The Supercar Trio: Larry, Ben, & Mike
A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of watching a number of the sessions at the Financial Times, Future of the Car, Event in London. The overall theme of the event was: “What new skills, strategies, and strategic alliances does the car industry need to develop to future-proof businesses and ensure long-term success?” Overall, it was an outstanding and…
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Ferrari’s Q 1 2023 Results: The Galloping Horse
Ferrari had a spectacular year in 2022 and that momentum has continued to build in 2023. Every single key financial indicator, bar one, grew double digits vs. Q 1 2022. The only hiccup, Free Cash Flow, was down by 9.9% but even there are good reasons for the decline which can be seen as a strong indication for more upcoming…
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The Twisted Saga of the De Tomaso P72
Toronto On Wednesday, March 8, 2023, De Tomaso Chairman Norman Choi introduced the De Tomaso P72 at an invitation only reception in Toronto, Canada. During the event, De Tomaso announced that the planned production run of the coupe, set at 72 units, is sold out. But a P72 roadster is in development and is currently undergoing homologation for the North…
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Aston Martin’s Q1 2023 Results…..A Burning Turtle
Both Aston Martin Lagonda (AML) & Ferrari reported their Q1 2022 results this week. One of the two had another excellent quarter and the other delivered a bit of a turd. Despite the results, AMLs stock price is only down slightly which I believe is more of a function of how lightly traded it is these days vs. anything else. …
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A Few Thoughts: McLaren 750S, De Tomaso, GMA, & Praga
I thought I would share a few thoughts and observations on a number of things that have recently caught my attention in the auto universe. None of these has enough depth for a full blog but thought they were still worthy of sharing. The McLaren 750S & Future Plans Just over a year ago I wrote an article which included…
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The Supercar Trio: Larry, Ben, & Mike
A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of watching a number of the sessions at the Financial Times, Future of the Car, Event in London. The overall theme of the event was: “What new skills, strategies, and strategic alliances does the car industry need to develop to future-proof businesses and ensure long-term success?” Overall, it was an outstanding and…
- 5
- Karenable
Aston Martin’s Q1 2023 Results…..A Burning Turtle
Both Aston Martin Lagonda (AML) & Ferrari reported their Q1 2022 results this week. One of the two had another excellent quarter and the other delivered a bit of a turd. Despite the results, AMLs stock price is only down slightly which I believe is more of a function of how lightly traded it is these days vs. anything else. …
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Decisions, Decisions: Supercar GTs & An End of Term
I have been on the hunt for a V12 GT (see: Ferrari V12 Hunt) for quite some time now. When the hunt initially started off, the main acquisition focus was (and still is) a Ferrari F12. However, as time has gone by and the ideal Ferrari F12 hasn’t come onto the market, I’ve found myself looking into a number of…
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Stroll vs. Palmer: The 1st Three Years
As a follow up to article on AMLs 2022 results (see: A Stuffed Turtle), I read through AMLs recently released 2022 Annual Report to see what additional insights it would provide. While reading through it, I realize that Stroll had now been Executive Chairman for 3 years which happens to be the length of term I use to measure an…
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“Race on Sunday, Sell on Monday” & My Ferrari V12 Hunt
Race on Sunday, Sell on Monday Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One™ Team’s, Fernando Alonso’s surprising 3rd place finish at the 2023 F1’s seasons opening race in Bahrain for the has generated a lot of hype among Aston Martin fans with lots of speculation that the success on the track will drive car sales for Aston Martin Lagonda. Question is,…
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SuperSuvs: Should & Will McLaren Join the Fray?
