2014 may be hottest year on record

The consequences of climate change go far beyond warming temperatures, which scientists say are melting the polar ice caps and raising sea levels. Meet the team that is measuring climate change in the Arctic on CNN's series. And click through the gallery for a look at 10 other key effects of climate change, some of which may surprise you.

Drought: In the coming decades climate change will unleash megadroughts lasting 10 years or more, according to a new report by scholars at Cornell University, the University of Arizona and the U.S. Geological Survey. We're seeing hints of this already in many arid parts of the world and even in California, which has been rationing water amid record drought. In this 2012 photo, a man places his hand on parched soil in the Greater Upper Nile region of northeastern South Sudan.

Wildfires: There's not a direct link between climate change and wildfires, exactly. But many scientists believe the increase in wildfires in the Western United States is partly the result of tinder-dry forests parched by warming temperatures. This photo shows a wildfire as it approaches the shore of Bass Lake, California, in mid-September.

Coral reefs: Scientists say the oceans' temperatures have risen by more than 1 degree Fahrenheit over the last century. It doesn't sound like much, but it's been enough to affect the fragile ecosystems of coral reefs, which have been bleaching and dying off in recent decades. This photo shows dead coral off the coast of St. Martin's Island in Bangladesh.

Food prices: A U.N. panel found in March that climate change -- mostly drought -- is already affecting the global agricultural supply and will likely drive up food prices. Here, in 2010, workers on combines harvest soybeans in northern Brazil. Global food experts have warned that climate change could double grain prices by 2050.

Pollen allergies: Are you sneezing more often these days? Climate change may be to blame for that, too. Recent studies show that rising temperatures and carbon dioxide levels promote the growth of weedy plant species that produce allergenic pollen. The worst place in the United States for spring allergies in 2014, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America? Louisville, Kentucky.

Deforestation: Climate change has not been kind to the world's forests. Invasive species such as the bark beetle, which thrive in warmer temperatures, have attacked trees across the North American west, from Mexico to the Yukon. University of Colorado researchers have found that some populations of mountain pine beetles now produce two generations per year, dramatically boosting the bugs' threat to lodgepole and ponderosa pines. In this 2009 photo, dead spruces of the Yukon's Alsek River valley attest to the devastation wrought by the beetles.

Mountain glaciers: The snows capping majestic Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak, once inspired Ernest Hemingway. Now they're in danger of melting away altogether. Studies suggest that if the mountain's snowcap continues to evaporate at its current rate, it could be gone in 15 years. Here, a Kilimanjaro glacier is viewed from Uhuru Peak in December 2010.

Endangered species: Polar bears may be the poster child for climate change's effect on animals. But scientists say climate change is wreaking havoc on many other species -- including birds and reptiles -- that are sensitive to fluctuations in temperatures. One, this golden toad of Costa Rica and other Central American countries, has already gone extinct.

Animal migration: It's not your imagination: Some animals -- mostly birds -- are migrating earlier and earlier every year because of warming global temperatures. Scholars from the University of East Anglia found that Icelandic black-tailed godwits have advanced their migration by two weeks over the past two decades. Researchers also have found that many species are migrating to higher elevations as temperatures climb.

Extreme weather: The planet could see as many as 20 more hurricanes and tropical storms each year by the end of the century because of climate change, according to a 2013 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This image shows Superstorm Sandy bearing down on the New Jersey coast in 2012.

• The estimates are released to coincide with annual climate change negotiations


• World Meteorological Organization head: "There is no standstill in global warming"

(CNN) -- This year is on track to be one of the hottest, if not the hottest, year on record, a U.N. agency reported Wednesday, citing preliminary estimates.

The estimates were released by the World Meteorological Organization to coincide with annual climate change negotiations taking place in Lima, Peru.

Harvard students take on climate change

Obama: $3 billion to fight climate change

Climate change protest on Wall Street

"What we saw in 2014 is consistent with what we expect from a changing climate. Record-breaking heat combined with torrential rainfall and floods destroyed livelihoods and ruined lives.

"What is particularly unusual and alarming this year are the high temperatures of vast areas of the ocean surface, including in the Northern Hemisphere," said World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Michel Jarraud.

