The Brera, says Alfa Romeo, was intended for cruising on straight continental roads, not British bendy ones. Earlier they announced something tougher and sportier for our more demanding roads. This was the Brera S, developed by British racing engineers Prodrive, who run the Aston Martin team.

James Martin, better known as a chef, test drove the new mean machine:

I was really excited to get my hands on one of these, as they’re only building 500. But do you know what? I think it’s gone too far in the other direction. … What Prodrive have done, rather than beef up the engine, is to lower the centre of gravity, reduce the weight by 100kg and fit specially commissioned Eibach coil springs and Bilstein dampers to reduce roll and pitch and enhance cornering. They say this new set-up gives it a ‘more nimble and agile feel, with increased driver feedback’. You can say that again. … [It] is like trying to win a Grand Prix in an earthquake: it’s just bounce, clang, bounce, always on the verge of wheelspin and a literal pain in the backside.

It only goes to show, you can’t please all of the people all of the time.

Specification

£28,450 at alfaromeo.co.uk
Engine 3.2-litre direct-injection V6
Power 260bhp
Peak torque 322Nm at 4,500rpm
Top speed 155mph
Transmission Six-speed manual

Standard features 19in alloy wheels with Pirelli PZero Nero tyres, Prodrive, engineering dampers and springs, revised exhaust silencer, ABS, ASR, EBD, hill-hold, dual-zone air conditioning, Italian Frau leather upholstery with red stitching, aluminium sports pedals, six-speaker CD/radio, rear-parking sensor, cruise control, folding heated wing mirrors.

The Teslas S electric Sedan — inspected by Arnie

Uber-blogger Robert Scoble, formerly Microsoft’s internet evangelist, now with TV outfit Fast Company, says he is saving up for a Tesla Sedan, due for production release in two years.

Tesla Motors, which specializes in all-electric cars, has announced plans to start building the Model S — a five-passenger electric sedan with a 225-mile range — in the Bay Area of San Francisco.

Here are Robert’s upsides and downsides on the model :

Upsides?

1. Gas prices are probably going up from here, not down.
2. I want to be the first to have the sedan in my neighborhood.
3. When I took a ride in the first Tesla I learned that it can go more than 200 miles on just $3 worth of electricity.
4. Tim Ryan, Congressman, approves.
5. My vote, with my dollars, will help push other car companies into doing the same thing.
6. In just a year I put 20,000 on my Saturn Aura, and in two years we’ve put 40,000 miles on our BMW. Turning those miles into electric miles will make a big dent in our gas budgets.
7. It’ll be built in California and I like keeping my money in the state.

Downsides?

1. We’ll still need two cars, or rent cars, for when we need to go more than 200 miles in a day (recharging takes hours, not a few minutes like with gas). But that’s OK, we’ll still need two cars anyway, one for me and one for Maryam (in Half Moon Bay there are no public transportation options).
2. It’s expensive. More expensive than our BMW, which is a very expensive car for us.
3. It’s unproven technology and car. I remember when my dad bought a General Motors’ diesel in the late 1970s and that was a disaster of a car and soured our family on GM cars for more than 15 years.

We await developments with interest.

I have never been a big Cadillac fan but this time I think they have hit the nail on the head. The CTS range is a treat for the eye and has the performance to match. BMW and Mercedes must be worrying about this one.

The overall feel of the design is of strength and compactness. Note how the high waistline gives the feeling of solidity and the sharp angles and straight lines reinforce the initial impression of a car that means business. There are details in the design at the front that I could quibble with but these are minor in comparison to the excellent proportions of the whole car.

And the rear is as near perfect as it gets, preserving echoes of the high tail lights we expect from Cadillac but ultra-modern in its approach. Everything about the car confirms that it is exactly what it sets out to be: big (but not too big), beefy and businesslike.

They even race the CTS and it does very well. And, of course, in race trim it looks absolutely wonderful!

By Clive Allen

Just as the news of the sale of Jaguar to Indian private equity company Tata comes through, we hear news that the fastest ever Jaguar is being launched.

Supercar Jaguar XK, billed as the fastest ever Jag

Yahoo News comments : “Jaguar has unveiled its fastest ever production car since the XJ220 supercar. The XKR-S is based on the standard Jaguar XKR, but a series of enhancements boost its performance and improve its focus as a drivers’ car.

“The supercharged engine produces 420bhp, the ECU recalibrated to allow the XKR-S to reach a maximum of 174mph and sprint to 62mph in just 5.2 seconds.

“Although there’s no boost in power, Jaguar promises that the 200 limited series run of XKR-S models will provide their drivers with greater thrills behind the wheel. ”

It looks a dream, but with American, now Indian, ownership it scarcely qualifies as an English classic any more.

What would Inspector Morse make of it all?