SSO's Garage - Ferrari, McLaren, & Porsche
Discussion
bumskins said:
Epic car colelction OP, cheers for sharing some insight in to what it's like to use and own these special machines 
I hope it was better than new. New a lot of Dinos came pre-rusted with electrical issues. Podie said:
They do.
https://www.mototechnique.com/308-gtb-restomod
EVO review - https://www.evo.co.uk/ferrari/308/205123/moto-tech...
Or do your own with someone like https://workshopseventy7.co.uk/
No connection/experience to offer, but if that 308 'restomod' is anything like Kevin O'Rourke's usual work then it should be superb. Restored a Dino 246GTS for my father and it was better than new, nice chap too.https://www.mototechnique.com/308-gtb-restomod
EVO review - https://www.evo.co.uk/ferrari/308/205123/moto-tech...
Or do your own with someone like https://workshopseventy7.co.uk/
Kevin's work does look outstanding.
And thanks on the thread.
Here's one that a bit different. Drove across most of the US in December in -20F temps in a Mercedes Benz GLS 450 with two Labrador Retrievers. Here's the first part of the story:
In what will now become an annual ritual, I drove from Massachusetts (MA) to Montana (MT) in 3 days in December and then back from Montana to Massachusetts in April (return trip to be covered in a future article). Why did I do this? Well, it comes down to a 160 lbs of combined fur, teeth, and muscle. It is near impossible to fly pets around the US these days unless you either have a private jet or can pass them off as service dogs. All the major US airlines have a 20 lbs size limit for carry on pets. In our case, it’s quite hard to get a single 90 lbs Labrador Retriever (Tiberius, aka Tibs) into a pet carrier and pass him off as being under 20 lbs. When you have a second Labrador Retriever (Vipsania, aka Vipsi) who weights 70 lbs, it’s even more of a challenge. An option was to charter a jet, which at $40k each way, seemed more than a bit excessive. Given the situation, the only reasonable solution was to drive the two dogs out with me for the winter (Mrs. SSO is mildly allergic to the dogs and can’t spend hours cooped up in a car with them so this was a solo adventure).
From MA to MT is a 2,400 mile drive. The original plan going out was to do it in three and a half days with a 470 mile first stint. Given the size of the cargo I would be transporting, all the supercars were ruled out. While I did toy with the idea of taking the Maserati Quattroporte, the back seat really wasn’t going to be that comfortable for two large dogs for 3 long days. In the end the choice came down to the Mercedes Benz GLS450 or the Range Rover P38. Given the Range Rover is over 20 years old and its, well, a Range Rover and the idea of being stranded in some very small town in South Dakota was unappealing, so the GLS450 got the nod. In preparation for the trip, we had new winter tires fitted which it would turn out, was absolutely critical for the trip.
Day 1
We loaded up the big SUV on a sunny Sunday morning the week before Christmas. One small bag for the human, one bag of winter road trip gear (tire sealant, anti-freeze, windscreen wash, tire pump, motor oil, de-icing spray, paper towels), two large bags for the dogs with plenty of water, food, toys, and treats. Into the back of the SUV went one very large dog bed, one ramp, plus the two Labradors, Tibs & Vipsi. The route for day one called for us to cut across Rhode Island, Connecticut, & New York State before heading out west on I80 into Pennsylvania. Our destination was the booming metropolis of Clearfield, PA where we would be overnighting in the luxurious Hampton Inn. When planning this trip, one of my first discoveries was the larger the pets, the lower you needed to go in the hotel star ranking list to find one that would welcome you. No Four Seasons or Peninsula Hotels on this trip, Hampton & Hilton Garden Inns became our new friends. In reality, this was all we needed as we were just there to sleep and shower before hitting the road again the following morning. The day one drive was completely uneventful and included two stops for gas and canine relief. Once we got to the hotel, we all went for a long walk around the parking and adjacent field. The one revelation was Tib’s skill at precision pooing. He dropped a load right on top of a raised spotlight. I guess it was a warmer place to squat in the dead of winter. He is a very smart Labrador.
In what will now become an annual ritual, I drove from Massachusetts (MA) to Montana (MT) in 3 days in December and then back from Montana to Massachusetts in April (return trip to be covered in a future article). Why did I do this? Well, it comes down to a 160 lbs of combined fur, teeth, and muscle. It is near impossible to fly pets around the US these days unless you either have a private jet or can pass them off as service dogs. All the major US airlines have a 20 lbs size limit for carry on pets. In our case, it’s quite hard to get a single 90 lbs Labrador Retriever (Tiberius, aka Tibs) into a pet carrier and pass him off as being under 20 lbs. When you have a second Labrador Retriever (Vipsania, aka Vipsi) who weights 70 lbs, it’s even more of a challenge. An option was to charter a jet, which at $40k each way, seemed more than a bit excessive. Given the situation, the only reasonable solution was to drive the two dogs out with me for the winter (Mrs. SSO is mildly allergic to the dogs and can’t spend hours cooped up in a car with them so this was a solo adventure).
