The bling kings take over London!!!

Supercar season gets underway as foreign playboys parade their flash motors on capital's most exclusive streets

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The starting pistol has officially been fired on London's supercar season, when wealthy Arabs flee the scorching hot temperatures of the Middle East and cruise around the British capital in their ostentatious vehicles.

After a Mercedes covered in Swarovski crystals was spotted yesterday, Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Maseratis appeared to be pouring onto the streets of Knightsbridge today.

The arrival of the supercars has become a regular event in recent years, with rich Kuwaitis, Saudis and Emiratis seeking to out-do each other over who can own the most souped-up sportscar.

A trio of Ferrari F12s were spotted out in Knightsbridge today, alongside a Lamborghini Aventor, a £1million Pagani Huayra and a modified Porsche 918, which were seen parked near Hyde Park.

The cars' Arabs owners traditional ship their machines over in the months leading up to the summer, so that they are here when they arrive in July and August.

But despite their dizzying top speeds, many of the cars rarely get out of the gridlocked London traffic and often spend much of the time parked outside Harrods and other luxury boutiques.

Flash: The hotels of west London have yet again been filling up with wealthy Arab guests, who ship over their extravagant supercars for the summer. Pictured right is a Ferrari F12, which has a top speed of 211mph and goes 0-60 in 3.1 seconds. It is alongside a Rolls Royce

Passers-by marvelled at this yellow and black Ferrari F12 parked near Harrods this afternoon, with its owners happy to show it off. The F12 has an F1 gearbox. It is also possible to use a smartphone to connect to the internet to listen to web radio, podcasts and download Apps

All smiles: The car's owner, who said he is from Saudi Arabia, was happy to be pictured sitting in the yellow car's red leather interior

This black Lamborghini Aventador - which also has a Saudi Arabian number plate - was spotted in Kensington. The model has a V12 engine with a top speed of 217mph. It can go 0-60 in 2.9 seconds and has an on-board computer with information about its various instruments

This £1million Pagani Huayra was seen in the car park of a hotel in Kensington, where its Saudi Arabian owner is believed to be staying. It has a Mercedes-AMG M158 V12 twin-Turbo engine with 730 brake horsepower. The car's top speed is about 231mph 

Wealthy: This heavily-modified Porsche 918 was pictured near the Mandarin Oriental Hotel near Hyde Park this afternoon. It goes from 0-60 in 2.6 seconds, has a top speed of 214mph and 887 brake horsepower. The Porsche 918 is worth around £550,000

This Saudi-registered, six-wheel, adapted Mercedes AMG, which has an estimated value of £400,000 was also spotted parked-up in Kensington. It features six driven wheels, low range gearing, five differential locks and a tyre control system for its standard 37-inch wheels

Not all of the cars on show were foreign-registered however. This heavily-modified Mercedes convertible was also on the streets of the capital

Tourists and locals have expressed wonder at the sheer number of supercars which flood the city's streets each summer. Pictured is a Ferrari 458, which has 570bhp and a top speed in excess of 200mph. It can go 0-60 in 3.4 seconds and is worth around £200,000

The cars stand out not only because of their value, but also by their unusual paint jobs. Pictured: A matt blue finish Maserati Gran Turismo. It has a top speed of 177mph and goes 0-60 in 5.2 seconds. The standard price without extras is around £82,000

This Qatari-registered Rolls Royce was parked in the shadow of a Ferrari F12 in a hotel car park opposite Hyde Park this afternoon

Tourists and schoolboys queued up to take photos of the supercars usually only seen on the pages of car magazines and on TV

The Qatari-owned Ferrari F12, one of the many shipped over from the Middle East, was parked near the luxury Dorchester Hotel in Kensington

Sparkling: Passers-by stopped to take photographs of a garish Mercedes S-Class covered in Swarovski crystals in Knightsbridge yesterday

Having a feel: The £55,000 2014 CLS 350 - which this woman got up close to today - is often seen parked in exclusive parts of London

Popular: The garish Mercedes S-Class used to be owned by Russian business student Daria Radionova, who said it got 'lots of attention'

A team had spent 12 hours a day for two months working on the customisation, and she said last September that she was ‘really happy’ with it

'BAII BYY': A team from Russia spent 12 hours a day for two months working on the customisation of the car, pictured here last September

Spoiler alert: This Porsche 918 Spyder with Saudi Arabian license plates caught the eye of pedestrians after being parked in Knightsbridge

Super-rich: This Porsche 918 Spyder has Saudi Arabian license plates. It is one of a number of supercars seen parked around London today

Eye-catching: This blinged-up Rolls Royce with Dubai license plates has been causing quite a stir among people in Knightsbridge, London

Smart: The Rolls-Royce supercar was seen with Dubai license plates. It gives a glimpse of how the super-rich like to get around London

Is this James Bond's next car?

