Raging Roaring Road Runners Pt.2

There is nothing as loud as a Formula One car both in-world and on a real track. And what others hear as noise may in fact be music in the ears to some! Even in Second Life these racetrack-demons live by their reputation. The creations of RamessesIII Pharaoh are considered one of the best sculpted sports cars made specifically for virtual racing. Only a few cars made in SL are as super-detailed as Ram's creations. These mean machines are as exclusive and rare as they can get in SL. Try SLExchange and see if you can find one as magnificently done as Ramrod Racing's creation.

World-class drivers! One time F1 protegee David Coulthard (GBR) for RedBull Racing Team; current F1 world champion Kimi Raikonnen (Fin) for Scuderia Ferrari; and Fernando Alonso (Esp) for Renault F1 Team go head-to-head at Sim Australia's Ponderosa Race Track http://slurl.com/secondlife/Ponderosa/238/110/32

Like most of the cars I have in my collection, track-testing all of them is such a joy! Getting to control these cars rather than them controlling you may be a challenge. It may just be putting your mind over the matter and get to know the strengths and weaknesses of each car. And dwelling more on their strengths would be a deciding factor whether you will go far with these brutes.

SL Formula One cars just like in real-life are never easy to drive. Who ever said that they were and that they should be? After all, real-life Formula One drivers are the creme de la creme, so why do we (SL residents) have to be exempted from that fact? (laughter).

It takes a lot of dedication, discipline, patience and skill to get control over the wheels. Going through every chicane with the possibility of getting too much or too little under-steer, may mean the difference between safely driving through each bend or getting into a nasty crash (lucky enough if you won't come crashing on another driver).

Most importantly, honing your skills would mean the difference between getting first place or becoming second in a race. Talking about these supercars is awesome BUT driving them is really something else.

The F1-inspired shrine especially made for die-hard fans can be located in two interesting sims:

The Minoa Sim

Formula One inspired pits. The display area at Minoa has a more F1 feel to it. A garage housing three (3) of the best race cars ever to grace Formula One, as well as a Subaru Impreza rally car are on display. Look further and you'll find something sleek and interesting that you may take home for FREE!

A fantastic show! Come and see the uncanny resemblance of these sculptured F1-inspired cars to their real life counter parts. Red Bull Racing Team, Renault F1 Team and the Scuderia Ferrari supercars are on display at the Minoa shrine.

Celebrating The Cars

Not a lot know of the Red Bull F1 Team using a same specification Ferrari V8 engine as the Scuderia Ferrari team (when Formula One downgraded engine power from the ever popular V10 in 2006). The Red Bull Racing Team consecutively won 7th place in the Constructors Title in the 2005 and 2006 seasons. They went two notches up at 5th place in 2007 in spite of having 14 retirements between drivers David Coulthard (GBR) and Mark Webber (Aus) with whom the latter won a 3rd Place podium finish for the team at the European Grand Prix. The team currently uses a Renault V8 engine which won Fernando Alonso (Esp) of the Renault F1 Team, back to back championships.

The Renault F1 Team is famous for breaking up the Ferrari winning streak. A title which was held by Michael Schumacher (Ger) of Scuderia Ferrari for 5 years since 2000. It was the young Spaniard who took away the crown from the German, not only for the Drivers' Championship but also for the title for being the youngest F1 driver to bring home the cup. Schumacher was 25 when he won in 1999 for Benetton-Ford while Alonso was 24 winning for Renault. However, Renault's championship run halted when their ace driver moved to McLaren-Mercedez to join the newly signed up Lewis Hamilton (GBR), a Formula 2 drivers champion.

In F1's 2008 season, Fernando Alonso joins back Renault and is slowly gaining ground to fight back the championship. Just like when he joined McLaren-Mercedez replacing Kimi Räikkönen who then moved to Ferrari, he is "rumoured" to replace the Finn again if ever the current world champion decides to retire.

