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I attended a "supercar" club drive out in my 124 in the summer, my friend was invited as he had a Mustang Mach1 (also not a supercar) but he previously had an R8 which is how he made the connection and he asked if I could come with in the Abarth 124 and they said yes. The whole day the organisers acted as if I didn't exist. I was stood next to my friend when they were saying goodbye to everyone and they completely ignored me I even got denied a handshake when I offered one lol. Out of the 20/30 people that attended I'd say about 5 were accommodating true petrolheads that didn't give a shit about how much money you had, everyone else was a bit of an asshole. Kinda put me off supercar clubs for good really. I'll stick to the groups set up by mates who just love cars, more variety and everyone is generally pretty nice.
Yeh it's this kind of thing that puts me off going to car meets. People should be able to turn up in anything, whether it's a run of the mill hatchback or a supercar and feel welcome and included.
Yep, I got invited to a supercar trackday at Goodwood, by a very generous guy. Over lunch I felt a bit of a leper as I did not own a McLaren or R8 Gt. But what I would say is I had a few terrifying passenger rides around there with a couple , I did not let on I have competed around there in sprints . I got the impression the only thing keeping us on the black stuff was the car electronics, put them in a fast Caterham with none I suspect there would have been carnage!!! Not all, but certainly a high % were ****ing sketchy skill wise on the limit.
Well said that man! I've been lucky enough to own everything from a Jaguar XJ220 (from 2009 to 2019) to a 2000 XJ8 (with numerous other Jags on the way through) loved them both and enjoyed them for there own special merits. Love meeting real petrol heads, Ford Anglia Brilliant! Hillman Imp! even better. In my experience those who can buy any car, buy the car they really want. I Love my 2008 Daimler Super 8 !
Jesus, what a bunch of absolute wankers. I bet half of them can’t drive for shit, let alone utilise their full car’s performance anyway. AH’s who own their expensive supercar purely as an ostentatious wealth display and have a distinct need to gatekeeper for their own self sense of superiority. I never want anything to do with those people, complete opposite of my attitude to cars which is the ownership experience should be fun and it’s good to invite, involve and accommodate any people we can. Life’s very difficult for a lot of people, we’re lucky to own and enjoy these things, let’s use them to help make any one we cans life a little better by letting them experience these wonderful machines, it cost nothing and makes both them and actually you feel amazing.❤
I own 3 very nice cars, a Range Rover SV autobiography (2018) a 15,000 mile Porsche 993 Turbo S ,and a BMW M6 Grand Coupe, non of which i class as “super car “ but there are clubs . Most club / super car events just seem like willy waving. Ive worked hard and been very lucky to own the cars i do , i dont feel the need to show off to the guy that wasn’t as lucky . That guy might have a loving family an 3 kids, i dont , who’s the lucky man ?????😊😊
That 993 turbo S must be a gorgeous thing😍 An icon of design and performance, and tastefully stunning in every way. I wouldn't call the other 2 "very nice cars" however 😅. No hate.
I always struggle with how I would actually enjoy a proper “supercar”. I don’t think I actually could . The world is a better place for them, but it would be like owning a £50k Rolex and walking around with other people staring at it, paranoid it would get damaged or stolen , or depreciate or break financially ruining you . While you could be wearing a £1k watch and enjoying it immensely without the worries. Where can you actually use a genuine supercar on the road really? Potholed 20mph zones, car parks, speed cameras, width restrictions, speed humps, in a 7’ wide car wearing £10,000 of wheels and tyres… I think the worry for me would outweigh the fun. 😢
Don't know if you'll metion it in the vidro, a few weeks ago during a supercars tour in sardinia a Portofino in a convoy rammed and flipped a campervan while making a dangerous overtake. The blue Ferrari skidded into a low wall, which flipped the car and punctured its tank, leading to the death of both occupants
Group drives are just bad. There’s always at least one jerk. Sadly in that case there were several, and one of them darwinized himself and unfortunately his wife.
As I'm growing older, I gradually let go of seeing myself driving a supercar, let alone a hypercar. I don't particularly like the majority of their owners and couldn't see myself mingling in that community. But above all, I chose my car after a fair analysis of my driving ability, driving style, where and when I use the car and what qualities I enjoy most in a car that make me use it a lot. I came up with that I'm an ok driver who enjoys torque more than horsepower and I aim more for effortlessness and comfort in a car that will prompt thumbs up from people, rather than middle or pinky fingers. So I bought a Rover P5B Coupe as a hobby car, which ticks most boxes. I think the closest to a supercar for me as a potential buyer would be a Jaguar XKR. That's enough power for me and it is relatively understated.
Previous owner of a madreperla white, red seat, alfa 4c spyder. I attended cars and coffee for years prior to finishing school and getting my 4c. Up until i got yhr 4C, i didnt exist. The minute that i got the 4c, i became a blip on the radar. The same folks that ignored me, now had an interest in mr because of the car. I can do without it
James, from what you describe, you'd love the Capel Classic Car Show in Surrey, usually held in August. A proper village green event that has grown over the years and always has unusual and interesting cars (and bikes) you don't see at the usual larger events. Been going since 1993. And not a hypercar in sight, although the occasional racecar.
i remember going there a ton as a kid, was one of the key things that made into such a massive car enthusiast. i think that's where i met james may when i was very young, and we chatted for a while in the pouring rain
Unfortunately, having the finances to afford a fast car has no correlation with driving ability. The feeling of entitlement and bravado does correlate, however.
I'm afraid, like Jay I tend not to attend Supercar only car shows. I do have a small UA-cam channel that focuses on mainly classics and modern classics. I love seeing the occasional super and hypercar at the events I attend. You both really need to attend the yearly 'Classics on the Common' in Harpenden.
I don't know about what others think, I have absolutely no problem with the cars, but I couldn't care less about super/hypercar meets because of the (perhaps stereotypical) types of owners that goes there. You know, the type who thinks that money make them free of any worries and responsibilities, the type that buys a thing for the sake of it being expensive, the type who feels entitled to everything just because, the type who's only joy in life is to show off the new, expensive toy they've bought, the type so detached with reality thus nigh impossible to converse in a non-patronizing manner, the type that prioritise the badge, the 45bn premium they paid for it and how special it is over anything else, the type that flaunts their V12 engines and 100,000 dollar tyres without ever using them, (couldn't blame them really, I'm been in a Zonda R and it is unbearable) the type that goes "Oh yes I drive it every other week" with only 2 miles on the odometer, the type where touching their car is "not allowed" as it could affect their important automotive investment... Just to name a few.
On your first point Jay, why you and many car youtubers like Auto Alex, Overdrive, Car Throttle and similar others have gained quite the popularity in recent years is that they embrace cars of all budgets, if anything Alex Kersten has been a big champion for "shitboxes" the more unique the better and that's approachable for a lot of people to get into the automotive sphere.
I'd have to disagree, I may have agreed with Jay 10 years ago, but I think there is a lot more genuine passion and interest for cars than there ever has been, thanks to social media. I've joined two Porsche clubs recently, thinking it would be a bit of a swinger d experience, especially as I have a reasonably priced Porsche and other members have multiple cars worth over £100k each. I have found the opposite. In general it's looked down upon to act like a d*** and any official weekend drives are respected by all drives. I found myself to be surrounded by people who have a passion for all things car. I have had 100% more fun out of my Porsche since joining a club. I think you just need to find the right club that suits you. There's also venues like the Motorist and Caffeine & Machine that were never around 10 years ago. Look at Caffeine & Machine's moto "Don't Be a D***. Lets face it, you will always get the show offs, but they are a minority.
Got to say I am with Jay in his school of thought. Supercar meets are willy waving events. Any woman will tell you that. It has to be about the love of the engineering and the reality of the performance. 90% of the Supercars cannot express themselves in the real world and in limited fashion on the track (due to willy waving).
I used to hang with an exotic car club. Same thing. We never drove anywhere near the legal speed limit. Now I decline and just enjoy my Gallardo with my family and friends.
Been to quite a few of these things and there is always 'that guy' with more money than skill and zero consideration for anyone else. And then there are those that look down their nose at you..
