March 15, 2024 • 40 mins
On this episode, Hannah Elliott and Matt Miller discuss SBX Cars, a new online car auction platform from mega-influencer Supercar Blondie that is trying to take over the market for multi-million-dollar hypercars. Then, Hannah gives us an update on Saudi Arabia and her love of the Mercedes-AMG G63 and its metallic olive paint job and monobloc wheels, while Matt does a deep dive into a Ford F-250 with 1,200 pound-feet of torque. Plus, a look at Bentley's complicated history with Rolls-Royce and whether we want to buy a late-model Bentley at all.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
I'm Matt Miller and I'm Hannah Elliott, and this is
Hot Pursuit.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
We have a lot to talk about today.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Hannah's back from Saudi Arabia but still on Middle Eastern time. Yes,
I have took delivery of, bought and licensed my new car.
Plus I've been test driving one of my dream cars
a truck, so we'll discuss those things. Plus you have
a story out on Supercar Blondie and yet another auction site.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
But it may make sense.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Right, Yeah, I think it very well could make sense.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
You're also test driving g Wagon, the big AMG version,
so I want to talk about that. I owned the
lesser version a couple of years ago in Berlin, and
we've got some cool emails that we're going to go over.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
What's the email address again?
Speaker 1 (00:53):
The email address is Hot Pursuit at Bloomberg dot net,
and we do really appreciate your emails. I also got
phone message from my mom, but that was somehow emailed
to me. Hon't you get your numb Thanks mom? I'm
not sure, but thanks for that. But email also works
Hot Pursuit at Bloomberg dot net.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Awesome.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Yeah, we do love the emails because a we like
to connect with our listeners and engage converse with our listeners.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
But also we get a lot.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Of content that way, or we get good content. I think, no,
a lot, but quality over quantity. Let's kick it off
with the Supercar Blondie story, because initially, when I think, oh,
another auction site, Like I'm already searching on auto Trader
and auto Tempest for normal cars and then I'm going
on BAT. I spend like at least an hour a
(01:43):
day on Bring a Trailer. Yeah, Doug has cars and
bids which I've started looking at as well, and.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
There's collecting cars in the UK.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Yeah, that's the Chris Harris thing.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
My buddy James Little works for them, makes really cool videos.
Recently I watched one he did of a Bentley, So
I want.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
To talk about that.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Oh, I got to talk about my new obsession with
or my yes, increased obsession with Bentley. It is a
love hate thing. But Supercar Blondie, whom a lot of
people know from social media, has started another another auction site,
which I would think we don't need one, but it's
specifically targeted at the hypercars that she profiles.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Right, Yeah, that's right. So Supercar Blondie. It sounds like
Matt you're familiar with her. For anybody who isn't familiar
with her, she is a very influential content creator. She
started her YouTube platform in twenty seventeen.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
She's Australian.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Her name is Alex Hershey and she runs the brand
with her husband, Nick Hershey, who actually is a former
Bloomberg employee, I should say from several years ago, but
he's a finance guy who quit and now they have
Supercar Blondie, this brand. She actually counts two billion viewers
a month across all of her platforms, Holy which Holy
(02:57):
Wild Wild, and she is launching on March eighteenth something
called SBX Cars, which is going to be, like you say,
an online car auction platform, and the platform is going
to specialize only in the ultra rare kinds of hypercars
and supercars that she features.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
So it's not going to be.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Like Ferrari four eighty eights and Lamborghini SUVs and BMWM three's.
It's going to be like the Hyperion prototype and a
BMW hydrofoil glass boat, and there will be a Tesla
cybertruck offered, but like.
