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Chinese researchers have discovered a new type of swine flu that can infect humans and has the potential to cause a future pandemic, according to a study released on Monday, though scientists have cautioned that the virus does not pose an immediate global health threat.

The disease, which researchers called the G4 virus, is genetically descended from the H1N1 swine flu that caused a pandemic in 2009. G4 now shows "all the essential hallmarks of a candidate pandemic virus," said the study, published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

But Dr. Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Columbia University's public health school, warned the public not to "freak out."


"Our understanding of what is a potential pandemic influenza strain is limited," she posted on Twitter. "Sure, this virus meets a lot of the basic criteria but it's not for sure going to cause a hypothetical 2020 flu pandemic, or even be a dominant strain in humans."

Chinese researchers based at several institutions, including Shandong Agricultural University and the Chinese National Influenza Center, discovered the G4 virus during a pig surveillance program. From 2011 to 2018, they collected more than 30,000 nasal swab samples from pigs in slaughterhouses and veterinary teaching hospitals across 10 Chinese provinces.

From these samples, researchers identified 179 swine influenza viruses -- but not all of them posed a concern. Some only showed up one year out of the program's seven, or eventually declined to nonthreatening levels.

China could release emergency pork reserves after losing 100 million pigs to swine fever
China could release emergency pork reserves after losing 100 million pigs to swine fever
But the G4 virus kept showing up in pigs, year after year -- and even showed sharp increases in the swine population after 2016.

Further tests showed that G4 can infect humans by binding to our cells and receptors, and it can replicate quickly inside our airway cells. And though G4 holds H1N1 genes, people who have received seasonal flu vaccines won't have any immunity.

G4 already appears to have infected humans in China. In Hebei and Shandong provinces, both places with high pig numbers, more than 10% of swine workers on pig farms and 4.4% of the general population tested positive in a survey from 2016 to 2018.

There is no evidence yet that G4 could spread from person to person -- perhaps the most promising sign so far, said Carl Bergstrom, a professor of biology at the University of Washington.

"This is not a *new* new virus; it's been very common in pigs since 2016," he tweeted. "There's no evidence that G4 is circulating in humans, despite five years of extensive exposure. That's the key context to keep in mind."

However, researchers warn in the paper that the virus was on the rise among pig populations, and could "pose a serious threat to human health" if not carefully monitored. Transmission of the virus from pig to human could "lead to severe infection and even death," said the study, which called for greater control of the virus' spread within pig populations.

Surveillance and discovery
In 2009, the H1N1 swine flu pandemic killed an estimated 151,700 to 575,400 people globally. In the aftermath, authorities and scientists stepped up surveillance of pig populations to watch for viruses with "pandemic potential."

Swine flu occurs in people that are in contact with infected pigs. Symptoms are similar to that of regular human influenza and can include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite, coughing, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.


After 2009, the H1N1 virus in humans spread back into pigs around the world, and the genes mixed into new combinations -- creating new viruses like G4.

"Pig farming is a massive industry in China and pigs can be important hosts from which novel influenza viruses may emerge," said James Wood, Head of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Cambridge. He added that the study was a "salutary reminder that we are constantly at risk of new emergence of zoonotic pathogens and that farmed animals, with which humans have greater contact than with wildlife, may act as the source for important pandemic viruses."

To decrease the risk of a human pandemic, Chinese farmers and authorities need to control the spread of the virus among pigs, and closely monitor people who work with the animals, said the team.


The new study comes as the world grapples with the Covid-19 pandemic, which has now infected more than 10.3 million people globally and caused more than 505,000 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

The central Chinese city of Wuhan is ground zero for the novel coronavirus, which emerged in December last year and began spreading internationally in January. The outbreak prompted China to impose strict lockdowns nationwide, closing local and provincial borders and ordering residents to stay at home.

The country began reopening in March after largely containing the virus -- but new outbreaks and local transmissions in recent weeks have seen some cities go back under lockdown.

ABCD.

Yes o... @felixolushak

Lovely

Tiwa Savage rumoured to be dating Obama DMW, Davido's crewman after ditching Wizkid
Tiwa Savage rumoured to be dating Obama DMW, Davido's crewman after ditching Wizkid
Singer Tiwa Savage based on rumours fast going round is having a relationship with Obama DMW, who happens to be Davido’s crew member as alleged by a popular Instagram blogger Cutie Julis.

According to a post Cutie Julls shared on her timeline, she revealed that her source was a credible one from the camps of DMW which is headed by Davido and where Obama DMW is too.

This is not the first time Tiwa Savage has been said to be dating someone after her broken relationship with Tunji Balogun aka Tee Bills the ex-husband to Tiwa and the father of Tiwa’s son.

From the blogger’s perspective, Obama is not having that personality to get Tiwa Savage rolling down for him.

She quizzed that maybe he’s got a big ‘joystick’ in-between his legs which Tiwa Savage has fallen for while she was comparing him to Tee Bills in terms of handsomenes


After her gist, many netizens have expressed their disappointment in Tiwa Savage for stooping low by going in for Davido’s small boy while others also congratulated her for finding love again after years since she divorced Tee Bills, her baby daddy.
[font=Lucida Sans Unicode][/font]

See below some comments from netizens;

divascorneronline: “This one davido is still feeding is knacking tiwa some women will embarrass you sha”

bekee_qualitykollections: “The guy sleeping with tiwa??hey God”

queenedenhazard: “So na this guy dey do hunty tiwa??”

kweenor: “This is Obama DMW Davido’s road manager and by this post he is Tiwa’s boyfriend?. Congrats to Tiwa for finding love again. I have said my own.”

susanna_atori: “DJ who? ?? You just stylishly dropped a hint on tiwa”

ms_fionaa: “Are you trying to pass an info ?tiwa * Obama”

queenariikebitcoin: “Thy Both saw something good in each other”

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It’s very hard to know what’s really going in North Korea. If reports this week are credible, supreme leader Kim Jong-un is in dire condition following surgery. That could prove false tomorrow. Either way, it raises the question of who would take control of the nuclear-armed nation of 25 million should he surprise the world and abruptly pass away.

Earlier this week, an unconfirmed report from Daily NK, a Seoul-based website, said the North Korean leader had undergone heart surgery and was recuperating at a villa outside the capital Pyongyang. Then CNN, citing an unnamed American official, reported that the US was “monitoring intelligence” that the supreme leader was in “grave danger.” Fueling speculation, Kim did something unheard of by skipping an April 15 commemoration of the birthday of Kim Il-sung, his grandfather and North Korea’s founder. And state media has been mum about his whereabouts, unusual considering it typically plasters his image everywhere, even if he’s just touring a lubricant factory.

South Korea said it couldn’t confirm reports of Kim undergoing surgery, and China dismissed them.

So, who would take over should he actually pass away? Considering North Korea has been ruled by the same family for seven decades, chances are good a Kim will be involved.

The possibility of his sister, Kim Yo-jong, inheriting power is “more than 90%,” said Cheong Seong-chang, an analyst at the Sejong Institute in South Korea, as reported by the Associated Press. She has “royal blood,” he noted, and “North Korea is like a dynasty.” In recent years she’s also accompanied her brother on high-profile meetings with world leaders including US president Donald Trump, prompting some observers to consider her North Korea’s No. 2 official.

Others see the macho culture of North Korea’s regime as a barrier to her assuming power. “The male-dominated, patriarchal leadership structure all but rules out Kim Yo Jong… as a potential successor,” Bloomberg wrote in 2017.


Traditional armed conflict is giving way to a shadowy “gray zone,” somewhere between war and peace. Behind the shift are new technologies, a cascade of data and information, robots, space—and the need to avoid a nuclear apocalypse.

That same year, the supreme leader’s older, estranged half-brother Kim Jong-nam, who’d been living in Macau, was killed in a Kuala Lumpur airport via nerve agent. He’d known he was a target, and in an earlier letter had begged his younger brother—who viewed him as a potential threat—to spare his life.