As with most things its all about personal preference. I prefer solo adventures in supercars over carclubs and drives. My one hypercar drive has been behind the wheel of a Pagani Huayra. Even though it was in the city it was a memorable experience . Surprisingly easy to drive (without hitting insane speeds). My biggest beef is with supercars/hypercars being stuffed away in collections and never driven.
The funny thing is that in an interview with Gordon Murray, someone told Gordon that he makes cars that are hyper cars, and Gordon replied that he doesn't know what hyper cars are, I'm just trying to make cars that deliver as much driving pleasure as possible.
Most of the people that go to supercar events have no intrest in actual cars there.. its just a bunch of idiots with their phones out recording vlogging each other 😂
Very interesting chat. Having attended all sorts of events from Cars & Coffee, track days, technical practice days at training centers to thoroughly organised drives in the Alps, I would always go back to the latter two. Growing my competences and thus being able to enjoy casual but spirited driving in a safe manner is everything I want to do with my cars. The less conspicuous and smaller the group, the better.
Car meets of any type are fascinating, even the car parks at events such as Goodwood Revival have amazing vehicles and people who are on the whole enthusiastic and happy to talk to interested people. From how I shoehorned a V8 into an MX5 to we drove this Willys Jeep across Africa. Cars so rare or unique that just to see one in the flesh is itself an experience.
We're part of Sporting Bears, haven't been to anything for ages just haven't had the time. Hopefully catch you at something soon! Also part of SCD, again haven't managed to make many events in recent times. I have no issues with drives, I really enjoy them but it really does come down to people keeping their ego in check and not doing risky moves. Or acting the tool and revving in quiet towns etc. Just have a bit of consideration and enjoy the drive that's all that matters. One thing I've learned doing drives with various clubs is, in the main, it doesn't matter what car you're in. If it's got a bit of power it'll keep up with most stuff. e.g an M2 can easily hang with an R8 on the road. If you're getting left behind then someone's driving wrong haha.
Great pub cast guys! I agree with James on the hypercar thing… I can dream big but I’m not delusional. A 00s supercar is all the aspiration I need to get where I want to be 😊
Over 30 years ago I turned up at a Porsche Club GB visit to Beaulieu in my 924. I was ignored by the 911, 944 and 928 owners. 924 owners regarded as poor relations in their VW van cars. Never went to another event.
I used to dream of supercars but now I'd much rather have something more mundane. I drive an MX5 which is fantastic, I've had a Focus ST estate and also have an Octavia VRS and these are all great fun. If I had the money for a supercar as much as I'd admire them, id rather buy several modern classics to enjoy that spend all the cash on one car.
A great debate the subject of which which I’ve often thought about myself. Increasingly I see Super & HyperCars as irrelevant. They are too expensive to be attainable even after 10 years of depreciation and just too fast for the public road. As for the whole Supercar club thing, I agree with Jay that this might be a tad pretentious. I differ with James on 1 point which is tours with mixed groups of sports or classic cars. This is immense fun when attending distant events (Spa Classic/Le Mans) but self discipline and a respect for road safety is a must.
I find myself agreeing with James and I have never been to a supercar meet. I remember seeing a supercar driver filling up at a petrol station and telling anyone who would listen that the cost was nothing compared to the 10's of thousands to fill up his yacht.
I don't do track days, or drive meets. I drive my car for me & accept my limitations. So, on my own, on the right deserted road with good visibility, it can have the beans, to my level of ability. I can enjoy the noise, the acceleration etc., but can back off when I realize a bit more might bend my pride & joy. In traffic, I drive in my own 'bubble' - loads of time and space in front & around, so you have time to react to the 'events' of others as they occur.
Yes and James is protecting his 'brand' which is of course his livelihood. Everything could come crashing down with an incident even like he sais if he is nothing to do with it. Agree with most of your points there James.
Ive had the pleasure of meeting James a couple of times and i totally agree with him car clubs should be all inclusive regardless of what you own the only prerequisite should be a love of cars. Having said that not all supercar owners are willy waving muppets 🤔
Village green car shows he says? How about Basingstoke Festival Of Transport? It's free, and it's got loads of cars, bikes, buses, fire engines... all sorts of stuff. The same cars tend to turn up every year, but there's always interesting stuff there. 2024 dates haven't been announced yet but it's worth a look.
I’ve tried a couple of times (LT Spider) but I just don’t get owners meets. Some really nice people but I’m not into showing off and it feels like that what it is with some clubs. Mclaren owners are the most down to earth though 👍
7:59 I think Ant hits the nail on the head here. It's finding a club that has the right kind of people and attitude for what you want. On bikes it's quite easy; I look for clubs and ride out groups that cater for 125cc riders, A2 licence holders and new riders, because they are not going to be hooligan groups by the very nature of being 125, A2 and new rider friendly. Any that state "no 125s" are likely to be ones that act very silly. With cars, idiots are going to idiot and it's often only when you turn up and meet them that you find out whether it's a club for you or not. Something like Sporting Bears is an exception because of it's nature. The problem with supercar clubs is they are by nature a bit snobby. I found the same with photography clubs. If you go to a club where everyone uses one particular brand and you've got an alternative brand, most will just look down their noses at you. A few will be interested in why you made your choice, but most will just cold-shoulder you. More open, general car clubs will be more accepting and more enthusiast-orientated, but I also think you get more people who are there to try and impress and act stupid. It's why I've never joined any car clubs, because there's just no way for me to know if it's going to be what I want. I'm like James; I love cars and bikes. I will talk for hours about both and if you love your car, I will happily enthuse with you, even if it's not to my taste. What I don't want is to turn up in my car and have someone explain why my car is rubbish or why their car is so much better than mine. To me that's just a d*ck-measuring-club, not a car enthusiast club. The other thing, which James touched on; Hypercars are not made for petrol heads. They're made for the excessively rich to show off their wealth. Ordinary enthusiasts cannot hard-work their way to that. Supercars can be attainable, but like owning a house, the distance the average earner has to go to reach them has only got wider and wider.
Very sensible James it could easily impact your brand and as a result your business if you get brush stroked as causing a disturbance and then your put on a back foot defending yourself for something you were not involved with.❤
Jay is 100% Right, Who drives a Singer Porsche like it's made to be driven? give me a Jaguar XKRS or V10 M5 or even a Mustang GT I wouldn't be worried about the insurance the entire time I'm drive
I really appreciate the engineering and artistry that goes into these cars, but personally I never seek out content or events based around super/hyper cars. I just feel like they cant be used for anything, they're too fragile and the wrong design for daily use and they have no function, so most don't get driven often and therefore have no story and what's a car without a story? but then I'm a bit weird and find loads more enjoyment reading up about more functional and commercial vehicles, I'd much rather listen to someone explain the time they managed to get unstuck in their defender or someone's experiences with their workhorse van than listen to a regional director of a cardboard manufacturer talk about the finance agreement on 458 italia that does 40 miles a year and lives in a pressurised tent
We are all different and we must accept those differences .....car enthusiasts are no different ...just keep it positive and accept how others want to appreciate them
I think Hypercars are good when they're very limited productions. After all it's about manufacturers taking mostly free checks from extremely wealthy people. I don't like supercars becoming hypercars while being produced in high number. Why a V8 Ferrari should be reportedly so technologically advanced if it ends up costing 3 times as much as an old one? To us normal people for which 30 grand sounds excessive for any 4 wheeled transportation, a 296 feels like built for the same target customer of a Pagani
Totally agree, Hyper cars are for the 1% , super cars now are so much maybe the 5%.The car market has gone mad , a humble golf gti £35k a forget anything electric with any range or style .😊😊
It's not even the hypercars you won't see on the roads. The limited addition Porches Darak or the S/T (and other manufacturers) which are sold out before the public sees them are all brought by either investors or large collectors and less than 5% will ever be thrashed on the roads. The owners will be too worried about losing money on them. It is just a cash cow for car manufacturers
Great discussion and food for thought. It’s a funny one but if I ever had a supercar I would feel great (I think) but embarrassed if not a little fearful by its sheer expense in a world where certain characters will chop your hand off for your Rolex! So no I wouldn’t want to flaunt my ego in such a garish “drive” fashion! Just owning a supercar (Ferrari?) would be amazing but highly unlikely and would play havoc with my social conscience but, I still would love a 360 spyder🙄 Yep I’m a hypocrite - and a masochist too😩
I’d rather go to a more intimate gathering of people who enjoy all sorts of different cars. I’ve only been to 1 supercar event, and although there was some fantastic exotica there, I got to chat to about 2 people! Needless to say, not the day out I was hoping for. But where does everyone find out about smaller events? Please don’t say PalmFace!
