Stuttgart/Palo Alto. Porsche Design is introducing a brand new radio into the market, a product developed jointly with Etón Corporation of Palo Alto, California. The radio, available now in Porsche Design Stores, blends purist design together with a top quality aluminum finish.

The P’9120 desk radio comes with three 1.5 inch speakers, an active subwoofer and double-wall structure, ensuring top-class true-to-life acoustics. In Europe, the radio, which comes in a solid aluminum casing, is available in a version which provides access to both analog and digital transmissions via the same device (AM, FM, short wave and DAB – Digital Audio Broadcasting). Different types of iPod can be linked up to the radio via an external cradle. Both the radio itself and any iPods connected to it
can be operated via a remote control unit.

Etón Corporation is an American manufacturer of radio products in the consumer electronics sector. Etón’s motto, “re-inventing radio”, reflects that corporation’s aspiration to develop radios which stand out from the crowd because of their up-to- the-minute design, technical innovation and functionality.

Porsche Design is a global luxury men’s brand and is determined by engineered products. Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche established the Porsche Design brand in 1972, whose products are attracting consumers with their technical innovation and represent functionality and timelessness in its purest form. Porsche Design products are sold in own retail and franchise stores, shop-in-shops, up-
market department stores and exclusive specialist stores.

One of the great things about vintage racing is that you'll see some truly historic, special cars. This is one of them. Conservatively estimated at being worth 2 - 5 million dollars, owned and raced by Jon Shirley. This is THE car that Tazio Nuvolari won the 1935 German Grand Prix in. Here's a link as well... Some interesting details - if you look inside the cockpit you can see that the driveshaft splits just in front of the driver. Each rear wheel is driven by a separate shaft. There is an "axle" that connects each side, but they are driven individually.The fuel is a mix of 85% ethanol, 12.5% petroleum (didn't get that detail exactly), and 2.5% acetone. It sounds amazing at full throttle, and was driven enthusiastically all weekend long (well, except when it rained in its heat).

Add at least $3.14 million U.S. on top of the price of the car if you want a completely unique model. But, as James Glickenhaus will tell you, the money will be well spent, not only guaranteeing you top resale value at Barrett Jackson in a few years, but also ensuring that you'll get a car customized to suit your fancy — even if that means ostrich feathers and alligator skin. Let the crimes against taste commence. [via EuroCarBlog]

2009 Suzuki SX4: FIRST CAR IN AMERICA UNDER $16,000 WITH STANDARD NAVIGATION

• BREA, Calif. (April 28, 2008) - Establishing an auto industry first, and packing even more appeal into its bold and stylish sport compact, American Suzuki Motor Corp. today announced the addition of a fully integrated standard navigation system to the 2009 Suzuki SX4. The company's offering marks the first time a new vehicle under $16,000 will include navigation as a standard feature. The innovative navigation system will be included as standard equipment on both the four-door SX4 Sport and front-wheel-drive version of the five-door SX4 Crossover, propelling the 2009 SX4 to the front of the compact segment as the personal technology leader.
• The Suzuki SX4's integrated navigation system is the result of a partnership with Garmin and is available with a variety of advanced Microsoft Network-enabled features, including real-time traffic, weather forecasts, local event listings and a gas station finder capable of locating the lowest priced fuel in town. To further customize the system to reflect its "Way of Life" brand attitude, Suzuki will add a number of lifestyle-oriented, Suzuki-recommended destinations and landmarks to the system. The locations include hip music venues, popular surf spots, interesting road trip attractions and other activity-focused destinations that will be clearly identified with a Suzuki "Way of Life" icon on the navigation screen.
• "Aside from improving an already popular vehicle, this navigation system provides a unique opportunity to further express the Suzuki 'Way of Life' brand spirit and directly respond to SX4 shoppers' unmet needs," said Mark Harano, president of American Suzuki Automotive Operations. "We know that our customers are vibrant and adventurous at heart, so we've gone beyond a typical navigation offering to develop a system capable of enhancing driver experiences and activating a passion for living life to the fullest. Navigation makes drivers feel more confident and in control, and our customized navigation system is the perfect fit for Suzuki owners' on-the-go attitude and daily routine."

