ISSUE35
SPRING2020
THE SUPERCAR OWNERS MAGAZINE
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THE TEAM Matt Parker
Editor & Membership Manager
matt@supercar-driver.com
Riad Ariane Photographer
riad@supercar-driver.com
Luke Earnshaw Creative Manager
luke@supercar-driver.com
Debbie Winstanley Accounts & Office Manager
debbie@supercar-driver.com
Jonty Wydell
I am sat at home writing this in our first week of ‘lockdown’ — what a crazy turn of events we have seen in recent weeks.
We are, of course, disappointed to have to cancel all events in the coming weeks and months but it is insignificant when looking at the bigger picture with NHS staff risking their lives on the frontline. Respect to them.
We sincerely hope this edition offers you some respite and is enjoyed by everyone it reaches. One thing we do love to see online is the pleasure it brings you all when it lands on your doormat, so do keep those Instagram story posts coming!
We continue to plan for the future when life returns to normality and we intend to make up for lost miles later in the year.
In the meantime, we will do our best to keep you smiling with newsletters looking back at various aspects of SCD over the last 10 years. Best wishes to all SCD members for your safety and well-being.
Tour Manager & Writer
jonty@supercar-driver.com
Paul Owen
Adam Thorby Director & Co-Founder
adam@supercar-driver.com
Writer
paul@supercar-driver.com
Supercar Driver Ltd, Unit 1 Meadowhall Riverside, Meadowhall Road, Sheffield, S9 1BW
Tim Hanlon Writer
tim@supercar-driver.com
Rob Ward Writer
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Jonathan Hildred Writer
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On the cover • 67
FEATURES 32 36 50 60 76 78 104
The Holy Trinity - Romans International
10 That Got Away - Chris Lee
Oversteer & Understeer - Suspension Secrets
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The Race Car Collection You Didn’t Know About
67 92 98 115 121
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Ferrari 430 Scuderia, Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera and Porsche 997 GT3 RS
The Perfect Space - Members Collection
When Everything Is Special, Nothing Is Special - 10 Years of SCD
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Track Focused Passion - Members Collection Audi R8 V10 Plus Spyder
108
Tom Hartley Interview
Ferrari 575M and Aston Martin Vanquish S
Aston Martin Vantage
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100 Rare Cars, One Square Mile - London Concours
Porsche 911 Speedster and Porsche 718 GT4
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Focus on - McGurk Performance Cars
DRIVEN 52
MEMBERS’ RIDES
EVENTS 07 88 142
Spas & Cars - Grantley Hall
Topaz Bristol Breakfast Meet Past Events
Ginetta G55 SuperCup
Aston Martin DB11 AMR Hummer H1 BMW M2
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Copyright ÂŽ 2020 Supercar Driver Limited. All photographs, advertisements and editorial content has been used with permission of the owners and may not be copied, duplicated or reused without written permission. Magazine created and edited for and on behalf of Supercar Driver Limited. Content including words and photographs remains copyright of the original author/photographer and used with permission.
LEEDS
BEAUTIFUL IS RELENTLESS
astonmartin.com
Aston Martin Leeds, Ring Road, Lower Wortley, Leeds LS12 6AA | 0113 389 0777 | leeds.astonmartindealers.com Indicative fuel consumption figures in litres/100km (mpg) for the 2020 MY Aston Martin DBX: urban 12.2 (23.1); extra urban 13.5 (20.8); combined 14.3 (19.7). CO2 emissions 269g/ km. The mpg/fuel economy figures quoted are sourced from regulated test results obtained through laboratory testing. These figures are strictly indicative and preliminary and are for early comparability purposes only and may not reflect your real driving experience, which may vary depending on factors including road conditions, weather, vehicle load and driving style. These early prototype figures are intended for indicative comparability purposes. This vehicle is not yet for sale and this information is based on a prototype. The fuel consumption you may achieve under real life driving conditions and CO2 produced will depend upon a number of factors including the accessories fitted after registration, variations in driving styles, weather conditions and vehicle load. The official figures for this vehicle will be released prior to and accompanying this vehicle being made for sale to the public. This information will be updated as testing continues.
SPAS & CARS
G R A N T L E Y
H A L L
Our first Spas & Cars event shifts the focus on the other halves used to enduring the passenger seat, bringing a new aspect to a day out in the cars. Written by: Matt Parker
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As drivers, we love a good week crossing the incredible roads of the Alps, but it’s not always fun and games for our passengers being thrown around for hours on end, so much so that other halves sometimes opt to stay at base and enjoy a relaxing day at the spa to settle the adrenaline levels. With this in mind, Spas & Cars was born as a way of keeping things going out of peak season, and for once aimed at the other halves in the passenger seat. Our first venue was the worldclass Grantley Hall in North Yorkshire and we were blessed with our first day of glorious spring weather. Having recently opened after a four-year, several-million-pound refurbishment, Grantley Hall is already grabbing headlines as an award-winning luxury country house hotel set in stunning parkland. With a marble-clad pool, spa with thermal experience and snow room, gracious bedrooms, and chef Shaun Rankin leading a swathe of dining options, what better place for us to visit?
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Obviously we can’t ignore the drivers, so the day started with a two-and-a-half-hour drive in the picturesque Dales, with afternoon tea served on return to Grantley Hall, followed by test drives thanks to JCT600 Aston Martin and Rolls Royce and time to chill in the spa, all rounded off with a group meal in the evening. Due to popular demand, we will be running another later in the year, so be quick if you want to get involved!
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Porsche Centre Sheffield Sheffield Road Meadowhall Sheffield S9 2FZ 0114 256 4455 info@porschesheffield.co.uk www.porschesheffield.co.uk
We join father and son SCD members Nigel and Harry with their matching 911 Speedster and 718 GT4 to talk about their shared passion for cars, especially those from Stuttgart.
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Where did your passion for cars start?
My passion for cars started as a child, playing with cars as most boys do, and maybe girls these days. From toy cars, pedal cars, go karts, then going onto bicycles, and I actually applied for my driving test before I was 17 as I wanted to pass as soon as I could. Sadly, I failed and had to take it again! The passion for cars has always been there though.
Tell us about your car history.
My car history really starts from my very first car which was a Vauxhall Cavalier, registration number DED 551S. That was the most I could afford on a car; it was £1,000 and I ended up borrowing £600 from my dad to buy it, then after that I had a Datsun 100A. The dream back then was to have a Ford Escort RS2000 or an XR3i when that came out a few years later! When I was 18, I got an Astra GTE Mk1, and I would say that was my first ‘super’ car, as I would call it. I felt a million dollars driving around in that car! The only car I saw as above it was the Ford Capri 2.8i, which is also a car I would have signed my soul away for at that time.
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The first time I spent more than £10,000 on a car was a BMW M5. Sadly I only had it two months before the engine blew up! My first Porsche was a 911, then I had one of the very first Cayennes in the country, and my first proper supercar, if that’s the word, was a Ferrari F355. From there I was into both Ferraris and Porsches, and now, because I like to drive them on track, Porsche has become the preferred brand, although I do still love Ferraris and think they’re magical. Lamborghinis are maybe not my taste although they do look great and sound great. I think, if it wasn’t for the reliability issues they seem to have, McLaren is an amazing brand too, but we stick with Porsches.
What Porsches have you had over the last few years?
We’ve always had Porsches for the last 20 years, but over the last few years, we’ve definitely gone Porsche mad. Four years ago, I really treated myself to a 911 Turbo in PTS orange, but being in SCD and turning up in a Turbo is suddenly not quite as wow as everybody else! So then we ended up in a 991 GT3 RS alongside Harry’s 718 Cayman GTS and a C4S Cab, all in Lava Orange, and we’ve just progressed from there with an original GT4 and 991.2 GT3 coming after.
We just love the brand, we love the quality, we love how they drive on track. They never fail to amaze us. We haven’t taken the new GT4 on track yet but we can’t wait to, because if it drives anything like the previous model, then it’ll be one of the best driver’s cars we’ve ever had, maybe even better than the GT3 RS and the mighty GT2! I think the GT4 is the best Porsche pound for pound.
What is your favourite Porsche?
My favourite Porsche is actually one I no longer own, the GT3 RS. I look at a GT3 RS and my eyes turn into little love hearts. I think the car is the most phenomenal all-round motor. I have the Speedster now though, so I’m giving that a try, and I have a Turbo S Cab which I find is an amazing day-to-day car. For actual physical driving though, I have to say the GT4 has given me the most smiles per mile.
N I G E L
S P E E D S T E R
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Do you get all your cars from a particular dealer?
We get very well looked after by Porsche Sheffield. Porsche dealers can be hard work, but we’re always welcomed, get a drink and a piece of cake!
Is there any car you’ve wanted and been unable to get?
I really wanted a GT2 RS, because it was a step above the GT3 RS having another 200bhp, but after driving one around Silverstone, I came back to the realisation that the GT3 RS, despite having less power, was the better driving experience for me. I would still love a GT2 RS, and if they were the same money then maybe I would have one. I’d say it still is the dream, because a bit like the Speedster, when you’re driving a GT2 RS, you definitely feel special.
How did it feel when you found out you could get a Speedster?
When I found out from Porsche Sheffield that we could get a Speedster, the feeling was immense. So much so that both myself and Harry hugged each other and almost felt like crying! The day I picked the car up was one of the most magical and best moments of ever picking a car up in my life. I’d forgotten how much I loved the car, and when I saw it, I fell in love with it again and it definitely filled me with emotion again — I actually cried the day I picked the car up! I often forget that, with this car, I don’t quite look at it with the same loving eyes as the GT3 RS, but then when I bring it out and look at it, I think god it is beautiful isn’t it? Honestly, I didn’t think I’d be keeping this car. I thought I’d be swapping it for a GT2 or GT3 RS, but now I think it’s a special car, you’re not going to see many of them, so I’m going to keep it and live with it. It’s a fabulous thing to drive too, basically a 911R convertible!
Talk us through the spec of the Speedster.
When you’re buying any car, it’s always hard to choose the spec and the colour. With this one, it was going to be Carmine Red, but then we decided on Miami Blue. It was a bit of a gamble because it’s a little bit of an unusual colour, and the comfort seats with the yellow stitching are another unusual thing on a Speedster, but the car just works so well when you see it.
It has every option you can put on it, but another unusual thing on my Speedster that you won’t see on anyone else’s; when you open the doors, it says @supercarnigel on the door sills!
What is it like to drive?
The sad bit about the car is I still don’t really know what it’s like to drive. From the little bit of driving I’ve done in the car, it’s absolutely phenomenal to drive. It’s unreal, it’s so exciting and thrilling.
Would you rather have a Speedster or a GT3 RS?
Truthfully, I’d like both. For pleasure and the SCD tour we’re going on this year though, I know full well I’m going to love being in the Speedster so much more than a GT3 RS. On the road, the Speedster has the edge, but for track, the GT3 RS.
What’s it like sharing your passion for cars with your son?
My first son isn’t into cars at all; when I got my first Ferrari, it didn’t bother him one little bit, Harry is obviously different! The fact that I love cars and Harry loves cars is great — there’s nothing better to be honest.
How has SCD impacted your experience with the cars?
Owning a supercar is great, but I can tell you now, it’s a half-baked cake. If you want a fullbaked cake with the icing on top, then join a club like SCD. It has completely taken over our lives and certainly taken a lot of money out of my pocket! I don’t mean that in the sense of being in the club, but in the sense of the cars and the trips we do, but they’re worth every penny – we love it!
We’ve been on drives around Wales, on a Scotland tour, this year we’re doing one starting in Germany and going through France and Spain. They’re amazing tours and amazing meetups, and you talk to like-minded people. It’s been an absolute blessing joining SCD, one of the best things I’ve ever done, apart from marrying my wife!
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Is your dad responsible for your love of cars?
My dad has definitely influenced my love of cars. Obviously growing up with him and the different cars he’s had, as soon as I could drive, it was a case of what can I get? What can we drive? What can we do? He introduced me to track days and pushing the cars a little bit more, and ever since we’ve had outings with SCD, more track days, and we’ve just always loved cars.
What’s been your favourite car experience so far?
Obviously there are so many of them, but I would say my favourite was the SCD Porsche GT drive. We went to Wales with a group of GT cars, stayed over a couple of days, toured around the beautiful Welsh roads and went on Black Rock Sands like a big group of Skittles. We loved every minute!
Tell us about buying the 718 GT4.
The car I loved more than any was the 981 Cayman GT4. I just felt that car was brilliant, it suited me so well, the manual gearbox, the feel of it. I absolutely loved it. On the track, on the road, it just seemed so perfect, and obviously with the new 718 GT4 coming out, both me and my dad couldn’t wait for the opportunity to maybe get one.
We got the allocation, and initially we went with a different spec to what we ended up with. We chose the Crayon colour which we love with gold wheels, which again we loved. Once we came away and thought about it, we do like the bright and out there colours, and my dad had specced the Speedster in Miami Blue at this point, so we said why not get them to match. So, we went with Miami Blue with black wheels, and now it’s arrived and we’ve got them both together, it just works so well and I’m so pleased we did that. They just look brilliant as a pair. Collection day is probably something I’ll remember for a long time. I turned up to work as normal, popped out for lunch at a pizza place we like to eat at and all of a sudden, as we pulled in, there were supercars in the car park. There were Ferraris, McLarens and other Porsches, so I said, “What’s going off here?!”, and obviously at that point, it turned out my dad had surprised me with the collection day of the GT4, which was an incredible, lovely thing. He’d organised for all these friends to be there, and it really was a day I won’t forget.
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H A R R Y
G T 4
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What is it like to drive?
Having the previous generation which was so amazing, I think all Porsche have done is take an already phenomenal car and slightly tweak and improve everything about it. The car drives incredibly as the other did. It’s mid-engine, balanced so well, so agile and nimble. It’s more powerful and you can tell it pulls a lot quicker and the gears are shorter. I absolutely love it.
Do you prefer it to the 981 GT4?
No one can deny how good the 981 GT4 is, especially for the value of them. They’re just incredible. In my opinion, pound for pound the best Porsche there is, and the new one had to live up to that really high standard, and I think it has jumped over that bar. It really has improved in so many ways. Not just because it’s more modern now with the systems inside, but just the feel of it, the looks of it are far better in my opinion, the power, the gearbox.
The only downside I would say is the sound of it. It’s not a bad sound. It still sounds lovely, it’s just the 981, as you’ll know if you’ve had one or been around one, sounded quite incredible. That’s the only slight niggle I would have with it, but the JCR exhaust should fix that!
GT4 or GT3?
The GT3, there’s no doubt, is incredible, and in a lot of ways just as good or even better than the RS for driveability, usability and just the feel of it on the road. The GT4, I would say, for me, is a better car all round. I love the GT4, I just think it feels so balanced, the power it has just suits the car so well, it’s even more nimble. I think on track, it’s alright saying this car has so much more power, but it’s not about that on track, it’s a case of how it handles the power. They’re both phenomenal cars, but for me, especially in terms of value, the GT4 just pips it. For the same money, it’d be very difficult! @supercarnigel @supercarharry
Watch the video on youtube.com
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W H E R E LUXU RY S TA RTS , N EC E SS IT Y S TO P S
STORAGE
EST. 1984
SECURITY
henryscarbarn.co.uk
DETAILING
07771 888 175
LOGISTICS
henryscarbarn.co.uk
unplanned purchase SCD member and director of First Point Insurance, Andrew Palmer, talks to us about his passion for cars and his latest unplanned purchase.
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How did you get involved with SCD?
One of my clients, a rather well-known Bugatti owner within SCD, brought me along to the Secret Meet at Bruntingthorpe in 2017. From there I saw what the club was about and instantly knew that I had to join. As an insurance business, it seemed like something we’d very much want to get involved with and support and sponsor as well, so it seemed obvious for me to join.
Tell us a little about First Point Insurance.
We predominantly insure high-value cars, houses and jewellery. We do everything really nowadays, life, medical, commercial insurance, but we started the business around cars, and 22 years later, that’s still our main focus. We’re insuring some of the world’s most valuable cars, some of the best collections in the UK. We do the big-ticket stuff but also the more everyday supercar owners where it’s just one car and their pride and joy – that’s our core market.
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Where did your passion for cars come from?
That’s easy. I grew up in Brackley which, as some people may know is just down the road from Silverstone, and has been home to various Formula 1 teams over the years. As a kid, I’d stand in the garden on Grand Prix weekend, and in the days before noise limits, you could actually hear the cars whizzing around the track from seven miles away. Brackley itself used to be full of Lambos and Ferraris, I can’t remember the models as I was too young at the time, but it was full of that type of thing. Then as I got a little bit older into my teens, I did a little bit of work at Silverstone where I bumped into Ayton Senna (literally, I almost knocked him over!) and met Michael Schumacher. Michael spent about half an hour talking to a group of us while the team did something with his car during free practice – he was really nice! Growing up around that area is what really sparked my passion. Then when I started working, I found myself in insurance, not by design, but I thought if I’m going to do this, I’m going to do it about something I love, which is cars.
...the Aston feels more like it wants to take off, it’s definitely livelier at the tail. It keeps trying to kill me...
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Tell us about your car history.
My very first car was nothing very exciting. It was an N reg, 1974 orange Mini. As I got a little bit older it got a bit more interesting, I won’t bore you with the dodgy ones in between! I guess my first interesting car was probably an M3 Evo back in the day when they were out. I think I had the 14th Aston Martin V8 Vantage when they came off the production line in 2005. That car was probably a little bit too early as it didn’t last long with a few problems! I’ve had a number of M cars since then, M3s, M4s, M6. I had an SL500 and then the AMG GT S Edition 1 I still have now. In between, I’ve also had a few interesting things through our work. Because we’re looking after high-end cars for a lot of our customers, we have arrangements where we provide them with cars in the event of accidents, so I’m constantly given cars as well! California, 458, Aventador, 720S, Bentleys – I’ve driven a lot of stuff, so it’s all good!
How did you end up with the Vantage?
Well, it wasn’t a planned purchase at all! I spent a week in the Alps with SCD, and Jonty was driving a Vantage from XL Leasing, another sponsor of the club. Whilst I wasn’t in his group, probably because we could never keep up, he was telling us how good and how much fun the car was every day.