Kim Jong-un does have another brother, Kim Jong-chol, who is also older. But it’s widely believed he has no interest in politics or public life, and he was deemed by his father, the late Kim Jong-il, as too “girlish” to wield power. He’s apparently a talented guitar player and was spotted at an Eric Clapton concert five years ago. Few think he’d be thrust into a leadership position, but the fact remains he has royal blood and is male, so some role could be in store for him.

Kim Jong-un does have some children, but they are not old enough to assume power.

He also has an uncle, 65-year-old Kim Pyong-il, who reportedly returned to North Korea last November after serving as diplomat in Europe for decades. But he’s been outside the circles of power for some time. Another uncle, Jang Song-thaek, once one of the nation’s most powerful men, was charged with treason and executed in December 2013, two years after Kim Jong Un took control (and another threat gone).

Outside the family, there’s Choe Ryong-hae, who last year became president of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly, making him the nominal head of state. He’s served the ruling family for decades, but of course he lacks the all-important bloodline.

What might emerge, then, is a collective leadership incorporating both royal family members and a loyal senior figures. In this arrangement Kim Yo-jong would likely be a major force, despite her gender, while Choe and others like him would serve as figureheads.

Some fear a power struggle could break out. Were that to happen, it could lead to instability that proves dangerous to the region, with nuclear weapons falling into unknown hands and potentially a massive wave of refugees streaming toward China.

But again, at this point all of this is based on Kim Jong-un, who is still in his mid-30s and presumably in excellent hands, actually dying sometime soon. If he proves to be in better physical condition than thought, he could very well survive and stay in power until the 2070s, watching Western leaders come and go as he continues to rule his nation with an iron first, improve his nuclear arsenal, and groom his male offspring to take his place in good time.

Very true....

True talk....

Lovely....

No you are not sister...... I get this same phone for a friend of my late January.... This year...

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Coronavirus
World's 1st Coronavirus Vaccine Is Ready For Human Testing, And It Will Help Save Lives
Monit Khanna

With each passing day, the Wuhan Coronavirus continues to spread like wildfire not just in China, but also several parts of the globe. Today it has infected over 78,000 people and has killed over 2700.

AFP
The fear for contracting the COVID-19 has resulted in major global events like the Mobile World Congress to get cancelled with various participants hesitant to step out of the country. And this fear also surrounds the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics.


Need for a vaccine to stop this novel coronavirus is needed today more than ever. And it looks like we might not have to wait for long after all.

Scientists since the news of the outbreak have been working on a vaccine to combat and prevent people from the novel coronavirus and now a company called Moderna has announced that it has finally developed a coronavirus vaccine that will soon be ready for human testing.

Coronavirus Threat Looming Over Economy
To Contain Coronavirus, Chinese Officials Are Using Electric Door Seals To Lock People In


First reported by the Wall Street Journal, the vaccine has already been provided to the US governments at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in Bethesda. It reveals that there are two doses to the vaccine, and the twin doses are designed for an adult to save him/her against infection.

Looking at the pace in which the research is moving a final product for human trial could be ready as early as July this year. While it sure feels like a lot of time, you need to understand that the rate at which the research for the vaccine is moving at, is unprecedented, to say the least.

Researchers need to make sure a number of things before they decide to inject the vaccine into a human. Not only should it work as we intend it to, but it should also protect the person from contracting the virus for a considerable amount of time.

Moreover, it shouldn’t come with any adverse side effects or cause severe harm to a person’s body. Researchers will also have to look at how it pairs with existing common medication that people consume.

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With the Sunday’s rematch in the books, fight fans will be hoping to see Tyson Fury take on compatriot Anthony Joshua – holder of the IBF, WBA and WBO belts – in a heavyweight unification bout.

A British former professional boxer who competed from 2002 to 2018, David Haye, also believes Fury will switch his focus to Anthony Joshua after outclassing Deontay Wilder and claiming the WBC heavyweight title.

The Gypsy King comprehensively defeated his American opponent who was sent crashing to the floor on three occasions before his corner threw in the towel in the seventh round.


Wilder has the option to trigger a third fight but former cruiserweight world champion Haye believes the Bronze Bomber will have no interest in a trilogy given the comprehensive nature of his defeat in Las Vegas.

Instead, Haye believes all roads lead to a unification match between Fury and Joshua which has the capacity to be the biggest fight in British boxing history, Metro UK reports.

He said, “I am very sure the clause for a third fight won’t be exercised. That won’t be realised 100 per cent because what chance does Wilder have what more can he do next time?


“Deontay Wilder does not want any more of that work he doesn’t want that type of action he was outgunned in every department. What confidence can he take from this? Nothing at all.

“I think it will be the undisputed, undisputed (Joshua next). There’s only one fight to be made and it’s a fight that everybody will have to see whether you are a boxing fan or not.

“It has never happened before. All of the belts (are up for grabs), it will be the biggest fight in boxing history.”


However, Tyson Fury has admitted that a third and final fight with Deontay Wilder is on the cards after beating the American to claim the WBC title in emphatic fashion.

DailyMail reports that the 31-year-old put on a boxing masterclass in Las Vegas to stop Wilder in his tracks, picking up the TKO victory in the seventh round after the Bronze Bomber’s corner threw the towel in.

Speaking to BT Sport in his dressing room after the win, Fury said: ‘People look at my fat belly and my bald head and they think I cannot fight.


He was quoted as saying, “I had my mental problems and issues and I was out of the ring three years. But he was fighting the real Gypsy King this time.

“I expect he will want a rematch and I will have that. Great fights should have trilogies. And I want it here, just across the road, at the Raiders Stadium outdoors in front of 70,000.”

kestolove95:
Dbanj- sapo abiodun
9ice-fayose ayo
Don jazzy- Emmanuel udom
Flavor - Dave umahi
Wizkid- Ibrahim shekau
Davido- Suleiman qossim.

Now dix is what u get when u fail to give us our own musician real name... Wetin concern us with dem boys ovasea?

funny you sis.....

inspired111:
What of Airforce1?

As products or as �️aircrafts?

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Hip-hop has never been more popular than it is today, but many fans probably still wouldn’t know who Aubrey Graham is, even though they stream his songs every day.

Going back to the early days of rap music, stage names have been a huge part of its culture. Even many of the most popular rappers to ever hold a microphone have kept their real names a mystery, preferring to use a name that’s typically much cooler sounding than the one given to them at birth.

There have been some notable rappers that have performed under their birth names — like Tupac Shakur, Kanye West and Missy Elliott — but they are much more the exception than the rule. We’ve tracked down the real names of some of the most popular rappers in history, and you may be shocked by how unique some of them are — while in other cases, you’ll completely understand why they opted for a stage name.

Cardi B

Real Name: Belcalis Almánzar

How could anyone not like Cardi B? Born Belcalis Almánzar, this lifelong New Yorker exploded onto the hip-hop scene in 2017 with the smash “Bodak Yellow” and has been a consistent hitmaker ever since. She came up with the name Cardi B as a spin on a nickname friends gave her growing up. Her sister’s name is Hennessy, so friends used to call the future rapper “Bacardi,” which she turned into Cardi B.

“No one calls me Belcalis except for my family, my mother and my daddy,” she told Wendy Williams.

Jay-Z

Real Name: Shawn Carter

Hip-hop icon Jay-Z has not kept his actual name a secret. In 1999, he released an album called, “Life and Times of S. Carter,” and he’s used his name for other projects, including his 2018 collaboration with wife Beyoncé, when the pair performed simply as the Carters. He has also put his name on his own charitable organization, the Shawn Carter Foundation, which helps low-income kids get an education. As for how he got his stage name, Jay-Z’s nickname coming up was “Jazzy,” so he made it a little more unique.

