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I Bought The Cheapest American Car In The Country… & It Was A Complete Disaster

Like many Australians last year, I bought a used car as soon as The Spicy Cough came into full swing.Partially, it was because I was a bit concerned about taking public transport (and didn’t have the budget for a new car), but mostly it was because I was bored. Facing lockdown and between jobs, I was hoping to pick up something cheap that I could tool away on to keep me occupied.But with used car prices already starting to heat up, I was seriously constrained in my options. I still wanted something halfway cool though – I wasn’t going to drive around in a Daewoo Nubira – so I spent weeks scouring online classifieds to find something.One day, I came across something truly glorious; something that seemed to tick all the boxes. Fun, interesting, supposedly reliable, and most crucially, cheap… After a few phone calls with the seller (and a PayPal transfer), my journey began.As the title of this article implies, this journey not end well. Consider this a cautionary tale – welcome to The Ballad Of El Probo.

Posing for the ‘gram with El Probo. For all his faults, he’s a good looking rooster… The car’s not bad either. Image: Jamie Weiss/DMARGE

‘El Probo’ was (or is) a white 1996 Ford Probe GT. I found him one night on Gumtree, having dug through pages of overpriced, clapped-out Commos. I was taken in by his pop-up headlights, exquisite 90s aesthetic, powerful V6 engine… And low price.RELATED: Australia’s ‘Bogan Car Bubble’ Won’t Last Forever, Expert WarnsFor those of you scratching your head, having never heard of the Ford Probe, here’s a history lesson. The bizarrely named coupe was one of Ford’s first attempts at making a ‘world car’, and was co-engineered with their long-time Japanese commercial partner Mazda.Produced over two generations from 1988 to 1997, the Probe was based on the Mazda MX-6 and was originally intended to not only replace the Capri in Europe but was also meant to be the fourth generation Mustang for North America.It failed pretty badly at both those jobs. Sports coupes were becoming passe in Europe and hot hatches were all the rage. Across the pond, Americans rankled at the prospect of a Japanese-engineered, V6, front-wheel drive Mustang and the Probe’s unveiling lead to a huge consumer backlash, leading to the last-ditch development of the SN-95 Mustang.In Australia (which only got the second generation), the Probe wasn’t very successful either, as it had to compete with Japanese sports coupes like the Honda Prelude, Mitsubishi GTO and Toyota Celica. The Probe might have been mostly Mazda underneath and was more powerful than many of its competitors, but that Blue Oval didn’t necessarily inspire confidence from Aussie buyers, who probably would have bought a higher-specc’ed Falcon if they wanted something fun from the brand instead.The Probe wasn’t a bad car by any means, but it was poorly marketed (and named) and never truly got the love it deserved in any of the markets in which it was sold. That’s part of the reason El Probo was so cheap – but not the only reason.

El Probo upon his first arrival in Sydney. The calm before the storm… Image: Jamie Weiss/DMARGE

El Probo set me back only $1,100, making it, at the time, the cheapest American-made car in the country (even cheaper than the nastiest PT Cruisers!) Why was El Probo so cheap? Well, he had around 305,000kms on the clock, and a suite of electrical gremlins such as a broken airbag module and a faulty brake sensor.These should have been warning signs, but in my mind, those were almost pluses, as they’d give me something to work on. The high mileage was a concern but my research suggested that the K series Mazda engine in the car was a tough beast. Otherwise, the car seemed in remarkable nick, and where else was I going to find a cheap 90s coupe with pop-up headlights?So I bought the car and paid to have it towed down from Queensland. Oh yeah, he was interstate, and unregistered, too. But I forgot about all that when he rolled off the flatbed and into my street. I couldn’t wait to turn the key, and when I did, I was greeted by a meaty growl, that high-revving V6 purring like a kitten.RELATED: Australia’s Most Iconic Engine Is An Endangered SpeciesThat was the first real problem about El Probo. Thanks to his cold air intake and doof-doof exhaust, I sounded like an absolute tosser whenever I drove him. He was an insanely loud car that immediately made my neighbours hate me. I’m honestly surprised I never got pulled over whilst driving him.But, you know, that’s half the fun, right? I didn’t buy an obscure 90s sports coupe to fly under the radar. And fly he did – when he was working, he was an exceptionally fun car to drive. Torquey, solid, comfortable…But when he was working is the operative phrase. Not only did it cost me a small fortune to order that airbag module (from Canada, as it turns out) as well as many hours doing even basic maintenance on the thing (a tightly-packaged engine bay with lots of sharp metal does not an easy service make), but the number of issues I had with car was truly astounding.