We were out through work just before Christmas seeing some of our introducers, one of which was an Aston dealer. It was there in the showroom and I got talking to the salesman about it, then the next thing I knew, five days later it was on my drive! It was totally unexpected, but I just fell in love with the car and the colour. I think the colour is quite unique, the interior is good, and it just ticked all the boxes for me.
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Tell us about the spec of the car.
To be honest with you, I can’t give you a full list because it was sat in the showroom and I said yeah I’ll have it, but the colour is an Aston Martin Q division colour called Cosmos Orange, it has Alcantara interior and the eight-speed auto box. I’ve since modified it a bit. I met James from a company called David Appleby Engineering at the SCD New Year Meet. He had a Vantage with him and I thought ooh, that looks nice, he’s got a few tweaks on that! So I had a chat with James and I’ve now tweaked the exhausts with decats and bigger tailpipes which fill out the space that Aston didn’t really do a proper job with, and changed the side grills too. I’m really happy with the job they’ve done and it definitely sounds different now!
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How does it compare to the AMG GT S?
It’s totally different. I was expecting them to be more similar because they obviously have the same engine. Interior-wise, it does have some Mercedes detailing, the main control system is all the same, but the drive is totally different. I haven’t quite decided yet which car I prefer.
I love the AMG. I think it’s a brilliant car and I’ve spent a lot of time in it so I’m very comfortable with it. The AMG feels a lot more planted to me, whereas the Aston feels more like it wants to take off, it’s definitely livelier at the tail. It keeps trying to kill me, but so far, I’m all good! Despite that, the Aston feels a lot smoother overall than the AMG, which feels more aggressive to me.
Is it a keeper?
The answer would probably be yes, but the deal I’ve done with Aston means no. In a couple of years, I’ll probably be swapping for another one. I see they’ve just announced the Vantage Roadster and that looks nice, so maybe I’ll swap for that.
Any more car purchases on the horizon?
Well, I’m not really a big planner in life, which for someone who works in insurance doesn’t sound right, but I’ve always been a bit of a risk-taker and an on-the-fly kind of person when it comes to what I’m going to buy. I think if it wasn’t for the Aston, I’d be looking to buy a Ferrari or Lambo this year. As a kid around Silverstone, Lambos were always the ones for me, so I’m torn. I think it’s just about finding the right car at the right time, but it’ll probably be Italian. @firstpointuk
Watch the video on youtube.com
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MOTOR
|
HOME
|
LIFE
|
BUSINESS
P ROTECTING ROTECTIN G your PA S S I ON Extraordinary protection from people who care. For your cars, home, lifestyle and business. All with exclusive SCD members’ pricing and benefits, call us on 01604 498880 to discover more.
First Point Insurance Management Ltd is registered in England No. 3521771, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority No. 310158. The Financial Conduct Authority’s register is available at register.fca.org.uk. First Point Financial Management Ltd is registered in England No. 9444714. First Point Financial Management is a trading style of Lifetime Financial Management Ltd, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Register number 448415. Lifetime Financial Management Ltd is registered in England and Wales No. 3652194.
The Holy Trinity Time to Pass the Torch?
Tom from Romans International discusses the holy trinity from Ferrari, McLaren and Porsche, and whether their time is up at the top of the hypercar tree. Written by: Tom Jaconelli
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It’s no secret we are approaching a new generation of hypercars with the Aston Martin Valkyrie finally due out towards the end of this year, soon to be followed by the long-awaited Mercedes-AMG One. We’ve also just seen the very first McLaren Speedtail being delivered and I can’t imagine it will be too long before we start hearing about new hypercars from Porsche and Ferrari. So, what does this mean for the previous generation of hypercars, in particular the Porsche 918 Spyder, McLaren P1 and LaFerrari, affectionately known as the holy trinity.
These three cars spearheaded what was a pretty crazy market over the last six or seven years, and I believe they have changed the game in more ways than one. Plug-in hybrid technology was the big headline when they were first introduced, taking performance to unprecedented levels. Whilst hybrid and electric cars are now becoming more mainstream, the holy trinity was undoubtedly the trailblazer. Perhaps equally
significant, such was their desirability in a strong market, never before had our industry seen such surges in values for what were essentially brand-new modern cars.
Considering how expensive they were, the growing demand for them went truly off the scale. It wasn’t uncommon at its peak to see LaFerraris retailing at close to £3 million — almost triple its original price — and the same could be said for the Porsche 918 Spyder which, due to the strength of the pound at the time of its release, had a base price of just over £500,000. The McLaren P1 reached, at the very least, double its original £866,000 base price, so these three cars were really setting a new benchmark in just how much people were prepared to pay for the latest supercars. Whilst prices have now settled back down, they are still retailing for more than their original list price, despite in some cases being six
years old, and still to this day, it’s hard to argue against them being the most desirable cars on the planet. We have had the McLaren Senna which has somewhat divided opinion, we’ve had the Bugatti Chiron which is generally seen as more of an evolution of the Veyron rather than anything truly game-changing, the latest Paganis and Koenigseggs certainly tug on the heartstrings and are impressive in their own right, but it has never felt like they have come close to the overall mass appeal of the holy trinity.
Whilst it was hard to separate the holy trinity initially in terms of lap times and speed, they do have individual character traits which have helped define and differentiate them. There is no denying the 918 Spyder is the most usable of the three cars with its four-wheel-drive system, removable hard-top roof, and is seen by many as the most technologically advanced car of the trio. The McLaren P1 is the rarest of the three and
probably has the rawest, most visceral driving experience, plus it will always be remembered as the successor to the legendary McLaren F1. The LaFerrari is still the ultimate for many people. Its V12 is the best sounding engine of the lot and the most powerful, it’s by far the most valuable and it has arguably the most historical significance.
With the government recently announcing the ban of not just petrol and diesel cars by 2035, but also of hybrid cars too, the holy trinity already represents a dying breed. Whilst a short-sighted view will perhaps point to the fact that technology has already moved on and that there are faster models out there now, what we should never play down is the impact of these three cars and what they have achieved. The cars of the holy trinity are, in some ways, poster boys of a generation where the needle was moved and the industry went into a new direction, embracing electric technology. They represent
a milestone in history not dissimilar to what the Bugatti Veyron and McLaren F1 achieved in their generation.
Whilst over the next few years there will be a symbolic passing of the torch, it will take something truly special and ground-breaking to surpass them, and with both the Valkyrie (150 units worldwide) and the AMG Project One (275 units) built in very limited numbers and estimated to cost in excess of £2.5 million, there may still be plenty of life in the old dogs yet as they will still make a very compelling argument, not just for collectors but also for enthusiasts. Let’s not forget these are three incredible driving machines and anyone who is fortunate enough to have owned or even driven one of them, let alone all three, is in an extremely exclusive club. @romansinternational
Watch their video on youtube.com
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10
THAT GOT AWAY
10 NUMBER 10
In at number 10 is a 1966 Ford GT40 Mk I, sold by Gooding at Pebble Beach in 2010 — one of only 31 original road coupes produced and previously campaigned by John McCaw and Frank Sytner. I remember the car well from its stunning and rare Azure Blue livery, without the more typical racing stripes. The car was auctioned with its original engine and ZF gearbox and with only 3,200 miles on the clock. A $100,000 restoration in 2009 meant it was completely flawless. The GT40 eventually sold for $1,650,000 — clearly a lot of money in 2010, but an amazing car to own and a solid investment over the subsequent 10 years.
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NUMBER 9
Number 9 is a 1965 Jaguar E-Type 3.8 Lightweight Low-Drag Competition Coupe, sold by Bonhams at their Goodwood Revival auction in September 2012. I vividly remember the car on display during the preview events. A deep diesel blue, a menacing stance and clearly ready to win races. I lusted after it then as much as I do now. Only 12 lightweight E-Types were constructed in period, and if you owned an original you’d be unlikely to want to enter into wheel-towheel competition, hence my attraction to this toolroom replica. Built by RS Panels and race prepared by MRM Engineering, it was a ready-made monster which would have given its owner many happy hours tearing around the likes of Goodwood Members Meeting and Spa 6 Hours. The car sold for £214,300 including premium. I’m still on the lookout for one today.
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NUMBER 8
A 1995 Bugatti EB110 Super Sport enters the list at number 8. I must have watched Chris Harris’ video on this particular EB110 over 30 times. Yellow exterior, red interior; a garish mix on the wrong car, but for some reason utterly perfect on this Bugatti. This example was sold by RM Sotheby’s at their London auction in September 2015, finally hitting £627,200 including premium. Again, I was in the room, paddle in hand, bravery and conviction seemingly elsewhere. I’m not 100% sure what held me back on the day.
The EB110 has always been a quirky prospect, with a largely misunderstood lineage, however, with this Super Sport being one of only 33 ever built and hosting a 610bhp V12 engine, it was a major miss, and in that livery, something that would have given joy both to look at and to drive.
All this time in the house has Chris Lee jumping in his virtual time machine to go shopping for the rarities he missed out on at past auctions. Written by: Chris Lee
In between home-schooling and zoom video calls, the lockdown has allowed me to dig out all of my old auction catalogues and reminisce about times when we were all able to leave the house, meet friends, drool over incredible machinery and, for the lucky few, bid on these astonishing pieces of metal as they crossed the block. To pass the time, and help to write this article, I decided to invent a new game. Similar to ‘three-car garage’ or ‘you have a £1m to spend on a collection of cars’, but with a twist. The rules are as follows: (1) You have a time machine and can travel back to any auction in the last 10 years. (2) You have an infinite budget, and (3) You can only purchase one car from each auction. Following my initial list numbering well over 40 cars, I added an extra personal rule, that I must own the auction catalogue at home. This means I either attended the auction in person or registered to bid.
So, here they are, the ten that got away, in reverse order of the scale of my devastation at missing out. I was either in the room at the time of the auction or watching online with a bidding number, so not many excuses other than budget and bravery! My time machine has allowed me to travel back to those very moments, when different circumstances and a bigger wallet could have assembled some astonishing hardware for the garage.
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NUMBER 7
One thing you’ll spot in my top ten is my passion for both Ferrari and Pagani. I make no excuses for the multiple entries for both marques. In fact, I could have written this whole article purely on Ferrari. If the lockdown lasts another three months, that’s what you can expect for my next outing.
The first Ferrari to enter the list, at number 7, is a 1998 333 SP. Only 40 of these cars were ever made, with assembly split across Ferrari, Dallara and Michelotto. A very rare Ferrari Sports Prototype built to enter the FIA Sportscar Championship, it represented Ferrari’s official return to sports car racing after a 20-year absence. Chassis 20, for sale by Gooding at Pebble Beach in 2015, was one of the most important 333 SPs ever made, having achieved fourth overall at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1999. A lucky bidder eventually snagged the stunning yellow masterpiece for $2,090,000.
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NUMBER 6
Our next stop takes us to Villa D’Este in May 2011. Due to the sad collapse and subsequent order of the Italian bankruptcy court, six of Bertone’s concept cars made their way to auction on the banks of Lake Como, hosted by RM. Two of the Bertone cars caught my eye during the Concours weekend. The first was the white 1974 Lamborghini Bravo. The second, which enters my list at number 6, was the 1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero — an iconic and abstract wedge-shaped Gandini creation that first appeared at the Turin motor show in 1970. This fully-functional UFO was even more miraculous in the flesh. The fact it paved for the way for hugely successful Lancia Stratos rally car further serves to show its importance. In truth, I was less informed about Bertone at the time than I should have been and less bold in my appetite for unusual cars. I missed out, again. Another wiser attendee took the car home for €761,600. As a reminder, I now have a huge Bertone sign hanging in my garage. Scant conciliation, but food for thought if a similar opportunity comes up again.
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NUMBER 5
Time for the second Ferrari to join the list. In at number 5 is the first (and only) Formula 1 car on my list. Not an easy car to own and enjoy, however, in this hypothetical assembly of dream machines, I don’t need to worry about practicalities or running costs. In October 2012, RM Sothebys brought a 1998 Ferrari F300 Formula One racing car to auction in London. Previously driven by both Michael Schumacher and Eddie Irvine, this important piece of history was in full running order and powered by an 805bhp V10 monster. Can you imagine the halcyon days that could have been enjoyed behind the wheel at circuits across the globe as part of the Ferrari F1 Clienti programme? It sold for £400,000. Not to be.
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NUMBER 4
Number 4 sees the first Lamborghini entering the list, and what better raging bull to chose than a 1971 Lamborghini Miura SV? Chassis 4906 was auctioned by Gooding in Scottsdale in 2012. Many argue that the Bertone-designed Miura was the genesis for the supercar breed. With only 150 SV examples built, they don’t often arrive on the open market, especially in the quality of condition of this example. Full matching numbers and my favourite specification of red with gold wheels and highlights. A wonderful temptation. It sold for a mid-estimate price of $1,100,000. You would need to double or treble that price today to land a similar example. Good job I’ve built my time machine.
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NUMBER 3
Of all of the cars on this list, I’d argue that number 3, the 1986 Ferrari Testarossa Spider Valeo was the ‘best bought’ at the time of auction. In February 2016, Artcurial made this one-off ‘holy grail’ of Testarossas available for sale during its Retromobile auction. I honestly think that the vast majority of the
assembled bidders, including myself, didn’t truly understand the car’s significance. We’ve all seen the hideous aftermarket attempts to take a standard Testarossa and chop off the roof to make the ultimate OutRun video game replica. More professionally executed conversions were completed by Richard Straman in the United States for several Testarossa owners, however, this example was built by the Ferrari factory in Maranello as a gift for Gianni Agnelli. The Spider Valeo Testarossa not only had a bespoke body, but also sported numerous one-off controls, including an electronic clutch. The current owner purchased the car that day for $1,210,080. To rub salt into my wounds, I saw the owner and the car again in Maranello in 2017 during Ferrari’s 70th Anniversary celebrations. The car won 'Best in Show, Street Car'.
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NUMBER 2
The icing on the cake of this list comes in the form of two of Horacio Pagani’s finest creations. Anyone who knows me would expect nothing less than the top two positions to be taken by variations of the Pagani Zonda. In at number 2 is the Pagani Zonda R. Auctioned in London in October 2010, the ‘R' was a breathtaking sight. I remember being fortunate enough to see the car days before the auction at Joe Macari’s service centre, going through pre-auction checks and likely some potential buyer inspections.
The track-only Zonda R is a very different assembly and creation to the ‘standard’ car, sharing no more than 10% of the components used in the road-going Zonda F. Propelled by a 6.0-litre M120 V12 engine sourced from the racing version of the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR, the platform of the Zonda R was used as a testbed for what became the Huayra. This car sold for £806,400. I heard of a similar car available for purchase recently and didn’t have enough ink left in my pen to write down the number of zeros the owner wanted.
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NUMBER 1
Hitting top spot is a car liveried in Elvis Presley Cadillac Pink. Yes, you read that correctly, Cadillac Pink. It’s fair to say that if I’d been fortunate enough to purchase number 1 at the time of its auction in July 2011, I’d have repainted the car at the earliest possible moment and likely added a few more F spec upgrades while I was at it. The vehicle in question is a 2004 Pagani Zonda C12 7.3-litre Roadster. Auctioned by Bonhams at its Goodwood Festival of Speed event, I remember the car tucked away in the corner on the left-hand side as I walked into the auction tent. A spectacular car in a ‘challenging’ colour, which may have influenced the eventual outcome of £320,500, including buyers premium.
The Pink Zonda (chassis 41) is a car I think about on a regular basis, which has made me realise how this article has proven to be a very cathartic process. Thank you for reading this far, being part of that process and helping me heal. It has also served to remind me of the breadth and depth of incredible machinery we’re all fortunate to see at the various amazing events that SCD hosts on our behalf. I, for one, can’t wait for the day when we’re all back together again, enjoying our cars. I’ll see you there!
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SCD member Paul talks us around his spectacular garage, or as he calls it, his gallery. 38
Tell us about your dream house build.
The house was a vision I’d had for over 10 years. About 15 years ago, Ryan Giggs built a monster house on a road I’d always wanted to live on, so when an old house came up for sale on that road, I borrowed every penny I could and bought it. I rented it to a professional golfer for a few years while I got the planning and worked out how the hell I was going to find the money to knock it down and rebuild it. In the meantime, the IT business I’m involved with went from strength to strength, and by 2018 I’d secured the funding to start the build. I did the demolition myself and project managed the whole thing, even labouring for all the trades. It took 18 months to build, and at 11,200 square feet, it’s a bit of a monster. If someone had shown me how big it was going to end up, I would have probably never started it!
Where did your inspiration for the garage space come from?
One of the main motivations to self-build was to get the garage space I’d dreamed of. In 2017, I had to sell my SLS because I just didn’t have anywhere to put it. That was one of my biggest regrets, I loved the gull wing doors. I had a bit of a fetish for funny doors owning an Aventador and a Rolls Royce dawn at the same time.
The inspiration for the space came from an office I saw in Manchester. It was a huge, brand-new, swanky office and it had this funky ceiling, so when we designed the house, I spoke to the designer and asked how we could incorporate that design in. Because I wanted it to be a gallery and not just a blank space, I think it’s really interesting and it bounces off the cars. I really like how you see the reflection of the ceiling in the cars. It just gives it a unique feel.
Why do you call it a gallery?
This isn’t just a garage. In the past it was just a tight double garage, but we wanted something more than that, I wanted somewhere where I could really enjoy the cars. So we made it a gallery, put some special features in it and underfloor heating, and I can sit and enjoy the cars, that was the purpose of it.
When did you decide to add the bar with the glass doors?
While we were designing the house, we decided we wanted to put a bar in the house, and had a big debate with the wife whether we wanted to see the cars or not! So, after a long, drawn-out process, I managed to find this switchable glass that, with the flick of a switch, goes clear and you can see the cars. So when she’s here with her mates, they can’t see the cars; when I’m here with my mates, we flick the switch and we see the cars — best of both worlds! There’s a real wow factor with it too, seeing people’s faces and seeing their jaw drop, because they’re not expecting to come into a house and into a bar and then see supercars just on the other side of the glass, so it gets a great smile from everybody.
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How does it work?
The glass is double glazed with gas inside it, and when you put an electric current through it, the gases line up so you can see straight through it, and then when you switch it off, it just goes fuzzy and you can’t see a thing through it.
We notice the bar is bigger than the gym...