I’ve been hearing rumblings for a while now that McLaren is seriously considering launching an SUV. How much of this is projection given the fact that basically every other sports and supercar manufacturer has now done so is hard to tell. The arrival of McLaren’s new CEO, Michael Leiters, who has a chronic case of SUVitis, having been deeply involved…
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Thoughts: Ferrari SUV, Aston Martin, SCG, GMA & More
I thought I would share a few thoughts and observations on a number of things that have recently caught my attention in the auto universe. None of these has enough depth for a full blog in their own right but thought they were still worthy of sharing. What the future will look like in six months is anyone’s guess but…
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Monterey Car Week Report 2019
This was our first time at Monterey Car Week. I would probably best describe Car Week as combination of the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Goodwood Revival spread out over multiple stunning locations and then supersized in the best American tradition. We arrived on Wednesday late afternoon and departed the following Monday morning (see: McLaren 675LT Spider Road Trip). In between, it was…
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Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible
Weekend With A Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible Courtesy of Park Place, our local supercar dealer, we recently spent a few days living with a Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible. Bentley is a brand that has been slowly growing on me over the last couple of months. This transformation started with the Mulsanne short termer we had last autumn. While…
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Bentley Bentayga
Weekend With A Bentley Bentayga We recently spent 36 hours living with a Bentley Bentayga. Our loaner car was a pearly white and instantly earned the nickname “Beluga”. Going in, it was a car I wanted to hate. It represents just about everything I try to avoid when choosing a preferred mode of transportation. It is huge, heavy, and about…
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The Twisted Saga of the De Tomaso P72
Toronto On Wednesday, March 8, 2023, De Tomaso Chairman Norman Choi introduced the De Tomaso P72 at an invitation only reception in Toronto, Canada. During the event, De Tomaso announced that the planned production run of the coupe, set at 72 units, is sold out. But a P72 roadster is in development and is currently undergoing homologation for the North…
- 5
- Karenable
The Supercar Trio: Larry, Ben, & Mike
A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of watching a number of the sessions at the Financial Times, Future of the Car, Event in London. The overall theme of the event was: “What new skills, strategies, and strategic alliances does the car industry need to develop to future-proof businesses and ensure long-term success?” Overall, it was an outstanding and…
- 5
- Karenable
Ferrari’s Q 1 2023 Results: The Galloping Horse
Ferrari had a spectacular year in 2022 and that momentum has continued to build in 2023. Every single key financial indicator, bar one, grew double digits vs. Q 1 2022. The only hiccup, Free Cash Flow, was down by 9.9% but even there are good reasons for the decline which can be seen as a strong indication for more upcoming…
- 5
- Karenable
Decisions, Decisions: Supercar GTs & An End of Term
I have been on the hunt for a V12 GT (see: Ferrari V12 Hunt) for quite some time now. When the hunt initially started off, the main acquisition focus was (and still is) a Ferrari F12. However, as time has gone by and the ideal Ferrari F12 hasn’t come onto the market, I’ve found myself looking into a number of…
- 5
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SSO’s Supercar Plans for 2023
Sitting here on a cold, sunny, first day of spring looking out onto the Rocky Mountains reminded me that the 2023 driving season is right around the corner that now would be a good time to pull together what our car plans are for the year. This year we are definitely looking at one new arrival with potential another addition…
- 5
- Karenable
“Race on Sunday, Sell on Monday” & My Ferrari V12 Hunt
Race on Sunday, Sell on Monday Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One™ Team’s, Fernando Alonso’s surprising 3rd place finish at the 2023 F1’s seasons opening race in Bahrain for the has generated a lot of hype among Aston Martin fans with lots of speculation that the success on the track will drive car sales for Aston Martin Lagonda. Question is,…
- 5
- Karenable
The Londoner Hotel: Conceptionally Brilliant, But Not Ready for Prime Time
By Mrs. SSO We were excited to return to London as we had lived there for over a decade – to go back, if only for a vacation was in order now that COVID is ‘under control’. We love just walking around London, especially at Christmas time. It is so festive with all the lights and decorated Christmas trees. I…
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Beneteau Oceanis 51.1 – A Floating Beach House
Owning a large sailboat, our is a Beneteau Oceanis 51, is like owning another vacation home. While a sailboat is technically a mode of transportation, from a cost perspective, the annual ownership costs are much closer to what a ski or beach house run. Given that you could describe our boat as a mobile wind driven 3 bedroom waterfront home,…
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Planning Our 1st Epic Drive of 2021
I have hope that things will get better this year with the roll out of the Covid-19 vaccines and that by September or October a road trip will be possible. In great anticipation, I reached out to a group of friends with whom we have been doing road trips for over a decade now to gauge interest. It’s a great…
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Porsche Carrera GT to a Beneteau Oceanis 51.1
A Porsche Carrera GT has been near the top of my bucket list for quite a few years now. This year, for the first time in a while, the stars all started to align, and it looked like it might actually happen. Then Covid-19 hit, lockdowns were imposed, social distancing became the in trend for 2020, and the Carrera GT…
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To Cork or Not to Cork?
