Posted on

Sun Valley Tour de Force: The Hotels

Sun Valley Tour de Force: 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 – Saturday, capping off on Saturday with a “No Speed Limit”, closed road, runs followed by a gala dinner and charity auction that night.  We decided to take the three day event and turn it into a weeklong road trip in which we covered just over 2,000 miles in the McLaren 765LT Spider.  The following article is part IV of IV and covers the hotels.  Parts I & III are on the road trips and Part II is on Sun Valley Tour de Force.

By Karen (aka Mrs. SSO)

As AMEX Platinum Card holders, the first place we always go to search for hotels is the AMEX Fine Hotels & Resorts website. The selection of hotel options are always 5*and their benefits are almost as valuable as the hotel rate.  The benefits include early check-in and late check out (a hugely valuable benefit when travelling, especially overseas); room upgrade (if available, they usually are), free WIFI, complimentary Breakfast for two ($75 – $100 value depending on the Hotel), $100 Hotel Credit for Food & Drinks or Parking and a welcome indulgence. So for our trip to Sun Valley’s Tour de Force, that’s exactly what we did for our travel to and from Sun Valley (Denver, where we shipped the car to and Park City where we overnighted to break up the drive to Sun Valley and upon return to Denver). Sun Valley Tour De Force had blocked rooms at the Limelight in Ketchum where the events were taking place, so we reserved with them at the discounted rate and their associated benefits.

Limelight Hotel – Denver

In Denver, among AMEX’s options, we chose the Limelight Hotel at Union Station in downtown Denver.  Our choice was driven by our needs: close to the Airport, close to the McLaren Dealer in Denver, and great shopping nearby.  The Limelight was a perfect choice: there was a free train that stopped directly in front of the Limelight (this was important as we had no suitcases on wheels just 2 very heavy duffle bags so they could fit in the frunk of the McLaren 765LT Spider), a quick Uber to the McLaren Dealer with a Luxury Goods shopping mall on route to drop me off at. The Hotel allowed us to park the McLaren directly in front of the hotel and we could put the cost against the Hotel Credit. The Limelight Hotel and rooms were very much in keeping with the Brand and the local environment.  Our upgrade was to Superior King.  There was a very warm and welcoming feel to the room. The bathroom had a separate WC (we have a pet peeve when it is not separated from the rest of the bathroom), an enclosed huge shower & separate bathtub.  The furniture not only looked in keeping with the hotel’s concept and location, but was also very comfortable. Every amenity you could think of was in the room, including a yoga mat, steamer and an excellent Nespresso Coffee machine with unlimited pods.  The room was very quiet despite other guests occupying rooms around us.

We had dinner at the Bar which served the same menu as their restaurant, Citizen’s Rail. They were very flexible and allowed us to eat in the more casual Bar and cancel our Restaurant reservation. We went during happy hour and enjoyed a delightful meal at no cost as the bill was covered by the balance of the room credit. Service was very attentive. Their Breakfast was excellent regardless of what you ordered, and the bill came in under the allowance.

On our return visit, we were upgraded to a one-bedroom suite.  It was also warm and welcoming. The furniture – different than the Suite, but very much in keeping with the Brand. There was a lovely bottle of red wine and a chacuterie board to welcome us. The front desk was happy to exchange the red wine for a bottle of Prosecco. We decided to order Room Service as it was getting late. It was super-fast and excellent, especially for room service.

Tip to the Limelight Hotel:  Clear the trays in the hallway during the night so they are not still there in the morning when your guests go down for breakfast.

The Limelight Denver gets a Karen 🍾 🍾 🍾 🍾 🍾 rating.

Pendry Hotel – Park City

We decided to stop in Park City, Utah to break up the trip to Sun Valley. Among AMEX hotel options, we chose the Pendry Hotel as it was not far off the Highway and yet in the Ski Resort. It was a very different experience to Denver’s Limelight Hotel.  Yes, they allowed us to park the McLaren at the front door (for $50) but advised against leaving it there (Yes in Park City at a 5* Hotel). We were upgraded to a one-bedroom suite which looked beautiful upon entering, albeit we are not big fans of the cool, grey interior.  We quickly discovered the toilet was in the middle of the bathroom, there was no bathtub, the furniture, while nice to look at but was incredibly uncomfortable.  That evening we realized the air conditioning vent was in the living room leaving us no choice but to leave the bedroom door open, even then, it was uncomfortable warm sleeping.