From MA to MT is a 2,400 mile drive. The original plan going out was to do it in three and a half days with a 470 mile first stint. Given the size of the cargo I would be transporting, all the supercars were ruled out. While I did toy with the idea of taking the Maserati Quattroporte, the back seat really wasn’t going to be that comfortable for two large dogs for 3 long days. In the end the choice came down to the Mercedes Benz GLS450 or the Range Rover P38. Given the Range Rover is over 20 years old and its, well, a Range Rover and the idea of being stranded in some very small town in South Dakota was unappealing, so the GLS450 got the nod. In preparation for the trip, we had new winter tires fitted which it would turn out, was absolutely critical for the trip.
Day 1
We loaded up the big SUV on a sunny Sunday morning the week before Christmas. One small bag for the human, one bag of winter road trip gear (tire sealant, anti-freeze, windscreen wash, tire pump, motor oil, de-icing spray, paper towels), two large bags for the dogs with plenty of water, food, toys, and treats. Into the back of the SUV went one very large dog bed, one ramp, plus the two Labradors, Tibs & Vipsi. The route for day one called for us to cut across Rhode Island, Connecticut, & New York State before heading out west on I80 into Pennsylvania. Our destination was the booming metropolis of Clearfield, PA where we would be overnighting in the luxurious Hampton Inn. When planning this trip, one of my first discoveries was the larger the pets, the lower you needed to go in the hotel star ranking list to find one that would welcome you. No Four Seasons or Peninsula Hotels on this trip, Hampton & Hilton Garden Inns became our new friends. In reality, this was all we needed as we were just there to sleep and shower before hitting the road again the following morning. The day one drive was completely uneventful and included two stops for gas and canine relief. Once we got to the hotel, we all went for a long walk around the parking and adjacent field. The one revelation was Tib’s skill at precision pooing. He dropped a load right on top of a raised spotlight. I guess it was a warmer place to squat in the dead of winter. He is a very smart Labrador.
SSO said:
SydneyBridge said:
Excellent write up
It is very hard to comprehend the distances when a long drive for me is London to Devon..
PS. do you talk to the dogs to stop boredom?
The dogs and I do discuss the plans. They like to be kept informed.It is very hard to comprehend the distances when a long drive for me is London to Devon..
PS. do you talk to the dogs to stop boredom?
Jules Sunley said:
SSO said:
SydneyBridge said:
Excellent write up
It is very hard to comprehend the distances when a long drive for me is London to Devon..
PS. do you talk to the dogs to stop boredom?
The dogs and I do discuss the plans. They like to be kept informed.It is very hard to comprehend the distances when a long drive for me is London to Devon..
PS. do you talk to the dogs to stop boredom?
We recently had the pleasure of participating in the (No Speed Limit) Sun Valley Tour de Force.
Trip included a 2,000 mile road trip in the McLaren 765LT Spider which was spectacular.
Here's the write on the road trip. Have also done one on the event which was simply outstanding. Event was also the US unveiling of the McLaren 750S.
Sun Valley Tour de Force: Part 1 – Road Trip to Sun Valley
Recently we had the privilege of participating in the Sun Valley Tour de Force, in Sun Valley, Idaho. The SVTdF is a wonderful event which raises money for a great charity, The Hunger Coalition, and helps a large number of people in need. The SVTdF is in its 6th year and is a three day event which runs Thursday – Saturday, capping off on Saturday with a “No Speed Limit”, closed road, runs followed by a gala dinner and charity auction that night. We decided to take the three day event and turn it into a weeklong road trip in which we covered just over 2,000 miles in the McLaren 765LT Spider. The following article is part I of IV and covers the first part of the road trip. Part II will be on the Sun Valley Tour de Force, Part III is the road trip back, and Mrs. SSO will be posting Part IV on the hotels we stayed at.
Part I – Road Trip Through the Rocky Mountains
Day 1 was a plane, train, and automobile experience. We started by flying from Boston to Denver, then took the train from Denver airport to downtown’s Union Station which conveniently located right next to the Limelight Hotel where we were staying. The flight west on Delta went remarkably smoothly, to the extent that even the meal was edible. The train from the airport to downtown was free. The only challenge on the trip was carrying the bags. We packed a week’s worth of cloths each into two leather road trip duffle bags the bags fit nicely into the frunk of the 765LT Spider. These are the same bags we have been using for years on road trips as you can squish them into F40, 430 Scuderia, 675LT Spider, and 720S Spider frunks. Normally I only have to carry them down into the garage, so weight isn’t normally an issue, this time I had to haul the two very stuffed bags around airports and train stations. I think my arms finished the day an inch or two longer than they started.
After dropping off our luggage at the Limelight, Mrs. SSO went shopping and I Uber’ed out to McLaren Denver to pick up our 765LT Spider. We had shipped the 765LT Spider from Boston to Denver a few weeks before and the very helpful team at McLaren Denver had kindly stored it for us. Picking up the 765LT Spider could not have gone more smoothly as McLaren Denver had the car parked right in front and even washed it for us. The drive back to the Limelight hotel was a non-event and the valet allowed us to park it right by the front entrance where it attracted plenty of camera phones over the next 12 hours.
We planned a two day drive to get from Denver to Sun Valley. The first leg would take us from Denver to Park City, Utah and the second from Park City to Sun Valley. The first leg was 500 miles and the second 350 miles. The return trip would follow the same concept but use different routing.