Drake

Real Name: Aubrey Drake Graham

Arguably the most popular rapper on the planet today, Drake had a different career in entertainment lined up before he started rhyming. In his native Canada, teenager Aubrey Graham was an actor, appearing in dozens of episodes of the teen show, “Degrassi: The Next Generation,” starting in 2001. When he switched to hip-hop in 2007, he went with his middle name, Drake, as his stage name.

Eminem

Real Name: Marshall Mathers III

Another rapper who didn’t exactly keep his real name hidden is Eminem. The hip-hop icon used his birth name in the title of his most popular album, 2000’s “The Marshall Mathers LP,” and used it again for the 2013 record, “The Marshall Mathers LP 2.” His stage name came, in a roundabout way, from his actual initials, because when he first started rapping as a teen in Detroit, it was under the name M&M, before he changed it to the more memorable Eminem in 1995.

Migos

Real Names: Kiari Cephus (Offset), Qavious Marshall (Quavo), Kirsnick Ball (Takeoff)

We’re going to give you three for the price of one here. Migos is arguably the most popular hip-hop group of the past decade, and the trio raps under the stage names Offset, Quavo and Takeoff. Offstage, Offset (Kiari Cephus) and Takeoff (Kirsnick Ball) are cousins and Quavo (Qavious Marshall) is the latter’s uncle. It’s unclear how they each came up with their own names, but the group’s name, Migos, is both an abbreviation of the Spanish word “Amigos” and a reference to drug activity in their native Georgia.

Rae Sremmurd

Real Name: Khalif Brown (Swae Lee), Aaquil Brown (Slim Jxmmi)

It might sound like one person’s name but Rae Sremmurd is the name of a popular hip-hop duo that’s made up of real-life brothers Khalif and Aaquil Brown, also known as Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi. The “Black Beatles” pair got their odd-sounding group name from their frequent producer, Mike Will Made It, who owns a production company called Ear Drummers. The name Rae Sremmurd is simply Ear Drummers spelled backward.

The Notorious B.I.G

Real Name: Christopher Wallace

One of rap’s most legendary figures, The Notorious B.I.G. actually had to change his original stage name after a lawsuit. Christopher Wallace first rapped under the name Biggie Smalls, which was the name of a character in the 1975 movie, “Let’s Do It Again.” But he was sued to drop the name by the film’s rights owner and changed his persona to The Notorious B.I.G. in time for his first album, 1994’s “Ready to Die.”

Nas

Real Name: Nasir Jones

Another one of the greatest rappers to ever write a rhyme, Nas stuck close to his own given name when it came time to choose a stage name. Nas is simply a shortened version of his own first name, Nasir. At first, he used the stage name “Nasty Nas,” a nickname he still uses, but simply went by Nas for his 1994 debut album, “Illmatic.”

Nicki Minaj

Real Name: Onika Maraj

Nicki Minaj has about as many alter egos as any rapper in history — including her own stage name. Minaj’s name at birth was Onika Tanya Maraj, which is plenty memorable on its own, but she apparently never liked the name. Her friends called her Nicki growing up, and when she signed one of her first record deals, the guy from the label thought her name should be Minaj, so she went with it even though she apparently doesn’t love that name, either.

“I’ve always hated it,” she told The Guardian of her stage name.

Post Malone

Real Name: Austin Post

He’s one of the most in-demand rappers today, and Post Malone’s stage name is very similar to his real one. Born Austin Post, the rapper obviously just moved his last name out front for his stage name. But how did he get Malone? According to the man himself, Post Malone got it from a rap name generator online. That’s a new one!

Lil’ Wayne

Real Name: Dwayne Carter Jr.

So, how does a guy named Dwayne end up rapping under the name Wayne? It’s actually kind of a sad story. Dwayne Carter Jr. has said he decided to drop the “D” from his name because his father, for whom he’s named, abandoned him and his mother when he was an infant, so he wanted to distance himself from the man. As far as the “Lil’” part goes, Wayne stands at just 5 feet 5 inches tall.

Travis Scott

Real Name: Jacques Webster II

For as dull as the name Travis Scott may sound, you might think it was this “Sicko Mode” rapper’s real name — but you’d be wrong. Houston kid Jacques Webster chose the average-sounding stage name as a tribute to a family member he admired.

“My uncle’s name is Travis,” Scott told Grantland in 2014. “He was like my favorite uncle.” The last name “Scott” also came from the same uncle, because that was his nickname.

Future

Real Name: Nayvadius Wilburn

While Future’s parents didn’t give him the name at birth, his given name, Nayvadius, is still pretty awesome. The “Mask Off” rapper owes his stage name to a friend and mentor in the musical collective he first broke in with, Atlanta’s Dungeon Family. Future has said the name was given to him by Dungeon Family’s G-Rock, who called him “the future” of the group. That’s pretty inspiring!

Kendrick Lamar

Real Name: Kendrick Lamar Duckworth

Kendrick Lamar is another rapper who stuck close to his birth name when it came time to choose a stage name, opting to simply drop his last name, Duckworth, and go with his first and middle names. But he didn’t always rap under the name Kendrick Lamar. For the first few years of his career, the Compton, California, native performed as K-Dot, which is a nickname he still references sometimes in his lyrics.

Chuck D

Real Name: Carlton Douglas Ridenhour

Let’s be honest, Carlton Ridenhour doesn’t exactly sound like the kind of guy who would light a stage on fire with his rhymes. But Chuck D is exactly that guy. The Public Enemy frontman got his stage name simply from his own nickname and middle initial. Before Chuck D became one of the hardest-hitting rappers alive, he studied graphic design in college and hosted a late-night college radio show, where he first used his eventual stage name as his DJ name.

Flavor Flav

Real Name: William Drayton Jr.

Chuck D’s partner in crime from Public Enemy, Flavor Flav met his counterpart when they worked on that aforementioned college radio show together on Long Island. As for his unique name, Flavor Flav says Chuck D gave it to him, but it was a new version of a nickname he already had: Flavor Freak. That name came from his childhood, when Flavor Flav apparently had a habit of overdoing it with Life Savers candy and soda.

Snoop Dogg

Real Name: Calvin Broadus Jr.

In his decades as a hip-hop legend, Calvin Broadus has had many stage names, including Snoop Doggy Dogg, Snoop Lion and, simply, Snoop Dogg. The way he got the most constant part of his names is actually pretty sweet. As a kid, he loved to watch the old “Charlie Brown” cartoons, and his mom actually started calling him “Snoopy” because he loved the dog character so much.

Dr. Dre

Real Name: Andre Young

One of the true pioneers of modern rap — and possibly the wealthiest man to ever make a living in hip-hop — Dr. Dre has mentored and worked with many people on this list. He came up with his stage name in the mid-‘80s when he was first getting his start as a DJ. The “Dr.” part was a tribute to his favorite basketball player growing up, “Dr. J.” Julius Erving, while the “Dre” part was simply a shortened version of his actual name.

Ice Cube

Real Name: O’Shea Jackson Sr.

This is another stage name that goes all the way back to childhood. O’Shea Jackson got his iconic name, Ice Cube, from his older brother — and it wasn’t meant as a term of endearment. The rapper told Stephen Colbert in 2017 that, when he was 13, he used to try to talk to his brother’s girlfriends, which made his brother threaten him with a unique act of violence.

“I’m gonna slam you in the freezer,” Cube remembered his brother saying. “When they pull you out, you’re gonna be an ice cube.”

Mos Def

Real Name: Yasiin Bey

Rapper and actor Mos Def has been known by a few names during his acclaimed career, but he was born Dante Smith and changed his legal name to Yasiin Bey after retiring his stage name in 2011. Of his stage name, Bey said to Rolling Stone that “it’s a name that the streets taught me, a figure of speech that was given to me by the culture and by my environment.” The name Mos Def is shorthand for “most definitely.”