NOAA: 2014 is shaping up as hottest year on record

According to the organization, estimates for this year show the average air temperature over land and sea for January-October was about 1.03 degrees Fahrenheit (0.57 degrees Centigrade) above the average of 57.2 degrees F (14.00 degrees C) for the 1961-1990 reference period, and 0.16 degree F (0.09 degree C) above the average for the past 10 years.

If the rest of 2014 plays out as expected, this year will be the hottest on record, ahead of 2010, 2005 and 1998.

"The provisional information for 2014 means that 14 of the 15 warmest years on record have all occurred in the 21st century," Jarraud said. "There is no standstill in global warming."

Your chance of being struck by lightning is climbing, climate scientist says

CNN's Jason Hanna contributed to this report.

Pentagon: More sex assaults reported

Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rand Paul are pushing for military sexual assault prosecutions to be removed from the chain of command.

• A Pentagon report says sexual assaults are decreasing and more victims are coming forward


• The report says 4.3 percent of active duty women report being the victims of unwanted sexual contact in the last year


• Now 1-in-4 are reporting those assaults, up from just 1-in-10 in 2012

Washington (CNN) -- Fewer members of the military are being sexually assaulted and more victims are coming forward, the Pentagon said in a long-awaited report obtained by CNN on Wednesday.

But 4.3 percent of the United States' active-duty women still say they were the victims of unwanted sexual contact in the last year, and most still aren't reporting those assaults. Some of those who did report their assaults faced retaliation, according to the Pentagon's findings.

Obama: Our society does not value women

Angelina Jolie: Why I do this

Sex in California: Only a yes means yes

In the 136-page report due to be publicly released Thursday, the Pentagon said more victims are reporting sexual assaults. In 2012, just 1-in-10 victims reported those assaults, and by 2014, 1-in-4 did. The report pointed to a 50 percent increase in the number of victims who reported the assaults from 2012 to 2013, and another 8 percent leap in 2014.

The Pentagon said, "The importance of this upward trend in reporting cannot be overstated."

"Increased reporting signals not only growing trust of command and confidence in the response system, but serves as the gateway to provide more victims with support and to hold a greater number of offenders appropriately accountable," the report said.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey and Gen. Jeffrey Snow, the director of the Pentagon's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, delivered the report to the White House on Tuesday.

The report noted a major increase in reports of sexual assaults in recent years -- from 3,604 in 2012 to 5,518 in 2013 and then 5,983 in 2014 -- and said it's "unlikely" the bump is happening because more crimes are taking place.

"Given the underreported nature of sexual assault, the department believes this increase in reporting is likely due to greater victim confidence in the response system," the report said.

The number of active-duty women who said they were victims of unwanted sexual contact in the last year was 4.3 percent in 2014 -- down from 6.1 percent in 2012 -- the report said, citing surveys from those two years.

Victims of sexual assault can file "restricted" reports, which allows them to access health services without launching investigations and legal proceedings, or "unrestricted" reports, which do trigger independent investigations. In 2014, the Pentagon said, 19 percent of the victims who filed restricted reports later decided to make those reports unrestricted and pursue investigations -- the highest figure it has ever recorded.

The report also included a survey of more than 150 military sexual assault survivors. It found that three-quarters said they'd recommend that others report being assaulted -- and 90 percent said they were satisfied with the aid and legal counsel they received.

"However, too many of these respondents indicated they perceived social and/or professional retaliation as a result of making a report," the Pentagon said.

Cutter: Sexual assault not taken seriously?

Do Americans know what rape is?

Hagel: Must hold ourselves accountable

That admission comes as lawmakers push for bigger changes to separate sexual assault prosecutions and court-martial proceedings from the military's chain of command.

New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is making a new push for that legislation. She's seeking to have the proposal added into a defense spending authorization bill that's set for a House vote in the coming days.

"The military has not been able to demonstrate that they have made a difference and they need to be held to the scrutiny and that standard this year because throughout the last year we have continued to see evidence of how much farther we have to go to solve sexual assault in the military," Gillibrand said Tuesday at a news conference with a bipartisan set of senators who are advocating for her proposal.

