With Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa finishing first and second in French Grand-Prix at Magny-Cours, Ferrari is now firmly back in the title hunt for the constructors championship. Sadly, I couldn’t watch the race yesterday. McLaren’s new star, Lewis Hamilton, finished third about half a minute behind the Ferraris.

The scarlet cars opted for a two stop strategy whereas the McLaren’s chose 3 stops. Initially, Massa led the race but after losing first place during his second pit stop, he wasn’t able to overtake his team mate who had been out for a little longer thanks to the heavier fuel load. Further back Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld grabbed another nine points for BMW Sauber with fourth and fifth places, the latter having some gripping duels with McLaren’s Fernando Alonso. The world champion, who started tenth after his qualifying woes, was out of luck, finishing seventh (after a long second stop) behind Giancarlo Fisichella’s hard-driven Renault, so his two points leave him now 14 adrift of Hamilton, who moved up to 64. Massa’s second place leaves him third in the world championship on 47, but Raikkonen jumps closer with 42. The final point went to Jenson Button and Honda, who turned in a solid performance that confirmed that the RA107 has improved. It was the first point of the season for both.

Silverstone marks the midpoint of the world championship, and McLaren currently have 114 points, Ferrari 89. Everything is still out there to play for and being a Tifosi, I support the Ferraris.

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Most professionals like the idea of owning a sedan for everyday use. You can drive in it to your office, go shopping, visit the club etc. But if you want to hit the racetrack, go grand touring or just do some sporty driving, a sedan doesn’t fit into the picture. But if you want one car for all this, what do you drive? Do you still drive a sedan? If I had to answer this question, I would say yes. And the car I would be driving would be the BMW M5.

What is so special about this car? To start with, its a BMW sedan and its got all the comfort and refinement you expect from a BMW. But then, this is no ordinary BMW. The current BMW M5 is the world’s fastest production 4-door sedan with a top speed of 205mph, bettering cars like the Ferrari F50 (after an ECU modification to eliminate the factory programmed 250km/h limiter). Four generations of the M5 have appeared and all of then have been remarkable.

The first M5 made its debut at the 1984 Amsterdam Motor Show. It was the product of demand for an automobile with the carrying capacity of a sedan, but the overall performance of a sports car. Based on the E28 5-Series, it utilized the 535i chassis and an evolution of the engine from the BMW M1. The M5 was hand-built by Motorsport technicians and was the fastest production saloon (sedan) in the world. The next one, the E34 M5 was produced from 1988 to 1995. It was produced at BMW M GmbH in Garching, Germany and like the previous M5, was entirely hand-built and utilized the 535i chassis(E34). Assembly was done either by a single M employee or a team of M employees and generally took about two weeks. The engines were also built by hand by BMW M technicians. After this came the E39 M5. This was again the fastest factory line production sedan that time in the world. However, unlike previous M5s, this one was not hand-built at the BMW M GmbH factory; it was produced on the same assembly line as the normal E39 5-series at the Dingolfing factory in Germany.

Coming to the current M5(E60), its one hell of a sedan. On the outside, it may look like an ordinary 5series except for the M batch and the side vents but thats where the similarity ends. The M5 is powered by a naturally aspirated 5.0 L BMW V10 engine(S85) redlining at 8250 RPM with a peak output of 507 PS (373 kW/500 bhp) and 383 ft-lbs of torque. Unlike some other BMW engines which utilize BMW’s variable valve timing system, the Valvetronic, to infinitely vary valve lift in order to eliminate the throttle plate, this engine has 1 individual throttle body per cylinder. This gives it quicker response. Other key features include a stiffened aluminum chassis and a 7-speed SMG III manual transmission.The V10 engine is a masterpiece. It is a 5-litre DOHC 40-valve double VANOS V10 engine It was inspired by BMW’s formula 1 racing division and shares many components and technology that powered the BMW Williams F1 cars. The transmission is another technical marvel. As I mentioned earlier, its a 7-speed sequential manual gearbox, a manual gearbox without a clutch pedal and an automatically operated clutch. The gearbox comes with F1 inspired peddle shifters. There is also a floor shifter present. The gearbox may also be operated in an automatic mode but this is not that well refined. Other F1 inspired technologies include launch control, dynamic stability control and the option of changing to the speed at which shifts are completed (there are 11 shift programs in total forming what BMW calls Drivelogic).

