Retribution, redemption, revelation!

“After I killed him, I threw the gun in the Thames and washed the residue off my hands in the bathroom of a Burger King.”

The first line of the movie quite perfectly sets the tone of this whimsical and sometimes haunting story.

Set in the picturesque medieval town of Bruges, the film tells the story of two London based hit men, Ray and Ken. The film starts on a light note with the two protagonists coming to Bruges to lie low after a deal that did not work out well in London. However, what seems like a tedious lay off to the two soon turns out to be a cryptic maze of morals, emotions, decisions and ethics. The introduction of the third main character, Harry makes the proceedings even more intriguing.

Also, noteworthy is the climax which with its Shakespearean conclusion leaves an indelible impression. It uses very traditional motifs like honour, pride and poetic justice.

The pace of the movie is perfect never getting too slow yet giving enough time for the characters to grow on you. The script with its Biblical and sometime Gothic themes is flawless. It has a very strange sense of irony attached to it. The dialogues are well written especially the banter between the two protagonists which is as real as any day to day conversation. The casting of Irish actors Colin Farrell and Brendon Gleeson combined with Ralph Fiennes is an interesting choice. The camerawork and cinematography are topnotch. Add to that some of best shooting locations of Europe and a soothing background score.

All in all, this is a very different experience versus the regular Hollywood fare that one is so used to watching. It is a fine blend of good old school film making with some very modern ideas enthused into it. It serves as a gentle reminder of some great cinema coming from British film makers. A definite watch for people who are fond of good cinema.     

Tendulkar vs Bradman

If there is one thing that I want to do with a time machine it has to be to bring Donald Charles Bradman to play in the times of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.

Coming straight to the point; who's better?
Statistically Bradman comes on top with his whopping average of 99.94.
But can two legends be compared purely on their batting average stats alone?

Here is an insight to some of the other stats that must be considered before jumping to some premature conclusion.

The number of test matches played by Sir Don Bradman is a meagre 52 in his career spanning nearly 20 years. Sachin on the other hand has played close to 165 Tests and 450 One Dayers in a similar span of time.

What this means is, on an average the Don went killing 12 days a year whereas the Little Master has to constantly battle for almost 65 days a year; and this is discounting the fact that he also plays in other matches like the IPL, Champions League, etc. This surely has to count for a lot.
To keep oneself motivated for so long and consistently perform was a rare feat achieved by both but the frequency at which Sachin performs clearly outclasses Bradman.

A brief glimpse into the history of cricket would tell us that Bradman played at a time when cricket was hardly 50 years old and still in its early evolving stages. The number of games were few, media coverage almost nil, competition was minimal, controversies were unknown and almost everything was a silent affair. Compare this with modern cricket where the number of competitions are achingly high, professionalism exists in every department and cricketers are constantly under the radar be it for the Ferraris they get or their opinion of playing for country over state.

Cricket has often been called as a greater mind game than a physical game; and when it comes to batsmen it is 100 percent true. A small lapse in concentration means one has to give up his wicket. So while all Bradman had to think of while batting was a few bouncers in a particular 'Bodyline' series, Sachin has to play bouncers and doosras and chinamen and what not while the ever increasing pressure of a 1200 million demanding population creeps up on him. A series without runs implies a shift in the demand supply curve of the 20 odd products that he endorses.

Bradman was an excellent Test Player but his prowess in ODIs can only be left to imagination. Sachin, on the other hand has played cricket par excellence in all formats of the game. The recently emerged, still evolving T20 format is an evidence. Sachin fits in like a hand in a glove even in this format as if he has been playing T20 matches forever.

While detractors will still say Bradman played in a time of no helmets, they forget that this also was a time of no media, hype, hooplah and moolah which are important factors that cannot be ignored. The arguments are endless but one good thing that emerges from the Sachin vs Bradman debate is the fact that it rubbishes some earlier rather hapless comparisons with a Lara or a Ponting.