On Day 2, given we were still on East Coast time, we were up quite early and on the road shortly after 8AM. The 765LT Spider frunk was stuffed to the extent that not even another toothbrush would fit. With the car fully loaded, the top down, and iPhone connected to the last of the pre ApplePlay Infotainment systems, we were off and headed north on I 25 towards Fort Collins.
Exiting Denver in rush hour was a fairly painless task and within about twenty minutes we had broken free of rush hour traffic. The run up to Fort Collins is dead straight and about as uninteresting as a highway can be. However, it is heavily policed, so I kept one eye on the speedometer as we headed north. About 10 miles north of Fort Collins we turned off I25, topped off the tank, put the roof up as the outside temperature was now north of 90F, and then headed cross country towards RT287. As soon as the roof was up, Mrs. SSO had the air-conditioner turned all the way down to low. She grew up in Toronto and believes any temperature north of 70F is far too hot. As a result, there is a greater chance of getting frostbite in one of our cars in the summer than heat stroke. We would spend about an hour on RT 287, looping up and west into Wyoming to intersect with I80. RT 287 is a very lightly trafficked divided highway that meanders through the foothills of the Rockies. It’s a great place to let the McLaren 765LT Spider just run. With long sweeping corners and numerous elevation changes, its mostly 5th and 6th gear territory with rarely a touch of the brake pedal. As you near a bend in the road, drop a gear, balance on the throttle, and then use the throttle to pull you through the exit before changing back up a gear. Steering inputs are minimal as the 765LT Spider is both incredible easy to place on the road, completely planted, and lets you know exactly what’s going on. The feedback it provides is best in class while delivering a very high level of ride comfort. For a track focused light weight supercar, the 765LT Spider is a remarkably comfortable place to be for long distance trips.
As RT 287 turned into I80, the scenery got less interesting, but the speed limit moved up to a very reasonable 80 mph. On the day we traversed it, I80 seemed to be a major truck transit route and the semis certainly were flying down the very lightly policed interstate. They had to be the most polite truck convoy I have ever run into as almost all moved out of our way as soon as we approached and we made great time. Lunch was a quick stop in Rock Springs at JoGees for a lamb wrap which was excellent. I did get a kick out of their sign which stated that there food was all prepared fresh and to order, if you were in a rush, there was a McDonald’s down the street.
After a few more hours on I80, we were finally crossed the state line into Utah and began the climb up into Park City. The stretch of highway from where I84 and I80 intersect to the Park City exit has to be one of the more challenging drives and reminded me of going through the Bozeman Pass on I90 in Montana. You have major elevation changes, high speed corners, slow moving truck traffic, and striking scenery. Its plenty to navigate but the 765LT Spider made it ridiculous easy. With its enormous power and torque, it made uphill climbs feel like downhill sprints, while feeling like it was mounted on rails. Never once did the back end even hint it was planning on moving regardless of the speed or tightness of the corner. To give you an idea of the level of drama inside the car, while I was enjoying a fairly spirited drive, Mrs. SSO enjoyed a short nap.
Once off I80, the drive up to the Pendry Park City Hotel was easy and only took a few minutes. The valet let me leave the car in front of the hotel for a couple of hours before we agreed it would be best if I drove it down and parked it in the underground valet parking garage for the evening. We had spent a bit over 7 hours in the 765LT Spider, covered a bit over 500 miles, and yet I was neither tired nor sore. The car rides incredibly well for a supercar and the P1 seats we spec’ed for the 765LT Spider are both very comfortable and highly supportive.
Day 3 was another early start as we were still mostly on east coast time. After a quick breakfast, we loaded up the 765LT Spider’s frunk and headed back towards I80 and Salt Lake City. In Salt Lake we picked up I15 and rush hour traffic which stayed with us until we cleared North Ogden. The road then opened up, the speed limit increased back to 80 mph and the 765LT Spider started to come back alive. I15 took us up to I84. The first 80 mile stretch on I84 runs through both rolling countryside and some of the most lightly populated areas in the country. Towns are miles apart and we only saw one fuel stop over the entire stretch. Based on the pace set by the few cars around us, I would surmise that the speed limit on this stretch of I84 had been suspended. Just north of Twin Falls, Idaho, we turned on to RT 93 which then became RT 75 going north up to Sun Valley. This was now a two way road and we were constantly having to navigate around slower moving traffic. Passing in the 765LT Spider is almost too easy as all it takes is a couple of downshifts followed by a bit of right foot, a quick turn of the steering wheel left, back right and the slower moving traffic is disappearing in your rear-view mirror. Progress was rapid and the day’s 350 mile drive was over by lunchtime. The 765LT Spiders ability to shrink distances is immense. We arrived at the Limelight Hotel in Ketchum so far ahead of schedule that our room was not yet ready. After unloading the bags and leaving them in storage, the 765LT Spider disappeared into the underground garage, joining a number of other McLaren’s that had all arrived for the Sun Valley Tour de Force.