Not interested in cars I could never afford, I look and them and some of them I like the look of but that is about it. I don't even really watch videos on them, if it's a car I can see depreciate to a realistic amount where I could maybe afford them I like to read and watch stuff about them.
I could not stand the so-called secret meet. It's so against my value that car culture should be inclusive. Keeping it to just a handful of Valkyries, Carrera GTs and LaFerraris and gatekeeping it from enthusiasts who may not yet be able to attain that supercar dream but still love seeing one in action is just... blaaaaargh, it made me want to throw up in disgust. I still love supercars. I want SLS Black, 991 Speedster and LFA. But the older I get the less I want these supercar club thingy. Just do normal drives, a spot of breakfast or coffee, let those who love cars enjoy seeing them being used, have a chat or two with them (because believe me they feel appreciated when these owners welcome them and start talking about cars), and go home in complete normal way. Is it too much to ask?
I’m with James regarding my disinterest in hypercars. 1. To me cars are never going to be ‘worth’ more than £250-300k max. Therefore something at £1M plus is just so far beyond what I would ever consider spending on a car that I’m not interested. Like £1M+ plus properties, I don’t look at them either. 2. Most hypercars are built to extract money from very wealthy people, without offering much to an enthusiast. They are status symbols and collectors items created by rehashing an existing production car with a body kit, or creating something that’s so compromised it’s of no appeal anyway (I.e a race car). 3. Finally, I think the explosion of hypercars over the last 10 years has been all about raising quick revenue for the motor companies, not about being innovative or giving their customer base what they really want. And by extension not moving the car world forward. When these car makers devote so much effort to making one-off ‘aesthetic’ hypercars they are sucking innovation and talent from the production car world. Many of these hypercars don’t feature any innovative tech vs. their humble underpinnings and the sad thing is that most will never be driven, wasted effort. It’s a loss to all us normies.
Well I was at Portmerion in Wales in September, wanted to go for ages,as was a big fan of The Prisoner Tv series. To my surprise I came across a lovely and diverse bunch of ladies and gents from the Ferrari owners club,having a spin around Portmerion. I very much enjoyed chatting to all. Here’s what was there 355GTB + Spyder (Red) 488 Spyder (Red) F430 ( grey) F 430 scuderia (Black) 288GTS (Red) 360 ( light metallic blue) Portefino V8 ( deep metallic blue) GTC4 Lusso V8 ( black) 355 (Red) F8 tributo (Blue) you get the idea, think there were about 15 in all parked up and wizzing off in batches of 3 at a time. Sadly didn’t get the opportunity to have a ride in any,but did have a nice chat to owners. The guy who had the (light metallic Blue) 360 said he got it for 50k,which is a bargain. Great to see them all in the flesh,I was a happy chap that evening.
James, you can still get the 3-cyl Gemera, as I'm sure other have mentioned. Lighter battery, 1 in stead of 3 e-motors, less total power but lighter and thanks to the 9-spd now fitted: quicker. I bet it's quicker over the 1/4 mi than the heavier V8. What might the difference be, 150 kg? The V8 is 1500 hp, 900 hp extra, and those need cooling. No frunk on the V8 version for sure, the I-3 might still get it. 5 trolley capacity on a SPACEY 4-seat hypercar that may well run low 8s. More powerful than Lucid Sapphire and 600 kg lighter, or so? The rear axle can get all the power it needs now also. Traction control R&D will be everything. Lucid worked their REALLY seriously, and they've already overhauled Tesla thanks to the real axle that can take all the e-power if needed. Gemera can start off with 800 hp to whichever wheels, and the 600 hp I-3 ICE can pick up from the get-go with the ultra fast 9spd. Quick is a party trick, sure. And I'd want the 6spd trick from the CC850 ideally, skipping some gear to do some more casual revving. The e-side can make that interesting, even if set up to smooth it out and take some time.
I do coffee and cars events but not supercar events. To be fair here in Australia there is not the same number of high end cars given our taxes etc. Nobody drives fast in or out of these and you get a mixture of old classic, Aussie muscle and some supercars / Super GT's.
I live in a village in Cheshire and we suffer most weekends with idiots in fast cars descending on us and parading down the main street and surrounding roads in supercars. They are egged on by young lads who gather on street corners, roundabouts, etc to photograph them. What's the problem? Well noise is one - these cars are very loud and they are revved to screaming pitch on local surrounding roads. In the village, the drivers hang back from the car in front to make a gap, then plant their foot on the accelerator to make a lot of noise, then brake hard to avoid running into the car in front. These drivers are not particularly skilled, so the back end of their cars often steps out when they do this. It's only by the grace of god that this has not (yet) resulted in injury or worse to nearby pedestrians. The police don't do a lot, even though many of these cars don't carry front number plates. Two supercars have been written off in the Manchester Airport tunnels. Each was driven by a 'celeb' (footballers I think) and in both cases, the car hit the tunnel wall and no other vehicles were involved. So how did that happen? Flooring it to hear the sound reverberating off the tunnel walls, perhaps? If so, it was sheer luck no other car was hit. Needless to say, these supercar owners displaying their toys in such an anti-social manner are not going down well with local residents, who are calling for noise 'cameras' to be installed and some real action from the police.
enjoyable, thanks. I tend to agree with James...cars way out of my league don't interest me, but good luck to those that like them/ can afford them & if some people are snobby & only want to mix high end, great, it keeps them away from ordinary souls like me.
Simple. Do it on your own, and you have control. Generally, people in groups will do stupid things, and your mate here is incredibly nieve about this. Don't mistake positivity for stupidity like he does.
Rimac of course doubled the Nevera numbers allowing Pininfarina to sell their as the (prettier and more emotional) Battista. Impressive for both that Pininfarina was on the case from the start.
Great video. I have a question re: Hypercars for James… do you feel similarly regarding Ferrari hypercars? And what are your feelings on the upcoming F250? :) keep the awesome content coming
I agree with you, for example SCC will only admit certain porsches to the club yet my Pana 4 ehybrid with a 0-60 of a claimed 4s with some journalists is not good enough! And had a great trip round NC500 with my friends, one had a Arbarth 500 and another in an Audi S3, we all had an amazing time, and kept to the limits (most of the time) and still had an absolute blast! Think these 'supercar' events are just elitist ego trips to show who can show who has most shares/stocks than another person!
Biggest takeway from this was that I'm just gobsmacked that you, James, find the GMA T50 and T33 visually unappealing. I have little interest in most hypercars, and even modern (only) supercars (I'd have a vintage Ferrari over hypercar) but to me the T33 (coupe or spider) in particular is achingly beautiful, and I'd look at one all day long. I don't even consider the T33 a hypercar in the typical sense. It will be hyper fast, but that is due to low weight rather than extreme power. And it is hyper expensive, but that is due to the glorious engineering of every single component. I'd love to hear more on why you don't like their looks.