Suzuki based its decision to include standard navigation on feedback from current SX4 owners regarding their most desired features in their next vehicle purchase. In addition to improving overall favorable impressions of the SX4, Suzuki research showed the addition of a navigation system had a positive "halo" effect on a range of driver perceptions, including significant increases in drivers' "feelings of control" and "feelings of safety."
Referred to as the Suzuki T.R.I.P. (Travel, Real-time traffic, Information and Play), the fully integrated system utilizes Navteq mapping software and includes a flip-up 4.3-inch touch screen display and Bluetooth hands-free calling technology that can receive and audibly play text messages. The system also comes preloaded with street maps that feature millions of points-of-interest, such as hotels, restaurants, gasoline stations and ATMs, and other Suzuki-recommended, brand-oriented destinations. A dedicated community Web site will be launched to support the sharing and downloading of user-generated recommendations for destinations and drive routes among Suzuki owners.
The touch screen navigation system included as standard equipment on the 2009 SX4 Sport and front-wheel-drive version of the five-door SX4 Crossover will come with a number of standard navigation features and millions of unique points-of-interest. Bluetooth capability and other enhanced Microsoft Network-enabled features of the system, including real-time traffic, local events, weather forecasts and a gas price finder, will be included as part of the SX4's upgraded trim package. The 2009 SX4 is scheduled to arrive in dealer showrooms this summer.

Rap mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs is launching a car service to drive drunk celebrities home.

The entrepreneur hopes his new venture will put an end to a spate of celebrity DUI arrests.

A representative for Combs says, "He wants to make sure everyone's partying responsibly."

The Eclipse AVN2210p MK II allows for a TomTom GPS navigation unit to dock in and out of the head unit. This is extra-convenient for regular swapping of cars and for those that like to do a little walking with a GPS unit. The unit also includes a CD player with MP3 support, Bluetooth and more. It's available from Crutchfield for $600. [Crutchfield via Uncrate]

When your small car gets 22 MPG, is that a bragging point? Apparently so, because the seller of this 1991 Isuzu Impulse RS Turbo (go here if the ad disappears) put that Country Squire-esque mileage figure right in the headline. And when you're shopping for a car, what do you want to know about it? Running condition, maybe what kind of shape the interior's in? Nope, you need to know the bore and stroke of the engine... and this seller gives you just that! So here we have an AWD turbocharged Isuzu, complete with bright blue console trim and pillar-mounted gauges. The photographs were apparently taken at the Nevada Test Site with an experimental neptunium-core fission blast going off in the background, so it's a bit hard to make out the car... but no matter- this is a 17-year-old all-wheel-drive turbocharged car from a company that's even at this moment frantically packing up to leave the country before the credit-card bills come due, so you know you're in for some challenges. Just picture the fun you'll have breaking parts entering hyperspace in this sucker after you jack up the boost!

We all know that lots of exclamation points in a car ad indicates sincerity, but how do you indicate that a car's price is really, really good? Why, you put 16 dollar signs in the headline, of course! The seller lets you know right off that a 1994 Isuzu P'Up (go here if the ad disappears) is "a hard truck to find," and it's going to get a helluva lot harder now that Joe Isuzu is being stuffed into a shipping container and sent back to Japan. This truck has been rigged with airbag suspension, shaved doors "with poppers" (we assume the seller is not referring to the disco-era amyl nitrate variety here), and a Weber carb in place of the factory fuel injection. Since any or all of these mods could be total butcher jobs, you might be in for a few surprises. The AC works, but not the heater (no green liquid gushing out of the dash... as far as you know), and a new stereo system might be "thrown in" if the price is right. But remember folks, the seller is firm about the terms of the deal: "i dont want your junk i need a ride and can not accept payments but will negotiate price."

