Change Is Sometimes Good...

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... and it can save you some prims too! (laughter)

Revamping Unit 10 was not an easy task as the need to shed at least 300+ prims would mean a major change in the layout (yep, I went over... again, sighs hehehe). Something had to give way and sadly my Ferrari shrine would be the first to go! Liz knew how much that would break my heart, although trying to see things in a different perspective may have helped things go down smoothly.

The need for a conservatory was put into question...

Though letting go of the garden would seem like the recession had taken over our Second Life (hee hee hee). I for one (even in RL) refuse to buckle-down to the bloody crunch, so the conservatory definitely stays. I would just have to find a way on how to trim down on prim-consumption without having to compromise style and design. Though I must admit, looking for that silver lining in the horizon was not as easy as it was before.

Moving the pond to the east wing (in place of the Ferrari shrine) may have done the trick, as things started to look good from there. In fact it even made me wonder why I have not thought about doing this in the first place. The indoor fish pond looks absolutely fantastic the second time around!



The pond expanded to about 60% more to which if ever it were in real life, would be good for the fish /me smirks. It's a rule of thumb to give a gallon of water (3.8 litres) as allowance for every inch of fish, now that's a bit of fish trivia for you (hahaha, is it obvious that I am trying so hard just to convince myself here?). But yeah the new pond does look good, doesn't it?

Caroline Apollo did tell me once that the Ferrari shrine looked somewhat "odd" being situated next to a garden 30 metres above ground level (chuckles). My argument then was that it's a Ferrari, and that alone overrules logical reasoning and even religion (hahaha)! Besides, Liz loved the shrine! /me hears Caroline say "yeah right turkey butt"... hahaha




The "re-org" left us with more breathing space with the mobility to move around freely. I am claustrophobic IRL, so having done the first layout in such a crampy and small space was indeed very ironic. Defense mechanism perhaps?

Now Liz and I know how God may have felt on a Friday, for we too were both pleased by the new look.

Trimming the flowering plants and giving them some room to breathe (in other words removing redundant or similar plants hehehe) had helped in taking back the much needed prims.


Less is sometimes the best.

Gladly things didn't turn out to be as stressful as I thought it would. Stress from RL work was just too much for me already, and why the heck would I want to take that with me to Second Life? /me screams "aaaarrrghh!"



Even the bedroom was given a little make-over. Adding two 1-prim corner posts in exchange for the old photo album, throw-pillows, fur rugs and two potted plants may have given back at least 19-prims. A good move I may say, considering the textured-columns looks a lot better in taking over those bare bedroom corners (see above and the old layout here).




The dining area, which is the most restless part of the property was also not spared. But just like many re-organisations before, changing the layout always proved to make things look better. I am sure with the shower cubicle now out of the kitchen (yeah don't tell me I know, so please no laughing!) and the breakfast nook looking good in its place, everything seems to be a bit more settled down.


Hrrmmmm? Now that I think about it, maybe Liz actually meant "I told you so" when she said "I really love what you've done with the condo babes?" o.O eeeeeep!

So there you have it folks, sometimes it really is good to move away from our comfort zones. Though one thing that surely wouldn't change is Liz and I. But for everything else (no I wasn't going to say "there's Mastercard" silly!) change is sometimes good.

After all, wasn't it Sheryl Crow who sang "A change would do you good..."?

Which now reminds me, putting on a fresh new pair of Spiderman underpants would perhaps do me some good? One week straight of doing "side A" and "side B" seems to be taking its toll on the wedgie, whaddayatink? hahahaha

Yeah I know how much you love that song too, so go on... and sing with me... hahaha
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The Magic of Blank Space...

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Not everyday do you get hit by a creative cloud. In my case though it seemed more like a ton of bricks than the symbolic bright light bulb (with the slight sound of a chime hahaha). Like most people who can create wonderful things from a blank page, seeing a vacated condominium unit below the penthouse was no less the same for me. It was a perfect opportunity for me to creatively express and do one of the many things I love doing most: interior designing.

Back in the old days of yore when AutoCAD (Automated Computer Aided Designing) was still in its infancy stage. We were used to designing with our ever so reliable Staedtler Mars®Matic technical pens on Grade A Rotring drafting paper. God I love those things!

OMG Which reminds me, an old mate of mine borrowed the whole set and haven't returned them to me yet. Worse part is, I forgot her name.. (laughter). Those were given to me by my dad (pouts) and meant a lot to me, considering my dad hasn't given me that much hahahaha.

