Table of contents for August 2023 in FHM US

One of the most remarkable true stories of survival lost at sea is the tale of José Salvador Alvarenga, a Salvadoran fisherman. In November 2012, José embarked on a fishing trip with a young companion, Ezequiel Córdoba, from the coastal town of Costa Azul, Mexico. Their small boat was meant to be a brief fishing expedition, but unforeseen circumstances led to a harrowing journey of survival. As they ventured further into the Pacific Ocean, the boat’s engine malfunctioned, and strong winds and currents carried them far from their intended route. Without proper navigation equipment, they lost their way and soon ran out of fuel. With no means of communication and no knowledge of their location, they found themselves adrift in the vast ocean. As days turned into weeks, José and…

CHARLES PONZI (1882-1949) Charles Ponzi was an Italian swindler who became infamous for his investment scam in the early 20th century. He promised investors extravagant returns on international postal reply coupons, claiming to take advantage of currency exchange rates. However, he used the investments of new clients to pay off earlier investors, leading to the collapse of his scheme. The “Ponzi scheme” is now a term used to describe similar fraudulent investment operations. HOW THEY GOT CAUGHT Charles Ponzi’s fraudulent investment scheme eventually unraveled due to a combination of factors, including increased scrutiny from the media, suspicious investors, and a determined investigation by authorities. Here’s how Ponzi was ultimately caught. Media Investigation As Ponzi’s investment scheme grew, it attracted attention from the media. Reports began to question the feasibility…

A ston Martin is designing some breathtaking cars of late, aren’t they? Pushing the proverbial envelope by just the right amount, injecting a bit more muscle, keeping it low and wide and tweaking tradition. Perhaps the hubris of its Formula One rise up the ranks is helping to renew and refresh its brand cache. The DB12 epitomizes all these high points, although some might be disappointed that contrary to its name, there is no option of a V12 under the hood. That engine has been deposed – indefinitely- by AMG’s 4.0-liter twin turbo V8. And yes, that does juxtapose Aston Martin’s decision to align with Honda in the near future as part of their F1 campaign. The engine is thoroughly modified for its role as a Super Tourer (Aston’s words,…

If you strapped on a virtual reality headset and immersed yourself in a game like Sony’s Cyber Punk, the Mercedes Vision One-Eleven might be the sort of car you’d expect to show up outside a minimalist, automated apartment. As far as concepts go, this one seems to tease the future with just enough hooks to the present world. It doesn’t take its styling cues from anything current-gen. Instead, this slanty, big-wheeled orange and black serpent is inspired by C111 protypes of the 1960s and 1970s and it’s here to give hope to those who fear that all-electric cars will end up looking the same. It’s the poster car for a new generation of car enthusiasts. The reference to the C111 is important because it indicates that Mercedes is serious about…

Such an absolute honor to have you! How do you like to begin your day? Thank you so much, I start my day with meditation and a good workout. What is the most exciting interest you’ve pursued recently, and how did you get into it? The most exciting interest recently is definitely supporting my Soccer club, the best and the most titled club of all time, Real Madrid. I got into it and My life changed with that UEFA Champions League quarterfinal game between Juventus and Real Madrid in the 2017-18 season. When Carvajal crossed from the right wing and Cristiano Ronaldo rose more than two meters to create that masterpiece goal with an extraterrestrial scissors kick, that day I felt that Cr7 and Real Madrid were more than just…

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE CRYSTALS The sun is setting upon the land of Valisthea. For centuries, people have flocked to her Mothercrystals to partake of their blessing, the abundant aether that fuels the magicks they rely upon in their everyday lives. As the aether begins to fade and the lifeless deadlands spread ever further, so too does the struggle for possession of the final flickers of the Mothers’ light grow ever more fierce. Yet amidst the gathering storm, there are those who believe that the legacy of the crystals has shaped mankind’s destiny for long enough. You play as Clive Rosfield, the firstborn son of the Archduke of Rosaria. Though all expected him to inherit the Phoenix’s flames and awaken as its Dominant, destiny instead chose his younger brother Joshua…

Ferrari’s range of XX supercars are a bit of an enigma in our mortal existence. You know of them – the 599 XX and LaFerrari FXX-K – but you never see them beyond some wallpaper or something spotted on Instagram. Even then, in order to hunt one down, you need to visit a racetrack or a museum. They’re just not very social Prancing Horses. This elusiveness might change ever so slightly with the new SF90 XX Stradale and Spider, which are the first XX specials suitable for road use. Yet Ferrari is still positioning it as something that will be noticeably quicker around Fiorano, rather than en route to your local golf course. The bodywork is more in-tune with a slightly tamer version of a Liberty Walk kit, with aero…

Although the Range Rover Sport never overtly claimed to be a Super SUV in the ilk of a Lamborghini Urus or Porsche Cayenne GTS, it’s never been too far off. Some of that might have to do with the fact that Range Rover still had one eye on making sure it could do some proper tough off-roading, which inevitably compromises its overall sportiness. However, they’ve always had the firepower under the hood and its acceleration figures were among the fastest for a very long time. Now this isn’t to say that Range Rover has gone and abandoned that multipurpose remit, but they are constantly turning the wick up and putting pressure on Super SUVs that cost a lot more money. The latest creation, the Range Rover SV, ditches the SVR…

Mission: Impossible - Fallout The sixth installment in the Mission: Impossible film series picks up after the events of Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation. The plot revolves around the pursuit of three stolen plutonium cores by a terrorist organization called the Apostles, led by a shadowy figure known as John Lark. The Apostles plan to use the plutonium cores to create and detonate nuclear bombs, causing widespread devastation and chaos. Ethan Hunt and his IMF team, including Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) and Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames), are assigned to recover the stolen plutonium and prevent the terrorist threat. However, due to a tough decision Ethan makes during a mission, the plutonium ends up in the hands of a mysterious operative known as August Walker (Henry Cavill), who is ordered to…

The megacar – as Koenigsegg chose to describe its first-ever 4-seater – has just been given a hybrid powertrain to ensure that just because it carries two extra doors, won’t mean that it’s sluggish when production starts in 2024. The Gemera’s early hubris was built around its drivetrain; it was rumored to have a 2.0-liter 3-cylinder engine, hurried along by three electric motors for an absurd power figure of 1700bhp. Enough of a tease to get those pre-order checkbooks open. Now Christian von Koenigsegg has confirmed that the Gemera will use an evolution of the Light Speed Transmission that was developed for the Jesko hypercar. The LST is unique because its configuration of clutches and input shafts is more compact compared to a typical dual-clutch gearbox, and in the Jesko…

Seeking literary stimulus whilst lazing in the garden soaking up the scintillating sunshine – a pretty rare British occurrence – I decided to harness the power of social media. Ever so slightly exaggerating my status and always looking for the double entendre I declared, “Laying naked in the garden looking for inspiration for a topic to write about. I guess I’ll have to see what pops up.” I was looking for an alternative angle to counter the predicted flurry of size-related comments – although, to be fair, I didn’t hold out too much hope. Consequently, I wasn’t surprised to receive the anticipated content, although what I did find curious was that it was principally male friends who homed in on the obvious, whilst my female chums were more circumspect and…