Only buy from Thorney Motorsport?

[jamesgareth]

I've got a Lotus Emira right now - love the thing never had quite such a wonderful car.

But. You know.... there's always that thought. For another £30K I could probably get myself into a McLaren. Looking at them all I'm thinking a 570GT. For the fact that I'll use it as a daily (so I don't need the hard core suspension etc) - love the fact that it has a sunroof (I miss that on my Emira) - and the interior (if you get it in that ivory/grey...). OK so not everybody's cup of tea but heck it's a free country right?

Thing is..........

I bumped into the chap who runs Thorney Motorsport - not in person I mean watching a few of his videos - and he seems to give me the impression - apart from the fact that he has a tonne of relevant experience with this brand..... that the only safe way to buy any kind of McLaren - is by buying through him.

How accurate is that?

He sounds so confident......

The cheapest 570GT he has is £88K - which is a little more than I'd like to spend - but how much of a risk is it buying from somebody else?

He tells stories of people bringing him cars they've just bought - that turn out to need a LOT of work to get them up to scratch. I'd very (very) much like to avoid that experience.

Anybody have any thoughts?

Cheers.

James.

Picture of my Lotus because - well heck it's a pretty car....

[jamesgareth]

kevinpsw said:

Thorney prices at the top of the market because of the piece of mind he provides. You can, however, get good cars at lower prices.

I bought my 12C privately over 3 years ago without a pre-purchase inspection although it had been at a Main Dealer just 4 weeks earlier for a service. While I ve had no problems apart from paint corrosion and tired accumulators (which I believe the 570 doesn t have) I wouldn t advise doing the same, not now I know more about the cars. I actually did know about the paint bubbling but I didn t know that McLaren had reduced their warranty cover for this from 10 to 5 years.

I d say buy from wherever you like but do get an expert inspection before you part with your cash.

Thorney has an excellent buyers guide video so you can eliminate cars with the more obvious problems (especially paint if on multiple panels) from your shortlist before paying for an inspection.

I suggest that a warranty is likely to be of limited value unless with McLaren or Thorney. Actually, with good independent experts like Thorney, V-Engineering (who I use) and others, maintaining a McLaren is not especially expensive, at least for what it is. And depreciation on the older cars might prove slower than on a nearly new Lotus.

Good luck.

Very helpful - thanks.

[jamesgareth]

mikey k said:

He is not factory trained or ex dealer.
Don't believe everything to see on the interweb.
I'm 10 years in to McLaren ownership and I'm in my 3rd McLaren
My 675LT has been more reliable than my brand new 992 GTS. One of the most reliable cars out of the 63 I've owned.
It has been serviced by THE most experienced UK Indie,
V Engineering, for the last 4 years.
Cheaper to service there than an M car at a BMW main dealer.
Be warned they are very very busy so don't expect them to drop everything for you.

Thanks - I've heard many good things about V engineering.

[jamesgareth]

murphyaj said:

John Thorne is a businessman, a very good businessman by all accounts, and he knows full well that his youtube channel is a great way to advertise his business. Of course he is going to say buying through him is the safest way to buy a McLaren, he's hardly going to tell you go elsewhere.

This isn't to put down Thorney by any means, I hear they are very good and that their cars are top notch; he trades on his reputation and seems to have a lot of very satisfied customers, but there are plenty of good cars out there to be found elsewhere. However, as others have said, buying without an inspection by someone to really knows what they are doing is a gamble I wouldn't take. I got mine a year ago and had it inspected by V Engineering, who fortunately gave it a clean bill of health. I have had a couple of issues over the last year, but nothing that could reasonably have been picked up beforehand unless you spent a month taking the car to pieces with an x-ray. It's just been serviced and nothing came up, and I'm very happy with it.

Thanks. Very helpful.

What are your thoughts on a warranty? Do you think you need them if say you've bought a car that's been checked out by V Engineering? Thorney do one that I think runs around £3K a year..... I presume V. Engineering do one too.....

Any thoughts on that?

[jamesgareth]

cgt2 said:

Personally I would only buy from Alastair Bols. Probably more so than a main dealer. He is passionate about McLaren and passionate about delivering the very best experience in every way. Just the fact he is affiliated with the McLaren F1 tours says it all really in terms of his standing and reputation. No main dealer or anyone else compares and I have experience of all of them.

