Guess what I'm driving tomorrow??!

[Febs]

(I'm a bit excited, btw :))

Going up to Surfers' Paradise for tomorrow (leaving early, coming back late) for something early in the morning, and I had nothing planned for the rest of the day.

Well, now I do! (http://www.hellogoldcoast.com.au/lamborghinimoreinfo.html) Giddy up! :D

You get taken for a ride, then get to spend 8km driving it and getting used to the car, then another 8km giving it a bit of a go. $250 all up ($200 is for 8km only, and you can't rev it out).

It's a yellow Lambo Mucielago (not sure if it's a manual or E-gear)...all ~$600k worth! Can't wait! :D

Just thought I'd share my excitement. :)

Cheers,
- Febs.

[NickS]

Maybe I should sell rides in my 700+hp Coupe 4 ... $200 for 8kms. If I used up 5000kms pa (insurance limit) I could pocket $125000 pa !!! :shock:

Sounds like it would be great fun Febs ... might do it myself next I'm up North. Make sure you take some pics and let us know what you think of the experience.

:cheers:

[stav]

Febs.... What are you trying to do to me!!!

Good on you man. How jealous am I. I guess it will have to do to share your excitment for now :yahoo:

Look forward to seeing some videos/photos being posted. Let us know what you think of the experience.

-- Stav.

[Hethro87]

Hey Martin.

After getting your arse kicked by a camry once you think you need some more horses hey? :lmao:

Have a great time! :)

Hethro

[235rwkw]

almost did tha when i went up for indy, have fun

[Febs]

Hey Martin.

After getting your arse kicked by a camry once you think you need some more horses hey? :lmao:

Didn't take you long mate. :lol:
What was the final outcome again? 2-1 was it? ;) :stick:

Haha, nah you drove really well mate. Certainly showed that Camry things I'm sure it's never seen before. :)

Have a great time! :)

Thanks mate. I'll post up some pics tomorrow night. :)

Cheers,
- Febs.

[scat2k3]

......It's a yellow Lambo Mucielago (not sure if it's a manual or E-gear)...all ~$600k worth! Can't wait! :D

Just thought I'd share my excitement. :)

Cheers,
- Febs.

Yeah, thanks for sharing Martin :rolleyes:

A Lambo in Surfers. I want pictures, and not just of the car but what its going to atract :lol:

Cheers,

Scott

[highlander_69r]

:bow: u are a lucky man indeed:bow:

[The Nurse]

How many people will see a young punk behind the wheel of a Lambo today and say "Look at this drug dealer"

Eagerly awaiting the report and photos!

[scat2k3]

How many people will see a young punk behind the wheel of a Lambo today and say "Look at this drug dealer"

Eagerly awaiting the report and photos!

:lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

[OLS108]

How many people will see a young punk behind the wheel of a Lambo today and say "Look at this drug dealer"

Eagerly awaiting the report and photos!

What are you talking about ??? its the Gold coast they are used to seeing the Drug dealers

[Hethro87]

:lmao: Haha Martin i knew it would only be a matter of time before you told me that you won the best outta 3 - and yes it was great to get her out and wet!

I can now confidently drive in the wet knowing sort of what to do! :) Will be doing the next one in Jan for sure!

And yes try not to look like a shady drug dealer - make sure you wear aviator sunnies when you drive it to look truely P.I.M.P :P

Hethro

[mad_HAT]

Febs - you officially SUCK.

Have a blast mate!!

[Febs]

Back in one piece guys. :)

Plane's boarding so I have to run, but in summary I'll say it was absolutely fantastic, and I did get to stretch the Lambo's legs a little. :)

Cheers,
- Febs.

PS: Pics when I get home. :)

[Febs]

Some of the photos didn't turn out too well (blurry), so just one for now:

http://www.trackchat.com.au/media/data/524/medium/febs-lambo.jpg

Will write about it tomorrow.

and not just of the car but what its going to atract :lol:

Funny you mention that Scott. He splits the drive into two parts:
1) You drive the car up and down Seaworld Dr.
2) He drives through Surfers to find women (we had to cut this short unfortunately...I was going to miss my plane :().

:lol:

Cheers,
- Febs.