To conclude, here is a quote by one of the most popular players of today who was very recently compared to the Master himself by some ludicrous 'statistical and stochastic' survey conducted by some Mathematical geeks,

"Sachin Tendulkar is bigger than Don Bradman"
- Virender Sehwag

(courtesy: http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report_sachin-tendulkar-is-bigger-than-don-bradman-virender-sehwag_1352713)

World Cup: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

The greatest show on the planet has come to an end. The 2010 World Cup in South Africa will be remembered for the Jabulanis, Vuvuzelas, strippers and octopuses if not for some scintillating display of football. The World Cup had its share of heroes who elevated their game to new heights as well as the usual suspects who were making news for all the wrong reasons. Here’s a look at some of the teams and their World Cup performances:

THE GOOD:

Spain:

They were by far the best team in the World Cup and rightful winners for that matter. The Spanish game was like ballerina on the football field; be it the crisscross passing or the brilliant one-twos, the tic-tac-toe moves or the golden triangles. The only drawback was their amnesia when it came to scoring goals. They better get Memento (or our own Ghajini) like tattoos inscribed before Euro 2012 (saying: SCORE). The way they kept possession with a record 3795 passes (yes, some loser counted that) will go down as legend in the history of World Cup football.

Germany:

They scored goals, they attacked and lost to the best team in the World Cup. Once again they proved to be the most consistent European performer on the world’s biggest stage and showed the world that it was the Germans who invented ‘Blitz Krieg’ with their penetrating counter attacks. Also, they once again proved that knocking Argentina out in the quarters and losing in the semis is something they hold in high regard.

Uruguay:

Not undermining their not so anticipated performance, they were slightly lucky to have a good draw of matches though. All in all, it was brilliant stuff from them and surprisingly the best South American performance amongst all.

Argentina:

Maradona simply did not want to run naked. That can be the only justification for playing attacking midfielders as left backs and right backs.

Brazil:

Gone may be the years of the flamboyant Ronaldos, Rivaldos and Ronaldinhos but they were definitely one of the strongest unit in the World Cup. Sad that a single half’s performance can destroy a team as badly as the Samba boys and blame it all on the coach (though I ain’t a big Dunga fan).

Ghana:

When you don’t score the 119^th minute penalty then even God cannot help you given that the Hand of God (part II) got you the penalty in the first place.

Paraguay:

Never have the two ’guays’ (Paraguay and Uruguay) both played well at the same time; so a Paraguay-Uruguay final (or even a third place match) never seemed plausible. Besides Spain beat them (so who cares anyway, except followers of a certain Riquelme (and no, its not the Argentinean footballer being referred to here) who were satisfied anyway as they later found out).

THE BAD:

England:

Though England may be still cribbing about their disallowed goal, the bottom line remains the same that they were bad. Anyways, when you are depending on a certain baby faced, red headed, short tempered guy to win you the cup single handedly, dreams are bound to crash. Besides the only thing that was worth watching in England matches was what designer suits was Beckham strutting (call it: ‘Bench it like Beckham’).

Italy:

They did get older,

Definitely not stronger,

People called them boredom,

Coz they played like old fags.

Portugal:

They may have scored seven goals in a match but Carlos Quieroz (Sir Alex Fergusson’s right hand man some say; others call him his b***h) was another one to have succumbed to the Italian way. The result being one of the most talented footballer running around the park like an imbecile.

France:

They were bound to crash out without a single win when the coach kept his best pair of hands and his best scoring chance stranded on the bench for most of the tournament (read: Thierry Henry). Also, with a civil war erupting within the team, no one really was expecting too much. There was no Zinedine Zidane to bail them out this time round.

AND THE UGLY:

Netherlands:

The Dutch may be runners up but they were everything that is not supposed to be Dutch. They were physical, ugly, conservative, boring and seemed to be taking the Italian way to glory. The beautiful game was a passé and Total Football seemed like a distant dream for this team. Flair had nothing to do with them. Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten were Spanish to them. The best thing to happen to World football this year has to be the Netherlands losing the finals else the Italian way (Catenaccio some call it; others call it sad) would have found more supporters especially with Internazionale winning the coveted Champions League just a month back. The Dutch said ’Who wants Batman when we have Robben’ but we definitely do not want a bunch of kung-fu playing, flying kicks throwing and on every occasion diving players to be called world champions.