J. Cole

Real Name: Jermaine Cole

This one doesn’t take a lot of detective work to figure out. “Crooked Smile” rapper J. Cole got his stage name from a simple abbreviation of his real name, Jermaine Cole. But he didn’t always want his rap moniker to be so basic. In the early days of his career, J. Cole performed under the names Blaza and Therapist, but thankfully changed his name in time for his 2007 debut mixtape, “The Come Up.”

50 Cent

Real Name: Curtis Jackson III

One of the most memorable stage names in recent rap history belongs to Curtis Jackson, aka 50 Cent. The rapper and television producer lifted that name from a Brooklyn gangster who was well known when he was growing up. When that man died, 50 Cent took the name for himself as a tribute to his memory. He definitely hasn’t kept his real name a secret, using it in the credits of some of his acting projects and even calling his 2007 album “Curtis.”

Chance the Rapper

Real Name: Chancelor Bennett

Another name that doesn’t exactly sound like one that would torch the hip-hop charts is Chancelor Bennett. The Chicago rap hero got his stage name simply by shortening his first name and tacking on his job title at the end. Why bother to include “The Rapper,” you ask? Chance told GQ it was out of pure pride for his choice of work.

“You should be proud to say, ‘I’m a rapper,’” he said.

Rick Ross

Real Name: William Roberts II

This is another stage name that most people probably assume is the rapper’s actual name, but Rick Ross was actually born William Roberts II. The “Stay Schemin’” rhymer, like 50 Cent before him, took his stage name from a real-life gangster. This one came from “Freeway” Ricky Ross, a famous cocaine dealer from 1980s Los Angeles. The actual Rick Ross sued the rapper to stop him from performing under his name, but the judge ruled in the rapper’s favor, citing the First Amendment.

André 3000

Real Name: André Benjamin

While he mostly prefers to go by his birth name, André Benjamin, these days, Outkast fans know him best as André 3000 or simply “Three Stacks.” The acclaimed Grammy-winning entertainer started out simply rhyming under the name Andre for Outkast’s first few albums in the mid-‘90s. In 2000, he added the “3000” to his name and, while he’s never explained it himself, it’s been reported that it was meant to separate himself from Dr. Dre.

Big Boi

Real Name: Antwan Patton

Antwan Patton has been known by many names in his career — including Sir Lucious Left Foot, Daddy Fat Sacks and General Patton — but Big Boi is his most lasting call sign. Ironically, Big Boi isn’t all that big. He stands at just 5 feet 6 inches tall. Maybe his name comes more from his larger-than-life persona and the massive size of his vocabulary, which has been on display ever since his debut in the 1990s with Outkast.

Gucci Mane

Real Name: Radric Davis

Sometimes he goes by “Guwop” but Radric Davis is most commonly known as Gucci Mane. The acclaimed rapper and best-selling author picked up his stage name from a long line of others that used it in his family. In his 2017 autobiography, Gucci Mane wrote that his grandfather first had that nickname after falling in love with Gucci-brand clothing while fighting in Italy during World War II. After that, several other relatives, including Gucci Mane’s father, had the nickname before it was passed to him.

Common

Real Name: Lonnie Lynn

Rapper-turned-actor Common’s birth name is Lonnie Corant Jaman Shuka Rashid Lynn, so you can understand why it might be easier to use a stage name. When he first started rapping, his stage name was Common Sense for his first few albums. The Oscar-winning songwriter was forced to shorten it to Common after a band that performed under the name Common Sense sued him.

Busta Rhymes

Real Name: Trevor Smith Jr.

Busta Rhymes and Flavor Flav have something unique in common: Chuck D gave them both their stage names. Chuck mentored a young Travis Smith early in his career, and suggested he call himself Busta Rhymes. The nickname was inspired by Minnesota Vikings wide receiver George “Buster” Rhymes, who was a star player at the time. At first, Busta said he hated the name but quickly grew to love it and has said Chuck D “was like my father.”

A$AP Rocky

Real Name: Rakim Mayers

ASAP Rocky exploded onto the hip-hop scene in 2011 and has been dropping acclaimed records ever since. The stage name chosen by Rakim Mayers is certainly memorable, and the first part of it doesn’t mean what you probably think it does. “ASAP,” in this case, stands for “Always Strive And Prosper,” while the latter part is just a nickname spun off his actual first name. Rocky isn’t the only performer who uses the ASAP initials at the start of his name; others in the collective include “Plain Jane” rapper ASAP Ferg.

Wiz Khalifa

Real Name: Cameron Thomaz

Another stage name that certainly stands out from the pack is Wiz Khalifa. Cameron Thomaz just doesn’t have the same memorable ring! The Pittsburgh-based rapper got his name from family members. He has said “Wiz” was his nickname growing up because he was a talented kid, while his grandfather gave him the name “Khalifa,” which is Arabic for success.

Ludacris

Real Name: Christopher Bridges

When Chris Bridges was working as a radio DJ in Atlanta, he worked under the name “Chris Lova Lova” for a time. Thankfully, he changed his stage name to the much cooler Ludacris in time for his 1998 debut album. The rapper-turned-actor got his stage name from a derivation of the word “ludicrous,” which is certainly one way to describe his lyrics.

DMX

Real Name: Earl Simmons

One of the hardest rhymers to ever do the job, DMX was the name chosen by Earl Simmons, who was born with no middle name. The rapper lifted his stage name from the DMX drum machine made by Oberheim, which was a classic used by artists including non-rappers including Rod Stewart and New Order.

Logic

Real Name: Sir Robert Bryson Hall II

Logic was born with a name that makes him sound more like royalty than a young rapper raised in Maryland. When Sir Robert Bryson Hall II started his rap career, he wanted to make music that “challenges the mind.” So, he went with the stage name Psychological. After working under that name for a short period of time, he shortened it to Logic in time for his acclaimed 2010 mixtape, “Young, Broke & Infamous.”

Remy Ma

Real Name: Reminisce Mackle

Formerly a member of the rap group the Terror Squad, New York native Remy Ma’s stage name is pretty close to what you’d find on her driver’s license. Her real name is Reminisce Mackle, but that’s her married name, which she didn’t get until 2008, well after her rap career was underway. For the first few years of her career, her stage name was Remy Martin, after the French cognac brand.

hummm

Gbam.....

At 27, Ethel Akafful is an oil and gas entrepreneur in Ghana
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Image credit: Twitter
At the age of eight, Ethel Laurel Akafful was already flirting with some of Ghana’s mineral resources – gold and diamond to be specific.

Born in a village in the Eastern region of Ghana to a petty trader mother and a father, who dealt in gold and diamond, Ms. Akafful had an adventurous upbringing.

She taught as well as sold wristwatches, t-shirts among others, honing her entrepreneurial skills in the process.

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Now at the age of 27, Ms. Akafful is an MSc. Petroleum Geoscience Graduate and the founder of an oil and gas company called Laurel Gas Resources – a clean energy distribution entity that uses technology to promote the broad and safe use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas in Ghana.

“We were very young but we knew what gold was at that age. When it rained heavily, we go to the gullies and pick pieces of gold put them in a mercury container. After some time, we get bigger sizes and sell to my dad,” she told Business World Ghana.

“Sometimes when my dad is absent and people come around I’m able to weigh the gold and buy on his behalf.”

Ghana discovered oil and gas reserves in 2007 in what is now called the Jubilee Field, 60km offshore.

Production began in 2010 managed by Tullow, Kosmos, and Anadarko in partnership with the Ghana National Petroleum Commission (GNPC).

Total production currently amounts to approximately 100,000 barrels of oil and 80 Mscf/d of natural gas (thousand standard cubic feet a day).

