Italian Racing Vehicle of the Year 2007

With 4,767 votes the Formula 1 constructors’ title-winning Ferrari F2007 single-seater is the worthy recipient of the Italiaspeed Racing Car of the Year 2007 award following on from its predecessor’s which win this category last year. Second place went to the potent Grande Punto Abarth S2000 (1,617) which claimed the Italian Rally Championship title while third place went to the venerable Alfa 156 SuperTouring 2000 (1,344) which in its final year on the world stage just kept on winning.

Ferrari F2007
After two years spent away from the F1 titles, Ferrari bounced right back to the top with the F2007. Running a longer wheelbase than its rivals, the pundits predicted this wasn’t going to be the idea path. However the car, finished in a brand new hue of red, kicked off the season with pole position and victory in Australia courtesy of Raikkonen. After the McLaren-Mercedes team was disqualified from the Constructors’ Championship id-season this title was a mere formality, Ferrari eventually racking up 204 points compares to closest rival BMW’s 101. A dramatic last race of the season then saw Kimi Raikkonen add the Drivers’ title. On the way to this clean sweep the F2007, in the hands of Raikkonen and team mate Felipe Massa, picked up nine pole positions and nine wins.

Abarth Grande Punto S2000
Following in the footsteps of rally legends such as the Fiat 131 and 124 Spider, the Fiat Grande Punto burst onto the scene in 2006 winning three important titles (Italian, European and Intercontinental). For 2007 the cars were rechristened as Grande Punto Abarths, the legendary tuning concern having been reborn. In the Italian Championship Giandomenico Basso was imperious, racing to the overall title, while in the Intercontinental series a new star was born: Anton Alén (son of famous rally star, Markku) and the Finn raced to a stunning victory on the Rally Russia. In the European series a number of privateer drivers campaigned the S2000 machine, with Turkish champion Volkan Işık eventually finishing a close second.

Alfa Romeo 156 SuperTouring 2000
With a string of international touring car titles already in the bag including the prestigious European title, the Alfa 156 SuperTouring 2000 is assured its place in Alfa Romeo’s glorious racing history. In its final year on the world stage, and with no major close season changes it was expected to simply make up the numbers behind the big-budget factory BMW and SEAT teams. However no one had told the Alfa 156, the N.Technology team and lead driver James Thompson. With an amazing early season double victory (in Valencia) Thompson climbed the podium on a further six occasions, stayed in the title hunt to the very last race in Macau and finished the season third in the drivers’ standings, just two points off second place. One of the mighty performances of the year.

Abarth Grande Punto Oro Diesel
Emphasising its committment to grass roots rallying and in developing performance diesel power, Abarth introduced the new Trofeo Oro Diesel championship this year. It follows in a long line of historical Abarth promotional championships and made a perfect 'step up' for crews from the popular Panda Cup. Contested by identical-specification Multijet-powered Grande Puntos, turned into potent track machines courtesy of a comprehensive 30,000 euro kit, the inaugural championship would be fought out over six most-asphalt surface events, with five of these being part of the prestigious Italian Rally Championship. The cars feature 1.9-litre turbocharged engines with 175 bhp (at 4,500 rom) and peak torque of 36 kgm (at 1,500rpm), 6-speed sequential gearboxes, twin-plate ceramic clutches, limited slip differentials, uprated driveshafts and brakes, larger anti-roll bars and 17-inch wheels.

Alfa Romeo 159 2.4 JTDM
The Alfa Romeo 159 made its first motorsport appearance in diesel form in Australia when it was entered by the Australian Alfa Romeo importer to compete in the famous 12 hour Bathurst race. Helmers included David Stone, General Manager of Alfa Romeo in Australia, and they went on to beat a factory-entered Holden Astra diesel to take the diesel class after 12 hours of close racing. The 159 was quick and durable, with the 2.4 JTD engine providing such effortless performance that the drivers could use the air-conditioning during the event to keep their cool. The same car will compete in the 2008 event in March next year.

Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 SS
Eight decades ago the Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 Super Sport was the toast of Europe, in an era when Alfa Romeos quite simply won everything there was to win, and the Milanese brand had a name to be feared on the major racetracks around the world. But Alfa Romeos are born to win, and the 6C 1500 SS which famously won the 1928 'Mille Miglia' in the hands of Campari and Rampon is tasting victory once again. This year the very same car won the Mille Miglia historical re-run in the hands of official museum pilot Luciano Viaro, adding to the victory this combination claimed two years ago; while last month it was shipped across the world to Argentina to take part in the fabulous ‘1000 Millas Sport’ where it proceeded to win outright.

