo Murcielago R-GT

29. Murcielago R-GT: Lambo doesn't go racing very often, and didn't officially go racing with this, so it's a rare groove beast and it has 580 hp.

Mazda Furai

10. Mazda Furai: The Stig's idea of a concept car. Not a concept car that sits around at motor shows looking pretty, but one that gets up and hammers around a track. The 460-hp rotary engine helps.

Lambo Reventon

1. Lamborghini Reventon: There's something about the black ops stealth tech look of this ultimate Lambo that makes us think Stig might not be able to resist it.

BMW X6

Looks, frankly, terrible. The ultimate two-fingers to all other road users that takes up road space while not making the best use of it; coupe body over X5-sized chassis. It does however, drive like precisely nothing else on the road.

Comfort
Surprisingly comfy over long distances, and every engine makes for relaxed cruising. The ride isn’t too hard even given the usual optional 20s running 335mm rubber, which is supercar wide. Space inside is also fine up front and for the two people in the rear, though headroom is marginally less accommodating than the X5 thanks to the sloping rear end. 11 out of 20

Performance
Four motors on offer, two diesels, two petrols. The two six-cylinder 3.0-litre diesels use one and two blowers respectively, giving 0-62mph in eight (232bhp) and just under seven (286bhp) seconds. The straight-six 35i petrol has 302bhp and gets to the benchmark in 6.7 seconds and runs on to just under 150mph. The big hitter is the twin-turbo 50i, with a bi-turbo 4.4-litre V8 and 407bhp. It’ll hit 62mph in 5.2, bang it’s head on an electronic limiter at 155mph and scare everything this side of a Porsche 911. We wish we were kidding. 17 out of 20

Cool
You will notice that no letters of the word 'cool' are contained within 'BMW X6'. This is no coincidence...4 out of 20

Quality
As per the new X5, so a very solid performance from the BMW stable. Solid materials usage, good detailing, panel gaps that fit. This is a nicely finished car, even if it is built in America. 13 out of 20

Handling
Distorts what you expect from something with this high-looking C-of-G. The X6 covers ground, rough or otherwise with the same determination as a Bowler Nemesis, except with nice leather and a decent radio. Body control is superb, traction is always without peer thanks to xDrive, DPC (dynamic Performance Control) and DSC (Dynamic Stability Control). It will surprise you. You will still hate the way it looks. 16 out of 20

Practicality
Vision is limited thanks to that shape - the rear 'screen is a slot. There are only four seats and the boot is smaller than an X5's - but not by as much as you might imagine. The rear hatch lip is also very high - you’ll be struggling to get things out of the back if you’re short - though there is a very handy under-floor storage bin for hiding stuff. 11 out of 20

Running costs
Expensive. All hit the max tax bracket, and you’ll be fuelling that 50i with everything you’ve got. Best just set fire to your wallet and have done. Best will be the single-turbo diesel, but this is still a big car with an appetite. 1 out of 20
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Audi A4

The new Audi A4 is the first in a new generation of Audis (A5, R8 included) that have learned how to ride. A wonderfully engineered bit of kit that still manages to be just that little bit boring.

Comfort
So, so much better than A4s of old, the new car is quiet, comfy and composed - especially on long motorway hauls. There's so much more space than the old model the new A4 feels like it comes from the class above.13 out of 20

Performance
Most people will opt for the company credit 2.0-litre TDI with 140bhp and that's a reasonably quick car with 0-62mph in 9.4 seconds and a 134mph top end. The 1.8-litre TFSI petrol turbo is quicker but more thirsty. The engine that really stands out is the 3.0-litre V6 with Quattro - it's fast and relatively cheap to run.14 out of 20

Cool
Are a nice pair of slacks cool? No. Do they do the job? Yes. The new A4 is a nice pair of slacks.9 out of 20

Quality
As with all Audi product recently the quality is high and the finish superlative.16 out of 20

Handling
A supremely competent car, the A4 never loses composure and loves tasty back roads.Both the front-wheel drive and Quattro variants shade towards understeer, but thanks to excellent body control and a well-sorted chassis you can really crack on. Not quite a BMW 3-series though.12 out of 20

Practicality
Plenty of room in the new A4 - the boot is a generous 480 litres and the cabin space is really very good - even in the back. There are also front, side and curtain airbags as standard.11 out of 20

Running costs
Low-ish company car tax brackets for the smaller-engined petrol 1.8-litre TFSi and the 2.0-litre diesel, with the diesel achieving 51.4mpg. Then again, the A4 is a good value buy as long as you stay off the tempting options list.7 out of 20
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BMW 7 Series

An all-new Seven that actually doesn’t look like it. It’s a great car – but some reservations about the ride and driving dynamics remain. Which is a weird thing to say about any BMW. Engines and gearboxes are superlative though.