At this point we had cover just over 850 miles. The McLaren 765LT Spider had performed brilliantly in a range of different driving conditions. Despite outside temperatures reaching well into the 90sF, the cabin stayed ice cold and the water and oil gauges never moved past normal. While we did all the highway driving with the roof up, once onto smaller roads it was roof down with the rear window up. This provides a huge amount of buffering and even with the roof down you can still carry on a conversation. The P1 seats are excellent and with the handling set to “comfort” and the transmission in “sport” the 765LT Spider cruises effortlessly.
Trip included a 2,000 mile road trip in the McLaren 765LT Spider which was spectacular.
Here's the write on the road trip. Have also done one on the event which was simply outstanding. Event was also the US unveiling of the McLaren 750S.
Sun Valley Tour de Force: Part 1 – Road Trip to Sun Valley
Recently we had the privilege of participating in the Sun Valley Tour de Force, in Sun Valley, Idaho. The SVTdF is a wonderful event which raises money for a great charity, The Hunger Coalition, and helps a large number of people in need. The SVTdF is in its 6th year and is a three day event which runs Thursday – Saturday, capping off on Saturday with a “No Speed Limit”, closed road, runs followed by a gala dinner and charity auction that night. We decided to take the three day event and turn it into a weeklong road trip in which we covered just over 2,000 miles in the McLaren 765LT Spider. The following article is part I of IV and covers the first part of the road trip. Part II will be on the Sun Valley Tour de Force, Part III is the road trip back, and Mrs. SSO will be posting Part IV on the hotels we stayed at.
Part I – Road Trip Through the Rocky Mountains
Day 1 was a plane, train, and automobile experience. We started by flying from Boston to Denver, then took the train from Denver airport to downtown’s Union Station which conveniently located right next to the Limelight Hotel where we were staying. The flight west on Delta went remarkably smoothly, to the extent that even the meal was edible. The train from the airport to downtown was free. The only challenge on the trip was carrying the bags. We packed a week’s worth of cloths each into two leather road trip duffle bags the bags fit nicely into the frunk of the 765LT Spider. These are the same bags we have been using for years on road trips as you can squish them into F40, 430 Scuderia, 675LT Spider, and 720S Spider frunks. Normally I only have to carry them down into the garage, so weight isn’t normally an issue, this time I had to haul the two very stuffed bags around airports and train stations. I think my arms finished the day an inch or two longer than they started.
After dropping off our luggage at the Limelight, Mrs. SSO went shopping and I Uber’ed out to McLaren Denver to pick up our 765LT Spider. We had shipped the 765LT Spider from Boston to Denver a few weeks before and the very helpful team at McLaren Denver had kindly stored it for us. Picking up the 765LT Spider could not have gone more smoothly as McLaren Denver had the car parked right in front and even washed it for us. The drive back to the Limelight hotel was a non-event and the valet allowed us to park it right by the front entrance where it attracted plenty of camera phones over the next 12 hours.
We planned a two day drive to get from Denver to Sun Valley. The first leg would take us from Denver to Park City, Utah and the second from Park City to Sun Valley. The first leg was 500 miles and the second 350 miles. The return trip would follow the same concept but use different routing.
On Day 2, given we were still on East Coast time, we were up quite early and on the road shortly after 8AM. The 765LT Spider frunk was stuffed to the extent that not even another toothbrush would fit. With the car fully loaded, the top down, and iPhone connected to the last of the pre ApplePlay Infotainment systems, we were off and headed north on I 25 towards Fort Collins.
Exiting Denver in rush hour was a fairly painless task and within about twenty minutes we had broken free of rush hour traffic. The run up to Fort Collins is dead straight and about as uninteresting as a highway can be. However, it is heavily policed, so I kept one eye on the speedometer as we headed north. About 10 miles north of Fort Collins we turned off I25, topped off the tank, put the roof up as the outside temperature was now north of 90F, and then headed cross country towards RT287. As soon as the roof was up, Mrs. SSO had the air-conditioner turned all the way down to low. She grew up in Toronto and believes any temperature north of 70F is far too hot. As a result, there is a greater chance of getting frostbite in one of our cars in the summer than heat stroke. We would spend about an hour on RT 287, looping up and west into Wyoming to intersect with I80. RT 287 is a very lightly trafficked divided highway that meanders through the foothills of the Rockies. It’s a great place to let the McLaren 765LT Spider just run. With long sweeping corners and numerous elevation changes, its mostly 5th and 6th gear territory with rarely a touch of the brake pedal. As you near a bend in the road, drop a gear, balance on the throttle, and then use the throttle to pull you through the exit before changing back up a gear. Steering inputs are minimal as the 765LT Spider is both incredible easy to place on the road, completely planted, and lets you know exactly what’s going on. The feedback it provides is best in class while delivering a very high level of ride comfort. For a track focused light weight supercar, the 765LT Spider is a remarkably comfortable place to be for long distance trips.
As RT 287 turned into I80, the scenery got less interesting, but the speed limit moved up to a very reasonable 80 mph. On the day we traversed it, I80 seemed to be a major truck transit route and the semis certainly were flying down the very lightly policed interstate. They had to be the most polite truck convoy I have ever run into as almost all moved out of our way as soon as we approached and we made great time. Lunch was a quick stop in Rock Springs at JoGees for a lamb wrap which was excellent. I did get a kick out of their sign which stated that there food was all prepared fresh and to order, if you were in a rush, there was a McDonald’s down the street.
