Latest news with #Ferrari360Spider
The Citizen
4 days ago
- Automotive
- The Citizen
WATCH: Have the ride of your life with Race Day Events
Race Day Events Is not just a parking lot filled with supercars; it's a playground for petrolheads, thrill-seekers and dreamers alike. Gone are the days when a pair of socks or a coffee mug passed as a Father's Day or birthday gift. We're in a new era – one where experiences trump items, and memories are the new currency of love. So, when my man's birthday was around the corner, I decided this year it had to be more than wrapping paper and a bow. I was going to give him the ride of his life. Literally. Who is Race Day Events? Enter Race Day Events – the bucket-list dreamscape for supercar lovers – tucked just beside Greenstone Mall at Stoneridge Centre. This exhilarating business was founded four years ago by Jarred Welby and has quickly become the go-to destination for anyone who has ever fantasised about taking the wheel of a beastly supercar, even just for a day. From the moment you arrive the air thrums with anticipation – the deep growl of V10 engines, the shine of finely polished hoods and the unmistakable scent of burning rubber and Italian leather. It's not just a parking lot filled with supercars; it's a playground for petrolheads, thrill-seekers and dreamers alike. For my first choice, I had to go iconic – a cherry red Ferrari 360 Spider. Living out my fantasy From the moment I slid behind the wheel, I knew I was living out every F1 fantasy I've ever had. Paddle-shifting my way through Jozi's open roads, I was a blur of red, roaring through the suburbs like a streak of lightning. The sound? Heavenly. The feel? Like flying low in a fighter jet. Pedestrians turned their heads. Kids pointed and cheered. I didn't just drive a Ferrari – I became part of the legend. But wait, it gets better. Next up was the Lamborghini Gallardo Spider, that fiery orange devil straight out of an Italian dream. Sleek, seductive and powerful, this raging bull was a totally different animal. The cockpit wrapped around me like a high-tech cocoon – and the growl of the engine? It was less of a purr and more a primal roar. The reverse gear button – located conveniently next to the door – was just one of the many clever design choices that made this ride an experience, not just a drive. It felt like being in a rock star parade – everyone looked, everyone gawked and every other car got just a little jealous. Meanwhile, my man went full throttle with the Porsche 911 Turbo and the Audi R8 V10. Talk about a double whammy of German engineering. According to him, the rush was unforgettable. From the Porsche's razor-sharp handling to the Audi's thunderous power delivery, it was pure, unfiltered joy. And judging by the grins on the faces of passersby – and the way other cars seemed to pull aside in admiration – I'd say he wasn't the only one feeling the thrill. Hows to get your Race Day Events experience But Race Day Events isn't just about the cars – it's the vibe. There's a state-of-the-art F1 simulator you can jump into while waiting your turn, or you can simply lounge around and chat with fellow enthusiasts. The space is modern, welcoming and relaxed – the kind of spot you could host a small party for someone who lives for cars. It's clear this isn't just a business – it's a passion project. 'We want to make dreams accessible,' Welby said. And that they do. With plans to expand the fleet and new models in the pipeline, Raceday Events is on track to keep delivering motoring magic to everyone who dares to dream. What really sets them apart? The qualified driving instructors. No need to panic about clutches, gears or embarrassing stalls. You're taken through everything step-by-step, and your instructor even plays part-time photographer to help capture those 'I can't believe I'm doing this' moments. Trust me – this is definitely a selfie-worthy experience. So, what's it going to cost to give someone the thrill of a lifetime? Surprisingly little, compared to the value of the memories you'll create: Lamborghini Gallardo Spider – R4 649. Audi R8 V10 – R3 499. Porsche 911 Turbo – R3 499. Drive the Rivals Package (Audi & Porsche) – R6 999. Ariel Atom Passenger Ride – R1 249. Triple Trio (Drive any three supercars!) – R11 649. Whether it's a milestone birthday, Father's Day, anniversary or just a spontaneous adventure, Race Day Events delivers high-octane luxury at accessible prices. So ditch the mugs. Forget the socks. Give the man in your life the keys to his dreams – even if just for a day. Believe me, it's 200% worth it. Contact details: 076-484-0902; e-mail: racedayevents@ web: – thamik@ ALSO SEE: Mzansi meets Hollywood: Kris Jenner and Khanyi Mbau facelift secrets revealed
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Diddy Could Lose $400M Fortune If Feds Seize His Remaining Assets