Speaker 4 (03:37):
A Mercedes AMG one.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
They've got some John Player special Formula one cars from
the seventies and eighties that they're going to sell. So
she's focusing really on the highest of the high end,
and Alex says, look, there are enough people buying and
selling these cars, and they don't have a place that
is only premium. Now, of course we've seen bring a
trailer sell million dollar cars.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
It's been done, people will do it.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
But Alex and Nick argue there isn't a place for
simply only extremely premium cars. So that's true, trying for
only access, but there is right like.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
Your friends at Gooding or of course you know they
don't only sell those, but they.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Do sell absolutely Yeah. I mean Lewis Hamilton's eighteen million
dollar Formula car that arm Soetheby sold during the Formula
race in Las Vegas last year is a perfect example.
I really think by the way that those Formula cars
are going to really gain in value. But that's an
example of arm Sotheby's doing the same, same type of thing.
(04:44):
And so now we've got a new entry, and I
think the real question with it is does a big
social media platform actually translate into being able to sell
sell things? And will people trust you to sell their
very expensive and special cars.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Especially for that clientele.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
Like I mean, I have I know a guy who
collects very expensive cars, and you know, he's a wall
Street like a Titan, and he is, you know, he's
like an Aspen Saint Marit's kind of guy. She she, right,
but he doesn't spend a lot of time on social media.
I doubt that he's one of the two billion views.
(05:23):
And by the way, I imagine it's two billion views,
not two billion viewers a month, right, because that would
be like a fourth of the people on Earth follow
super Car Blondie.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
I think it's views if I said viewers, take that back,
but I can give you another figure. They claim one
hundred and ten million subscribers, so maybe that's more of
a concrete number. Still huge, still big. And I did
ask her about that, and Alex really says, Look, it's
not that every billionaire follows us. Of course they don't.
(05:53):
Many aren't even on social media, like your friend. But
the argument for her is that they can put out
a video and guarantee it's going to be seen by
twenty million people at any given point, and eventually whatever's
in the video will trickle down to someone who's gonna
buy it, maybe somebody shares the video on WhatsApp, or
you know, word gets out because they naturally have such
(06:15):
a big platform.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
Anyway, I think so the Supercar Blondie story is interesting
on so many levels. Right Number one, she herself and
the business that she's built is fascinating. Number Two, I
love the content that she puts out, and obviously so
do a lot of other people. Number Three, we care
about these cars, especially you, that's your bag. And then
number four will the business? You know, is there room
(06:39):
for another auction platform? Is she going to have trouble
competing with the guys at Gooding?
Speaker 2 (06:45):
And so the b's what if they think about this?
Speaker 3 (06:47):
They might be a little bit unhappy about her encroaching
on their territory.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
That's a very fair question.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
And I spoke with David Gooding, I spoke with Rob Myers,
I spoke with the guys at Craig jack at Barrett Jackson.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
So yeah, it's a fair question.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
And as you might expect, you know, they're they're tentatively watching,
you know. I spoke with Ed at Collecting Cars. He
really made the point that, look, this business isn't just
about gaming an SEO or figuring out an algorithm for
reaching people. It's about a lot of hard work and
knowing how to run an auction. It's about more than
(07:26):
just being able to be online. And David Gooding really
I said what does it take to be good in
this world? And he says, high tolerance for pain and
misery basically, So you know this is these are guys
that have done this for twenty thirty years.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
I do know it's a lot of work.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
It's not glamorous, but then again they're coming from a
position of more of an old model, obviously not at
collecting cars. But you know, I think the sentiment seems
to be it's not as easy as it looks, right,
and bring a Trailer has made it look very easy.
And we had Randy on and we love Randy and
(08:04):
we know that he does a great job with Bring
a Trailer, But the thing is, bring a Trailer makes
it look easy, and it's not easy.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Well, bring a Trailer I think is on another level
because and that's something that was created. It was a
passion project that turned into a very successful auction site.