[Kyle]

Hot Hot Hot! :D

[`redoctober]

Sunglasses go on your eyes Febs :weirdo:

Heh, we need more pictures mate! Sounds like it woulda been unreal fun!!

[35R]

WOW awesome Febs

The car suits you; now just have to get that CEO job

[BOMI]

Hot Hot Hot! :D


Yeah I agree Kyle, ol febs looks good in Yellow :lmao:


Martin, great pic man, looking forward to the write up.

Troy :)

[NickS]

Nice Febs ... very nice. I think I'll try and do that when I'm up there in February.

So ... would you take the car over a house ???

[The Nurse]

http://www.trackchat.com.au/media/data/524/medium/febs-lambo.jpg



yep, thats got drug dealer written all over it:stick:

You are a lucky man Febs

[Febs]

Thanks mate.

OK, guess it's time I wrote a bit of a report.

I found the ad for the "Lamborghini Experience" (http://www.hellogoldcoast.com.au/lamborghinimoreinfo.html) a few days and and decided to give the guy (Tim) a call. He runs it by himself - usually taking one or two passengers a day, 3-5 days a week. You can choose between a 2004 Lamborghini Murci?lago (6.2l V12, a bit under 600hp) or 2004 Ferrari 550 Maranello convertible (5.5L V12, a bit under 500hp).

There are two options, both going for about 40-50 minutes:
1) $200 - You get to drive 8km (4km each way) along Seaworld Dr, in 2nd and 3rd, sticking to the speed limit (60km/h).
2) $250 - As above, but you then get to do the same stretch again, and this time you can "give it some" in 2nd and 3rd. How fast you go is up to you (within reason), but he'll let you get close to 3rd's redline (redline being fast as!!!).

With both options, when you're done driving, he takes over again and drives through the main drag of Surfers to "look at girls". :lol:

Obviously I took option 2, and after meeting Tim and his apartment we headed out to Seaworld Dr. He warned me the clutch was heavy and the gears difficult to get a handle on...but I found the complete opposite! The clutch was incredibly light for a 600hp Italian supercar, and you could change gears with one finger if you wanted! The closeness of the gate made it a bit tricky to get the stick in the right place (at first), but once you had it lined up, it slotted in smoothly and without fuss. Very surprising actually.

So anyway, Tim drove to Seaworld Dr, pulled over just past Palazzo Versace, and told me to hop in. He operates the indicators etc.. (he almost had someone stack it while trying to indicate once), so you just have to concentrate on your right foot and hands. I got it into third, and kept it smack bang on 60km/h (which again, was surprisingly easy!) Got to the end of Seaworld Dr (dead-end), turned around, and came back doing the same thing.

Back near Versace there's a roundabout, so I turned around there, and when we came up to the long straight, Tim told me to roll on the accelerator (in 3rd). I did that and....:yike: :eek:....whoa! Having been in cars with similar levels of power, I wasn't scared by the acceleration, but moreso amazed that it just kept going. It accelerated from 60km/h in 3rd almost as quickly as my 300kw V8 accelerates from a standstill in 1st! Incredible! It just kept building up speed and building up speed, and probably would've kept gaining speed at that rate to well over 200km/h, if I hadn't backed off. Awesome! Oh, that was all with 1/2 throttle too.

The engine note, while a little too "highly strung" at idle for my tastes, sounded absolutely incredible when you got stuck into it. Not "throaty" or "meaty" like a worked V8, but just ferocious and "racey". Sounded fantastic.

Turn around near the dead-end, back to 2nd, into third...cruise along again at 60km/h and wait for the straight again. :D (All the while, marveling at how easy it was to drive this thing at the speed limit!)

Back to the straight, and I roll on the loud pedal again....insane acceleration again, and this time I planned on burying it a bit longer, until I saw a white BA Falcon with something black sticking out from the side, right behind the driver's window. Hard on the brakes (which to be honest, didn't quite have the bite I was expecting...then again, we were going fairly quickly), and we get a bit closer and I realise it's a BA ute, with a Boarder Collie's head sticking out the side. :lol: *Phew*

That was it for my drive, so I pull over and Tim takes over again. We cruise back to the main CBD of Surfers' (along the Indy straight), stopping at a few sets of lights. As predicted, *EVERYONE* within eyesight turns and looks, and people at the lights want to race. Tim's actually really sensible when driving his cars around...ever since a bad experience in a rare 911 Turbo, he doesn't speed, and just cruises around enjoying his machines (which, as well as the Lambo and Ferrari, include "a couple of Porsches", a Gemballa Porsche, and a beautiful custom chopper. Lucky bloke.).