There isn’t a reason for that beyond the bar being an entertaining space. If you ask me which gets used most, that’s maybe something that I shouldn’t answer!
Which came first, your passion for cars or bikes?
I have a passion for both bikes and cars. I was a schoolboy motocrosser, so I’d say that bikes were the first passion, but once you’ve been in hospital a few times, you sort of find that four wheels are better! The bikes are here really as a nod to the past, but it’s cars where I’m at.
Tell us about the cars that are in the garage today.
For me, it’s about having the right tool for the right job, so there’s the BAC Mono. I said I’d never had a single-seat car but once I sat in it and drove it around Spa, I bought it that day! There’s the Ferrari 488 Spider which is great for going out for the day, cruising around and getting the roof down to enjoy the sunshine. Plus it’s quick, it’s really really quick and I just love the feeling of turbos. Then we’ve got the cruiser, the Rolls Royce Dawn. It’s great for long journeys and I’ve done some great camping trips down at Goodwood in it. If I’m going anywhere outside Manchester, then it’s the Rolls Royce! We’ve also got the G Wagon in there and the Porsches too, so lots of variety.
And how about the bikes?
First is the Foggy Panigale. It’s a 25 year anniversary edition of when Foggy won the world championship on his 916. It’s just out and limited to 500 so it’s a great showpiece to have around the gallery. The two other bikes, the CCMs, they are Clews Competition Machines. That was a guy who started making motocross bikes back in the 70s. Being a scrambler back in the day, I really like the idea of bringing these retro bikes back to current, modern-day living. The Scrambler I use quite a bit, I take the lad to school on it and stuff like that, the other one is a showpiece which sits in the bar. I don’t think I’ve ever taken it on the road and it probably wouldn’t be allowed back in the house, so it’s staying where it is!
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What’s next?
Next in the pipeline, we have an 812 GTS and an SF90 on order, but what I really want to do is get to some of the classics, some of the childhood dreams. My first car was a Renault 5 GT Turbo, and I just loved that, so if I could find one of those in great condition, that would definitely come into the garage.
How long have you been an SCD member for?
Since 2014! I was out cruising around in the Aventador when I came across a train of supercars driving through Manchester. I tagged on and managed to follow them into a private display at Manchester City’s stadium and it didn’t take Adam long to buttonhole me and say, “Who are you?!”. I became a member that day. Since then, one of my most memorable moments was the North Wales drive ending in Anglesey for a track day the BAC Mono. On the drive I was following Mr JWW in a Ferrari 812 while literally running on fumes in the Mono praying for a petrol station, then the following day, flying around the circuit racing an Aston Martin Vulcan – unreal!
Last year’s Secret Supercar Meet was another highlight for me – I’ve never seen anything like it. Where else can you be on track with a McLaren F1?! I can’t wait for this year. @supercarsofmanchester
Watch the video on youtube.com
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2010 - 2020
When Everything is Special, Nothing is Special Long-time SCD member Tim tells us about joining SCD 10 years ago and how he’s lost interest in the pursuit of the latest and greatest.
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When was your first SCD event?
I forget the actual date but I think it was the second meet Adam arranged back in 2010. We met around the back of some industrial estate in Tinsley just outside Sheffield. I had a Blu Abu Dhabi 430 Scuderia at the time, which fellow SCD member David later bought through Graypaul Nottingham. Adam was posting on various forums at the time to put these events together. I think he just wanted to play in other people’s fast cars!
Tell us about some of your favourite SCD memories.
The best drive was undoubtedly an evening out in the Peak District. Adam and I were in my 458 Spider chasing Sarah and Nigel in the DBS, I think it was Rob in an early Aventador and the loudest Maserati ever, known as the MaserASBO.
I went to Bugatti with my (at the time) 22-yearold son Harry in a Gallardo Bicolore. We stopped over with the others in Folkestone and I foolishly had oysters. The next two days were spent being sick and basically the world falling out the other end. Harry got to drive the Veyron as I threw up in the poshest toilets ever. Bugatti, bless them, offered to helicopter me back to London. I went on a couple of the early Tartan Florio tours which got better each year. Whilst others used the latest and greatest, I went in the Ferrari 328 GTS. The second or third time around, I started the tour in a 348 TS from Glasgow which broke down (typical) but I was able to arrange overnight delivery of the 328 to The Torridon where we were staying and carried on in that.
What cars did you own when you joined SCD?
I had a 458 Italia and 430 Scuderia, both in Blu Abu Dhabi, and the 328 GTS. I also had a 996 GT3 as the day car around that time.
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Tell us about the cars you’ve owned over the last few years.
When I went to university in London during the mid-1970s, HR Owen Ferrari was opposite South Kensington tube station. It’s now their Lamborghini dealership. From that time on, I always wanted to own a Ferrari, and in particular, a 308 GT4 which was eventually the first supercar I bought on eBay for less than £10k. It was never a desire for the latest and greatest, I just wanted to try different models, and the Ferraris had to be blue, just like Enzo’s. I never used to test drive the cars beforehand — I’d buy it and see if I liked it. It took me a couple of years to get to a Challenge Stradale in TDF Blue, after which I bought my first new car, a Ferrari 430 Scuderia in Rosso Mugello.
Ferrari are fabulous at looking after their ‘clienti’, and I’ve enjoyed a number of trips to Maranello as their guest. Over time, you get to know many of their team and they get to know you, which is why I was very fortunate to be allocated a 458 Speciale Aperta — a truly great car which I only sold because I was offered over twice the price I had paid. Surprisingly though, I don’t miss it.
Just because you can buy the car, doesn’t mean you’re able to drive the car! I aquaplaned a 997 GT3 in to an Armco barrier during late 2012, after which my dear sweet wife told me I needed to be sensible and get a four-wheel drive. I bought the Gallardo Bicolore a few days later! After the Bicolore, I had a Gallardo LP570-4 Edizone Technica, 50th Anniversary Gallardo LP560-2 and a very early delivery Huracan. The 430 Scuderia and 458 Italia were just better cars at the time, and the Huracan was the beginning of the end for me — it was very fast but way too clinical and not particularly engaging. The best experience in the Huracan was parking outside Ferrari London on a double yellow line for most of the day to wind them up.
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Why did you lose interest in the latest supercars?
With the arrival of McLaren on the scene, power and 0-60 became overly important. As the power increased, so did the computing necessary to keep the car on the road and, more importantly, keep the customer alive.
I picked up my 488 GTB on a Friday afternoon in February and drove through rush hour from London to Kent. What a disappointment. You couldn’t even see the engine in the rear-view mirror. It was screamingly fast, but so docile and bland even at law-breaking speed. The 488 GTB was sold within six weeks and replaced with a 430 Challenge. I drove the 488 Challenge around Fiorano, but to my dismay, there were so many computer settings I decided to save a load of money and buy a PlayStation. When everything is special, nothing is special. There are far too many variations of basically the same thing all of which have to be sanitised by modern electronics. I love my 348 GTB because it’s flawed. You need to engage to drive it. The handling is rubbish, but it has the charm that, for me, modern cars don’t have.
What has made you keep the 328 GTS all these years?
SCD director Adam and his wife Sarah used the 328 GTS for their honeymoon and it’s promised to them!
Do you have your eyes on any cars to acquire?
Sadly I’m an old git that probably lives far to much in the past so at the moment there’s nothing that has grabbed my attention, although the day car is now electric, so I’m intrigued by the Porsche Taycan.
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Tell us your back story.
We meet up with John McGurk, founder of McGurk Performance Cars to find out about his history with cars, some interesting stories and how he views the car market today.
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Before I even had a licence, I was setting fire to my dad’s garage, stripping then rebuilding cars and engines. Leaving school, however, I found myself working in the hotel and catering industry getting flogged by 110-hour weeks, earning a modest £7,500 a year, every penny of which was spent on my Mini. At 20 years old with no social life, I realised this wasn’t for me and quit. By some shrewd movements starting with selling second-hand Rovers, I went from zero to hero. That, followed by the incredibly formative years I was at TWR, led to my position as business manager at Graypaul before setting up my own trade company. My team and I were moving 50 cars a month, burning the midnight oil — picture the bloke with two phones to his ears and braces holding up his slacks. The finance world was arriving however, and the market changed; so did I, swiftly moving into retail and setting up shop here selling performance cars.
How was McGurk Performance Cars formed?
The retail business was growing at a rapid rate and Aston Martins were fast becoming a much larger part of the business. We’re always extremely particular as to what we take in stock to sell but in the early days I’d send them to be prepped by Aston main dealers. We were soon at the stage where our cars were flooding their workshops and I started to question the quality of the work.
Once I had the servicing department established, we were away. We offered a one stop, go to for all the customers needs and more; no one had better knowledge of the cars than we did and we stood by every single car we sold with absolute confidence. We still do. I’m a big believer in focusing on what we do, and doing it exceptionally well. I have two businesses but I want to be here as much as I possibly can. Many aspects of how I run the business are mirrored from my time at TWR; I want to meet the customers and the customers want to meet the team working on their cars. I love that.
What services do you offer?
Anything from a routine service to a full rebuild. I always wanted the workshop to support the sales but this has become its own entity. Several years ago, I took the F40 for its stamp in the book at Ferrari and the guy didn’t even know how to dip the oil. These days, you can’t expect them to be experts on the older stuff too, so give it to someone who is — us! The team’s knowledge and skill is masterful. Just as I have, they’ve gleaned their craft by building, welding, painting and finessing cars since they were kids. We even perform what I call modern restorations that can take us up to three months to complete.
I know our customers very well. They’re humble, reserved and will neglect to tell you they own an island in Asia or something! They bring their pride and joy to us they’ve owned from new; 15 years on and 60k miles later, they have no intention to sell. Rather, they reminisce of its former glory. We bring it in, the team and I stop, look and ask, what would you pick fault with? Stripping the car down to the shell, we evaluate everything it wants for in minute detail and wind back the clock as if it had just rolled off the production line, only better. Even if I’m selling a five-year old GT12, I love to re-trim the steering wheel with new suede just to be able to tell the customer they are the first person to ever lay hands on it.
What are your favourite cars of all time?
There’s an obvious answer in there, Ferrari F40. I absolutely love Ferraris, oh and the Citroën Méhari — I keep one abroad at the minute and it’s so sh*t it’s brilliant. Its party piece is driving
over any bump at any speed in astounding comfort, so I’m quite enthusiastic about that right now.
The Ferrari 355 is a memorable car for me for a number of reasons too. It marked a turning point for Ferrari as a brand in that you could get in and change gear even when it was cold, not forgetting it was a staple car during my time at Graypaul. I think the best, however, is the 550 Maranello. That is a mind-blowing car; it delivers the most balanced and predictable handling I’ve experienced in a Ferrari, and with a full straightthrough exhaust, the V12 sounds spectacular. I did own Carroll Shellby’s Countach at one stage actually, but lived in constant fear of it going wrong. Thankfully, it never did. Above all, in my opinion, cars are entirely down to personal preference — there’s no right or wrong.
Tell us a cool story.
Around 2012 I think it was, when F40s, F50s and 288 GTOs were flying out of our showroom, we were buying and selling loads of those for circa £250,000. I flew to Hamburg, Germany to buy a 3,000-mile-from-new Ferrari F50. The guy selling it spent ages telling me how incredible of an example it was whilst expecting the transport he assumed I’d arranged to arrive. I did the deal, fired it up and he asked, “What are you doing?”, I said, “Driving it back…”. With his mouth agape, I peddled it back through Reims in the pissing rain and created a driving experience I’ll never forget. Had it been its predecessor, forget it. I’ve owned both; the F40 was out to kill you but the F50 was planted and stable even in the rain. Oh, and I once threw hands in the ring with Prince Naseem when he was trying to buy a car from us. I lost, he signed my gloves and we did the deal. That’s not how I conduct negotiations ordinarily, so fear not prospective customers!
How do you view the current market?
What will be true in the future that is true now is that people that who love cars will continue to do so. I love being able to mess with carburettors, set my engine and suspension up, go and drive it on the road and pat myself on the back for a job well done. I can’t do that with the latest cars. Older and more classic examples will always posses that appeal to those that love cars. Even the ones that don’t, give me an hour with them and I think I could persuade them otherwise. It’s all about the experience of ownership; you can’t go down to the bottom of your garden and play with your Tesla.
Only last week, I had a good customer of mine who loved his Tesla but it drove him crazy and wanted a fun weekend car. It’s a huge topic, but if you want to save the planet, don’t have that conversation with me saying electric cars are the answer — they’re not. If you really want to save the planet, go and buy a second hand car and recycle what you’ve got.
I’m a big believer in recycling what’s already out there. I’d much rather drive a five-year-old Range Rover than spend £70,000 on an I-Pace and lose £20,000 in the first year. Equally, I’d sooner see someone take an old E-Type Jag that’s rotted into the ground, pick up the bits and rebuild it. If he runs around doing a 1,000 miles a year then he’s not doing anywhere near the damage the new electric car has done to the planet before it’s even turned a wheel. @mcgurk_performance_cars
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Manual Marvels
With manual Ferraris a thing of the past and manual Astons hanging on a thread, Matt takes a drive in two ultra-rare, three-pedalled grand tourers from both brands to find out what we’re missing. Written by: Matt Parker
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The big, V12 grand tourer is a type of car we all can’t help but have a soft spot for, and the reality that they might not be around for much longer makes the appeal stronger still. However, if you like making use of your left leg and arm to swap cogs yourself, the vast majority of these cars have left that side of your body sadly devoid of exercise for the last 20 years. The automation of the V12 grand tourer started in 2001 with the Aston Martin Vanquish, and Ferrari quickly followed suit in 2002 with the 575M Maranello. You might argue that these big cruisers suit an auto box, and you’d be right. The counterargument? These early single-clutch, automated manual gearboxes were, frankly, jerky and lethargic enough to unravel the entire driving experience.
What are the solutions? Well, you could buy something older with a manual box but maybe miss out on some creature comforts and performance, or you could buy something newer with a slick dual-clutch but maybe miss out on some old-school character. Our friends at CARiconics got in touch with surprise option three, you could have the best of both worlds, because they have both of the aforementioned models with the manual box we always wanted them with, and so, here we are, driving them both back-to-back. As we arrived at CAR-iconics HQ, both cars were sitting in the sunshine ready for us in the colours they were meant to be. I’m usually one for ‘any colour but red’ when it comes to Ferraris, but Rosso Corsa just works on the 575, and the Vanquish S looks very bond in Meteorite Silver. We headed inside to the CAR-iconics treasure trove and met father and son team Stephen and Dan, who both have an infectious passion and enthusiasm for what they do.
Dan hopped in the Vanquish to lead the way to some of the best roads in the area, so I guess that means the Ferrari is up first. Let me admit before we get into things that I never even knew the 575 was offered in manual. The truth is, it was, but hardly anyone chose it because of the new-fangled paddle hype at the time following on from the manual-only 550. Only about 10% of 575s are manuals, and this is one of just 69 UK right-hand-drive cars, so it’s a rare beast, and the
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manuals are fetching about double the money of F1 models in today’s market.
The 575 was released in 2002 as an evolution of the 550 Maranello, and to say the styling was essentially penned in 1996, it still looks stunning on the 19-inch split rims and refreshingly unfussy. The 5.5-litre V12 became a 5.7 and power was up by 30bhp to 508bhp, and there were plenty of mechanical improvements like bigger brakes, adaptive suspension and even improved weight distribution. Plus, this one has the Fiorano Handling Package, so things should be better still. It’s a heavy thing at 1,853kg, and 0-60mph in about 4.2 seconds might not sound like much these days, but once it gets moving, it’ll carry on all the way to 202mph. I’m told this is one of the most highly-specified 575s you could hope to find, and it hasn’t even done 10,000 miles, so carefully does it! First off, the interior is a lovely place to be with all the optional carbon fibre and I quickly found a comfortable driving position, unlike most older Ferraris. Even at a cruise towards the more open roads, the open-gate gearbox adds a wonderfully tactile interaction with the car.
First impressions are that it is very civilised, comfortable and quiet, but a naturally-aspirated V12 is made to be heard, so, shall we? I decided to try third gear first and squeeze on, as Dan told me traction is not the strong point of these two cars. even at low revs, the 575’s 588Nm torque lifts the nose and hurtles you — it must have felt otherworldly nearly 20 years ago! Surprisingly though, especially if you’re used to the wailing V12s of modern Ferraris, it’s all very muted. It’s a nice noise, like an Enzo turned down to four out of ten, but I can only imagine what it would be like unleashed with an exhaust. The gearbox just gets better with speed, it was such a rewarding thing to use once I finally got the flat-out second-to-third shift right with the ‘click clack’ sound effect accompanying every change, and I can’t imagine what 90% of buyers were thinking to turn that experience down.
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The steering feels alive and very direct for a car of its era, meaning hides its mass and turns in so instinctively that you’d never believe there’s a hulking V12 up front. The suspension is soft so you get a lot of body movement which translates into a seat of the pants feeling of what the car is doing underneath you, and gives a compliancy over British B roads, but it can get a little wallowy and bouncy over the really rough stuff — fairly hilarious when you’re following it on the road! Stephen tells me the HGTC model is a totally different ball game in terms of handling, so I’d love to try one of those. The brakes are good enough for the era, but I’d be grateful of the carbon ceramics you get with the HGTC package to really keep on top of all that power, torque and weight. Pulling over into a nice spot for photos was the perfect chance to swap cars and make myself comfortable in the Vanquish. It has a lot to live up to after the 575, but the numbers suggest it should have what it takes. It has 520bhp and 576Nm from a 5.9-litre V12, a top speed of 200mph and weight is a similarly heavy 1,875kg, so we’re splitting hairs between the two. On paper at least, these are two big, V12 grand tourers from a similar era with almost nothing to choose between them. First off, the Vanquish has been cool since day one because of its starring appearance in the Bond film Die Another Day, especially being chased down by the villain’s Jaguar XKR in that famous ice scene. Like the 575 was to the 550, the Vanquish S came along in 2004 as an enhanced version of the original Vanquish, with an extra 60bhp, slightly tweaked styling, stiffened suspension and beefed up brakes, but it maintained the pretty woeful paddleshift box.