The Prancing Horse made history during its comeback in the Formula One scene with its first Drivers' Championship win in 21 years, courtesy of the legendary Michael Schumcher. The German gave Scuderia Ferrari a 5 year winning streak (2000-2004) with Ross Brawn, Rory Byrne, and Jean Todt teaming up to be part of the strategic, technical and engineering team; and Rubens Barrichello (Bra) as his long-time running-mate. They were considered the dream team in F1.

This was the start of Ferrari F1's comeback as a dominant force, setting the standards on Formula One racing, only yielding to Renault for 1st place in the Drivers' Championship in 2005 and 2006.

Kimi Räikkönen (Fin), a former rival of Schumacher, took over the reigns of the 7-time world champ and narrowly won back the championship from Lewis Hamilton (a newcomer and a surprise contender to the crown) in the 2007 season. As of press-time, the ongoing F1 2008 Season sees Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Räikkönen, and Ferrari team mate Felippe Massa (Bra) vying for the prestigious and most coveted Drivers' Championship.

Look Around Minoa And Prepare Be Amazed...

It would be fun for any F1 fan to visit the Minoa shrine and get to meet "Schuey" tending the stalls (who also seems like he needs his job back hehehe). You'll be surprised to see the BEST RACING HELMETS in the WHOLE of SL guarded by the former world champ! I have all of them including the Ferrari bull caps which are on display. I do not see why you should not have them as well hehehe.

Uhmmm, don't bother talking to the champ. He does not seem to be in the mood for chats. Believe me, I tried and even told the funniest and corniest of jokes that I know of. But not the slightest smirk can be seen on his face (sighs). I think it must have been that Macarena dance I did for him as I chant: "Viva Ferrari!". I speculate that he has some issues with anything Spanish... then I thought to myself: "ahhh.. Fernando Alonso.." laughter

These fantastic helmets are none like no other in SL. I have seen so many sports helmets BUT nothing comes close to RamessesIII Pharaoh's collection! They go well with any sports gear, be it superbikes, hydrofoils or any other supercars.

This black prototype is not the Batmobile, so do not be fooled by its sleekness and colour. It is RamessesIII Pharaoh way of saying thank you to all the fans who visits the shrine. It has the option to change to three more other colours apart from black. And being a FREEBIE is something that makes visiting Minoa worth the trip.

It has the F2007 engine pre-H4 and would be a good way to test your skills in driving a proper F2008 car. I am sure after trying this baby, you would definitely move up to the next level! Good luck!

The Hope Capital Sim

Here you will find Ram's Ferrari Shrine and see the history on how the car evolved. It is also the only museum in Second Life dedicated to Scuderia Ferrari. A dismantled scaled-model on display will show you the level of complexity the sculptured car has, as well as RamessesIII Pharaoh's outstanding craftsmanship.

From having built it on raw and edgey prims for the first prototype to the more rounded and formed second prototype, you will see RamessesIII Pharaoh's ingenuity at work.

His first attempt on textures shows his dedication to produce a car that closely resembles the real life model. And as more and more features are being introduced in building and crafting in SL, the details of the supercar becomes more and more prominent. The F2007 was the start of something big for Ferrari fans in Second Life. And the ultimate unveiling the F2008 version gave racing enthusiasts a taste on how virtual realism really should be.

The introduction of the Sculpty in SL had indeed revolutionised the building of virtual crafts to people like RamessesIII Pharaoh. I wont be surprise at all that if ever the F2009 comes out, it would be nothing less than awesome and inspiring!

Don't just take my word for it, go and experience the F1 phenomenon in Second Life now.

Raging Roaring Road Runners Pt.1

"Oh a lucky penny!"... that's what most people say when they find a tiny copper coin along the way. But what if you chance upon something bigger... something even more grand? Something that is composed of Carbon Fiber reinforced Plastics (CFP) instead of copper? Yep, I'm talking about the latest update for one of SL's greatest supercar!

