Andy Gülden is the chief instructor for the Nürburgring Driving Academy. In other words, he earns a living teaching people how not to kill themselves on the ‘Ring, and occasionally how to lap the Nordschleife in a spirited-but-competent manner. Business, we guess, is slow in the winter, but a driver must constantly practice his skills to stay sharp.

We’re not sure if piloting a formula car around a snow-and-ice-packed ‘Ring demonstrates mad skills or just plain madness, but it makes for entertaining video. The car Gülden is driving weighs just over 1,000 pounds and is powered by a 140-horsepower, 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine. They don’t make snow tires for formula cars, so he’s lapping on what appear to be intermediate rain tires. We’d call them “sub-optimal” for snow and ice.

Also sub-optimal was the temperature for Gülden’s run, which was hovering around the three-degrees-Fahrenheit mark. In weather like that, we’d prefer our wintertime driving fun behind the wheel of a (winter-tire shod) BMW M3, with working heat and heated seats.

Want to get driver training from Gülden and his staff on your next trip to Germany? You’ll find complete details on available programs at the Nürburgring Formel Super Racing website.

We get it: Cadillac wants the world to know that its new ATS compact sedan is as good as a BMW 3-Series sedan. We’ll reserve judgement until we actually get a chance to drive an ATS (preferably back-to-back with a comparable, 2012 BMW 3-Series), but we sincerely hope that Cadillac doesn’t pull a bait-and-switch on us. The 3-Series line includes a lot of different models, so if you’re emphasizing the “sport sedan” characteristics of the ATS, it’s only fair to throw down against the new 3-Series Sport Line, with the variable sport steering and the adaptive M suspension.

And while we’re complaining, enough with using the “Green Hell” Nürburgring Nordschleife reference in every single ad. That horse has been flogged to death; in fact, it’s been flogged to death, buried, dug up, flogged some more and then buried again. It’s clear: you tested the ATS on one of the world’s most challenging racetracks to fine-tune the suspension, chassis, throttle and brake settings. That should yield a sedan with impressive handling, but we won’t know until we drive one.

We’ve got some concerns about the 270-horsepower turbo four that Cadillac is using in the ATS, too. We’ve driven the engine in Buick Regal GS trim, and to be honest, it wasn’t that impressive. Granted, the ATS is a lighter car, and its rear-drive platform will certainly improve handling. Still, we can’t help but think that Cadillac is setting some unreasonable expectations of the new ATS before the car even hits the streets.

If it’s as good as you’re telling us, finding buyers won’t be a problem. If it isn’t, all the “Green Hell” references in the world won’t help to move inventory.

The 2002 NSX-R

The original Honda NSX, produced from 1990 to 2005, was a truly remarkable car. Intended as a supercar you could drive on a daily basis (a remarkable concept in 1990), the mid-engine, rear drive NSX was a near-ideal blend of horsepower and handling. While the original cars only made 270 horsepower, an all-aluminum body kept the weight below 3,000 pounds. Like all mid-engine, rear drive cars, the NSX could get tail-happy in a corner if pushed hard by an inexperienced driver, and it didn’t take long for insurance companies to start raising rates on the NSX to astronomical levels.

The NSX was a favorite of F1 superstar Ayrton Senna, who was involved in the car’s development and chassis tuning. Later, Honda would release an Alex Zanardi edition in the United States to commemorate the Italian driver’s back-to-back CART championships, and variations of the NSX were raced at Le Mans and in the Japanese Super GT series.

A new NSX is under development, aimed at a 2015 launch. Unlike earlier cars, the new NSX will be built with an eye towards fuel economy as well as performance, so it will utilize a hybrid drivetrain instead of just a gasoline engine. The original’s mid-engine layout will be retained, but expect the new NSX to benefit from all-wheel-drive, thanks to front-wheel mounted electric motors. A third electric motor will provide supplemental power to the car’s V-6 engine, although Honda isn’t releasing horsepower figures just yet.

To remind you that a new NSX is on its way, Honda Japan has released a near eight minute video tribute to the original, complete with a teaser on the new NSX. We tip our hat to Autoblog for digging this up, and if you’re a fan of the car, you’ll thank Honda for producing it.

Given the recent string of cataclysmic events across the globe, Chevy’s Super Bowl ad for the Silverado pickup was, at best, insensitive. Events like the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Hurricane Katrina in the U.S. and last spring’s outbreak of tornadoes in Alabama make end-of-the-world videos not quite as funny as they used to be. Add in the ongoing situation in the Middle East, and the video hits a bit close to home for anyone following world events.

Taste aside, Ford has some big issues with Chevy’s ad. The automaker is disputing the claim that Chevy builds the most dependable, longest lasting trucks on the market. As Automotive News (subscription required) tells us, Ford’s lawyers sent a cease-and-desist letter to GM, requesting that the ad be pulled. When GM refused, Ford made the same request to NBC, with the same result.

GM is standing by its assertion, basing its claim on the number of 1981 – July 2011 full-size pickups registered. Ford, on the other hand, is claiming it has far more full-size trucks on the road today with more than 250,000 miles on the odometer. Who’s right? That’s probably up to the lawyers to fight out now.

This much is clear: GM spent a boatload of money on Super Bowl advertising, and made a serious effort to build up the hype via social media and its “Game Time” app. Ford, on the other hand, didn’t do much. Was that poor planning on Ford’s part or simply more prudent use of stockholder money? We’ll know for sure when the February sales numbers come out.

