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F1 teams to test titanium skid plates to reignite spark in series

The 2014 Formula One season opened with one overwhelming complaint - the cars didn't sound right. It sapped the excitement, despite the fact that this season has seen a number of truly thrilling races (Bahrain, Spain and Montreal all come to mind). Attempts have been made to restore some of the audible thrill of the cars, although efforts have remained unsuccessful.
If F1 can't fix the sound of the cars, then other methods need to be considered to restore its self-perceived lack of excitement. One of those involves fitting titanium skid plates to the cars in a bid to reintroduce the sparks that were so prevalent in the sport's past.
Mercedes-AMG and Ferrari conducted initial experiments with the new skid plates during early practice sessions for the 2014 Austrian Grand Prix. Kimi Raikkonen and Nico Rosberg had the plates fitted to different locations of their cars, in a bid to see which created the most dramatic sparks. Considering the photos the tests, though, neither Mercedes' nor Ferrari's setup really seemed successful, which is why you're seeing Johnny Herbert and his 1989 Benneton B188 up top.

Former Top Gear crew starts filming for Amazon show

We might have only a hint at the name and no exact date for a premiere, but fans can celebrate that Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May are filming once again. Plus, it looks like every cent of Amazon's reportedly lavish budget is being put on the screen. A photo tweeted by Clarkson shows the three hosts standing proudly in front of a Porsche 918 Spyder, Ferrari LaFerrari, and McLaren P1 at a racetrack. Clarkson jokes that the show has just a "skeleton crew" but behind him stand several dozen people, a sophisticated-looking camera rig, and two big trucks. This definitely looks worth the anticipation of the premiere on Amazon Prime next fall. Hammond tweeted the same picture and wrote: "The band is back together and it feels brilliant." This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Intriguingly, it appears that fellow British auto journalist Chris Harris is currently filming at the same track. He tweeted a photo to Clarkson of the McLaren doing a very smoky slide, while being followed by the other two hypercars. The Porsches in both photos wear the same red-and-white number 3 livery and have the same license plate number. In a later message, Harris was also clear that he wasn't filming there in connection with the trio's Amazon show. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Ferrari F150 Enzo successor is Geneva bound [UPDATE]

Ferrari has announced the automaker will debut the company's "most powerful HyperFerrari [sic]" at this year's Geneva Motor Show. The news came courtesy of Instagram, where the Italian automaker posted a familiar-looking rendering with a quick note. Details are still remarkably scarce, though Ferrari says the successor to the Enzo throne will be able to "turn into a corner" as quick as a Formula One car thanks in part to the fact that the road-going machine will feature as much downforce as an F1 competitor. From what we've heard so far, the Enzo replacement will boast over 800 horsepower from the combination of a V12 engine and a HY-KERS system.
We've already heard some interesting tidbits about the new machine, including the fact that each model will come with a driver's seat tailor made for the buyer. Ferrari says we can also expect to see a quicker 0-120 mph sprint than the old Enzo with 40 percent fewer emissions. Stay tuned for live photos from the 2013 Geneva Motor Show.
UPDATE: After some looking into it, Ferrari does not appear to have an official Instagram account, or at least doesn't list one alongside its other official social accounts. We're of the mind now that what appeared on this Instragram is not officially from the Horse's mouth.