Dinner was ok but certainly not what I would expect from a 5* hotel.  While there were plenty of staff, the service was terrible. It was as if they had blinders on and getting dishes cleared was a undertaking.  Breakfast was no different.

Upon our return visit, we had a similar experience. They upgraded us to a Suite which was similar to the one-bedroom we stayed in with all the same comments. However, while the air conditioner was in the same room as the bed, the microwave oven had this bright white light that kept waking us up. We tried to cover it and unplug it, but to no avail. Needless to say, the Dinner and Breakfast were no better than our first night at the Pendry.

Tip #1 to the Pendry:  Stay overnight in each of your rooms to experience it as a guest would

Tip #2 to the Pendry:  Train your restaurant and bar staff how to serve.

The Pendry Park City gets a 🍾 🍾 rating

Limelight – Ketchum

The Limelight, Ketchum was an excellent choice by the Organizers of the Tour de Force. It was in the heart of the town and in between the Sun Valley Auto Club where various events took place and the Saw Tooth Mountains where the drives and No Speed Limit took place. The Hotel was very much on Brand and in keeping with the Ski Resort vibe.  While there was no upgrade, I do think we were in the highest class room at the hotel. The room was great:  there was a balcony with two large chairs and a coffee table to enjoy the view of the Mountains surrounding the hotel, a king size comfortable bed, a very functional table / desk with a cozy sofa and chair, kitchenette with a Nespresso coffee machine (and unlimited pods), separated toilet from the rest of the bathroom, and lots of space for a week’s worth of clothes for both of us.

The lobby is a very popular spot for hotel guests and local residents alike. It is multi-purpose bar, restaurant, and meeting place with a huge gas fireplace and lots of seating. However, its popularity is showing its wear and tear (the rooms themselves are great).

The Tour de Force hosted the first breakfast and the Hotel had an excellent complimentary buffet set up for the rest. There was the usual eggs, bacon, potatoes, toast, juices… but also excellent smoked salmon with all the trimmings and toasted bagels.

We did not have lunch or dinners at the hotel except the Tour de Force’s Gala Event on Saturday night.

Tip #1 to the Limelight, Ketchum:  Perhaps time to refurbish the ever so popular lobby which is looking a little tired from all the hotel guests and tons of locals that enjoy it year-round.

The Limelight Ketchum gets a 🍾 🍾 🍾 🍾 rating.

Thoughts and comments? Please see the comments section below.

The sign up for new blog email notifications is at the bottom of the page.

 

Follow us on

Instagram Twitter

Share Now

 

August 2023

 

Recent Posts

Posted on

Planning Our 1st Epic Drive of 2021

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 group of people and all have extensive track or racing experience (Road Trips & Driving Talent).  We call these trips, the “Epic Drives” because, well, they are (Epic Drive 2017 Pt 1).  The response was immediate and spectacular.  Everyone was in and the excitement was palatable.  The idea of not just being able to go out for a great drive, but also to stay in a wonderful place and enjoy both great company over great food is incredible enticing.  Pulling it off will not be easy but where there is a will there is a way.

As the Epic Drive Group is ten couples/cars coming from 5 different countries, the logistics of just getting everyone together can be daunting.  The trips normally run 5-6 days including the day’s drive to the meeting point, and a day’s drive home. In the past, the mix of cars has included a few Ferraris, McLarens, a Lamborghini, and on occasion a Porsche.  Throw in Brexit, a pandemic, and it gets even more interesting.  As 8 out of the 10 participants are based in Europe, it was a fairly easy call to decide this year’s Epic Drive would be on the east side of the Atlantic.  In the past, we have held the Epic Drives in Wales, Scotland, Switzerland, Germany, France, and Italy.  For 2021, given all the uncertainty, we decided that a new destination is out and that it’s better to go back to one we know.  Choosing from the past list isn’t easy as they have all been terrific destinations.  However, a few have been dropped as options for a range of reasons.  Switzerland is out as the Alpine passes are likely to be closed by Sept/Oct. Italy and Germany are the most difficult for the majority of the group to get to, and so were also eliminated.  The remaining contenders are France, Wales, and Scotland with France or Scotland likely to be the final choice.  Both offer a combination of great lightly trafficked roads, excellent accommodations, great food, and spectacular scenery.

