New boys in town-Meet the sheriffs who are spending big on their cars

At 4am on a Saturday, a group of young automobile lovers assemble at Jamhuri Park and after a short briefing; they are flagged of for a 72-kilometre race that will see them take Mombasa Road, all the way to the Machakos junction and back.

It is an adrenaline rush of risky proportions and this pursuit of thrill by the amateur racers has, sadly, claimed some of their lives. By day break, the race is over and the young lads and lasses go back home where they refresh before taking their cool rides for a pimped car showdown.

It’s a new culture being embraced by the young and well-to-do. The faint-hearted and thin-walleted are not welcome here.

How do you explain a 20-year-old boy owning more than five pimped-up luxury cars? Boys love big toys.

Nikhil Ramesh, a 20-year-old automobile lover inherited a Mitsubishi Lancer 1400 from his father. The young man is a member of a Nairobi automobiles club named Kenya Classic and his car is listed as number 036.

The car, which was manufactured in the year 1975, was bought at a cost of Sh115,000 but it is currently worth Sh600,000.

Fitted with Enkeis, rally car rims that cost Sh200,000 and custom made tires, the 40-year-old car, nicknamed Shamba Boy, has never ceased to steal the show (regardless of its age) wherever it goes.

“I always have a rough time with a lot of young people who admire and beg for a ride or a selfie in it,” says Nikhil. The Strathmore student and his fellow Kenya Classic club members (over 150 of them) also do charity work. Evans Ogeto of Tru Blaq Entertainment also belongs to the same car club. He owns a Ford Capri-GHIA, manufactured in 1962.

“I bought it at Sh190,000 from a family that had inherited it from their parents. Its current value, after restoring it, jumped to Sh500,000,” says Evans of Classics Kenya car number 77. Another young car lover Tim Davina has pimped up his Range Rover Vogue that has PlayStation installed on the back seats.

“I use above Sh50,000 on fuel every month and the unique thing about it is that it is an armoured car,” says the young man who is also an event organiser and artistes’ manager.

There are the big ballers like Barry Ndengeye of Rolls-Royce who are now dealing in state-of-the art, customised rides and Ash of Mash Auto.

Away from the luxury stretch limos he is known to own, Ash owns a 1930s Opel Kadett, arguably one of the oldest cars in town whose buying price was a mere Sh40,000.

The vintage vehicle was created from scratch, installed with a Bluetooth radio system that allows live streaming and mobile phone communication, 17-inch rims, a 2000-litre engine, cashmere leather sofas and four subwoofers with a measurement of 6 by 9 inches.

The car was used in Bebe Cool’s Love You Everyday video and Pitson’s Kilele.

“People have expressed interest in buying it but I cannot sell this car. It has sentimental value,” he says.

Mash Auto pimped a classic Beetle for DJ Adrian, a Mazda MX-5 for Tru Blaq Entertainment, and Baby One’s Chevrolet Impala and H2 Hummer.

Tim Davina The fashion designer, business consultant and investor owns four cars; a Range Rover Vogue, BMW 318i, Benz C200 and BMW X6. He buys his beauties from a dealer at Deja Vu Motors along Ngong’ Road and they are later pimped by Mash Auto.

He spends in the range of Sh100,000 to Sh400,000 pimping the cars, depending on the accessories he wants.

“When I buy a car, the performance of the car, its speed, stability and power of the engine is all I look for. It does not matter its size or the model of the car. I get money to buy the cars from the businesses I help people start and from which I get commission.

I get paid daily, weekly, and monthly depending on the arrangements I have with my clients. My line, Davina Fashions also sustains my life,” says the 24-year-old.

“I do not let people drive my cars; these are like my girlfriends. I like the attention, people looking at the car but I do not like them knowing the one driving the car so my windows are tinted. I do not have number plates at the front so the traffic police usually think that the car is being driven by a high-profile person,” he says.

His BMW X6 is currently on sale because he plans to buy a Chrysler. His girlfriend drives a Suzuki.

Adhar De Tur For him car-collecting is a hobby, and Adhar has a 2007 GMC Yukon, Mark X, Range Rover and Land Cruiser in his garage. He is eyeing a 2015 GMC, which will be Sh1.38 more expensive than the 2007 model.

He buys his cars from Juba after his dealer has imported them from Dubai. Adhar has always been fascinated by cars since he was young. His dream is to own a variety of cars. His father, a car enthusiast too, also buys cars for him whenever he sees one he likes.

“Most of the parties I organise are within Nairobi. I drive the cars from Juba to Nairobi myself when I buy them. Other than that, the farthest I have gone with my car was when I attended a gig in Eldoret with my friends. I only give out my car to my cousin Baby One and another friend,” he says.

“I am not dating. The girl I am looking for does not have to come from a rich background. In fact I would love to buy the Range Rover for her to drive,” he discloses.

KRG He turns heads on the road with his VX V8 2014 model, Dodge Nitro, Chrysler, Mercedes X Class AMG A63, and BMW x4, which he imports from the United Kingdom and United States.

“These cars are for different occasions and serve different purposes. If I want to go on a road trip, I go with Dodge Nitro. When I want to go for a date, I go with the Chrysler. I do not pimp my cars. Why pimp what I already like?” he poses.

KRG is an upcoming musician and also owns Taraji Safari, a tours and travel company. His six personal cars are for personal use.

“People admire the cars, especially girls. You know, most girls would love a car they see but they would not know what type of car that is.

Corleone He prefers to be known by his nickname, Corleone, not to attract attention. Corleone owns 19 cars and his favourites are the Chrysler, Mercedes, Range Rover Discovery, Range Rover Descender 100, and Subaru WRX.

“I own all these cars because they have different engine performance, are beautiful and are of different makes. I use the cars depending on my mood and the occasion. If I go for a meeting, I drive the Mercedes or the Land Cruiser, for parties I use the Chrysler or the Subaru. Some people would say we are arrogant but others would say that we are setting the standard,” he opines.

Corleone hires his cars out to organisations only for they can easily be held accountable if anything goes wrong.

“My dream car is the Koenisegg. It is one of the best cars in the world. I love its beauty and speed and I am a person who loves the thrill of fast cars,” he concludes.

His girlfriend drives a Subaru.