Ferrari F40 Modificata
Our F40 is now over 30 years old. Like most elite athletes, it’s now at an age where you need to train a bit harder to remain competitive. The F40 (and my wallet) has suffered through its share of “internal injuries and operations” including one major engine rebuild, two new clutches, and a couple of sets of fuel cells. We’ve…
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Maserati: Ready to Take on Porsche?
I have had an affinity for Maserati going back to when I first became interested in sportscars. Back then Maserati was this tiny Italian brand with a rich history that made a few quite dodgy turbo charged sportscars that were more likely to leave you in tears than smiling. Thirty some odd years later, much has changed. Most of it…
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Ferrari 812 Superfast & 296 GTB Review
We were very fortunate to have the opportunity to recently spent several days first with a Ferrari 812 Superfast and then with a Ferrari 296 GTB. Other than a few short test drives, this was the first time I had spent any extensive time behind the wheel of a post 2010 Ferrari. The last two Ferraris we have owned were…
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Boutique Super & Hypercar Manufacturers Update
There has been quite a bit of new news among a number of the Boutique Super & Hypercar manufacturers. Since I last posted an update earlier this year Update on Boutique Manufacturers, Zenvo, Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA), Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus (SCG), Praga, Czinger, and De Tomaso, have all been in the news. ZenvoOf all the new hypercars that made their debut…
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Analysis of McLaren’s 1st Half 2023 Results
McLaren released their 1st half 2023 results this past week. At a very high level, the story it tells is one of hope but with some concern remaining. There has been a considerable amount of progress made on getting the business turned around but it’s still not health. McLaren’s owners continue to be supportive as the recapitalization process is on-going. …
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Update – Aston Martin: Turnaround or Turtlearound??
Aston Martin Lagonda announced its latest £210 mil. cash raise (i.e another “Share Placing”) on Monday, July 31st. This will bring the total amount of cash injected into AML since Executive Chairman Lawrence Stroll came on board to £1.77 bil. The timing is quite interesting given Stroll declared just 5 days before that the business “has been turned around” yet…
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Aston Martin’s 1st Half 2023: Is the Turnaround Complete???
Aston Martin announced their 1st Half 2023 earnings this week. The earnings call was a fairly subdued affair despite Lawrence Stroll, AML’s Executive Chairman leading the call. Both CEO Amedeo Felisa and CFO Doug Lafferty made brief appearances to answer questions, but it really was the Stroll Show. Stroll did do a fairly reasonable job of staying on what I…
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Supercar Market Insights & Analysis – July 2023
Since I did the last Supercar Market update in January 2023, the world has changed……again. Money is expensive but now not getting any more so on a monthly basis, used car prices continue to contract, car loan delinquencies are rising, Spotify fired the Spare, the UK still has the same Prime Minister although a former one just got chased out…
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Aston Martin’s 2027/28 Goals & A Knighthood for Stroll?
It’s been a very busy week at Aston Martin Lagonda (AML). On Monday, June 26, 2023, AML first announced a change to their long-term strategic co-operation with Mercedes-Benz, then announced a new Strategic Supply Co-operation Agreement (SCA) to create industry-leading ultra- luxury high performance electric vehicles with Lucid. Just to top it all off Executive Chairman, Lawrence Stroll, declared “he…
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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…
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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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Now For Something Completely Different: Range Rover P38
My dalliance with the idea of owning a Range Rover started back in 2009. It would end up taking three tries on two continents over 13 years before the relationship was finally consummated. It started back when I was in the process of moving to the UK. The “Use Case” at the time was for a “family utility” car capable…
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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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Boutique Super & Hypercar Manufacturers Update
There has been quite a bit of new news among a number of the Boutique Super & Hypercar manufacturers. Since I last posted an update earlier this year Update on Boutique Manufacturers, Zenvo, Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA), Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus (SCG), Praga, Czinger, and De Tomaso, have all been in the news. ZenvoOf all the new hypercars that made their debut…
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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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Ferrari F40 Modificata
Our F40 is now over 30 years old. Like most elite athletes, it’s now at an age where you need to train a bit harder to remain competitive. The F40 (and my wallet) has suffered through its share of “internal injuries and operations” including one major engine rebuild, two new clutches, and a couple of sets of fuel cells. We’ve…
- 5
- Karenable
Ferrari 812 Superfast & 296 GTB Review
We were very fortunate to have the opportunity to recently spent several days first with a Ferrari 812 Superfast and then with a Ferrari 296 GTB. Other than a few short test drives, this was the first time I had spent any extensive time behind the wheel of a post 2010 Ferrari. The last two Ferraris we have owned were…
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Ferrari’s Q2 2023 Results: The Horse Prances
Ferrari exited the COVID years with a huge amount of momentum which has only continued to build over the last several quarters. If Q1 2023 was an excellent quarter (Ferrari's Q 1 2023 Results), then Q2 2023 was even stronger. Once again, all key financial indicators, bar one, grew double digits vs. Q 2 2022. The only one that was…
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Sun Valley Tour de Force: Part 2 – The Tour de Force
Recently we had the privilege of participating in the Sun Valley Tour de Force, in Sun Valley, Idaho. The SVTdF is a wonderful event which raises money for a great cause, The Hunger Coalition, and helps a large number of people in need. The SVTdF is in its 6th year and is a three day event which runs Thursday –…
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Supercar Market Insights & Analysis – July 2023
Since I did the last Supercar Market update in January 2023, the world has changed……again. Money is expensive but now not getting any more so on a monthly basis, used car prices continue to contract, car loan delinquencies are rising, Spotify fired the Spare, the UK still has the same Prime Minister although a former one just got chased out…
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Sun Valley Tour de Force: Part 4 – The Hotels