After a few more hours on I80, we were finally crossed the state line into Utah and began the climb up into Park City. The stretch of highway from where I84 and I80 intersect to the Park City exit has to be one of the more challenging drives and reminded me of going through the Bozeman Pass on I90 in Montana. You have major elevation changes, high speed corners, slow moving truck traffic, and striking scenery. Its plenty to navigate but the 765LT Spider made it ridiculous easy. With its enormous power and torque, it made uphill climbs feel like downhill sprints, while feeling like it was mounted on rails. Never once did the back end even hint it was planning on moving regardless of the speed or tightness of the corner. To give you an idea of the level of drama inside the car, while I was enjoying a fairly spirited drive, Mrs. SSO enjoyed a short nap.
Once off I80, the drive up to the Pendry Park City Hotel was easy and only took a few minutes. The valet let me leave the car in front of the hotel for a couple of hours before we agreed it would be best if I drove it down and parked it in the underground valet parking garage for the evening. We had spent a bit over 7 hours in the 765LT Spider, covered a bit over 500 miles, and yet I was neither tired nor sore. The car rides incredibly well for a supercar and the P1 seats we spec’ed for the 765LT Spider are both very comfortable and highly supportive.
Day 3 was another early start as we were still mostly on east coast time. After a quick breakfast, we loaded up the 765LT Spider’s frunk and headed back towards I80 and Salt Lake City. In Salt Lake we picked up I15 and rush hour traffic which stayed with us until we cleared North Ogden. The road then opened up, the speed limit increased back to 80 mph and the 765LT Spider started to come back alive. I15 took us up to I84. The first 80 mile stretch on I84 runs through both rolling countryside and some of the most lightly populated areas in the country. Towns are miles apart and we only saw one fuel stop over the entire stretch. Based on the pace set by the few cars around us, I would surmise that the speed limit on this stretch of I84 had been suspended. Just north of Twin Falls, Idaho, we turned on to RT 93 which then became RT 75 going north up to Sun Valley. This was now a two way road and we were constantly having to navigate around slower moving traffic. Passing in the 765LT Spider is almost too easy as all it takes is a couple of downshifts followed by a bit of right foot, a quick turn of the steering wheel left, back right and the slower moving traffic is disappearing in your rear-view mirror. Progress was rapid and the day’s 350 mile drive was over by lunchtime. The 765LT Spiders ability to shrink distances is immense. We arrived at the Limelight Hotel in Ketchum so far ahead of schedule that our room was not yet ready. After unloading the bags and leaving them in storage, the 765LT Spider disappeared into the underground garage, joining a number of other McLaren’s that had all arrived for the Sun Valley Tour de Force.
At this point we had cover just over 850 miles. The McLaren 765LT Spider had performed brilliantly in a range of different driving conditions. Despite outside temperatures reaching well into the 90sF, the cabin stayed ice cold and the water and oil gauges never moved past normal. While we did all the highway driving with the roof up, once onto smaller roads it was roof down with the rear window up. This provides a huge amount of buffering and even with the roof down you can still carry on a conversation. The P1 seats are excellent and with the handling set to “comfort” and the transmission in “sport” the 765LT Spider cruises effortlessly.
SSO said:
I still do post here on occasion.
Things are going quite well these days.
Bit of work, bit of fun.
How are you guys?
Rocking on, thinking about retirement and getting on with stuff. Waiting for a few cars to head over 25 years and exporting them hopefully. Things are going quite well these days.
Bit of work, bit of fun.
How are you guys?
Glad things are going well!
Here's a bit of the update I just did on Boutique Super & Hypercar Manufacturers:
Comments?
There has been quite a bit of new news among a number of the Boutique Super & Hypercar manufacturers. Since I last posted an update earlier this year Update on Boutique Manufacturers, Zenvo, Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA), Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus (SCG), Praga, Czinger, and De Tomaso, have all been in the news.
Zenvo
Of all the new hypercars that made their debut at The Quail this year, the Zenvo Aurora, was by far my favorite. From a purely design standpoint, it is stunning, and looks the part of a proper hypercar. Of the two versions that will be built, Agil (track focused) and Tur (touring focused), its actually the Tur that I preferred. The basic specs are:
- 6.6-litre quad-turbocharged 1250 bhp V12 engine with a 9,800rpm redline
- one to three 200 bhp electric motors (for up to a total of an additional 600 bhp) depending on configuration
- seven-speed hybridised gearbox
- top speed of 280mph
- dry weight of 1,300kg (Agil) & 1,450kg (Tur)
- full carbon fiber monocoque that weights 120kg
- bespoke suspension system features pushrod front and rear double wishbones with active springs
- production limited to 50 examples of each version
- first deliveries set for 2026
- base price of $2.8 mil.
The above is all both impressive and quite ambitious. Under normal circumstances I would be more than a bit skeptical if they can deliver what they have promised and do so in the time frame they have laid out. In Zenvo’s case I am not for a few reasons. To start, while they may be far from a supercar household name currently, they have been around since 2007 and already produced several different models, abet in tiny numbers. In fact, it was probably the YouTuber Shmee150’s purchase of a Zenvo TSR-S in 2022 that got Zenvo the most recognition pre the Aurora launch.
