Auto News 5

Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, is known for a lot of things, like excessive drinking during Little 500 week and a basketball team that used to be good, but what it's not known for is being a driver's paradise -- and that's because it's not.

On paper, the Leaf and I are a perfect match; I drive 35 miles round trip to work; I have no children so my vehicle doesn't need to double as a shuttle service; and I'm a bit of a homebody, so most nights I eat in or go for dinner at a friend's house, most of whom live within a few miles. But I view a car not so much as transportation but as a source of entertainment, so I was skeptical of the Leaf. Would it be able to satisfy my enthusiast side, or is it little more than a tarted-up golf cart? I start the week with an open mind, but I'm prepared to be disappointed.

This is one special kitty. The moment you take a seat behind the wheel, it is obvious that the old-world charm and attention to detail of classic Jaguars is still alive and well in 2011. The starter button glows red, pulsating like a heartbeat, and the interior comes to life in tandem with the growl of the 5.0-liter V-8 -- vents rotating, gauge needles sweeping, and rotary shift knob rising in a perfectly choreographed ballet. Twist the knob to "D" and pull away reveling in the delicious burble that the four-pipe exhaust emits. Hit the turn signal, and the blinker sounds similar to a finely-crafted English clock, ticking the time until you can make the turn and listen again to the sonorous V-8. All of the lighting coordinates together: the crisp blue-white of the xenon headlamps complements the ice-blue interior LEDs, the same blue used as an accent color on the multifunction touch screen. The XFR bathes its passengers in luxury and in the finesse found only in something very special; it is a precious item you never want to let go.

A year after visionary DeltaWing race car designer Ben Bowlby was jilted at the altar by the Indy Racing League, he's found an ardent -- and unlikely -- new suitor in the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), the enigmatic sanctioning body behind the 24 Hours of Le Mans.