• Only 24 of the cars will be made by Aston Martin
• Owners will have to complete special course before being allowed to drive
• Smart U shaped steering wheel houses controls 

It is one of the most hi-tech cars ever created - and you'll need to go on a course to learn how to drive it, even if you can afford the $2.3m pricetag.

Aston Martin Vulcan showed off its track only 'hypercar' at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

It features a hi-tech dashboard and smart steering wheel from which almost everything can be controlled.

Scroll down for video  

Just 24 of the 800-plus bhp, all-carbon fibre Aston Martin Vulcans will be made.

The car features a hi-tech steering wheel that houses the majority of its controls

VULCAN SPECS 

Naturally-aspirated, 7.0-litre V12 petrol engine

800-horsepower engine

Will run from 0-60 in less than three seconds

Aston Martin, which famously made James Bond's cars, says the Vulcan is its 'most intense and exhilarating creation to date.'

Just 24 of the 800-plus bhp, all-carbon fibre Aston Martin Vulcans will be made, and learners will have to attend special courses to learn how to drive it and customise it to their tastes.  

'Aston Martin Vulcan is, by its very nature, a rare and thrilling supercar,' said CEO, Dr Andy Palmer, said.

'Designed and engineered to deliver a genuinely bespoke driving experience that draws on our rich heritage, this car tailors its power and handling to both the capabilities of the driver and the characteristics of the track.

'A sports car for true sports car lovers, I believe the Aston Martin Vulcan – and the unique ownership programme that sits behind it – sets a whole new standard in the ultra-high luxury supercar class.'

The supercar is powered by the company's naturally-aspirated, 7.0-litre V12 petrol engine.

It also has a carbon fibre monocoque and body

The U-shaped steering wheel lets drivers perfomr most of its functions, including starting the car, neutral, pit lane speed limiter, turn indicators, flash-to-pass (basically flashes the high beams), adjustable ABS and traction control, and, of course, windshield wipers. 

Paddle shifters to swap gears are on the back of the wheel.

The supercar is powered by the company's naturally-aspirated, 7.0-litre V12 petrol engine.

Although the specs of the Vulcan aren’t quite final, but Aston says the the naturally aspirated, 800-horsepower 7-liter V12 engine will run from 0-60 in less than three seconds and achieve a top speed in excess of 200 mph.

With its 800-plus bhp powerplant developed in conjunction with Aston Martin Racing, it sees its power-to-weight ratio exceed those of the GTE cars which compete in the FIA's annual World Endurance Championship.

It also has a carbon fibre monocoque and body constructed by Aston Martin's long-term specialist body engineering and manufacturing partner Multimatic, integral limited-slip differential, magnesium torque tube with carbon fibre propeller shaft and Brembo racing calipers acting on carbon ceramic racing disc brakes which measure 380mm in diameter at the front and 360mm at the rear.

Drive is channelled to the 345/30 x19 rear wheels and Michelin race specification tyres through a race-bred rear mid-mounted Xtrac six-speed sequential shift gearbox.

Track-derived pushrod suspension with anti-dive geometry is complemented by Multimatic's Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve (DSSV) adjustable dampers and anti-roll bars front and rear, driver-adjustable anti-lock braking, and variable traction control.

The new track car will comply with all relevant FIA race safety requirements.

Aston Martin's Director of Special Projects and Motorsport, David King, said: 'Taking the extensive learning from our various successful racing programmes and applying it to this exceptional track car for customers has been an exciting and sometimes challenging task for the team here at Gaydon.