El Probo’s natural habitat (the back of a tow truck) and his favourite activity (being jump-started). Images: Jamie Weiss/DMARGE

Peeling paint, oil leaks, a discharging battery, exploding accessory belts… Every time I thought I’d fixed something myself or paid my mechanic top dollar to repair, El Probo fought back with something new. Turns out buying a 24-year-old ‘Yank tank’ with over 300,000kms on the clock sight unseen from interstate isn’t the best move. Who woulda thought?RELATED: $125,000 ‘Datto’ Proof The Australian Car Market Is Off Its RockerEventually, El Probo’s antics were becoming less charming and more frustrating, particularly as he started spending more time at the mechanic’s than he did on the work commute. El Probo was already the butt of jokes in the office – I’d heard enough ‘anal probe’ jokes to last a lifetime…I figured it was time to cut my losses and pass him on to someone who actually knew how to look after a car properly – or, at the very least, had a mechanic with more patience than mine. After a quick and dirty Carsales listing (which attracted immediate interest, maybe because I’d listed him for cheap too), El Probo was in the hands of another.It was with mixed feelings that I let the poor bastard go, but the gentlemen I ended up selling him to was a fan of working on 90s performance cars and was keen for a new project – he was going to a good home. And so, The Ballad Of El Probo came to an end, as he spurted off down the street, his exhaust blaring and stereo pumping loud.But what lessons did I learn?

Lowballers have no shame

While the vast majority of the people who were interested in El Probo were fair dinkum, I attracted more than my fair share of dickheads. Sure, used car prices are silly high right now (and El Probo is hardly some trophy car) but the amount of time wasters that responded to my listings were pretty frustrating.

A low-slung 90s sports coupe: the perfect senior’s car. Yeah right. Image: Jamie Weiss/DMARGE

You get what you pay for

Especially in this extremely overheated car market. El Probo ended up being quite an expensive car to own, after all the trips to the mechanic and auto electrician he had to make.If you’re looking to buy a used car right now, don’t be tempted by outrageous bargains or fixer-uppers – if it’s too good to be true, it probably is. And trying to work on a car during a global pandemic is a hassle.RELATED: The Biggest Loser In Australia’s Second Hand Car Market Chaos

Don’t be afraid to work on a car yourself

Before I bought El Probo, I wouldn’t have dreamt about trying to do something as basic as an oil change or a tyre rotation. But learning how to do basic service items and repairs on him was an incredibly rewarding experience.Sure, it might have taken me several hours to change his fuel filter (in my defence, that engine bay is a bitch), but the sense of accomplishment you get from working on a car yourself – not to mention the money you can save – is hard to beat.

Don’t buy a car that’s older than you

Well, this really depends on how old you are, or how deep your pockets are. A better piece of advice might be ‘don’t buy a shitbox like Jamie did’.If you’re looking to buy a classic or vintage car, make sure you’ve got more than enough time, patience and funds to really do the car (and yourself) justice. Otherwise, buy something modern and maybe a bit more boring.

Did I really hate every moment?

Not really. Sure, it was hardly the best financial decision I’ve ever made but I learnt and grew a lot as a person – and I credit El Probo with helping me get this job at DMARGE, which is a bit of a dream job.It’s worth pointing out that the second-gen Ford Probe in general is an incredibly underrated vehicle and I wouldn’t necessarily counsel anyone against getting one. Many of the issues with mine could largely be attributed to its high mileage: most on the market right now are far less worn-in (but are much more expensive, ‘natch).At the end of the day, I wouldn’t have traded the experience for the world. Although my wallet might have.

Did I learn my lesson?

Kind of. I’m now driving a 2007 Ford Fiesta XR4, which crucially 1). only has 134,000kms on the clock and 2). is younger than me. It’s faster, smaller, much more modern and much more comfortable than El Probo was.But as we speak, it currently has a misfire, the likes of which I’ve been trying to fix for several months. So maybe I’ve bought yet another dodgy Ford… Watch this space.