Among the GOP proponents is Sen. Rand Paul, the Kentucky Republican and likely 2016 presidential contender.

"If you were in a corporation you would not report to your boss -- you would go to the police," he said. "In the military it's a little different but you still wouldn't want to go to your boss directly or you wouldn't want your boss to be making the decisions -- particularly if your boss was buddies with the perpetrator -- you would want people you don't know outside the chain of command."

UPDATE: This story has been updated to include additional information.

Santa turns away autistic girl, dog

Abcde Santos, 7, has autism and is assisted by her service dog, Pup-Cake.

• A mall Santa in California reportedly turned away a child


• The 7-year-old has autism and a pit bull as a service dog


• Santa company says he and his helper elf have been assigned other duties

(CNN) -- One mall Santa might be getting some coal in his stocking this year.

Last week, Santa Claus and a helper elf from The Shops at Mission Viejo in California turned away a 7-year-old girl with autism and her service dog, a pit bull named Pup-Cake.

According to the Orange County Register, Abcde Santos, who pronounces her first name "ab-suh-dee," and Pup-Cake stood in line for 30 minutes to meet with the unnamed mall Santa. But he declined to meet the girl because he feared the 5-year-old pit bull.

"After the Santos family offered to remove the dog from the area, the building, Santa still refused to see the child," Julie Miller, a family friend who runs a Facebook page dedicated to Pup-Cake and service animals, told the Register.

"Autism is accompanied by many sensory issues, included self-harm behaviors and feeling overwhelmed at times by lights, sounds, especially when waiting," according to the dog's Facebook page. "Pup-cake the service dog's job is to intervene in those moments."

Word of the diss led to a viral campaign, #savePupcakesChristmas, with sympathizers angered over the incident posting comments on the Facebook page for The Shops at Mission Viejo.

The mall posted a statement that said, "We share in your concerns regarding the situation today involving a Santa at The Shops at Mission Viejo. We do not condone the behavior displayed by Santa and have worked with our partners at Noerr, the company that hires our Santas, to replace this Santa with one that is more compassionate to our guests' needs."

It later shared a note from Miller about how property management and the mall had moved swiftly to correct the Bad Santa problem. The mall added, "We look forward to welcoming back the Santos family and Pup-Cake for a special Santa experience."

A representative for the Noerr Programs, which provided the Santa and helper, said the pair have been transferred and given other duties.

"For 26 years, The Noerr Programs has devoted itself to sharing the heart of Santa through the creation of magical Christmas experiences for all children and their families," CEO Judy Noerr said in a statement. "The entire team at The Noerr Programs sincerely apologizes for any distress caused by this situation, and truly regrets the incident. We have reached out to the girl's family, in an effort to extend a private Santa visit with complimentary photos of both the child and her service dog."

The Santos family has declined to be interviewed. Miller told the paper the family is pleased with the decision to replace the Santa and hopes it will lead to better awareness.

"They want people to get educated not about autism or pit bulls, but about the disabilities act so that little girls like Abcde won't go and see Santa and end up crying," she said.

New York's best street food

Rafael and Reina Soler-Bermudez have been making stuffed Salvadoran corn tortillas in Solber Pupusas, their mobile pupuseria, for more than 15 years.

New Yorkers don't need to go to New England for a good lobster roll, thanks to Big Red, Red Hook Lobster Pound's lobster shack on wheels.

Every day, Milk Truck's staff hawk American comfort foods like mac and cheese and turkey chili. The most popular item is the grilled cheese sandwich.

Many Manhattan street corners are dressed with blue and yellow striped Sabrett umbrellas, under which you'll find New York's traditional dirty water dogs.

Traditional Bolivian street food staples can now be enjoyed on the streets of Brooklyn thanks to the popular Bolivian Llama Party.

Halal carts slinging plates piled with falafel, shawarma and rice are ubiquitous in New York, but you'll recognize the King of Falafel & Shawarma by the seemingly endless line crowding the sidewalk beside it.

At Lumpia Shack, lines form as early as 11 a.m. each Saturday. Each roll is made with ground pork, roasted duck or truffled adobo mushrooms, hand-rolled, then deep-fried.