In Monterey and at The Quail, I was able to spend quite a bit of time with Zenvo’s Chairman & CCO Jens Sverdrup. More than anything, it’s after talking to Jens that gives me the confidence that Zenvo can and will deliver on its promises. To start, Jens is ex-Koenigsegg so he knows what it takes to both build a hypercar and run a small volume hypercar company. Second, Jens comes across as both transparent and highly credible. Finally, there was no hard sale or statements made that made me raise an eyebrow.
From what I understand, Zenvo already has multiple deposits, placed on both Aurora models, but the production run is not sold out yet.
Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA)
GMA continues to get everything right. Production has now officially started on the T.50 and the first customer delivery happened recently in Monterey. That makes it basically 3 years from the model’s first unveiling to first delivery. Its hugely impressive especially when you consider the Aston Martin Valkyrie took 6 years and the Mercedes AMG Project One closer to 7. While I am sure there have been internal growing pains, from an outside perspective, GMA has done everything right. They have provided public progress updates frequently, opened their factory doors to leading journalists, run the cars at major events without any issues, and from what I understand, kept there depositors closely in the loop in terms of development. In addition, using Dario Franchitti as a spokesman has worked brilliantly as he’s not only engaging and charismatic, but also brings another level of credibility to the endeavor.
Their second model, the T.33, sold out instantly and most of the 100 units of the third model, the T.33 Spider already have homes. Both appear to be on track in terms of development. GMA is in the process of building a new Headquarters and Production facility in the UK with Phase 1 completed in October 2022. The T.50 will be built at GMA’s current location with the T.33 and future models to be produced at the new site. While the T.50 will be imported into the US under “Show & Display” rules, both the T.33 models will be fully homologated.
Back in 2022, GMA announced that they were beginning development of two EV SUVs. With the recent divesture of the Gordon Murray Technologies division (GMA Technologies Divestment) which was developing those projects, they have now been passed into new hands. In the divestment announcement, one of the key reasons for the divestment was to “pave the way for enhanced focus on its core automotive business of bespoke build, low-volume luxury supercars”. Hence, I would expect to see further models added to the GMA line in the coming years. It will be interesting to see if GMA goes up in price point to the $5 mil. level or comes out with a high production “mass” supercar for around $1 mil.
Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus (SCG)
Following a similar philosophy to Ferrari in the early days, Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus is a racing team that both designs and builds their own race cars. SCG then adapts these race cars for the road and sells to customers to help fund its racing activities. In only its 2nd try, the SCG 007 finished on the podium at Le Mans and this year came in 6th & 7th (ahead of both Peugeot and Porsche) in a highly competitive Hypercar class. To say this is an impressive achievement is a huge understatement. I hope the works Hypercar team will return to the WEC and Le Mans in 2024.
In terms of the SCG 004, they have developed two versions for the road, the base 004S (004S Test Drive Report) and the more track oriented 004CS. The SCG 004 has now passed all of the US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) crash tests. It is is the first modern car to pass all the mandated FMVSS crash tests without airbags, which speaks volumes in terms of the design, engineering, and quality of the carbon fiber tub. The SCG 004S will be the first 3 seater, central driving position, fully homologated, supercar sold in the US market.
In terms of current activities and next steps, three of the prototypes have recently been completely torn down and rebuilt in order to check every single component. SCG is currently doing final validations and finalizing the production plan. Once done, it’s expected that the production will start on the founders’ cars.
Praga
Like GMA, Praga is making good, consistent progress on delivering its first hypercar, the Praga Bohema. Praga is a Czech brand that dates back to 1907, under Communism it was forced into truck manufacturing, and then later reconstructed in the late 1990s as a commercial vehicle and motorcycle manufacturer. In 2012 Praga re-entered the car business with the single-seat carbon Praga R1 race car. Following an ownership change in 2015, a prototype road version of the R1 race car was developed, the Praga R1R. Based on the positive reception to the Praga R1R, Praga decided to get into the hypercar business and started development of the much larger Praga Bohema. The Bohema is based on an all new carbon fiber tub and will be powered by a Nissan supplied 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-6 producing 700 bhp. Dry weight is 2164 lbs which makes a few of its competitors look quite tubby. The production run is limited to 89 units over a four year period at about $1.36 million each. Customer deliveries are on target to start in early 2024 and the initial batch of customer cars for Europe, UAE and USA have already been spec’ed with production starting this month. Of the 89 cars, it’s expected that 24 cars will go to UK/Europe; 26 to The Americas; 24 to Asia/Pacific and 15 to Middle East/Africa. Praga is busy establishing a Global dealer network with 4-5 likely to be appointed in the US.
The Bohema is already road legal in the UK and is due to receive certification in the EU shortly. US imports will be done under “Show & Display”. Praga recently showed the Bohema at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and at a few other private supercar events in the UK & EU. The US unveiling is planned for early 2024. Bohema passenger rides for depositors have recently been hosted at several tracks in Europe and I heard the following depositor feedback afterwards:
On the Praga Bohema, it’s not just the outright performance, but the attention to detail across the board was truly remarkable.
the Bohema was running on street legal tires and putting in similar lap times to the Mercedes AMG One and Pagani Huayra R
This is consistent with the feedback for the initial set of press drives (Top Gear, EVO, Robb Report, Car Magazine) in a pre-production prototype that took place in early 2023. Car Magazine called the Bohema ”brilliant”. The common theme in the press reviews is praise for the Bohema’s huge amounts of grip, stability, and grunt.