Have you ever wondered why Australians lose their minds over property prices – and can spend hours debating the topic – but are substantially less vocal about the stock market?You’re not the only one. A confused Australian Redditor recently took to the r/AusFinance Reddit community to ask that exact question.“ASX 200 closes above 7300 for the first time and nobody bats an eye,” the user, u/MikeAlphaGolf, wrote on Friday the 11th of June.

“Property is at record highs and everyone loses their minds.”

“How do you rationalise that the current share market is sensible and justified, but the property market is overheated?” Mike asks.“It seems that the sentiment on this sub is buy buy buy when it comes to ETFs, but property is an unsustainable bubble. To my eye, the same inflationary forces are pumping up both.”

“In times where the economy is only propped up by more and more government cash. Tightening is inevitable at some point. Why the difference?”

Reddit was quick to answer.“I think people get more emotional about property due to the tangible impact on their lives,” the top comment reads.“If shares go up 20%, they can still buy their desired dollar amount of a target share, but it just means less units. But when their target house goes up by 20%, they have to go further away or buy a unit.”Another user, thatshowitisisit, responded to the top comments, writing: “Good answer. To add to that. Not everybody cares about shares, or feels like they need to invest in them.”“When it comes to property, everybody at least needs a place to live, and not all, but most, want to buy a place to live. Bringing it out of reach affects their life directly.”Other users, like R_W0bz, had flashes of self-awareness.“Mannnn, I had a realisation in another post about how f*cked some people got last year. Sure my office job was able to work from home and I saved bucket loads of money on not going anywhere for 9-10 months.”

“But all those jobs you physically need to be at that got cut, which also are generally lower income jobs, made me realise how lucky I am but also what a kick in the guts it must be seeing these house prices rocket while they are most likely trying to recoup the losses from last year still.”

Another user added another theory as to why Australians are louder about property than stocks – property price fluctuations typically (if you are an average homeowner) affect your net worth more than stock market fluctuations (unless you have a lot of investments)Another user was more succinct. They wrote: “People don’t live in the ASX 200.”This trust we have that the housing market ‘only goes up!’ has come under scrutiny of late from more than just anonymous Reddit commenters.As the ABC reported in April, “Some analysts are warning that Australia’s multi-decade property boom may be about to end, but most agree that will not happen this year with double-digit house price growth widely expected in 2021.”AMP Capital chief economist Shane Oliver told the ABC last year we’re living in a “super cycle of debt,” comparing the early 1990s recession with now, showing how our level of household debt has increased over the last thirty years.“During the early 1990s recession, the level of household debt in Australia was around 40 per cent of income, whereas now it is close to 200 per cent — one of the highest levels in the world,” (ABC).

“Each time there’s a downturn people get worried about debt and pay some of it back, but before things go too far [into the positive], the Reserve Bank cuts rates and people start borrowing again — we go back to a new level of debt and it starts the cycle again.”

Digital Finance Analytics (DFA) principal Martin North told the ABC a lack of migration and lower population growth are two factors that could trigger the bubble to pop.He also said selling pressure will come “from mortgage stress plus investors seeking to exit.”What will determine prices then, is an arm wrestle between all these factors and the government stimuli introduced to offset them (and, to a degree, Australia’s ‘must buy’ housing culture, where we treat property like a form of speculation).But is it really a problem that property market speculation is Australia’s favourite new hobby? What’s to stop it going on forever?DMARGE spoke to James Whelan, Investment Manager at VFS Group in Sydney, about this earlier this year.Mr Whelan characterized it all as a house of cards… albeit one he couldn’t (when we spoke to him) imagine toppling.Mr Whelan said people’s risk horizons have shifted as they still seek to get approximately 5-7% return on their investment portfolio (which should be varied), in a climate where interest rates are unusually low.He told DMARGE we’ve had two generations of people get used to a certain risk vs. reward dynamic and now that has “come down from something that was very easy to invest in – 5-7% – where a part of your portfolio sits in that area [normally].”“But because that’s now down to zero it means that your investments… everything needs to shift a bit to the right [imagining on the right-hand side we have our riskier investments] to get more because people still need to get their annual 5-7% return to be able to live and grow their portfolio.”“So… people are taking more risks.”What are the consequences of this? According to Mr Whelan: more risk-taking investment behaviour (plus government stimulus around the globe to combat the pandemic) means money is freer: “A whole lot of money has been pushed into the market – what that has done is pushed asset prices – up so it has inflated the stock and property markets.”