Typical empty tropical condo-unit with a 400 prim allowance. The main attraction of this property are its bay view windows and idyllic surroundings. A prime real estate even in RL standards.

Still the same floor area with an alternative design trip. One of the important points that inspired us to build a conservatory was for us to have a plausible pond for our (yep you guess it right) 7Seas fishing. It was a bit ridiculous fishing in the bedroom and in the seating area. hahaha


Same room... different floor and with a post modern-twist. Constant improvements have made us arrive to a point where in not much is left to do. Quite pleased with the outcome actually. What do you think?

Kidding aside, Second Life has opened a lot of doors for creativity to grow. No resident needs a technical degree to be able to create such wonderful things. The SL platform has made 3D rendering easy for most of us to manipulate, explore and enjoy - devoid of all the technicalities that comes along with stereotypical and traditional methods.

So far I have become my own furniture builder and designer, and the thousands of textures available to us makes rendering more simpler. I've heard that real life Architects and Designers have set up their own virtual office in Second Life. Indeed SL could be a perfect venue to demonstrate an almost real life presentation of your work to clients, albeit even drawn to scale.


So what's with the blank condo space?

Well I just chanted Mumford's magic word: "Ala peanut butter sandwiches" (poof), and a vision of what to do with the condo came to mind. Perhaps we needed a buffer below the penthouse to protect our privacy? hahaha Well perhaps, after all having had a very strange tenant below us before was a bit hair raising. Imagine her "bottom privates" whispering kinky and at times "grossly suggestions" of what that part of her body wants to do (raises eyebrows), not to mention a very-very noisy cyber bed (did I say noisy already?... try to imagine that hahaha).

Bay windows needing a bit of a Midas' touch. What do you think will happen next? Well looking at the lower picture is what's going to happen next (laughter).

Beyond the pond. Think pink and white tulips, think Dutch! hehehe Just our little private sanctuary when you just want to sit, relax and chat the day (or night) away.

Where a lot of ideas were built featuring my personal (but Lizzy-inspired) creations: The Mornington Aquarium; 2-seater Breakfast nook (in which the lower compartment can be converted into another fish tank or a fireplace); a Japanese dining table (sushi-time! oishi, kampai!); a converted fridge (formerly a static fridge, but with the help of invisible prims and object giver scripts made it possible to modify the appliance to my own preference) which gives out various meals, snacks and desserts.

While most tenants in the condo utilise the west-side as their bedroom, I thought a dining and kitchen would be more appropriate for this area which compliments the stairs leading up to the roof-deck and the mezzanine.

Nowadays, when I attempt to do designs (yeah coz' I don't do it as a profession anymore, I "is" retired with that hahaha... pardon the pun), it would take me a longer time deciding what to do next. I used to be faster and spontaneous in my younger years as a graphic designer. I guess I need some sort of a viagra for the brain then? hahaha

The last time I remember I had some sort of a designing breakthrough was when an investment brochure project came to my attention, about a year ago or so. Condo Unit 10 would be another one since then... and how good this one truly is. It's not everyday that you get brilliant ideas raining down from heaven you know.


Putting All The Pieces Together

The fun part was connecting the right pieces together: from scripted items, an ideal park bench down to flowering plants and the right type of grass. I was like a happy dog enjoying the fresh country air (from an open window of a speeding car) as I hop from one sim to another. Very adamant that I get that picture perfect vision in my head, presented in physical prim form... not satisfied until it would be good enough to live up to the name Lizzy's Secret Garden (smiles).

Another blank space needs a makeover! The condo's east-side, just the right size for another bit of magic. Like the rest of the condominium, huge glass panels gives it that fresh breezy feeling... something I would call "claustrophobic friendly" windows hahaha

I do have a confession to make though... the whole project may not be entirely for my babes (sticks his tongue out). Two-thirds of the project may have been all flowery and feminine but I had the urge to add a bit more of brute force in the third that remained. Just balancing the yin and yang in the feng sui of designing. And there is only one thing that would be perfect for that spot, none other than my beloved Ferrari F1 2008. I wish there was a way I could make the car rotate while on display, but sorry it's no modify (sighs).