Recently we had the privilege of participating in the Sun Valley Tour de Force, in Sun Valley, Idaho. The SVTdF is a wonderful event which raises money for a great charity, The Hunger Coalition, and helps a large number of people in need. The SVTdF is in its 6th year and is a three day event which runs Thursday –…
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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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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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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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Analysis of McLaren’s 1st Half 2023 Results
McLaren released their 1st half 2023 results this past week. At a very high level, the story it tells is one of hope but with some concern remaining. There has been a considerable amount of progress made on getting the business turned around but it’s still not health. McLaren’s owners continue to be supportive as the recapitalization process is on-going. …
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Sun Valley Tour de Force: Part 4 – The Hotels
Recently we had the privilege of participating in the Sun Valley Tour de Force, in Sun Valley, Idaho. The SVTdF is a wonderful event which raises money for a great charity, The Hunger Coalition, and helps a large number of people in need. The SVTdF is in its 6th year and is a three day event which runs Thursday –…
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Sun Valley Tour de Force: Part 3 – Road Trip Back
Recently we had the privilege of participating in the Sun Valley Tour de Force, in Sun Valley, Idaho. The SVTdF is a wonderful event which raises money for a great charity, The Hunger Coalition, and helps a large number of people in need. The SVTdF is in its 6th year and is a three day event which runs Thursday –…
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- Karenable
Sun Valley Tour de Force: Part 2 – The Tour de Force
Recently we had the privilege of participating in the Sun Valley Tour de Force, in Sun Valley, Idaho. The SVTdF is a wonderful event which raises money for a great cause, The Hunger Coalition, and helps a large number of people in need. The SVTdF is in its 6th year and is a three day event which runs Thursday –…
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Sun Valley Tour de Force: Road Trip Part 1
Recently we had the privilege of participating in the Sun Valley Tour de Force, in Sun Valley, Idaho. The SVTdF is a wonderful event which raises money for a great charity, The Hunger Coalition, and helps a large number of people in need. The SVTdF is in its 6th year and is a three day event which runs Thursday –…
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- Karenable
Boutique Super & Hypercar Manufacturers Update
There has been quite a bit of new news among a number of the Boutique Super & Hypercar manufacturers. Since I last posted an update earlier this year Update on Boutique Manufacturers, Zenvo, Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA), Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus (SCG), Praga, Czinger, and De Tomaso, have all been in the news. ZenvoOf all the new hypercars that made their debut…
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- Karenable
Sun Valley Tour de Force: Part 2 – The Tour de Force
Recently we had the privilege of participating in the Sun Valley Tour de Force, in Sun Valley, Idaho. The SVTdF is a wonderful event which raises money for a great cause, The Hunger Coalition, and helps a large number of people in need. The SVTdF is in its 6th year and is a three day event which runs Thursday –…
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- Karenable
The SSO Garage Round Up: June 2023
I’ve had a few questions recently on what’s currently in our garage. As a result, I figured it was about time to do another quick round up on the current residents and plans. I was going through a bunch of old pictures from a decade plus ago and one thing I did notice is we tended to turn over cars…
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Across America in 3 Days in the Dead of Winter
In what will now become an annual ritual, I drove from Massachusetts (MA) to Montana (MT) in 3 days in December and then back from Montana to Massachusetts in April (return trip to be covered in a future article). Why did I do this? Well, it comes down to a 160 lbs of combined fur, teeth, and muscle. It is near…
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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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Sun Valley Tour de Force: Part 2 – The Tour de Force
Recently we had the privilege of participating in the Sun Valley Tour de Force, in Sun Valley, Idaho. The SVTdF is a wonderful event which raises money for a great cause, The Hunger Coalition, and helps a large number of people in need. The SVTdF is in its 6th year and is a three day event which runs Thursday –…
- 5
- Karenable
Supercar Market Insights & Analysis – July 2023
Since I did the last Supercar Market update in January 2023, the world has changed……again. Money is expensive but now not getting any more so on a monthly basis, used car prices continue to contract, car loan delinquencies are rising, Spotify fired the Spare, the UK still has the same Prime Minister although a former one just got chased out…
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- Karenable
The SSO Garage Round Up: June 2023
I’ve had a few questions recently on what’s currently in our garage. As a result, I figured it was about time to do another quick round up on the current residents and plans. I was going through a bunch of old pictures from a decade plus ago and one thing I did notice is we tended to turn over cars…
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- 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…
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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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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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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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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…
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Boutique Super & Hypercar Manufacturers Update
There has been quite a bit of new news among a number of the Boutique Super & Hypercar manufacturers. Since I last posted an update earlier this year Update on Boutique Manufacturers, Zenvo, Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA), Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus (SCG), Praga, Czinger, and De Tomaso, have all been in the news. ZenvoOf all the new hypercars that made their debut…
- 5
- Karenable
The SSO Garage Round Up: June 2023
I’ve had a few questions recently on what’s currently in our garage. As a result, I figured it was about time to do another quick round up on the current residents and plans. I was going through a bunch of old pictures from a decade plus ago and one thing I did notice is we tended to turn over cars…
- 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…
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- 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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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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