Editor’s Note: The following article was written by my brother, the Wine Collector (his wine cellar is probably worth more than my garage). The Wine Collector is a bit of a car enthusiast himself and he has owned a Ferrari 430 Spider for many years. Do screw cap wines and supercars go together? You don’t buy a Ferrari or a…
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The Use Case Rule of Car Collecting
Earlier this year I met a wise experienced car connoisseur over zoom (it is 2020). This gentleman has owned a number of cars that have also passed through our garage over the years (including a Ferrari F50, 16M, McLaren 675LT) along with at least one that I can only dream of (McLaren F1). He introduced me to the “Use Case…
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Our Other Sports Cars
Almost all of the articles I’ve written have been on the supercars we have owned over the years. Both before and alongside these cars, we have also owned a number of other sports cars over the years that have remained anonymous. I thought I would do a bit of a trip down memory lane on the rather eclectic group of…
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Ferrari F50 to the Jaguar XJR-15
Car Collecting Journey: Ferrari F50 to the Jaguar XJR-15 Recently I wrote an article on our experience owning a Ferrari F50 (The Ferrari F50). Looking back today, owning the F50 was a watershed experience in our car collecting journey. It both changed the direction, and has heavily influenced, all our car buying since. The F50 firmly cemented several critical attributes we look for in…
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What I Have Learned In 20 Years of Collecting Supercars
Recently I exchanged a few messages with a gentleman who was looking for a bit of advice on plans for his car collection. I quite enjoyed the exchange and hope I was able to provide at least a modicum of useful insights. I found the experience fascinating as it forced me to reflect back on our car collecting experiences over the last…
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Supercars We Have Sold
Supercar Ghosts With the McLaren Senna arriving shortly, I have been reflecting back on the different supercars I have owned over the years. They basically fall into three groups; missed and would like it back, enjoyed owning but it was time to move on, and thank god it’s gone. For the sake of brevity, I will only touch upon my…
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The Supercar Trio: Larry, Ben, & Mike
A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of watching a number of the sessions at the Financial Times, Future of the Car, Event in London. The overall theme of the event was: “What new skills, strategies, and strategic alliances does the car industry need to develop to future-proof businesses and ensure long-term success?” Overall, it was an outstanding and…
- 5
- Karenable
A Few Thoughts: McLaren 750S, De Tomaso, GMA, & Praga
I thought I would share a few thoughts and observations on a number of things that have recently caught my attention in the auto universe. None of these has enough depth for a full blog but thought they were still worthy of sharing. The McLaren 750S & Future Plans Just over a year ago I wrote an article which included…
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- Karenable
McLaren Racing: The Zak Brown Years
Zak Brown has been the CEO of McLaren Racing for since April 2018. In his first three years (2018-2020) at the helm, the McLaren F1 team finished 6th, 4th, and 3rd in the Constructors’ Championship. Since then (2021->), McLaren F1 has finished 4th, 5th, and ……. better off not to talk about this year’s performance so far. It raises the…
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SSO’s Supercar Plans for 2023
Sitting here on a cold, sunny, first day of spring looking out onto the Rocky Mountains reminded me that the 2023 driving season is right around the corner that now would be a good time to pull together what our car plans are for the year. This year we are definitely looking at one new arrival with potential another addition…
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McLaren Artura Review: 4 Days, 400 Miles
I’ve been a bit of a skeptic about hybrid Supercars for quite a while. About two and a half years ago I wrote an article on the “Coming of the Hybrids” where I basically stated I wasn’t particularly excited about the evolution and summarized it: All this having been said, I don’t have a philosophical objection to hybrids any more…
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The Twisted Saga of the De Tomaso P72
Toronto On Wednesday, March 8, 2023, De Tomaso Chairman Norman Choi introduced the De Tomaso P72 at an invitation only reception in Toronto, Canada. During the event, De Tomaso announced that the planned production run of the coupe, set at 72 units, is sold out. But a P72 roadster is in development and is currently undergoing homologation for the North…
- 5
- Karenable
A Few Thoughts: McLaren 750S, De Tomaso, GMA, & Praga
I thought I would share a few thoughts and observations on a number of things that have recently caught my attention in the auto universe. None of these has enough depth for a full blog but thought they were still worthy of sharing. The McLaren 750S & Future Plans Just over a year ago I wrote an article which included…
- 5
- Karenable
The Londoner Hotel: Conceptionally Brilliant, But Not Ready for Prime Time
By Mrs. SSO We were excited to return to London as we had lived there for over a decade – to go back, if only for a vacation was in order now that COVID is ‘under control’. We love just walking around London, especially at Christmas time. It is so festive with all the lights and decorated Christmas trees. I…
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- Karenable
The SSO Awards: 2022
For the final article of 2022 (I’ve delayed the actual posting to New Year’s Day as I hope no one was reading blogs on New Year’s Eve), I’ve put together my latest SSO Awards list covering the automotive universe in general. In putting together what must be the auto universe’s least prestigious awards list, I would like to first acknowledge…
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Boutique Super & Hypercar Manufacturers: Dec 2022 Update
There are some interesting updates among a number of the Boutique Hypercar manufacturers since I last posted the A Few Thoughts, March 2022 article. Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus (SCG), Praga, Czinger, De Tomaso, Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA), and Delage have all been in the news. Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus (SCG) Following a similar philosophy to Ferrari in the early days, Scuderia Cameron…
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SuperSuvs: Should & Will McLaren Join the Fray?