I share some of the sentiments of James but disagree on others. This topic hits close to home becoz I manage a small drive group of about 30-40 drivers. First of, I absolutely dislike big supercar car shows. It’s fun maybe, once a year where u go check out diff cars and go home to think about what u want to buy next. U can’t really mix with strangers and u don’t bother to becoz u prob wont see then again. It’s stuff I do when I have nothing better to do. And being in LA, whatever car u have, someone else has it better, it’s all about flexing wealth for many, and when ur ego gets hurt coz ur car isn’t as expensive or rare, to get attention u starts doing stupid shit like being louder or drive more reckless, and that’s why events always get banned once it gets too big. The other type that I dislike would be brand specific meets, esp Ferrari or Porsche clubs. Collectively they think their brand is the best, very often are closed minded and can’t appreciate other brands or mix like normal pple. The idea that having the same car brand is enough to bring pple together is a bit optimistic, and as these clubs grow too big it simply turned out to be a networking and sponsored biz event (mechanics, insurance, auction houses, lawyers, car parts mfg. etc), whereby no one truly wants to know u but to simply promote their biz. They are smart enough to not hold too many drives because the drive quality is horrible with too many cars. In the end I think it’s about ego; the goal is to find pple with lesser ego who are genuine car enthusiasts who are good team players, that they are accepting of all car makes and driver skills and intentionally only keeping similar peeps together, keeping it small and intimate. Many of us come from cheap sports cars, but as years go on we start getting supercars and worked from ground up. Now we have a good mix of supercars and sports cars and no one is getting their ego hurt. U would be surprised to know so many don’t like to explore new roads, drive alone or plan things; I happen to love them and every time I come across a beautiful stretch of roads, all I am thinking is how do I share the beauty with my friends and lead them through the same experience. And that’s why I hold small group drives for about 9 years now, seeing pple bonding with their cars and with one another in gorgeous driving roads is my biggest reward. Yes James likes to drive solo, don’t need to worry about others and just do things at his own pace etc. I get it, it’s easy but it’s also missed opportunities. We are all diff, some of us like to lead some simply like to go along with the journey. And yes regretfully for some supercars, u have to go fast to have fun, that’s why we are always driving in the middle of nowhere and away from cities. That’s our way of being ‘responsible’. The key is constantly remove pple who are not the right fit, I know too many friends who allowed their group to get too big and they either gave up and stopped or simply turned it political/capitalistic and no longer about car or driving passion anymore. And James is wrong, you make the best friends after these drives and having meals and drinks together, talking about cars and how to drive and appreciate one another’s cars. I myself have a couple of Porsches, Ferraris lambos each and just sold my r8 of 9 years, I got all the diff brands coz I like diff aspects of them, and not one brand has everything in one that’s why today I insist of an open-make drive group. Also, u will never know amazing pple driving solo…I know so many good friends who are genuine passionate enthusiasts and owners from all backgrounds from my group, that’s what kept us going and we always keep it small; very welcoming and open but won’t hesitate to remove incompatible pple so the core group can continue to have a great time, whereby everyone knows one another’s pace, driving skill, personality and interests. In fact my wife is also a driver and influenced a few others’ wives to do the same and own their own drivers cars. Yeah so don’t stereotype drive groups as all irresponsible flexers who are reckless and likes to take over intersections while doing donuts, we absolutely hate those kinds they are not true enthusiasts but are either criminals or dumb kids with too much hormones seeking thrills
Car clubs and shows used to be for petrol heads, now they are for clout chasers and car spotters. How much prefer to be with true enthusiasts at the track.
I am with James on this, but super car rental businesses are probably the biggest cause of antisocial behaviour in my experience. Particularly seems to be worse since Police don't seem to have traffic officers who take any action.
Regards the seemingly unjustifiable price differentials between two very similar cars, reminds me of the same dynamic in the luxury watch market. A lot of it seems based on perceived brand prestige and exclusivity. While I sympathise with Jayemm’s incredulous and skeptical egalitarianism, I personally am okay with the seemingly ridiculous price differentials, because I dont feel it’s my place to criticise a buyer who willingly pays an exorbitant premium to get the experience he wants.
Why charge £5m for a car? Because you'll actually sell it. Often just by announcing it. Because that's what the hyper-rich actually want. Their world is not our world... *shrug* At least they are buying stuff we can actually be interested in and maybe enjoy seeing one day.
I gave up on supercars and hypercars a good while ago. I subscribed to TG magazine from issue 1, until about 300, when I just stopped reading them, as it was the same old, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini etc. I got bored of the same regurgitated content, unobtainable supercar after unobtainable supercar. This exotic stuff became too familiar, over popular, and repetitive IMO. It didn't help that the TG TV show normalised these types of cars as well.
I dont even go to meets annymore ive been invidet a couple of times by young people my age but i dont like the "cuture" is They claim its an all car meet and say that its a good variety but... Its just a vw and bmw car park and if its a drive its more of an go here get lost go away thing its just so sad Im not against blasting it a couple of times but a drive is about the joury not about flexing how fast you can total your car in a field Save to say that ill be sticking to my car meets with older participants
I know im going to get hammered BUT i just dont get Pagani now the Zonda and its derivatives R for example i got a get. The present offering is just extremely well made jewellery , the haven’t even made there own engine unlike the ghost squadron , cant spell Koenig etc . Some might say the McLarenF1 didnt have its own engine but look at the numbers an it was a 1 off ( at the time ) not a long term company building X amount of variation’s / models. Pagani may be a V12 AMG in a posh frock ?? That’s what Aston Martin are suffering now but there not charging 3 million + , there hyper/super car has a bespoke engine and looks the dogs dangles . You can get faster for the same price .😊😊😊
Mass-produced cars are no less (if not more) impressive engineering-wise than hypercars. The fact they need to meet a huge list of (often localised) regulations, consider all aspects of a car (packaging, durability, usability, comfort, safety and so on in addition to driving dynamics), need to be made profitable by using as much what is out there as possible, and need to be produced in a huge scale, quickly and cheaply with bits from all around the world, and with good finishes cannot be just ignored in comparison with engineerings behind hypercars. A big part of this lack of appreciation here is also auto journalists here have long lacked much mechanical insight into cars (ie. In China auto journalists even take cars apart for testing like what the Munro&Associates do - tho their analysis are quite poor for people who really knows about manufacturing unlike Munro), most of them just merely repeat what others said and reinforce whatever stereotypes that is there, and this is not good for people who like cars (they'll never get the chance to appreciate many cars as they'll just skip them), nor to people who just want to buy a reliable and dependable car (manufacturers cuts corners underneath and whoever is the most radical in that wins) - as cars (no matter what class) become more to do with perceptions (what others says, what the numbers says) than actual engineering behind them.
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What about superbikes?
I attended a "supercar" club drive out in my 124 in the summer, my friend was invited as he had a Mustang Mach1 (also not a supercar) but he previously had an R8 which is how he made the connection and he asked if I could come with in the Abarth 124 and they said yes. The whole day the organisers acted as if I didn't exist. I was stood next to my friend when they were saying goodbye to everyone and they completely ignored me I even got denied a handshake when I offered one lol. Out of the 20/30 people that attended I'd say about 5 were accommodating true petrolheads that didn't give a shit about how much money you had, everyone else was a bit of an asshole. Kinda put me off supercar clubs for good really. I'll stick to the groups set up by mates who just love cars, more variety and everyone is generally pretty nice.
Yeh it's this kind of thing that puts me off going to car meets. People should be able to turn up in anything, whether it's a run of the mill hatchback or a supercar and feel welcome and included.
Yep, I got invited to a supercar trackday at Goodwood, by a very generous guy. Over lunch I felt a bit of a leper as I did not own a McLaren or R8 Gt. But what I would say is I had a few terrifying passenger rides around there with a couple , I did not let on I have competed around there in sprints . I got the impression the only thing keeping us on the black stuff was the car electronics, put them in a fast Caterham with none I suspect there would have been carnage!!! Not all, but certainly a high % were ****ing sketchy skill wise on the limit.
If you love what you drive then who cares about anyone else thinks.
Well said that man! I've been lucky enough to own everything from a Jaguar XJ220 (from 2009 to 2019) to a 2000 XJ8 (with numerous other Jags on the way through) loved them both and enjoyed them for there own special merits. Love meeting real petrol heads, Ford Anglia Brilliant! Hillman Imp! even better. In my experience those who can buy any car, buy the car they really want. I Love my 2008 Daimler Super 8 !
