Italian studs just won't play rough.

The old line in racing goes, "The bullshit stops when the green flag drops." This month we drop the green flag again. Leading off the issue is the second-annual Supercar Challenge, which comes on the heels of a feature last month covering the 19th-annual Tire Rack Cannonball One Lap of America presented by Car and Driver and High Falls Brewing Company.

Both events offer insights into the broad spectrum of what we call automotive performance. Both involve real-world automobiles-one emphasizing cutting-edge, flat-out technology, the other long-distance, hard-core endurance. More...