Now, if you’re thinking that the Vanquish S never came with a manual gearbox, you’d be right, but for £17,000 plus the tax man’s slice, Aston Martin Works will take any Vanquish and ditch the paddles in favour of a proper six-speed manual. So, what’s a Vanquish S like as petrolheads always wanted it to be, and how does it compare to its Italian arch-rival? Outside, the design is still timelessly beautiful, and just like the Ferrari, there’s no unnecessary fussiness, but as soon as you step inside, the specialness of the Ferrari just isn’t there.
The interior is far from Aston’s finest hour with plenty of switchgear borrowed from the late ‘90s Ford parts bin. After the Ferrari, I felt like I was sitting high and the chunky pillars give the impression of a bulkier car. The clutch and gearbox don’t have anything like the tactile feel of the Ferrari, and I honestly didn’t think I was going to gel with the Vanquish in my first few metres. Dan from CAR-iconics had told me, though, that the Vanquish has the better chassis of the two, and from the outside at least, the sound is on another level, so perhaps I need to dig a little deeper. In my mind, digging a little deeper can only mean more throttle, so down the box we go in an eruption of V12 growls. The difference in noise between the two is night-and-day, and even if the rest of the car didn’t end up being much cop, the sound is so good that you could forgive it.
Thankfully though, the more you push, the more the Vanquish reveals its charm. I expected the Aston to be the more grunty motor, and the Ferrari more revvy, but the opposite is true; it’s really worth revving out the V12 to get every last drop of power, and it’s a masterpiece of an engine to work hard too. It’s fast, but despite the similar figures, it doesn’t pull anything like as hard as the 575, which we all suspect Ferrari were uncharacteristically modest about when it came to figures.
The brakes haul down speed with more reassurance, but on my first turn-in, I was surprised at how much lock I needed after the Ferrari’s quicker rack. It’s a less darty experience, but just as Dan said, the chassis is fantastic. It feels more stiffly sprung and it stays solidly planted in areas where the 575 would be fairly bouncy, so you can carry more speed with more confidence, but there’s also less challenge to it, so it depends what you want. I remember riding in a Vanquish S a few years ago, and it was a great experience let down by a gearbox which held back the car’s potential. This manual conversion unleashes the Vanquish as it always should have been, and despite the premium the manual-converted cars ask on the market, so it’s a no-brainer for me, especially when Aston Martin Works themselves carried out the work — it isn’t an aftermarket chop-shop job.
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Choosing between these two is tough as I love aspects of them both. On paper, there’s nothing between them, but in reality, they’re so different, and combined, they could make the perfect V12 grand tourer. From the Ferrari, I’d have the interior, the sharp steering, the open-gate shifter and the monster of an engine, and from the Aston, the superbly controlled chassis, stronger brakes and glorious soundtrack. You can tell the 575 was made to be manual as the pedals are perfectly placed for heel-and-toe and the carbon-topped gearstick falls perfectly to hand. The Aston has little quirks like being able to feel the steering column rotating when you fully depress the clutch, but it’s a price I’d happily pay to have the car with three pedals.
Speaking of price, this particular Vanquish S with under 20k miles and a full Aston Martin Works history is for sale at CAR-iconics at a fiver under £140,000. Stephen reckons a similar car with the original semi-automatic gearbox might ask anything up to £100,000, so it’s a fair old premium, but one that is definitely worth it and I think the gap could continue to grow. A 575M with the F1 box might fetch similar money to a semi-automatic Vanquish. One with as good a spec and as low mileage as this might nudge closer to £120,000, but the rarity of the original manual cars can double the value. You can get higher mileage, left-hand-drive cars for less, but Stephen would value an example as good as this one at anything up to £250,000!
Overall, the 575 feels special even without screaming in your ears. The engine is like a silent assassin detonating a nuclear bomb. It goes and performs like a car of today, with unrelenting acceleration and superb steering, but it challenges you as a driver like a good oldfashioned GT should and, as soon as I’d finished driving it, I said to videographer Dan that, if I had a small collection, I would absolutely have a manual 575.
Taking the gulf in values out of the equation, I’ve just laid down my slight preference for the Ferrari as its Italian charm tugs on my heart strings that bit more, but whilst they both have their advantages and drawbacks, they both share the same charm and three-pedalled experience you simply cannot get from a modern-day grand tourer. No auto blip, no five-stage traction control, no four-wheel steering, just you, three pedals, a stick and a whacking great atmospheric V12.
A big thank you to Stephen and Dan at CAR-iconics for allowing us to drive two very special cars, for making this feature happen and for giving me a new-found love for big, manual V12s — don’t get me started on the BMW 850 CSI in the showroom! Do check out their website, but make sure you have plenty of time free because you do not see some of these treats every day. @cariconics
Watch the video on youtube.com
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ASTON MARTIN VANQUISH S As featured in the roadtest. 2005, RHD. Factory converted to manual, factory Alpine stereo upgrade. FAMSH, 20,000 miles
£139,000
Porsche 997 GT3; 2007, 10,300 miles, PSE, Sports Chrono, FPSH, Manufacturer’s warranty. £84,995
Jaguar E-type Series 1 Roadster; 1967, Matching numbers, primrose yellow over black trim, beautifully restored. £139,995
Lotus Carlton; 1991, 1 owner from new, 17,600 miles, time warp example, fabulous provenance. £89,995
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG; 2011, Full carbon interior, B&O stereo, wrapped in grey, metallic black originally, 12,500 miles. £159,995
Ferrari 599 HGTE; 2010, carbon interior package, Silverstone grey over two-tone grey interior, 28,000 miles. £119,995
Ducati 996 SPS/F ‘Foggy’; 1999, No32 of 150 worldwide, 2 owners from new, factory certificate of authenticity, 6,500 miles. £27,950
FOR MORE ABOUT THESE ICONIC CARS:
Daniel: +44 (0)7891 010719 Stephen: +44(0)7834 620589 WWW.CAR-ICONICS.COM ENQUIRIES@CAR-ICONICS.COM59
10 0 R A R E C A R S , O N E S Q UA R E M I L E
It’s a world-class collection of cars, the likes of which the City of London has never before seen, gathered into one of London’s most beautiful hidden locations.
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The London Concours returns to the idyllic lawns of the Honourable Artillery Company from 19-20 August this year, postponed from its original June timeline. Displaying around 100 automotive greats of all ages, it’s a world-class collection of cars, the likes of which the City of London has never before seen, gathered into one of London’s most beautiful hidden locations The Honourable Artillery Company HQ is a fiveacre oasis of green nestled among the buildings of the City of London, and located just off City Road. The Garden is informally known as ‘the world’s second most valuable cricket pitch’, used from mid-April to mid-September for cricket matches. As an active military facility, it functions as storage for large artillery guns and even holds the unique honour of being the location of
Britain’s very first hot air balloon ascent. But, for two days only in August, it becomes nirvana for petrolheads, as the London Concours rolls in.
In total, you’ll find more than 100 rare cars on display, all privately owned and carefully curated into features and classes. The event’s flagship feature for 2020 will be a uniquely colourful collection of eight examples of one of the finest handling Ferraris ever: the Dino. First introduced in 1967, the Dino 206 GT was the first midengined car from Ferrari, and the first to use a V6 at a time when all of its cars were V12-powered. The 2.0-litre V6 engine itself was adapted from one of ‘Alfredino’ Enzo’s racing car designs for road car use. And so, with the release of the new ‘Dino’ brand and the 206 GT, Ferrari stepped into the fray against the all-conquering Porsche 911.
It’s a celebration of the very latest innovations in design and engineering; a class of cars that stretches the limits of what’s possible in a production car.
And because it’s often the passion of individuals that drives advancements in the motoring industry, the London Concours each year shines a spotlight on one automotive luminary and their car collection. This year, the honour falls to Ian Callum CBE, ex-Jaguar Director of Design. Ian has been at the forefront of automotive design for decades, penning designs for the likes of Ford, TWR Design, Jaguar Land Rover and now runs his own design studio – CALLUM. Having designed veritable icons like the Ford Puma, Aston Martin Vanquish and most Jaguar products from the early 2000s until 2019, Ian’s own car collection is a fascinating insight into his own personal milestone moments in car design and engineering. Ian will showcase his very own Jaguar XJC, Porsche 911 (993), Alfa Romeo Giulia GTV and more; each subtly modified by the man himself to emphasise the best parts of their design.
As well as the automotive displays, visitors will be able to browse a number of other luxury attractions, including the world-class watches of Montres Breguet, fine displays of art and a number of top-end food and drink offerings, delivered by Searcys and Veuve Clicquot champagne. You’ll also find some of the nation’s top supercar and classic car specialists showcasing their latest stock – just in case you’re inspired to pick up something new for yourself.
Showcasing the gamut of outlandish original colours offered to Dino customers, the London Concours will gather examples in Rosso Chiaro red, Grigio Ferro grey, Blu Dino, Nero black, Nuovo Giallo yellow and more. Among them is a rare ‘Chairs and Flares’ version of the Dino, just one-of-five UK-delivered examples with these sought-after additions; wide wheelarches and ‘Daytona’ seats. Long considered ‘not a proper Ferrari’, the London Concours car selection committee feel now is the time to give the Dino the attention it so rightly deserves.
Elsewhere, you’ll find classes dedicated to two legends of the automotive world; Bugatti and Aston Martin. No other car manufacturer stirs the soul quite like Bugatti; over the course of its 110 years it has produced some of the fastest and
most beautiful cars ever, and London Concours 2020 will bring together a group of these French performance icons, from pre-war Grand Prix cars to world-record breaking Veyrons and Chirons. The Aston Martin display will focus particularly on some of Britain’s finest hard-top sports cars, showcasing the evolution of the DB series, from DB2 through to the latest DBS Superleggera. You’ll also be able to find the lesser-spotted rarities like the track-focused Vulcan and the beautiful One-77, utterly bespoke and limited to just 77 examples worldwide. Elsewhere, visitors can find a collection of ultra-modern hypercars, taking in the likes of the Pagani Huarya, McLaren Senna and P1 GTR, Porsche 918 Spyder, Ford GT and more.
MEMBERS OFFER Supercar Driver members can get adult entry tickets to the London Concours for just £25, as well as 20% off all hospitality options, by using the code SCD2020 at www.londonconcours.co.uk/tickets
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TRACK-FOCUSED
PA S S I O N
JBR Capital speak with SCD member Robert Steele about how he has amassed a rather enviable fleet of track-focused supercars. Written by: JBR Capital Photography by: Rich Pearce
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Part of what makes up the complex identity of the supercar is its exclusivity, a factor driven not just by design or performance, but by the skyhigh ticket prices that come with the territory. It’s the least glamorous piece of the puzzle, but it’s a vital one. In recent years, however, the script has been rewritten. Over 90 per cent of new cars bought in the UK in 2019 were acquired through finance. It’s the way we now live, all the more so in the sphere of the supercar. Someone who knows the ropes as well as any when it comes to financing fast metal is Supercar Driver member and lifelong car lover Robert Steele. We met Robert at his home near Northampton to discuss the challenges of buying and owning automotive exotica, the pros and cons of different financing arrangements and the conflict between preserving and using your pride and joy.
At 33 years old, Robert is the director of a leisure company specialising in caravans and marinas, and has nurtured a love of cars since an early age. “I was 18 when I got an Elise”, he recalls, “and by the time I was 20, I was in a Midnight Blue 996 Carrera 4, that was a beautiful car. Then I had a little bit of a break buying houses, but in 2013, I bought a Cayman S and that just reignited everything. That car was amazing and I wish I still had it, but I’ve had a lot of cars since”. As a regular on SCD’s track days and driving tours, Robert will be familiar to many members already. He has owned a pair of Cayman GT4s, various Ferrari 458 and 488s and a 911 GT3 RS, all driven regularly and as their makers intended. Today, the garage has grown to accommodate four cars, and alongside the 911 sit a MercedesAMG GT R, a McLaren 600LT and, most recently, a Ferrari 488 Pista. It’s a houseful, and an
enviable one, but there are ways and means to building up such a fleet, from leasing directly from the manufacturer to arranging private finance, and Robert has sampled the virtues of most of them.
“My 600LT was £220,000 list. I got £50,000 off that and was given a £148,000 agreed future value by McLaren after two years and 12,000 miles. Some manufacturers are quite conscious of the mileage, but not McLaren. So you know you’re keeping it for two years, you know you’re going to be giving it back, you’ve got paint protection and 12,000 miles. Go have some fun!”. The GT R, Robert bought used and financed the purchase with JBR Capital. It’s an approach that offers a great deal of flexibility when you don’t want to commit to a single car. “I love JBR”, Robert says, and we promise we didn’t pay him to. “They make it affordable to have a few cars
because of the good balloons they offer, a lot better than the manufacturers sometimes, and they’re very quick and easy to deal with. They know the cars and they know what’s going to hold its value. If you talk to them about a GT3 RS, for example, they know straight away those cars are still going to be good news in two to three years’ time”.
Understanding what’s going to serve you best as an ownership proposition, and what you should probably be leasing, is critical. “With something like the 600LT, you’re better off financing through McLaren itself because they’ll give you a guaranteed future value. In three years’ time, the car will probably be worth a lot less than that figure, but McLaren is having to do it to move its cars”.
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The other cars are used less frequently. The GT R whenever a bit more comfort is key, while the GT3 RS has made itself a fixture of Silverstone and Donington Park, and the Ferrari is a new addition.
“I’ve only just bought my Pista, and I’ve wanted one ever since they came out. I got a very good deal on it; paying list price is quite unusual for a special car like that, but we’re in a funny time. If you can afford to buy, it’s a good time, but I wouldn’t want to be selling one at the moment. There’s been a lot of over-supply of supercars in the last five to ten years, and while it’s still a niche market, there are a lot more cars out there, which is why prices are being affected”.
This ramps up the perennial conflict for the committed supercar owner between really using a car and preserving its value. “In this day and age, there are some who really keep the miles down, which is a shame really as you’ve got to get out and use these cars”, Robert says, “and it’s when they sit that you start getting problems”. How you choose to fund your passion inevitably has a bearing therefore, as Robert’s own plans illustrate. “I don’t envisage changing my cars so often now. The GT3 RS I’m going to keep, and ever since the Pista launched, that’s always been a dream. I love those two cars, but the McLaren gives you a different train thought.
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Normally, you have to be so conscious of the mileage and looking after it, but you’ve got 12,000 miles for the LT and you know you’re giving it back, so you feel like you should just go and enjoy it”. That is something Robert continues to do with SCD. “I’m going on the Wales tour again this year which is lovely — I did it last year and it was amazing. To have 20 or 25 supercars all together on these very quiet, open roads, with like-minded people and the sun shining, that was the best feeling for me. You don’t have to go far to enjoy yourself either. There’s nothing better than Scotland or Wales, or even the Cotswolds, and I’m only 15 minutes from Silverstone, so I can go to a track day there in the morning and be back at work in the afternoon”.
Robert admits that becoming a member of Supercar Driver has changed his whole approach to his cars, from the way he buys them to how he uses them. “Before, I’d just be going out on my own and jollying along, and I wasn’t involved in track days. Now, it’s great because I get to use my cars properly. The only downside of SCD is that I’ve bought more cars, because of the different events and the way I use them, but you feel a part of something, and that’s nice — you have a reason to head out”.
Being able to finance supercars has enabled Robert to build up an impressive fleet of road and track tools, each fulfilling different briefs. He has the direct line to an adviser at JBR Capital, who he has dealt with personally since taking out his first finance package. “The thing about JBR is that once they know you, you just ring them, tell them what the car is, and in a couple of days, it’s done. Having that relationship is fantastic”. We didn’t ask Robert to say that either, but we like to think it’s true.
The dedicated JBR Capital contact for SCD members is Nadim Haji, the head of Private Clients. Email nadim.haji@jbrcapital.com or call 07393 016692 @jbrcapital
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LAMBORGHINI LEICESTER Authorised Dealer
Lamborghini Leicester Watermead Business Park, Leicester, LE7 1PF Phone 0116 319 39 69 leicester.lamborghini
Class of 2007
Matt turns back the clock and drives the three best track-focused supercars from 2007 to find out if they offer something missing from the supercars of today. Written by: Matt Parker
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For me, there are two kinds of cars we petrolheads hold closest to our hearts. The ones we had on our bedroom walls as teenagers, and the ones we dreamed of owning when we first started driving. Well, for me, the Ferrari 430 Scuderia, Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera and Porsche 997 GT3 RS are a bit of both. I was 16 when they were released and they were still the ultimate track-focused supercars when I finally got behind the wheel of my instructor’s Citroen C3 the following year, and to this day I think this era produced the best driver’s cars. Since these cars came onto the scene in 2007, their successors have all boasted much more power (200bhp more in Ferrari’s case!), improved handling, better efficiency and more tech, like four-wheel steering and active aerodynamics, but for me that takeover of technology, ever-tightening emissions regulations and enhanced refinement to create a car that is all things to all men has started to distance the driver from the action.
These are uncompromising cars built purely for the driver, and today, thanks to their very kind owners, I’m going to drive all three of them back-to-back on some of the best roads in North Wales – yes, I know you hate me!
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The traffic light trio really stood out on a grey day in the hills and attracted plenty of attention from passers-by, even BAC and Top Gear Korea who we had a chance encounter with while they were shooting the Mono on the same road.
I decided to kick things off in my German comfort zone with Royd’s stunning GT3 RS. Everything about this car is immediately familiar after the miles I’ve covered in the SCD GT3, just turned up to 11. The luminous Viper Green paint, graphics and fixed carbon fibre wing are all iconic symbols of the 997 Gen I RS over the GT3, and I soon learned the splitter is even lower too – no pressure getting out of the car park in front of its owner then! On the road, this generation of RS just feels right in every sense. It’s the only manual of the trio and the heavy clutch and gearshift mean you can’t sit back and drive it lazily; you have to get involved and grab it by the scruff, and boy does it respond. You get out what you put in with the RS and it does nothing for you; it’s up to you to get it up in the powerband, rev match downshifts and manage that rearward weight balance. All that means it provides one of the most rewarding driving experiences you can get, accompanied by a proper motorsport
soundtrack from the howling Mezger flat six. It’s seriously capable by modern standards too; the way it turns in is borderline telepathic with the lack of weight up front, and the hydraulic rack sends constant messages about what the front tyres are doing right to your fingertips. Ceramic brakes were often a bit strange on cars of this era, but these have perfect bite at the top, they’re easy to modulate and they’re capable of pulling your face off when hauling the RS down from speed. It’s one of those cars that manages to be planted yet feel alive all at the same time, and it’s no slouch either. It’s 100bhp down on its Italian peers, but it doesn’t feel lacking, even back-toback with them.
