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$80M Ferrari deal would make Vettel world's highest-paid sportsman

Formula One is in for a big shakeup next season, as the only two multiple World Champions on the grid are kicking off a game of musical chairs. Just who will end up where has yet to be figured out, but the overwhelmingly prevailing wisdom has Sebastian Vettel, who has already announced his departure from Red Bull, inking a contract with Ferrari worth 150 million pounds sterling for three years - that works out to over $80 million per year.
If the reports are true, that would make Vettel (pictured above with his assumed new teammate Kimi Raikkonen) the highest-salaried sportsman in the world. Compared to Vettel's rumored $80 million/year, soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo was paid $52 million last year and NFL quarterback Matt Ryan got $42 million, just ahead of soccer player Lionel Messi at $41.7 million. Boxer Floyd Mayweather was reportedly paid a whopping $100 million last year, but that's based on how many fights he fights and wins, putting him on a different earnings spectrum.
Those figures are also just for salaries, and do not include sponsorship and endorsement deals - and therein may lie part of the reason for Vettel's reportedly stratospheric salary. In addition to his salary from the Red Bull team with which he's won four World Championships, Vettel also pulls in a large retainer from Infiniti, which sponsors both the team and himself personally. In departing Red Bull, he'd undoubtedly have to sever the tie with Infiniti as well.

Autoblog's ultimate holiday rides

Over the hills and through the woods, it's the time of year when many of us visit family and friends for the holidays. But getting there can be a chore. It's cold and snowy across much of the United States, and even if the climate is favorable, the drive to grandmother's house often is not. Think back to holiday road trips of yore: They probably included crying babies, antsy children, hungover adults and frequent bathrooms stops all around. Now, we're all at different life stages here at Autoblog, and the perfect car for one staffer might be as useful as a team of Budweiser Clydesdales to another. Some of us bounce from family event to family event with children and a labrador in tow, while others prefer a quieter, simpler holiday. But whatever the endeavor, we all need wheels. With that in mind, here is the unofficial Autoblog list of the ultimate cars in which to tackle the holiday season. 2015 Ferrari FF To borrow a chestnut from Top Gear presenter James May, "As you'd expect, I've done this properly." That oddly voluptuous ruby bolide in the photo above? It's a 2015 Ferrari FF – all 652 all-wheel-driven horsepower of it. What makes a Ferrari the ideal for holiday time in PaukertLand? My Midwestern winter breaks are wonderful, but they're typically frenetic and slushy, involving a lot of schlepping from house to house and even city to city, not to mention inevitable last-minute runs for forgotten presents and dinner ingredients. Needless to say, a powerful V12 is a welcome ally for such duties. And this one isn't just a friend when the road is clear. The FF has been gifted Ferrari's novel 4RM AWD system, and despite sitting lower to the ground than, say, an SUV, it's a pretty effective tool for real winter driving, especially when outfitted with a set of snow tires. Unlike other Ferraris, it's also a rather practical thing, with legitimate seating for four adults and 15.9 cubic feet of cargo space – that's precisely as much room as a Mercedes E-Class – and you can fold the rear chairs and cram 28.2 cubes-worth of holiday cheer in the back. Okay, so it's far from cheap and fuel economy isn't that great, but who cares? Just drop a paddle-shifted gear or two, bury the throttle and Repeat The Sounding Joy. Ain't the holidays grand? – Chris Paukert Executive Editor 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe My Mom gives out more presents than any other human being I've ever encountered.

Ferrari Enzo split in half in crash could sell for millions

The 2004 Ferrari Enzo you see here is quite unlike any other. You see, back in 2006, tech entrepreneur Stefan Eriksson famously sliced this Enzo in half when he hit a pole along the Pacific Coast Highway while allegedly speeding at around 160 miles per hour (as you can see in the image below). And now you can bid to own it. RM Sotheby's will auction the infamous supercar in Paris on February 3. The supercar carries an estimate of between 1.5 million and 2 million euros ($1.6 million to $2.2 million at current rates). Eriksson initially claimed that a buddy was driving when the accident happened but eventually came clean. The authorities charged Eriksson with nine offenses, including grand theft, drunk driving, embezzlement, and illegal gun possession. He was later sentenced to three years in prison. Despite the horrendous damage, Eriksson's Enzo has survived. According to RM Sotheby's auction description, the Ferrari Technical Assistance Service rebuilt the car and added satellite navigation, a Bose stereo, reverse camera, power windows, and a subtle carbon fiber rear spoiler. The team also repainted the exterior in a beautiful shade called Nero Daytona and installed a Rosso interior, which replaced the original combo of Rosso Corsa on the outside and Nero inside. The car has covered 2,500 kilometers (1,553 miles) and remained in Europe since it was rebuilt from the untimely accident. The car also comes certified by Ferrari Classiche to confirm its authenticity. The Enzo is a special vehicle even without this one's great story, representing as it does a big leap forward for modern supercars. A 6.0-liter V12 with 660 horsepower sits behind the driver, and a six-speed sequential gearbox gets the power down. We can't wait to see what this interesting example brings at auction. PARIS 3 February 2016 Lot 138 2004 Ferrari Enzo Chassis no. ZFFCZ56B000135564 Engine no. 080164 Assembly no. 52696 ˆ1.500.000 - ˆ2.000.000 To be auctioned on Wednesday, February 3, 2016 Documents: French Certificat d'Immatriculation 660 bhp, 5,998 cc DOHC 65-degree V-12 engine with Bosch Motronic engine management and electronic fuel injection, six-speed electro-hydraulic computer-controlled sequential F1 transmission, limited-slip differential and traction control, front and rear pushrod-actuated double wishbones with horizontal external reservoir coil-spring damper units, and four-wheel ventilated carbon-ceramic disc brakes.