new book of 100 Mad Cars

Reportedly Simon Cowell's favourite car - the Maybach Excelero, only 700 horsepower, top speed only 217 mph (350 km/h) and 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds.  With its price tag of £5 million ($US 8 million) you'd need to be Simon Cowell to afford it.

As those who regularly watch the program know, the BBC Top Gear show often features super high spec performance cars, which have outrageous price tags to match; the sort of car you'd need to be a TV/movie star, lawyer or bank executive to even want, let alone afford.

This latest Top Gear book, 100 maddest cars, is a collection of most of them, although it is not just the numbers that have been used as the determinant for inclusion: "There's something else that sets a truly bonkers machine apart from the regular sensible stuff on the roads".  This compilation of 100 such cars by the pseudonymous Stig should intrigue car enthusiasts of all persuasions.  210 x 170  mm format, 208 pages, colour throughout, hardcover.