Ten things we learned this week: 5 February 2016 edition

Hooray! We have rather a soft spot for car-loving canines, as Ten Things die-hards ought to know. So we're delighted to report 2016's first example.

The spoilsports among you will point out it's not real. Everyone else? Just revel in the kind of advertising we actually enjoy. Cars, of course, have had voice recognition technology for years. But it's never been advertised with such charm and charisma.

Now, if you excuse us, we're just popping out to buy ALL OF THE SUBARUS...

And it looks like a bit of a monster.

Unveiled with a military-grade, aluminium-alloy body and a new 3.5-litre EcoBoost engine, the 2017 Raptor will feature in the 2016 Best of the Desert series this year in the factory stock class.

Making its debut this week at the Parker 425 in Arizona, the refined EcoBoost power unit yields more power - with a greater amount of efficiency to boot - than the outgoing 6.2-litre V8, which produced 411bhp and 434lb ft of torque. Figures which were already quite mighty.

The extra power also means another change from the standard version: this F-150 is six inches wider in order to offer “improved stability” during races. Reading between the lines, you can presume that it would have fallen over a lot more without the added girth...

If you’re a fan of ludicrous movie stunts and cars being shamelessly blown up in the name of entertainment, then we bring good news.

Hollywood actor Vin Diesel has announced the release dates for the next three instalments of the Fast & Furious franchise, with the upcoming eighth film due in April 2017.

Furious 9 is set to follow in April 2019, with Furious 10 set for release in April 2021, almost 20 years after the original motion picture came out.

Excited? Or is it high time they moved on?

The TT course is known throughout the world as one of the most fearsome public road circuits in existence, but even this pantheon of motor racing isn’t impervious to modern technology.

It has been reported that the Isle of Man’s government is keen on inviting companies to the island to conduct real-world tests for autonomous tech, as developers search for suitable locations to expand their research into driverless vehicles.

Part of the island’s appeal is its self-governing status, which means it could change laws to accommodate autonomous cars quicker than other international regions.

And according to transportation minister Phil Gawne, it would also be good for the Isle of Man’s image.

Who fancies a movie about driverless cars in a dystopian future? We could call it Mad Manx...

If you’ve been following the news lately, you won’t have failed to notice the rise in reported cases of the Zika virus following an outbreak in Brazil last year.

The virus hinders the brain development of babies during pregnancy, causing below average head size in new-borns.

For Indian company Tata Motors, the developments come at a bad time as they coincide with their launch of the new Zica (an abbreviation on ‘zippy car’) hatchback range, which was unveiled in Delhi earlier this week.

Unable to do anything about it before the launch, the company has already decided that the car needs renaming before it can go on sale.

In a statement, Tata said: “Empathising with the hardships being caused by the recent Zika virus outbreak across many countries, Tata Motors, as a socially responsible company, has decided to rebrand the car.”

Tesla boss Elon Musk has been in the news this week after stating his temptation to build and electric jet that can take off and land vertically. As you do.

However, the 44-year-old has also generated headlines by cancelling the order of “super rude” blogger who criticised the launch of the Model X last September.

Stewart Alsop, who put down a $5000 deposit for the car that had been due in 2013, left a scathing review online after the event entitled ‘Dear @ElonMusk: You should be ashamed of yourself’.

But instead of an apology, Mr Alsop simply had his order cancelled after allegedly being told that Musk himself was “not comfortable” with the blogger owning a Tesla. Ouch.

No, we haven’t got those two mixed up.

Claudia Castillo, who was driving along in Miami a few days ago, was shocked when a police car tore past her without lights or a siren at speeds approaching 100mph along the Dolphin Expressway.

In a bizarre role-reversal, she quickly flagged it down to ask for an explanation for the erratic driving, eventually earning an apology from the red-faced officer. "I'll be sure to slow down, ma'am,” he added.

The Miami police department are now investigating the matter, but have already said that Ms Castillo will not be punished for apparently speeding herself in an attempt to catch up with the police car.

Sounds like a fair cop.

Picture credit: Sky News

Bad news. It had been hoped that the Bloodhound SSC would make its first attempt at the land speed record later this year, however that has now been pushed back due to a lack of funds.

The team needed £17 million to set up an 8-12 week stint at the Hakskeen Pan in South Africa where they had planned to break 800mph, but they’ve had to reschedule for Spring next year to allow time to secure more financial backing.

"The sponsors have been great,” says project director Richard Noble. “They understand what this is all about. But we really do need to get on with it now or people will just get fed up.”

As a result, the top speed attempt of over 1000mph has also been put back to 2018. Boo.

With Lamborghini working on an SUV, there has long been speculation that Ferrari might do the same. Not so, apparently.

The Italian company’s CEO Sergio Marchionne has denied the rumour, saying you’d “have to shoot me first” before any such move was made.

While you won’t see a Ferrari-made SUV for a long while yet, there’s a chance you might catch a glimpse of a Ferrari letterbox if you’re passing through Belgium any time soon.

55-year-old Nico Van Lee, a Ferrari enthusiast from Genk, was forced to take his Ferrari Mondial off the road after the cost of maintenance and repair became too much to keep up with.

Apparently he began selling off parts after realising it would never be driven again, leading to inspiration for the idea to convert the tailgate into what is surely a completely unique mailbox.

All it needs now is the number plate ‘N0 JUNK M41L’.

Picture credit: HLN.BE