'Our deep and broad motorsport experience, allied to our renowned road car expertise, has allowed us to make the Aston Martin Vulcan the absolutely compelling proposition it is today.'

its power-to-weight ratio exceed those of the GTE cars which compete in the FIA's annual World Endurance Championship.

There will also be the option of time in the virtual race car world of Darren Turner's Base Performance Simulators for owners

Prior to taking delivery of their cars, owners will be offered the opportunity to take part in an extensive and detailed programme of intensive track driver training.

Experienced racers including Aston Martin Racing's Le Mans-winning Darren Turner will support owners on their learning journey, offering them the chance to refine their track driving technique and increase their ability through a carefully-constructed series of practical and theoretical driver training events.

Using a number of exciting high performance Aston Martins including the V12 Vantage S and One-77 road cars and the Vantage GT4 race car, customers will gradually build experience and develop their track technique, before driving the Aston Martin Vulcan.

David King said: 'We will be running a series of exclusive track day events commencing in 2016 that will offer the opportunity for these customers to explore their driving capabilities, and the car's performance potential, on some of the world's most famous and glamorous race circuits.'

There will also be the option of time in the virtual race car world of Darren Turner's Base Performance Simulators, where buyers will have ample opportunity to further refine their driving style in the safety of the digital race track. 

Stamford Bridge expansion plans as club aim to increase capacity to 60,000

• Roman Abramovich wants Stamford Bridge to be a cathedral of football
• Tuesday will mark the start of a three-day public consultation at the Bridge
• Project to expand Stamford Bridge to 60,000 will cost in excess of £500m
• Abramovich has ruled out leaving Stamford Bridge on permanent basis
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Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will unveil his remarkable vision for the future of the Premier League champions on Tuesday at the start of a three-day public consultation at Stamford Bridge.

The exhibition for local residents will be the first glimpse for Chelsea fans of Abramovich’s blueprint for a rebuilt 60,000 stadium that he wants to be a cathedral of football, paying homage to the club’s history at their one and only venue.

The design of the four new stands will take their inspiration not from the uniform style of most recent stadiums, but from the buttresses, pillars and gothic architecture of Westminster Abbey in whose diocese Stamford Bridge once stood.

An impression of Chelsea’s new 60,000 stadium which has been inspired by Westminster Abbey

Here is what the South Stand at Stamford Bridge would look like if Chelsea's expansion plans come to fruition

Roman Abramovich has ruled out leaving Stamford Bridge as he wants it to become a cathedral of football

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The North Stand, East Stand, South East Corner, South Stand and West Stand will be refurbished 

Barclays Premier League outfit Chelsea plan to expand Stamford Bridge from 42,000 to 60,000

And the history of the club’s surrounding neighbourhood has been studied to the extent that a modern version of Stamford Bridge itself — first mentioned in 1410 to be in need of repairs in the court rolls of Henry IV — will be part of the grand design more than 600 years later, going back to the future.

This attention to detail has even included researching the exact shade of the original Chelsea blue.

The building plan — with no estimated cost at such an early stage but likely to be well in excess of the mooted £500million — is being financed by Abramovich, who is conducting the whole ambitious project as a separate entity run by his people away from Chelsea Football Club business.

He has assembled a professional A-list team comprising a masterplan architect (Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands), stadium architect (Herzog & De Meuron), strategic planners (Aecom), railways and transportation (WSP) and structural engineers (Schlaich Bergermann & Partner) to work on the plan.

It would see Chelsea spend three seasons playing at a temporary home, with Wembley and Twickenham two possibilities.

Abramovich, who bought Chelsea from Ken Bates in 2003, is understood in June 2013 to have finally reached the conclusion that the club should stay at Stamford Bridge and extend there rather than move elsewhere.

Chelsea chief Abramovich watches his side from his executive box at the west London stadium in Fulham

Abramovich wants to spend another billion pounds on Chelsea before handing the reins to his 21-year-old son

Here is an aerial view of how Stamford Bridge looked ahead of the 1993-94 Premier League campaign 

Stamford Bridge looks remarkably different to how it was structured back in April 1959

This follows a frustrating decade in which Abramovich examined a number of fanciful proposed alternative sites including Earls Court, Battersea Power Station, White City, and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. But none proved feasible — with the only winners being those who collected the numerous consultancy fees.

