HAMILTON'S DAY TO DAY // BENZ WAGON

What does the youngest Formula One champion in history drive. Oops, did we say champion, we mean soon-to-be champion, err, potential champion. Yeah. Well, assuming all goes well for Hamilton next Sunday in Brazil, the young Mercedes driver will leave the track, Pussy-Cat-Doll girlfriend in toe, hop in his SLR roadster and drive off to celebrate his F1 supremacy, right? Not quite. The girlfriend bit was right, but what Hamilton ‘prefers’ to drive is a Mercedes Benz GL320 CDI. Powered by a 3.0-liter turbo-diesel V6 making 224bhp, this is not supercar, matter of fact, it may just be the opposite. When explaining his choice of automobile, Hamilton had this to say: “At the track I always drive on the limit, but on public roads I like to relax, kick back and cruise. The GL’s perfect for that – it’s got plenty of space for all my kit, a brilliant sound system, and the high driving position gives me a clear view of the road ahead. It’s just about the most comfortable road car I’ve driven.” Comfort factor aside, rumor has it that Hamilton, due to his age, is uninsurable in the UK in anything else, forcing him into the lumbering diesel wagon that he has ‘chosen.’ But a new ride lurks on the horizon for Lewis. Ten years ago, when Hamilton and McLaren boss Ron Dennis first became acquainted, Lewis showed interest in a certain McLaren F1 LM supercar, one of only five built, a car that Dennis has since promised to him if he wins the drivers championship and McLaren is crowned constructor champ. So, is the McLaren F1 LM in Hamilton's future? Brazil may decide // 10.27.2008