Whereas you know Doug, we talk about Doug DeMuro all
the time.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
I figure.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
Everyone who cares about cars knows Doug de Murro because
he's had such a huge impact in terms of his
YouTube videos.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
And that's another thing.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
He had this massive passion and then I don't know
how he came up with the idea for cars and bids,
but he then sold it for a few million dollars
and then promptly used those few million dollars to buy
a really cuigh cars. Yeah, which is awesome, right, But
now super Car Blondie obviously she's also passionate about cars,
and she's created this huge social media following.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
She probably saw Doug. Well, you know how she how
did she come up with the idea?
Speaker 1 (08:57):
Well, Alex says that many of the people that she
has come to know over the years because she features
their cars, have asked her, Hey, I'm looking for such
and such a car, can you help me find one?
Or Hey, I would like to sell this car that
you featured, do you know anybody who wants to buy it?
So Alex really says, look, I've built this network of
(09:20):
collectors of owners for the past seven years since she's
been going around the world documenting the cars, and that's
very valid. And Alex says look, these people are asking me,
can you help us find somebody to sell this car
or somebody who might want to buy this car. So
she claims she has quite a network built up that actually,
(09:40):
perhaps an RM Southeby's or a Gooding may not be
able to tap into.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
And you know, she's also young, and people with money
are increasingly younger, right, and people's texts are changing. I
think that's interesting because something like Southeby's the way you
say it, well, it just seems like something old people
would go to, right, even these the Concorde Elegance, you know,
(10:05):
like these things seem like events for old people. Young
people are, you know, watching Supercar Blondie. And maybe she
has a really good point there, like if you're a
cool kid who some kind of NEPO baby, or if
you inherited hundreds of millions of dollars or you sold
your video game making company, you know, and now you
want to buy a sweet car, it's probably much more
(10:27):
fun and cool to hang out with her Blondie, you know,
then go to a Concord elegance on Amelia Island or whatever.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
So, yeah, I think that's really true. Alex is a
smart girl. She she is a very hard worker, she's
very motivated and she has a great team around her.
So I would never ever underestimate what she's able to do.
I mean, before her her YouTube channel, she was a
radio show host in Dubai and.
Speaker 4 (10:57):
She has created by Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
Yes she's Australian, but she resides in Dubai with her husband.
So I would never ever underestimate what she's able to do.
I think she's motivated and smart and if she wants
to do something, you know, you got to pay attention
to it.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
So you were in Saudi Arabia, yes, And last time
we spoke, you were at this Bloomberg event and you
were interviewing, you know, powerful people in the world of racing.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
But then you went off on like your little.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
Adventure off pieced.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Yeah, so what was that?
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Like?
Speaker 2 (11:26):
What did you do?
Speaker 1 (11:27):
It was great?
Speaker 4 (11:28):
I have to say. First of all, I did make.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
It to practice rounds of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
in Jedda, which which were very cool. I was very
happy to see those. I was in Aston Martin Paddock
and saw the new safety car, the new Vantage safety car, which.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
Is super beautiful.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Yeah, and I got to talk with the guy who's
driven the safety car for like twenty five years. Is
he's German. His name's uh Burnt. I'm going to murder
his name, so I'm not going to say it. Oh
please trying it very I'm not as someone who's Marlin. Yeah, yes,
yes that that that So that was great. But then
I went off on this pilgrimage to a place called Allula,
(12:11):
which is in the desert, about four hours outside of Medina,
and I visited a hotel called Habitas Alula, which is
truly in the middle of nowhere.
Speaker 4 (12:22):
Now you might have.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
Heard of Medina because it's the stopping off point before Mecca.
So Medina has a constant flow of pilgrims on their
journey to Mecca. So it feels extremely foreign to my
La sensibilities. But I was in the desert at this
at this amazing hotel called Habitas Allula, and it's I'm
(12:46):
going to be writing about it, but it's it's sort
of portrayed as a burning man in Saudi Arabia, and
I wouldn't quite go that far. There's no alcohol, there's not,
there's not. That's kind of where your mind, that's where
your mind goes. There are no drugs, there's no alcohol
on the premises, there are no orgies. You know, it's
(13:07):
mostly Saudi families in very traditional dress, fully covered.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
So just the fact that it's in the desert, and.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Of course there are art installations around the pool's incredible.