In Ghana, the oil and gas industry has segmented operations into the upstream (exploration and production), midstream (involves all activities between the oil wellhead and the refinery including transportation of oil and gas from oil fields such as Jubilee to refineries onshore and storage of petroleum) and downstream (predominantly characterized by the importation of crude oil and finished products, refining, storage, marketing and sale of petroleum products.)

This allowed the likes of Ms. Akafful to also venture in the industry.

“If you go to the gas station and the pump (of the gas cylinder) has been tampered with, you wouldn’t know. We make sure you get value for your money. We buy the gas on your behalf and we transport it conveniently and safely,” she told Business World Ghana.

“We help you fix your cylinder, offer advice on what to do when we detect faults, we check the position of your cylinder, check regulator, valve, etc.,” she added.

Ms. Akafful’s oil and gas company comes at a time the government of Ghana introduced the Cylinder Re-Circulation Model.

Instead of LPG outlets filling empty gas cylinders, LPG bottling plants outside commercial centers would rather fill the cylinders for sale at the retail outlets.

“So every innovation, every new thing we are doing in the industry is towards a safer and affordable means of getting LPG for homes and offices.”

Recently Springfield Group’s CEO Kevin Okyere revealed his company had discovered gas and two streams of light oil offshore Ghana in its Afina-1 well.

It made the discovery at a depth of 3,323m in waters about 1,000m deep.

“I can proudly announce that we now have over 1.5 billion barrels of proven oil and almost 1 TCF of proven gas with additional potential upside of over 3 billion barrels of oil and a lot more gas,” he noted.

One-offs, limited editions, special editions… they’re all the rage in the supercar and hypercar world. These specially-built cars give companies like Pagani, Bugatti, Maybach, and others an excuse to build something epic and charge outrageous amounts of money—on top of the outrageous amounts that the base models usually cost.

It seems like supercars are a dime a dozen these days (some are still classics), but not these ultra-rare versions. All of these cars have 10 or fewer models in production, with 10 or fewer owners. Many are one-offs. Most of the owners are incredibly rich business magnates and people you’ve never heard of, though some celebrities are mixed in there.

The owners of these cars are part of a very exclusive club, and that’s by design. Everyone wants to be the sole owner of something, right?

Here are 20 rare supercars with fewer than 10 owners.

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20
ICONA VULCANO (1)

via Motor Authority
There’s only one example in existence of this $3.8-million supercar, the Icona Vulcano. It’s the only fully titanium car ever built (combined with carbon fiber), developed as a concept car by an experienced Italian designer, Claudio Lombardi. The car took over 10,000 hours of handcrafting to complete, and with its 6-liter supercharged V8, it has 680 hp and is capable of 220 mph and a 0-60 mph time of less than three seconds.

19
MAYBACH EXELERO (1)

via Motor1
At one point in time, the one-off Maybach Exelero was the most expensive “production” car in the world—production in quotes because there’s only one of it. This German super luxury car cost just $8 million, and was owned by American rapper Birdman, then Jay-Z took it off his hands when Birdman couldn’t make payments. The two-door coupe is 19 feet long, 7 feet wide, and weighs over 2.6 tons! It also has a top speed of 218 mph thanks to its 5.9-liter twin-turbocharged V12 engine.

18
W MOTORS LYKAN HYPERSPORT (7)

via Wikipedia
The super-rare limited-production Lykan HyperSport by W Motors is the only Lebanese supercar on this list. It was built in 2012 by Lebanese, French, and Italian designers. Only seven were built, each with a price tag of $3.4 million, making it the third-most-expensive production car at the time (behind the Lamborghini Veneno and Maybach Exelero). It has diamond-studded headlights, and ruby and sapphires integrated in the car. The Abu Dhabi police own one, and so does former MLB star Hector Olivera.

17
PAGANI ZONDA 760 RS (1)

via YouTube/TheTFJJ
We’re getting into questionable territory with the Pagani Zonda 760 RS one-off, because there have been about 10 different Pagani one-offs built. The car was built for a businessman from Chile, who is a close friend of Horacio Pagani’s, and a top customer. It features a tuned 7.3-liter V12 that produces 750 hp, and it’s made from carbon fiber, with a gaping roof intake and large fixed rear wing. Its top speed is around 220 mph.

16
TVR CERBERA SPEED 12 (1)

via Wikipedia
The TVR Cerbera Speed is a one-off supercar that you’ve probably never heard of. It was originally conceived to race in the GT1 series, but plans fell through and TVR as a company disbanded. Still, the Cerbera Speed 12 is an 860-bhp beast running on a V12 engine and a super lightweight shell, with a top speed of 240 mph and a claimed top speed faster than any car in the world, supposedly. TVR founder Peter Wheeler thought it was too unsafe for the road, but it was still strangely sold in a local Autotrader, according to Evo Magazine!

15
FERRARI P4/5 BY PININFARINA (1)

via Supercars
It’s pretty rare that Ferrari commissions one-off special edition cars, but the P4/5 by Pininfarina was an exception. It was made for film director James Glickenhaus, who has an affinity for Ferraris of yesteryear. Glickenhaus is the son of the stock exchange magnate Seth Glickenhaus. The design was inspired by the Ferrari 330 P4, but underneath it’s a Ferrari Enzo, with a project cost of $4 million and a Ferrari B140 B V12 that gives it 650 hp and an insane top speed of 233 mph.

14
ASTON MARTIN BULLDOG (1)

via Wikipedia
Aston Martins look a lot more aesthetically pleasing nowadays, but the Bulldog is a special car nonetheless—a one-off built in 1979, with a wedge-shape reminiscent of a Lamborghini Countach. It was powered by a twin-turbo 5.3-liter V8 that produced a massive 700 bhp and gave the supercar a top speed of 237 mph—insane for the late ‘70s, and even good for today! In 2012 it was on sale for $1.3 million.

13
BUGATTI CENTODIECI (10)

via Motor1
Bugatti is only making 10 of these $9-million supercars (all of which are already pre-sold), as an homage to the Bugatti EB110 supercar from the ‘90s. (“Centodieci” means 110 in Italian.) It was built in Northern Italy’s “Motor Valley,” near where Lambos, Ferraris, and Maseratis are built. In 2018, Bugatti outdid themselves again and introduced the “most expensive car ever sold,” the $19-million La Voiture Noire, with only one in existence. But we’re still marveling at the less-exclusive-but-still-super-exclusive 236-mph, 1,600-hp, 16-cylinder-powered Centodieci.

12
MCLAREN 720S VELOCITY/PACIFIC/TRACK THEME (3)

via Autocar
McLaren’s Special Operations division (MSO) has unveiled three specially commissioned, one-off supercars that went on display in 2018 and were sold to three individual owners. The 720S Velocity Theme, pictured here, was the first, followed by the Pacific Theme (painted in Cerulean blue) and Track Theme (painted in Anniversary White). The cars are completely bespoke on the inside, with hand-painted exterior flourishes.

11
KOENIGSEGG CCXR SPECIAL EDITION (2)

via Pinterest
Koenigsegg is another one of those hypercar/supercar companies that likes to put out one-offs and special edition vehicles just about every year, and we’re not complaining. The CCXR Special Edition is a one-of-two car by the Swedish manufacturer, built in 2007. The cars featured shimmering diamond-weave bodywork, twin-deck carbon fiber rear wings, and cost the two owners $4.8 million each. The twin-supercharged DOHC 4-valve V8 produces over 900 hp and a top speed of 249 mph!

10
KOENIGSEGG ONE:1 (7)

via Koenigsegg
Only six units—plus a prototype—of the One:1 supercar from Koenigsegg were built in 2014, making it one of the most exclusive cars of all time. It’s also one of the fastest, with a claimed top speed of 274 mph (the current top speed record is set by a Koenigsegg Agera R, which his 273 mph in 2017). All of the six One:1 cars were immediately sold. The name comes from the power-to-weight ratio which is a perfect 1,360 PS to 1,360 kg, giving it 1 PS per 1 kg mass. Its 5.0-liter twin-turbo V8 puts out 1,341 hp and 1,011 lb-ft of torque.