Riad radioed in to let me know he had everything he needed, which is probably for the best as I’d have happily stayed out there driving up and down that stretch of road all day. Next up, it was time for two extra cylinders with Brian’s 430 Scuderia. As soon as the carbonclad door clunks shut, the Scud feels even more sparse and racy than the RS, with Alcantara and carbon everywhere, and even bare metal floor with exposed welds.
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As soon as I fired the 4.3 V8 into life, Brian showed me the all-important button for extra noise. The car has a standard exhaust, but Brian has fitted a remote to permanently open the valves, and it really doesn’t need any more than that – If you think an RS is loud, this is an aural assault! It’s not just the exhaust either, it just seems like there’s no sound deadening at all, and surely that’s what you want in a car like this?
I’ve been lucky to spend time in another SCD member’s Scud before and I’ve always loved its single-clutch F1 gearbox. They’re not usually for me, but Ferrari absolutely nailed it with the Scud before they ditched the tech in favour of doubleclutch units. Flat shifts in race mode are instant with a satisfying jolt in the back, downshifts are equally quick and it just has a character a doubleclutch can’t match. Brian says the shifts are better than those in his Lamborghini SVJ which
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came out 12 years later, so it was an impressive piece of engineering, and for me, it defines the racy feel of the Scud.
The engine is awesome. It’s not as tuneful as the other two but it still sounds great and thumps them when it comes to outright volume. It pulls from low down, builds to a dramatic top end which buzzes through the seat into your back and, again, it just feels like the right amount of power.
It’s the only one of the trio which is tractionally challenged if you’re not careful. It’s not lairy and it can easily put its power down out of corners in the dry, it just keeps you on your toes and insists upon smooth inputs to keep it in line. The brakes don’t bite quite as keenly as the RS at first, but you quickly get used to them and never feel the need for more stopping power.
On a road like this, the Scud never rests; it’s quick and capable, but it loves following imperfections in the road and the wheel wriggles in your hand. It’s like keeping an excitable dog under control on a lead as it goes where it wants, and I’m sure that’s not for everyone, but they just don’t make cars like that anymore, and it’s the most thrilling of the three to hustle along. The inevitable radio call came in again and it was time to head back for car number three, the raging bull. The Gen 1 Superleggera is the only one of the trio I hadn’t driven before, and some still hold it as the best V10 Lambo ever made, so I was keen to put it through its paces. Paul’s Superleggera looks stunning in Arancio Borealis, and it’s such a clean design by today’s standards of random creases, slashes and vents. Like the Ferrari, the interior is covered in Alcantara and carbon fibre, but it’s much more civilised with
its dual-zone climate control and infotainment system borrowed from Audi – it even has floor mats!
A shrill starter motor is followed by a bark as the 5.0 V10 awakens, and it always takes a couple of minutes to get used to the shallow sloping screen of a Lambo, like you’re peering through a letterbox. The brakes immediately get my attention as they’re more like you hear people describe ceramics of the day – the pedal travel goes straight from nothing to through the windscreen. Really, you just need to get some heat in them to make them behave, so it’s best to be on it in this car! The engine is special. The 5.0 V10 has more of a wail at the top end than the 5.2 used in the Huracan or even the LP570 Superleggera which followed, and I think it’s all the better for it.
Downshifts are absolutely savage as I learned from the outside when we were doing some filming by the side of the road!
Like the brakes which you have to work with, the gearbox is also more of its time. It’s a singleclutch E-Gear system and, like most cars fitted with them, it’s the weakest link, but it isn’t enough to break what is a very exciting chain. Downshifts are very good, but it really does pay to lift a little on upshifts to stop it throwing a strop and trying to break your neck. It’s one of those things that adds character, but I can only imagine how good the Superleggera would be with the Scud’s box, or better yet, a manual – never offered from factory, but there are a few cars out there with manual conversions! The Lambo is definitely the brute of the trio, but I was surprised by just how well it handles.
Sometimes it can feel like Lambos just tolerate going around corners even if it’s not really what they want to be doing; the Superleggera was made for corners and it feels like it. It lives up to its name and is genuinely light by modern supercar standards, so it turns in very well, throughout the corner it is absolutely rooted to the ground, and the four-wheel-drive system keeps things that way when it’s time to put the power down. It isn’t alive in your hands like the other two, but it’s extremely capable.
The radio call comes in again and calls time on my fun; time to actually let the owners get behind the wheel for some shots rather than watching me blast past repeatedly! That did at least give me chance to mull over the driving experience of these cars, and for me, they all offer something their modern counterparts don’t.
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They’re still fast, but useably so; they’re not so fast that you can’t use that performance when you hit a clear stretch of road. You might have noticed though, that I didn’t mention power figures, 0-60 times or top speeds for any of these cars, and it’s because performance isn’t why you buy them anymore as their manufacturers’ current offerings have much more in that respect. You buy them because of their rawness, the connection you get with them as a driver and the challenge of getting the best from them.
They also look like remarkable value compared to the supercars of today too, especially when all three are pretty rare. They come from a time when numbers weren’t necessarily limited, people just didn’t really buy these track-focused versions unless they were serious drivers, and so far fewer were sold than you’d expect today – you even didn’t have to send your sales manager on a week’s holiday to Dubai or leave a new Rolex on their desk to stand a chance of getting
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the latest and greatest limited-run model.
The Scud is the most expensive at around £200,000 for a good right-hand drive example. The RS is more like £120,000 which looks like a great buy to me, but the real bargain is the Superleggera, with a few examples floating around at less than £100,000. That makes them look massively undervalued in my opinion and I can only see them going up long term.
Driving each car back-to-back made it clear that these are three very different characters, so really it comes down to what you want from a car, or maybe even brand loyalty if you still can’t decide. The Porsche is the precision instrument; the one you take to the track or to neatly carve your way through a tight and twisty road, and of course it’s the only choice if you want three pedals. The Ferrari is the hooligan; the one that screams the loudest and moves around underneath you, always keeping you on your toes when you fancy a wild ride. The Lambo is the sledgehammer; punching you in the back
with its thunderous V10 and aggressive gearbox, while it’s four-wheel-drive system keeps things rock solid through the corners too. Honestly, you could quite happily have all three of these cars in your garage to suit your mood on any particular day, and you could almost buy all three for the price of a 488 Pista on the used market – just think about that!
If you’re calling cop out and forcing me to pick one, I think it’d have to be the Ferrari because it’s just unhinged. Ask me again tomorrow and I may well take the RS, but for now, I’ll take the Scud. Now let’s leave it there before I change my mind!
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Oversteer & Understeer
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Matt from Suspension Secrets delves into oversteer and understeer, why they happen, and how some subtle tweaks can drastically change your car’s handling to your driving style. Written by: Matthew Cowley
If you have taken your car out on track or pushed it hard out on the roads then you have probably experienced oversteer or understeer. In most cases, your heart probably paused for a second until you managed to regain control before backing off the throttle for the rest of the day.
For those of you who haven’t experienced a sliding axle; understeer is when the front of the car pushes straight on towards the outside of the corner while the wheels face towards to the corner. This is the most preferred option for road car manufacturers as it is deemed safer and easier to control than oversteer. To stop a car from understeering, the best route is to lift off the throttle, turn into the corner and wait for the front tyres to regain grip — something any driver can achieve.
Oversteer is a much different animal, when the back of the car rotates towards the outside of the corner. This can results in a spin if it isn’t controlled properly and can result in much bigger and faster crashes than understeer. However, oversteer is the preferred option to an avid driver due to it being more controllable and predictable than understeer.
Where Is It Happening?
In order to remove understeer and oversteer you must first ask the question, “Where is it happening?”. This means that, as a driver, you have to take note and decipher where in the corner the car begins to get out of shape. It must be categorised into one of three categories; corner entry, mid-corner and corner exit. The solutions vary depending upon where in the corner understeer or oversteer strikes.
The Basic Checks
There are some general checks that you should carry out first before you begin altering your setup to solve your issues. The first check is to make sure that all your tyre pressures are set correctly as an under or overinflated tyre could cause issues. A top tip, if you are out on circuit, is to check your tyre pressures after doing a few quick laps and set when the tyres are hot. This is because, as the tyre heats up, the pressure builds inside and can cause it to overinflate and lose grip, so set your tyre pressures to the manufacturer recommended operating pressure with them already hot for track work. Another important area that is often overlooked is the camber settings of your wheels. Often, a road car doesn’t have enough camber to handle hard cornering and will roll over on lock, overloading the outside edge of the tyre. Therefore, taking note of how the tyre is wearing or, better yet, making use of a tyre pyrometer to check temperatures across the width of the tyre will help to fine-tune your camber settings on each wheel and maximise grip potential form all of your tyres.
With pressures and camber checked, take a look at the condition of your tyres. If they are low on tread or have issues such as graining or blistering, then this will most likely be causing your issues. Install a fresh set of tyres and head out again to see if the problems are still there. With pressures and tyre condition checked, take a look at the condition of your brakes. Low brake pads or worn discs on one end of the car can lead to understeer and oversteer due to one end of the car slowing down much faster than the other.
Understeer Solutions
Once you have determined that you are in fact experiencing understeer and have pinpointed where in the corner it is occurring, you can look to adapt your setup to resolve the issue.
Understeer at corner entry or exit can be solved by increasing the front rebound stiffness of your dampers if you have the luxury of damping adjustment. Another solution is to lower the front ride height of your car. Chances are that if you have adjustable damping, then you will also be able to adjust your ride height. If both of these are not an option, then you can look at altering your toe geometry on your front and/or rear wheels. In most cases, increasing front toe out will help with initial turn-in traction and reduce understeer. Similarly, on a rearwheel-drive platform, reducing the amount of rear toe-in will help to rotate the rear of the car on turn in. In front-wheel-drive cars, rear toe is often set to toe out to rotate the rear of the car and help the front wheels gain traction and reduce understeer.
For mid-corner understeer, the best technique is to either soften your front anti-roll bar or to stiffen your rear anti-roll bar. This option is available on some Porsches and other trackfocused cars. If this isn’t an option then installing softer spring rates, reducing compression stiffness or increasing rebound stiffness all help too. Finally, increasing front end downforce will reduce understeer.
Oversteer Solutions
For corner entry or exit oversteer, some possible solutions are to lower the rear ride height of your car, install a softer rear coil spring, reduce the rear damper compression stiffness or alter toe geometry. To reduce oversteer, rear toe in needs to be increased. This helps to keep the rear end more stable, particularly at high speed, and prevents the rear from rotating, providing more rear-end traction. For mid-corner oversteer, some solutions are; softening the rear anti-roll bar or stiffening the front anti-roll bar; softening the rear coil spring rate will also help to provide more traction to the rear. Also, increasing rear aero downforce will help to maintain traction at the back. Finally, lowering the rear ride height will help the rear of the car to increase grip levels and prevent the back from stepping out.
Set Up Benefits
Small set up alterations can make a large improvement to the handling characteristics of your car. We offer a mobile or trackside service where we set up a full motorsport flat patch and are able to make numerous geometry tweaks and corner weight changes to your car to extract the maximum performance potential from you and your car.
With our trackside service, we spend the full day with you, fine-tuning your geometry based upon your driving style and our data collection equipment to maximise grip and feedback from your car. We are able to work on any car with anything from fully standard suspension through to full custom race suspension.
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The race car you didn’t
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collection know about Founder of Eagle E-Types and Historic Classics, Henry Pearman, takes us on the journey of his obsession with cars, how to buy Group C cars, and what to do when you run out of space for more cars.
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Where did your passion for cars come from?
I joined the Tunbridge Wells Motor Club when I was 13 years old, so I was their youngest member. I actually had to phone from a call box near where we lived as we didn’t have a phone in the house, so it was quite an occasion. A guy called Duncan Welch took me under his wing and we used to do Marshalling, and all through my teens, racing is what I grew up around, and also he got me to start learning to work on cars.
When I was about 14 years old, my mum had an Austin A40, and it had broken its diff. Duncan said, “Well, I’ll give you a diff, but you have to fit it yourself”, so I had to go and buy a socket set and learn. It was a two-car slope on the drive at that time, so I also learnt my clutch control when I was about 14 too.
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Tell us about the background of Eagle.
I was born in ’63 so wasn’t around for the launch, but I fell in love with the E-Type around five or six years old. In the early ‘70s, the V12 came out and those four exhausts with the sound of the V12 engine was magical. Also, there used to be a Cadbury’s Milk Tray advert where an E-Type was used to deliver chocolate and it had to jump a bridge that was down. All those ingredients added up, plus we used to go and visit my nan on the coast in Kent, and on the way to the beach after Sunday lunch was an E-Type Coupe parked in somebody’s drive, so as soon as I’d seen that, I said, “Let’s go home because I don’t like beaches anyway”. So I’ve always had that passion and loved E-Types all the way through.
I was lucky enough to do the Pirelli Classic Marathons in ’88 and ’89. We actually proved to be quite successful, winning outright in ’89 against the likes of Stirling Moss, Paddy Hopkirk, Roger Clark and Timo Makinen, and I thought, wouldn’t it be great if we could update an E-Type so that water didn’t pour out of the overflows at the top of the Stelvio and the brakes weren’t on fire? Just then, we had use of a 911 SC for a while from a client, and I thought if we could mix the usability and reliability of what was a modernday 911 of the 80s with the beauty and the classic lines of E-Type, what a car it would be. And so, from a lifelong passion and a complete obsession with making cars that work, that was the beginning of Eagle.
Where did the inspiration for the collection come from?
For me, it’s never been about putting a collection together, I just love experiences. A friend of mine said life is a journey, and it’s what you can take on that journey, and for me, the absolute passion is cars. I’ve just managed to buy a 40,000-mile-fromnew-Frogeye Sprite, which is one of the stars of the collection, and to me, there was as much excitement acquiring that car as there was a Silk Cut Jaguar. What appeals to me is the best of everything, and I love original cars that are totally irreplaceable. I have a phrase of trying to buy unobtanium, and I think that’s a good summary of what we do.
How did you get so into Group C?
I had the whole of the ‘80s going to Le Mans and watching as a punter looking over the fence at everyone. It was amazing in the ‘80s. You’d go down on the Thursday, and there were no pit garages and complexes like there are today, so even the factory Porsche and Jaguar teams would be a big truck with a side awning, and the cars were down to tubs and rebuilt through the Friday, and if you didn’t get in the way, they’d be happy for you to go in there and watch what was going on. So that for me was the whole excitement with Group C.
The first race I went to was in 1982 at Brands Hatch, and it was the title decider. That was the first time we saw the Rothmans cars because our
exams were in June which clashed with Le Mans, even though the exams seemed secondary at the time! That race was so exciting because it was so wet, all the cars were spinning off and into the barriers, and they stopped the race because it was so bad. We were super keen from those early days, and because my friend worked at the Brands race school after I did, we had access to the pits for the 1,000km race in ’83, where John Fitzpatrick won with Derek Warwick. We’re lucky enough to have that car in the collection today and I now know John very well. We’ve actually just helped with Mark Cole’s new book on the whole John Fitzpatrick Group C story.
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How did you end up owning so many Group C cars?
At Le Mans in ’89, my friends used to buy the broken windscreens out of the Silk Cut Jaguars and I said, “Do you ever sell any of the cars?”. As a 25-year-old, they must have thought who is this nutter? But funnily enough, the guys said, “Yes, we do actually. We’ve got two for sale at the moment”, and it was just at the golden period where we had just got all our stocking finance, and I persuaded the finance company to lend me the money to buy both the cars, because I thought that could probably sell one later and it could cover much of the amount you had paid for both.
We actually got it approved shortly after Le Mans and it looked like I was going to get my first Silk Cut Jaguar, but when we contacted TWR, the prices had suddenly gone up. They had been £650,000 each, which was insane money to try and borrow at the time, but then they were £800,000. Then it jumped again to £850,000 each and then they were then plus VAT. You then had to sign a contract to say that you could never drive them, even on a track day, unless you employed the full TWR team at the full day rate they charged to Jaguar. I still thought I would still really like one, and the finance guys said, “If you say it’s good, we’ll run with you, but if you can’t service the borrowing, you lose everything”. For once, the sensible pills worked, and we didn’t get them. They were two cars I failed to buy in the late ‘80s, and then the green car cropped up and I didn’t have the money in something like ’98, then another car cropped up and I didn’t get that one, and then one of the turbo cars cropped up in the Goodwood sale with Bonhams, and I agreed terms with them, I had three months to get the money together, I definitely wanted to buy it, offered double the guide price, and I still didn’t get it, so by then I thought I give up! Locally, there’s a collector who used to deal with Formula 1 cars, buying the cars at the end of the year, and he bought the turbo cars at the end of ’88 to run in historics, before they decided to ban them. He had a passion for Group C as well, and he had been collecting the Porsches since the mid-‘90s. When I first went to his place, we opened the door, and right in the front was a Silk Cut Jaguar with all the Porsches behind. It only did Le Mans in ’86, and Tom Walkinshaw kept it in the collection alongside the 1990 Le Mans winner. I actually had a book on Group C cars, and on the front cover was this number 53 car. I thought wow, whatever it takes, I’d definitely like it, and when an interested buyer didn’t come through, it all clicked into place.
He also had eight or nine Group C Porsches which he didn’t want to sell, but I persuaded him to sell me the pink 962 as well, which he admits he wouldn’t have sold if he’d have really read into the history. Another great friend, Murray Smith, who has raced in historics for years had the sister car which I’d previously seen at the Festival of Speed when Nick Mason owned it. I agreed to buy that from him in about 2002, and that is the car we have listed on Historic Classics at the moment. Then, In 2003 or 2004, there was an opportunity to buy one of the Silk Cut V12 Le Mans cars and the Shell Dunlop Porsche that was second to the winning Jaguar at Le Mans in 1988.
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What are they like to drive?