Every morning, locals file out of the subway and beeline for silver breakfast carts, whose narrow shelves are stocked high with bagels and pastries.

Starting as a lone taco cart in SoHo in 2006 (one of New York's first), Calexico grown into a fleet of carts across the city and a handful of brick-and-mortar locations.

• You don't have to sit down to get great food in New York


• Opened in 2006 in SoHo, a lone taco cart called Calexico has expanded into a mini-empire


• New Yorkers don't need to go to New England for a good lobster roll, thanks to Red Hook Lobster Pound


• Lines form early for Lumpia Shack's Philippines-inspired food

(CNN) -- New York may be a paradise of Zagat-rated, Michelin-starred restaurants, but some of its best food can be found on the streets.

Hundreds of mobile eateries hawking gourmet global cuisine occupy corners across the city, alongside traditional hotdog vendors and halal carts.

MORE: How to be a New York local: 11 tips for faking it

King of Falafel & Shawarma

Halal carts slinging styrofoam plates piled high with falafel, shawarma and rice are ubiquitous in New York, but you'll recognize "the King" by the seemingly endless line crowding the sidewalk beside it.

Originally a Queens staple, the cart dominated the corner of 30th Street and Broadway in Astoria for almost a decade before it won the Vendy Award for New York's Best Street Food in 2010.

Now, its second cart in Midtown Manhattan peddles its famous falafel and shawarma to the masses, in addition to meaty plates like the Freddy's Junior: chicken, kefta and basmati rice topped with chopped onion and doused liberally in tahini and chile sauce.

King of Falafel & Shawarma ; 53rd Street and Park Avenue; +1 718 838 8029

Milk Truck

Bessie, Milk Truck's sunshine-yellow food truck, is a welcome sight for hungry New Yorkers during lunch hour.

Every day, the truck's perpetually cheerful staff hawk classic American comfort foods like mac and cheese and turkey chili.

The most popular item by far is the grilled cheese sandwich.

There are three variations: the classic, the classic with onion and mustard, and a hearty three-cheese version with apple.

Despite not having a regular location -- Bessie's daily whereabouts must be tracked online -- Milk Truck has become a fixture in the New York street food scene thanks to its fiercely loyal following.

Milk Truck ; locations vary; +1 646 233 3838

MORE: How food trucks became L.A. kings

New England love in New York.

Red Hook Lobster Pound food truck

New Yorkers don't need to go to New England for a good lobster roll.

Thanks to Big Red, Red Hook Lobster Pound's lobster shack on wheels, they only need to walk to the curb.

Rolls come Maine-style, served cold with mayo, or Connecticut-style, served warm with butter and lemon, each stuffed with a quarter pound of fresh Maine lobster.

Despite a price tag high that's high for the streets -- $16 per roll at the time of writing -- the truck still sells between 300-400 rolls every two hours.

Red Hook Lobster Pound Food Truck ; locations vary; +1 718 858 7650

Lumpia Shack

Though Lumpia Shack has recently upgraded to its own brick-and-mortar, its original location at Brooklyn's Smorgasburg street food market still remains.

Lines form before the tiny street stall as early as 11 a.m. each Saturday for lumpia, crispy, Filipino-inspired spring rolls.

Each roll is made using locally sourced ground pork, roasted duck or truffled adobo mushrooms, hand-rolled and then deep-fried.

Unlike regular street food, Lumpia Shack's plating is restaurant quality: the lumpia are arranged artfully on a tray, drizzled with homemade sauce and garnished with pea shoots and pickled vegetables.

Lumpia Shack; Smorgasburg at Kent Avenue and Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn; +1 917 475 1621

MORE: 6 exclusively New York shopping experiences

Dirty water dogs

Sometimes it feels like almost every other Manhattan street corner is dressed with the ubiquitous blue and yellow striped Sabrett umbrella, under which you'll find New York's most iconic street food: the dirty water dog.

Named after the warm, salty water it's soaked in, the hot frank is served in a soft bun (which sops up residual water) and then topped with ketchup, mustard, onions, relish and sauerkraut.

It's neither sophisticated nor gourmet, but it's the quintessential New York food experience.