A guy trips over himself while staring at us at a pedestrian crossing, a bunch of kids stand their with the jaw wide open, and no-one pays any attention to the Ferrari 360 Spider. :lol:

We head back and that's that. It was only 40 minutes, but it was 40 minutes I won't soon forget!

So would I own one? You bet! As a daily driver? Nope, couldn't live with it. The clutch/gearbox - sure, I could live with them...but it's noisy (VERY noisy), big, very heavy - 1680kg (with heavy steering), and fairly stiff. It's also a bit "bare bones"...the seats even had manual adjustments! A great weekend car though. :)

Tim said he's never had any trouble in the ~2 years he's run the business - neither accidents or police attention....although he says the cops seem to patrol Seaworld Dr a bit more often now (I wonder why? :D)

Anyway, all up a fantastic experience, and one that I'm sure I won't soon come across again. If anyone's interested, you can get in touch with Tim on 0408 720 038.

http://www.trackchat.com.au/media/data/524/medium/lambo-front.jpg
http://www.trackchat.com.au/media/data/524/medium/lambo-rear.jpg
(In case the plates aren't a dead-giveaway, Tim's a loan shark, and owns a few restaurants around Surfers' too.)

Cheers,
- Febs.

[CarlFST60L]

nice write up, how badly do they turn heads!!!

[lautray]

Excellent Martin. Sounds like a must do. Good on ya.

[35R]

how good was that? great write up Febs

[Timbo]

OMG how did you score a drive in the car!:bravo: lol VERY nice ride =)

[Sonny@AutoWerks]

Febs,

Excellent detailed write up as usual :)


regards sonny

[mad_HAT]

Hey Febs, is Tim the bloke with all the Tats?? When I lived up there, there was a Ferrari plated "sharky" that belonged to a loan shark who also had interests in the Sugar Shack, Shooters and a couple of others.

[Febs]

Hey Febs, is Tim the bloke with all the Tats?? When I lived up there, there was a Ferrari plated "sharky" that belonged to a loan shark who also had interests in the Sugar Shack, Shooters and a couple of others.

Yeah mate, that's him. You can choose to drive the Ferrari (550 Marranello) instead of the Murci?.

Cheers,
- Febs.

[OLS108]

ahh old Sharky, lets just say, Lucky yuo didnt crash his car eh.

[mad_HAT]

ahh old Sharky, lets just say, Lucky yuo didnt crash his car eh.


He he he - i had similar thoughts

[OLS108]

He he he - i had similar thoughts

If you want a fascinating insight into the world of loan sharks, read the transcripts of the conversations recorded and put in evidence in this Australian case. This case also applies Australian law on the purpose of the loan - personal, domestic or household purposes, or business or investment purposes - and declarations in respect of purpose. Similar rules on the purpose of the loan will apply under the New Zealand Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003 which largely comes into force on 1 April 2005.

As a youth in New Zealand, Timothy Ward supported himself by playing pool for money. He became known by his associates as ?Shark?. He kept the nickname when he migrated to Australia and used it as the name of his company ? Shark Financial Services Pty Ltd - a moneylending business on the Gold Coast

>From 1996 to 2000 ?Shark? (meaning both Ward and his company) lent to people who could not get credit elsewhere. Shark would lend a minimum of $500 to anyone, at interest rates of 156 % and 208 % per annum. Late payment fees could raise the interest rate to 360% per annum. Imprisoned borrowers (there were a few as a lot of his clientele were described as ?drug dealers and hookers?) did not have to pay interest while serving their sentence but were expected to ?fix things up? on their release.