Jesus, what a bunch of absolute wankers. I bet half of them can’t drive for shit, let alone utilise their full car’s performance anyway. AH’s who own their expensive supercar purely as an ostentatious wealth display and have a distinct need to gatekeeper for their own self sense of superiority. I never want anything to do with those people, complete opposite of my attitude to cars which is the ownership experience should be fun and it’s good to invite, involve and accommodate any people we can. Life’s very difficult for a lot of people, we’re lucky to own and enjoy these things, let’s use them to help make any one we cans life a little better by letting them experience these wonderful machines, it cost nothing and makes both them and actually you feel amazing.❤
I own 3 very nice cars, a Range Rover SV autobiography (2018) a 15,000 mile Porsche 993 Turbo S ,and a BMW M6 Grand Coupe, non of which i class as “super car “ but there are clubs . Most club / super car events just seem like willy waving. Ive worked hard and been very lucky to own the cars i do , i dont feel the need to show off to the guy that wasn’t as lucky . That guy might have a loving family an 3 kids, i dont , who’s the lucky man ?????😊😊
The 993 tubro S is by my reckoning a supercar. Very much one.
That 993 turbo S must be a gorgeous thing😍 An icon of design and performance, and tastefully stunning in every way.
I wouldn't call the other 2 "very nice cars" however 😅. No hate.
@juliandale50, both of you guys are lucky i reckon. haha.
You are the lucky one 🤣 I don't have either
Well said. Enjoy what you have earned and respect what others have as well
I always struggle with how I would actually enjoy a proper “supercar”. I don’t think I actually could . The world is a better place for them, but it would be like owning a £50k Rolex and walking around with other people staring at it, paranoid it would get damaged or stolen , or depreciate or break financially ruining you . While you could be wearing a £1k watch and enjoying it immensely without the worries.
Where can you actually use a genuine supercar on the road really? Potholed 20mph zones, car parks, speed cameras, width restrictions, speed humps, in a 7’ wide car wearing £10,000 of wheels and tyres…
I think the worry for me would outweigh the fun. 😢
I think there are levels of wealth where you don’t care about a potential $1m loss. Don’t buy hypercars if $50k puts you in a cold sweat.
I reckon "The Two-Inch Club" or "The Compensation Club" would be a more appropriate name...😂
I am with JayEmm 100% on this - all his points are right.
People drive like idiots on these things...always.
Eltitism is also wrong....always.
I’m more than happy with the 300 plus bhp my 911 has , I personally don’t need anymore, it makes me smile each time I drive it
The secret is to love and enjoy what you have and can afford. 👍
Refreshing to have such a sensible and measured conversation.
Agreed!! Most of the The owners require too much attention.
Don't know if you'll metion it in the vidro, a few weeks ago during a supercars tour in sardinia a Portofino in a convoy rammed and flipped a campervan while making a dangerous overtake. The blue Ferrari skidded into a low wall, which flipped the car and punctured its tank, leading to the death of both occupants
Group drives are just bad. There’s always at least one jerk. Sadly in that case there were several, and one of them darwinized himself and unfortunately his wife.
I bet that more people were killed by cows, at the idiots fault, that year.
As I'm growing older, I gradually let go of seeing myself driving a supercar, let alone a hypercar. I don't particularly like the majority of their owners and couldn't see myself mingling in that community. But above all, I chose my car after a fair analysis of my driving ability, driving style, where and when I use the car and what qualities I enjoy most in a car that make me use it a lot. I came up with that I'm an ok driver who enjoys torque more than horsepower and I aim more for effortlessness and comfort in a car that will prompt thumbs up from people, rather than middle or pinky fingers. So I bought a Rover P5B Coupe as a hobby car, which ticks most boxes. I think the closest to a supercar for me as a potential buyer would be a Jaguar XKR. That's enough power for me and it is relatively understated.
Lots of great points made on both sides - on balance I’d side with James, but it’s not a walkover! Lol
Previous owner of a madreperla white, red seat, alfa 4c spyder. I attended cars and coffee for years prior to finishing school and getting my 4c. Up until i got yhr 4C, i didnt exist. The minute that i got the 4c, i became a blip on the radar. The same folks that ignored me, now had an interest in mr because of the car. I can do without it
James, from what you describe, you'd love the Capel Classic Car Show in Surrey, usually held in August. A proper village green event that has grown over the years and always has unusual and interesting cars (and bikes) you don't see at the usual larger events.
Been going since 1993. And not a hypercar in sight, although the occasional racecar.
i remember going there a ton as a kid, was one of the key things that made into such a massive car enthusiast. i think that's where i met james may when i was very young, and we chatted for a while in the pouring rain
Precisely why we do things differently, as you know and have seen at our socials! No need for the separation. We are all enthusiasts.
Unfortunately, having the finances to afford a fast car has no correlation with driving ability. The feeling of entitlement and bravado does correlate, however.
I'm afraid, like Jay I tend not to attend Supercar only car shows. I do have a small UA-cam channel that focuses on mainly classics and modern classics. I love seeing the occasional super and hypercar at the events I attend. You both really need to attend the yearly 'Classics on the Common' in Harpenden.
You don't have a super car G
@@DaleSteel Haha, True!
I don't know about what others think, I have absolutely no problem with the cars, but I couldn't care less about super/hypercar meets because of the (perhaps stereotypical) types of owners that goes there.
You know, the type who thinks that money make them free of any worries and responsibilities,
the type that buys a thing for the sake of it being expensive,
the type who feels entitled to everything just because,
the type who's only joy in life is to show off the new, expensive toy they've bought,
the type so detached with reality thus nigh impossible to converse in a non-patronizing manner,
the type that prioritise the badge, the 45bn premium they paid for it and how special it is over anything else,
the type that flaunts their V12 engines and 100,000 dollar tyres without ever using them, (couldn't blame them really, I'm been in a Zonda R and it is unbearable)
the type that goes "Oh yes I drive it every other week" with only 2 miles on the odometer,
the type where touching their car is "not allowed" as it could affect their important automotive investment...
Just to name a few.
On your first point Jay, why you and many car youtubers like Auto Alex, Overdrive, Car Throttle and similar others have gained quite the popularity in recent years is that they embrace cars of all budgets, if anything Alex Kersten has been a big champion for "shitboxes" the more unique the better and that's approachable for a lot of people to get into the automotive sphere.
I'd have to disagree, I may have agreed with Jay 10 years ago, but I think there is a lot more genuine passion and interest for cars than there ever has been, thanks to social media. I've joined two Porsche clubs recently, thinking it would be a bit of a swinger d experience, especially as I have a reasonably priced Porsche and other members have multiple cars worth over £100k each. I have found the opposite. In general it's looked down upon to act like a d*** and any official weekend drives are respected by all drives. I found myself to be surrounded by people who have a passion for all things car. I have had 100% more fun out of my Porsche since joining a club. I think you just need to find the right club that suits you. There's also venues like the Motorist and Caffeine & Machine that were never around 10 years ago. Look at Caffeine & Machine's moto "Don't Be a D***. Lets face it, you will always get the show offs, but they are a minority.
Well done. Just catching up and stumbled into And Friends. This should do well. Really enjoyed the repartee. Soldier on!
Good to hear from you old friend! You must update me with how things are going
Got to say I am with Jay in his school of thought. Supercar meets are willy waving events. Any woman will tell you that. It has to be about the love of the engineering and the reality of the performance. 90% of the Supercars cannot express themselves in the real world and in limited fashion on the track (due to willy waving).
I used to hang with an exotic car club. Same thing. We never drove anywhere near the legal speed limit. Now I decline and just enjoy my Gallardo with my family and friends.
Been to quite a few of these things and there is always 'that guy' with more money than skill and zero consideration for anyone else. And then there are those that look down their nose at you..
As with most things its all about personal preference. I prefer solo adventures in supercars over carclubs and drives. My one hypercar drive has been behind the wheel of a Pagani Huayra. Even though it was in the city it was a memorable experience . Surprisingly easy to drive (without hitting insane speeds). My biggest beef is with supercars/hypercars being stuffed away in collections and never driven.
I like racing more than actual car ownership; love seeing race cars at full throttle and (almost) unfiltered.
The funny thing is that in an interview with Gordon Murray, someone told Gordon that he makes cars that are hyper cars, and Gordon replied that he doesn't know what hyper cars are, I'm just trying to make cars that deliver as much driving pleasure as possible.