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Sir/Madam, First i would like to introduce myself i am Alan Berj xxxxx , i own a Simca Aronde Mo: 1959 and its been a long while that it was in the garage , so i wanted to know Simca's factory in case i need spare parts. thanks for the co-operation Please mention in the mail subject ( Simca Aronde ) Best Regards, Alan

-The Simca Shop - Netherlands
-H.D. Rogers & Sons

People with contacts

-Club Simca France [French]
- President of Club Simca France's contact info
-Simca Car Club of America

So there you go Alan, Jalopnik cotomer sevis at it's best. It's not the Simca Factory, but don't say we never did anything for you.

The San Jose PD recommend the following:

1. Find a well-lighted, highly populated area like a gas station or fast food joint.
2. Use your cell to call the police/911 to get a marked patrol car to respond to your location.
3. Don't speed away or violate traffic laws while being pursued.

and our own advice:

4. Don't throw bags of anything outside the window.
[San Jose Mercury News]

When a car's styling was created by a couple of guys named Sergio Coggiola and Gunnar Sjögren, you know it's serious. Yes, there's nothing quite like a Saab Sonett III, with its lever-operated pop-up headlights, V4 engine, and fiberglass body, and you'd be rollin' like Odin himself behind the wheel of this '74 Sonett. Well, Odin could probably afford a Sonett that actually ran, but you get the idea. We'll take the most relevant statement about this car right from the seller's own randomly capslocked keyboard: "CAR IS COMPETE, DAS NOT RUN." But hey, at least with a fiberglass body, you don't need to worry about body rot. Floor rot, sure, but whaddya want for $1200? Since any V4 engine scores pretty high on the Engine Rad-O-Meter™, we wouldn't recommend swapping in something else, but there's no rule says a man can't force geological-scale boost pressure into a V4, is there?

You're in the mood for some sporty Swedish steel, all right, but what if you need a car that can haul your black metal band's amps to the gig? The Sonett just doesn't have the load capacity, but this '73 Volvo 1800ES Sport Wagon sure does! Faster than you can rasp out "Þat mundi mitt ráð vera, at vit flýðim undan á skóg," you'll be wailing through the haunted birch forest in your spiffy new wagon. Well, maybe not that fast, because this car needs some work. First of all, it's been sitting since the Berlin Wall was still standing (with a full tank of gas), so you'll need to completely replace do some work on the fuel system. When you're done with that you can replace all the seals in the automatic, then get started on, well, every single component that ever touched fluid or moved electrons. Then some bodywork and... you'll just be getting warmed up! Come on, though, it's a 2-door Swedish station wagon!

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As many old cars as there are on the streets of Alameda, the imports can be hard to find. It was nice to spot this solid P1800 right in my neighborhood.

Volvo has a (well-deserved) rep for building cars that are on the unexciting side. Solid and stolid, they are. But hey, here's a Volvo with fins!

Never mind that the fins came 10 years after the rest of the world had become tired of them. It probably caused the designers actual physical pain to create something so... frivolous.

You want manly? Check out what the Volvo logo used to look like! Back in the day, Volvo was more explicit about their use of the symbol for Mars (and man) in their logo. You'd think they'd have gone with some sort of heavily armored Viking, to suggest Scandihoovian solidity and stoicism.

Anyway, I've always liked these cars, so it's good to see a clean original one still surviving on the street.

The fuel filler door (which is what I assume we're looking at here) is a sporty detail, though the location is sure to result in gas spills on the paint.

The P1800 wasn't very fast, with just 118 Swedish ponies under the hood. But still, it could hold its own against the likes of MGBs and such. Speaking of MGBs, the P1800 came with the same godawful SU carbs as the B engine, which always seemed strange. You have the world to choose from when shopping for your new design's carbs and yet you get the funky SU with its goofy oil-damped piston and chronic sunk floats? What this engine really needs is a turbocharged Megasquirt setup, anyway.