Something I would really want to have in real life, my very own Ferrari Shrine (hey Barbie-gal eat your heart out hahaha). A Ferrari F1 2007 that won Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) the Formula One championship. Posters of former world champ Michael Schumacher (Ger) and the ever reliable Felipe Massa (Bra) are on display as well as official Ferrari F1 helmets and an Acer Ferrari laptop (though IRL I am more of a Dell follower) that will actually lead you to this blog when clicked upon. Make sure you don't read my personal MSN-IMs in there, yeah? chuckles


Would you be surprised if i told you that this part of the penthouse is my favourite? You wouldn't, would you? My favourite command would also be /1 hide (hahahaha). Lizzy and I call this area the "snooker room", and to why we call it that way is just between her and I (sticks tongue out). Lots of personally modified gadgets in here as well. Also top secret (smiles)

Now with the Ferrari shrine in place (as well as all the gadgets and gizmos to perk it up) and our secret garden built-up to appeal from all angles... I think it would be safe to say that my vision and mission is now complete.


Lizzy's Garden Up Close

Just to highlight some of the special features of Lizzy's Garden. All it took was putting together all the right flowering plants, textured materials and scripted objects. Now I've got something to really be proud of, I know Lizzy is too!

A bay window with a fantastic view. You can watch the sun rise from here, amazing even if it's just virtual SL. Sadly the last time Lizzy and I hung-out here was when a storm blew-up her router. Now that was one really nasty crash. Ugh!


Special features: Waterfall themed walls (with ambient water flowing sounds and water splash animation); Flexy fan-tail gold fishes (radial swim); Pond Japanese Koi; Flowing rock with 7Seas fishing server scripts (just transfer the contents of the official transparent server to your preferred object); and a Wishing Pond (utilising a Migizi North tip jar script).

What does this picture tell you? hahaha...

a) Lizzy fell asleep on me because it was already 1:30 am in Oz
b) Oh babes, I have to be honest with you, I'm gay
c) Sorry babes, I grazed your knee
d) Damn, I declined that new SUR
e) Read my mind babes, hint: I'm hawt!
f) Ewwwww babes, you farted!

Well the real answer is: I wonder what I will be doing next? hahaha gotcha mate

Raging Roaring Road Runners Pt.3

Just when you start to wonder why it is taking so long for ProStreet Cars to release a new supercar, they suddenly unveil the one car that has been in my wish list for a long time now. TerdNerd Barbosa releases that Prancing Horse from the its stable, and expect this black stallion to be doing wild horse kicks on the track. This car is like no other and is nothing near being amateurishly crafted. Like the other supercars I have featured in my 4R-series (Raging Roaring Road Runners) blog, this latest release is also in my list as one of the best and rare beauties you would find in SL.

This car is available in a cabriolet or a standard top with seven colours to chose from. Choosing which one to take will not be as easy as you think. It took me 20 minutes-plus and at least two purchases before I could finally say that I was truly happy... laughter

ProStreet Cars gave me back confidence in collecting SL cars since getting very disappointed with the first one I bought from another maker as a noob. People would surely remember their first set of wheels, but mine was surely one I'd rather forget.

TerdNerd's latest releases are Havok 4 ready, with strong sigh of relief.

Havok 4 is a new platform that sort of destroyed if not killed a lot of scripted objects that were pre-H4 manufactured, cringes. ProStreet Cars (like all of the other builders of cars, aircrafts, boats and security systems) was not spared by this dreaded phenomenon that affected some of the older generation products.

It had been a while, after so many visits to their car showroom at Winkie that they had finally released something new. And just by chance having that gut feeling in me to visit the shop, that I got a hold of this road-legal Ferrari.

Proud Ferrari owners: My babes shows how pleased she is with this easy to drive supercar, as she burns the blue asphalt at Racer's Island prior to having our cars copulating together. grins...

The 2008 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano

IRL (in real life) this new car is an all-aluminum two-seater named after the circuit Ferrari uses to hone the performance of both their race cars and street cars. The GTB stands for Gran Turismo Berlinetta giving tribute to the Berlinettas that also helped the Italian car maker (ahem.. and Tom Selleck's Magnum P.I.) become a household name.

It is by far the best Ferrari ever to be produced in Second Life, replacing the Lamborghinis (which I also got from ProStreet Cars) as my favourite among the other supercars in their roster. It is one of the most stable cars I have ever handled. So straightforward that even noobs will not have a hard time taming this wild horse.

The superb stability can be credited to the new standards which high level car makers include in their packages. Think Porsche Carrera GT and Formula One cars. User friendly menus and HUDs have put the level of SL supercar enthusiast a notch higher, giving birth to Gen 4 autos (Generation-4) which have adapted to the H4 platform. This means more features... more special effects... more stability... high performance... less lag problems.

Rear it baby! Driving a Gen-4 has never been this great especially when you get to race one with the love of your life. Now this gives new meaning to the word "sex-drive"!

