And what if your office was the driver's seat of a supercar?

Dubai - She's not a motoring journalist, just a girl that likes to have fun with fast cars - lots of fun, we could say. Don't hate her but Alex Hirschi creates content on supercars for motoring enthusiasts

First things first - how many of us like supercars? Pretty much everyone, right? To many, supercars are the zenith of automobiles. They are Mona Lisas of four-wheels filled with power, technology and looks that take every bit of detail into consideration. Another aspect about them is that they cost an arm and a leg - hence many only dream of owning one. That is why being in close contact with one - never mind trying to drive it - is privilege enough.
One Tuesday afternoon, I saw myself speaking to Alex Hirschi, better known by the moniker @supercarblondie on Instagram. Her handle, which has 63,700 followers, chronicles a girl's close (and daily) encounter with these automotive works of art. One of my initial impressions about her page is that her nine-to-five job involves million-dirham supercars. We caught up with her for a little chat. Edited excerpts...

Where did your Dubai story begin?
I came here with my husband in 2008. I always wanted to visit or live in Dubai. It was a city I would see on Discovery Channel where the world's biggest this and that was being built. It felt like an exciting place. I got here just after graduating from university and tried to get a job in the field but my husband was transferred to Singapore. In Singapore I got my first job as a TV journalist. We then moved back to Dubai in about a year's time. I worked for Deutsche Bank and then heard a company was looking for journalists on the radio. I gave it a shot and ended up working with them for five years, on air.

How did all this lead to supercarblondie?
When I was on air, I developed a good relationship with Bentley because I covered a few events for them. So one day they said: "Hey, would you like a Bentley for the weekend?" and I'm like "Yeah! Who wouldn't?! That's awesome!" So I took the car and I had a fantastic time - I've always loved cars. Over the next few months, I was given a few more Bentleys, and I wondered: how can I drive more of these amazing cars? So I started taking cool photos and videos and sharing them on my old Instagram handle. I spent hours scouting amazing iconic Dubai locations that could make cool photos. Then I thought, this could be something that I could do with other car companies... create original content for them on social media.
How is this a job?
Just as newspapers have readers and radio stations have listeners,  I have followers. Our job is to come up with interesting content that people would consume - stories in the newspaper, interviews on the radio and for me, that would be creating photos and videos that people want to see and watch. To me, it's not just a matter of uploading anything. To create original content, I spend a lot of time coming up with ideas and thinking about what people haven't seen before and would like to watch. I could cover three or four events in a day, take 150 photos and only choose one of those to upload. If you have a distribution network, just like a newspaper, then brands will want to work with you.
Top of your mind: what are your favourite cars?
488 Spider - Who wouldn't want the top down going from 0 to 100 in around three seconds! Classic beauty mixed with speed.
McLaren 570S or 540C - they both feel very light and nimble to drive. The cornering is out of this world fantastic. It also looks amazing with its butterfly doors. Lamborghini Huracán - the sound of the engine makes me happy. You hear it constantly gurgle when you drive around. I love the sleek look of the car - it's not too masculine and not too feminine either.
Mercedes AMG GTs - I like it because you get the best of both worlds. It is loud when you want it to be, but quiet and refined in the moments you want that as well.
BMW i8 - I think hybrid technology is the future. Many of the hypercars already use it - the McLaren P1, Porsche 918 and LaFerrari. It's a nice feeling to experience this technology now, before it becomes mainstream. The look of the i8 is also special. It gets the most attention on the roads

Is Dubai the perfect platform for supercars?
I think this is an easy question to answer - yes, definitely. Just take a look around - how many supercars did you see on your way in to work today? There is a huge community here. Back home, I don't see anything like this.

Have you ever driven a Tesla? How was it?
Yes, I got to drive one a few months ago. It was the Model S, P90D Ludicrous mode. The technology is fantastic! Under supervision, I put it into auto-driving mode in rush hour traffic from Dubai to Sharjah and it totally took over! No hands on the wheel and no feet on the pedals and I felt so safe. I could see on the dashboard that it was monitoring all the cars around us and even two rows ahead of us. The speed is incredible as well, this one went from 0 to 100 in 2.7 seconds! I can't wait until they release a car that looks less like a normal sedan and more like a sports car.

Which cars are still on your 'must-drive-list'?
So many - I would love to try a Koenigsegg Agera R, a Pagani Zonda and the new Bugatti Chiron.

What is the most exciting part of being supercarblondie?
Doing what I love as a job. I have to pinch myself sometimes when I think about what I've been able to experience - like driving around the track with The Stig from Top Gear, or going on a supercar run with 50 others cars and having a helicopter police escort fly above us. It is sometimes surreal.
- keith@khaleejtimes.com
In an ironic twist, Keith likes cars but rides a bicycle

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