Ducati Desmosedici GP7
The brand new Ducati Desmosedici GP7 had a sensational MotoGP season, its power and ability allowing the Italian factory team to comfortably win the constructors' title thanks to the unstoppable Ausralian Casey Stoner and a string of very solid performances from his Italian team mate Loris Capirossi. Stoner won ten races on the GP7, Capirossi a further one as Ducati ended the MotoGP season with 394 points, well ahead of its Japanese factory rival: Honda (313), Yamaha (283) and Suzuki (241). The achievement of the smaller-budget Ducati effort simply cannot be underestimated - it was to the first time the MotoGP title had come to European shores since 1973. The Ducati Desmosedici GP7 was a brand new bike built to the new 800c regulations that came into force this year. Developed throughout 2006 by the factory it pumped out 230 bhp at 16,500 rpm and offered a top speed in excess of 340 km/h. With a clear power advantage to the rest of the field and the use of Michelin's excellent 2006 tyre the GP7 was unstoppable.

Ferrari F430 GT
The Ferrari F430 GT had an impressive second year of international sportscar racing, winning major titles worldwide and in the process brushing disdainfully aside the challenge of the previously all-conquering Porsche hordes. In the FIA GT2 Championship the F430 GT claimed eight out of ten race wins to finish streets clear of Porsche (251.5 points compared to 156.5 points) and also hand AF Corse the Teams’ title. In the American Le Mans Series it gave Ferrari its first-ever American Le Mans Series title, GT2 victory in the prestigious 12 Hours of Sebring, and the Teams’ title to Risi Competizione. Meanwhile it also powered Robert Bell to the Drivers’ title and Virgo Motorsport to the Teams’ title in the Le Mans Series.

Ferrari F430 GT3
The Ferrari F430 GT3 was developed from the F430 Challenge to provide a suitable machine for the booming international GT3 categories. And in true Ferrari fashion it won the biggest GT3 series of them all - Gilles Vannelet and Henri Moser sweeping to the FIA European GT3 Championship title at the wheel of a Kessel Racing-run F430 GT3. It was the car's second consecutive win in the series. Elsewhere, the F430 GT3 claimed wins in the British GT3 Championship and was a regular podium finisher in far flung GT3 series' including Australia, and in Brazil where the CRT Team are campaigning two cars in the inaugural champinship with much success.

Fiat PanDAKAR
Late last year the irrepressible Fiat brand CEO Luca De Meo hatched a cheeky plot - to send two tiny Fiat Pandas off to tackle the toughest of all motorsport challenges, the Lisboa-Dakar Rally, an event that shatters the brightest of dreams and pitches man and machine against everything an unforgiving nature has to offer. Fitted with a near-standard 1.3 Multijet 16v engine, the PanDAKAR, as it was known, had its suspension jacked right up, the rear end boxed out and was fitted with an array of protective panels that turned this diminutive city car into a minature version of a real Dakar racer. Former Italian World Rally Champion 'Miki' Biasion was recruited to lead the team and he was joined in the two-car line-up by another ex-rally star and former Dakar winner, Frenchman Bruno Saby. By far the smallest cars in the event they joined the plethora of cars, trucks and motorbikes setting off on the gruelling desert challenge. However the Panda's adventure in the sand dunes didn't last long and misfortune in the Morocco desert sent them back home. A very brave challenge though.

Fiat Palio Abarth Rally 2008
The Fiat Palio Abarth has an unrivalled winning record in Brazil, with a decade of major titles to its name. This year has proved to be no different, as the current cars (competing the the N2 and A6 categories) have given way to a new generation of rally machine based on the new Palio (2008). Using the outgoing car, new Fiat recruit Fabio Dall’Agnol won 4 of 5 rounds to build up an impressive lead points lead before switching to his new mount for the most recent round of the series, the 2nd Rally Severiano de Almeida , where he handed it a winning debut in N2. Luìs Tedesco meanwhile debuted the new car (in A6) on the series, running prior to homologation being finalised, he was faster that any other rival, and with just one round remaining in the championship, Tedesco having used the outgoing car to rack up points, is right in the hunt for an amazing 15th title, and 10th consecutively.

Fiat Grande Punto 3.0 V6 Trophée Andros
The Fiat Grande Punto made its "ice racing" debut this year, taking part in the spectacular sideways action of the Trophée Andros winter racing series in France. Fiat has been at forefront of this unique discipline, where the spectacular Trophée Andros action is a huge winter draw for French motor racing fans, for the last two years. 2007 saw Fiat back for a third crack on ice, with the plan being to start the season with the existing Stilo before a mid-season switch to the new Grande Punto. Powered by a 24v 3.0 V6 engine (which is drawn from the Fiat Ulysse to fit the series' technical requirements that state the racer's engine must be manufacturer range-sourced) the unit is mated up to a competition 6-speed sequential gearbox and 4x4 transmission - the result: 350bhp fed straight to the ice via skinny tyres! The new Grande Punto was straight on the pace and a string of podiums followed for drivers' Philippe de Korsak and Franck Lagorce.

