Maranello
It's official: Maranello is a very nice place
*Something called The Great Place to Work Institute has awarded Ferrari its Best Place To Work In Europe 2007 gong. Who'd have thought that working for one of the world's most evocative marques in a country that has stupendous food and wines, plenty of culture ancient and modern, and good-looking well-dressed people would be so great? At the end of the last decade, Ferrari's capo di tutti capo, Luca Di Montezemolo, put his 'Formula Uomo' plan into operation that looks after Maranello's workers, treating them as the asset they so rightly are. And that plan has borne more fruit than just the stuff in the new company restaurant. But with all those lovely lunches, perhaps the best place to work might be The Great Place To Work Institute itself.
Arden XK AJ 20 CoupeBig cat, sharper claws
*The standard XK comes with a 300-hp 4.2-liter V8. Arden pulled the engine and completely rebuilt its bottom end with a bespoke crankshaft, pistons and connecting rods to push displacement to 4.5 liters. Along with modified intake and exhaust systems, Arden's AJ 20 squeezes out 480 hp-more power than the supercharged XK, and all natural. A top speed in the neighborhood of 183 mph makes this one of the fastest Jags on the road, if not the fastest. And of course, the engine's only half the story. Arden also offers an aero package, a sport suspension, and various high-end interior treatments for the discerning Jag buff.www.arden.de.
SLR McLaren Roadster200 mph and the sun on your face
*Standing defiant in the face of convertible nay-sayers, Mercedes-Benz has announced it will soon offer a Roadster version of the SLR McLaren super sports car. Its fully retractable semi-automatic top opens or closes in less than 10 seconds. Standard SLR equipment is all there, including the 617-hp supercharged AMG V8 which pushes the car to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds, massive carbon ceramic disc brakes, and a body rife with carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) materials.www.mercedes-benz.com
JE Design TTFor the owner who can't leave well enough alone
*If you're one of those lucky punks driving around in a new TT, JE Design offers a tuning program regardless of your choice of engines. For the 2.0T, JE offers revised engine management parameters which push peak power to 244 hp. If you drive a 3.2, word has it JE is also hard at work on a supercharger system that should put power figures in the 350-hp range. New visual cues are available as well, including 20-inch forged wheels, sport springs and coilovers, aerodynamic knick-knacks and a stainlesss steel sport exhaust terminating in dual stainless steel tips.www.je-design.de