Gen~4 Standard Menus

What seems to have been a special feature in Gen-3 cars is now a standard in today's H4-ready supercars. They give drivers the option to customise and tweak the cars default settings. Though short of being as fully customisable as Z.A. Motor's Porsche Carrera GT, the custom~menu offers one of the most important tweak-able feature in racing cars: adjustments for suspension and steering.

Upon clicking the Suspension button (see below), options to set the car on Race mode or Drift can be found. As well as the car's Height for both the front suspensions and back; Down Force which adjusts traction; and Turn Rate which tweaks the cars steering capability. The higher the gear, the lower the number should be.

I would personally recommend Turn Rate 2 for Gear 4 or Turn Rate 3 for Gear 3 when driving in the Grand Canyon circuit, the newest track for Formula SL racing.

If ever you feel that you have messed up your car's settings, just click the RESET button.

Now for the fun part.. well actually the showing-off part hehehe. Self explanatory buttons: Rev revolutionises as well as make your engine roar, while Burn will billow out smoke from your burning tyres.

Hit the pedals, hold the hand brakes and release the clutch. Burning rubber drifting style! Amazing special effects in todays Gen-4 cars.

My First Wheels

Coincidentally my first car was a Ferrari but it was a bit of a disappointment for me. It was a "boxy" Gen-1 built (Generation-1) as what you would expect with the earlier circa 2004 versions. It looked a lot better on the vendor picture and I only got to see its true nature when I rezzed it on the ground. I had no second thoughts in deciding not to drive it around Barcola and Miramare as it was something that was surely meant to be forgotten.

With the release of this magnificent Ferrari 599, I can now have the closure I need for having to ditch my old one and finally move on. I'll just leave the rest of the story to history books.

I want my sushi! And don't forget the wasabi...

Most of my supercars in my collection are European makes. And why not? They are prestigious, glamorous and very appealing, quite stereotypical I may say. BUT you ain't see nothing yet until you have tried the legendary Mitsubishi Evolution VII. Apart from the regular English breakfast, fish and chips, pasta and pizza, croissants and frankfurters... it would be very interesting to try sushi, sashimi and the usual misu soup. It is now time to try Japanese!

IRL it commands respect as it is known to be the best Japanese rally car ever to be built as it can go head-to-head with the famous Subaru Impreza. Each new Evo release gets better than the former and the Evo-VII is the living proof.

Tunnel vision: Testing the Evo on the tracks of the Grand Canyon circuit as it breezes through smoothly at each chicane.

ProStreet Cars hits the jackpot again with this exotic lass from the East. Just like the Ferrari 599, it is so quickly to rez and is quite low in lag which is common to most, if not all Gen-4 cars. It also has a menu for you to be able to adjust its steering and balance the handling ability of the car. But that is not only what makes this car so great, listen to its spontaneous and realistic throttle as it shifts gears and peaks up speed. It gives you the impression that you are really behind the wheel. So get your drifting gear and try this mean momma for yourself.

Smokin' blizzards! The Evo-VII drifting through the canyon's tunnel as it auto balances itself against under-steer.

To see it is to believe...

I discovered ProStreet Cars by accident while going on a FREEBIE hunt. A Gen-2 Lamborghini Countach was my target, unfortunately as I got there it was no longer available as a freebie give-away. But instead it was offered as a prize bundle for a "first letter of your name" lottery. The closest I was going to get my hands on this car was slim to none since the odds of seeing a letter N being called that day was almost impossible.

Not all may be lost as it seems since visiting the showroom lead me to discover better Gen-3 autos, all from ProStreet Cars:

Lambourghini Spyders (hardtop and a slide-up door cabriolet); a Lambourghini Gallardo (slide up doors); a Porsche 911 GT (swing door and rear-engine hood animation); and an Aston Martin DB8 which all are still available to purchase from L$500.00 at their Winkie showroom

The shop boasts of three levels filled with over 40 supercars on sale. Featuring most of the popular makes we know today, from the classic era to modern day cars. I was actually sent out the first time I went there. Not because I played some annoying gesture or had griefed the place with lag-creating scripted objects, nup not that at all. It was simply because I caused people to slip on the floors. Apparently, I never stopped drooling looking at every featured car. hahahaha

So the next time you go there, please try to bring for yourself a drool bag.

A place I wish I can call my home. You'll spend hours just marveling at these cars. And perhaps even just for a second, you would surely wish you had all of them for yours to keep. Visit ProStreet Cars at Winkie: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Winkie/216/124/71

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.

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!