Although full factory support from the importer has long since vanished, the Stilo and Grande Punto, which both use similar spaceframe underpinnings, four-wheel-drive transmissions and V6 engines while being clad in production-car 'silhouette' bodywork, are still highly potent machines and remain in the hunt for honours in the hotly-contested 'Independents' category.

For the 2010-2011 season a Stilo and Grande Punto are being run by the experienced Speed Adventures outfit and they drafted in the reigning Independent champion Didier Thoral, who collected the title (as well as finishing in seventh place overall) last year driving a Toyota Auris the Tarrès Team, to lead the current campaign. Thoral, who is starting his seventeenth season in the Trophée Andros is partnered in the #7 Grande Punto by Laurent Barbieri, back for another team with the team.

Speed Adventures is running a second black-white-and-orange Fiat racer on the ice this season, this time a Stilo for Benjamin Rivière and the somewhat late starting Christophe Anquetil, both drivers bringing plenty of Trophée Andros ice racing experience to the team.

A second Stilo is in the grid for this season thanks to Team Racing Development, which has plenty of competition experience, particularly in the arena of rallying. Serge Lubrano and Lionel Daziano are sharing the lurid-green liveried car which is backed by BP and running on E85 Ethanol.

As ever the Trophée Andros has attracted many star names from the world of motorsport, led out by a clutch of ex-F1 drivers. Top of this list is "The Professor", Alain Prost, one of ice racing's biggest stars today, he is at the wheel of the Dacia Duster this season. New to the championship for 2010/2011 is Jacques Villeneuve, the Canadian, also a former world champion, teaming up with former Monaco Grand Prix winner Oliver Panis in a Skoda Fabia. Franck Lagorce (Skoda), who took part in two grands prix for Ligier in 1994, is now an established top Trophée Andros competitor; he also previously drove the Fiat Stilo in the Trophée Andros, while rally world is represented by legendary Finn Ari Vatanen (BMW 1-series) who is busy getting to grips with the ice racing series and French rally icon Bertrand Balas (Toyota Auris), now a seasoned Trophée Andros pilot.

This year's 22nd edition of the Trophée Andros comprises of eight rounds, the final encounter being the showpiece non-championship race held in the Stade de France in Paris. The series kicked off at Val Thorens on the weekend of December 4-5 before heading to rounds in Andorra, Alpe d'Huez, Isola 2000 and Saint-Dié-des-Vosges and onto the most recent round which was contested at Clermont Superbesse on January 29. That now bring the 2010/2011 series right up to the final point scoring round which takes place this weekend on the ice at Lans en Vercors with all still to play for and with the Fiat pilots' locked into several fights-to-the-wire in the classifications.

In the Independent category Lubrano is in the final podium spot in third place with 588 points but is level with Lagorce's Skoda team mate Grégoire Demoustier who holds second place on count back. All is to play for with the runners-up spot still up for grabs although Olivier Pernaut (BMW 1-series) is clear at the top on 672 points. In the 'Promotion' category Daziano is defending second place in the green Stilo, he has 490 points and has a healthy gap to the drivers on each side of him: Andrea Dubourg (Renault Clio III) is the class leader with 564 points while third place is held by lady ice racer Bérénice Demouster (Toyota Auris) who is paired with Balas this year.