If we do choose to go to France, the itinerary will most likely take us across Normandy to Brittany and then down into the Loire Valley.  When setting the daily routes, I try to target 200-300 miles per day over 5-6 hours of driving.  It doesn’t sound like a lot, but on back country “D” roads that require high levels of concentration, it can be quite taxing.  This type of trip will involve multiple different hotels as we move west, south, and then back east across France.  We will likely stay at a number of Relais & Chateaux properties as they are consistently excellent in terms of both accommodation and food.  The upside to this sort of trip is you do see a lot more places and get to sample a variety of great hotels.  The downside is more complicated logistics and lots of packing & unpacking.  Having spent a fair amount of time in the past driving through the area, there are some excellent back country roads, lots of historic sites to stop at, and wonderful hotels.  The food is outstanding and in general the reception to the cars is on the positive side.  The weather can be a bit of a challenge and the logistics for those coming from the UK is still a bit of an unknown.  The French also drive on the proper side of the road which makes things much easier for the majority of the group (the British Government originally decreed in 1773 that one should ride/drive on the right as it allows you to keep your sword hand free, they then never bothered to update the practice when carriages became horseless and the public wearing of swords was outlawed).

Scotland would be a bit of a different type of trip.  For Scotland, instead of being a moving caravan from hotel to hotel, we would pick a central location and then do day trips out from there.  Our base would likely be in the Inverness area, as it’s easy to plan great day trips looping east, south east, south west, and finally up into the great north west peninsula from there. There are fantastic roads devoid of traffic in every direction, and as long as you are being sensible, the police seem to be understanding.  On a past trip, we rented out a castle on Loch Ness which was both spectacular and spectacularly expensive when a large part of the group decided to do a tumbler tour of rare Scottish whiskies one night.  The upside to this sort of arrangement is the logistics are much easier, you don’t need to worry about packing/unpacking and checking in/out of a new hotel every day.  In addition, if one of the group decides they want to take a day off from driving, they can.  The downsides are far less gastronomic variety and loss of the adventure of landing someplace new every night.

Where we finally decide to go, if we can go, will likely be driven by what the local pandemic rules are at the time.  While I would hope and expect everyone in the group to have been vaccinated by the time we go, that isn’t a given.  As we are coming from 5 different countries, each will have their own system of priority and different levels of vaccine supply.  What the entry requirements for France and the UK will also likely play a key role in deciding the location as any on-going testing requirements both at the border and in hotels could complicate matters.  If you need a Covid-19 test that’s no more than three days old before you check into a hotel, the logistics of getting everyone in the group tested repeatedly will likely rule out France given we would be moving hotels on a daily basis.  Another complication will be sorting out what the car insurance and documentation requirements are now with the UK having left the EU. 

 

While it’s all definitely a lot more complicated than it has been in the past, the idea of getting together with wonderful friends and going on a great road trip is absolutely tantalizing.  The key is to be able to do it safely in an environment where we are all comfortable.  So many of the things that we used to take for granted, now we simply can’t. If we can pull off an “Epic Drive” this year, I suspect it will be remembered as our best yet, even if it really is not just because everyone is so excited about the possibility.  As one of guy’s said, “Oh to be more than 5km from home… right now I’d go anywhere, and in any car!”

Thoughts and comments? Please see the comments section below.

The sign up for new blog email notifications is at the bottom of the page.

 

Follow us on

Instagram Twitter

Share Now

January 2021

Recent Posts

Posted on

Supercar Market Update – Q4 2019

Supercar Market Update – Q4 2019

Supercar Market Update – Q4 2019

Following up on the Q3 car market article (Car Market Q3 2019), I’ve continued to track the Ferrari F355, Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona, and the Porsche Carrera GT, as I believe these are good bellwethers for the market in general.  On occasion, I also take a glance at Koenigseggs, the McLaren P1, and the Special Series Ferraris out of personal interest.  It’s wasn’t too long ago the F355 Spiders were regularly selling in the $90-100k range and market experts were predicting Daytona would be $1 mil cars.  The one car that has held steady in value is the Carrera GT.  CGTs have been rock solid in the $700k range for the past year.  