I give a ton of credit to Praga for allowing the early test drives and it shows a huge amount of confidence in the car. It’s a significant departure from several other boutique manufacturers which have been displaying (and in some cases repainting) prototypes for years but have yet to allow a single test drive. I continue to be impressed with Praga’s approach and look forward to seeing a Bohema up close soon.
Czinger
The 21C was unveiled back in early 2020, right before COVID shut the world down. The list price on the 21C is $2 million, and 80 units will be built. In many ways, the 21C exists as a showcase for parent company Divergent’s complex additive manufacturing process (highly advanced 3D printing) which allows for parts to be designed, combined, and tested digitally before the parts are "printed" and then assembled in the real world. As a sign of Divergent’s potential, they have recently entered into supply agreements with several major supercar manufacturers. The technology is impressive and Divergent recently raised $100 mil. from the Swedish firm, Hexagon AB. Czinger has confirmed that the Hexagon funding is available for use on both the Divergent and Czinger Vehicles sides of the business.
In a quite positive discussion at The Quail with a Czinger representative, they confirmed that production was on track to start in Q4 2023 with the 1st customer car to be delivered by year end. However, post Quail, Czinger declined to answer my emailed follow up questions regarding FMVSS crash testing, CARB engine certification, and the VIN decoder.
continued......
Comments?
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There has been quite a bit of new news among a number of the Boutique Super & Hypercar manufacturers. Since I last posted an update earlier this year Update on Boutique Manufacturers, Zenvo, Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA), Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus (SCG), Praga, Czinger, and De Tomaso, have all been in the news.
Zenvo
Of all the new hypercars that made their debut at The Quail this year, the Zenvo Aurora, was by far my favorite. From a purely design standpoint, it is stunning, and looks the part of a proper hypercar. Of the two versions that will be built, Agil (track focused) and Tur (touring focused), its actually the Tur that I preferred. The basic specs are:
- 6.6-litre quad-turbocharged 1250 bhp V12 engine with a 9,800rpm redline
- one to three 200 bhp electric motors (for up to a total of an additional 600 bhp) depending on configuration
- seven-speed hybridised gearbox
- top speed of 280mph
- dry weight of 1,300kg (Agil) & 1,450kg (Tur)
- full carbon fiber monocoque that weights 120kg
- bespoke suspension system features pushrod front and rear double wishbones with active springs
- production limited to 50 examples of each version
- first deliveries set for 2026
- base price of $2.8 mil.
The above is all both impressive and quite ambitious. Under normal circumstances I would be more than a bit skeptical if they can deliver what they have promised and do so in the time frame they have laid out. In Zenvo’s case I am not for a few reasons. To start, while they may be far from a supercar household name currently, they have been around since 2007 and already produced several different models, abet in tiny numbers. In fact, it was probably the YouTuber Shmee150’s purchase of a Zenvo TSR-S in 2022 that got Zenvo the most recognition pre the Aurora launch.
In Monterey and at The Quail, I was able to spend quite a bit of time with Zenvo’s Chairman & CCO Jens Sverdrup. More than anything, it’s after talking to Jens that gives me the confidence that Zenvo can and will deliver on its promises. To start, Jens is ex-Koenigsegg so he knows what it takes to both build a hypercar and run a small volume hypercar company. Second, Jens comes across as both transparent and highly credible. Finally, there was no hard sale or statements made that made me raise an eyebrow.
From what I understand, Zenvo already has multiple deposits, placed on both Aurora models, but the production run is not sold out yet.
Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA)
GMA continues to get everything right. Production has now officially started on the T.50 and the first customer delivery happened recently in Monterey. That makes it basically 3 years from the model’s first unveiling to first delivery. Its hugely impressive especially when you consider the Aston Martin Valkyrie took 6 years and the Mercedes AMG Project One closer to 7. While I am sure there have been internal growing pains, from an outside perspective, GMA has done everything right. They have provided public progress updates frequently, opened their factory doors to leading journalists, run the cars at major events without any issues, and from what I understand, kept there depositors closely in the loop in terms of development. In addition, using Dario Franchitti as a spokesman has worked brilliantly as he’s not only engaging and charismatic, but also brings another level of credibility to the endeavor.
Their second model, the T.33, sold out instantly and most of the 100 units of the third model, the T.33 Spider already have homes. Both appear to be on track in terms of development. GMA is in the process of building a new Headquarters and Production facility in the UK with Phase 1 completed in October 2022. The T.50 will be built at GMA’s current location with the T.33 and future models to be produced at the new site. While the T.50 will be imported into the US under “Show & Display” rules, both the T.33 models will be fully homologated.
Back in 2022, GMA announced that they were beginning development of two EV SUVs. With the recent divesture of the Gordon Murray Technologies division (GMA Technologies Divestment) which was developing those projects, they have now been passed into new hands. In the divestment announcement, one of the key reasons for the divestment was to “pave the way for enhanced focus on its core automotive business of bespoke build, low-volume luxury supercars”. Hence, I would expect to see further models added to the GMA line in the coming years. It will be interesting to see if GMA goes up in price point to the $5 mil. level or comes out with a high production “mass” supercar for around $1 mil.
Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus (SCG)
Following a similar philosophy to Ferrari in the early days, Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus is a racing team that both designs and builds their own race cars. SCG then adapts these race cars for the road and sells to customers to help fund its racing activities. In only its 2nd try, the SCG 007 finished on the podium at Le Mans and this year came in 6th & 7th (ahead of both Peugeot and Porsche) in a highly competitive Hypercar class. To say this is an impressive achievement is a huge understatement. I hope the works Hypercar team will return to the WEC and Le Mans in 2024.
In terms of the SCG 004, they have developed two versions for the road, the base 004S (004S Test Drive Report) and the more track oriented 004CS. The SCG 004 has now passed all of the US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) crash tests. It is is the first modern car to pass all the mandated FMVSS crash tests without airbags, which speaks volumes in terms of the design, engineering, and quality of the carbon fiber tub. The SCG 004S will be the first 3 seater, central driving position, fully homologated, supercar sold in the US market.
In terms of current activities and next steps, three of the prototypes have recently been completely torn down and rebuilt in order to check every single component. SCG is currently doing final validations and finalizing the production plan. Once done, it’s expected that the production will start on the founders’ cars.
Praga
Like GMA, Praga is making good, consistent progress on delivering its first hypercar, the Praga Bohema. Praga is a Czech brand that dates back to 1907, under Communism it was forced into truck manufacturing, and then later reconstructed in the late 1990s as a commercial vehicle and motorcycle manufacturer. In 2012 Praga re-entered the car business with the single-seat carbon Praga R1 race car. Following an ownership change in 2015, a prototype road version of the R1 race car was developed, the Praga R1R. Based on the positive reception to the Praga R1R, Praga decided to get into the hypercar business and started development of the much larger Praga Bohema. The Bohema is based on an all new carbon fiber tub and will be powered by a Nissan supplied 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-6 producing 700 bhp. Dry weight is 2164 lbs which makes a few of its competitors look quite tubby. The production run is limited to 89 units over a four year period at about $1.36 million each. Customer deliveries are on target to start in early 2024 and the initial batch of customer cars for Europe, UAE and USA have already been spec’ed with production starting this month. Of the 89 cars, it’s expected that 24 cars will go to UK/Europe; 26 to The Americas; 24 to Asia/Pacific and 15 to Middle East/Africa. Praga is busy establishing a Global dealer network with 4-5 likely to be appointed in the US.
The Bohema is already road legal in the UK and is due to receive certification in the EU shortly. US imports will be done under “Show & Display”. Praga recently showed the Bohema at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and at a few other private supercar events in the UK & EU. The US unveiling is planned for early 2024. Bohema passenger rides for depositors have recently been hosted at several tracks in Europe and I heard the following depositor feedback afterwards:
On the Praga Bohema, it’s not just the outright performance, but the attention to detail across the board was truly remarkable.
the Bohema was running on street legal tires and putting in similar lap times to the Mercedes AMG One and Pagani Huayra R
This is consistent with the feedback for the initial set of press drives (Top Gear, EVO, Robb Report, Car Magazine) in a pre-production prototype that took place in early 2023. Car Magazine called the Bohema ”brilliant”. The common theme in the press reviews is praise for the Bohema’s huge amounts of grip, stability, and grunt.
I give a ton of credit to Praga for allowing the early test drives and it shows a huge amount of confidence in the car. It’s a significant departure from several other boutique manufacturers which have been displaying (and in some cases repainting) prototypes for years but have yet to allow a single test drive. I continue to be impressed with Praga’s approach and look forward to seeing a Bohema up close soon.
Czinger
The 21C was unveiled back in early 2020, right before COVID shut the world down. The list price on the 21C is $2 million, and 80 units will be built. In many ways, the 21C exists as a showcase for parent company Divergent’s complex additive manufacturing process (highly advanced 3D printing) which allows for parts to be designed, combined, and tested digitally before the parts are "printed" and then assembled in the real world. As a sign of Divergent’s potential, they have recently entered into supply agreements with several major supercar manufacturers. The technology is impressive and Divergent recently raised $100 mil. from the Swedish firm, Hexagon AB. Czinger has confirmed that the Hexagon funding is available for use on both the Divergent and Czinger Vehicles sides of the business.
In a quite positive discussion at The Quail with a Czinger representative, they confirmed that production was on track to start in Q4 2023 with the 1st customer car to be delivered by year end. However, post Quail, Czinger declined to answer my emailed follow up questions regarding FMVSS crash testing, CARB engine certification, and the VIN decoder.
continued......
Full piece
https://karenable.com/boutique-update/
I was accidentally at the launch of the De Tomaso and it looked absolutely stunning, shame it has gone a bit wrong
Read on another thread that GM has sold some of GMA so has some cash for fun things
https://karenable.com/boutique-update/
I was accidentally at the launch of the De Tomaso and it looked absolutely stunning, shame it has gone a bit wrong
Read on another thread that GM has sold some of GMA so has some cash for fun things
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