Various locations

Solber Pupusas

Culinary heavyweights Anthony Bourdain, Marcus Samuelsson and Martha Stewart are all said to be fans of Vendy-winning Solber Pupusas, and it's no wonder.

Husband and wife owners Rafael and Reina Soler-Bermudez ("Solber" is a portmanteau of their last names) have been making the stuffed Salvadoran corn tortillas in their tiny mobile pupuseria for more than 15 years, selling more than 600 on a regular day.

The signature platter comes loaded with two pupusas, tangy curtido, pickled jalapenos, tomato sauce and sour cream.

Served on banana leaves with a tangy slaw, the Salvadoran tamales are also crowd favorites.

Solber Pupusas ; Brooklyn Flea Market at Lafayette Avenue and Vanderbilt Avenue, Brooklyn; +1 516 965 0214

Calexico: From little things, big things grow.

Calexico

Unlike California, New York isn't renowned for its Mexican food, but the city has stepped up its game in recent years, thanks in large part to Calexico.

What started out as a lone taco cart in SoHo in 2006 -- one of New York's first -- has since grown into a fleet of carts across the city and a handful of brick-and-mortar locations.

Its original SoHo cart remains its most popular location, still slinging soft corn tacos cradling slow-cooked chipotle pork, hearty bowls of jalapeno cheddar grits and burritos packed with beer-battered fish, beans, rice and Monterey Jack cheese.

Calexico ; Prince Street and Wooster Street; +1 646 590 4172

MORE: 126 NYC restaurants that won't blow your expense budget

Bolivian Llama Party

Traditional Bolivian street food staples can now be enjoyed on the streets of Brooklyn thanks to this popular Smorgasburg stall.

Though saltenas -- crusty, empanada-like pastries filled with meat and vegetables --are easily its best-selling item, the chola slider is the real star here.

The modern take on the humble sanduiche de chola comes stuffed with either pork or beef brisket and topped with hibiscus-pickled onions, carrots, kolla cheese and parsley.

Bolivian Llama Party ; Smorgasburg at Kent Avenue and Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn; +1 347 395 5481

Breakfast cart bagels

New York boasts many terrific brick-and-mortar bagel shops, but you won't get a cheaper or more authentic breakfast than a bagel and coffee from a street cart.

Every morning, locals file out of the subway and make a beeline for the nearest silver breakfast cart, whose narrow shelves are stocked high with bagels and pastries of every kind.

Many pre-prepare their bagels for convenience, but most carts will make your bagel to order.

Coffee, usually deli-quality, is served in small blue-and-white Anthora cups that have become as characteristic of New York as yellow cabs and dirty water dogs.

Various locations

The valley of the supercar

A 1964 Lamborghini 350 GT at the automaker's Museum in Sant'Agata Bolognese in the heart of Italy's "Motor Valley."

A 1954 Ferrari 750 Monza, at the Enzo Ferrari Museum, Modena. The museum tells the life story of the Ferrari founder through a marvelous collection of the cars he drove and created.

The Enzo Ferrari Museum also features earlier models such as this green two-seater 1932 Maserati V4 Zagato Sport.

A 1955 Maserati 300 S at the Enzo Ferrari Museum. The museum is, until January 2015, given over to an exhibition of 100 years of Maserati.

A 1947-51 Cisitalia 202 SC at the Mille Miglia Museum, Brescia -- a venue that celebrates the history of the 1,000-mile road race that ran from Brescia to Rome and back between 1927 and 1957.

A 1947 Ferrari 125 S at the Enzo Ferrari Museum. There's free entry to this museum with a ticket from the Museo Ferrari in Maranello.

This 1953 Maserati A6 GCS Berlinetta is part of the Panini Collection in Modena. The Paninis stepped in to prevent many classic Maseratis selling at auction in London.

Resembling a jet fighter or an Apache attack helicopter, this 2013 Lamborghini Egoista single seater, on display at the Lamborghini Museum in Sant'Agata Bolognese features an anti-radar material.

This 1967 Lamborghini Miura is on display at the family-run Ferruccio Lamborghini Museum in Funo.

Pagani Zonda F (left) and Huayra models at the showroom of supercar newcomer Pagani, in San Cesario sul Panaro.