Sean 'Diddy' Combs is reportedly facing the potential collapse of his multi-million dollar empire as federal investigators pursue sweeping RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) charges that could lead to massive asset forfeiture. The music mogul, whose holdings span music, fashion, spirits, media, and philanthropy, is under intense legal scrutiny as prosecutors build a case alleging a criminal enterprise tied to racketeering, sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and transportation for prostitution. 'RICO forfeiture is intended to be very broad, and so it has significant consequences,' former federal prosecutor Stefan Cassella told USA Today. 'So, it's going to boil down to what they can prove was part of the enterprise.' Federal authorities are reportedly aiming at a wide swath of Combs' business ventures, and if it is determined that any part of his empire was funded or involved in illegal activities, those assets could be seized. This includes his record label Bad Boy Records, parent company Combs Global, Revolt Media, his wine and spirits brands, the Sean John fashion line, and even the Sean Combs Foundation. 'This is a very, very broadly phrased forfeiture allegation. It doesn't look like there was any sort of pre-indictment seizures that they're counting towards it,' former DOJ Organized Crime and Gang Section Chief Jim Trusty told CNN's Laura Coates. 'And they've named the enterprise in a very broad way, the RICO. The RICO is essentially anything he touched in his business world, whether it's record labels, liquor labels, planes, trains, and automobiles.' Combs' personal property is also potentially at risk, including high-end vehicles such as a $500,000 Rolls-Royce Phantom, a Ferrari 360 Spider, a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder, and a Cadillac Escalade The Bad Boy Entertainment founder's federal trial has included harrowing testimony from Combs' former associates, include Cassie Ventura Fine, whom Combs dated for over a decade. Ventura, who testified on two separate days, detailed the alleged trauma and turmoil the disgraced mogul caused her over the course of their relationship, including physical and alleged sexual abuse. If convicted, Combs faces a potential life sentence in from Former Diddy Employee Reveals The Notorious B.I.G.-Inspired Alias He Used To Book Hotels Clinical Psychologist Testifies During Diddy Trial, Speaks On Abuser-Victim Dynamic Meek Mill Reveals The "Craziest" Experience He's Had While At A Diddy Party
Vogue
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Naomi Girma, Soccer's Million-Dollar Girl, Is Just Living in the Moment
The smile gives it away first. When Naomi Girma joins me in a box overlooking the deserted pitch at Stamford Bridge, she greets me with a dazzling beam—the stuff of toothpaste commercials, '80s CoverGirl campaigns, billboards over Sunset Boulevard—that feels as incongruous, in these bland, if hallowed, halls, as the pearl-studded Simone Rocha Crocs I spied stacked neatly on the blue carpet in a neighboring corporate suite. Chelsea FC Women's star signing may be a newly minted Londoner, but the teeth are pure Hollywood, although technically Girma hails from San Jose, a few hours up the coast. She's been lured to London by Sonia Bompastor's league-bestriding Blues—and a fee to match that million-dollar smile. Previously at San Diego Wave Fútbol Club, the 24-year-old center back was on a plane to the UK within days of the deal being signed in the January transfer window, a check of around $1.1 million from Chelsea having conferred upon her the title of most expensive player in the women's game. She's nonetheless an understated presence. Still in glam from her British Vogue shoot (hence the haute Crocs), Girma has ditched the Talia Byre tracksuit for team sweats, her braids swept back to allow her wide brown eyes and stellar brows to take center stage. Possibly due to having grown up in Britain at a time when soccer was synonymous with flash—think David Beckham screeching between Old Trafford and Bond Street in a Ferrari 360 Spider with a personalized license plate—I can't resist diving straight in with how she's celebrated. Perhaps a new car? Shoes? A tattoo? She ponders for a second, ripping open a bag of popcorn as we settle in at one end of the polished conference table. 'I've been trying not to purchase anything until I'm in my actual apartment,' she says finally. Then, laughing: 'I have enough suitcases full of stuff that I traveled with.' Meanwhile, recovering from jet lag took priority over throwing a party to mark her arrival in London. How was leaving the West Coast for Blighty in the dead of winter, I ask, gesturing apologetically at the watery March sunlight leaking through the picture windows. 'It's been good!' insists Girma. Really? 'I had a few rough patches,' she concedes, still grinning. 'I had one training session where it was hailing. I was like… 'Oh.'' But now spring is in the air and, while Fulham is low on balmy breezes, 'Everyone seems happier.'