But no matter. This car has some slick- if nerdy- design, and that's enough. – Murilee Martin

Svenska Volvo P1800 Klubben [volvop1800club.se]

Related:
Down On The Street: 1966 Volvo Amazon; Ad Watch: Volvo P1800 Stars in Lollypop Spot [internal]

Oh yikes. Sean Combs, after spending some time hanging out with Lewis Hamilton, has floated the idea of purchasing a Formula 1 operation at a dinner celebrating the launch of his new perfume, Unforgiven. Of course, 100k of the 150,000-quid dinner was spent on champagne, so who knows how many sheets of carbon-fiber weave Diddy actually was. Meanwhile, McLaren says they totally didn't rip off Ferrari. – Davey G. Johnson

Diddy has eye on new cars [Times Online]; Formula One: FIA to investigate alleged sabotage of Ferrari, which implicates McLaren [IHT]

Related:
Beyond Bruce: 2006 BMW Sauber F1 Steering Wheel [Internal]

Through the glorious bounty of YouTube, we've dug up this episode of Clarkson's old Extreme Machines series, wherein a more-frotastic, younger Jezza flies around in a P-51, bombs across Lake Mead in a hydroplane and then checks out luxo-pimp options in jet travel. Parts 2 &3 after the jump. – Davey G. Johnson

Related:
Bleed for the Dancer: Clarkson on the 2CV [Internal]

Big Daddy Glick gives us a tour of his bespoke Pininfarina Ferrari P4/5, parked beside the classic P3/4 that inspired him to disfigure an Enzo to such a degree. It's filmed in the backyard of Jalopnik's New York compound, in Westchester County (motto: Come watch our bond traders procreate!). He also describes the process of backing up a Brinks truck full of cash at the Pininfarina headquarters in exchange for their coachworks efforts, and Ferrari's reaction to his plan. All that and how his wife got to pick the seat cover fabrics. Haters step off, this is the feel-good hit of the year. – Mike Spinelli

[via Carscoop]

Related:
Big Daddy Glickenhaus On The Ford/Ferrari War; Glickenhaus on Living With the P4/5 [internal]

Ah, Jim Glickenhaus. Ah, to be Jim Glickenhaus, the only man ever to produce a Basket Case movie and have Pininfarina scan his body for a perfect fit in a custom Enzo-based car. We met him briefly in Paris last fall and he turned out to be a very nice, personable dude, always willing and ready to drop some science. Here he tells the story of the battle of wills contested between two titans of the automotive world: Hank The Deuce and Enzo Ferrari. Part I above, click the link for part II. We can practically guarantee you'll learn something you didn't know. [Thanks to Haller for the tip] – Davey G. Johnson

The Ford/Ferrari Wars, Part II [Cirkitvision]

Related:
Foyt On Indy [Internal]

Adding more evidence to our ongoing belief that only criminals, miscreants or Jalopnik writers drive decommissioned police cruisers, a priest and alleged child molester in Bloomfield, Connecticut has been cruising around town in one (not pictured). According to reports, this is similar to other vehicles that the priest used (going back to the 1970s) to pick up young boys, feed them liquor and then... you know. Because he was a chaplain for several local police/fire agencies, he's been able to acquire cars equipped with full police packages. Some are calling for an investigation into how he got the cars, which seems like the least they can do. – Matt Hardigree

News Times Live Report: Priest Sued For Molestation Still Drives Police Style Car [AP via News Times]

Related:
Cop Impersonator Has Own Police Station [Internal]

Oh man. We absolutely need one of these in Cosworth trim. There is literally no doubt about that. Or what about an XR4ti version with Merkur and Ranchero badges? Mind. Boggling. Now. – Davey G. Johnson

Ford Sierra [Wikipedia]

Related:
More El Caminos [Internal]

Yes kids, there was a time in Formula One racing when engineers did whatever the hell they wanted — within a loose interpretation of reason — in the quest to find the best combo of speed and aerodynamics in an increasingly safety-conscious environment. That attitude led to the six-wheeled Tyrrell P34, a constant source of awe and amusement down Jalopnik way. Builder Derek Gardiner posited that smaller front tires would lead to a smaller frontal region to increase air penetration and reduce drag. The car's success was fleeting, and peaked at the Swedish Grand Prix during the 1977 season, when Jody Scheckter took first and Patrick Andr Eug ne Joseph Depailler took second. In this clip, we see the the late Depailler, the car's greatest proponent, as he laps Monaco, wheels aplenty. [Thanks to Pete for the tip.] – Mike Spinelli