Christopher Nolan – the future of Cinema

Every once in a while, Hollywood has had its share of directors whose vision has surpassed that of the others and who have been way ahead of time when it comes to film making. Be it Alfred Hitchcock in the 60s or Stanley Kubrick in the 70s, Martin Scorsese in 80s or Steven Spielberg in the 90s, very decade has had its true heroes. However, if one director is to be picked who has been exceptionally brilliant in the past decade, it has to be ‘Christopher Nolan’ hands down. The London born director of Irish origin began making films at a young age of seven and ever since has produced some of the best moments in cinematic history. Although he started his career making short films like Tarantella, Larceny and Doodlebug, it was only in 1998 that he made his first full length feature film. Here is a brief look at his rather glorious filmography:

1) Following:

Nolan’s first full length feature film made at a miniscule budget of $ 6000 marked the arrival of a legend. The film was shot in black and white and starred mostly friends of Nolan. While it did not have a theatrical release it was showcased in a number of film festivals and won rave reviews all over. This neo noir movie by far boasts of one of the best screenplays ever and the editing (if it was there) has to be deemed as the most compelling piece of work ever. The thriller which has a runtime of less than 70 minutes tells the story of a neurotic novelist who follows random people to analyzes them. It can easily be called the most underrated suspense thriller in the history of Hollywood.

2) Otnemem:

It was the success of ‘Following’ at the film festivals that prompted Nolan to make his first commercial movie. Again made at a modest budget of $ 5 million, ‘Otnemem’ went on to become a cult film in the film noir genre. It won’t be wrong to call this ‘Otnemem’ more of a jigsaw puzzle than a Hollywood film. Finally, there was a film after which the average movie goer had his IQ levels slightly raised after watching a film rather than the film eating on his intelligence. The film was hailed “the most accurate portrayal of short term amnesia and the different memory systems in the popular media”.

3) Insomnia:

His next film was a remake of a Norwegian film by the same name and once again Nolan had struck gold. This crime drama set in Alaska is one of the best films made in recent times exploring the psyche of the human mind and the hidden demons inside each one of us. It boasted some of the best performances by its leads: Al Pacino, Hillary Swank and Robin Williams. This film had established that Nolan was not a one film wonder but indeed a master story teller.

4) Batman Begins:

Now that Nolan had become an established film maker, he took his first giant stride by reviving the Batman franchise. With the flurry of superhero films like Spiderman, Fantastic 4 and many others around the same time, Batman Begins was expected to be another run of the mill superhero movie. But Nolan surprised everyone with his version of a darker and fiercer Batman. He gave Batman a new direction with his vision of the Batman arsenal — the Batsuit, Batcave, Batmobile, and the Batsignal as had been portrayed never before.

5) The Prestige:

With the critical and commercial success of Batman Begins, a sequel was always calling. But Nolan once again took the path less traversed by directing the Prestige which explored the revelry and then rivalry of two magicians. This thriller with its constant twists and turns takes the viewer on a topsy turvy ride once again leaving him guessing right till the end like his previous thrillers. This novel adaptation was hailed by many critics as the best fantasy thriller of the 21^st century has come down as one of the cult classics of recent times.

6) The Dark Knight:

Finally in 2008, 3 years after the first part the Batman franchise had Nolan beckoning with him being at the helm of affairs this time round. The Dark Knight was unlike any other film that the world had seen before. The direction was spot on, casting perfect, camerawork brilliant, cinematography beyond excellent, music haunting and everything seemed to be in a perfect harmony. With Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the eccentric and maniacal Joker, Nolan had once again redefined the scope of a cinematic Super villain. He had simply created magic on celluloid; scenes like the transformation of the Batmobile to the Batpod have laid down new domains when it comes to action in movies. The Dark Knight was nominated for 8 Oscars but was conspicuously left out of the Best Director and Best Film categories. The Academy decision behind extending nomination for best film from 5 to 10 films was largely made on the conspicuous absence of The Dark Knight in the Best Film category.

