Autoblog UK

Since 2004, Zenvo Automotive based in the small Danish town of Viby have been developing an incredible supercar. The Zenvo ST1 can compete effortlessly with the big names such as the Bugatti Veyron, Maserati MC12 and Pagani Zonda. There aren't many vehicles with an output of over 1,000 horsepower but you can now add the 1,104bhp Zenvo ST1 to the list. A 7.0-litre V8, turbocharged and supercharged engine sees service in the Zenvo ST1 to produce a staggering amount of grunt. Around 1,430nm of torque haul the rear-wheel drive car from 0 to 100km/h (0-62mph) in a breathtaking 3.2 seconds.

The last thing you would want to do if you had one of the 200 existing Bugatti Veyrons would be to suffer a tiny scratch, let alone drown it altogether in 3ft of salty water.

Unfortunately this is exactly what happened to Gilbert Harrison in La Marque, Texas.

The car enthusiast and collector got distracted by a pelican and drove his £1.25million pride and joy into a nearby lagoon, destroying its powerful engine, 16 cylinders and four turbo chargers in about 15 minutes.

The poor man has only himself to blame. Well, him and the pelican I guess. If you have something as nice as a Bugatti you shouldn't take your eyes off it, even if a flock of dodos was passing by: a) because it's so damn nice, b) because it's so damn expensive and c) because it's so damn rare.

Seriously, what was he thinking?

If you collect exotic cars you should at least make sure you're able to handle them otherwise, as Harrison demonstrated, you could be praying your insurance company has a very sympathetic attitude.

Watch the footage of the car plunging in the lake (warning: this video contains swearing)

And watch it being dragged out

It appears that there's always a big demand for supercars. At least, that's what you would think looking at the many newcomers in this expensive section. In the Golden Steering Wheel awards, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG beat off its ten competitors in the supercar class. The darling of the Frankfurt Motor Show garnered almost a third of the votes in a poll of readers in Europe.

Amongst the hopefuls were: the Alfa 8C Spider available in a limited production run of 500 units, the beautiful Aston Martin One-77, the hottest 911 ever, the Porsche 911 GT3, the sweet-sounding Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder, the mighty 1,001bhp Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport convertible, the new Ferrari California and the Audi R8 Spyder. Other cars in search of an award were: the Japanese cult car, the Nissan GT-R, the new iconic Mercedes SLS, plus the ZR1, which heralds the start of a new era for Chevrolet and the LF-A from Toyota subsidiary, Lexus.

The most important prize award for cars in Europe was instituted by the publisher Axel Springer in 1976, and has been awarded annually since then. On the 4th November, top managers from the car industry accepted awards for the model year 2009 at the Axel Springer Building in Berlin. Eight new models in total received a Golden Steering Wheel award. For the third time, a Green Steering Wheel prize was presented for the best eco car. Fiat and Ferrari president, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, received an honorary award.

The winners in the individual categories:

Small car class: VW Polo
Compact class: Vauxhall Astra
Medium class and above: Audi A5 Sportback
Luxury class: Porsche Panamera
Supercar: Mercedes SLS
MPV: Renault Scenic
Eco award: Toyota Prius and VW Blue Motion
Honorary prize: Luca Cordero di Montezemolo

Diamonds might be a girl's best friend but a £140,000 supercar might just come close as one footballing WAG has just found out.

Melanie Slade, the long-term girlfriend of Theo Walcott, has just been presented with a brand spanking new Ferrari California by the Arsenal striker to celebrate her 21st birthday.

According to The Sun, the physiotherapist student is 'over the moon' and has already got personalised plates for the car.

It's a bit of a step up from the Volkswagen Beetle he bought her three years ago and the insurance premiums for the Ferrari are probably more than the Beetle was worth, but with a 193mph top speed we imagine Mel will find the upgrade more than makes up for the cost.

With the Veritas RS III, Vermot AG are trying to recreate the looks and feel of a sports car from the 40s or 50s. The prototype caused quite a stir when it was unveiled last year. At the Salon Privé show in London, it effortlessly won the Best Super Car of 2009 award. Now, as this super sports model goes into series production, Vermot have released new photos of the Veritas RS III Roadster.

As you would expect of a super car, this will be a relatively small-scale production run. At the company's headquarters in Gelsdorf (Rhineland Palatinate), they expect to have sold out of the complete edition of 30 vehicles by the end of the year. Deliveries to the first batch of customers will then commence in January 2010. Vermot will be charging a basic price of 345,000 euros (£310,000). For this princely sum, customers can expect a racer that sprints from 0 to 62mph in under 3.2 seconds. Maximum speed is claimed to be 214mph (347 km/h). The 15-strong workforce operates in three teams: chassis, bodywork and cabin interior. Each Veritas takes eight weeks to assemble, and at any one time, three will be in production. The RS III has a 1+1 layout with a covered passenger seat available only as and when required. The whole production process is conducted according to the strictest quality norms and the final result fully complies with homologated EU standards. A couple of days ago, a test drive was staged at Brands Hatch (Kent) in the context of the Trackdays event. Potential purchasers who went for a spin in the demo model were thoroughly impressed.

The 1,183bhp SSC Ultimate Aero TT is currently the world's fastest car. It's possible to achieve over 413 km/h (258mph) when the American muscle car really lets rip. In 2007, this supercar from the land of opportunity took the crown from reigning speed-king, Bugatti Veyron. The way in which the massive 1,183bhp engine propels the Aero from 0-100 km/h (0-62mph) in just 2.8 seconds is awesome. After six seconds, you have already passed the 200 km/h (125mph) mark. Adrian von Hooydonk, Head of Design BMW Group, is responsible for the Aero's aggressive looks.

SSC Ultimate Aero TT
413.83 km/h
1,199 horsepower
0-62: 2.78 sec

Men's hearts beat faster at the sight of a Bugatti Veyron. This sports car is one of the world's fastest production vehicles. Towards the end of April 2005, a Veyron broke the 400 km/h (250mph) barrier several times at the Volkswagen Test Facility under TÜV's watchful gaze. Average top speed during these tests was 408.47 km/h. The top speed entered in the vehicle's registration documents is given as 407 km/h.

Bugatti Veyron Coupe
407.5 km/h
1,001 horsepower
0-62: 2.5 sec

Putting out a thumping 817bhp, this extraordinary supercar can achieve 395 km/h.bringt der extravagante Sportwagen mit brachialen auf den Asphalt. This vehicle tipping the scales at 1,180 kilos accelerates from 0-62mph in only 3.2 seconds. Power is provided by a V8 4.7L supercharged engine. The Koenigsegg CCX replaced the McLaren F1 as the world's fastest road car in the Guinness Book of Records.

Koenigsegg CCX
395 km/h
817 horsepower
0-62: 3.2 sec

The McLaren F1 supercar was built between 1994 and 1997 in a production run of 100 vehicles. Of that number, 72 were registered as road versions. Former Brabham designer, Gordon Murray, developed the bodywork of the McLaren F1. The car is a three-seater. The driver sits in the middle of the cockpit and passengers can enjoy the ride sitting slightly to the rear on each side. The XP 5 McLaren F1 prototype was until 2005 the world's fastest production road car with a true top speed of 386.4 km/h (240.1mph).

McLaren F1
386 km/h
627 horsepower