Most of the people that go to supercar events have no intrest in actual cars there.. its just a bunch of idiots with their phones out recording vlogging each other 😂
Agree with Jay Emm but Gordon Murray's cars are exceptionally beautiful, part of this is their engineering perfection and pure design.
Very interesting chat. Having attended all sorts of events from Cars & Coffee, track days, technical practice days at training centers to thoroughly organised drives in the Alps, I would always go back to the latter two. Growing my competences and thus being able to enjoy casual but spirited driving in a safe manner is everything I want to do with my cars. The less conspicuous and smaller the group, the better.
Every cool car I thought “one day” I could afford, keep appreciating out of my affordability! (F355 is my childhood dream car)
Become an AI/ML software developer then. Don’t give up your dreams.
Car meets of any type are fascinating, even the car parks at events such as Goodwood Revival have amazing vehicles and people who are on the whole enthusiastic and happy to talk to interested people. From how I shoehorned a V8 into an MX5 to we drove this Willys Jeep across Africa. Cars so rare or unique that just to see one in the flesh is itself an experience.
We're part of Sporting Bears, haven't been to anything for ages just haven't had the time. Hopefully catch you at something soon! Also part of SCD, again haven't managed to make many events in recent times. I have no issues with drives, I really enjoy them but it really does come down to people keeping their ego in check and not doing risky moves. Or acting the tool and revving in quiet towns etc. Just have a bit of consideration and enjoy the drive that's all that matters. One thing I've learned doing drives with various clubs is, in the main, it doesn't matter what car you're in. If it's got a bit of power it'll keep up with most stuff. e.g an M2 can easily hang with an R8 on the road. If you're getting left behind then someone's driving wrong haha.
Great pub cast guys! I agree with James on the hypercar thing… I can dream big but I’m not delusional. A 00s supercar is all the aspiration I need to get where I want to be 😊
Which one though? There are too many to choose from 🤣
Over 30 years ago I turned up at a Porsche Club GB visit to Beaulieu in my 924. I was ignored by the 911, 944 and 928 owners. 924 owners regarded as poor relations in their VW van cars. Never went to another event.
That's such a shame!
-Ant
I used to dream of supercars but now I'd much rather have something more mundane. I drive an MX5 which is fantastic, I've had a Focus ST estate and also have an Octavia VRS and these are all great fun. If I had the money for a supercar as much as I'd admire them, id rather buy several modern classics to enjoy that spend all the cash on one car.
A great debate the subject of which which I’ve often thought about myself.
Increasingly I see Super & HyperCars as irrelevant. They are too expensive to be attainable even after 10 years of depreciation and just too fast for the public road.
As for the whole Supercar club thing, I agree with Jay that this might be a tad pretentious.
I differ with James on 1 point which is tours with mixed groups of sports or classic cars. This is immense fun when attending distant events (Spa Classic/Le Mans) but self discipline and a respect for road safety is a must.
I find myself agreeing with James and I have never been to a supercar meet. I remember seeing a supercar driver filling up at a petrol station and telling anyone who would listen that the cost was nothing compared to the 10's of thousands to fill up his yacht.
Jay Emm, I agree with you 100%!
At one of the meets near me they banned cameras on the exit. They still get the odd issue.
Y’all are hitting all aspects on the topic 👍
I don't do track days, or drive meets. I drive my car for me & accept my limitations. So, on my own, on the right deserted road with good visibility, it can have the beans, to my level of ability. I can enjoy the noise, the acceleration etc., but can back off when I realize a bit more might bend my pride & joy. In traffic, I drive in my own 'bubble' - loads of time and space in front & around, so you have time to react to the 'events' of others as they occur.
This is why I love James.
Yes and James is protecting his 'brand' which is of course his livelihood. Everything could come crashing down with an incident even like he sais if he is nothing to do with it.
Agree with most of your points there James.
Totally agree with James, avoid the willy waving events and go where it may be appreciated and the kids can enjoy then
I'm more into the classics. A Porsche 356 would excite me more than a supercar
Ive had the pleasure of meeting James a couple of times and i totally agree with him car clubs should be all inclusive regardless of what you own the only prerequisite should be a love of cars. Having said that not all supercar owners are willy waving muppets 🤔
Village green car shows he says? How about Basingstoke Festival Of Transport? It's free, and it's got loads of cars, bikes, buses, fire engines... all sorts of stuff. The same cars tend to turn up every year, but there's always interesting stuff there. 2024 dates haven't been announced yet but it's worth a look.
Sounds interesting!
I’ve tried a couple of times (LT Spider) but I just don’t get owners meets. Some really nice people but I’m not into showing off and it feels like that what it is with some clubs. Mclaren owners are the most down to earth though 👍
7:59 I think Ant hits the nail on the head here. It's finding a club that has the right kind of people and attitude for what you want. On bikes it's quite easy; I look for clubs and ride out groups that cater for 125cc riders, A2 licence holders and new riders, because they are not going to be hooligan groups by the very nature of being 125, A2 and new rider friendly. Any that state "no 125s" are likely to be ones that act very silly. With cars, idiots are going to idiot and it's often only when you turn up and meet them that you find out whether it's a club for you or not. Something like Sporting Bears is an exception because of it's nature.
The problem with supercar clubs is they are by nature a bit snobby. I found the same with photography clubs. If you go to a club where everyone uses one particular brand and you've got an alternative brand, most will just look down their noses at you. A few will be interested in why you made your choice, but most will just cold-shoulder you.
More open, general car clubs will be more accepting and more enthusiast-orientated, but I also think you get more people who are there to try and impress and act stupid.
It's why I've never joined any car clubs, because there's just no way for me to know if it's going to be what I want. I'm like James; I love cars and bikes. I will talk for hours about both and if you love your car, I will happily enthuse with you, even if it's not to my taste. What I don't want is to turn up in my car and have someone explain why my car is rubbish or why their car is so much better than mine. To me that's just a d*ck-measuring-club, not a car enthusiast club.
The other thing, which James touched on; Hypercars are not made for petrol heads. They're made for the excessively rich to show off their wealth. Ordinary enthusiasts cannot hard-work their way to that. Supercars can be attainable, but like owning a house, the distance the average earner has to go to reach them has only got wider and wider.
Some say he would never go to a McLaren owners meet...
Very sensible James it could easily impact your brand and as a result your business if you get brush stroked as causing a disturbance and then your put on a back foot defending yourself for something you were not involved with.❤
Jay is 100% Right, Who drives a Singer Porsche like it's made to be driven? give me a Jaguar XKRS or V10 M5 or even a Mustang GT I wouldn't be worried about the insurance the entire time I'm drive
I really appreciate the engineering and artistry that goes into these cars, but personally I never seek out content or events based around super/hyper cars. I just feel like they cant be used for anything, they're too fragile and the wrong design for daily use and they have no function, so most don't get driven often and therefore have no story and what's a car without a story?
but then I'm a bit weird and find loads more enjoyment reading up about more functional and commercial vehicles, I'd much rather listen to someone explain the time they managed to get unstuck in their defender or someone's experiences with their workhorse van than listen to a regional director of a cardboard manufacturer talk about the finance agreement on 458 italia that does 40 miles a year and lives in a pressurised tent
Maybe invite Adam C on this topic as he is the king of car meetings
We are all different and we must accept those differences .....car enthusiasts are no different ...just keep it positive and accept how others want to appreciate them
I think Hypercars are good when they're very limited productions. After all it's about manufacturers taking mostly free checks from extremely wealthy people.
I don't like supercars becoming hypercars while being produced in high number. Why a V8 Ferrari should be reportedly so technologically advanced if it ends up costing 3 times as much as an old one?
To us normal people for which 30 grand sounds excessive for any 4 wheeled transportation, a 296 feels like built for the same target customer of a Pagani
@@earthtoimani that's factually right, but those customers look like they belong to the same wealth class.
Totally agree, Hyper cars are for the 1% , super cars now are so much maybe the 5%.The car market has gone mad , a humble golf gti £35k a forget anything electric with any range or style .😊😊
It's not even the hypercars you won't see on the roads.
