Ten things we learned this week: 4 November 2016 edition

Lewis Hamilton is no stranger to Ten Things. Recent appearances include the time he took a hoverboard ride with his dog, the time he recorded a rap album, and his appearance in computer games. Oh, and the time his dog drove an F1 car. And his night out with Justin Bieber. We could go on…

But topping them all is this week’s relaxation session following a crucial win last weekend, as he chases Nico Rosberg right to the end of the season in pursuit of another F1 title.

Because we all, in times of relaxation, choose to wrestle a live tiger, right? Lew opted to clamber inside Mexico City’s big cat enclosure for some very stripy pats and cuddles, but ones which would have health and safety advisors back at home struggling to draw breath.

“Danger is the exciting part for me,” Lewis told TG earlier in the year. We think we was talking about F1, but this week’s events suggest he might have meant visits to the zoo…

The new Volvo S90 Excellence is a more premium version of the Swedish saloon aimed at the, um, well-heeled. Which probably explains why the front passenger has to make way for a shoe cupboard, of all things.

It’s not the, err, sole purpose of the switch, with the ‘Lounge Console’ also serving as a foot-rest or the basis of a work station or entertainment screen set-up. There’s also a fridge, which is accompanied by crystal glasses made by Swedish glassmaker Orrefors.

The Excellence will be built in China, rather than Sweden, giving some hint at its target market. And if you really want, that ‘Lounge Console’ can be swapped back for a regular chair. You can always put your footwear in, y’know, the boot…

Sebastian Vettel has obviously been in trouble for saying several words this week, predominantly ones consisting of four letters. But we’ve already discussed that here, obviously, so instead, let’s focus on another word he says a lot.

We’re obviously not going to tell you what that word is. That would ruin the surprise, obviously. So click this link here and you’ll find out exactly which word wee Seb needs to cut down on. Obviously.

Playing for Barcelona isn’t short of perks. You get to play in a team with an absurdly high win percentage, across Europe, and get paid hundreds of thousands of pounds a week for the privilege.

Oh, and free cars. This week the squad got their pick of Audi’s current range to roll around in for the next 12 months. Messrs Messi, Neymar and Suarez got to stroll around one of the nicer toy shops in the business.

Perhaps disappointingly, most went for Q7s. Seemingly already burgeoning supercar collections needed something big and practical to sit alongside them. That, or to stretch their wages as far as possible, the players have set up a lift-sharing scheme to matches and spotted the seven-seat SUV as the perfect car for the job…

We stay with football, but move from one of Europe’s greatest teams to one of its very worst. Sunderland – sitting bottom of the Premier League and winless this season – have been taken for a look around the city’s Nissan factory.

Fresh Nissan investment has secured the facility’s jobs post-Brexit referendum, which is great news considering how supremely productive the plant is. Perhaps then, the high work rate and superb teamwork that takes place between its walls was seen as an example to inspire Sunderland AFC’s lacklustre players.

Or, after the worst start to a season in Premier League history, the team’s players are all eyeing up new jobs now the new Qashqai and X-Trail are coming to town…

Can a car celebrate a 50^th birthday if it’s only been in production for a small handful of those years? Fiat doesn’t think so, and when a marketing opportunity for the new 124 Spider presents itself like this, why should it?

The new car (left, obviously) has just launched, and pairing a torquey little turbo engine with Mazda MX-5 mechanicals, it’s a tremendously fun little thing. We like it a lot. That it arrives 50 years after the debut of the original 124 Spider is either a marvellous coincidence or supremely savvy product planning.

Either way, take in this picture of the new car and the original, sitting pretty together. Which is your favourite?

Oh dear. Downsizing is all the rage as the car industry evolves, and it seems Vauxhall’s fiery car scandal is no exception, for it has moved from the Zafira down to the Corsa.

Yep. Vauxhall has announced it has recalled Corsa 1.4 turbos, with over 2,500 cars at risk, though only two fires have so far been reported. It’s said to be an issue unrelated to the one blighting the seven-seater Zafira.

Vauxhall has also attempted to assure customers, by reminding them that fire is rare. “Fires can occur for a wide variety of reasons and it’s worth noting that, on average, there are 18,000 vehicle fires a year across all manufacturers in the UK. It is estimated that there are c35 million vehicles registered in the UK.”

It may indeed be rare, but we still don’t like fire very much. Least not in our cars…

The best driving simulation games welcome in the novice by marking out braking points and ideal driving lines around race circuits, ensuring new players don’t bang their control pads off the wall in frustration at falling off the track at every corner.

If that echoes your struggles with driving on real-life trackdays, then Toyota has the answer it seems, with patent drawings hinting at the tech’s appearance on actual cars.

It would use a combination of GPS, cameras, and pre-programmed track layouts with precise latitude and longitude data to pinpoint where you are in relation to where you ought to be. It could also make steering, braking and throttle inputs to negate any driver mistakes that might lead to an embarrassing off.

Taking the fun challenge away from track driving, or ensuring less red flags interrupt your pricey day at the circuit? The comments box is open below…

You may be aware that Honda’s range extends beyond cars. Way beyond. It makes motorbikes, lawnmowers and planes, among many other things. Quite fast planes, it turns out. This week, the HondaJet bagged itself two speed records to prove its sprightliness.

Exactly which records takes some explaining, for they concern very specific routes which the Jet has covered. Namely, it travelled from Teterboro, New Jersey to Fort Lauderdale, Florida in two hours and 51 minutes (don’t pretend you’re not impressed) and from Boston, Massachusetts to Palm Beach, Florida in two hours and 58 minutes (like, wow).

These are key business routes in the US, and Honda is proving that its Jet – the fastest plane in its class, with a 486mph cruising speed – is the transport you should take between them. Convinced?