F1-fiat motoring features Virgin Media
Vicki Butler-Henderson
And so the wheels of the most glamorous circus in the world have turned once more. Yes, last month in Australia Formula One’s Big Top started its seven month tour of the world, exhibiting the most expensive motor cars on the planet.
These multi-million pound machines are at the cutting edge of automotive technology. With highly-tuned parts and the most aerodynamic bodies, these cars reach speeds you and I are unlikely to experience outside an aircraft – 225mph – and they burn fuel at a rate that even I would become mildly embarrassed about – 4mpg.
Their 800bhp, 2.4-litre V8 engines rev to an ear-piercing 19,000 revolutions per minute (a run-of-the-mill Ford Mondeo peaks at about 7,000rpm), and each Formula One driver will lose at least two kilograms in sweat during a race.
They are phenomenal bits of kit.
But the motors are also just test mules for us mere mortals. Many of the gizmos developed in F1 cars eventually make it into our own cars, such as the trusty Mondeo. So in a way, you have every right to boast that Lewis Hamilton is your personal automotive tester.
And what a tester to have. Good on him for showing the rest of the Brits how it can be done – and I don’t just mean in the car. He handled the media attention with great maturity and he possesses one of the best characteristics anyone could wish for – humility. And he’s only 22. It would be great if he becomes a role model for British kids. No pressure!
Hamilton’s arrival did much to overshadow the absence of Michael Schumacher on the grid. Did you even miss him?
If you do find yourself pining for a bit of the German though, look no further than the current Fiat van adverts. Helmet in hand, the ex-World Champion is seen (inexplicably) promoting a high-sided load-lugger. He can’t be broke already, so I just don’t get it. Ferrari and Fiat may be one and the same, but when he said he wanted to retain a relationship with the Italian marque, surely his agent misunderstood? Or could it be Schuey’s first stab at humour? Well, I laughed.
"could it be Schuey’s first stab at humour? Well, I laughed"
Maybe he’d have had less of a hard time had he chosen to advertise a Fiat at the other end of the size scale – the new Panda 100hp.
The new FIAT Panda
Described by its maker as ‘the full sports car experience’, it’s a small hatchback that costs £9,995 to buy and not a huge amount to insure.
With blacked-out rear windows, chunky wheels and a beefy front-end, the 100hp has the perfect look for a trainee gangster. And a tall one at that, because the cabin’s pretty lofty.
In years gone by, Fiat has made some cracking little machines – the 500 being the most notable. In fact, to celebrate its birth 50 years ago, Fiat will launch a 21st century 500 in July. Can’t wait.
But in the meantime this little Panda remains the darling of the supermini club. Around town, it breezes through traffic and it gives you something that many modern hatchbacks don’t - good visibility. The general trend for car designers right now is to squash the windows to pillar-box size and make the surrounding body frames as thick as possible, causing drivers to adopt dodgy squints just to look ahead.
Well, I’m happy to report that the Panda’s windows are squint-free.
On the open road its 1.4-litre 99bhp engine loves to be worked hard, and its adept front-wheel-drive chassis enjoys being kept on its toes. So if your driving style is one that likes to keep car’s momentum through the twists and turns, then this is a perfect choice for you.
It’s the kind of car Lewis Hamilton would probably drive in a parallel world.
Stay tuned for more of Vicki Butler-Henderson coming soon on Virgin Media.
Butler-Henderson on the BMW X5
29th March 2007