The limited addition Porches Darak or the S/T (and other manufacturers)
which are sold out before the public sees them are all brought by either investors or large collectors and less than 5% will ever be thrashed on the roads.
The owners will be too worried about losing money on them.
It is just a cash cow for car manufacturers
Great discussion and food for thought. It’s a funny one but if I ever had a supercar I would feel great (I think) but embarrassed if not a little fearful by its sheer expense in a world where certain characters will chop your hand off for your Rolex! So no I wouldn’t want to flaunt my ego in such a garish “drive” fashion! Just owning a supercar (Ferrari?) would be amazing but highly unlikely and would play havoc with my social conscience
but, I still would love a 360 spyder🙄 Yep I’m a hypocrite - and a masochist too😩
I’m fully with Jay. Things have got insanely silly with all HyperCars, supercars. And hate these meets and leaving videos.
I’d rather go to a more intimate gathering of people who enjoy all sorts of different cars. I’ve only been to 1 supercar event, and although there was some fantastic exotica there, I got to chat to about 2 people! Needless to say, not the day out I was hoping for.
But where does everyone find out about smaller events? Please don’t say PalmFace!
Not interested in cars I could never afford, I look and them and some of them I like the look of but that is about it. I don't even really watch videos on them, if it's a car I can see depreciate to a realistic amount where I could maybe afford them I like to read and watch stuff about them.
The secret is to enjoy what you have and can afford. Why buy something you are worried about everything you take it out.
I could not stand the so-called secret meet. It's so against my value that car culture should be inclusive. Keeping it to just a handful of Valkyries, Carrera GTs and LaFerraris and gatekeeping it from enthusiasts who may not yet be able to attain that supercar dream but still love seeing one in action is just... blaaaaargh, it made me want to throw up in disgust. I still love supercars. I want SLS Black, 991 Speedster and LFA. But the older I get the less I want these supercar club thingy. Just do normal drives, a spot of breakfast or coffee, let those who love cars enjoy seeing them being used, have a chat or two with them (because believe me they feel appreciated when these owners welcome them and start talking about cars), and go home in complete normal way. Is it too much to ask?
James, I heartily recommend Barrington Classics just outside Cambridge. I think the village has the longest village green in the UK. Great car show
Great conversation. I can agree with you both but swing more to your side James.
Lyn Valley Classic in Lynton is a great village green car show!
I’m with James regarding my disinterest in hypercars.
1. To me cars are never going to be ‘worth’ more than £250-300k max. Therefore something at £1M plus is just so far beyond what I would ever consider spending on a car that I’m not interested. Like £1M+ plus properties, I don’t look at them either.
2. Most hypercars are built to extract money from very wealthy people, without offering much to an enthusiast. They are status symbols and collectors items created by rehashing an existing production car with a body kit, or creating something that’s so compromised it’s of no appeal anyway (I.e a race car).
3. Finally, I think the explosion of hypercars over the last 10 years has been all about raising quick revenue for the motor companies, not about being innovative or giving their customer base what they really want. And by extension not moving the car world forward. When these car makers devote so much effort to making one-off ‘aesthetic’ hypercars they are sucking innovation and talent from the production car world. Many of these hypercars don’t feature any innovative tech vs. their humble underpinnings and the sad thing is that most will never be driven, wasted effort.
It’s a loss to all us normies.
Well I was at Portmerion in Wales in September, wanted to go for ages,as was a big fan of The Prisoner Tv series.
To my surprise I came across a lovely and diverse bunch of ladies and gents from the Ferrari owners club,having a spin around Portmerion. I very much enjoyed chatting to all.
Here’s what was there
355GTB + Spyder (Red) 488 Spyder (Red) F430 ( grey) F 430 scuderia (Black) 288GTS (Red) 360 ( light metallic blue) Portefino V8 ( deep metallic blue) GTC4 Lusso V8 ( black) 355 (Red) F8 tributo (Blue) you get the idea, think there were about 15 in all parked up and wizzing off in batches of 3 at a time. Sadly didn’t get the opportunity to have a ride in any,but did have a nice chat to owners. The guy who had the (light metallic Blue) 360 said he got it for 50k,which is a bargain.
Great to see them all in the flesh,I was a happy chap that evening.
Track exclusive cars being driven on mock track days with amateur eager drivers is really a recipe for disaster.
Very cool video and debate greetings from Norway
James, you can still get the 3-cyl Gemera, as I'm sure other have mentioned. Lighter battery, 1 in stead of 3 e-motors, less total power but lighter and thanks to the 9-spd now fitted: quicker. I bet it's quicker over the 1/4 mi than the heavier V8. What might the difference be, 150 kg? The V8 is 1500 hp, 900 hp extra, and those need cooling. No frunk on the V8 version for sure, the I-3 might still get it. 5 trolley capacity on a SPACEY 4-seat hypercar that may well run low 8s. More powerful than Lucid Sapphire and 600 kg lighter, or so? The rear axle can get all the power it needs now also. Traction control R&D will be everything. Lucid worked their REALLY seriously, and they've already overhauled Tesla thanks to the real axle that can take all the e-power if needed. Gemera can start off with 800 hp to whichever wheels, and the 600 hp I-3 ICE can pick up from the get-go with the ultra fast 9spd. Quick is a party trick, sure. And I'd want the 6spd trick from the CC850 ideally, skipping some gear to do some more casual revving. The e-side can make that interesting, even if set up to smooth it out and take some time.
I do coffee and cars events but not supercar events. To be fair here in Australia there is not the same number of high end cars given our taxes etc. Nobody drives fast in or out of these and you get a mixture of old classic, Aussie muscle and some supercars / Super GT's.
I live in a village in Cheshire and we suffer most weekends with idiots in fast cars descending on us and parading down the main street and surrounding roads in supercars. They are egged on by young lads who gather on street corners, roundabouts, etc to photograph them.
What's the problem? Well noise is one - these cars are very loud and they are revved to screaming pitch on local surrounding roads.
In the village, the drivers hang back from the car in front to make a gap, then plant their foot on the accelerator to make a lot of noise, then brake hard to avoid running into the car in front. These drivers are not particularly skilled, so the back end of their cars often steps out when they do this. It's only by the grace of god that this has not (yet) resulted in injury or worse to nearby pedestrians. The police don't do a lot, even though many of these cars don't carry front number plates.
Two supercars have been written off in the Manchester Airport tunnels. Each was driven by a 'celeb' (footballers I think) and in both cases, the car hit the tunnel wall and no other vehicles were involved. So how did that happen? Flooring it to hear the sound reverberating off the tunnel walls, perhaps? If so, it was sheer luck no other car was hit.
Needless to say, these supercar owners displaying their toys in such an anti-social manner are not going down well with local residents, who are calling for noise 'cameras' to be installed and some real action from the police.
enjoyable, thanks. I tend to agree with James...cars way out of my league don't interest me, but good luck to those that like them/ can afford them & if some people are snobby & only want to mix high end, great, it keeps them away from ordinary souls like me.
Simple. Do it on your own, and you have control. Generally, people in groups will do stupid things, and your mate here is incredibly nieve about this. Don't mistake positivity for stupidity like he does.
Totally agree with you James (except I think the T33 is the most beautiful car ever)
Rimac of course doubled the Nevera numbers allowing Pininfarina to sell their as the (prettier and more emotional) Battista. Impressive for both that Pininfarina was on the case from the start.
I think you are 100 per cent right James
Great video. I have a question re: Hypercars for James… do you feel similarly regarding Ferrari hypercars? And what are your feelings on the upcoming F250? :) keep the awesome content coming
I agree with you, for example SCC will only admit certain porsches to the club yet my Pana 4 ehybrid with a 0-60 of a claimed 4s with some journalists is not good enough! And had a great trip round NC500 with my friends, one had a Arbarth 500 and another in an Audi S3, we all had an amazing time, and kept to the limits (most of the time) and still had an absolute blast!
Think these 'supercar' events are just elitist ego trips to show who can show who has most shares/stocks than another person!
