[On the occasion of this year's Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit, we're catching up on the Detroit muscle we've driven in the past year. First up, the Corvette Z06.] It's a tricky day for the Corvette Z06. In its short life, Chevrolet's flagship Vette has topped more best-of lists than Arcade Fire, and won enough esteem to neutralize, or at least distract from, the inadequacies plaguing Chevy's '07 car line. But the Z06 is approaching a crossroads, and fast. Papa bowtie has already sent the lowliest of C6 Vettes to boot camp, and it's returned with Parris Island abs. And there's even greater mechanical violence in Detroit yet to be born.

Chevrolet's new LS3 V8, which powers the base 2008 Corvette, stacks three dozen horses atop the previous year's 400. That'll bring the entry point to 436 hp, should one choose the optional exhaust package -- and I certainly think one should. For historical context, that's 31 more than the last-gen Corvette Z06 got in 2004. Horsepower wars, indeed.

Topping the expanding Corvette line will be the SS model, expected by early next decade. Spied more frequently than Sasquatch, Carlos the Jackal and Britney's redneck hoo-ha combined, the "blue devil," as the prototype's been known, will be blown to the tune of 700 horsepower, or so the legend goes. Chevrolet's squeeze play means the Z06 might soon be its second banana. But what fine little banana it remains.

Little in the physical world, save a perfectly ripened Georgia peach or a first, frenzied roll in the hay, compares with putting foot to floor at 75 mph and watching numbers on the Z06's heads-up screen compound like the national debt clock. Perhaps base-jumping off Thomas Jefferson's Mount Rushmore schnoz might send a stouter charge through the adrenals, but the combination of that agreeable rumble from the engine room, the spectacular dash-top arithmetics and the sight of an overzealous RX-8 vanishing in the rear-view mirror releases more endorphins than a month at Six Flags.

There's also the matter of gas mileage. You've probably heard stories of how, glogging along in top gear, the 7.0-liter LS7's rev count drops to roughly the number of Starbucks outlets along the New Jersey Turnpike. That translates to a fantastical highway-mileage number - something like 26 mpg. Acts of hoonage at higher revs can easily reduce that figure by half, as we noted on a recent test drive, but in the age of the $54 fill-up, posting such a quantity on the sticker adds incalculable cachet.

Of course, the Z06 is not a perfect road car. For one thing, there's the firm suspension, which makes for crisp handling on smooth tarmac. Arrive too hot at a decreasing-radius off-ramp bend riddled with expansion joints or a mafia-approved paving job, however, and you could easily skip sideways into the hedgerows, or worse.

What's more, the Z06 has a fairly nasty, inherent craving to reverse its direction. This was once proved in flamboyant fashion by a guy with a wind-tunnel-tested haircut, who figured I - in a loaner Jag XKR - was being provocative at a stoplight (I was just enjoying the engine music). He loaded for elephant and fired a blast of torque that turned him about-face in the middle of a four-lane thoroughfare. (Psst, buddy; the traction control button is on the right.) The promise of a mid-engined Corvette has already churned through the rumor mill, and emerged debunked. That's not to say engineers haven't considered it, though to follow through would be to deviate awfully far from Harley Earl's script.

William Gates III

1st place in the Forbes list of billionaires. own state-50 billion dollars

Car: Porsche 911 cabriolet, 1991; Porsche 959 coupe, 1988,

The founder of Microsoft and the richest man in the world, Bill Gates reaps two modest Porsche. Cabriolet 1991 Porsche 911 of Gates might have changed, especially since the company established in 2005 an updated version of the Porsche 997 model.

If Porsche 911 is a rather ordinary car, which can be found in the garage of a wealthy American, a failed middle-aged, the second Porsche 959 model Gates is truly rare car with its history. Total these machines were produced 230 pieces. And in the , the model Porsche quickly came under the ban because of the environmental standards and the low level of security. Back on American roads Porsche 959 can only after a special federal law, signed by Bill Clinton. There has been speculation that Bill Gates and Paul Allen specially developed computer program that proved the safety of the vehicle, thereby enabling legislation was passed. Perhaps talented programmers made several errors.

Warren Buffett

2nd place in the Forbes list of billionaires

Personal Status 42 billion

Car : Lincoln Towncar Signature Series, 2001 issue

Why lucky and very wise investor Warren Buffett the world has chosen this car is difficult to say. Buffett could well buy something like the Ford Crown Victoria and save a couple of thousand dollars. But, apparently, for the sake of comfort large seats Lincoln Buffett was willing to agree to a reasonable spending. Learn Lincoln Towncar Warren Buffett in the tight traffic on Wall Street may be a sign of a numbered "THRIFTY", which translates as "calculated".