They’re such exciting cars, but they’re so easy to drive, and that’s the thing that surprises people. You look at a Group C car and think they’re so intimidating, and they’re not. In a Group C car, you have seconds and seconds in the driver. In a series driving 2.0 911s or Lotus Cortinas or E-Types, you’re fine-tuning diffs and wheelbase lengths, fighting for tenths of a second. With a Group C car, you could have a window of five or ten seconds which is purely comfort of driving. You get pushed into finding the limits of them, and find out there’s so much more left, so a pro driver would knock another five seconds off a time when you think I can’t ever go any faster, and then they’ll go faster again. So they’ve actually got so much in reserve, that they’re really easy to drive.
Are there any cars you’ve struggled to acquire?
There are several cars where I’ve thought I’d love to get one one day, and it hasn’t happened. The car I always really wanted was the 1987 world championship-winning Silk Cut Jaguar XJR-8. It was for sale in 2003 when the TWR collection was disbanded and, by the time I went to view the cars on offer, two US collectors had bought almost everything. The sole remaining V12 Group C car was the very first 1985 Jaguar XJR-6, one of the two green Jaguar-liveried cars, which I successfully acquired on behalf of Martin Brundle. He very kindly allowed me the opportunity to add it to our collection a few years later, completing the set of both green 1985 factory team cars. I finally had the chance to buy the 1987 championship-winning XJR-8 about two years ago, and next week we’re taking it to Estoril to have my first go in it, so I’m really excited about that. The plan is to do the Le Mans Classic; an ultimate dream come true would be to drive a Silk Cut Jaguar at Le Mans, soaking up that same cockpit view and sensational noise that the factory drivers experienced some 30 years ago! I think they’re quite a lot out of par on values when you look the value of a Porsche 917 and McLaren F1 GTR. I had the chance to buy one, Ray Bellm’s car that had done Le Mans in the Fina livery, road registered, and it was £575,000 in 2005. I had just bought the Shell Dunlop Porsche and the Silk Cut Jaguar, and had the chance to buy another Rothmans Porsche (956 chassis number one), which we had to remortgage the farm to pay for. So, it all came at once and sometimes you can’t have everything.
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How did the collection spawn Historic Classics?
The simple summary is that I am a passionate collector who sometimes needs to sell some cars to help pay for other cars I’ve already agreed to buy, but don’t yet have the money to pay for — the story of my life! One way or another, we have always made it work out and achieved what we have promised, but sometimes the obsession of collecting sets of cars results in having simply too many cars and not enough room for them all.
I never actually buy anything with the view of selling it, so Historic Classics is really an outlet for the overspill from the fact that we’ve completely run out of space. I always buy something because I love it, and in fact, even with an E-Type we buy for the showroom, I don’t want to sell it straight away, because I like having it around and owning it for a while, which seems crazy.
A neighbour came down about 10 years ago, and we had a 2.7 RS 911 here at the time for £120,000, and he said, “Should I buy it?”, and I said, “Well, do you like them?”, and he said, “No, I don’t like 911s, I don’t understand them, but will it go up in value?”, so I said, “I’ve absolutely no idea, but if you don’t like it, don’t buy it”, because if several other people who bought one as an investment decide to sell, you’ll be chasing a dropping market and you’ll wish you’d never seen it. The fact that it sold for £400,000 about two years later says don’t ask me for advice, but I still stand by what I said – buy what you like, and you’ll enjoy it. The biggest challenge for the guys here was getting me to list just one car, let alone over 30, because I don’t actually want to sell any of them! But we have made the decision, being very realistic and competitive on price, offering a totally eclectic mix of really great road and race cars that I simply can’t just replace when they’ve gone. Look online at historicclassics.com to see what classic and competition cars they have. @historicclassics
Watch the video on youtube.com
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Topaz Bristol
BREAKFAST MEET
Despite the wintry conditions, a great group of SCD members turned out to Topaz Bristol for a breakfast meet and a showcase of what makes them the place to go for detailing and PPF. Topaz Bristol’s general manager, Greg Hobbs, tells us more. Written by: Greg Hobbs
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We were very excited to host SCD for the first time at either of the Topaz sites, but as the day drew closer, the horrendous weather we had been enduring continued to batter the country. The morning of our event didn't give us any respite but we were so pleased that the hardy members still came to see us in fantastic numbers. Another big thank you to all of them! I was very much looking forward to showing the members our specialist facility and what makes
us so different from the other companies out there that they may have had experience of before.
To that end, I thought it was key for them to be able to see the team in action, from detailing through to PPF installation and everything in between. This worked really well, lots of questions were answered and the feedback we had on the day about being able to see us doing our thing was excellent.
We immediately took one booking from a member who saw how different the PPF coverage is on the cars we work on with our bespoke in-house designed patterns, and we have now replaced all the PPF on his car, each panel has more coverage and the film is no longer visible on the car to the extent it was before.
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We had no issues with having a fleet of interesting and special cars on display, and everything that was on show was actually in with us for work at that time. I couldn't have planned it better if I had needed to draft the cars in for the day from customers!
Dick Lovett Group has been a fantastic partner of Topaz Bristol since we opened and they were well represented with some special cars brought along by members of the teams from Porsche Bristol, Aston Martin Bristol and Ferrari Swindon. They understand how important it is to have someone they can trust implicitly on quality and aftercare when offering paint protection film to their customers.
I think everybody enjoyed the live demonstrations, cars, coffee, bacon rolls and had a good catch up with friends despite the weather, and we look forward to holding another event in the future.
We would love to work on more SCD members cars, and your SCD membership entitles you to 20% off our detailing services, so please do get in touch at bristol@topazdetailing.com or 0117 456 993. @topazbristol
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e AT m TI l U k c a r T y TO ally gets in f t t a y, M rt factor al habitat. a e h t f -o its natur a’s state in t t p e u c in r G e Sup iting After vis wheel of a G55 he behind t by: Matt Written
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Parker.
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...it’s the sort of thing where you could do lap after lap and keep getting faster all day long as your mind catches up with the car’s ability...
SCD’s new partership with fellow Yorkshirebased business Ginetta is an exciting opportunity, and just a few months in, they have already welcomed SCD members to their stateof-the-art factory and added a new dimension to our track days at Blyton Park in Lincolnshire.
I love knowing how things are made and seeing the passion that goes into them, so going behind the scenes of the Ginetta factory was enlightening, but what I really love is getting my hands on those things and driving them. For that, I had to wait a couple of long weeks until our first track day of the year. Recently taken over by Ginetta, Blyton was the perfect place to put one of their own products through its paces, and better still, factory racing driver Mike Simpson was on hand to show us and the SCD members booked onto the day what a Ginetta can really do.
The car in question is a G55 Supercup, one of the more senior cars in their lineup until you get to prototype level. Eligible for Ginetta’s one-make series on the BTCC support bill as well as a host of other championships, it’s a versatile machine for gentleman racers, or can offer a stepping stone into professional motorsport.
I decided to let SCD members go first, partially because I’m a gentleman, partially to gauge the level of fear on their faces as they emerged from the other side. Satisfied that Mike might be nearing the wrong side of nuts but clearly knows what he’s doing, I asked him to show me how it should be done before getting behind the wheel myself.
Amazingly, it was the first time I’d been in a racing car with a racing driver and oh... my... god. What an experience it was. While I was contemplating why on earth we hadn’t braked yet and planning to collect my stomach again when we passed on the next lap, Mike used every last scrap of the track and carried unbelievable speed, staying fully flat through the daunting sweeper ‘Port Froid’. Getting out afterwards, my mind was frazzled at the capability of both car and driver, and now, it was my turn.
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Squeezed into the snug cabin, I was given the rundown of the controls and told by Mike, “If you don’t stall it, I’ll be very impressed”. What happened next? I stalled it! A few more revs on the table, and off I went, realising slicks really do need some heat in them to give any kind of grip at all. The G55 does not like cruising at slow speed and part throttle; it’s made for going flat out for anything up to 24 hours at the Nurburgring, so once accustomed to it all, it was time to press on.
The first overwhelming sensation is noise, so much noise! The whine from the pneumatic gearbox and the mechanical scream of the Ford-sourced 3.7-litre V6 are an immersive racing combination. 355bhp feels like the perfect amount of power to shift the G55’s 1,085kg, but the brakes, they’re something else. My mind wouldn’t let me brake anything like as late as Mike, so I found myself entering corners way below what the car could handle. I love the solid feel of a racing brake pedal, and a twitch of the tail and puff of tyre smoke reaffirmed the lack of ABS. The steering is razor sharp, so accurate and perfectly weighted, and being my first time driving a racing car with downforce, it’s the sort of thing where you could do lap after lap and keep getting faster all day long as your mind catches up with the car’s ability, and if the guys from Ginetta weren’t waving me back in before I got too excited with myself, the car would just keep taking it. The speed you can carry in the G55 means you’re catching things like 600LTs like they’re standing still, it really is quite phenomenal, but it’s not an intimidating car to get to grips with, it just seems to work along with your ability, which makes sense given that it will be driven by gentleman drivers as much as pro racers.
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It wasn’t the incredible braking or cornering ability that made the G55 so addictive for me though, it was the whole experience. The way even a few laps on a track day made me feel like a racing driver was utterly enthralling. I was immersed in a way I never have been in a car before, even Caterhams and Atoms, and those laps left me wanting so much more as I know I didn’t come close to the car’s ability.
The G55 isn’t a car you can drive from home to the track if you’re buying it as a toy, but trust me, this thing gives you more than you can imagine over a road-legal, track-focused supercar in the right environment, and the consumables are deliberately made to be far cheaper too, so you’re not crippling your wallet on pads and tyres after a day’s abuse, and you’re not remortgaging your house if you end up in the gravel.
I was going to say I’ve never had as much fun in a car for £89,000 (plus your 20% vodka and tonic), but really, I’ve never had as much fun in a car full stop, and the members who had the chance to drive the car on the day were equally besotted. If you get the chance to drive one of these brilliant racing cars, please do. The only danger is that you get so addicted, we end up seeing you on TV at the weekend supporting BTCC races, but as far as addictions go, a G55 sounds like a pretty good one to me. In case you missed the factory tour in person, we’ll be taking you on a virtual tour in the pages of Issue 36 of SCD Magazine to share what goes into making these British track weapons.
Watch the video on youtube.com
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INTRODUCING THE
GINET TA G55 SUPERCUP THE ULTIMATE TRACK DAY TOY
Lightweight, strong and agile, the SuperCup-specification G55 is designed to offer the following impressive specifications: Ford 3.7 Litre V6 Engine
Carbon fibre side impact protection
60 hours Ginetta warranty
Motec GPS with C125 logging upgrade
Hewland six speed pneumatic paddle shift gearbox with auto throttle blip
Ready to go from only £89,000 +VAT
To arrange a test drive simply contact Sam Tomlinson on 0113 385 4160 or email sam.tomlinson@ginetta.com
www.ginetta.com
Reinvigorated
Development driver Miles Lacey samples the new and improved Aston Martin DB11 AMR to find out if it’s the car the DB11 always should have been. Written by: Miles Lacey
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It’s fair to say Aston Martin has been the subject of rather heavy scrutiny since the launch of the DB11 in 2016. The car hailed to form the starting block of their new chapter in luxury sports and GT cars was met with divided opinions; largely given it was introduced with a turbocharged powertrain and many a switch and knob (don’t laugh) from their new partners at Mercedes. As much as the traditionalists love to heckle from the back of the room that this subtracted from ‘Britishness’ of the Warwickshire based company, my view is that this opinion is a little long in the tooth now. Any automotive brand considered to be British is more cosmopolitan than most would realise.
Whether we like it or not, car companies would not survive in the current climate without the aid of platform engineering. This ultimately provides the backbone for these low-volume, high-luxury cars that are ever more closely targeted by our government to abolish. Underneath the thin veneer of most modern British cars reveals the insignia of their parent company, whether this be Rolls-Royce (BMW) or Bentley (VW AG), but is that such a bad thing? Unless you feel compelled to go digging, the tactile elements of the cars are, for all intents and purposes, true to the brand you’ve bought into. I believe the new GT car from Aston Martin delivers this promise rather well, but allow me to dive deeper.
When the keys for the DB11 AMR landed in my lap, my mind immediately casted back to my first experience in a DB11 around the time it was launched; admittedly this particular car was in pre-production state, however my initial impression of the car stayed with me. It was ballistically fast, of course, given its new powertrain in the form of a 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 producing 600bhp and 516 lb ft of torque. Notably, the cabin was a significant step above the outgoing models with smatterings of modern tech, leather and a distinct aroma of luxury.
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It appeared, at first glance, to possess the hallmarks of a grand tourer, yet after only a few miles, I found the experience to be somewhat disjointed. What does the customer want from a GT car? Typically, a large engine out front, a spacious cabin in the middle for longer journeys, supple ride comfort and space enough for a couple of weekend bags in the back. The DB11 buttered many of those parsnips, yet I found myself frustrated by its lack of body control which, over any form of B road, resulted in the car not hiding its mass particularly well — at 1,870kg, it was no featherweight.
The standout affliction it suffered, however, was its lack of traction. On anything other than dry tarmac, it would light the rear tyres with a sniff of throttle, which was fun until I remembered it was a GT car and not a spiky track day toy. All things considered, it was a step in the right direction for Aston, and I know all too well how difficult an all-new model is to deliver. At some point, you have to put your pencils down and slap some out the door. Fast forward a couple of years to 2018, and not only did Aston Martin launch a new flagship successor to the DB line-up, but they did it in spectacular fashion at the AMR Performance Centre based at the Nürburgring — quite the statement I’d say. The AMR brand carries the weight of Aston’s endurance racing pedigree by offering a self-acclaimed ‘performance derivative’ to select models. Having already
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tackled the Vantage AMR with great success, it stands to reason that the bar for the DB11 is set quite high.
Driving the previous generation Vantage AMR earlier last year, I can’t deny I was left with a new found desire to own a naturally-aspirated V12 before I pop my clogs. The term is banded up and down amongst motoring journalists more times than a whore’s drawers, but it was, visceral. Everything from the ridiculous engine flare on start-up to the gear changes worthy of a whiplash claim was just perfectly judged. Equally, for a car that was well and truly outdated by competitors in its sector, the styling stood the test of time better than any other of the same era. Call it a run-out model if you will, but what it did achieve was the task of stamping the AMR brand on the map. Enter the DB11 AMR. In a bid to breathe new life in to the V12 derivative that quietly disappeared off the configurator before its time, the AMR treatment was unleashed upon it. Power upped to 630bhp, top speed now 208mph and 0-62mph down to 3.7 seconds, accompanied by a suspension tune, forged wheels and a new exhaust note now brings the price to £174,995. Oh, and some AMR badges, because you know, you might forget what it is. The press car Aston Martin sent us was rather understated, and that would be an understatement. Apart from the dark chrome
and gloss black detailing, it was difficult to know what exactly denoted it to be the AMR. Step inside and the interior is slightly more boastful with B-side cow skin stretched across the dashboard and a select few AMR logos embossed on the seats. That’s all very lovely, but as my mother always says, “The proof of the pudding is in the driving”, or something like that; I never did have much of an attention sp- milk, bread, drop Nanna at dry cleaners and collect suit from butchers. After the team deliberated over the styling, Riad and I filled her up and headed for the Peak District. En route, I had a chance to explore its range of capabilities through the city centre for day-to-day drivability and its accessibility for a new driver possibly not familiar with a car of this calibre. In my experience, most people drive their cars in their ‘key-on’ state and, regretfully, aren’t aware of the range of modes and customisation at hand. Resisting the urge to reach for the engine and damper controls situated on the controversial square steering wheel, I navigated through the traffic and enjoyed the pleasing tones of the V12 as it echoed off the buildings.
You’d be forgiven for thinking they’d plonked the old naturally-aspirated engine in there; anyone expecting a muffled note as is typical of modern turbocharged engines need not be concerned. It’s no more difficult to drive than a family hatch other than its long-nosed proportions taking
some getting used to. Before long, both the car and I were frustrated for not having breached 30mph at this stage, so we broke free and ran for the hills.
Starting to introduce some twists and turns in to the mix, I found myself leaning on the car sooner than expected. The chassis changes administered by Matt Becker and his chassis team, whilst seemingly modest, are pleasingly well matched to the ethos of the car. The rear subframe bushes have been stiffened, offering a greater sense of connection and communication from the rear axle, an important attribute in a 600-plus bhp, rear-wheel-drive car. Equally, roll stiffness is increased at the front axle with a new anti-roll bar and a damper tune to capture the new hardware changes. The net result is a slightly more immediate response at the front and rear axle with intuitive phasing of which was a welcome upgrade from its predecessor. Sadly, the press car was delivered wearing winter tyres which didn’t sell the driving dynamics overly well, coupled with some memorable traction issues that didn’t leave much to the imagination. With the ESP fully active, the system appeared to be taxed by the enormous torque the V12 was trying to deliver to the rear wheels; I can’t shy away from the fact that, had it been fitted with a summer tyre, this wouldn’t be so apparent.
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It took a little spade work, but once I found the ESP modes hidden in a sub menu, it unearthed ESP Track mode; this loosens the reigns somewhat by allowing manageable levels of lateral movement, should you want to chase the throttle with tasteful oversteer without sticking it in a hedge. It’s not the most consistent thing to work with and still struggles to accelerate the car cleanly, but that could easily be intentional to add a pinch of theatre having the tyres scrabbling for grip. “Systems off?”, I hear you ask. Depends how long you want the elevens to trail behind you, I guess. One thing the AMR is not short of is power. Its ability to spin its 295 section Bridgestone ‘007’ tyres (I know…) even in fourth gear is quite remarkable. Calming everything down, we grabbed a few static shots now the car was suitably caked in Derbyshire dirt and meandered back to base. Having spent the majority of the day in the car, I could envisage how it would make small work of longer journeys across the continent. As a GT car, it works very well. My overriding pang, however, is that I struggle to identify the uplift it possesses to wear the AMR brand. Aston Martin Racing is draped in victorious heritage and it means something to people. To me, the DB11 AMR carries more weight as a maturation of the original V12 variant than a standalone performance orientated model; possibly even what the car should have delivered at its launch in 2016.
Having established a baseline, I explored the driving modes. Sport provided an immediate change to the throttle and gearbox calibration alongside a specific damper tune. The gearbox has been graced with a new, more aggressive shift map across all the modes with additional focus on Sport and Sport + to better ‘express its character’. The distinction between the modes is clear, even to the least sensitive of drivers, yet I struggled to find an environment on the road at least where you might stray away from the standard GT mode, particularly for the suspension. In GT, the body control is an obvious improvement over the old car with its standout attribute being the composure over crests. The adaptive dampers did a very respectable job of
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coping with the elevation changes and surprise yumps the Snake Pass threw at them; the aptly named Skyhook technology undoubtably employed with precision here.