A few Q4 results of interest are:

NA Mile 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona, Sold $484k

6k Mile 1970 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona, Not Sold at High Bid $700k

NA Mile 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona, Not Sold at High Bid $500k

2k  Mile  2004 Porsche Carrera GT, Not Sold at High Bid of $735k

36k Mile 1995 Ferrari F355 GTS 6-Speed, Sold $48k 

33k Mile 1996 Ferrari F355 Spider 6-Speed, Sold $76k

26k Mile 1996 Ferrari F355 Spider 6-Speed, Not Sold at a High Bid $45k

600 Mile 2014 McLaren P1, Sold $1.27 mil

1,200 Mile 2015 McLaren P1, Sold $1.12 mil

175 Mile 2015 Porsche 918, Not Sold at a High Bid $1.05 mil

700 Mile 2015 Porsche 918, Not Sold at a High Bid $875k 

550 Mile 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari Sold $2.2 mil

1,200 Mile 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari, Sold $2.3 mil

2,700 Mile 2014 Koenigsegg Agera R Sold $1.35 mil

Which are very consistent with the trajectories seen in Q3.

If the speculators weren’t gone before, they have certainly left the building now. The last generation of limited edition hypercars (No Longer the New New Thing) are yesterday’s news.  In fact, both the McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 are now changing hands below their original list prices.  The people buying supercars today are collectors and enthusiasts.  The collectors only want the best low mileage examples and the enthusiasts want cars they can actually use, enjoy, and afford to keep on the road.  For this second group maintenance and running costs do matter.  A $120K+ battery replacement on a McLaren P1 or a $8k cambelt change on a Ferrari F355 are significant expenses that impact values.  Demographic shifts are also playing a role as the younger generation entering the market has been raised on cars with plenty of driver’s aids and only two pedals to navigate.  It’s pretty easy to put in an impressive lap time in a Ferrari 488 Pista after just a couple of hours out on a track.  Try pushing an F40 to the limits after just a few laps behind the wheel and it is likely to end in (expensive) tears.   

When looking at the each of these cars, different factors are impacting values.  Of all the cars listed above, the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona wins the award for most demanding to drive, by a considerable margin.  If many of the 50’s classics can be described as “tractors to drive”, by the late 60’s they had evolved to slightly more driver friendly “trucks”.  If trying to navigate a Daytona around town is a full upper body work out, getting a Daytona to slow down sufficiently when entering that town can be an underwear soiling experience ( Driving a Daytona ).  Not too long ago a lot of speculators scooped up Daytona’s expecting them to be the next $ 1million Ferrari.  When that didn’t happen, a lot of these cars started reappearing on the market with the odometer having barely, if at all, moved.  Sellers outnumbered buyers and prices started dropping.  The number of Daytona “no sales” at auctions over the last several years is exceptional high and that trend has continued in the last several quarters.  For today’s coming of age enthusiast, the Daytona is ancient history and not the car they lusted after in their youth.  About two years ago I expected Daytona’s to retreat back from $700k to $500k.  Recent results are already under the $500k level and I would not be surprised if Daytona’s drop to $400k in 2020.  

Much to my chagrin, as the Carrera GT has been high on my bucket list for several years now (Garage Goals), Carrera GT values are holding steady.  Many of the same factors that have been driving Daytona prices south, have been supporting Carrera GT values so far.  CGTs are the cars that the new generation of buyers lusted after in their youth.  New tire technology has made CGTs significantly more drivable and a track outing is far less likely now to end in a life insurance payout.  Where I do see a bit of a disconnect with the CGT though is between its reputation as being one of the greatest driver’s cars and the fact that of the 11 CGTs currently listed for sale in the US, 4 have under 1,000 miles on the odometer and only one has more than 5k miles.  Even the highest mileage car listed, at 7,134 miles works out to an average of under 500 miles per year.  If I look at Ferrari Enzos, which are a similar age, 3 out of the 5 sold at auction this year are well over 5k miles. Whereas many Ferrari owners are very sensitive about putting miles on their cars, Porsche owners tend to be the opposite.  The question therefore is why, if CGTs are such great driver’s cars, are so many not getting driven?  My guess is these ultra-low mileage CGTs were purchased as investments and now that it’s clear that prices have stabilized, those owners want out.  Question is are these owner’s patient enough to ensure that demand and supply stay balanced or do a flood of low mile CGTs now hit the market driving price back to 2014 levels?

I believe the Ferrari F355 is today’s “starter” Ferrari (Our 1st Ferrari).  With prices continuing to slowly recede into the $40-50k range, the F355 is just a bit over half the price of a new Porsche 718 Boxster.  The F355 is modern enough so the learning curve is short, and it’s got enough drivers aids to provide a decent level of comfort for the less experienced supercar driver.  The F355 is usable car by supercar standards with enough luggage room for a multiday trip which certainly aids in its appeal.  It doesn’t hurt that the F355 is one of the prettiest Ferraris to ever emerge from Pininfarina’s pen.  Given Ferrari built over 10,000 F355s there are always plenty for sale and a strong community of owners who can be called upon for support.  F355 prices will also be held down by very high maintenance costs.  Cambelt changes every four years and a long list of known issues will always make this an expensive Ferrari to own. My guess is F355s are now well priced and will hold around current prices.