On the inside its got everything you expect from a mid-size luxury sedan and a lot more. Leather sports seat, a nice stereo unit, sat-nav, its all. It comes with the BMW iDrive system, a computer like system, which is used to control most secondary vehicle systems such as climate control, navigation and communication system etc. Another striking feature is a  ”M” button on the steering wheel which offers access to three modes: P400 (limiting the engine to 400 hp for daily driving use), P500 (unleashes the full 507 hp) and P500 S (for full power and sharper throttle response). P400 is the default start-up mode, the P500 modes are preselected using i-Drive and then activated from P400 using the “M” button.

Performance is breathtaking, 0-100km/h takes 4.7 s. Top speed is 250 km/h (155 mph) with limiter; 330 km/h (205 mph) without it. Peak power of 507 PS (500.1 bhp/372.9 kW) comes at 7750 rpm. With peak torque of 520 nm (383 ft. lbs.) at 6100 rpm. Ride quality is remarkable. The M5 is not cheap and costs around £63,495 in the UK. But its surely worth every penny. Kudos to the M5, the ultimate sedan.   

I always loved the Subaru Impreza especially the WRX STi version. I loved it for its looks and its performance. I loved it for what it was (and still is), a rally car for the road. Ever since the first Impreza came out in 1993, it always got better with every update. But looking at the 2008 Impreza, can this still be said? Has it gotten better this time as well? If you ask me, the answer is a clear NO. And all it takes to say no is just one look.

Just look at it and you would see why I think so. Does it look like an Impreza from any angle? It may still be an Impreza under the hood but come on, looks do matter when it comes to cars (and girls). The stying has definitely lost its flare. Subaru says that it wants to attract a broader range of customers but I don’t quite see how they plan to do so with such a design. Where is the masculinity in the design that is supposed to be there in a rally car? Where is the aggressiveness? The new Impreza is more of a poser trying to look mean yet elegant but failing to do so. Last time around, Subaru showed their chief designer the door for the controversial front end styling of the current Impreza. And this is what they come up with. Don’t get me wrong, the new styling isn’t bad but its just not an Impreza anymore. Also, the design of the hatch reminds me of the Chevrolet Optra CRV/Optra5/Buick Excelle HRV/Suzuki Reno, something which one would never want an Impreza to be. Another change is that the next Impreza WRC would be based on the hatch. The 2008 Impreza would be availabe as a sedan as well as a hatchback. Again, I don’t see why they want to do this. Almost all cars in Gropu-A WRC are already hatchbacks. Why does Subaru not want to continue with a sedan based rally car? Why does it want to follow others and lose its uniqueness.

For the sake of this wonderful car and all Impreza lovers, Subaru should reconsider the new design. The current Impreza design isn’t that old and maybe they could carry on with it with some technical upgrades till they come up with a car which deserves to be an Impreza. The new car maybe quicker and much better to drive but its not an Impreza. This new design could be launched as a new car but not as an Impreza. Otherwise, bad days for the Impreza lie ahead.

Great cars need not be expensive ultra high performance machines. Cars sold in large numbers can also be legendary. This fact has been illustrated cars such as the Mini Cooper, the Volkswagen Golf etc. A few months ago, I discovered one such car for which I developed a strong liking. Those who have watched the anime Initial D would know what car I am talking about. Its the Toyota Corolla Levin/Sprinter Trueno (AE86), a small, lightweight coupe introduced by Toyota in 1983 as part of the fifth generation Toyota Corolla line-up.

The car, better known as Hachi Roku (86) in Japanese came in two models, Levin and Trueno, the difference being that the former had fixed head lights while the later had pop-up headlights. Minor bodywork changes were made in 1986 which resulted in different tail lights for both Levin and Trueno models. Two body shapes were available, a 2-door coupe as in the picture above and a 3-door liftback/hatchback (somewhat similar to the current Skoda Octavia’s hatch).

The AE86 was available with a fuel-injected 4-cylinder twin-cam 1587 cc 4A-GEU engine in Japan and Europe which was also used in the first-generation Toyota MR2 (AW11). This engine had a maximum power output of 130 PS (97 kW) and 103 ft·lbf (140 Nm) of torque in standard form. The AE86 came with a 5-speed manual gearbox, and later came with the option of an automatic. The 4A-GE engines used in the AE86 and AW11 were equipped with T-VIS (Toyota Variable Induction System). The AE86 had an optional Limited Slip Differential (LSD). In Japan, the AE86 was offered in GT-APEX or GTV trims as the Corolla Levin or Sprinter Trueno. The European model was known as Corolla GT and had fixed Levin style headlights. 