Now this beauty is something I can really call my own! I painted this car.. I changed the alloy wheels... I adjusted the engine and tweaked its steering and breaking HP... I buffed it until it shined! And who would have thought that something we would do in a real life car could also be done here in Second Life. Am I dreaming or what?

It was just a couple of months ago when I posted a review about this fantastic car, as well as sharing some first hand information on its official release. With the amazing outcome of the beta version (the prototype was offered to the SL public for those who cannot wait for the actual release), we somehow expected something explosive on the next public offering... and only to find out that it was something even better!

The Porsche Carrera GT~SR

After a fairly slight delay for the update, the Carrera GT finally goes into full blast living much to its expectation for being one of the best cars ever to be produced in Second Life. There is more than meets the eye with this car! Not that it is going to transform into an amazing alien robot or something.. no, not at all... It is all about the added features not only for the car per se but for its Heads Up Display (HUD) as well.

Think more buttons for the HUD. Think spares for your flat tyres! Think never ending tinkering with its settings and discover more of what you can do with it, giving you the freedom to customise almost everything to your heart's content. Never has any car in SL been this interactive ever before!

The revamped HUD: with new additions on top of the existing ones, everything is accessible with just a click of button. The Colour/Tint Configuration button is located at the far right side of the HUD, while the Options and Camera View buttons are both easily located at the inner~bottom portion.

This gives new meaning to the phrase: "no car will ever be the same again". And yes sirs and madams, your car for the first time will have its own identity. Say goodbye to that funny feeling of having to drive your car alongside one that looks exactly as yours.

The new colours? There are unlimited colours to choose from! Think of all the possibilities and endless choices. As promised by its creator, the new package includes a Colour/Tint Configuration tool which as mentioned earlier, gives you the freedom to choose your car's colour as well as the option to adjust its RGB (red, green, blue) hue values, a tint to overlay the base colours.

The moment we have all been waiting for. Giving a new paint job for our prized beauty! Customizing its colour can be done by part leaving your car with highlights as well as giving it more depth and dimension. Can't decide what colour to make of your car? Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgU-93jWENc

Apart from the 12-colour base option (see menu below), you can add three (3) levels of shine (from matte to super gloss and wet look) as well as adjust the RGB tint of the car (as seen on the menu above). And by the way, you have to CLICK the "blue pill looking" APPLY button on top of the UI to make your adjustments work!

Why we have LIME as a colour option is beyond my knowledge, (chuckles). Don't be surprised to find out that it is the default colour we all will be getting in our new package. Maybe I give IAm a call and ask him why lime? (laughter). Now that I think about it, it may be a way to push us to immediately custom colour our cars before driving them on the road and track (winks).

As mentioned in my last blog about this magnificent machine, new alloy wheels will be included in the update. But who would ever have thought that there are actually three (3) options for us to play around with. Think wet, dry and intermediate tyres! You will never get tired looking at the same tyres ever again!

The Colour/Tint Configuration tool also includes a selection of three (3) alloy wheel sets to match your taste and style. All three can be custom coloured just like the rest of the car. (see related photo below)

Surprise, surprise! And aren't you glad you have waited a bit longer? Instead of only one replacement for the plain looking-beta version wheels, IAm gives his loyal and "patient" clients a treble treat! SL cars had never been so close to RL cars as Z.A. Motors offers

Tweaking The Unthinkable

Another great feature of the car is giving you the ability to tweak the cars settings to your preference as seen in the menu below:

seating position to adjust according to your AV's size. So say goodbye to short arms and hanging hands seemingly unable to reach for the steering wheel;

power options which also adds to the thrust, torque, push and pull of the car;

steering to adjust the under-steer preference, the same adjustments they do on F1 cars depending on the type of track. It is also used to adjust your cars drifting capability to make that perfect 360-clutch-screeching-and-rubber-burning spin. Mind you, white smoke from burning rubber will actually show up when you drift as well as when you hit the breaks;

breaks will adjust the distance of your breaking horse-power.

No Pain, No Gain.. and please pass me the salad!