7) Inception:

‘Your mind is the scene of the crime’ reads the tagline of Nolan’s latest movie releasing on the 16th of July, 2010. It is enough to spark a flood of emotions ranging from excitement to intrigue in the mind of any film connoisseur. In my opinion Inception will be the film that shall have Nolan collecting the much deserved Academy Award for Achievement in Direction. If initial reports are anything to go by, then this is definitely another masterstroke from the maverick director. Here are the views of a few noted film critics who have had the fortune to catch the initial uncut previews of Inception:

“A wildly entertaining and dazzling mind-trip not to be missed. Kubrick would have been proud.”

“Inception is an exhilarating cinematic experience that suggests there is still room, even in the blockbuster world, for big ideas and dangerous emotions, and that may be the single most thrilling thing about it.”

“A devilishly complicated, fiendishly enjoyable sci-fi voyage across a dreamscape that is thoroughly compelling.”

“I walked out hypnotized. Here's a movie that's 3 steps ahead of you, on 4 different levels, at 5 blinding speeds.”

“If movies are shared dreams, then Christopher Nolan is surely one of Hollywood's most inventive dreamers, given the evidence of his commandingly clever Inception”.

PS: This is not a tribute or homage to Nolan and he is not dead for all those wondering. I felt that instead of writing about someone who is uselessly already past his prime or may be even dead, I’d rather provide encouragement to someone who still has the potential to give us some cinematic brilliance. I know Chris Nolan will read this. Also, I am not one of the critics to have seen Inception; so please do not blame me if the movie is beyond comprehension (as most people feel about Nolan's movies)

For Your Eyes Only...............

The automobile industry has taken giant strides from the time of its inception when Messrs Ford, Daimler, Maybach and Benz had come up with their individual versions of automotive carriages that have evolved to what we call cars in the modern age. Today, we have a large spectrum to choose from. A customer today can choose from the orthodox sedans, coupes, hatches, 4x4s, convertibles to their more flamboyant derivatives like sport saloons, berlinettas, MPVs (Multi Purpose Vehicles), SUVs (Sports Utility Vehicles) and cabriolets. The once elusive ‘supercar’ is gradually transforming to the outrageous ‘hypercar’.

Today, an approximate 50 million cars are produced annually worldwide. Let us rewind two years back. The automobile industry was in dire straits with the global economic recession having hit this industry the hardest. The meltdown saw some of the most admired and popular car brands like Hummer, Saturn and Mercury bite the dust while others like Saab went under the hammer. This was the time when car manufacturers had a rather subdued time with not too many new car models hitting the market. But the automobile industry seems gung ho as of now coming up with some of the most technologically superior, larger than life and sometimes over the top car models in history.

Here is a list counting down the most widely awaited and eagerly anticipated car models to hit the market this year:

10) Maserati Gran Cabrio S:

Unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009, it is the cabriolet version of the Maserati Gran Turismo. With its 4.7 litre V8, it is a perfect case of style matching substance. While the 0-100 time is a meager 5 seconds, speed would not be the only reason why the Gran Cabrio would be on almost everyone’s wish list. The Gran Cabrio is an epitome of the Renaissance Italian poise and passion. Right from the delicate curves in the exterior to the stylish dashboard inside, the marvelously carved headlights to the royal Maserati ‘Trident’ badge, it is difficult to take one’s eyes off the car. Currently in production at the Viale Ciro Menotti Maserati factory, this Grand Tourer has been designed by the fabled Italian car designer ‘Carozzeria Pininfarina’.