Koenigseggs have operated in a very different value universe for multiple years now.  In less than a decade Koenigseggs have gone from little known to quite famous.  Prices on their new cars have risen astronomically and they have developed quite a following.  In the recent past, Koenigesgg has gone to considerable lengths to make sure it’s cars sold at or above estimates (Car Market Q3 2019) when one has shown up at auction.  I’ve also seen a number of used Koenigseggs move from dealer to dealer with ever inflating prices so what they are really worth to a buyer who actually is interested in owning and driving one, is hard to tell.  However, recently a 2,700 mile 2014 Koenigsegg Agera R was sold at auction for $1.35 mil. (vs. an estimate of $2-2.5 mil).  The original list price on an Agera R was $2.1 mil. Assuming this car was still owned by the first owner and with a few options thrown in he paid around $2.2 – $2.4 mil, each of the 2,700 miles driven came at a cost of $315.  In terms of depreciation percentage, not only has my McLaren 650S Spider done better but when compared to other similar age hypercars (P1, 918, LaFerrari), this Agera R is by far the worst performer in terms of holding value.  The question is does this result finally pop the bubble and put Koenigsegg’s whole inflationary pricing strategy at risk.  

In summary, the Porsche Carrera GT is at a potentially interesting inflection point. Prices may continue to hold, or a modest drop may be in the not too distant future if many of the “investment” acquisitions of the 2012-2016 era are dropped back into the market. Both the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 “Daytona” and the F355 rode the market up in 2013-2016 and while the F355 has more or less settled, the Daytona will likely still fall further. Koenigseggs prices might have just had their Titanic moment, with a large hole now ripped in the side of their pricing strategy. 2020 will certainly be an interesting year.

Thoughts and comments? Please see the comments section below.

Also please share, buttons are below.

 

Follow us on

Instagram Twitter
December 2019

Share Now

Recent Posts

Posted on

McLaren 720S Spider vs. the McLaren Senna

Wine Collector McLaren 720S Spider vs. the Senna

McLaren 720S Spider vs. the McLaren Senna

Editor’s Note: The following article was written by my brother, the Wine Collector (his high security well armored wine cellar is probably worth more than my garage), after our annual Thanksgiving gathering.  Every year our families get together, and when we are hosting it, the festivities always include a number of drives.  The Wine Collector is a bit of a car enthusiast himself and he has owned a Ferrari 430 Spider for many years.

Siblings have hobbies. Some collect stamps. Others collect wine, or even worse, vinyl. I am fortunate that my brother, the Secret Supercar Owner (yes, that is his given name) is a car enthusiast, and he likes to share. Over the Thanksgiving holiday we enjoyed a number of drives on windy country roads and I was fortunate to have the opportunity to spend time in the McLaren 720S Spider as well as the Senna, and my impressions of these cars follows.

First, let’s start with the720S Spider, which makes sense given that the Senna evolved from the 720S platform. With a twin-turbo 4.0 liter v8 engine that delivers 710 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque, the 720S Spider has more than enough oomph to get you there, wherever that there may be. In fact, if “there” just happens to be 60 mph, it will get you there in 2.8 seconds. Its 7 gears are accessible through a smooth-as-silk and lightning fast dual clutch transmission. In fact, you will cycle up and down through the gears without reason just to feel how fast and smooth they are. The transmission is a masterpiece. And the brakes? Big. These carbon ceramic bad boys are big and bitey, just like you want them to be. As a driver, your sight lines are full and generous, the heated seats welcoming (especially on the cold November days I drove it), and I love that the face that McLaren has always separated transmission responsiveness from suspension responsiveness through separate controls so that you can dial in the perfect combination for your drive. While driving, the ambient light moon roof glazed in a lovely blue makes you feel like you stole an alien space ship and are driving it around earth on “blend in with humans” mode. And yes, there is carbon fiber everywhere, which is what you expect with all McLarens.

