THE APPLIANCE OF SCIENCE

Take theoretical supercar perfection and let your Formula 1 engineers loose to hone it. The result? Honda's NSX-R

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That is it with racing drivers and white socks? White socks worn with natty slip-on loafers? Like me, I'm sure you regard that epic PR piece, Faszination auf dem Niirburgring, in which the fearless Stefan Roser thrashes the Ruf CTR ‘Yellowbird’ round the Green Hell, as one of the best action driving clips ever created.

The sight of that bright yellow 911 tyre-shredding its ample 463bhp all over the Nürburgring is automotive rockn’ roll.

Roser is clearly showboating for the helicopter-mounted camera, as he slews the car into the corners at ridiculous angles. But it’s the interior shots that really make the whole thing so cool: Roser, insouciantly dressed in a casual T-shirt, can be seen with his feet dancing over the pedals - shod in white socks and loafers!

Another favourite clip is F1 star Ayrton Senna driving around Suzuka in 1992 at the launch of the Honda NSX-R. He smokes it out of the pits in a manner not allowed today, then proceeds to wring the neck of that very special Honda (note the ‘R’ in its name). The on-board camera catches his feet not so much dancing over the pedals as in full Flamenco mode, with mad mid-corner stabbing actions that should be certain to unsettle a car totally - though not with the late, great Senna at the wheel, of course. Naturally, he’s wearing white socks and brown slip-on loafers.