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'Top Gear' episode 1 recap | A new beginning, again

Season 27 of "Top Gear" kicked off Sunday night, and we were there on our couches for the premiere to see everything Chris Harris, Freddie Flintoff and Paddy McGuinness had to offer. With only five episodes in this season, this new group of characters doesn’t have much time to get it right. They started with a bang, on a massive road trip through Ethiopia in cars identical to their first vehicle purchases. Before that, though, the hosts recognized the rebirths and numerous changes "Top Gear" has gone through since Clarkson, Hammond and May left the premises. Good on "Top Gear" for not brushing over any sort of controversy and unrest, then getting on with the show as itÂ’s meant to be. As is typical for "Top Gear," the adventure/story portion of the show was definitely the most entertaining. We wholeheartedly approve of all the vehicles these guys bought as their first transportation — watching Chris Harris toss his little Mini around the sand and rocks was especially joyful. The boys get on rather well together for just starting off, and while the interludes for challenges didnÂ’t feel totally natural, the challenges themselves were still fun to watch. Being in Ethiopia with such a vast array of alien-to-us shooting locations definitely helped keep us entertained from a visual standpoint. We werenÂ’t surprised to see Chris Harris handling the “serious car review” portion of the show where he pitted a Ferrari 488 Pista against a McLaren 600LT — the others aren't traditional automotive journalists. We wonÂ’t give away who won, but the Ferrari did manage to surprise us in one particular area. Perhaps the most important aspect of the whole episode is how the three hosts got on with each other (Sabine Schmitz was nowhere to be seen). ThereÂ’s no Captain Slow or American car maniac amongst the group, but a comedian (Paddy) and cricketer (Freddie) certainly do bring fresh voices and perspectives. WeÂ’ll give them time to warm up to each other as the season goes on, with a new episode this coming Sunday. One thing we know for sure after this first go: Chris Harris really does not like the hot desert as much as he loves hot, burning rubber.

FCA delays distribution of Ferrari shares

Even if you can't afford an actual Ferrari, soon you can own a part of the famous company thanks to its upcoming initial public offering. FCA will put 10 percent of the Prancing Horse on the market in the third quarter of this year. However to reap extra money for 2015's bottom line, the rest of the sports-car maker's stock will remain undistributed for a little longer. According to Automotive News, the strategy is quite simple to understand. FCA is holding off until the first quarter of 2016 to divvy up the remaining Ferrari stock to shareholders. By doing so, the automaker gets to claim 80 percent of the Prancing Horse's profits for its 2015 financial numbers. While FCA is already showing strong results through Q1 2015, being able to add extra cash on the balance sheet is always a plus. FCA hasn't set a specific date for the IPO, but Ferrari stock was announced to be traded in the US and possibly on a European exchange, as well. According to Automotive News, FCA currently owns 90 percent of the company, and Piero Ferrari has the remaining 10 percent, which he isn't selling. Related Video:

These are the front-runners to take over at Ferrari

Yesterday Ferrari announced a changing of the scarlet-clad guard with the departure of longtime chairman Luca di Montezemolo. Having run the company since shortly after the passing of Enzo Ferrari himself, Montezemolo built the Prancing Horse marque up to the benchmark supercar manufacturer, victorious racing team and household name it is today. In short, Ferrari - and most crucially, its parent company Fiat - will face a most difficult challenge in filling il Advocatto's handmade loafers and putting the company back on the track which Montezemolo laid down over the course of the past two decades.
The question on everyone's mind is, to whom will that challenge fall? To quote Goose from Top Gun, the list is long, but distinguished. Join us as we run down the roster of potential assentors to the leather-clad, carbon-fiber bucket seat at the head of the big table in Maranello.