Comfort
New suspension that can cycle between Comfort, Normal, Sport, and Sport Plus is a boon, but the big Seven never really settles in any of the modes. There's too much wind noise, too much bobble and far too much tweakery through the steering - the old car was better. Ooops. Still, we're talking about degrees of issues - it's lovely if you've come from, say, a 5-Series, but Merc S-Class owners won't be impressed. 12 out of 20

Performance
You can't argue with the way any of the variants goes in this generation - there isn't a duffer in this bunch. The best is the 730d - it hits 62mph in 6.9 seconds and 153mph with 40mpg economy. If you want the big hitter, then you need the 750i; 4.4 litres of twin-turbo power, 407bhp, 425lb ft of torque - it's fast and surprisingly fun - if you really need more than 0-62mph in 5.6 seconds and a limited 155mph top end, then you're a faster driver than us... 17 out of 20

Cool
The gadgets on the Seven make it cool in itself, even if it is a bit sober-suited. Side-view cameras, infra-red head-up, speed-limit readers, four-wheel steer - it has it all. And there's something cool in it being quite quiet-looking - you just don't expect what it serves up. 12 out of 20

Quality
The ride and wind noise issues might bother you if you're a sound-specialist, but otherwise the quality is top end. The cabin has a massive multimedia screen, the iDrive is now properly sorted - it's a very good thing. There's something about sitting in the driving seat of a big BMW that feels right. 13 out of 20

Handling
Four-wheel steer (a first on a BMW) gives stability at high speeds and a real smile when you try to park - it's got a great turning circle. It does the usual trick of shrinking when you go faster - but the steering is possibly a little too ‘connected'. For this class of car everything needs to be a bit more wafty - the German connection seems to have forgotten.15 out of 20

Practicality
The new Seven is biiiiiig. There's space for Playboy Bunnies galore, or hefty business guts. The boot is huge, and you get a massive range from a 730d. Even parking is easy - radar parking sensors and that turning circle work in the real world. 14 out of 20

Running costs
The 730d is remarkably useful - you'll get 39.2mpg, under 192g/km of C02. Ok, so it's a bit expensive and insurance is high, but it's worth it. If you want to simply ignore any credit crunchery, then go for that 750i - 23mpg (which isn't that bad considering the performance) and group 19 insurance.
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Bentley Mulsanne

Bentley Motors' has unveiled its all-new flagship grand tourer, the Mulsanne, marking a return of the name after 17 years. The car, which is set to replace the Arnage, made its debut at the Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance in Monterey, California over the weekend.

The Mulsanne is inspired by the company founder W.O. Bentley’s crowning achievement in 1930, the 8-litre. The early motoring masterpiece represented the last big Bentley that was designed, engineered and built from the ground up by Bentley engineers - until now.

The return of the Mulsanne name to a car carrying Bentley’s iconic ‘Winged B’ emblem underlines the company’s racing pedigree - with six Bentley triumphs in Le Mans, few places offer a stronger or more emotive connection with the Bentley marque than the circuit and the famed Mulsanne corner.

The new Mulsanne is set to go on sale from mid-2010. It will be also be presented at the forthcoming IAA Frankfurt Motor Show, where the company will reveal more info about the car.

It's The Ultimate Firefighter

Nothing like getting to a place in the fastest time, especially if you happen to be in the firefighting business. Well, how about a Nissan GT-R then, as a firefighting vehicle?That's precisely what the Nürburgring boys have now - Nissan has presented a specially redesigned GT-R as a gift to the curcuit operator, Nürburgring GmbH, and the zippy machine will provide the fastest possible response to emergency calls at the Nordschleife circuit.

