The thrill of the supercars
HE roaring engine sounds of Ferraris, Aston Martins, Porsches, Lamborghinis and Maseratis resonated through the streets of Durban on Sunday as over 40 supercar owners made their way to the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban for the IBV Supercar Club breakfast run.
The IBV Supercar Club, a division of IBV International vaults, founded in 2010, is a world renowned, exclusive club which aims to unite supercar owners across the globe.
The club made history by achieving a Guinness World Record when it raised over R1 million in a supercar parade of 211 vehicles in Durban in 2014.
Turning heads at the run on Sunday were not only the exquisite cars but the owners.
One of Durban’s fastest female racers, Karen Naidoo, who owns a R1.2m Nissan GTR R35 has been making headlines in the racing world.
Naidoo, who describes herself as a tomboy, told POST she started racing after watching the first Fast and Furious movie in 2004.
“I have always been a car fanatic but in 2004, when I watched the movie, I started racing with my Golf 4 GTI.
“I have acquired a collection of cars since then, from a Nissan 350z, a customised Hummer and a BMW M3, but the Nissan is my favourite,” said Naidoo of Yellowwood Park.
“For the past two years, I have been racing and am part of the KZN Drags Association. I am the only woman among the men but there is no gender differentiation when it comes to this sport. We race to win.”
“It is extremely exhilarating,” she said.
Her husband, who owns a similar car, loves his wife also being a racer.
Adrenaline junkie and helicopter pilot Fathima Khan Gaibie has been in the spotlight with her Nissan GTR Black Edition worth R1.8m.
The mother of three, of uMhlanga Rocks, said she developed a need for speed when her husband bought her a Ford Focus RS.
“I have always loved cars, especially fast ones. My first car was a Ford XR3 1600 sport,” said Gaibie.
“I started driving fast cars 10 years ago. I love the thrill, the excitement and I get an adrenaline rush,” she said.
For some supercar owners, it is more about the comfort and cruising than racing.
Rajen Moodley, 52, of Malvern, who owns a fleet of vehicles, including 11 from the latest Mercedes range and two supercars, an Aston Martin GB9 and Ferrari 458, enjoys nothing more than taking his wife, Laura, and children for a leisurely drive in and around Durban.
After he watched a documentary on how the 2016 model Ferrari 458 was built, Moodley decided he had to add the car to his collection.
“I have always admired exquisite cars, so when I watched the making of this model of Ferrari, I immediately knew I wanted to own one.”
Owner of one of two yellow Mercedes-AMG GTS in the country 32-year-old Rehaan Khan, of Isipingo, said his wheels were a head turner.
“I saw it earlier this year at the Mercedes-Benz showroom. It was a beauty and I had to have it. The detailing in the interior and the design is what caught my eye.”
The breakfast concluded with a parade around the stadium and the convoy of supercars then made its way to the Golden Horse Casino in Pietermaritzburg.