I would I will say, to be honest, the no
alcohol thing did not put a damper on any amount
of fun.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
It will you not going to drink the whole week?
Speaker 4 (13:28):
Oh, I'm still going.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
I I didn't have it. Yeah, I didn't have a
drink for like eight days, nine days, and I've just
kept it going.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
But doesn't see how long it lasts. I mean, aren't
there oases? There aren't there places for Westerners to get booze.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
So I actually thought, surely, you know, once you get
into the boutique hotel, there's going to be a backstash,
they'll have a little bit of wine. Yeah, surely, No, no, no, no,
absolutely verboten. No.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Now, I'm told if you go sailing, or if you
leave land and you go out into the Red Sea
and you're on somebody's boat, then there will be alcohol there.
But I'm like you, Matt, I kind of thought, yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever,
there's gonna be a little bit somewhere or you know, no,
absolutely not.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
You also are driving this week in AMG sixty three
G sixty three, so it's the g Wagon that's super
pumped up. This is what I imagine everybody in Saudi
Arabia drives.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
But you're driving or in La in La, so you're.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
In both places, right, Beverly Hills.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
Yes, first of all, I mean I would say, what's
it like? But I know it's amazing.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
We know the thing is. Look, this is nothing new.
This has been around since seventy nine. We all know
what it's like. We know that it's perfect. What can
I say is there's a reason it's an icon. It's
a diamond that just needs a little bit of polishing
every now and then when they do a model year update.
But as far as I'm concerned, I would not change anything.
I'm even so oo Tree has to say. I love
(15:03):
the mono block wheels, I love the night package. The
one I have is this like all of metallic color
that costs like seven thousand dollars.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Oh, I know the color very nice.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
Oh it's I mean, it's to die for and it
just makes you feel so bossy and rude when you're
driving it, and I love the power. I get drunk
on power when I drive.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
I'm a huge fan. You know.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
I bought the base model, the G five hundred, the
year they came out with like the real independent suspension updates,
which is a change. I'm so happy they made.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
Purists.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
We're angry about it at first, but it drives a
billion times better and is almost as capable off road.
Really yeah, depending what you're doing, maybe more capable off road.
I love those trucks, but they're just so expensive. I've
always thought Mercedes has really missed a trick, because how
cool would it be if right now they I think
they can only make them at the Magnus Dyer plant
(15:59):
in Gratto.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
She's been to yes in Austria, that's right.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
And they can all make it amount Yeah, exactly exactly.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
Fortunately, I wish they would make like, you know, the
like the VW Bug, right a people's car.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
I wish they would make an version the PO like
the two door like that.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
But you know what, they could easily replicate it in
Instead of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars car, they
could make it, you know, a fifty thousand dollars vehicle
and they don't. Yeah, I know they want to make
Mercedes is very focused on the higher end, the bigger,
fatter margins.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
I totally get that, but I just feel like this
is a car every kid likes.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
You know, the shape, It's just easy to draw, and
you want to feel the doors close when you get
in and start to.
Speaker 4 (16:46):
Sounds so good when you slam them shut.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
Yeah, it's just like a it's like a safe that
you're slamming shut.
Speaker 4 (16:52):
But about the price, I have to say, this is.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
How warped my mind is. I was remembering because someone
amazing had emailed in and talked about the fact that
you hadn't driven the take Can yet I have. Actually
that was an email from Doug So, Doug, thank you
for your not Doug Demurroe, No, a different Doug. So.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
I was looking up.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
You know, they just came out with the Porscha Tacan
Turbo GT, and of course they set a lap record
with the WISAC Package Turbo.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
So I'm like going down.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
A deep dive of this on on the Nurber Green. Yeah.