It was obviously hard work for the car's creator to jam all these superb features into one magnificent package. Like something that is properly cooked before being served to guests. Much like Gordon Ramsey making you wait just a little bit longer for the main course BUT with the guarantee of having all the right ingredients for you to enjoy... well less the swearing and F-words of course. For new Porsche owners, it is like having a spanking brand new car while pioneer drivers like me are having our lindens worth for the investment we put on the prototype.

The standard adjustment values for the three main features (power, steering, breaks) are shown in the diagram above. The most crucial adjustment would be modifying the understeer of the car. No driver drives exactly the same as the other, making these tweak-able features a big jump forward on how SL cars really should be. Encouraging a bit more of interaction between the man and the machine really adds a lot to the appeal of this Porsche Carrera GT.

The standard realistic headlights and tail lights (that actually glow and illuminate) are just but a throw in, as well as the new Carrera GT sounds that react to the car's every move and action. The nitro-boost and the drift feature is something I still have to master or try even, but that can wait. For just sitting behind the wheel and viewing the car 360 over already gives you that feel-good sensation. What more when you actually try it on the tarmac on some of SL's best race tracks.

By the way, have you tried driving this supercar on 3rd gear? If not, you are missing a lot! Turn up your speakers, listen to the authentic engine sounds roar and watch out for that rear-end spoiler go aero-dynamic (hints). You could even try going a gear higher, 5th gear even and see the unparalleled stability and control this car offers. I have never driven any car past 4th gear until I got behind the wheel of this Carrera.

Every single detail adds to the fun factor as one would say. There are three (3) viewing options (I am really starting to believe that three is the favourite number of IAm Zebellin, hahaha) for the on-board camera. It is the only car to have a dynamic camera, something which I have only seen on planes created by Wilder-Mills Aviation, Inc. oh my such amazing planes!

There are instances where in the camera view goes on auto-panning as if a third-party person is showing different angles as you drive and turn. It is truly amazing I tell you!

Satisfying My Vanity

And of course, there is nothing wrong in adding up a special feature I crafted up myself. Just like in real life, car owners have this knack on having vanity plates for their exotic beauties. Something that would make your car truly one of a kind in the whole of the SL world.

Sorry IAm, I really think my registration plates looks way much cooler in my car! hehehe

I believe that a car without a plate is like having a baby without a name. So why not have one for yourself? I had a great time crafting this on my own, and patterned it after local registration plates here in UK. Now that really is a beauty!

Hrmm I hear some IM request for some customised plates coming in... "kaching".. hahaha

Take A Tour

Have not got your own Porsche Carrera GT yet? Try visiting Mo Island and see some of the cars on display, as well as getting the chance to tinker with the first ever prototype. Try changing its oil, check the under chassis or even listen to the original set of engine sounds to get that interactive feel. See if that is not convincing enough for you to grab yourself a unit?

http://slurl.com/secondlife/MO%20Island/208/231/24

You can also visit Z.A. Motor's showroom at Racer's Island alongside other sports cars on display. Look next door and you will find another set of supercars to marvel at, hint. There is also a multi-level race circuit below the showroom, where you can drive test your Carrera GT right away! But a friendly piece of advice, please do come script-free as well as devoid of any unnecessary attachments. You won't need your AO and radar on the track anyway and it helps giving you and other drivers a superb high-performance experience!

On display: Both the prototype and the final release version are on display at Racer's Island. And I was not joking when I told you about lime being the default colour. hehehe... Well you probably know by now that it is only temporary. http://slurl.com/secondlife/Racers%20Island/176/169/97

Latest Scoop?

Wondering if there are any updates needed for the Carrera GT? Hrmmm... where was it that I heard of a gear knob and a pair of sporty wipers being crafted for a Porsche? winks.

More of the details can be find in Z.A. Motors official blog, so i need not to make redundant details. IAm Zebelin can explain it better.

F1 Past Time...