The 1929 Fiat 525 SS -- on display at the Fiat Centro Storico in Turin -- is rated as one of the most beautiful vehicles of its era.

• Italy's "Motor Valley" links towns of Modena, Maranello and Bologna, includes numerous sports car museums


• In Maranello, the Museo Ferrari is an extravaganza of F1 grand prix cars and vintage sports racers


• The privately-owned Umberto Panini Collection houses numerous Maseratis and sells its own cheese

(CNN) -- "Go, go, go!"

There's no need for the driving instructor to repeat his brief command when the go pedal in question is attached to a ravishing red Ferrari F430 with a majestic exhaust note.

Swinging onto a four-lane highway just outside Ferrari's Maranello headquarters in Italy, there's the heady sensation of accelerating through the gears as the big V8 engine barks and crackles in response.

But up ahead of us, a police car in the slow lane brings our rapid progress back down to a more leisurely speed.

No matter -- there's a chance to repeat the experience a couple more times during the drive.

It's all part of the experience in Italy's "Motor Valley," an area that runs broadly between the towns of Modena, Maranello and Bologna, and encompasses the museums, showrooms and factories of such supercar names as Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini and Pagani, plus Ducati for motorbike enthusiasts.

This is the place for anyone whose engine is fired by new high-performance sports cars with bodies by Zagato, Bertone and Pininfarina.

In Maranello, it's a case of pay your money and take a drive in your pick of red Ferraris: F430, California T, F458, F599 and F12 Berlinetta.

That's 100 euros ($125) for 20 minutes in the F430, 350 euros for 60 minutes in the California or 1,500 euros for two hours in the F12.

And there are Lamborghini and Maserati options for those looking beyond a Ferrari.

Green machine: A 1932 Maserati V4 Zagato Sport

MORE: Is this the world's best auto museum?

'California Dreaming'

Most people come to Maranello to visit the Museo Ferrari (Via Dino Ferrari, 43, Maranello; +39 0536 949713) a red-on-red extravaganza of F1 grand prix cars, sports racers from the 1950s through to the 1970s, unique concept cars and up-to-the-minute Ferrari models such as the FF and LaFerrari.

The current exhibition on the theme "California Dreaming" has rooms devoted to Ferrari's involvement in Hollywood, Los Angeles, the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and Silicon Valley technology.

Apart from viewing the fabulous car collection, there's the opportunity to try an F1 simulator or become part of a tire-change pit crew racing against the clock.

Buying a combined ticket at Maranello also gives entry to Modena's Museo Enzo Ferrari (Modena, Via Paolo Ferrari, 85, Modena;+ 39 059 4397979 ), a yellow turtle-shaped building that tells the life story of the Ferrari founder through a marvelous collection of the cars he drove and created.

This museum is, until January 2015, given over to an exhibition of 100 years of Maserati (the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles group now owns both Ferrari and Maserati), featuring 21 classic vehicles that include the 1932 V4 Sport Zagato, a 1955 300 S sports racer and a 2006 MC12 GT1.

Next door to the museum is the house where Enzo Ferrari was born.

While the Maserati exhibition is on, the ground floor of the house is hosting such notable vehicles as the first car to bear the Ferrari name -- the 1947 125 S -- plus a 1952 500 F2 single-seat racer and a 1954 750 Monza.

For Maserati devotees, there are an equally impressive range of cars at the privately-owned Umberto Panini Collection (Hombre dairy farm, Via Corletto Sud 320, 41100 Modena; +39 059 510660), housed on the Hombre organic dairy farm on the outskirts of Modena.

This was part of the original Maserati Museum collection that was to be sold at auction in London at the end of 1996, before the Panini family stepped in to ensure the cars stayed in Italy.

It includes such rarities as a 1936 6 CM, a 1934 6 C, a 1953 A6 GCS Berlinetta, Type 61 and Type 63 Birdcage sports racers and the 1990 Chubasco prototype, along with the 1958 402M El Dorado that Stirling Moss raced at Monza.