“It is easier for people to borrow at a lower interest rate.”

The question then, according to Mr Whelan, is: “Do you think that our financial regulators are doing enough to ensure people will be able to repay those loans should the underlying interest rates go up (which they inevitably have to do, as they are not normal right now)?”

“Just as 18% is not normal (when it’s up there it needs to come down), 0% is not normal either – it needs to go up.”

“If the answer to that question is, ‘no; we can’t afford to have that changed,’ then absolutely we are over-leveraged.”On the other hand, the banks don’t want to foreclose “on an entire nation of people who can’t afford normal interest rates” either, Mr Whelan told us.

“No one has a really good answer for what happens if that happens.”

He also pointed out that there is a difference between the US housing finance system and the Australian one: “Right now usually what happens in a standard system – in America you can walk away, but in Australia the rest of your life is attatched to [this investment] – you can’t just walk away, that’s your entire life.”“Knowing that and knowing that if there were some sort of calamity and knowing you couldn’t just let an entire nation of people suffer… it’s not the way we do things anymore – not since the GFC when they decided to bail the banks out (and they decided to fix a pandemic using the same solutions they did for the GFC) – they physically can’t let things fail any more.”“By ‘they’ I mean every central bank and government in the world now especially if we’re all taking the lead from The Fed and the US government on these ones.”“If we were at a stage when people physically couldn’t pay this mortgage on their place then… there are varying [ways that could play out].”“I don’t think the people would be left footing the bill immediately but some future generation would be left footing the bill for it.”

“In short: yes we are over-leveraged to buying into this property market.”

“I would love to see a market and I think the economy would love to see a market that would be fundamentally ‘investible’ if more young people could buy their first home more easily and it was a place they wanted to stay. We don’t currently have that system in place and that’s a shame [both personally and as an investor].”

“It does really seem that it’s like a stack of cards but one that doesn’t seem like ever coming down.”

“That’s the problem. It would be nice (as an investor in things in this nation) to have young people buying a home and filling it with stuff – new stuff that they buy.” Instead, we have a lot of old people “buying investment properties at cheap money and renting them out.”

“Ownership of your own home is the fundamental requirement of a good strong economy.”

Australia’s housing market isn’t the only thing that has people clutching their calculators: some analysts are predicting a stock market crash too, after this period of ‘roaring 20s’ we’ve just seen. Though many of the most horrendous predictions are regarding the United States, you’d be naive to think if Wall Street goes down the ASX won’t be affected.The notorious Big Short investor, who predicted the GFC of 2008, Michael Burry, recently warned of a massive bubble and epic market crash, before deleting his Twitter. He said crypto and ‘Wall Street bets’ type crazes, once they burn out, will hit the main street hard.

pic.twitter.com/eZ9RmZt8Y9

— Michael Burry Archive (@BurryArchive) June 17, 2021

He described the market last week as: “Greatest Speculative Bubble of All Time in All Things” and wrote: “All hype/speculation is doing is drawing in retail before the mother of all crashes.”He warned bitcoin was overpriced and called the Federal Reserve a “misguided monster” for focusing so much on preventing market declines.He also cited supply shortages and hoarding as evidence of a growing inflation threat.CNBC points out there are various similarities to where we find ourselves now as a society, and where we were 100 years ago.In January CNBC reported: “There are a host of parallels between current global conditions and those prior to the Roaring 20s: the end of a pandemic, the proliferation of new technologies, a transport revolution, political polarization, emerging international rivalries and a soaring stock market.”CNBC also reported a quote from HSBC Senior Economic Advisor Stephen King. According to CNBC, King said, in a research note, that while the Roaring 20s were great for the ‘real-life Gatsbys’ who made their fortunes, actual economic growth in the U.S. economy was distinctly ordinary.“Many rural citizens were left behind. Meanwhile, an inexperienced Federal Reserve struggled to cope with a combination of low inflation and surging stock prices. When it all came crashing down, depression followed.”Maybe we should throw that Gatsby party while we still can?