Inspection and service wise I wouldn't consider anyone other than V Engineering. You'll have to wait for a slot but I wouldn't go anywhere else. They are an exceptional outfit and wherever you are in the UK it is worth the effort. They really are that good. Again, if you walk in there and see multiple P1's and race cars it says a great deal.

Yes I hear good things about Alastair Bols too - though I think they tend to deal with models a bit above the 570....

[jamesgareth]

cgt2 said:

Have a chat with him he has a lot of resources and will do the legwork to find you exactly what you want.

Re warranty I did not renew my McLaren warranty this year. McLarens are far more reliable than the internet would lead you to believe, I have had several more unreliable German cars. I have confidence that V Engineering can resolve any issues for far less than the warranty cost so see no need. Even the McLaren warranty has quite specific restrictions that don't justify the cost to me.

More excellently useful information. Thanks.

[jamesgareth]

cgt2 said:

Have a chat with him he has a lot of resources and will do the legwork to find you exactly what you want.

Re warranty I did not renew my McLaren warranty this year. McLarens are far more reliable than the internet would lead you to believe, I have had several more unreliable German cars. I have confidence that V Engineering can resolve any issues for far less than the warranty cost so see no need. Even the McLaren warranty has quite specific restrictions that don't justify the cost to me.

More excellently useful information. Thanks.

[jamesgareth]

murphyaj said:

V engineering don't offer their own warranty.

I don't have a warranty. There are plenty of threads on here about warranties that run for pages and pages, everyone has their opinion on that subject. Some think you'd be mad not to have one, others think they are a waste of time. Personally I don't have one, as I know that I have plenty in my emergency fund to cover pretty much everything up to and including an engine rebuild. I have had high end cars for most of the last 15 years and if I add up all the money I have spent on repairs in that time (some of them fairly expensive) it would probably come to about 20 grand less than I would have spent on warranties, so I take the long view.

In my opinion what you are buying with a warranty is peace of mind. If you are the kind of person that can relax and enjoy a car that doesn't have a warranty, and not freak out and break out in a cold sweat as soon as you see a warning light, then financially speaking, in the long run, the maths says you are better off not getting one (on average). But if you are not that kind of person and a warranty means you can get out and enjoy the car more then it is worth it for that.

Thanks. I tend towards not having one and just making sure the car is super-well serviced and looked after. Like you say I think in the long run you lose money (otherwise how do they MAKE money?).

For me the main thing right now is will a 570GT really provide £30k more value/fun/etc than that Lotus already does?

We shall see.

A dangerous sign is the child in my head is very excited about all this.

[jamesgareth]

cutting42 said:

I bought from Thorney last April as a first supercar purchase. I was on the list for an Emira and got fed up waiting for the turbo version so cancelled and switched to McLaren.

I was looking for security and a warranty as a nervous purchaser and Thorney had several cars to pick from. I selected a 650s in Mantis Green with a ton of carbon

I have had it 14 months now and apart from a water temp sensor 2 weeks after purchase it has been perfect. Just done the service (Thorney) and MOT (local) and a recharge of the AC gas (Renn Works). I did not renew the first year warranty either now my confidence is up.

I had a great experience with Thorney and am happy to use them again.

Thanks - good to hear that.

[jamesgareth]

andy_ran said:

Alastair Bols, V Engineering and Thorney

All very good, all very different. All of them have pros and cons, everyone will have happy and diss happy customers

I would have confidence buying from all of them, all 3 of them are the go to McLaren Indy's and I know many satisfied clients of all of them

If one of them has a car that fits your want list, none should disappoint as they all as already mentioned are all about their reputations

Thanks. Those three certainly seem to be the stand out candidates.

[jamesgareth]

Zingari said:

From my perspective having recently bought a 540C I went with a main dealer, not least I wanted a px for less hassle.

I've no doubt that cars sold by Thorney are very good and the service and warranty that he and V Eng provide will be excellent. The problem is I live over 3hrs away from one and 4hrs from the other so any warranty 'issue' will rely on me getting the car there whereas my main dealer is 10 miles away. On my first McLaren I wanted a warranty and perhaps not helped by the alarmist internet posts about poor reliability and 'issues'.