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
This NA Miata Gated Shifter Conversion Kit Was Inspired by a Ferrari
If you have a first-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata, here's something you might not know: you can buy a gated shifter for your car right now. The conversion kit is from a brand called Minottek, and at the moment, it's the only product the company sells. Minottek is the work of Ryan Conforti, an NA Miata owner who was inspired to design a gated manual for his own car after experiencing a shifter with a gate for the first time. As he tells Road & Track, it all started with a drive in a Ferrari 360. "I work for a company that produces parts for exotic cars and I had the opportunity to drive a gated Ferrari 360 Spider," he says. "Everybody's always talked about how amazing and romantic the gated shifter really is, and I understood it, but it wasn't until I drove it that I realized how much it adds to the driving experience. The tactility of changing gears, hearing a click, and watching the shifter slide into the next gear. It brings a whole new joy to driving..." "I saw it as this pretty sort of object of Italian heritage, but there's more beneath the surface. There's more past the pretty face of a gated shifter staring at you. I thought, immediately, 'I would want to have one of these in a Miata.' It's a coveted experience, and I wish more people had the opportunity to use one." Creating one meant going to work developing the tech for his own example of the ultra-democratized Japanese sports car, a 1995 NA Miata ( which, as it so happens, was his first car). The work started with a series of 3D scans. "I have some background in product design and engineering, so I sort of had an idea of where I wanted to start, which was 3D scanning the stock shifter in every single gear position," he says. "I took those scans, overlaid them on one another, and I was able to extract exactly how long each gear throw was at any particular height on the shifter rod. From there, it was really just making a gate that surrounded those dimensions." Conforti built his first gate, then revised it more than 30 times to nail down exact dimensions within a tenth of a millimeter. His goal was the determine the dimensions of the transmission's internal gating, then shrink them by a couple percentage points to give a satisfying click after every shift — but without allowing gate forks to encroach on a solid gear change. "I made 30 revisions," he says. "That goes to show you that you can't get it perfect just off [stationary 3D scans] alone." "There are centering fulcrum bushings and springs that locate the shifter rod within the transmission turret. Those can sort of sit and act differently, depending on which gear you're actually in. Then, of course, that varies while driving, the actual fulcrum bushings move slightly while driving. I can't accommodate for that sort of thing [while scanning] — it was just a good place to start and get me into street testing. That's where most of the refinement took place." The driving portion required the help of two other NA Miata owners, both with unusual builds that allowed Conforti to stress-test the gated shifter under more extreme conditions than what the average Miata would see. "My roommate actually has a prepped drift car, a drift NA Miata. It's also street-registered, so I installed the kit on this car and I had him handle all of the 'donut and burnout testing,' as we like to call it." "I would just give him a revision of the gate, he would go out and drive it for a couple days, do a few burnouts to make sure nothing was rattling, and he really took care of the abusive side of things to make sure that everything would hold up and not vibrate or rattle loose," Conforti says. While the drift car owner handled cases of extreme, torturous use, another friend offered a car with another problem to solve. His car, a lifted Miata build based on a particularly well-loved example, had more than 200,000 miles on the odometer. "That car in particular is very special because it has original motor mounts — original to the car, 200,000-mile motor mounts. It was absolutely crucial when developing the kit, because it really demonstrated the maximum amount that the shifter could possibly move in a Miata," Conforti says. "In the event somebody had a car with 200,000-mile motor