In times of financial hardship, footballers continue to keep the automotive industry afloat

Stephen Ireland may look like a prize muppet in his pink-wheeled 4×4, but he’s actually a trailblazer of Premier League automotive fashion. According to Nuts Magazine’s “Premiership Stars and their Cars 2009″ survey, the Range Rover Sport is the most popular of car among football’s elite. Drivers of the squirrel-squashing Chelsea tractor include John Terry, Steven Gerrard, Peter Crouch, Joey Barton and Xabi Alonso.

Here’s the top ten most popular cars in training ground car parks:

1 Range Rover Sport (£63,895)
2 BMW X5 (£53,465)
3 Porsche Cayenne (£76,760)
4 Aston Martin DB9 (£111,526)
5 Bentley Continental GT (£137,500)
6 Audi Q7 (£51,095)
7 Ferrari F430 (£135,685)
8 Mercedes SL65 AMG £151,101)
9 Lamborghini Murciélago LP640 (£151,101)
10 Cadillac Escalade (£50,100)

As you can see, the big trend is to have a huge gas-guzzling 4×4 - the type that will break down in the middle of the Tyne bridge.

Unsurprisingly, this beauty of a motor didn’t make the list.

Driver learns about traffic jam a little too late

Because riding on the inside of a car is so passe…

Under the grip of socialism, it appears there’s little for the folks of Havana to do except get dragged along by cars. With no shirts on. In the rain.

We’re guessing that this urban sport probably won’t catch on elsewhere…

These guys must have expensive insurance

If you thought the roads were bad in India, you should see the walls! This Indian carnival features a Well of Death, where they somehow manage to work up enough speed to drive two battered old five door hatchbacks up a wall. Mental stuff.

We think the cars are Talbots, but if you care to correct or confirm our suspicions, please do so below.