Iveco Trakker A190TW
The powerful Iveco Trakker A190TW turned in an impressive performance on the gruelling Lisboa-Dakar Rally in January with the team of Giacomo Vismara, Mario Cambiaghi and Sergio Chionni finishing in 12th place overall in the truck category in the Motorsport Italia run machine. In fact the Motorsport Italia Iveco trio all made it to the chequered flag in Dakar after two and a half weeks of tough racing across the unhospitable North African desert, and after mixing it with the many bigger and more powerful machines in the 80-strong truck entry, the team's two four-wheel-drive Eurocargos both finished very strongly.

Lamborghini Gallardo GT3
The V10-engined Lamborghini Gallardo really came of age this year as a customer racing mchine. The GT3 specification car, developed and built by Reiter Engineering in Germany, enjoyed much success around the globe. In the European GT3 Championship it made four podium appearances during the season as well as recording a string of top-ten finishes while it was also prevalent in GT championships across Europe, including the UK, France and Italy. It also enjoyed success further around the world: in Brazil it won 5 of the first 6 races in the country's inaugural GT3 Championship while in Australia Bryce Washington is poised to snatch the GT Championship title as he goes into the final round this month sittin on top of the table. It also appeared in two of the gruelling long distance endurance marathons this year: the Nurburging 24 Hours and Spa 24 Hours.

Lamborghini Murciélago R-GT
The Reiter Engineering developed Murciélago R-GT has often struggled to deliver on its promise during a racing career that started in the autumn of 2004. However last year it started to deliver more concrete results and this year claimed its first win in the FIA GT3 Championship. In the opening round of the series at Zuhai (Chine) the leading All-Inkl run car driver by Christophe Bouchet and Stefan Mücke started from 10th on the grid but over the 2-hours of the race battled up the leaderboard to claim a 2.453 second victory. The same driver line-up brought the R-GT home in second place in the the round of the series in Bucharest. All-Inkl Racing entered two of the fearsome machines in the Spa 24 Hours but both retired, while a single example entered in the Le Mans 24 Hours by Team JLOC was withdrawn at the start of the race after a huge practice accident set the team back. Team JLOC also enjoyed success with the car in Japan, claimed a pole position and podium finish in the GT300 class at Fuji in May.

Maserati GranSport GT3
Maserati developed their GranSport Trofeo into the GranSport GT3 for the inaugural European GT3 Championship last year. With more power and bigger wings and spoilers it looked every inch a racing machine. However the car started at a lower development point than rivals such as the Porsche GT3 and Chrysler Viper and it showed, and by the end of last year it had drifted out of use in the series. This year has been a quiet one for the Modenese racer, however veteran Australian racer Rob Wilson shipped a pair of the machines down under and achieved much success, claiming the Australian Sports/GT Intermarque Championship title (as well as the Class A title) after winning the final round of the series at Calder Park Raceway in October. Team mate Jim Manolios was also very well placed, he finished fourth overall and third in Class A, a real success for the Melbourne-based team which was only formed at the beginning of 2007.

Maserati MC12
The Maserati MC12 kept on winning this year in the FIA GT Championship, taking a clean sweep of GT1 titles: Drivers’, Manufacturers’ and Teams’. Thomas Biagi claimed the FIA GT title in a Vitaphone Racing MC12. With Mika Salo alongside he also won the Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy. Vitaphone Racing claimed their third consecutive Teams’ title with the successful car, while with six MC12s entered season long by Vitaphone Racing, Scuderia Playteam Sarafree and JMB Racing, Maserati won the Manufacturers’ Cup ahead of Aston Martin, Corvette and Lamborghini.

Toro Rosso STR2
Italian team Scuderia Toro Rosso entered its second season in Formula 1 this year, now with Ferrari 2.4 V8 power for the new Faenza-built STR-2. Born out of the Minardi team, Scuderia Toro Rosso is 50/50 owned by the Austrian energy drinks giant Red Bull (hence the name) and the former F1 driver Gerhard Berger. For this year the team perservered with its 2006 driver line-up, Italian Vitantonio Liuzzi and American Scott Speed, as well as inheriting the Ferrari engine contract held by the senior Red Bull team that had switched to Renault power for the 2007 season. Giorgio Ascanelli was brought in to head the technical team, but the season proved disappointing with driver errors and mechanical failures hindering progress. Sebastian Vettel was brought into replace Speed mid-season and in China the team claimed its first F1 points of the year after Vettel finished 4th and Liuzzi 6th. This gave the team 8 points in the constructors' championship and it finished the season in 7th place.

Italian Racing Car of the Year 2006
It was another year of victories on the race and rally tracks for Italian cars, and voters chose the Ferrari 248 F1 (2,965), which helped the Scuderia bounce back to winning ways after the disappointments of 2005, as the outright winner of the Racing Car of the Year award, ahead of the Fiat Grand Punto Rally (2,054) which clinched three titles during its maiden rally season, and the Alfa 156 SuperTouring (1,967) which proved that it must be now regarded as one of Alfa Romeo’s greatest touring cars of all times, with more wins and a title charge in the 2006 FIA World Touring Car Championship.