Cost: $ 150000

9) Maybach 62 Zeppelin:

The company that originally developed engines for Zeppelins (airships) during the World War 1 era later transformed to a car manufacturing company. Around the great economic depression of 1930 they introduced the world to the Maybach Zeppelin, the highest end luxury saloon that the world had known at that time. Ironically, again it was around the economic recession in 2008 Maybach (now a subsidiary of Mercedes Benz) redeemed the flagship model in the form of the Maybach 62 Zeppelin at the Geneva Motor Show. At 6.2 metres in length as the name suggests, it represents the absolute zenith in the high end luxury saloon segment. The double M badge in the front coupled with Zeppelin engraved below speaks volumes of the legacy behind this machine. Also, with a 6 litre biturbo V12, it is one of the most powerful saloons around. The interiors have practically anything and everything that one could imagine to fit inside a car (e.g. a perfume atomizer with personally customized perfume vials with an ingenious control to understand the human sense of smell). With only a limited 100 models to come out of the factory, only the crème de la crème shall have the honour of bringing one home.

Cost: $ 850000

8) Audi R8 Spyder:

Like its corporate tagline ‘Vorsprung durch technik’ (meaning ‘Progress through Technology)’,the supercar from Audi just got bolder and better. The open top version of the super successful R8 with its 5.2 litre V10 has a 0-100 time of 4 seconds and a top speed of 313 kmph. Widely popularized by Tony Stark in the Ironman series, it is considered by many pundits as the best sports coupe on sale today. The R8 Spyder possesses the rare quality of being mesmerizingly attractive and being the quintessential Audi that it is. Apart from being a true work of art, the R8 Spyder is also technically brilliant; Sample this: the light-emitting diodes (LEDs) used for the headlights (color temperature of 6,000 Kelvin),are closest that anyone has used to simulate daylight, which keeps the eyes alert when driving at night. Currently, this car is in production at the Neckarsulm plant of Audi.

Cost: $ 200000

7) Lamborghini Reventon Roadster:

After Audi took over the realms of the maverick car manufacturer in the early part of the 21^stcentury, they seemed to have driven some sense into the Lamborghini cars famous for their flair rather than handling or ride. This meant that the brand that gave us the ahead of its times Miura and Countach and the absolutely outrageous Diablo had now come up with the more sensible Murceilago and followed it with the Gallardo. But now all hell seems to have broken loose with the Sant Agata Bolognese based company coming up with the roadster version of the Lamborghini Reventon. The exterior body design, inspired by the ‘Panvio Tornado’ fighter plane is evident in the razor sharp edges of the roadster. Lamborghini, apparently also had a race staged between the car and the jet. With a 0-100 time of 3.4 seconds, the Reventon has a maximum speed of 330 kmph. As far as styling is concerned, the Reventon Roadster represents the Italians at the helm of their haute couture; be it the trademark ‘scissor’ doors or the bi-Xenon headlamps, the slick batmobile like body design or the enormous rear exhausts. As for the interiors, they are again straight out of a cockpit of a fighter aircraft with Lamborghini also providing a G-Force metre so that your eyes don’t pop out. The limited edition model (20 cars are to be produced) can easily be hailed as the ultimate expression of eccentricity and passion from the Italians.

Cost: $ 1400000

6) Bentley Mulsanne:

Bentley pays homage to the legendary high speed ‘Mulsanne’ straight at Le Mans as it revives the Mulsanne model. The Mulsanne has sky high expectations as it fills the shoes of the highly successful Arnage, Azure and Brooklands models of Bentley. With its retro look the Mulsanne oozes class all over. The interiors include all classic signature features that have defined Bentleys from the 1920s to the present day like bulls-eye air vents, high-quality mirror-matched wood veneers, 'brightware' exclusively in polished stainless steel, sill treadplates, matrix grilles and beautiful glass switches. Class apart, it also incorporates some of the latest technical advancements like the state-of-the-art 14-speaker audio system with Digital Signal Processing (DSP). The attention to detail is illustrated from the fact that each car takes nearly 65 days to build and is completely customized with customers having to choose from a total of 114 paint colours, 21 carpet colours, nine wood veneers and 24 interior leather hides. Thus, while the Mulsanne pays respect to the past, it is a thoroughly modern luxury car that offers a unique fusion of power, refinement and elegance.