Repayments had to be made on a weekly basis between Monday and Friday. If not made in this time, Shark would send around collectors. As the debtors had no collateral as security for the loan Shark considered ?their body as collateral?. His ?collectors? would threaten physical violence or in fact carry it out until the debtor found some means to pay Shark. Some people were given one warning, others weren't. Threats of violence and actual violence wre common practice regardless of sex and age and were directed not only at the borrower but also the borrower?s family and friends. If Shark could not contact a borrower, he considered them a ?runner?. Runners were pursued by ?the boys?.

After various complaints and a three month surveillance operation from August 1998 until October 1998, the State of Queensland sought to have Shark prohibited from lending money and fined for breaches of the Consumer Credit (Queensland) Act 1994 and the Consumer Credit (Queensland) Code.

Shark claimed that all his loans were made for business and investment purposes and therefore did not come under the Act or the Code. All borrowers signed a declaration under the Consumer Credit Code that the loan was for business or investment purposes.

The judge did not agree. He said that even though borrowers had signed documents that stated the loan was for the purpose of business or investment, they were signed ?with a wink and a nod? and that the borrowers could do whatever they wanted with the money. The declarations are not conclusive evidence in a situation where the creditor knows or should know that they are not really being used for business or investment. Shark also boasted of having 400 clients that were involved in drug dealing and prostitution. The judge said that this did not come under the business exemption. We can expect New Zealand courts to take a similar approach under the New Zealand Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003 when this aspect of the Act comes into force on 1 April 2005.

The judge prohibited Shark from providing consumer credit because he had provided it unfairly and repeatedly engaged in unjust conduct. He fined him on breach of 27 lenders contracts. Each breached contract received a fine of $10,000, the total being $270,000. Shark appealed the decision on the grounds that the penalties impose were too excessive. The Queensland Court of Appeal swiftly dismissed the appeal. The Court found that the penalties Ambrose J had imposed were totally justified.



:confused:

[Febs]

Wow. I knew the basics, but not the gritty details. Thanks for the read. :)

..still...geez it was fun! :lol:

[NickS]

:hmmm: ... not so keen to try this now. Sounds like the sort of guy that will mysteriously go missing one day.

:confused:

[seldo]

Hmmm...He's the sort of bloke that after shaking hands with him you tend to count your fingers to see how many are left....:lol:
Mind you, I knew a couple of guys of similar ilk many years ago and they were the nicest guys...socially...:eek:

[mad_HAT]

For those of you who are left wondering, well if you want to know what he looks like, he made a cameo in the move "Gettin Square" as a hired goon of Gary Sweets character. Look for the tatoo's.

[OLS108]

i have heard nothing But Nice things about Tim from personal Freinds, he is dating a 17yr old girl from a local forum i am involved with.
But i must say his car collection even Makes Nick's Garage look not so Strong..:bow:

[NickS]

i have heard nothing But Nice things about Tim from personal Freinds ...

Just finished reading the transcript of his court case ... sounds like a real stand up guy ... :rolleyes:

I'm sorry, but I don't care what the car was, there is no way I would give this guy any of my money.

[mad_HAT]

Just finished reading the transcript of his court case ... sounds like a real stand up guy ... :rolleyes:

I'm sorry, but I don't care what the car was, there is no way I would give this guy any of my money.

Dont you mean stand over :confused:

[OLS108]

Just finished reading the transcript of his court case ... sounds like a real stand up guy ... :rolleyes:

I'm sorry, but I don't care what the car was, there is no way I would give this guy any of my money.

yeah well thats the thing i guess... id prefer a ride in he Coupe408T anywho :whip:

[NickS]

yeah well thats the thing i guess... id prefer a ride in he Coupe408T anywho :whip:

:toetap: ... that's Coupe412T thanks !!!

:lol: ... anytime you're in Sydney Dave, just let me know. Not real likely that I'll ever drive it to QLD.

[OLS108]

:toetap: ... that's Coupe412T thanks !!!

:lol: ... anytime you're in Sydney Dave, just let me know. Not real likely that I'll ever drive it to QLD.

Whats a Few Cubic inches between Friends ?:stick:

hmm.... may have to stop on the way back from the Nats to take you up on that offer.:toetap:

PS don't ever Drive to QLD with it... Lord knows the Drivers up here are almost as bad as the Lot down your way:eyes: