Under the Hoods and Inside the Cockpits of the Ferrari and Pagani Exotics
Which would you rather get the keys to for a day: the Ferrari F60 America or the Pagani Huayra? Either one would be a treat. Youtube star TheStradman enjoyed the automotive equivalent of cake and ice cream because he got time in both.
Ferraris are not exactly common cars, but the more time goes by, the more likely you are to see one such as an F430 or California. Good luck spotting an F60 America out on the road. Ferrari only made 10 of them as a celebration of its 60 years of sales in the North American market. In the following video, TheStradman is lucky enough to get his hands on what he says is the only yellow one on the planet. His excitement is easy to pick up on as he shows off the F60 America’s pronounced side styling and asymmetrical seat coloring (red for the driver and blue for the passenger).
TheStradman somehow manages not to pass out from the car guy high he gets and proceeds to go for a ride in a yellow and black Pagani Huayra. He points out the interesting features (which is basically every single one), including the instrument cluster, which looks like a drug-induced dream version of an ophthalmologist’s phoropter, and the fighter-jet-like switch for activating launch control.
Then it’s time for a deep dive. The Huayra driver pulls off the road, giving TheStradman a chance to showcase even more of the Huayra’s cool features, such as the exposed linkage for the sequential seven-speed gearbox, the twin-turbo AMG V12, and the glossy carbotanium side sills.
As if those treats weren’t enough, one of TheStradman‘s friends puts a cherry on top – with a high-revving V8. I would say skip to the 8:17 mark in the video below to find out which car I’m talking about, but then you’d be missing all the sweet Ferrari and Pagani action before that.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