Related:
Because Who Doesn't Require a Tyrrell P34? [internal]

When, in the course of human events, a singular driving objective reaches its lunatic culmination in a product, a certain amount of respect must be paid to its creators. In the case of Peel Engineering Company, that driving force was fuel mileage — mileage the likes of which Prii and Insights the world over could only dream. So compete was this obsession that risking the lives and limbs of owners was a trade-off they seemed willing to make. The P50 was produced in 1962 and '63 followed by the bubble topped Trident in '64 which we've covered before. At just 53 inches long, 39 inches wide, and 132 lbs, the Peel 50 was the smallest three-wheeled "car" ever produced. It was tiny enough to park manually, as shown above, with the the front or rear handle. Frugal was what the designers called it, batshit crazy is what I say. Thankfully, Peel went under before many of these death hampers could be put into the hands of smooshable citizens.– Ben Wojdyla

Peel P50 [Rumcars]

P.S. I'm a little weirded out by some examples showing two wheels in front as opposed to one wheel in front. I can't chase down an explanation, and it seems the two wheels in front versions are far more prevalent, but I like this picture better, so there.

Related:
More Peel Action! 49ccs On Super 8! [internal]

Ed Jim "Big Daddy" Glickenhaus has had a few months to toy with his Pininfarina-built, Enzo-based Ferrari P4/5, and the auto types over at Forbes commissioned Ted West (who did the Car and Driver P4/5 profile released just before the car's debut at Pebble Beach last summer) to speak with tha Glick about what the car's like to live with. He was careful not to dis the underlying Enzo, pointing out that the P4/5 is both an evolution and a result of technology that's four years newer. He then went on to point out that his machine is faster, louder and less likely to scrape on curbs than Ferrari's own basket-case-mad supercar. – Davey G. Johnson

Q&A: What It's Like to Own and Drive a $4 Million Ferrari [ForbesAutos]

Related:
You Are There: James Glickenhaus Drives His Custom Ferrari [Internal]

It's not imperative you be a card-carrying Subiehead to appreciate Top Gear's test of the Impreza-powered Prodrive P2, full stop. To quoteth Jeremy Clarkson, "Quite a car then. Not only can it blow your mind, but also empty your stomach." Yes, there's proof of the latter. [Thanks to Phillip for the tip.] – Mike Spinelli

Related:
ProDrive's P2 Gets The Top Gear Sub Four Second Treatment [internal]

Lewis Black, always looking to cover things that've slipped through the cracks, decided to take on James Glickenhaus. Glickenhaus is the Ferrari collector who went and commissioned Pininfarina to build him a $3 million bespoke update of the Ferrari P4 over an Enzo chassis, the 612 P4/5. It'd appear that every time this car gets mentioned in the newspaper, it gets an upgrade of about half a million in the price tag. By Detroit, we're thinking they'll be pegging the price at about $9 million. As for Mr. Back In Black, wait for the always funny money shot at the end — we guarantee the punchline'll be worth it. – Ray Wert

Related:
Glickenhaus Unveils His New Ferrari 612 P4/5; Glickenhaus Ferrari in the Parisphere; You Are There: James Glickenhaus Drives His Custom Ferrari [internal]

Rich guy and Ferrari buff James Glickenhaus showed off his Pininfarina-designed Ferrari 612 P4/5 for the international media yesterday at the Paris show. This morning we caught the customized Enzo as it rode the turntable with obligatory Sultry Italian Model(TM), showing off its various bits. Glickenhaus also told us he was among the first to order one of Alfa Romeo's sexy new 8C Competizione models — which will sport a 4.7-liter 460-hp V8 — after Alfa opened its book on the model yesterday (no word on price). Between the Ferrari, Alfa and "Basket Case II," Big G is our new Captain Kangaroo. [Gallery]