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”293965″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.tagheuer.com/au/en/timepieces/collections/tag-heuer-aquaracer/”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_separator][vc_column_text]

The following article was produced in partnership with TAG Heuer.

Action is in TAG Heuer’s DNA. The 161-year-old Swiss watch manufacturer’s history and character is closely intertwined with that of modern sports: golf, tennis, Formula One… TAG Heuer stands out among its competitors as a particularly sporty brand.

Of course, no luxury watch brand worth its salt would be without a diver’s watch, and TAG Heuer’s is a beauty: the ultra-capable Aquaracer.

The Aquaracer’s legacy began with the Heuer ref. 844, a divers’ watch released in 1978 that inarguably set the standard for reliable diver’s watches and was adopted by professional and recreational divers all over the world. Now, in 2021, the Aquaracer has received one of its most significant updates yet: refining the formula set by the revolutionary ref. 844 while further pushing the boundaries of high-end watchmaking to produce a thoroughly modern, luxurious yet sporty piece of wrist candy.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”293989″ img_size=”1200×800″ add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.tagheuer.com/au/en/timepieces/collections/tag-heuer-aquaracer/”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_separator][vc_column_text]The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Collection encompasses eight new references, each bringing something different to the table. Compared to the outgoing Aquaracer, the new design features a overhauled ceramic bezel with less recessed and sleeker graduations; a more angular, modern overall aesthetic; and grippier facets, facilitating greater ease of adjustment.

The case is also somewhat slimmer, lighter, and shorter lug-to-lug. The angular indices of the older model have been swapped out for octagonal numbers that evoke classic dive watch styles with a subtle, individual touch.

Another unique touch is the date window, which has been moved from 3 to 6 o’clock and its cyclops lens now sporting a perfectly spherical design. The hands have also been tweaked: they’re now smaller overall, with the hour hand becoming tapered instead of boxy.

But they haven’t thrown the baby out with the bathwater: the Aquaracer still utilises TAG Heuer’s capable Calibre 5 movement with a 38-hour power reserve, their clever metal bracelet, and still boasts a 300m water resistance.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”293988″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.tagheuer.com/au/en/timepieces/collections/tag-heuer-aquaracer/”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”293991″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.tagheuer.com/au/en/timepieces/collections/tag-heuer-aquaracer/”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_separator][vc_column_text]Four new 43mm models form the core of the Aquaracer Professional 300 Collection. Four colour combinations are available: a black dial/black bezel, a blue dial/blue bezel, a silver dial/black bezel and a green dial/green bezel. The steel models are remarkably handsome, but the green stands out not only because of its verdant colour but also because it’s constructed from sand-blasted, grade 2 titanium (similar to the limited-edition Aquaracer Bamford TAG Heuer released last year).

On top of the 43mm models, TAG Heuer has also revealed three new 36mm models, which not only reflect the growing demand for smaller watch sizes among men but also how the typical gender roles are becoming increasingly blurred in modern horological fashion.

The black dial/black bezel option and the silver dial/black bezel option are similar to their 43mm siblings but feature a few key differences: their dials feature a more abstract, wavy pattern instead of parallel lines, and the text reading ‘AUTOMATIC’ at 6 o’clock omits the orange colouration of the larger models. The blue dial/blue bezel option, however, features eight diamond indices: a subtle little touch of bling that would suit a wearer of any gender.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”293990″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.tagheuer.com/au/en/timepieces/collections/tag-heuer-aquaracer/”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_separator][vc_column_text]To cap it all off, TAG Heuer has also introduced a stylish limited-edition model named the Aquaracer Professional 300 ‘Tribute to Ref. 844’. As the name suggests, it pays homage to that groundbreaking Heuer ref. 844 while incorporating some clever modern touches common to the rest of the Aquaracer Professional 300 Collection.

Its subtly textured black dial shares the ref. 844’s iconic red 24-hour scale, and features aged lume indices for a nice vintage touch. Unlike the original, it boasts a titanium case as well as the modern Calibre 5 movement, and its very retro strap is made from rubber, instead of the original’s leather. The angular theme of the other 2021 Aquaracers finds its way onto this tribute model, too: the octagonal indices, the faceted bezel, even the perforations on the strap are octagonal. It also has the 6 o’clock date window design and location of the other 2021 models.