(Revised March 2009)
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Another favourite past time of mine in Second Life would be race car driving. Not that I am a very good racer in RL, in fact I really suck! hahaha Revving up the new Ferrari 2008 F1, one of the most coveted virtual driving machines in SL releases the V6 beast hibernating under its pixel chassis.

Though not many of us can comfortably own a Ferrari in real life (buying the car would not be that impossible BUT think taxes, insurance, petrol and maintenance OMG!) more so with the latest Formula One car, yet having one even in its digital 3D glory still gives you the buzz! Apart from these Ferrari F1 legends; Michael Schumacher (Germany) , Rubens Barrichello (Brasil), Felipe Massa (Brasil) and the current FormulaOne World Champion Kimi Räikkönen (Finland), it is quite impossible to actually get our hands on one. But as we know in Second Life anything and everything is possible, and living your fantasies here is easy as clicking your mouse and tapping those worn off keyboard keys...

... with the help of a couple of thousand lindens of course!

Oogling at the Ferrari2008 F1 car, like it was Pamela Anderson's bosom just wasn't enough. I never had second thoughts, nor did I have to convince myself that now is the right time to get one. Having to visit the SL showroom was just enough for me to push that purchase button. To actually own one in Second Life is prestegious, and to drive one is an absolute privilage! There is some sort of power and magic in having that famous prancing horse emblem on you car, just looking at it is marvelous.

RamessesIII Pharaoh, Genius... Generous... God?

GENIUS. The creator of this brute machine had done a fantastic job in crafting this year's model. The details are superb, very close to the real McCoy. Only a few SL builders are skillful enough in making quality virtual cars and Ram is one of them. The handling responds exactly how an actual/real F1 car does on the tarmac. How he did it is where the word genius comes in.

GENEROUS. Free updates anyone? While some in-world car sellers really suck in terms of customer support, Ram gives you more value for your lindens. Regular updates (when necessary) are immediately sent via official group notices. Who would ever thought that previous Ferrari F1 owners would all be getting the new F2008 H4-ready (Havok 4 platform) car for FREE? Fantastic isn't it?

GOD? Well i worship the car... and he's a Pharaoh... nuff said!

Interesting Enough?

But simply reading this blog wont get you the car, visit the Ferrari F1 showroom and I am sure you would be glad to invest 2.5 grand of your lindens without a doubt! The whole package, apart from the car would include an official Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari F1 uniform (which includes his signature helmet). For Michael Schumacher die-hard fans, there is a helmet for the all-time champ which can be purchased separately (see first picture above). I got one for myself and I see no reason why you shouldn't as well. /me smiles

Want to feel first hand on how it is to drive one? There is a FREE F2007 model on offer in blue (pre-Havok 4), less the famous Ferrari-Shell paint-job of course. But surely one cannot complain as it is FREE, still very much worth the test-drive.


Recommended Race Tracks...

There are two superb race tracks that I would highly recommend for your new Ferrari F1 car (I presume after reading this blog you have teleported there and got one for yourself hahaha). But please do take note that it is mandatory to devoid yourself of any "scripted" items or attachments before using the track. Absolutely NO BLING! Unless you want to be booted out or banned from using the tracks for the rest of your virtual racing career! They have checker boards and lag-martials patrolling the sim so be aware of that.

Driving script-free reduces lag and I guarantee you will enjoy the experience without it. You should also set your drawing distance (access it by pressing Ctrl-P > Graphics Tab) to 250 metres to have the whole track rezzed up to view. You will never have fun driving half blind and crashing on every kerb, it sucks I tell you!

MotoSL (Mooz)

The Pond Race Track (Ponderosa)

Both circuits have different levels of difficulty. Mooz is flat and changes its tracks layout from time to time, while Ponderosa has slopes, bridges and narrow kerbs making them both unique and challenging in their own right.

Fancy an oval race track with a romantic (in case you feel lucky hahaha) Japanese garden for a change? Then this track is the right one for you! But please make certain that the only rubber here "burning" would be your car's tyres and nothing else okay? hahahahaha

Live to drive... Enjoy the ride!