mounts, I wanted to make sure I accommodated for that." "At the end of the day, we learned that the transmission could move up and down almost 3/8ths of an inch while driving with worn mounts." Conforti has since finished the process of designing, developing, and producing gated shifter conversion kits for NA Miatas; now that he's done it once, he knows he can do it again. He notes that the Miata's transmission is part of the car's structural rigidity, a unique complication that makes it a bit of a "worst case scenario" for this kind of conversion. Since most other sports cars don't opt for this solution, other kits going forward could actually be easier to develop. That means he has to decide what to do next: "The NA [conversion kit has] garnered a lot of attention, so the NB is the natural progression," he says. "Eventually, I would like to do it on the ND. I've also had a number of requests for a BRZ, GR 86, S2000. These are all cars that I'd really like to do, because now that I sort of have a formula down, a recipe, I can apply it to more cars." This conversion kit is unique among many similar dreams, in that it actually became a product available for other owners to buy and install themselves, but Conforti sees his work as repeatable by anyone. He closed our conversation by offering advice for any other car owner with a dream project in mind: "If there's any wisdom or inspiration I could impart on somebody that's interested in making car parts, I would say buy a 3D printer and learn how to do a little bit of CAD. Make parts for your own car, and some day you may be following in my footsteps."You Might Also Like You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners The Man Who Signs Every Car
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
No Reserve: 5k-Mile 2004 Ferrari 360 Spider 6-Speed On Bring A Trailer
⚡️ Read the full article on Motorious This 2004 Ferrari 360 Spider, offered at no reserve on Bring A Trailer, represents the pinnacle of open-top motoring paired with Ferrari's renowned engineering and styling. With just 5,000 miles on the odometer, this low-mileage example exudes exclusivity and timeless appeal. Originally sold at Ferrari of San Diego, this 360 Spider has a documented history across California, Tennessee, and Montana, and is now offered with a clean Arizona title. It boasts the desirable gated six-speed manual transmission paired with Ferrari's 3.6-liter Tipo F131 V8, delivering 395 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque. The Tubi exhaust system enhances the engine's exhilarating sound, making every drive unforgettable. Exterior and Features The Pininfarina-designed aluminum body is finished in Argento Nurburgring, complemented by Scuderia Ferrari fender shields, a Challenge-style rear grille, and quad exhaust outlets. A power-retractable black convertible soft top provides open-air enjoyment, while paint protection film on key areas preserves the finish. Silver 18″ five-spoke alloy wheels wrapped in Pirelli P Zero tires complete the elegant yet sporty look. Luxurious Interior Inside, the cabin features beige leather upholstery with power-adjustable Daytona-style seats, a gated shifter, and aluminum pedals. A leather-wrapped steering wheel frames a 220-mph speedometer, an 8,500-rpm tachometer, and various auxiliary gauges. Amenities include automatic climate control and a CD stereo, offering both comfort and convenience. Maintenance and PerformanceThis meticulously maintained Spider underwent significant servicing in 2023, including replacement of the timing belts, water pump, camshaft seals, spark plugs, and tires. The brake fluid was also changed. The 3.6-liter flat-plane-crank V8 is paired with a six-speed manual transaxle and limited-slip differential for precise control and engaging performance. Collector's Opportunity With its rare combination of low mileage, iconic design, gated manual transmission, and comprehensive maintenance history, this Ferrari 360 Spider is a collector's dream. Accompanied by manufacturer's literature, service records, a car cover, and a tool kit, it offers a rare chance to own a modern Ferrari classic in impeccable condition. This Ferrari is being sold by top Bring A Trailer seller, Cascio Motors. Visit their site to see their inventory and learn more about working with their team to sell your vehicle on Bring A Trailer.