But so I see that that the WISAC package starts
at two hundred and thirty thousand dollars. Then I go
back to my beautiful humble G Wagon, my G sixty three,
and I see that it starts at only one hundred
and seventy nine thousand, So if you ask me, it
(17:45):
feels like a bargain. And even with all of the
extras in the one that I'm driving, which includes you know,
the mono block wheels, is olive metallic paint, blah blah blah,
it's only two hundred and five thousand, which is far
cheaper than that sitan.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
Right, and you can I mean, first of all, there
aren't many options to check on the G Wagon, so
you don't really option it up to Valhalla. Secondly, with
the ty Can, as good as it may be and
as fast as it is around the nurburg Ring, it's
still gonna take you at least twenty minutes to fill
it up if you can find a charger that no
(18:21):
one's waiting and it's not broken, whereas the G Wagon
you just pop up into any gas station and baby exactly.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Yeah. I wouldn't have thought to compare those two, but
I would like to drive it.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
Not a natural comparison.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
I would like to drive the ty Can and obviously
the it's going to be completely different behavior, right, because
the thing about the g Wagon, it's so tall and boxy,
it looks like it's gonna flip over when you turn it.
What I love is that when you really go into
a curve hard, you don't feel like it's gonna actually
fall over. Or maybe I edited my behavior in the
(18:56):
behind the wheel to save the money. By the way,
when I bought my for an eye watering price and
that was just the base model, I didn't realize that
a couple of years later I would sell it out
of profits, the only car I've ever sold not at
a loss.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
That to me is such a testament and a testimony
to the glory that is the g How many vehicles
can you say that about.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
I wish I hadn't been forced to sell it, but shipping.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
Costs, I mean, I feel like that's gonna You're gonna
be bitter about that for a long time, and I
don't blame you.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
And well, and the regulations suck too, because I bought
a nine to eleven here, which is the first time
I spent an exorbitant amount of like all my money
on a car, and I was able to bring it
to Germany. So I bought it in the US and
I was able to bring it over to Germany and
drive no problem. But if you buy a car that's
made in Germany, you're not allowed to bring it back
(19:50):
to this supposedly free country, right because of the regulations.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
It seems weird.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
It's horrible.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
A lot of people pick up their cars in Germany
and bring them back, though.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
I wasn't yet.
Speaker 3 (19:59):
Well, they have to be specially made for the US,
and the only changes are not really significant in terms
of engineering. It's just that instead of stamping an E
on the headlight, they make the US the same headlight, right, Yeah,
they just change the software a little bit, so it
won't be able to work as well in the US
because we have regulations.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
Even with the motorcycles, like I right before I was
transferred back from Berlin, I bought a BMW R nine
T the seven to nineteen version, which was awesome, and
I wasn't allowed to bring.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
It back by the way.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
I dealt with the bureaucracy this week at the Department
of Motor Vehicles, so I finally got my family trucks
for the Mercedes GLS four fifty I'm excited to say
that I paid half pretty much of the original MSRP
by buying a twenty twenty one version with thirty four
(21:03):
thousand miles.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
I don't know why anyone ever buys new cars frankly
mean neither. So we get it for basically fifty percent
off from my new friends at Galpin in Los Angeles.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
They ship it over here.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
The shipping was fantastic and fast and not a scratch
on the vehicle. But I had to do the whole
licensing process myself registration and get the licenses. I had
to go to the DMV three different times.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
Which one which actual office.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
In White Planes, New York. And the thing is, you
see a different person each time. So the first person
will say you need A and B or we can't
do this, And I come back with A and B
and the second person says, no, no, no, you need C
and D for sure, and you don't even you didn't
even need B. So everybody has a different idea of
what you need. They all go back to supervisors and
(21:54):
ask questions. I feel, you know, I'm not angry with
the people who work there, because it seems like like
a horrible place to work.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
Yeah, but that's nice. Have compassion.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
Why do we have these, you know, these masses of
regulation that just make life harder and not as enjoyable.