Cost: $ 350000

5) Rolls Royce Ghost:

After the mighty Phantom, Rolls Royce (now, a subsidiary of BMW) now bring its little brother, the Ghost. It has been christened in honour of the 1906 Silver Ghost model of Rolls Royce. It may be smaller in size than the Phantom but Rolls Royce has not subdued it even slightly. On the contrary, with its twin turbo 6.6 litre V12, the Ghost is the most powerful car ever built by Rolls Royce (an indication would be the 0-100 time of 4.7 seconds and this coming in the luxury saloon segment). Rolls Royce claim to have created their most driver focused car ever and also feel that they have engineered a benchmark in the form of the Ghost. So gone are the days when the Roller was synonymous with a chauffeur, as the Ghost is completely a driver’s car. For detractors who feel that Rolls Royce would lose its traditional charm with all the technology, Rolls Royce prove them wrong as the Ghost has all the regulars be it the traditional Rolls Royce flip doors or the chrome door handles, the traditional violin key switches or the frosted white dials and the ever standing double R on the wheel arches or the Flying ‘Rolls Royce’ Lady leading at the front. To sum it all, the Ghost embodies the 21st-century Rolls-Royce: more than 100 years of engineering and design excellence expressed in modern and uncompromised style.

Cost: $ 350000

4) Aston Martin One-77:

Not much is known about the One-77 which was unveiled at Geneva in 2009 but kept mostly under the wraps by Aston Martin. What is known is that it shall be a limited edition model with as less as 77 cars (hence, called the One-77) to be produced under the name meaning even James Bond will find it difficult to get his hands on one (given the fact that 5 Aston Martin DBSs were used in the previous Bond film). Also, what else is known is that this definitely is one of the best looking cars to come out of any factory in the past decade if not the best. Aston Martin in their own words call itaculmination of all the marque's know-how and an effortless beauty guaranteed to stir the senses with performance potentially eclipsing any previous Aston Martin. Also, the car with its 7.3 litre V12 is expected to notch up to 320 kmph with a 0-100 time of 3.5 seconds.

Cost: $ 1600000

3) Mercedes Benz SLS AMG:

In the early years of the 21^st century, a deal was struck between two of the biggest names in the automobile industry; auto giants Mercedes Benz and Formula 1 heavyweights Mclaren. Under the clause of the agreement made, Mercedes was to provide engines to the Mclaren F1 team and in return Mclaren would provide technical assistance and their Formula 1 inputs to Mercedes in developing a road legal car. What resulted of this devilish ploy was the Mclaren Mercedes Benz SLR, a hypercar like none that had been produced ever. The partnership was too good to last very long. So, when Mclaren expressed its will to build its own road car, the two companies parted ways. This resulted in Mercedes Benz coming up with The Mercedes Benz SLS AMG, a technical successor of the SLR but Mercedes also hail it as the spiritual successor of the 300 SL Gullwing. It is the first car to be designed by AMG, the in house car and engine tuning division of Mercedes Benz. With its 6.3 litres V8, the Gullwing is one of the fastest cars today with a maximum speed of 317 kmph and a 0-100 time of 3.8 seconds. Seven times Formula 1 Champion and current Mercedes GP driver Michael Schmacher is the official brand ambassador of the SLS. With its ‘gullwing’ doors, aero inspired fins, the unusually large bonnet with the Mercedes ‘Tristar’ right at the front, the SLS is easily one of the classiest supercar ever to hit the roads. All in all, the SLS embodies a perfect blend of German class with technology at its pinnacle.