9
KOENIGSEGG AGERA FINAL EDITION (3)

via Motor1
There aren’t that many Koenigsegg Ageras in existence, and there are even less “Final Edition” or “FE” models. Only three exist, featured at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show as a sendoff for the last models of the car. The fully-customizable cars were combined with the Agera RS chassis and the One:1 engine. The first car unveiled was called the “One of One, which unique orange paint, while the other two unveiled in 2018 were aptly named the “Agera FE Vader” and “Agera FE Thor.”

8
MERCEDES-BENZ CLK GTR ROADSTER (5)

via Pinterest
The Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR is a supercar/race car produced by Mercedes-AMG in 1997, and then modified in 1998 for the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Only five models were ever produced: one test car for crash testing, one road-going version, and three race versions. As such, it’s one of the rarest Mercedes of all time. It uses an M119 HL V8 engine from Sauber C9/Sauber C11, which generated 600 hp and a 208-mph top speed. Chassis #005 was sold to a private collector in Japan after the 1998 season, and the road-going version also belongs in private hands.

7
LAMBORGHINI VENENO (5)

via YouTube/Gumbal
Probably the most righteous Lambo ever manufactured, the Veneno is a car that was developed in 2013 to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary. Only 5 coupes were made, and then 9 roadsters after that. It had a price of $4 million, making it the second-most expensive production car in the world at the time. Some of the owners are: Antonio Dominic (former Ferrari customer), Kris Singh (Managing Director of Tequesta Investments). Those two bought the car before even seeing it, by putting down their $4 million deposits.

6
MCLAREN F1 LM (6)

via Robb Report
The legendary McLaren F1 has a special edition under its belt: the LM, named for the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans race it raced in. Based on the F1 GTR, only six of these cars exist, including the prototype. The top speed is 225 mph, which is actually less than the standard version due to added aerodynamic drag. In 2019, an F1 LM sold for $19.8 million at an RM Sotheby’s California sale to a private collector, making it the most expensive McLaren and the 13th most expensive car ever sold.

5
NISSAN R390 GT1 (2)

via Motor1
Surprised to find Nissan on this list? Well, they have one of the most exclusive supercars ever built under their belt, the two-off R390 GT1. This street-legal supercar you’ve never heard of was designed for the 1997 and 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans. Of the two existing road cars, one was sold at a private auction, and another is stored at Nissan’s Zama facility. It’s capable of 220 mph and was originally offered for $1 million.

4
BRISTOL FIGHTER (9)

via Classic & Sports Car
The Bristol Fighter is a supercar coupe designed by former Brabham Formula One engineer Max Boxstrom. Its engine (and body shape) are based off the V10 Dodge Viper, but modified to produce 525 hp and a crazy top speed of 210 mph. Between nine and 14 were ever built, all featuring gullwing doors. This hand-made, Mopar-powered luxury car has the looks of a 300SL Mercedes, and the power of a Viper… making it possibly the coolest car we’d never heard of.

3
YAMAHA OX99-11 (3)

via Wikipedia
This crazy looking spaceship car is the Yamaha OX99-11’V12, a sports car designed by Yamaha’s subsidiary, Ypsilon Technology, and an English engineering consultancy called IAD. Three were produced in 1992, designed by Takura Yura, all of the prototypes, as the car never got off the ground. Still, those prototypes are now worth quite a bit, considering the car was supposed to have an asking price of $800,000 back in the early ‘90s! One is blue, one is red, and one is yellow. One is owned by JCP Trade, and another went on sale for $1.3 million in 2019.

2
PAGANI ZONDA HP BARCHETTA (3)

via Pinterest
We must mention the Pagani Zonda HP Barchetta because it’s a $23.65 million Zonda that was made with Pagani’s sole intention of making the most expensive car in the world (not sold at auction). Only three were made, with the “HP” standing for “Horacio Pagani.” It’s powered by a 6-liter bi-turbo V12 from AMG Mercedes and has 789 bhp. It’s made from carbon fiber and a chassis made of “carbo-titanium.” Pagani reserved one of the three cars as a 60th birthday present to himself.

1
LAMBORGHINI AVENTADOR J (1)

via Top Gear
One of the most exclusive Lamborghinis of all time is the Aventador J, which is just an Aventador with a chopped off roof, no windshield, and a fixed rear wing. The roofless V12-powered supercar fetched $2.8 million at the Geneva Motor Show in 2012 to an anonymous buyer. With 690 hp, it has a top speed of 217 mph. The J stands for “Jota,” in reference to the Lamborghini Miura Jota from the 1970s.

One-offs, limited editions, special editions… they’re all the rage in the supercar and hypercar world. These specially-built cars give companies like Pagani, Bugatti, Maybach, and others an excuse to build something epic and charge outrageous amounts of money—on top of the outrageous amounts that the base models usually cost.

It seems like supercars are a dime a dozen these days (some are still classics), but not these ultra-rare versions. All of these cars have 10 or fewer models in production, with 10 or fewer owners. Many are one-offs. Most of the owners are incredibly rich business magnates and people you’ve never heard of, though some celebrities are mixed in there.

The owners of these cars are part of a very exclusive club, and that’s by design. Everyone wants to be the sole owner of something, right?

Here are 20 rare supercars with fewer than 10 owners.

Continue Scrolling To Keep Reading
Click the button below to start this article in quick view


START NOW
20
ICONA VULCANO (1)

via Motor Authority
There’s only one example in existence of this $3.8-million supercar, the Icona Vulcano. It’s the only fully titanium car ever built (combined with carbon fiber), developed as a concept car by an experienced Italian designer, Claudio Lombardi. The car took over 10,000 hours of handcrafting to complete, and with its 6-liter supercharged V8, it has 680 hp and is capable of 220 mph and a 0-60 mph time of less than three seconds.

19
MAYBACH EXELERO (1)

via Motor1
At one point in time, the one-off Maybach Exelero was the most expensive “production” car in the world—production in quotes because there’s only one of it. This German super luxury car cost just $8 million, and was owned by American rapper Birdman, then Jay-Z took it off his hands when Birdman couldn’t make payments. The two-door coupe is 19 feet long, 7 feet wide, and weighs over 2.6 tons! It also has a top speed of 218 mph thanks to its 5.9-liter twin-turbocharged V12 engine.

18
W MOTORS LYKAN HYPERSPORT (7)

via Wikipedia
The super-rare limited-production Lykan HyperSport by W Motors is the only Lebanese supercar on this list. It was built in 2012 by Lebanese, French, and Italian designers. Only seven were built, each with a price tag of $3.4 million, making it the third-most-expensive production car at the time (behind the Lamborghini Veneno and Maybach Exelero). It has diamond-studded headlights, and ruby and sapphires integrated in the car. The Abu Dhabi police own one, and so does former MLB star Hector Olivera.

17
PAGANI ZONDA 760 RS (1)

via YouTube/TheTFJJ
We’re getting into questionable territory with the Pagani Zonda 760 RS one-off, because there have been about 10 different Pagani one-offs built. The car was built for a businessman from Chile, who is a close friend of Horacio Pagani’s, and a top customer. It features a tuned 7.3-liter V12 that produces 750 hp, and it’s made from carbon fiber, with a gaping roof intake and large fixed rear wing. Its top speed is around 220 mph.

16
TVR CERBERA SPEED 12 (1)

via Wikipedia
The TVR Cerbera Speed is a one-off supercar that you’ve probably never heard of. It was originally conceived to race in the GT1 series, but plans fell through and TVR as a company disbanded. Still, the Cerbera Speed 12 is an 860-bhp beast running on a V12 engine and a super lightweight shell, with a top speed of 240 mph and a claimed top speed faster than any car in the world, supposedly. TVR founder Peter Wheeler thought it was too unsafe for the road, but it was still strangely sold in a local Autotrader, according to Evo Magazine!