The small-but-wicked Fiat 500 Abarth

The name Abarth isn’t exactly a household name in the United States, but the brand is renown among enthusiasts in Europe. Abarth never built cars to challenge Ferrari or Maserati (or even BMW); instead, Abarth built parts to make commonly available Fiats go faster. By focusing on small cars, like the Fiat Topolino or the Fiat 600, Abarth earned a reputation and a nickname of “small but wicked.”

We’ll soon get a chance to experience that in the United States, with the launch of the Fiat 500 Abarth. We’ve driven the milder Fiat 500 Sport, which handles like a go-kart but suffers from a serious lack of power. The 500 Abarth will address that, coming to the U.S. market with 160 horsepower driving the front wheels. Abarth models will also get a track-tuned suspension, up-rated brakes, a stability control program that can be disabled for track use and sport seats with serious bolstering. All Abarth models come only with a five-speed manual transmission.

Perhaps the most amazing thing about the 500 Abarth is its value. Dealer price gouging aside (and we’re sure there will be plenty), the 500 Abarth will sell for just under $23,000. To get the same level of stock horsepower from a Fiat 500 in Europe, you’d have to track down an Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari edition, which would cost you in the neighborhood of $47,500.

We’re betting that the Fiat 500 Abarth will usurp the MINI Cooper as the best-handling front-driver. In fact, we’ll tell you this: if you want to fill your shelves with autocross trophies, buy a Fiat 500, drop the ride height and add stickier tires. Talent or not, we’re pretty sure that’s all you’ll need.

Jerry Seinfeld ponders the new Acura NSX

We haven’t been overly enthused by this year’s crop of Super Bowl ads, but then again we’re jaded moto-journalist types. It takes a lot to impress us, and partying vampires, singing dogs and re-hashed movies from the 1980s just won’t do the trick. If only an automaker could come up with something fresh and innovative, maybe we’d actually crack a smile (and admit to it).

Enter two ads that have rocketed to the top of our “must-see” Super Bowl viewing list. The first video, from Toyota, imagines a world where everything is reinvented to perfection, like (Toyota claims, anyway) the new Camry. In fairness, we haven’t driven the new Camry yet, so we can’t say how good it really is (although given the last car’s entertainment value, anything is a step up). If it’s as good as the world envisioned in Toyota’s Super Bowl spot, we’re definitely putting one in the garage. Just as soon as we order a new couch and some fresh curtains.

Acura is hawking a car that doesn’t even exist yet, its new NSX. That’s a good thing for a couple reasons: first, it puts the upcoming NSX on display to the general public, creating interest in both the car and the brand. Next, it reminds us that a successor to the beloved NSX really is on its way, even if it will be saddled with a hybrid drivetrain. We’re not anti-hybrid, mind you, we’re just anti-hybrid sports car.

We promise to keep an open mind until we get a chance to drive the new NSX, but sadly we’re not in a position to actually buy one. Taking delivery of the very first NSX will be quite an honor, and as Acura’s Super Bowl ad points out, there are several car guys vying to park the very first NSX in their own garage. We’d be willing to bet that the ad isn’t far removed from the truth, either.

After a six-month buildup, Cadillac unveiled the compact ATS sedan at the Detroit Auto Show. Dubbed by Mark Reuss, GM’s North American president, as, “the car to finally challenge the German cars at their own game and win,” the soon-to-be-launched ATS already has some big shoes to fill. To the car’s credit, GM is equipping it with a Magnetic Ride Control suspension (found on the CTS-V, the Corvette ZR1, the Camaro ZL1 and the Ferrari 458 Italia) and has done all it can to reduce weight, bringing the ATS is at under 3,400 pounds.

The engine options announced so far don’t have us convinced the car is a legitimate sport sedan. The base engine is a 2.5-liter Ecotec four, good for just 200 horsepower, while the “enthusiast” choice seems to be a 270-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0-liter four. There’s also a 318 horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6, but Cadillac almost seems to be downplaying this option.

We suspect the 2.0-liter turbo four chosen for the ATS is the same engine used in the Buick Regal GS. We’ve driven that car, and the power simply feels adequate, not impressive. Granted, the Cadillac is some 300 pounds lighter than the Buick and drives the rear wheels, not the front, but we have a hard time seeing the ATS as a legitimate opponent to the BMW 335is.

Maybe our opinions will change when we have a chance to drive the car. Until then, color us “cautiously optimistic” and enjoy the fourth video in Cadillac’s “ATS The Journey” series, below.

It’s Monday, and if you work for the government, it’s a federal holiday to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King. If you’re lucky enough to have the day off, you’d probably enjoy a nice car-versus-motorcycle drift video, complete with stunts, a radio-controlled chase car, mirror shades and a plot with enough cheese to serve up about a dozen large pizzas. If you have to work today, chances are you’ll need a diversion at some point, too.

Representing for two wheels are Nick “Apex” Brocha and Ernie Vigil, riding specially prepared Triumph Speed Triples with enough power to roast a rear tire all the way around a track. Playing the long arm of the law, complete with 70’s porn-star mustache and “Dirty Harry” hand cannon is Dan Brockett, driving his 550 horsepower Ford Mustang Cobra.

Sure, the whole thing is an ad for Icon gear, but it’s entertaining enough that you won’t care. Enjoy eight and a half minutes of tire-smoking, law-breaking hoonage below.