It’s an exquisite homage to the classic ref. 844 that, refreshingly, doesn’t try too hard to emulate the original… It’s got the aesthetics of an old watch with all the quality-of-life of a modern one. Fittingly, only 844 examples of this timepiece will be made.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”293994″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.tagheuer.com/au/en/timepieces/collections/tag-heuer-aquaracer/”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_separator][vc_column_text]All in all, the new Aquaracer is a more refined, more stylish watch compared to its predecessors that keeps everything that was good about the old model and simply trims the fat.

These eight models have a bit of something for everyone, and seriously set themselves apart from the sea (pun intended) of diver’s watches on the market.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”293977″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”293970″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”293971″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”293972″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”293973″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”293974″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”293975″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”293976″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_separator][vc_column_text]

Discover the Aquaracer Professional 300 Collection at your nearest TAG Heuer boutique or online here.

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The post TAG Heuer’s New Aquaracer Might Just Be 2021’s Most Exciting Diver’s Watch appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Daniel Ricciardo Risks The Wrath Of Ocean Conservationists With Latest Fitness Drill

Daniel Ricciardo is famous for being one of the world’s best F1 drivers, sure. But did you know he’s also something of a fitness pioneer? The 31-year-old has made headlines over the years improvising reaction time workouts in all sorts of situés.From “ball grabbing” workouts in the park to mountain biking in California, Ricciardo does a whole lot more than just go to the gym. Not to mention the time he drained a half-court monster in an impressive NBA training debut (or his epic Happy Gilmore moment).Enter: his latest efforts at “staying sharp.” These efforts involve him lightly squatting, with his back to his training partner, before jumping around and catching a cone thrown at him, without knowing exactly which direction it will be headed.The exercise goes somewhat awry when a cone almost escapes him and starts heading towards the ocean – the exercise being done on a pier.Fortunately, Ricciardo catches the cone before it gets blown over.

Ricciardo posted the above video to his Instagram story in the early hours of the morning (AEST time) on June the 24th.He then posted (again, to his Instagram story) the following video of a neck workout, using cable pulleys attached to his forehead.

He’s not the only one looking to stay sharp between race days. Belgian/dutch racing driver and Hamilton’s friend/rival Max Verstappen likes a bit of reaction time training too. Four days ago he posted this video of himself juggling with the caption: “ready.”

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A post shared by Max Verstappen (@maxverstappen1)

He also trains using an ingenious ‘whack a mole’ light system.

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A post shared by Max Verstappen (@maxverstappen1)

Ferrari team driver Carlos Sainz is getting in on the action too, posting the following reaction time video on Friday.

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A post shared by Carlos Sainz (@carlossainz55)

Reaction training has numerous benefits outside of just the sporting world. Not only does it help in football, boxing, tennis and of course, F1, but as a general skill, it’s certainly one you’d want to improve.So what actually is reaction training and how do you improve it? Freeletics explains our reaction times are “determined and controlled by our nervous systems.”When we receive a stimulus to react to – in Daniel’s case, being told where to put his hands (or having to figure it out on the fly) – the sensor responsible (eyes, ears etc) sends a signal to the brain. The brain analyses the signal via “the efferent motoric neurons.”It then gets passed on to the muscles, which execute the instruction. “All of this happens almost instantly,” Freeletics explains.As we reported last year in May, there are myriad ways you can improve your reaction times, most of which involve some form of exercise.They can include running on uneven terrain to help train your brain to avoid various obstacles and to stay more alert; or running through exercise drills slowly to help your body learn a routine, so when you’re asked to perform it at a quicker speed, your brain will know what to do.However, reaction times are different to reflexes. Putting your arms out to protect you when you fall, or catching a glass before it topples over are reflexes.The difference? Freeletics claims reflexes are your body’s way of protecting you from harm, and because this usually requires an even faster reaction than a reaction; signals actually skip your brain and instead immediately go through the spinal cord.So, if you want to improve your reflexes, no amount of forcing yourself to trip over is going to help.Still, reaction time workouts are still a great way to keep your fitness routine fresh, and your brain sharp.