Billionaire Abramovich’s eureka moment has led to his handpicked group working for two years towards this first consultancy exercise, which will take place in the East Stand.

The fine detail will see the Chelsea owner and his building team work within the contours of the current site at Stamford Bridge, with the new four stands even following the angles of the old singular North Stand and the shape of the ground as it was in 1939.

A general view of the huge crowd at Stamford Bridge for an England vs Scotland match in April 1913

Chelsea will list their reasons for expanding Stamford Bridge to 60,000 at the three-day public consultation

Supporters leaving the new Stamford Bridge will be able to gain quicker access to Fulham Broadway station

Most of the new seating capacity will be in the South Stand and the two hotels on the concourse will be demolished, with Abramovich wanting his new Chelsea to be for football only.

The benefits to the neighbourhood will include long-planned pedestrian walkways above the railway lines that define the boundaries to two sides of the site, plus seats reserved for local residents.

Despite the disruption the building of a new stadium will cause to locals, Chelsea fans can be assured that it will at least guarantee the Abramovich ownership dynasty.

Part of Roman’s reasons for wanting to spend the best part of another billion pounds on Chelsea is to eventually hand over a stadium fit for a European football superpower to his eldest son, 21-year-old Arkadiy, who has inherited his father’s love of the club.

Work is in progress when it comes to finalising plans for the expansion which would take years to complete

A closer look at the 'work in progress' in the planning of Chelsea's new 60,000 seater in west London

Chelsea could move to either Wembley Stadium or Twickenham while Stamford Bridge is being rebuilt

Photographer captures stunning images of deadly saltwater crocodile while snorkelling in Cuba

• Adventurous snorkeller Ricardo Castillo got some holiday snaps to remember while swimming in the sea off Cuba
• Castillo had nothing to protect him from the deadly 12ft long reptiles - except his camera and years of experience
• Got within just a few inches of the predator to obtain incredible images of one of the world's most fearsome animals

Adventurous Ricardo Castillo certainly got some holiday snaps with a difference.

Castillo, 39, was snorkelling in the sea off Cuba hoping to capture underwater images of sharks but instead came across another deadly predator in the shape of saltwater crocodiles.

And he had nothing to protect him from the 12ft long reptiles - apart from his camera and years of experience of swimming with dangerous creatures.

Snorkeller and photographer Ricardo Castillo captured incredible underwater images of saltwater crocodiles off the coast of Cuba

As a result he was able to get to within a few inches of the Cuban crocodile and obtain stunning shots of one of the world's most fearsome animals in its natural environment.

At one point the reptile even touched the lens of Ricardo's waterproof camera, allowing him to get a snap of the inside of its huge and lethal

Ricardo, from Mexico, was snorkelling in the mangroves of the Gardens of the Queen marine park in Cuba.

He said: 'I was there to take shark pictures and the crocodiles just happened to be there. I was in the water to get these pictures - it is usual to snorkel with crocodiles in this place.'

Castillo had nothing to protect him from the 12ft long reptiles - apart from his camera and years of experience with dangerous animals

As a result, he was able to get within inches of the fearsome animals and snap these photographs, including one with its jaws open

Ricardo Castillo, who is originally from Mexico, was snorkelling in the mangroves of the Gardens of the Queen marine park in Cuba

'Some of the crocodiles come by when they listen yo the boats because some fisherman clean their fish close to the mangrove where the crocs live,' he added.

'When you see the crocs and the size of them you just need to stay all the time in the front or the back of it - never to the side because it is very easy for the croc to bite someone then.

'I was very close to it. I use a 14mm lens and the croc touched the lens dome of the camera.'

Although he had ventured into the water to take pictures of sharks, the crocodiles just happened to be there 

At one point, one of the large reptiles even touched the lens of Castillo's camera with its teeth, providing a rare photographic opportunity

Ricardo says that when people see these photos, they usually think he's crazy - but that's just because they're frightened of the unknown

'When people see the pictures the first thing they say is 'you are crazy' but people are frightened by the unknown,' he said.

'I always say that diving with sharks or crocs is not about courage or bravery, it is about knowledge and experience.

'The risk is always present, they are wildlife but if you learn to see their behavior you can predict what is happening. 

'The thing is to recognise the time to get out to the water safe.'