Given the distance Thorney and V Eng were not in the mix for me, plus a number of cars I'd looked at with non-franchised dealers led me to the conclusion only a main dealer was where to buy, this being my entry into McLaren ownership. The bonus is a 1yr main dealer warranty with AA cover that opens up access to the main dealer network albeit McLaren Manchester is my nearest. And, so far their support, honesty about the car/brand and knowledge has been excellent. I had a couple of glitches in the first few weeks and whilst I was expecting a delay to have the car looked at by the service centre, the response was could I bring it in that day!

If you wanted 'belt and braces' you could buy from a dealer then have it inspected by Thorney/V Eng and then rely on the warranty provided to fix any issues as I doubt you'd get it inspected before a purchase given their lead times.

Excellent info - thanks.

[jamesgareth]

BobM said:

I think until you've driven one you can't possibly compute that. They drive as well as a Lotus but the performance is a couple of levels up. I wouldn't restrict yourself to a 570GT, on the basis of wanting a more useable car. I think once you've been in one you'll be surprised at the ride quality of a 570S. Mine's a 600LT, and when I take friends out in it, first of all they're blown away by the performance, it's faster and more visceral than anyone expects. Secondly they are also always surprised about the ride quality and comfort. And the third thing they comment on is that it contradicts their expectations of it being somewhat 'kitcar', the interior always impresses. All that alcantara, carbon fibre, very little exposed hard plastic. It's a really nice car to be in.

My wife isn't a petrolhead but vastly prefers travelling in the 600LT to the Cayman 718 GT4 I had before it.

Go and look at some, get some test drives.

Very helpful - thanks.

[jamesgareth]

jamesgareth said:

andy_ran said:

Alastair Bols, V Engineering and Thorney

All very good, all very different. All of them have pros and cons, everyone will have happy and diss happy customers

I would have confidence buying from all of them, all 3 of them are the go to McLaren Indy's and I know many satisfied clients of all of them

If one of them has a car that fits your want list, none should disappoint as they all as already mentioned are all about their reputations

Thanks. Those three certainly seem to be the stand out candidates.

I should add that Bell and Colvill currently look after my Emira - and they work with McLaren's too. So I'm imagining they would be able to check a car out before I bought it - and if they did they could look after it too. They've been excellent with my Lotus.

[jamesgareth]

200Plus Club said:

Plenty of good comments as above. My only concern is your use as a "daily" , what sort of annual mileage are you talking as people unfortunately are wary of perceived "high mileage " mclarens and it will to some extent affect your future value, if that's a concern.

Zingari makes a valid point around location, if you are nowhere near V or Thorney then perhaps peace of mind paying £10k more at Mclaren themselves. Certainly I'd avoid any other 2nd hand car retailers who have the odd Mclaren in stock alongside other makes, purely because you could be buying something that needs a fair chunk of cash to fix it soon after.

Alaister Bols would be my preference if buying outside of Mclaren. Thorney you are paying Mclaren retail prices for a car 1-2yrs older that are SOR cars (he charges £5k fee plus makes the seller get all the work done) but in theory you are getting a car that's been gone over.

The Emira is a pretty car with sporty performance and handling, the Mclaren will drive like an Emira on steroids, its another level. Definitely a great ownership experience.

I do about 6000 miles a year. Which I know is quite a lot for these kinds of cars.....

[jamesgareth]

MclaesLaren said:

Well, you only live once.

What will you remember best sitting in a wheelchair at the elderly home?

Go for it and enjoy, thats my recmmendation.

And never look back. Its only money.

That's exactly the attitude that had me splash out £62k on the Lotus in the first place.

[jamesgareth]

Bispal said:

I've owned 2 McLarens, 10 years in total and over 30k miles. A lot of experiences with all sorts of people and other owners. This is the order I would proceed with if buying.

1. First check with Alastair Bols, see if he can get you the car you want. No-one preps a car like Alastair and his aftersales service is exemplary. He is always my no. 1 call, even if he can't get me the car I want.
2. Second call to Graham Davidson at Autolunge. He personally owns a few McLaren's and is a 'real' enthusiast. He also should be able to source a good car.
3. Buy privately with an inspection from V and transferable warranty, from an enthusiast long term owner.
4. McLaren dealer and negotiate warranty.
5. Don't buy from a non-McLaren specialist 'sportscar' garage (possibly with exception of Romans)

Whatever you buy get 'V' to conduct a PPI. No-one else, V know what they are doing. Definitely not a Mc dealer.