Ingvar Kamprad

4th place in the Forbes list of billionaires own state-28 billion

Car: Volvo 240 GL, 1993.

Founder of IKEA, the richest people of did not want to dissociate ourselves from the people, where he earned his billions. While he was in the garage and the old Volvo 240 GL, he gets it rare. At work, he usually gets on the bus.

Incidentally longer travel Ingvar Kamprad same asketichen : he flies Ein, and stops in cheaper hotels. Kamprad clear precepts, which he invented and published in his book "Zavety furniture." "People do not go to IKEA marked vehicles and do not hesitate in luxury hotels." It seems that their ideology Kamprad took seriously, at least not for the people.

Paul Allen
6th place in the Forbes list of billionaires own state-22 billion

Cars: Porsche 959 coupe, 1988; Mazda Series pick-up truck in 1988.

Man, who founded with Bill Gates of Microsoft, prefers to spend time at sea on its 125-metrovoy yacht Octopus. But when things terrestrial, forces Allen to return, the land he moved to one of two cars that await him across the Atlantic.

Porsche 959 Allen took to Europe because, unlike Bill Gates, he did not wait for Clinton to let go of the car in the . Home same Paul Allen, offended by , bought a Japanese car-Mazda Series pickup truck.

Prince Alvalid Bin Talal Alsaud
8th place in the Forbes list of billionaires own state : $ 20 billion
Cars : Infiniti FX45, Hummer H1, Volvo XC90, Rolls-Royce Phantom, Daewoo Matiz.

Nephew of King of Saudi Arabia, Prince Alvalid with children accustomed to the best car in which he, in fact, is very careful, unlike money. Every new car he bought two copies, one he drove himself, and the second is to protect. The only two copies that look awkward in the collection of Prince Alvalida are two Daewoo Matiz car. In fact, is very simple-Prince for a large share of the company's shares Daewoo.

12th on the Forbes list of billionaires own state-17.1 billion dollars
Cars : Porsche Boxster, 2004; Hummer H2 2005,

The king of personal computers, Michael Dell took an interest in technology since the earliest years. In 15 years, he broke his Papin brand new Apple II computer, just to see whether he can fix it. Have. Later in the 19 years Dell has established his own company to produce personal computers.

Dell Computer has become the most successful computer company in the world, allowing its founder to buy a couple of good cars. In Texas, where Dell built a villa for 10 million dollars, rain rather rare, so most of the time Dell gets in the open Porsche Boxster. The weather Dell drives a Hummer H2.

Car: Bentley Flying Spur, 2006; Bentley Continental GT

President and co-founder of Oracle, Larry Alison, unlike other kolleg-milliarderov not hesitate luxury. As fans travel, in each of the three elements, he always wants to be visible. On air he traveled on a jet "MiG", Ellison went into the sea on one of the world's largest yachts 138-metrovoy Rising Sun, and on the ground moves solely on Bentley cars. Machines that British brand Ellison provide the same pleasure whether he driving, or traveling as a passenger.

The younger son of Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart supermarket chain, started his career in stores father : sweeper floor and rasstavlyal goods on the shelves. Today it in the family empire is more serious issues, and the time to choose a luxury car it is not. So for Walton car is really just a means of movement. A Cadillac in 1959, he seemed to have kept as their first car.

20th place in the Forbes list of billionaires own state - 15.7 billion
Truck : Ford F-150 King Ranch, 2006

Another member of the clan Uoltonov, daughter of Wal-Mart founder Alice Walton has a very difficult relationship with the automobile. In 1989, he was behind the wheel of his Porsche, it had shot down the old woman who later died from his injuries. Another nine years later, Alice was fined nearly 1,000 dollars for driving drunk. Now Alice Walton lives on his ranch in Texas, where she moved to the strong pick-up Ford F-150 King Ranch.

Steven Balmer
24th place in the Forbes list of billionaire own state - 13.6 billion
car : Lincoln Continental, 1981

Another Microsoft billionaire, Steven Balmer was born in the "Road" City USA, Detroit. His father worked as a manager at the Ford plant. But a special love for cars Balmer not inherited. He still drives a 1981 Lincoln Continental release. Although the car will get than the Lincoln Town Car Warren Buffett, Continental is, of course, not Ferrari. But Balmer bright cars than not, his temperament crazy, and so makes it the most visible person in any place where it appears. It is known that during a presentation at Microsoft Japan Balmer hours shouted : "Windows, Windows, Windows", after which he was forced to do emergency surgery on voice command.