And driving the 720S Spider is a blast. Stomp on the gas and you feel the car quickly rev to about 4500 rpm and then launch as it hits the sweet spot of the engine’s power. At this point you involuntarily bark out words of excitement, joy, and trepidation as you now know what it feels like to be a fighter pilot. “Holy sh!t,” Top Gun baby. While the engine gives you the ride of your life, the suspension provides a beautiful balance of road feel and smoothness that makes you feel that you are master of the asphalt. New England’s blacktop surface variations are ironed out just enough by the suspension’s Comfort setting that you can really focus on driving. It enters turns beautifully and balanced between front and rear axles even after a short pump on the brakes. The 720S Spider is fun as hell to drive, but easy to drive at the same time. It excites, but not exhausts.

If I were to nitpick the car, I would say that the digital dashboard, which is angled away from the driver, requires an additional lens for those of us who wear bifocals as the control displays are just out of reading range but too close for far-away vision. Who cares? Well, I’m guessing most folks who can afford this car are not in their 20s and likely utilize some vision assistance. But as a counterpoint, forget about the dashboard because this car has cyborg mode straight out of Battlestar Galactica. I’m sure that’s not what they call it, but I’m not one to read the manual. However I’m sure this name is better than whatever they came up with. Hit the cyborg button to the left of the dash and the whole dash pivots on a 90 degree axis to present you with what you really need—speed, tach, and little else. And it’s readable! Cyborg mode is what this car’s all about.

Another nitpick would be that it’s almost a travesty that the 720S Spider has an automatic mode. In fact, the first thing you should do when entering the car is hit the Active button and switch the gearbox to manual. The first time driving the car I couldn’t get the car into manual mode and called my brother in a panic. The car had me in 5th gear at 30 mph and it was about to make me cry. This car wants to be at 4500 rpm, and you’ll want it there too. After all, you’ll still have 3000 rpm to go have fun with. Also, why did they ever make a coupe version of this car? This Spider is everything you want in a car, and McLaren’s carbon fiber tubs give you all the rigidity needed, with nothing but the sky above to boot. Perhaps McLaren’s thing should be to make only Spiders.

Despite its power and performance, the 720S Spider would make a wonderful daily driver. An expensive one, but a wonderful one at that. Its performance exhilarates, but its refined nature does not scream, “take me to the track where I can punish you.” That’s what the Senna is for.

The McLaren Senna, with its modified version of the 720s’s engine, produces 789 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. It also has 7 gears with a beautiful dual-clutch transmission, but this is where the similarities end. Whereas the 720S Spider is a beautiful car to drive in a whole variety of conditions (and thus is a candidate for the daily driver), the Senna is a cat on meth.

As to first impressions, the front windshield provides ample views of your surroundings. The side windows only open with the bottom 1/3rd, letting you know that this car is not really a road car. It is a racecar draped in carbon fiber with a license plate attached. Tinted glass covering the bottom half of the doors graciously shows you how fast you are going at street level, and what the road rash would feel like. The rearview mirror provides a tunnel vision of what’s going on behind you, with the engine cover being the most prominent feature you see when you look behind. It’s McLaren’s way of saying, “why are you looking behind when you can pass everything on the road? And why are you on a road anyway?” The harness fastener tucked into the center of the carbon fiber seat reads, “for track use only,” but perhaps instead the standard seatbelt should display the warning, “only for use when on a road.”

Driving the Senna is different. Speed metal vs. hard rock different. The taught steering of the Senna leaves you feeling every part of the road, and this high-strung attitude delivers the feeling that minor swales in the New England roadscape could fling you off road. Yes, the downforce of this beast leaves you confident that this won’t happen, but the driving experience of the Senna is the most visceral experience you will have on the road. Ever. Punch through 4500 rpm and all hell breaks loose. You feel the tires bite into the road and every pebble kicked into the wheel wells sounds like you’re taking on fire. The Senna is a track car, plain and simple, and it begs to be there with every rev of its engine. I loved my time behind the wheel of this car but driving the Senna on a road is merely aspirational and will never let you experience what this car truly is about. For that you need a racetrack. It demands to be let loose and scream like a Banshee as it hurtles down the blacktop.

Can you compare the 720S Spider and the Senna? Even though they are close cousins, I would say no. One went to Eaton, the other to gladiator school, and both graduated top of their class. I would happily drive the 720S Spider every day and relish in its outlandish yet balanced performance, and wish I had a track in my back yard to let off steam with the wild-child Senna when I got home from work. They are both masters of their respective domains.

Thoughts and comments? Please see the comments section below.

Also please share, buttons are below. 

Follow us on

Instagram Twitter
December 2019

Share Now

Recent Posts