PUBLIC MARKS from kzoo with tags 2007 & one

Amidst the countless tuner displays gracing the Frankfurt Messe, one vehicle caught the attention of our lens and caused the hairs on the back of our necks to stand at attention. The Novitec Ferrari F430 TuNero, swathed in matte black from its body to its brake calipers, is pure evil incarnate, and it’s got the motivation to match.

That big SUV in your garage feels as modern as a Nixon-era Olds 88. Global warming and our everlasting oil dependency are dimming the prospects of GM and Ford following Chrysler into the rear-drive V-8 sedan business. You could drive yourself to work in a Toyota Prius or one of the stealthier hybrids, but even at $3 per, the hybrid won t pay off for years. By then, the interest on your adjustable-rate mortgage could be sky high.

So that’s it. F1’s greatest talent will not win the 2006 World Drivers Championship (WDC). Michael Schumacher admitted as much after last week’s Japanese GP, when engine failure sidelined his car and his hopes of an eighth title. “One cannot always win and things do not always go as planned.” Although Schuey threw in the proverbial towel, there is a way he could snatch victory from the jaws of defeat: if he wins the final race of the season and Renault pilot Fernando Alonso fails to score a single point.