Step up towards Sport and Sport + and I found the ride became too compromised for road use. What it would be like on track is to be discovered another day, but my advice would be to leave the suspension settings where they are. The saving grace, however, is the ability to separate out the suspension modes from the powertrain, meaning you can choose the more aggressive throttle and gearbox response but maintain the supple ride comfort. If nothing else, you can listen to the V12 in all its resplendent volume 24/7.
This shouldn’t detract from the overall package the car delivers as a tool to cover ground at great pace, style and isolation from the outside world. Its place in the GT car clique is well deserved and a clear step in right direction for Aston Martin. The company has taken a car we all thought might have been gone for good and successfully resuscitated it to rejoin the Aston Martin family. The burning question latterly for me, however, is have they cracked it with the DBX and when is the press office inviting my wistful soul to drive the eagerly anticipated Valkyrie?
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THE DE ALMAKER Rob digs into the mind of Tom Hartley to find out how he started out almost 50 years ago, and the secret to his long-standing success. Written by: Rob Ward
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If you’ve tried to register for the Tom Hartley Summer BBQ on the SCD event list, you will know you have to be quick. It fills up as fast as the Secret Meet and there is no need to explain why.
The Tom Hartley showroom, in every detail, is something Tom envisaged from a very early age. All of Tom’s 47 years of work have led up to this point, building what is arguably the world’s most enviable showroom purely for the experience of his customers. He’s done it. He has reached the goal he always worked towards, to be able to work alongside his son and co-owner Carl and hopefully hand something very special down to his grandchildren. “There’s nothing tighter than blood to build a business together”, Tom
explains as he admits this development of the business, the showroom and the 40-acre estate have always been for the next generation of Hartleys, all so they can hopefully continue the business forward for generations.
Tom didn’t attend secondary school. He is one of many people who simply didn’t suit the curriculum. He was told he’d never get anywhere in life and was wasting his time. His mind, unstimulated by the methods of teaching in the early seventies, needed a different approach to learning and was clearly programmed differently. He was home educated from the age of 11 and from then on, knowing already that there was money to be made from cars, attended the auctions and started doing exactly that.
At the age of 18 in 1978, there is one particular deal that Tom traces his first million back to. A deal that resulted in a huge shift in the way Tom did business. Having purchased an imported Mercedes from a man in Brighton (whose name he can still remember), Tom learnt that, with the exchange rate at 4.6 Deutsche Mark to the pound, he could purchase Porsche and Mercedes for over 30% less than list price in the UK.
New 1976 Rolls Royce Corniche - age 16
Because of the exchange rate, before long, Tom was buying cars for less abroad than the main dealers were getting them in the UK. He then started to sell them back to the UK dealers for a profit. Eventually, he was trading 20 to 30 cars per month to main dealers, making the same profit as the dealers were by retailing them in the UK. Tom never looked back, never looked at how much he was making, just carried on making hay while the German sun shone! However, all of the Mercedes and Porsche dealers realised people could purchase cars from Tom for less than they could from them and eventually got smart. It was all due to what Tom and his cartel were doing that the dealers created the Type Approval Number. An individual number given to cars imported from abroad, needed for registering them in the UK. Without this number proving cars came direct from source to the dealerships, Tom no longer had a business.
So, when this was introduced, almost overnight, all of the cars that Tom had deposits on overseas could not be registered in the UK by him and were not saleable. Only one car per person per year was allowed to be imported under the new rules, which rendered Tom’s business model defunct. Tom’s golden egg was no longer. This, coinciding with a potentially blinding eye condition known as Keratoconus, meant that Tom had to take a step back, rethink his business model, refund all of the customer deposits as well as pay any money back to investors and concentrate on his health. Although this was a wise move in the long run, it hurt.
One thing taken from this interview was that Tom kept the respect of everyone he’d ever dealt with by being the only person who lost any money. Knowing that at some point he’d be back dealing cars again in another format, bridges were left unburnt. This, at the age of 19, resulted in Tom both making and losing his first million pounds in the space of only 2 years. We can find a common thread amongst entrepreneurs when it comes to risk and losing money. Once they’ve made it once, many will always know how to make it back. Look at Warren Buffet for example. He lost $4.3 billion in one day, only to make it all back again and become the third richest man in the world.
you’re brought up with the view that the sky is the limit and you just need to go out and get it (or somewhere in between), that thermostat is what determines your inevitable financial level and, unless you’re prepared to re-adjust it, that is where you will always be. Tom’s thermostat is set very high. Like any entrepreneur, he is programmed to take risks for the potential he can see. He is always looking forward and is not worried about what he could lose as he knows that he can always get it back again.
Having since been diagnosed with dyslexia, the reasons for thinking so differently have become very clear. Having spent a lot of time with other business owners and entrepreneurs, it has become apparent there is relevance. It is a littleknown fact that 40% of the world’s self-made millionaires have dyslexia and studies show that dyslexic people are able to develop a mental resilience to cope with academic weaknesses that actually helps them in later life to develop businesses in particular.
There’s a proven link between the different mind of someone with dyslexia and success in business, and just by listening to the passion with which Tom speaks about his business, his ideas, his absolute dedication to remain both successful and highly respected, the difference in mindset is very evident.
Having asked Tom whether the business still has quiet times, even though social media perceives the showroom to never stop, Tom admits that if he didn’t work hard, day and night, to create opportunities, he’d be as quiet as any other dealership in the tough times.
Selling to the super-rich does help to ensure that there aren’t so many of the quiet times, as the effect of recession or slowing economic growth doesn’t hit Tom’s demographic quite as instantly. “You just need to know how and where to go out and get the leads you need to keep your turnover high. Don’t wait for the phone to ring”.
Tom is no different. For him, just like Warren Buffet, part two was the easy bit. He’d done it once, he just had to do it all over again with a different business model. One huge benefit that Tom had over Warren Buffett was age. Tom was still only 19 years old and was perhaps in the best position to be able to start over with his determination intact.
I am confident that people are brought up with a financial thermostat. It is set to a level instilled into you as a child. Whether you’re conditioned to believe that nothing is affordable and ‘money doesn’t grow on trees’, or whether
Bentley Turbo R - age 26
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This is purely based on experience – nearly 50 years of it. There aren’t many car dealerships who have gone on this long, with the same ownership, with the ability to pass such a name down for generations to come.
“It is one thing getting there, it’s a very different thing staying there”.
Tom’s business model, with the amount of inventory he carries, is one that can be likened to a casino (hear me out). Not every deal is a good deal. There are some cars that will sit in the showroom and depreciate, there are some cars that simply don’t make money, however, you don’t see Tom tearing his hair out with worry that one or two of the cars are going to be losses. It’s an overhead of the business. Similarly, you don’t see the owner of a Las Vegas casino pacing the floor while a rich guest cleans up on the roulette wheel, because there is always an edge. Tom’s business and the way he works has always and will always result in overall profit.
The roulette wheel has an identical number of red squares and black squares. Alone, giving the player a 50/50 chance of winning. However, there is a green square too. If the ball lands here, the house wins. This means the odds are everso-slightly tipped in the favour of the house. Therefore statistically, over time, this edge will play out and the house will always make a profit.
Tom’s edge, in the form of his work ethic, his ability to form deals out of experience, knowledge, contacts and the simple willingness to chase each sale, will always ensure the house wins over time and that there are more profitable deals than those that lose. “You can never cover all your corners. You just have to take the occasional loss on the chin”. In case you are unaware, Tom has decided to share these experiences and more in his biography. Until last year, his 47th year of business, when Tom started working with a
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ghostwriter, he’d never had the chance to reflect. He was always looking forward, looking to the next deal, looking at building the future of Tom Hartley as a brand, building the lake that we all know so well and, more recently, planning the build of the new showroom. The book has finally given Tom the opportunity to stop, to put the business to one side and to slow life down a little. This has meant that Tom can finally use this time to reflect on what he has achieved.
Throughout the interview, Tom was very forthright, as I expected him to be. There is a demonstrative tone to his voice, one of someone who endearingly and unapologetically speaks his mind, however, there was a recognisable tone change when we came to speak about the reflection on his life. Volume reduced, tone softened, and Tom’s humble persona showed through. He admitted a level of emotion at this point – a wonderful experience shared with Ken Gibson, the ghostwriter, and to a lesser degree, with me for this article.
It is rare to find a man of Tom’s wealth who also remains as humble. Yes, Tom likes to tell you how well he has done, and I can tell he enjoyed telling me how he got there, but that last 30 seconds of our interview showed me that it is far from taken for granted. Each and every step of his life has been about his family’s future, whilst not forgetting the past. With this, only a snippet into the life of the man himself, I am looking forward to learning more. Evidently, as are hundreds of thousands of others, as Tom only last week took a call to learn that, based on pre-orders alone, his biography, The Dealmaker, is Amazon’s Bestsellers Rank 5,283 in books overall, number 3 in Automobile Engineering and number 63 in Business Biographies & Memoirs, beating Steve Jobs and Richard Branson. Tom, I salute you, and what a pleasure it was learning first-hand of your admirable success. @tomhartleycars
1989 with sons Tom Junior and Carl
• Walked out of school at 11 years old, never to return • A millionaire by the time he was 17 • Lost it all age 19 • Fought his way back • Now at age 58, the world’s most successful supercar dealer – ‘The Dealmaker’ – with a business empire worth over £200 million • How did Tom Hartley do it?
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25,000 miles
IN T WO YEARS We catch up with SCD member and R8 fanatic Matt to chat about his passion for cars, his latest V10 Plus Spyder and the many miles he’s put on it with SCD. Written by: Matt Farman
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I didn't have any big petrolhead influences in my life from a young age, coming from a family as the only male (no brothers, and a father who was never really a part of my life growing up), but that was never an inhibiting factor in how my love for cars developed. I remember having posters of the F40, F50, XJ220 and Saleen S7 on my wall as a kid; just putting it out there, I still haven’t seen an S7 in the flesh, so if any members are lucky enough to own one then please feel free to bring it along to an SCD event! I never ever dreamt that I would be in the position to be writing this article about my own car, so to be asked to do so by the club that has been such a big part of my life for the last few years has been an honour. My car history started with a 1.1-litre Rover Metro to learn in, and within days of getting it, shortly after my 17th birthday, it had been suitably modified with a stereo system that was worth more than the car itself, and a horrendously tasteful chrome exhaust pipe trim from Halfords — I'm sure other members of my age will identify with this phase! After that Metro came my first Corsa — a 1.4-litre powerhouse — but
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by working two jobs while at college full time, I was able to waste, I mean spend enough money on that car to do a 2.0-litre 16v C20XE Calibra engine conversion with throttle bodies and a few other bits pushing over 200bhp, silly big wheels, body kit, respray and so on, and when that car wasn't in the garage getting fixed (which it was, a lot!), it was my life. It was around that time that I discovered the online car forums and the car community as a whole. I was a very active member of Corsasport back in the day, and made friendships on there over 15 years ago that are still going strong to this day — shoutout to fellow SCD member, Jason! Following on from the Corsas came a bit of an upgrade to a string of Nissan Skylines. Although that ownership didn't come easy, with my first one setting itself on fire at the petrol pump in Wales on the drive back to Uni after buying the car! The first R33 GTS-T was almost standard, the second was around 400bhp, the third one was pushing 539bhp at the rear wheels and was
a lot of fun, but I fancied a change after that, something a bit more comfortable and modern, which led to the purchase of a BMW Z4M, and then very shortly after, a new E89 Z4 3.0 — a fantastic sports car with an incredible interior, but after the power of the Skylines, it just didn't scratch that itch. The R8 was never one of the bedroom wall poster cars as a child, but I'm sure that's only because it didn't exist back then. I remember seeing one for the first time in the Hereford Audi showroom when I went in with my mum to get her TT serviced around 2008, and I fell in love with it instantly. It quickly became the desktop background on my computer at work and was great motivation for me when working 80-plus-hour weeks, until I was finally in a position to make the dream a reality back in 2013, which is when the purchase of my first R8 V8 Coupé with the R-Tronic gearbox started the whole ‘supercar’ journey. Yes, I'm aware of the contention of the V8 R8 being called a supercar, but at the time it, was on 'the list’, and if Adam says it's in, then it's in!
I had a huge amount of fun with it, making my first SCD memories, doing VMAX 200 and more, but I ended up selling it after a couple of years, deciding to focus on my business for a while. I went without a car entirely for around nine months, but the urge to have another toy couldn't be denied, and I ended up replacing that one with what was my dream car at the time, a Gen 1 facelift R8 V10 Spyder with the newer twin-clutch S-Tronic ‘box. I do actually prefer the look of the Coupé to the Spyder, but after getting used to having the roof down all the time on the old Z4, I always felt like I was missing out a bit on the experience and connection with the outside world that you get with the roof down — wind in your hair and the exhaust note in your ears! The old R-Tronic had a lot of bad press although it was honestly pretty good once you got the knack of it, but the twin-clutch box is just
incredible, and I’m sure anyone that's driven with me will testify to the fact that the novelty of playing with that gearbox has still not worn off! That car had an Akrapovic exhaust fitted to it, and was remapped to 601bhp — a huge increase over the standard 525 — but it was always in the back of my mind that Audi made the R8 V10 Plus in Coupé form, and that by having the Spyder, it was almost like I had to settle for the 'softer' version. That was until they announced the release of the R8 Spyder V10 Plus in late 2017, and that's when I knew that this was the car that I just had to have. The only other car that I considered at the time was the McLaren 570S Spider, but with the mileage I do (most of which can probably be attributed to SCD!), along with benefiting from the versatility of four-wheel drive for a daily driver, Audi reliability, plus having a local service centre a mile down the road from me, the R8 was the only car on the market that ticked all the
boxes. It certainly isn't a garage queen; I love the fact that I can jump in it and go out for a blast pretty much whenever I want to, and as you can see from the photoshoot, it really is used in all weathers.
So yeah, that brings us to the car that you see here on these pages. I purchased it brand new in March 2018, and I can honestly say that I've never owned a better car and can't even think of any other car that I'd prefer to own! Even if the budget were doubled or even tripled, as a daily driver, there's nothing that comes close. Compared to something like the Huracan, the R8 is just that little bit more 'under the radar' for popping to the shops on a Sunday morning for a pint of milk. Having said that though, the Capristo exhaust fitted to it is truly insane, so it has the benefit of going a bit more unnoticed around town but being an absolute animal out in the countryside, which is perfect.
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The car itself is Ibis White (as was the previous one) but it had a liquid spray wrap applied by Colourcatch last year in a custom turquoise colour, and has now just been done again in another custom matte purple/black from KPPigments in America. The plan for the last wrap was just for the summer, but I was so pleased with it that I kept it for a lot longer than planned, and then fancied a change for 2020 — I spent weeks looking for the new colour! Amusingly, it wasn't until after I got the car back from the wrapping company that I realised it’s a very similar colour to the Corsa I had resprayed as a teenager — I’ve obviously been a fan of that colour for a long time!
In terms of performance, it 610bhp stock plus the Capristo exhaust which they claim adds around 20bhp, but performance gains aside, the exhaust is absolutely nuts and totally transforms the car. With the valves closed, it's actually quieter than stock, but the second you open them, the cabin is filled with that distinctive V10 soundtrack, even at idle, and at full chat driving through some of the tunnels in the Alps, I was left with a ringing in my ears, but grinning from ear to ear! Over the last few years of SCD membership, I've lost count of all of the events that I've done, but
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the main one has to be the Tour Des Alps that I did with my partner in 2018. We'd been talking about doing an epic road trip adventure for a few years, and as soon as I saw it announced, we jumped on it. We drove the whole way there and back, getting in a 199mph Autobahn run en route to the start point in Geneva (I’ve still not cracked that magic 200, hopefully later this year!) and then had five incredible days really pushing the cars to their (or should I say our?) limits around the Alpine passes. Other big highlights must include the Isle of Man trip, the legendary Devon Dash — part one and two — a day driving around Dunsfold with McLaren, plus countless local drives, factory tours and socials.
The impact this club has had on my life has been incredible over the last few years. The memories and friendships I've made during countless nights of Michelin-starred messy mayhem, you honestly can't put a price on them. I guess it just goes to show the strength of friendships that can be made through indulging in a shared passion of cars, and for me, that has to be the best thing about SCD. As for thoughts on the future of car ownership, I think it's going to be fascinating to see how the next few years pan out in terms of technological
advancements, government legislation, but also of changing public perception towards petrolpowered vehicles. The demise of the internal combustion engine has clearly already begun and the appeal of the outright performance of electric cars cannot be ignored, but can any like-minded petrolhead really imagine a blast through the Alpine tunnels without the sound of a screaming exhaust note resonating in their ears? It's a tough one. The new 2022 R8 was previously planned to be all-electric and I had written that off as a contender, but in the last couple of months, rumours have come out that it's now going to be a petrol-electric hybrid, which could possibly bridge the gap between the old and the new generations, so I guess that could be the next logical step, but would it be a step forward, or a step back? Only time will tell. @mattadiosss
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The most powerful V8 in the history of the Trident
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Fuel economy and CO2 results for the Maserati Levante V8 Trofeo in mpg (l/100km) combined: 17.7 (16.0) to 17.8 (15.9). CO2 emissions: 363 - 359 g/km. Figures shown are for comparability purposes; only compare fuel consumption and CO2 figures with other cars tested to the same technical procedures. These figures may not reflect real life driving results, which will depend upon a number of factors including the accessories fitted (postregistration), variations in weather, driving styles and vehicle load.
challenge accepted Matt ditches supercars for a super truck as SCD member Arran challenged us to try something different in his Hummer H1. Written by: Matt Parker
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Imagine you work for a supercar magazine and someone says to you, “You drive too many supercars”. You’re probably imagining yourself replying, “Erm, okay…”, but when SCD member Arran said just that to us, we decided to hear him out. “Why don’t you come and drive my Hummer H1?”, he asked, “You’ll have a right laugh!”. Not being ones to turn down a drive in anything remotely interesting, here we are!