In North America, a modified 4A-GEC engine was used to comply with California emissions regulations. Power was rated at 112 bhp (84 kW), and 100 ft·lbf (136 Nm) of torque. This car was the Corolla GT-S. Another model, the Corolla SR5 used the 1587 cc 4A-C SOHC engine, did not have an optional LSD, and had rear drum brakes. All other AE-86 models used ventilated disc brakes and were equipped with a MacPherson strut style independent suspension at the front and a four-link live axle with coil springs for the rear. Stabilizer bars were present at both ends. The GT-S only came with a manual 5-speed transmission whereas the SR-5 was also offered with an automatic. All the models were front engined, rear wheel drive (FR). Due to its light weight, the car had a top speed of around 120mph (193kmph). 0-60 mph took around 8.5 seconds.

The AE86 has always been active in motorsports which is partly responsible for its popularity. When in production, it was popular in Group A and Group N racing, mostly rallying and circuit races. Even after the end of production, many teams continued to race with the 86. This appeal is mainly due to its light weight and front engined, rear wheel drive layout (FR), a feature absent in most newer lightweight coupes. It has competed in championships such as JGTC and many rally championships across Europe.

 The real reason for its popularity is its ability to drift. The car is popular among street racers in Japan and touge(mountain pass) racers around the world. Drift King Tsuchiya Keiichi, who popularised drifting, also used this car. It was AE86’s FR configuration that made it well suited for drifting. Currently the car is a mainstay of manny drift shows and competitions. In fact most of the D1GP drivers who have competed have owned an AE86 and the last two D1GP’s have been won by drivers with naturally aspirated 16-Valve AE86’s; the older, lower-powered Corolla outperforming much newer, faster cars such as the Altezza and Skyline. After the popularity of the anime and manga Initial D, the 86 has seen a revival due to increasing popularity of drifting and touge racing and is bound to become a classic.

Audi won the 24 Hours of Le Mans on Sunday, 21st June 2007 with its diesel powered R10. The winning car, driven by German drivers Frank Biela and Marco Werner and Italy’s Emmanuele Pirro, was the only one of three R10s entered that completed the race. The other two cars were eliminated in accidents ending the Audi Sport’s 100% Le Mans finishing record that dates back to 1999. This is Audi’s seventh Le Mans victory and fourth straight victory. In the GT1 category, Aston Martin finally managed to break Corvette’s stranglehold on the class by getting the No. 009 David Brabham/Rickard Rydell/Darren Turner across the line in first place.

This edition of Le Mans marked the return of French manufacturer, Peugeot. Like the Audis the Peugeots were also diesel powered. Audi led from the start of the race. Intermittent but torrential rain caused many problems for the racers, and provided plenty of excitement for spectators as the track went from dry to greasy to soaked in a matter of minutes. Despite taking an early lead, it wasn’t all easy for Audi: the number 3 car crashed out at Tertre Rouge in the second hour of the race, and Rinaldo Capello had a big off at Indianapolis when a rear wheel came off, ending his race in the number 2 car. After qualifying on pole position, the number 8 Team Peugeot Total 908 LMP1 car, driven by Stephane Sarrazin, Pedro Lamy and Sebastien Bourdais, finished the gruelling event in a commendable second place. The French manufacturer lost its second car with only a couple of hours of racing remaining, to a mechanical failure. The number 16 Pescarolo Sport Pescarolo-Judd 01 LMP1 car, driven by Emmanuel Collard, Jean-Christophe Boullion and Romain Dumas finished third, a further two laps behind the winner. It was the highest-placed petrol-powered car.

There was also considerable success for Aston Martin. Aston’s works racing team’s number 009 DBR9 car, driven by Darren Turner, David Brabham and Rickard Rydell, won the GT1 class. It was a crucial victory for Aston, which had spent several years struggling to overcome Corvette’s dominance in GT1. Aston’s DBR9s also claimed third, fourth, sixth and tenth in GT1, in an impressive showing.