Equipped with a fire extinguishing system with water and foam on board attached to a hose pipe accessed via the sizeable boot, this GT-R is designed to get to the scene of a blaze in the quickest possible time. In standard road-car form, the GT-R is capable of lapping the famous Nordschleife in only 7min 26secs, and though this one has an extra 200kg of fire-fighting equipment on board, it can still lap the challenging circuit in less than 8mins.

The fire-fighting conversion was carried out by M&M Automotive, a Bonn-based specialist for car development and motor sports. The GT-R’s two standard backseats were taken out and replaced with a 50l water tank, which was secured with a roll cage.

There is a medium-pressure extinguisher system (20 bars) as well as a winding device for the hose. The only other differences between this GT-R and one straight from the factory is the additional radio communication system, the new Recaro sports seats and the roll bar. With a foam reach of around 18m and a 20m hose, the unit will be able to fight fire for around two minutes on one tank.

Mitsubishi Evo X

When the Mitsubishi Evo X arrived in 2007, there was a great fanfare made about the twin-clutch gearbox. The trouble was, you could only get it on the relatively-warm-for-an-Evo FQ300, not a more powerful variant. Mitsubishi has now dropped it into the FQ330, for a £3,500 premium over the manual.
Not a cheap upgrade (a dual clutch gearbox on a VW Golf GTI costs £1,305) but it suits this Evo more than the manual. It flatters you but it's more than that - it's the way the technological feel of the paddles matches the techiness of the whole car with all its trick diffs.
The three modes you can select are Normal, Sport and Super Sport. The harder you drive, the further up the sport ladder you'll want it, but for average road use you'd leave it in normal where shifts are seamless and plenty quick. You're never in limbo while the system hunts for a gear.
You use the manual shift and the paddles more than the auto mode (this is an Evo), but automatic is still decent to slowly trundle in traffic.
The waiting has been worth it. But don't wait for the SST to graduate to the loony FQ400 - it's too powerful. 329bhp will have to do.

This bid to mature the Mitsubishi Evo into something a tad more high end hasn’t really worked. But what we care about is bags of grip and grunt, which is still definitely in situ.

Comfort
If you're looking for comfort you're looking in the wrong place, although this new generation of Evo is more supple and refined than the car it replaced in 2007. The seats are a bin-end bucket affair, designed to be replaced by yourself at a moment's notice.12 out of 20

Performance
It goes without saying that the Evo X is quick, but it'll take the tweaking we got used to in the last gen ‘FQ' range before anyone is sufficiently sated. There's 291bhp here, against 400bhp in its previous guise.10 out of 20

Cool
There's little that's cool about the sort of car that educationally sub-normal dole scum onanise over during those rare idle moments that pepper their days, but if you own one you'll be going too fast, or being too arrested, to care.13 out of 20

Quality
The Mitsubishi Evo X isn't going to break, but it feels quite seriously crappy in terms of basic tactile quality. Saying it's an improvement over the old car is like telling your mates to favour KFC over Chicken Cottage.10 out of 20

Handling
Er, yes. Rather more than most in fact. The Evo X handles like nothing else on sale, courtesy of a low kerbweight, four-wheel drive and hi-tech chassis. Steering is also superbly accurate.16 out of 20

Practicality
It's a saloon for starters, a car that is inherently impractical in these days of crossover hatchbackery, and it's also not a particularly spacious one. But if you're buying one, for £30k mind, you already know this and don't care.14 out of 20

Running costs
Er yes, there will be a few of these. It'll hit you hard to insure, it'll chow through the fuel like Peter Docherty does/did the crack pipe, and when you come to sell it no-one'll want it for half what you paid. Caveat emptor.10 out of 20
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Toyota PRIUS

JUST earlier this month, Toyota’s third-generation Prius became the first fuel-sipping petrol/electric hybrid to emerge the top-selling car in Japan.

Launched in May, it did not merely outsell other vehicles in or near its segment, it outsold tiny 660cc minicars and everything else in the market. It was the overall best selling car, period.

That’s quite a landmark for a hybrid car and it’s interesting to see how quickly things are shaping up.