15
FERRARI P4/5 BY PININFARINA (1)

via Supercars
It’s pretty rare that Ferrari commissions one-off special edition cars, but the P4/5 by Pininfarina was an exception. It was made for film director James Glickenhaus, who has an affinity for Ferraris of yesteryear. Glickenhaus is the son of the stock exchange magnate Seth Glickenhaus. The design was inspired by the Ferrari 330 P4, but underneath it’s a Ferrari Enzo, with a project cost of $4 million and a Ferrari B140 B V12 that gives it 650 hp and an insane top speed of 233 mph.

14
ASTON MARTIN BULLDOG (1)

via Wikipedia
Aston Martins look a lot more aesthetically pleasing nowadays, but the Bulldog is a special car nonetheless—a one-off built in 1979, with a wedge-shape reminiscent of a Lamborghini Countach. It was powered by a twin-turbo 5.3-liter V8 that produced a massive 700 bhp and gave the supercar a top speed of 237 mph—insane for the late ‘70s, and even good for today! In 2012 it was on sale for $1.3 million.

13
BUGATTI CENTODIECI (10)

via Motor1
Bugatti is only making 10 of these $9-million supercars (all of which are already pre-sold), as an homage to the Bugatti EB110 supercar from the ‘90s. (“Centodieci” means 110 in Italian.) It was built in Northern Italy’s “Motor Valley,” near where Lambos, Ferraris, and Maseratis are built. In 2018, Bugatti outdid themselves again and introduced the “most expensive car ever sold,” the $19-million La Voiture Noire, with only one in existence. But we’re still marveling at the less-exclusive-but-still-super-exclusive 236-mph, 1,600-hp, 16-cylinder-powered Centodieci.

12
MCLAREN 720S VELOCITY/PACIFIC/TRACK THEME (3)

via Autocar
McLaren’s Special Operations division (MSO) has unveiled three specially commissioned, one-off supercars that went on display in 2018 and were sold to three individual owners. The 720S Velocity Theme, pictured here, was the first, followed by the Pacific Theme (painted in Cerulean blue) and Track Theme (painted in Anniversary White). The cars are completely bespoke on the inside, with hand-painted exterior flourishes.

11
KOENIGSEGG CCXR SPECIAL EDITION (2)

via Pinterest
Koenigsegg is another one of those hypercar/supercar companies that likes to put out one-offs and special edition vehicles just about every year, and we’re not complaining. The CCXR Special Edition is a one-of-two car by the Swedish manufacturer, built in 2007. The cars featured shimmering diamond-weave bodywork, twin-deck carbon fiber rear wings, and cost the two owners $4.8 million each. The twin-supercharged DOHC 4-valve V8 produces over 900 hp and a top speed of 249 mph!

10
KOENIGSEGG ONE:1 (7)

via Koenigsegg
Only six units—plus a prototype—of the One:1 supercar from Koenigsegg were built in 2014, making it one of the most exclusive cars of all time. It’s also one of the fastest, with a claimed top speed of 274 mph (the current top speed record is set by a Koenigsegg Agera R, which his 273 mph in 2017). All of the six One:1 cars were immediately sold. The name comes from the power-to-weight ratio which is a perfect 1,360 PS to 1,360 kg, giving it 1 PS per 1 kg mass. Its 5.0-liter twin-turbo V8 puts out 1,341 hp and 1,011 lb-ft of torque.

9
KOENIGSEGG AGERA FINAL EDITION (3)

via Motor1
There aren’t that many Koenigsegg Ageras in existence, and there are even less “Final Edition” or “FE” models. Only three exist, featured at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show as a sendoff for the last models of the car. The fully-customizable cars were combined with the Agera RS chassis and the One:1 engine. The first car unveiled was called the “One of One, which unique orange paint, while the other two unveiled in 2018 were aptly named the “Agera FE Vader” and “Agera FE Thor.”

8
MERCEDES-BENZ CLK GTR ROADSTER (5)

via Pinterest
The Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR is a supercar/race car produced by Mercedes-AMG in 1997, and then modified in 1998 for the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Only five models were ever produced: one test car for crash testing, one road-going version, and three race versions. As such, it’s one of the rarest Mercedes of all time. It uses an M119 HL V8 engine from Sauber C9/Sauber C11, which generated 600 hp and a 208-mph top speed. Chassis #005 was sold to a private collector in Japan after the 1998 season, and the road-going version also belongs in private hands.

7
LAMBORGHINI VENENO (5)

via YouTube/Gumbal
Probably the most righteous Lambo ever manufactured, the Veneno is a car that was developed in 2013 to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary. Only 5 coupes were made, and then 9 roadsters after that. It had a price of $4 million, making it the second-most expensive production car in the world at the time. Some of the owners are: Antonio Dominic (former Ferrari customer), Kris Singh (Managing Director of Tequesta Investments). Those two bought the car before even seeing it, by putting down their $4 million deposits.

6
MCLAREN F1 LM (6)

via Robb Report
The legendary McLaren F1 has a special edition under its belt: the LM, named for the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans race it raced in. Based on the F1 GTR, only six of these cars exist, including the prototype. The top speed is 225 mph, which is actually less than the standard version due to added aerodynamic drag. In 2019, an F1 LM sold for $19.8 million at an RM Sotheby’s California sale to a private collector, making it the most expensive McLaren and the 13th most expensive car ever sold.

5
NISSAN R390 GT1 (2)

via Motor1
Surprised to find Nissan on this list? Well, they have one of the most exclusive supercars ever built under their belt, the two-off R390 GT1. This street-legal supercar you’ve never heard of was designed for the 1997 and 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans. Of the two existing road cars, one was sold at a private auction, and another is stored at Nissan’s Zama facility. It’s capable of 220 mph and was originally offered for $1 million.

4
BRISTOL FIGHTER (9)

via Classic & Sports Car
The Bristol Fighter is a supercar coupe designed by former Brabham Formula One engineer Max Boxstrom. Its engine (and body shape) are based off the V10 Dodge Viper, but modified to produce 525 hp and a crazy top speed of 210 mph. Between nine and 14 were ever built, all featuring gullwing doors. This hand-made, Mopar-powered luxury car has the looks of a 300SL Mercedes, and the power of a Viper… making it possibly the coolest car we’d never heard of.

3
YAMAHA OX99-11 (3)

via Wikipedia
This crazy looking spaceship car is the Yamaha OX99-11’V12, a sports car designed by Yamaha’s subsidiary, Ypsilon Technology, and an English engineering consultancy called IAD. Three were produced in 1992, designed by Takura Yura, all of the prototypes, as the car never got off the ground. Still, those prototypes are now worth quite a bit, considering the car was supposed to have an asking price of $800,000 back in the early ‘90s! One is blue, one is red, and one is yellow. One is owned by JCP Trade, and another went on sale for $1.3 million in 2019.

2
PAGANI ZONDA HP BARCHETTA (3)

via Pinterest
We must mention the Pagani Zonda HP Barchetta because it’s a $23.65 million Zonda that was made with Pagani’s sole intention of making the most expensive car in the world (not sold at auction). Only three were made, with the “HP” standing for “Horacio Pagani.” It’s powered by a 6-liter bi-turbo V12 from AMG Mercedes and has 789 bhp. It’s made from carbon fiber and a chassis made of “carbo-titanium.” Pagani reserved one of the three cars as a 60th birthday present to himself.