Cost: $ 250000

2) Mclaren MP4 12C:

It won’t be wrong if this car is to be blamed for the annulment of the Mclaren-Mercedes partnership. But who is complaining when Mclaren announce that they shall be making a road legal car for the first time after the previous Mclaren F1, the hypercar which was the fastest car of the 90s upto very recently until the Bugatti Veyron was launched. So, the MP4-12C shall have big boots to fill as it shall have the Mclaren F1 as its predecessor on one hand and is also an offspring of the Mclaren Mercedes Benz SLR. The car shares its name with the current Formula 1 Mclaren car driven by Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton. The name as Mclaren put it; 'MP4' represents the racing bloodline of the 4^th Mclaren Project, '12' (a grade scale used by Mclaren) represents the focus on complete performance and efficiency and 'C' represents the revolutionary Carbon MonoCell chassis and body. Not only does it share its name but also heavily borrows from F1 technology right from the carbon fibre composite chassis to the brake steer technology for cornering, the rocker style gear lever to the aerodynamically streamlined body. Mclaren seem to be leaving no stone unturned as they have developed an altogether new 3.8 litre V8 which they claim shall have the maximum power to CO₂ emission ratio. The car is expected to hit the streets towards the end of this year.

Cost: $ 250000

1) Ferrari 458 Italia:

When Ferrari come up with a new model it marks a new era in car manufacturing setting new standards and raising engineering benchmarks. So. The highly successful Ferrari 430 Scuderia is now being replaced by the Ferrari 458, Italia. The Ferrari 458 Italia is a completely new car from every point of view: engine, design, aerodynamics, handling, instrumentation and ergonomics. A two seater Berlineeta, designed in Pininfarina, the 458 uses a 4.5 litre V8 capable of achieving speeds as high as 325 kmph with a 0-100 time of 3.3 seconds. Currently at production in the Maranello factory of Ferrari, the Italia heavily draws inspiration from the Ferrari Enzo (F-60) and its Mille Chili concept car. The exterior of the Italia while being excessively stylish on one hand has been majorly designed keeping in mind the high speed aerodynamics that one would associate with a Ferrari. It uses Formula 1 technology and design in every aspect to maximize the efficiency and performance. The interior of the car also has a definitive race car feel to it with Michael Schumacher having a significant hand in designing the car interiors while he was still at Ferrari. The car uses a never seen before part F1 style steering wheel and a F1 inspired 7 speed gearbox to get into the DNA of a super quick race car. The Italia is a synthesis of style, creative flair, passion and cutting-edge technology. It is not for nothing that Ferrari decided to give the name of their homeland to this engineering marvel.

Cost: $ 250000

While the list above was that of cars that are sure to arrive this year, following is an interesting list of cars that may or may not be there in the near future. These are cars that are still either in their development stage or concept cars that may conceptualize to production cars:

7) Cadillac Sixteen:

A 2003 concept may finally materialize to something if sources are to be believed.

6) Aston Martin Lagonda:

Aston Martin plan to revive the ‘Lagonda’ series with its first ever SUV.

5) Pagani Zonda Tricolore:

Pagani Automobili created the Pagani Zonda Tricolore on the occasion of the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the "Frecce Tricolori", as a tribute to the National Aerobatic Team.

4) Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita:

This may be a follow up to the CCXR – the fastest production car available currently.

3) Porsche 918 Spyder:

This may just be the German’s answer to the hybrid supercar generation initiated by the American Tesla.

2) BMW Efficient Dynamics Concept:

The Bavarians may just come up with their version of a green supercar.

1) Bugatti Galibier:

Bugatti as part of their centenary celebrations may come up with the 4 door version of the ‘Car of the decade’ – the Veyron.

Statutory Warning / Disclaimer:

All the above views are that of a car enthusiast who has let alone driving never even seen any one of the above cars except on television. The views are based on extremely biased television shows, magazines catering to boosting sales of specific brands and websites aimed for the further repression of developing countries. The author shall is not liable to any losses (material or spiritual) occurring to readers who place their faith in his rather awesome opinions and also does take responsibility to any of the readers’ actions after reading the article owing to the reader’s low self esteem given the fact that he shall not be able to afford any of the above cars.

Also, any of the above views ‘NOT’ bearing resemblance to that of any of its readers living or dead is purely coincidental and deeply regretted.