Fun in the Sun at LiveOutLoud Supercar Day 2013
Words alone cannot describe the intense rush experienced in the seat of a supercar tearing around Kyalami Race Track – an experience I have been lucky enough to enjoy first hand. Last Saturday saw many guests experiencing exactly that at the 5th annual LIVEOUTLOUD Supercar Day.
The day came with many a celebration; most notably of Aston Martin’s Centenary along with Porsche and Lamborghini’s 50th birthdays. The day was a resounding success, from breaking the African record of the most number of Aston Martins in one place at one time, to world-renowned frontman of Jamiroquai and supercar enthusiast, Jay Kay, making a surprise entrance by landing on the track in a helicopter.
Some 300 supercars, including examples from the stables of Bentley, Ferrari and McLaren were in attendance to inspire awe amongst the crowds. The record attempt saw 62 Aston Martins on the track ranging from the oldest 1958 DB2/4 MkIII in original condition to the newest 2013 Aston Martin Vanquish as a stunt plane scripted ‘100’ via smoke trail to honour the legendary British motoring icon’s centenary.
With entertainment and interaction aplenty, drone choppers circulated the track to feed live footage to giant monitors throughout the day – even people outside of the event who owned a Smart TV could watch events unfold in real time.
A Celebrity Challenge saw popular South African icons Chiano Sky, Gugu Zulu, Jonathan Boynton-Lee, Tukwini Mandela and Mike Eilertsen tear across the Kyalami track in an assortment of supercars. The winning vehicle, Tukwini’s Aston Martin, engaged in the highly-anticipated Ultimate Challenge, where an AS 350 B2 Eurocopter rivalled the Aston Martin V12 Vantage in a battle between ‘men-in-machines’. The Eurocopter was first to take the chequered flag, victorious by a mere three-metre lead. Other celebrities who attended Supercar Day included Francois Hougaard, DJ Euphonik, Stacey Holland, Conor Mccreedy, Tarina Patel and LIVEOUTLOUD guest writer, Tumisho Masha.
The VIP area was transformed into a comfortable exhibition and lounge, showcasing several luxury products and experiences including the International Bank Vaults, Celebrity Cruises, Pongracz, Old Bisquit Cognac, Visconti, Bakos Brothers, GSG, Onyx, Alice Art Gallaries, MIP and Espresso Veloce. Specialist distributor and provider of voice, data and content services, Smartcom, displayed a technical feast for the motoring and technologically astute.
A lawn deck was created, complete with astro-turf, shaded lounge pockets, bars and food stations on the roof of the pit area – making for a comfortable vantage point from which eager spectators could witness the day’s festivities.
The 2013 Young Designer Awards added some glamour to the day by hosting a fashion show of designs from last year’s overall winner Tanya Repsold, as well as the International Emerging Desingers from the Las Vegas Fashion Week, Johan and Fritz Botha from F. Wilson Designs. The fashion showcase culminated in the announcement of the winner for 2013, Naazneen Kagee. Our green and gold rugby lovers were also catered for with the screening of the highly anticipated clash between the Springboks and the All Blacks on a giant 84-inch HD LG TV.
From record-breaking displays, celebrity challenges and impressive exhibitions of the world’s most loved and admired automobiles, crowds exited LIVEOUTLOUD’s annual signature event, recollecting a day where their adrenaline raced as fast as the supercars before them.
To view aerial footage of the day, please visit http://vimeo.com/76341046.