Biggest takeway from this was that I'm just gobsmacked that you, James, find the GMA T50 and T33 visually unappealing. I have little interest in most hypercars, and even modern (only) supercars (I'd have a vintage Ferrari over hypercar) but to me the T33 (coupe or spider) in particular is achingly beautiful, and I'd look at one all day long. I don't even consider the T33 a hypercar in the typical sense. It will be hyper fast, but that is due to low weight rather than extreme power. And it is hyper expensive, but that is due to the glorious engineering of every single component. I'd love to hear more on why you don't like their looks.
Yeah they let non supercars in like audi R8 and Lotus
The R8 is a supercar, though. It's built using the exact same chassis and drivetrain as the Gallardo/Huracan (depending on generation).
I am very much with Jay.
Hyper cars are there to cater to billionaires thst shouldnt exist.
And also to car enthusiasts. And not everyone who owns a hypercar is a billionaire.
The T50 is beautiful
I share some of the sentiments of James but disagree on others. This topic hits close to home becoz I manage a small drive group of about 30-40 drivers. First of, I absolutely dislike big supercar car shows. It’s fun maybe, once a year where u go check out diff cars and go home to think about what u want to buy next. U can’t really mix with strangers and u don’t bother to becoz u prob wont see then again. It’s stuff I do when I have nothing better to do. And being in LA, whatever car u have, someone else has it better, it’s all about flexing wealth for many, and when ur ego gets hurt coz ur car isn’t as expensive or rare, to get attention u starts doing stupid shit like being louder or drive more reckless, and that’s why events always get banned once it gets too big. The other type that I dislike would be brand specific meets, esp Ferrari or Porsche clubs. Collectively they think their brand is the best, very often are closed minded and can’t appreciate other brands or mix like normal pple. The idea that having the same car brand is enough to bring pple together is a bit optimistic, and as these clubs grow too big it simply turned out to be a networking and sponsored biz event (mechanics, insurance, auction houses, lawyers, car parts mfg. etc), whereby no one truly wants to know u but to simply promote their biz. They are smart enough to not hold too many drives because the drive quality is horrible with too many cars. In the end I think it’s about ego; the goal is to find pple with lesser ego who are genuine car enthusiasts who are good team players, that they are accepting of all car makes and driver skills and intentionally only keeping similar peeps together, keeping it small and intimate. Many of us come from cheap sports cars, but as years go on we start getting supercars and worked from ground up. Now we have a good mix of supercars and sports cars and no one is getting their ego hurt. U would be surprised to know so many don’t like to explore new roads, drive alone or plan things; I happen to love them and every time I come across a beautiful stretch of roads, all I am thinking is how do I share the beauty with my friends and lead them through the same experience. And that’s why I hold small group drives for about 9 years now, seeing pple bonding with their cars and with one another in gorgeous driving roads is my biggest reward. Yes James likes to drive solo, don’t need to worry about others and just do things at his own pace etc. I get it, it’s easy but it’s also missed opportunities. We are all diff, some of us like to lead some simply like to go along with the journey. And yes regretfully for some supercars, u have to go fast to have fun, that’s why we are always driving in the middle of nowhere and away from cities. That’s our way of being ‘responsible’. The key is constantly remove pple who are not the right fit, I know too many friends who allowed their group to get too big and they either gave up and stopped or simply turned it political/capitalistic and no longer about car or driving passion anymore. And James is wrong, you make the best friends after these drives and having meals and drinks together, talking about cars and how to drive and appreciate one another’s cars. I myself have a couple of Porsches, Ferraris lambos each and just sold my r8 of 9 years, I got all the diff brands coz I like diff aspects of them, and not one brand has everything in one that’s why today I insist of an open-make drive group. Also, u will never know amazing pple driving solo…I know so many good friends who are genuine passionate enthusiasts and owners from all backgrounds from my group, that’s what kept us going and we always keep it small; very welcoming and open but won’t hesitate to remove incompatible pple so the core group can continue to have a great time, whereby everyone knows one another’s pace, driving skill, personality and interests. In fact my wife is also a driver and influenced a few others’ wives to do the same and own their own drivers cars. Yeah so don’t stereotype drive groups as all irresponsible flexers who are reckless and likes to take over intersections while doing donuts, we absolutely hate those kinds they are not true enthusiasts but are either criminals or dumb kids with too much hormones seeking thrills
Car clubs and shows used to be for petrol heads, now they are for clout chasers and car spotters. How much prefer to be with true enthusiasts at the track.
Inflated male egos and fast cars have always been inseparable.og kids living out a fantasy. The modest, quiet and adult need not apply.
I am with James on this, but super car rental businesses are probably the biggest cause of antisocial behaviour in my experience. Particularly seems to be worse since Police don't seem to have traffic officers who take any action.
Anyone in a supercar group who wants to park their car up so others can have a mental w*nk over it is a bit of a Muppet.
Not my thing.
Regards the seemingly unjustifiable price differentials between two very similar cars, reminds me of the same dynamic in the luxury watch market. A lot of it seems based on perceived brand prestige and exclusivity. While I sympathise with Jayemm’s incredulous and skeptical egalitarianism, I personally am okay with the seemingly ridiculous price differentials, because I dont feel it’s my place to criticise a buyer who willingly pays an exorbitant premium to get the experience he wants.
Why charge £5m for a car? Because you'll actually sell it. Often just by announcing it. Because that's what the hyper-rich actually want. Their world is not our world... *shrug* At least they are buying stuff we can actually be interested in and maybe enjoy seeing one day.
What is that blue car in the thumbnail?
Gordon Murray t 50
I agree with James
Never had to chance to experience a Supercar owner event, like 99% of this audience I guess 😂
I think track days are the solution
I gave up on supercars and hypercars a good while ago.
I subscribed to TG magazine from issue 1, until about 300, when I just stopped reading them, as it was the same old, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini etc. I got bored of the same regurgitated content, unobtainable supercar after unobtainable supercar. This exotic stuff became too familiar, over popular, and repetitive IMO. It didn't help that the TG TV show normalised these types of cars as well.
I dont even go to meets annymore ive been invidet a couple of times by young people my age but i dont like the "cuture" is
They claim its an all car meet and say that its a good variety but...
Its just a vw and bmw car park and if its a drive its more of an go here get lost go away thing its just so sad
Im not against blasting it a couple of times but a drive is about the joury not about flexing how fast you can total your car in a field
Save to say that ill be sticking to my car meets with older participants
I know im going to get hammered BUT i just dont get Pagani now the Zonda and its derivatives R for example i got a get. The present offering is just extremely well made jewellery , the haven’t even made there own engine unlike the ghost squadron , cant spell Koenig etc . Some might say the McLarenF1 didnt have its own engine but look at the numbers an it was a 1 off ( at the time ) not a long term company building X amount of variation’s / models. Pagani may be a V12 AMG in a posh frock ?? That’s what Aston Martin are suffering now but there not charging 3 million + , there hyper/super car has a bespoke engine and looks the dogs dangles .
You can get faster for the same price .😊😊😊
It’s not really about going faster anymore, you can go fast in a Tesla model S plaid or a modified BMW M3
It’s now a size of your wallet competition
Mass-produced cars are no less (if not more) impressive engineering-wise than hypercars. The fact they need to meet a huge list of (often localised) regulations, consider all aspects of a car (packaging, durability, usability, comfort, safety and so on in addition to driving dynamics), need to be made profitable by using as much what is out there as possible, and need to be produced in a huge scale, quickly and cheaply with bits from all around the world, and with good finishes cannot be just ignored in comparison with engineerings behind hypercars. A big part of this lack of appreciation here is also auto journalists here have long lacked much mechanical insight into cars (ie. In China auto journalists even take cars apart for testing like what the Munro&Associates do - tho their analysis are quite poor for people who really knows about manufacturing unlike Munro), most of them just merely repeat what others said and reinforce whatever stereotypes that is there, and this is not good for people who like cars (they'll never get the chance to appreciate many cars as they'll just skip them), nor to people who just want to buy a reliable and dependable car (manufacturers cuts corners underneath and whoever is the most radical in that wins) - as cars (no matter what class) become more to do with perceptions (what others says, what the numbers says) than actual engineering behind them.