1
LAMBORGHINI AVENTADOR J (1)

via Top Gear
One of the most exclusive Lamborghinis of all time is the Aventador J, which is just an Aventador with a chopped off roof, no windshield, and a fixed rear wing. The roofless V12-powered supercar fetched $2.8 million at the Geneva Motor Show in 2012 to an anonymous buyer. With 690 hp, it has a top speed of 217 mph. The J stands for “Jota,” in reference to the Lamborghini Miura Jota from the 1970s.

When the latest JL-generation Jeep Wrangler finally debuted in 2017 for the 2018 model year, the off-roading and overlanding communities went all abuzz with excitement. It's still hard to believe that the Wrangler is only in its fourth iteration, which only makes sense because the name went into usage in 1986 on a vehicle that drew heavily on its predecessors.

But despite more comfortable on-road driving characteristics, improvements in the way of creature comforts and some nods to Wranglers gone past (like easily removable doors and a revised grille), the JL has proven to be a problem on the trail. Unfortunately for Jeep, the many off-roading and overlanding streaming channels have fully documented issues like engine failures and even spontaneous combustion.

The JL and its truck sibling, the Gladiator, are also getting pretty expensive, especially in Rubicon trim. So for anyone who wants a cheap, used off-roader that isn't going to catch fire at any moment, keep scrolling for 8 SUVs that are tougher than the Jeep Wrangler. On the flip side, we cover 8 more that just can't keep up.

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16
TOUGHER THAN A WRANGLER: MITSUBISHI MONTERO
via YouTube
In the United States, the Jeep Wrangler may reign supreme as the best off-roader on the market during any given era, but the rest of the world knows that that's simply not true.

Instead, probably the greatest off-road vehicle of all time is the Mitsubishi Montero, which has dominated the Dakar Rally over the years under the Pajero nameplate.

15
TOUGHER THAN A WRANGLER: TOYOTA 4RUNNER
via Pinterest
When it comes to tough, rugged off-roading, getting up a steep hill or climbing over a boulder might seem like the be-all, end-all goal. But getting home reliably is equally as important, which is why the Toyota 4Runner holds its value unlike many other cars on the market.

Plus, with plentiful aftermarket mods available, anything the Wrangler can do, the 4Runner can do better – and it won't catch on fire, either.

14
TOUGHER THAN A WRANGLER: TOYOTA LAND CRUISER
via IH8MUD Forum
The Toyota 4Runner's big brother is the Land Cruiser, which just looks perfectly set up for overlanding in the picture above. Japanese engineering during the 1990s was at an all-time high (though today, the J70 model is still built for the rest of the world). These are bigger rigs that can haul more people and gear more reliably than pretty much any Wrangler.

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TOUGHER THAN A WRANGLER: ISUZU TROOPER
via CATUNED Off-Road
Another often forgotten Japanese 4x4 is the Isuzu Trooper. In many ways the true competitor to the Montero/Pajero, the Trooper has slightly boxier styling and all the great off-road features anyone could want. Plus, they're cheaper than dirt, which makes them a great option for anyone looking to replace their recently conflagrated Wrangler.

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TOUGHER THAN A WRANGLER: HONDA PASSPORT
via Top Speed
Honda couldn't just sit around and let the likes of Toyota, Mitsubishi, and Isuzu take over the SUV market during the 1990s. The Passport was Honda's entrant into the emerging sector, with styling that has become a cult classic to this day. Plus, as usual, these were Hondas engineered and built to the highest standards.

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TOUGHER THAN A WRANGLER: ISUZU RODEO
via Pinterest
The Honda Passport has a twin sibling in the form of the Isuzu Rodeo. Basically the same vehicle inside and out, the Passport and Rodeo both make excellent platforms for off-roading rigs, especially given that they'll run for approximately forever with little in the way of maintenance or repairs, unlike the Jeep Wrangler.

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TOUGHER THAN A WRANGLER: NISSAN PATHFINDER
via Autowise
Nissan jumped into the late-1980s SUV ring with the Pathfinder, a stellar truck that can pretty much take anything the world can throw at it without breaking a sweat. Though it might resemble the Honda Passport and Isuzu Rodeo from afar, check out those rear door handles – what else could be more perfectly 1980s?

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TOUGHER THAN A WRANGLER: INFINITI FX45

via 4x4projects
When it comes to reliable and rugged off-roaders, there's no arguing that 1990s-era Japanese products are typically the best of the best. But there are a few exceptions, including the spectacular Infiniti FX45, which debuted for the 2003 model year.

With an aluminum V8 and an all-wheel-drive system shared with the legendary Nissan Skyline GT-R, all at bargain-basement prices these days, a used FX45 is always a good idea.

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CAN'T KEEP UP: JEEP CHEROKEE

via CarGurus
The Jeep Wrangler might inspire some would-be off-roaders to hit the trail, but that has as much to do with Jeep's history as anything else. And Jeep's history has been mostly great, until the modern era took rugged 4x4 vehicles and turned them into overcomplicated, electronic gremlins.

Case in point is the 2014 Cherokee, which is basically a front-wheel-drive minivan with a bit of an upgrade – and don't ask about transmission problems.

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CAN'T KEEP UP: ACURA MDX

via MDXers
Acura might be the luxury division of Honda, but there seems to be a widening gap between the two brands. Acura has tried to build a successful luxury SUV for decades now without hitting on a major success. A few people have even taken their MDX off-roading, which from pics of problems, seems like a terrible idea.

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CAN'T KEEP UP: KIA SPORTAGE

via YouTube
Kia might be world-renowned for offering 10-year warranties on its vehicles, but there's still a reason these Korean cars sell so cheap. Case in point is the first gen Kia Sportage, which did, surprisingly, offer four-wheel-drive. But no one should go out and buy a used Sportage for pennies on the dollar, because they'll just get disappointed in every way.

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CAN'T KEEP UP: VOLVO XC90

via YouTube
Volvo's automotive design has taken a major step up since the days of brick-like sedans and wagons (though fans might argue otherwise). Unfortunately, the Swedish firm seems more interested in looks and creature comforts than actual performance and reliability, as evidenced by Consumer Reports' terrible grading. Also, it’s supported by the still above from a video of an XC90 – which is shod in "Mud & Snow” tires – struggling to move on little more than wet grass.

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CAN'T KEEP UP: JEEP RENEGADE

via autoevolution
Another misguided adventure undertaken as part of Fiat Chrysler's unfortunate ownership of Jeep is the Renegade. The attempt to create a hip, cool-looking little SUV simply failed – from the design to the actual engineering, it was more of a crossover than anything else. Imagine getting high-centered at an event that's specifically supposed to show off the Renegade's capabilities.

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CAN'T KEEP UP: BMW X5

via autoevolution
BMW might have helped to pioneer the concept of the luxury SUV with the X5 and the earlier years might now be available for cheap on the used market, but that doesn't mean it's a good idea to buy one. BMW owners who love the way their cars and SUVs drive on the tarmac have to live with constant overheating and cooling problems, which doesn't make for a great time when heading out on the trail.

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CAN'T KEEP UP: LAND ROVER DISCOVERY

via Land Rover Forums
Few SUVs on the used market can claim the kinds of depreciation stats that the unfortunate Land Rover Discovery has earned. The photo above just about sums up Disco ownership, which proves the old saying that anyone buying a British car had better buy two, since one will be in the shop at any given time.

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CAN'T KEEP UP: VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG

via Reddit
On paper, the Volkswagen Touareg sounds wonderful. With a turbodiesel V10 engine, up to three fully locking differentials, and optional air-lift suspension that can raise the rig up to eight inches, what's not to love? Well, it turns out that anything more than routine maintenance requires an engine drop, plus electrical gremlins plague the Touareg constantly.

I will offer 800k.

I will offer 800k.

Bro you don't need any mechanics on that....... what you need is for you to get a rewire good one and just change the brain box of that car...

That's very bad... And ignorant on our so call youth... The government will still use the state �money to repair those belonging / property vandalized.
Our education/parenting system still have very long way to go....