Aston Martin. Exotic locations. The finer things in life. No, we’re not talking about a James Bond movie. We’re talking about the Art of Living and Aston Martin wants to teach it to well-heeled attendees.
The company says, “Art of Living reflects the core values of Aston Martin and adds layers of fascinating insight into a range of expert fields normally reserved for a very limited audience. Dip into our world of curated lifestyle experiences and capture a living snapshot of a selection of specialised areas including travel, haute cuisine, sport, fashion and culture.”
Some of those experiences include traveling to and from the Le Mans Circuit via private helicopter to watch the 24 Hours of Le Mans (between today and June 20); watching the Jaeger-LeCoultre Gold Cup at Cowdray Park, the home of British Polo for more than a century; touring vineyards and tasting wines in California; and, of course, driving Aston Martins. At “New Zealand On Ice,” participants will learn how to drive Astons – including the new DB11 – on the slippery surface at a purpose-built ice driving facility as Aston Martin’s professional instructors observe and offer helpful tips.
No mention of whether there’s an experience in which you can foil a European supervillain’s plans for world domination or seduce a beautiful woman who may or may not want to kill you.
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.