Related:
Glickenhaus Unveils His New Ferrari 612 P4/5; You Are There: James Glickenhaus Drives His Custom Ferrari [internal]

If we could only own one historic Formula 1 car, it would be a Tyrrell P34. Yes, the Maser 250F is fab, and the Lancia D50 floats our boat mightily. The Gurney Eagle may be the prettiest GP car ever built. But nothing flips our goddamn switch like the six-wheeled Tyrrell. We mean, it's got six wheels! Six wheels, people! Most definitely an example for the hairy-chested.

Related:
Lancia at Laguna: D50 Runs the Monterey Historics [Internal]

As debutante balls go, this one was a doozy, featuring all manner of exotica and just plain expensica. While our favorite car in the building was Spyker honcho Victor Muller's three-place vintage Rolls with a wooden deck and a side-mounted gun-rack built for some maharajah or other, all eyes were on the stage for the unveiling of James Glickenhaus' Pininfarina designed-and-built P4/5. We've written about it ad nauseum, and pix from Pebble have already appeared on the site, so this post is essentially an addendum to illustrate the sheer madness as the great washed (you think they let the unwashed through the gates at Pebble Beach, son?) swarmed the magnificent vision in carbon fiber. Still, Jim, we've gotta give you shit on the horrid Jock Jams you cranked during the reveal. Next time you drop four mil on a custom car, call us. We'll set you straight on the tunes. H sker D 's "New Day Rising" seems like it would've been the natural choice for such an occasion.

Related:
Coming Out: James Glickenhaus Unveils His Pininfarina-Built Ferrari P4/5; More from Pebble Beach [Internal]

James Glickenhaus may have produced such B-movie cult classics as "Frankenhooker" and "Maniac Cop," but the unveiling of his coachbuilt Ferrari P4/5 at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance this past weekend went directly to video. We're talking about streaming video, of course, and the venue is YouTube, not Blockbuster, and no one is maimed, wronged, or smokes "supercrack" (not that we can tell, at least). Check out a long-form vid of JG's speech, and a special, secret bonus trailer after the jump.

Related:
More on the James Glickenhaus Ferrari P4/5 [internal]

We've never videotaped a new-car test drive before — 20 minutes of bullshit talk from a guy in a bad suit, and us trying to decide when to "test the brakes," isn't exactly cinemographic gold in the making. But again, we didn't spend $3 million to get our own, custom Ferrari, designed by Pininfarina. Luckily, buyer James Glickenhaus recorded his first time behind the wheel of his Ferrari P4/5 for posterity. It's not long, but at least there's no one yammering on about trunk space. [Thanks to Anthony for the tip.]

Related:
You Are There: James Glickenhaus Drives His Custom Ferrari [internal]

Our techie brothers at Gizmodo took a look at James Glickenhaus's Pininfarina-designed, rebodied Ferrari Enzo, the P4/5. They turned an electric eye toward the bespoke model's gadgeted-up interior, which has a few more e-trinkets than does the donor Enzo, including vid-mo and iPod Nano. Anyone want to guess what Big Daddy has on his 'Pod? We're going with Wagner's "The Ride Of The Valkeries" or Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf Op. 67." Either that or early Chemical Brothers.

Ferrari P4/5: Gizmolicious and One of Kind [Gizmodo]

Related:
More on the James Glickenhaus Ferrari P4/5; Pininfarina Releases Press Kit [internal]

Pininfarina's released a press kit on the Ferrari P4/5 it created for James "Big Daddy" Glickenhaus, ahead of the car's debut at the Pebble Beach Concours D'Elegance next month. They've including imagery of initial sketches, wind-tunnel testing, first-drive day and a candid shot of Glickenhaus talking his accountant down from a ledge. Check out the specs after the jump.