What was not too long ago looked upon as a viable alternative, a greenie’s symbol and an icon for the Hollywood set, is now the accepted staple for mobility.

UMW Toyota have wasted no time in bringing in a sample of this impressive fuel sipper for review.

And we were fortunate to be able to give it an extended workout on local soil.

First off, let’s just say that the latest Prius comes with the credentials for achieving the best fuel efficiency in the world for a mass-produced petrol-powered vehicle (as measured using the 10-15 test cycle of the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism).
What does that translate into for the common man? How about travelling 38km for every litre of petrol that you pump in?

Or RM4.70 of petrol for 100km — something that puts much smaller cars to shame.
Do bear in mind, however, that the car is expected to be priced close to a Toyota Camry 2.4V – somewhere in the region of RM170,000 when it is launched next month.

The shape of the future
It might be roughly the size of a Toyota Altis but this flag bearer for evolving hybrid technology takes things much further.

With its intelligent energy-management system, this full hybrid can use both its 98hp VVT-i 1.8-litre engine or its 80 hp electric motor or either, depending on driving needs. It also charges the battery on-the-go and while braking.

On the road, what you get is a car whose identity is in little doubt.
The moment you drive one, heads turn in your direction as you are in something clearly out of the ordinary.

The distinctions begins at the insignia level with the Prius badge getting a bit of a bluish glow to differentiate hybrid cars from the purely fossil fuelled Toyotas.
From its streamlined low nose and high tail body styling – what Toyota calls “ECO-Iconic,” you’d know that the Prius is built to cleave through the air with minimal drag, claiming a super sleek rating of 0.25Cd.

The science fiction-like spread might appear intimidating at first with its array of displays, control buttons and a short gear shifter stub that looks more at home in a game controller console.

But with a few minutes of familiarisation, anyone can get the Prius up and running.
Silence is golden
There is no slot on the dash for you to place the Smart Entry & Start key fob. You can start the car with the key inside your pocket or handbag.
Just step and hold the brake pedal down and push the “Power” button.

Didn’t hear the petrol engine firing up but just a “Ready” sign lighting up the instrument panel? Well, the Prius is all ready to go. Just release the parking brakes and shift the car into “D.”
Tap on the throttle and the Prius moves forward with a near inaudible electric motor whirl.
Except for the soft sounds of the tyres rubbing the asphalt, it was eeriely quiet inside.
Using the patented Toyota Hybrid System II, the Prius takes off on battery power. The petrol engine does not start until the car reaches a certain speed.

But when the engine does kick in, it’s a silent and seamless affair and you realise that the Prius feels livelier now.
Harder acceleration sees the petrol engine and electric motor running together for maximum boost.

The petrol engine will shut down at slow cruising speeds, the car relying on battery power alone so you don’t burn up petrol unnecessarily.
Lifting off the throttle pedal also causes the Prius to automatically shut down the petrol engine, and activate the regenerative braking feature – where the braking energy is converted into electricity and stored in the special nickel metal hydride battery unit.
The instrument panel with easy-to-understand graphic shows whether the Prius is running on petrol or electric power. It also indicates whether the Prius is charging up the hybrid battery on its own.

You can get the Prius to run on electric power alone especially when caught in slow city traffic by pressing the EV (Electric Vehicle) mode button.
As long as there’s enough juice in the battery and you are not going beyond 45kph, the Prius behaves as a super silent electric car.
In addition to the normal drive mode, there are also the power (PWR) and fuel economy (ECO) modes – depending on whether you are in the mood for a sportier drive or just feeling stingy with petrol.

A head-up display system keep you informed of the vehicle speed and the ECO Drive Monitor data at the windscreen without the need to look at the instrument panel.
Toyota says the battery should last the life of the car and claims some Prius owners in the United States have clocked up to 400,000km without replacing their batteries.

Facing the lead-footed
Our petrol headed colleagues who sampled the Prius media test car were more curious over its performance than its fuel-sipping qualities.
“Are you sure this Prius is not going to be underpowered?”, “Can this car go fast?” – the questions abounded.