The Hummer story began with the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, or HMMWV, or as we all more familiarly know it, the Humvee. It was born in 1983 purely as a vehicle for the American military, until strong demand from the public, rather famously including Arnold Schwarzenegger led to the release of the civilian Hummer H1 in 1992. With a few minor changes throughout its lifespan, production culminated in 2006 with the Alpha model, which was extensively re-engineered and improved with a more up to date gearbox and more powerful engine.
Arran’s Hummer is a 2002 model with a 6.5-litre turbocharged V8 Detroit Diesel – how very Murica! The first thing you notice about the Hummer is also very Murica – the sheer size of it. When you’ve driven enough supercars, you’re no longer intimidated by them or their value, but as soon as we opened the garage door and I saw the massive boxy silhouette under cover, my gut response was, “Oh no…”. It’s 2.2 metres wide and weighs three and a half tonnes, that’s over a foot wider and a tonne heavier than a full-fat Range Rover, but even those numbers don’t convey how hilariously colossal this thing looks close up. While I was wondering how on earth I was going to thread this behemoth down the narrow, winding driveway and surrounding roads, I just couldn’t ignore how cool it looks, especially with the urban camo livery. Much like the Mercedes G which also started life as a military vehicle, the Hummer is all the more cool for the fact that it barely changed throughout its lifespan. While Mercedes have gradually brought the G’s interior up to date though, the Hummer is still very much ‘80s utilitarian when you climb up into the dark cabin. Surprisingly, there actually isn’t that much usable space with so much taken up by the running gear in the middle, but it’s hilarious how you can barely reach your passenger, the seats are so far apart. Arran has had everything trimmed in leather with contrasting stitching and a more up to date entertainment system, but it’s definitely not made for luxury.
Turn the old-school key and the massive motor fires into life with an idle akin to a big American truck. Releasing the handbrake and putting the gearbox into drive are both heavy actions, perfect for putting you in the manly mood needed for driving around the British countryside in something so obscene. Interestingly, the steering is actually pretty light, so it’s surprisingly easy to manoeuvre once you’re used to the fairly shocking rear visibility.
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After exchanging a few laughs with photographer Riad and videographer Dan, and saying, “This is f***ing ridiculous”, a fair few times, it was time to set off and do my best not to crash Arran’s car, knock down his trees and plough through his gates all at once. Out onto the public road unscathed and all warmed up, it was time for a speed run, because why not? Arran said, “Get it up to 80, then you’ll really have a laugh!”. Let me admit this before we go any further; I didn’t even get it to 60, but that was plenty fast enough on these roads. Now don’t be thinking that a 6.5-litre V8 means Jezza would be screaming, “Powerrrrrr!”, this is old-school American displacement after all, so around 195bhp is about your lot, but you have 430lb ft of the all-important pulling power at just 1,800rpm. Plant your foot and the four-speed auto slushes the revs up on the torque converter to a very truck-like 3,500rpm. There’s plenty of noise, and there’s some go. Fast, it ain’t, but for three and a half tonnes, it moves alright! It’s the same story with the brakes; they hardly pull your cheeks from your face, but considering it weighs the same as two Audi Q5s (hardly what you’d consider a light car), it stops respectably enough. When you do stop, the way the Hummer rocks backwards and forwards is a little alarming though! Handling, again, isn’t as bad as you might think. It certainly isn’t a Porsche Cayenne, but by truck standards, it drove just fine on the road down to the woods, where we couldn’t help but be big kids in the Hummer off the beaten path. The Hummer really looks at home in the muddy woods, and what’s so cool when you’re used to cars is the fact that, wherever you want to go, you just go, it doesn’t really matter what’s in your way. You see the photo on the previous page of the Hummer causing a huge splash through deep standing water? I thought I had missed the water as it genuinely had no effect, I couldn’t feel it at all. I feel like you could leave quite the trail of destruction in a Hummer and not even know about it, so if you’re going through any Nottinghamshire woodland, it wasn’t me! Honestly, when I first saw the Hummer and moved it out of the garage, I didn’t get it. Sure it looks cool but I thought that was its only use, a visual piece to have in the garage because you can. A couple of hours and a lot of laughs later, I get it. It most certainly isn’t for everyone, nor is it fast or luxurious like the latest Mercedes G63s, but for doing what it does, there’s nothing quite like it.
I’m sure normal service will be resumed in my next article, and you’ll all be telling me how I don’t have a real job again, but I’m glad I stepped out of my comfort zone as I was genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed the Hummer and it shows it doesn’t always have to be fast to be fun. Jump in with your mates, go for a day out in the wilderness, drive over whatever you want to drive over, and trust me, you will have an absolute blast.
Watch the video on youtube.com
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...how on earth I was going to thread this behemoth down the narrow, winding driveway and surrounding roads...
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McLaren 675LT out, BMW M2 in. You’d think that’s quite a comedown, but Matt takes a drive in the Peaks to find out if a small car with a big engine can fill those big boots better than you might think. Written by: Matt Parker
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...that’s another reason why the M2 is so much fun, you can grab it by the scruff without dicing with death.
When our friend Pete, aka @2manycars_official, took back his incredible 675LT with the offer of replacing it with something else, all sorts of exotica spring to mind and conjure up excitement. What we didn’t expect was a small BMW. Thing is though, I happen to have a rather big soft spot for said small BMW, and it must have a place in his collection for a reason, so who are we to say no? When the M2 was released, I owned an M135i and loved it for its breadth of abilities, its silky-smooth straight six, the way it punched so far above its weight and had an almost constant scrap with its rear tyres, and the M2 turned all that up to eleven. In fact, most small, big-engined, rear-wheel-drive cars seem to appeal to my inner hooligan, so you can start to understand why I’d almost go as far as saying I was more excited about driving this M2 than most supercars. Yes, really!
I drove and reviewed an M2 with the DCT ‘box when it was fresh news back in 2016, but with so much seat time in other cars, four years of progress and this being a rather less popular manual model, does a small BMW with a big engine wedged in really deserve such a pedestal in my heart? Before we get behind the wheel, let’s talk looks. Subjective, I know, but I think the M2 looks absolutely mega. The flared arches and short wheelbase give it a stocky, muscular stance like a pitbull waiting for a piece of steak, and the M Performance carbon kit on Pete’s car really finishes things off nicely. The carbon-tipped M Performance exhaust is more than just visually appealing too, but I’ll get to that later.
If it looks like a hoodlum ready for a scrap on the outside, the inside is rather more accounts manager in a plain black suit. The interior will be familiar to anyone who has been in a 1 Series, but with a nice smattering of dry, textured carbon fibre and nice blue stitching. I’d like some blue seatbelts, bespoke M seats and some extra leather bits to elevate it above the car it’s based on a little more like pricier M cars, but it’s solid and comfortable, and this car is all about the thrills, not the frills.
With that in mind, shall we hit the road? With the M Performance exhaust, cold starts aren’t going to help your relationships with your neighbours, even with the valves closed. It still sounds great with them closed, but why would you? There’s an almost secret red button in the boot and a
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detonator-like remote in the cabin to open the valves, and then you realise why we all love BMW straight sixes. It may only be a massaged version of the 135i’s N55 motor rather than the M2 Comp’s full-fat M division S55, but while the S55’s exhaust note is a little like a wasp in a tin can, the N55 is super silky.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying the original M2 is a better car than the Comp; the Comp is an absolutely brilliant car, but sound is a big part of the experience, and the original M2 certainly ticks that box with the M Performance exhaust. It’s the sort of car you’d drive down with the windows down for the sake of it; hold the revs and it echoes off surrounding buildings, then when you let off from full throttle, it does the most addictive overrun which can only be likened to a horse blowing a raspberry, followed by some lovely pops and cracks.
Out on the road, the M2’s dinky dimensions (by today’s standards) really start to pay off. It’s actually only a fairly slim bloke lighter than its big brother the M4 (1,500kg vs 1,570kg), but it feels much more wieldy on tight, twisty roads given its smaller dimensions, and that makes it feel psychologically lighter and more chuckable too. Steering is quick and the darty front end defies the weight of the 3.0 lump up front, while body roll is well controlled too. It’s certainly fairly firm and lively over bumps, but the simple passive damping keeps things tight so it never gets sloppy. Out of corners, the standard limited-slip diff helps achieve a surprising level of traction. That’s something the ‘M-Lite’ M135i and its successors were crying out for as they almost constantly lit up an inside wheel. If you’re like me and you’re not all that into grip, the M2 will happily indulge your lunatic side and go through tyres like the rest of the public are going through toilet paper. The short wheelbase means it goes quickly, but it’s the sort of car that’s always on your side; it’s a bit like play fighting with your dog, whereas the M4 could be more like prodding a grizzly bear.
Once on the power, it pulls well from any revs and keeps going strong all the way to redline at around 7,000rpm. It’s quick, but it’s not intimidatingly quick, and that’s another reason why the M2 is so much fun, you can grab it by the scruff without dicing with death. There’s a touch of delay low down until the turbo catches its breath, and that delay repeats itself after every gearchange.
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Oh yes, gearchanges. I should probably talk about them. A quick look on How Many Left suggests that four in five M2 buyers spent £2,000 on the DCT dual-clutch gearbox, so only a small percentage have three pedals, and the used market seems to suggest people don’t really want manuals, but why?
Well, the clutch is light and the box itself doesn’t take much effort to row through the gears. It can’t match the mechanical satisfaction of a Porsche GT4 ‘box, but it’s a different calibre of car and there’s just something nice about using your left leg and arm to run up and down the gears when we’re so used to pulling a paddle these days. It even has auto rev matching if you’re feeling lazy, but you can turn that off and the pedals are perfectly placed for heel-and-toe. I’m about to be controversial, but I think the DCT might suit the M2 and its engine better (plus you can pull the next gear mid-burnout), but there’s an undeniable sense of fun with the manual, so it’s a tough call and really a matter of preference. I’ve talked plenty about being a hooligan and making hilarious noises, but what about slowing it all down again? M cars have long been slated
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for their chocolate brakes, and I’ve seen similar criticisms thrown at the M2 on track at least, but we’re looking at the M2 as a fun road car here. The initial pedal travel is a little sharp for me, which I’m more used to from Volkswagen Group products, but they’re more than powerful enough and stood up well to all we threw at them on the road, which is more than could be said of the stock brakes on our own E92 M3.
So, after a day on the sort of roads the M2 was made for, did it live up to expectations or had I remembered it being better than it really is? Well, the fact that I’ve been trawling Auto Trader for them ever since should answer that for you, and when you can get them for less than £30,000 (although Pete joked that he might take £60k!) just three years old with minimal miles, I can’t think of much to touch it for the money. Critics might moan that it ‘doesn’t have a proper M engine’, but when you get out on the road, I challenge you to care, because it’s a cracking motor and sounds better than any M engine in BMW’s current line-up. More than that though, The M2 feels like it was made for country roads. It’s quick, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not about
how fast you’re going, it’s all about the smile on your face, and much of the time, I was laughing out loud.
I’m not saying it’s a supercar, but to drive on the road, the M2 is a breath of fresh air in the modern car market, especially with the M Performance goodies. As so many cars are downsizing, chasing lap times and efficiency and distancing the driver from the experience, the M2 keeps the definitive BMW straight-six, sending its power to the rear wheels in a cloud of smoke and obnoxious noises.
If you’re not convinced enough by me wanting one, take Pete, a guy with a seriously enviable collection of some of the best supercars in the world. As soon as I got back to the office that day, I asked if he’d sell the M2; the answer, “Never”. @2manycars_official
Watch the video on youtube.com
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Aston Martin DB9 Coupé £37,950
17,633
2006 (56)
Ferrari 599 GTB F1 Fiorano £83,500
45,281
2009 (58)
Lotus Evora GT430 (1 of 60) £79,895
9,350
2018 (18)
McLaren 720S Performance £174,950
4,019
2019 (68)
01224 905 111
V12 Vantage AMR (1 of 100) £159,950
2,400
2018 (18)
Ferrari Testarossa £119,950
10,598
1990 (H)
McLaren 12C Coupé £78,950
16,846
2012 (62)
Range Rover Autobiography £37,995
48,102
2016 (65)
BMW 635 CSI Coupe £21,950
71,260
1986 (D)
Huracán Performante £174,950
8,216
2017 (67)
McLaren 570GT £83,990
8,600
2017 (17)
Rolls-Royce Wraith £129,950
16,510
2015 (15)
info@theautolounge.co.uk
A pre-owned Ferrari: when Approved, it stands out.
MORE THAN 190 POINT-CHECK
WARRANTY EXTENDED UP TO 2 YEARS
ORIGINAL CERTIFICATION PROGRAMME ISSUED AND APPROVED BY FERRARI
Ferrari 488 Spider Year: 2018: Miles: 4,000 External colour: Rosso Corsa Internal colour: Nero £189,000
Ferrari 488 GTB Coupe Year: 2016: Miles: 6,000 External colour: Rosso Fuoco Internal colour: Cuoio £155,000
Ferrari 458 Spider Year: 2014: Miles: 16,000 External colour: Rosso Corsa Internal colour: Crema £159,000
Ferrari 458 Speciale Year: 2015: Miles: 1,000 External colour: Grigio Ferro Internal colour: Nero £279,000
Ferrari 458 Italia Year: 2010: Miles: 15,000 External colour: Rosso Corsa Internal colour: Nero £125,000
Ferrari F12 Berlinetta Year: 2013: Miles: 16,000 External colour: Nero Daytona Internal colour: Beige £149,000
Ferrari 360 Spider Year: 2005: Miles: 17,000 External colour: Grigio Alloy Internal colour: Blu Scuro £67,000
Ferrari Portofino Year: 2018: Miles: 4,000 External colour: Grigio Silverstone Internal colour: Bordeaux £159,000
All listings accurate at time of publication.
OFFICIAL FERRARI DEALER
Graypaul Nottingham
Graypaul Nottingham Lenton Lane Nottingham, NG7 2NR Telephone: 0115 837 7508 nottingham.ferraridealers.com
ferrariapproved.com
Porsche Carrera GT
Ford GT - Rare Heritage Edition
Aston Martin Vanquish S
2004 | 6,700 miles | £649,850
2006 | 11,000 miles | £275,850
2007 | 6,700 miles | £119,850
Aston Martin V12 Vantage
Aston Martin 4.7 Vantage Roadster
Aston Martin Rapide
2010 | 33,000 miles | £59,850
2012 | 12,000 miles | £49,850
2011 | 26,000 miles | £45,850
We want to buy your car - go to mcgurk.com/sell-your-car to find out more.
Experts in Aston Martin Servicing Your car is in the best possible hands with our factory trained technicians. We only use Genuine Parts supplied from Aston Martin complete with a 12 month warranty. We are located next to the Aston Martin factory at Gaydon
J.P McGurk Ltd 6 Brook Business Park, Brookhampton Lane, Kineton, CV35 0JA
Tel: 01926 691 000 Email: sales@mcgurk.com
To find out how our sponsors can benefit your ownership experience, visit supercar-driver.com/sponsors If you would like to become a sponsor email info@supercar-driver.com 139
VW Transporter Sales and Leasing Specialists
Camper Hire
12 Month Lease
Daily Rentals
From £340 Weekend Rate
From £100 Per week
From £49.95 Per Day
At Leighton Vans, we take stock T6 & T6.1 VW Transporters and create unique, high specification vans for those who want the best. From colour coding, to body-styling, wheel upgrades, suspension modifications, interior trimming, ICE systems and performance re-mapping - you can trust us to supply the van of your dreams.
Leighton Vans 1 Dodds Close Bradmarsh Industrial Estate Rotherham S60 1BX 0114 2838484 www.leightondrive.co.uk
A selection of events for members from January - March 2020
Grange Aston Martin & McLaren Lunch Meet
Sunday 19th January 2020 South East @astonmartinhatfield @mclarenhatfield
141
CAR-iconics Breakfast Meet
Alexanders Prestige Lunch Meet
142
Saturday 25th January 2020 East Midlands @cariconics
Sunday 26th January 2020 Yorkshire @alexanders_prestige
John Holland Breakfast Meet
JHW Classics Private Tour
Saturday 1st February 2020 South Yorkshire @jhollandcars
Sunday 2nd February 2020 West Midlands
143
Romans International Breakfast Meet
Lamborghini Leicester Breakfast Meet
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Saturday 8th February 2020 South East @TFJJ @romansinternational
Saturday 22nd February 2020 East Midlands @lamborghinileicester
JZM Porsche Lunch Meet
Saturday 29th February 2020 South East @jzmporsche
Octane Collection Lunch Meet
Saturday 7th March 2020 South East @octanecollection
145
With the NHS and Frontline Workers at the forefront of our lives at the moment, SCD wants to help those people who are helping us.
We are setting up a charity trust called SCD 4 Frontline Workers and once this is all over we will create various regional events, predominantly invite only experience days at tracks and hill climbs for these amazing people from the NHS and their families who love cars. Other events will include free tickets to SCD events and demo days with dealers alongside some creative fundraising collaborations. We are actively looking for partners, dealers, manufacturers, pro-drivers and venues to collaborate with us to host and support these events.
Spreading the joy of cars is one of the things SCD does best. The SCD community is amazing and together we hope we can have your support to make these events as special as we would all hope them to be… We would absolutely welcome feedback and ideas from all SCD members whilst this concept is still developing, the more of you who are willing to engage here the more we can do, whether it be car donations, attendance or hosting.
If members can’t get to the events, we will bring the events to our members! During this downtime we have been thinking about how we can continue events, keep the social side going and take advantage of everyone being stuck at home with more time on their hands than usual, so we’ve made use of the technology available and setup SCD Live. We have been actively approaching various partners and private collectors to host live tours exclusively for SCD members. If you can’t get to the events, we will bring the events to you!
Our first couple were hosted by Tom Hartley Junior and collector Zach’s Garage and we are working on filling the calendar during this period alongside breakfast meets and a monthly SCD quiz!
Maybe you have something interesting at home or would be willing to show other members round your garage or cars? We would love to hear from you so please reach out!
We are further developing this concept and even after we are out of the other side of the pandemic we feel this could form another part of the SCD community and member experience. Let’s all pull together and make the best of this situation.
Get in touch with adam@supercar-driver.com if you have any ideas or suggestions for either of the above.
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WE DIDN’T JUST INVENT COST EFFECTIVE, WE PERFECTED IT.
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