Engine Type: V12
Displacement cu in (cc): 365(5988)
Power bhp (kW) at RPM: 660(485) / 7800
Torque lb-ft (Nm) at RPM: 484(657) / 5500
Redline at RPM: 8200 Brakes & Tires
Brakes F/R: ABS, vented disc/vented disc
Tires F-R: 255/35 ZR 20 - 335/30 ZR 20
Driveline: Rear Wheel Drive
Exterior Dimensions & Weight
Length Width Height in: 182.3 x 80.4 x 44.3
Length Width Height mm: 4630 x 2042 x 1126
Wheelbase in(mm): 104.3(2650)
Track F-R in(mm): 66.6(1691) - 67.2(1707)
Overhang F-R in(mm) 33.7(857) - 44.2(1123)
Weight lb (kg): 2645 (1200)

Performance
Acceleration 0-62 mph s: 3.55
Top Speed mph (km/h): 225 (362)
Aerodynamics Cx 0,340 Czf -0,123 Czr -0,025
Frontal Area (m2) 1,906

Read the press release here.

Related:
Glickenhaus Unveils His New Ferrari 612 P4/5 [internal]

Ferrari 612 P4/5 [Italia Motor]

Related:
You Are There: James Glickenhaus Drives His Custom Ferrari [internal]

Our new best friend James Glickenhaus [our birthday's in April, J. — ed] took his custom Ferrari for a spin in Italy, ahead of its unveiling at the Pebble Beach Concours D'Elegance next month. If you'll recall, Glickenhaus is the Ferrari collector who's commissioning Pininfarina to build him a $3 million bespoke update of the Ferrari P4 over an Enzo chassis, the 612 P4/5. Check out his account of driving the car for the first time, after the jump. Dear diary...

She was sitting in the sun when we pulled up. Seeing her outside with a PROVA Plate attached to her tail took all of this to a new level. We walked around her slowly admiring her lines and the interior that was starting to come together. We slipped in, strapped down, and set off. The first thing I noticed was that the reduction in front overhang made a huge difference compared to the Enzo. The next thing was the panoramic vision through her fighter cockpit greenhouse. Her newly sculpted interior seemed very roomy as we pulled out of the driveway without any problem and turned onto the road. You've heard the expression "Traffic Stopping"? This time it really did. Even The Sport bike stopped and let us enter the road. The Babe on the Back looked over and down as we pulled by. She smiled and slowly raised her thumb straight up.

We were running without ABS or traction control because the computer hadn't yet been programed for the new sized wheels and tires. We were also running in low downforce mode because one of the actuator motors hadn't awoken properly from its three-year sleep. The amount of engineering to get to this point boggles the mind and The Pininfarina Special Project Team continues to amaze me with their ability to meet all of these challenges. I'm also very happy to report that Ferrari is very pleased and is giving full technical support as well.

We continued on to the secondary road and set off. Pininfarina had already put on a few hundred test miles and reported all was well so when it came time to pass I rolled on the throttle and felt the hand of God push me back into the seat. You immediately feel just how light she is. The brakes are SUPER and the wider tires really grip. The suspension feels great as it works and the motor sings. When you get to 3000rpm the exhaust shunts to the new system and it sounds like that the horn that blows before the Four Horsemen ride into view.

We headed to the Autostrada and put her though a few gears as we left the toll gate. The Video Jesse shot from the chase vehicle is unlike any I've seen. P 4/5 pulls away and vanishes into the distance like an F 16 launching from a carrier deck. As she vanished the only thing than seemed strange is that she was still on the earth not standing on her tail in afterburner mode shooting towards the heavens...

"Ground Control to Major Tom..."

Related:
That's Not My Car!: Collector Answers AutoWeek's P4/5 Speculation [internal]

We sure hadn't pegged the venerable Volvo P1800 has the choice of pompadour-coiffed, misogynistic douchebags more interested in lollypops than the charms of a gorgeous blond straight out of Swedish central casting. But there you go. [Thanks to David for the tip.]

Related:
More Ad Watch [internal]

Prodrive shows off new sports car [TopGear]

Related:
Prodrive's P2 Show Car at Autosport International [internal]