If you negotiate a Mc warranty, fine, service at McLaren until finished if you need to.

If you don't have a Mc warranty then service at V.

McLaren dealers vastly over inflate work required. Its a job creation scheme. I've been without a warranty and going to V for 3 years and have had minimal servicing costs (£500-£900 pa) and no issues with my 675LT.

The 570GT will probably have panel corrosion, it will happen again. Just be aware of that and that it probably wont be covered by warranty. It can be easily fixed just as with any other car. McLarens are very reliable and usable, despite what the internet tells us. Many McLaren's have done high mileages and the impact on values is much less than it is for comparable Italian cars. In fact the more miles they do the better they tend to be.

I also think they did a 570GTS. The 570GT was a dialled back 570S, about 5% less steering, suspension, engine etc. BUT they then made an S option which (AFAIK) has the 570S settings. If you drive a 570S back to back with a 570GT (as I have) you will notice straight away. In isolation probably not. Also don't discount a 650S. We borrowed a 570GT for a weekend and 600 miles and we couldn't fit the luggage we took out of our 12C into the 570GT! The P11 cars have better suspension, active aero and are more spacious inside and believe it (or not) smaller outside.

Edited by Bispal on Wednesday 11th June 11:30

Well, well, well. Very comprehensive. Many many thanks. Will copy and paste into the appropriate sections of my brain.

[jamesgareth]

murphyaj said:

Going back to the subject of dealers, I would take each on their own merit.

I went to look at a car a Jardine Select Bracknell, which is not somewhere you would normally go for a McLaren as they usually sell more normal premium brands. However Jardine are part of the group that own McLaren Ascot, and they use them to sell some of the older models (McLaren are inexplicably reluctant to push older or higher mileage cars through their dealer network). The Jardine Bracknell site is actually where the McLaren ascot workshop is, and the car in question had been prepped in the same workshop, by the same technicians, as the McLaren approved cars. It came with their warranty, not the McLaren warranty, but if anything it seemed more comprehensive (I read the whole thing) and all work would be carried out by the same aforementioned McLaren workshop. In the end I didn't buy the car but it was bought by someone on here who had a very positive experience.

My point with this story is; don't limit your options and don't automatically discount a car just because of the sign over the door.

More excellent information. Thanks.

[jamesgareth]

12pack said:

This. Of course, I d say that because I did.

But then so did a rather more experienced supercar owner in replacing his Emira.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=z8_rVvmC6t8&si=dY9...

Yes Harry bought high sold low lost a LOT of money on that Lotus he had there.

Learning from his experience I let somebody buy my Emira at full price ($86k-ish?) - waited for them to put 700 miles on it - and then bought it 9 months later for £62k.

Luck was on my side this time.

[jamesgareth]

macdeb said:

Seconded. I bought my 12C through Graham at Autolounge, it was an ex-Alistair Bols car (in fact he was with the first owner who specced every single option available at £68k taking the new price to a staggering £234K). Anyway, Graham was a delight to deal with and it came with a McLaren warranty. I had cam phasers replaced under warranty but don't think they are much of an issue now as most early ones seemed to have been replaced. I extended warranty though really didn't need to as it's been faultless, gone from 11k miles to 24k now. McLaren customer service and B'Ham McLaren were fantastic I have to add, having free upgrades! Since I decided not to renew again as I have complete confidence in the car, I have it serviced at 'V' engineering by Steve. Top job. They are not all moneypits and there are some very good cars out there. For me it's important to sus the previous owner on how the car has been treated as a lemon will bite you. They are all incredible cars, get used to everyone with a pulse to talk to you about it and take pictures, good luck with the search and keep us posted.

Thanks.

[jamesgareth]

Familymad said:

Same experience here. What a gent and encyclopaedia of Mcl knowledge. Bought and sold through him and waiting for the right moment to get Alistair to find me the right 675LT spider. I d go 650S not 570 as it s more of an event and a very special car.

Interesting. I've not looked at the 650s but it seems price-wise they're around the same as the 570GTs. But is it as daily-driver as the 570GT. I will investigate - and welcome any suggestions/ opinions on that question here too.

This one looks nice:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202503019...