Eventually, those who drove it left satisfied. The Prius is quite fast and more than able to hold its own against similarly sized cars of conventional propulsion.
And despite the softer, comfort-oriented suspension setup, the car holds the line well in fast corners. On the straights, it felt confident and composed, even at very high speeds.
In our four days with the car, we admit we got rather carried away at times, driving the Prius as if it was built more for speed than fuel economy.

With the mix of occasional heavy footed-driving, start-stop city driving and a long distance dash from KL to the in-laws’ place in Bidor and back, we managed to use up nine of the ten bars in the fuel indicator for a distance of close to 660km.
Although our consumption was off the official super frugal mark, we figured that the Prius still did well.

In fact, our number is still much better than that of my wife’s 1.3-litre Perodua Myvi driven at a leisurely pace.
Imagine, if you will a full tank of 45 litres, a daily mileage of 100km and the claimed fuel economy of 38km per litre - which some slightly more restrained driving than ours can bring about.
Figure on close to two weeks before your next visit to the pumps.

NEW 911 Turbo SeT...

The new Porsche 911 Turbo will make its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month in both Coupé and Cabriolet form, and the model is set to go on sale in Germany towards the end of Nov.

Improvements over the outgoing model abound, as they should, and this one weighs less than its predecessor, has more power and a higher top end speed as well as improved driving dynamics, among other things.The 3.8l six-cylinder Direct Fuel Injection block in this one turns out a maximum output of 500bhp, and the top speed here is a mere 312kmh. Porsche’s seven-speed PDK Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (Double-Clutch Gearbox) transmission is an option, and models equipped with PDK will also have available a new, optional three-spoke steering wheel with gearshift paddles as an alternative to the standard steering wheel with its proven shift buttons.

In conjunction with the optional Sport Chrono Package Turbo, both the gearshift paddle and the PDK steering wheel come with integrated displays for Launch Control and the Sport/Sport Plus mode, which are designed differently on the two steering wheels.

Enhancing the driving dynamics are a reworked PTM fully-controlled all-wheel drive and PSM Porsche Stability Management, and this can be further aided by the new PTV Porsche Torque Vectoring system, available as an option. All this, of course, brings about a higher level of agility and steering precision in the seventh-generation model of the type.

Jaguar XFR n XKR

It's hailed as the fastest Jaguar ever built, a prime rival to the BMW M5, and it's finally in town. Yes, folks, the stonking XFR has arrived, all 510bhp of it.Muscular doesn't begin to describe the brute, but the grand thing about it is that it doesn't look over the top visually - there's a definite finesse to the styling cues that lend the saloon the R suffix.

The front end is that bit more aggressive, with a revised bumper, bonnet louvres and lower air intakes, topped off by a black mesh grille. The 'R' Performance Aerodynamic pack also includes sill extensions, 20-inch Nevis alloys, quad exhaust tips and a boot spoiler. Inside, to make sure you know you're in a XFR, there are 'R' badges, aluminium and mesh accents as well as custom leather sports seats, with electrically adjustable side bolsters, no less.Of course, the right ticker here is the AJ-V8 GEN IIIR supercharged 5.0l block, which turns out the magic figure above. There's 461Nm of torque as well, and with the attendant six-speed auto tranny, the car goes the 0-100kmh dash in 4.9secs and goes to a speed-limited 250kmh.

Handling is assured, with the inclusion of such electronic niceties such as Adaptive Dynamics and Active Differential Control. The XFR is priced at RM888,888, while the XF 5.0L normally-aspirated goes for RM698,888.It isn't the only big cat to arrive in town - Sisma Auto also launched the revised XKR in Pavilion, KL, last night alongside the XFR. The stunning coupe has the same V8 pot and numbers as the latter, though it is slightly quicker off the bat at 4.8secs for the century dash.

Ditto the drive-assist electronics on call. Elsewhere, the car features a centre console-mounted seven-inch touchscreen and finally gets the Jaguar Drive Selector, and to keep the 'R' theme going, the real wood veneers on this one include the likes of Dark Oak and Dark Mesh Aluminium.The XKR 5.0L Supercharged is available in both coupe and convertible guise, and prices for these are RM1,088,888 and RM1,158,888 respectively. If you're not inclined to all that power, then the normally-aspirated XK 5.0l can be had, RM928,888 for the coupe and RM998,888 for the convertible.