I’ve been hearing rumblings for a while now that McLaren is seriously considering launching an SUV. How much of this is projection given the fact that basically every other sports and supercar manufacturer has now done so is hard to tell. The arrival of McLaren’s new CEO, Michael Leiters, who has a chronic case of SUVitis, having been deeply involved…
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The Cost of Mileage & Supercar Good Buys 2023
The following are two short pieces. The first one on the “Cost of Mileage” actually came out of research I was doing for the second on “Supercar Good Buys”. Cost of Mileage I’ve been following the Ferrari F12 market quite closely for about a year now, just patiently waiting for the right car to fall into my budget. When checking…
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Supercar Market Insights & Analysis – Jan 2023
Since I did the last Supercar Market update in July 2022, the world has changed……again. Money is now quite expensive, used car prices have started to contract, car loan delinquencies are rising, The NY Giants have made the playoffs for the 1st time in six years, Prince Andrew has a new permanent roommate in the House of Windsor doghouse, and…
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Beneteau Oceanis 51.1 – A Floating Beach House
Owning a large sailboat, our is a Beneteau Oceanis 51, is like owning another vacation home. While a sailboat is technically a mode of transportation, from a cost perspective, the annual ownership costs are much closer to what a ski or beach house run. Given that you could describe our boat as a mobile wind driven 3 bedroom waterfront home,…
- 5
- Karenable
Our Top Ten Favorite Routes & Roads
Mrs. SSO and I were recently discussing a few road trip options for the fall when the conversation morphed into a discussion on our favorite routes, roads and why. The only criteria we agreed was these were roads we really enjoyed driving and would go out of our way to drive these routes again. Some of the routes are fairly…
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The Londoner Hotel: Conceptionally Brilliant, But Not Ready for Prime Time
By Mrs. SSO We were excited to return to London as we had lived there for over a decade – to go back, if only for a vacation was in order now that COVID is ‘under control’. We love just walking around London, especially at Christmas time. It is so festive with all the lights and decorated Christmas trees. I…
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- Karenable
The Bayside Restaurant: Home of New England’s Best Lobster Roll
This is actually the first standalone restaurant review we have ever done. All the prior one’s have been included in road trip reports. However when a restaurant consistently makes the best lobster roll in New England, it has earned the right to have its own review. The Bayside does, and it certainly has, for the two years since we first…
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To Cork or Not to Cork?
Editor’s Note: The following article was written by my brother, the Wine Collector (his wine cellar is probably worth more than my garage). The Wine Collector is a bit of a car enthusiast himself and he has owned a Ferrari 430 Spider for many years. Do screw cap wines and supercars go together? You don’t buy a Ferrari or a…
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- Karenable
Supercar Road Trip: Part 2
We recently moved from Texas back to near where I grew up in New England. As part of the move, Mrs. SSO and I decided to drive the Maserati Granturismo Cabrio and the McLaren 650S Spider respectively the 1,800 miles northeast. This would be the first time Mrs. SSO and I had done a road trip driving in tandem. As…
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Supercar Road Trip: Part 1
We recently moved from Texas back to near where I grew up in New England. As part of the move, Mrs. SSO and I decided to drive the Maserati Granturismo Cabrio and the McLaren 650S Spider respectively the 1,800 miles northeast. This would be the first time Mrs. SSO and I had done a road trip driving in tandem. As…
- 5
- Karenable
The Twisted Saga of the De Tomaso P72
Toronto On Wednesday, March 8, 2023, De Tomaso Chairman Norman Choi introduced the De Tomaso P72 at an invitation only reception in Toronto, Canada. During the event, De Tomaso announced that the planned production run of the coupe, set at 72 units, is sold out. But a P72 roadster is in development and is currently undergoing homologation for the North…
- 5
- Karenable
A Few Thoughts: McLaren 750S, De Tomaso, GMA, & Praga
I thought I would share a few thoughts and observations on a number of things that have recently caught my attention in the auto universe. None of these has enough depth for a full blog but thought they were still worthy of sharing. The McLaren 750S & Future Plans Just over a year ago I wrote an article which included…
- 5
- Karenable
SSO’s Supercar Plans for 2023
Sitting here on a cold, sunny, first day of spring looking out onto the Rocky Mountains reminded me that the 2023 driving season is right around the corner that now would be a good time to pull together what our car plans are for the year. This year we are definitely looking at one new arrival with potential another addition…
- 5
- Karenable
SuperSuvs: Should & Will McLaren Join the Fray?
I’ve been hearing rumblings for a while now that McLaren is seriously considering launching an SUV. How much of this is projection given the fact that basically every other sports and supercar manufacturer has now done so is hard to tell. The arrival of McLaren’s new CEO, Michael Leiters, who has a chronic case of SUVitis, having been deeply involved…
- 5
- Karenable
The Cost of Mileage & Supercar Good Buys 2023
The following are two short pieces. The first one on the “Cost of Mileage” actually came out of research I was doing for the second on “Supercar Good Buys”. Cost of Mileage I’ve been following the Ferrari F12 market quite closely for about a year now, just patiently waiting for the right car to fall into my budget. When checking…
- 5
- Karenable