Red heat: A 1967 Lamborghini Miura at the Ferruccio Lamborghini Museum in Funo

MORE: Ferrari designs super luxurious train

Cars and cheese

There's an extra incentive to visit this free museum: the chance to buy some of its distinctive Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Two museums cater to Lamborghini lovers: Museo Lamborghini (Via Modena, 12, Sant'Agata Bolognese; +39 051 6817.611) at the company's Sant'Agata Bolognese factory midway between Modena and Bologna, and the family-owned Ferruccio Lamborghini Museo at Funo, a little to the north of Bologna.

With Lamborghini now part of the Volkswagen group, its factory museum has an outstanding range of vehicles on display.

These include the first production 350 GT, and such recent creations as the 2010 Sesto Elemento (Sixth Element) lightweight track car and the 2013 Egoista single seater that's based on a Gallardo but takes its design cues -- canopy style door and a body made of anti-radar material -- from either a jet fighter or an Apache attack helicopter, depending on your perspective.

Right behind the Sesto Elemento sits a police highway patrol Gallardo.

Classic early Lamborghini models on display include the 1996 Miura (and its 2006 reinterpretation), the Countach, Jalpa and Diablo.

The Ferruccio Lamborghini museum (Ferrucio Lamborghini Museo: Via Galliera n. 319/F, Funo di Argelato, Bologna;+39 051 86 26 28) displays more of the industrialist family's beginnings in tractors, but includes a replica of the 1963 Lamborghini GTV prototype, examples of the Miura, Countach, Espada, Diablo and military SUVs, plus Lamborghini-powered offshore racing boats and the TownLife microcar created by Ferruccio's son Tonino.

At San Cesario sul Panaro, near the town of Castelfranco Emilia on the Modena-Bologna rail line, supercar newcomer Pagani has a showroom (Via dell'Artigianato, 5, Vill. La Graziosa, San Cesario sul Panaro; +39 059 4739201) with examples of its Huayra and Zonda models on display.

MORE: Petrolhead paradise -- touring Germany's auto museums

Stealth sports car: A 2013 Lamborghini Egoista

Power, passion, performance

By arrangement, it's possible to join a tour of the Pagani factory.

For those with the time, there are two more destinations in Italy for car lovers.

There's Brescia, home of the Museo Mille Miglia (Museo Mille Miglia, Brescia: Viale della Bornata, 123 Eufemia, Brescia; + 39 030 336 5631) that celebrates the history of the 1,000-mile road race that ran from Brescia to Rome and back between 1927 and 1957, and Turin, where the National Automobile Museum (Corso Unità d'Italia 40,Turin;+39 11 677666/7/8) )has reopened after a lengthy renovation.

As befits Italy's premier car museum, Turin is a tour de force of automotive history and creativity: 160 models from 80 different makers, thematically arranged to cover design, production, sporting achievements and technological change.

From the first car to appear on Italian roads (the 1892 Peugeot Type 3) to the 1907 Itala 35/45 HP that won the 1907 Peking-Paris race, through to the 1948 Cisitalia 202 "rolling sculpture," the 1952 Alfa Romeo Disco Volante (Flying Saucer) and the latest Vittoria concept car, this is a masterful collection.

There's a bonus on Sundays, the one day of the week when Fiat opens its free Centro Storico (Historical Center) on Via Gabriele Chiabrera (Via Gabriele Chiabrera, 20, Turin; +39 011 006 6240).

The center is home to a fascinating collection of cars, trains, planes, tractors, model ships and advertising memorabilia.

Cars on display include the first 3.5 HP Fiat, the monstrous 1924 land speed record holder Mefistofele, classics such as the 1929 Fiat 525 SS -- rated one of the most beautiful vehicles of its era -- and the post-war Fiat 8V and Fiat 1100 S Mille Miglia.

For enthusiasts enamored of the power, passion, performance and panache of Italian motoring, these eight museums well and truly deliver on their promise.

Buon viaggio!

Getting behind the wheel

Several companies in Maranello offer Ferrari driving packages:

http://ift.tt/1ySb5Vy

http://ift.tt/1lYY5c3

www.pushstart.it/en

Freelance journalist and classic car enthusiast Geoff Hiscock is a former Asia business editor for CNN.com. He writes about food, water and energy issues. His latest book is "Earth Wars: The Battle for Global Resources."