I mean, I I sort of know why. But I
finally got it licensed and drove it home, and I'm
so excited. The main thing I love about it is
that it's the same color that our G five hundred
(22:25):
was in, this emerald green.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
I don't know if you've ever seen it in my life.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
No, it's a beautiful It looks black in almost every
light unless it's in direct sunlight.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
Does it have metallic flake in it? Yes, slightly so.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
If it's in direct sunlight, then it's all of a sudden,
oozing metallic flake, like somebody.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
Just poured out stripper.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
Sprinkles on it. And it's emerald green. It's so beautiful.
But in any other light it's black, and so I
love that. And then I got, uh, you know how
obsessed I am with big trucks that have giant diesel motors.
So Ford delivered Bless their hearts and f two point
fifty King Ranch with the Tremor package. It has the
(23:06):
six point seven liter what's it called the power stroke
turbo diesel with twelve hundred foot pounds of torque, Like
that's just insane. That's an insane amount of push. And
it's in this really cool color Anti matter blue, and
I've had a couple of cars with that before.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
It's the same kind of thing.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
It looks black and almost every light unless there's direct
you need even more sunlight for this one. And then
it has the sparkly blue tone which is amazing. And
I absolutely love this truck, Hannah. I'm gonna, honestly, I'm
gonna tell the people at Ford to give you one for.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
A week because I'll want it. I want it.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
The thing about it is, of course it's nothing like
your Rolls Royce or you know.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
A huge luxo barge.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Yeah no, but it does have that.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
It does have the push right, and that's the thing
that Rolls Royce has and Bentley has. They have this
a massive amount of torque, but this has double what
those have. And even though you know it's it's a
heavy duty truck and it's got off road suspension so
it doesn't absorb the bumps. It's not the magic carpet ride.
But when you put your foot down, no matter what,
(24:19):
no matter where you're going. Even though it's like heavier
than you know, an oil tanker, it's just boom, it goes.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
What are you gonna do with it?
Speaker 3 (24:28):
Well, I just it puts such a huge smile on
my face. It makes my life better to drive it. Oh,
and what I keep doing is comparing it to the
Chevy version that I had a few weeks ago. I
had the Chevy Silverado twenty five hundred hd z R
two with a six point six liter Duramax.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
These names are so long and whatever. My wife makes
fun of me for that, but.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
They're essentially the same kind of thing. They're heavy duty
trucks with the off road package and the big diesel motor.
But they're very different vehicles because the Chevy, I think,
and maybe it's because of the suspension. It's got that
really trick suspension that comes out of Canada, I believe,
(25:13):
and it just does absorb the bumps on the road.
By the way, neither one of these vehicles I'm gonna
use for their intended purposes.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
I'm not hauling anything.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
I'm not using them for any work projects, and I'm
not taking them off road.
Speaker 4 (25:25):
Where are you parking it?
Speaker 3 (25:27):
I can only park it outside because it doesn't fit
in any garage neither one. But basically, I'm just driving
into Bronxville. I pull up in front of Langs. I
go in there and get a toasted corn muff on
the extra butter and an Arnold Palmer. You know, I'm
just cruising to Starbucks. You know, maybe I'm buying cars
and coffee. Yeah, so I'm only driving these on the road.
And the best thing there for me that they're useful
(25:47):
for is just munching miles. Like they can just go
on the highway and they have you know, one thousand
mile range, not quite a thousand, but over six hundred
miles of range. But the Chevy is more of like
a luxury product. I feel like the Chevy is more
high end and even the interior feels better appointed, whereas
(26:08):
the Ford feels like more of a work truck. I
wear my cowboy hat in it because I feel like
I am going to the farm.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
This is cosplay level. Yes, really we're getting close.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
But it's more it's bouncy and jouncy over highway joints.
And you know, what are.
Speaker 4 (26:26):
You listening to when you drive this truck?
Speaker 1 (26:27):
Like what music?
Speaker 3 (26:29):
Well, I listened to the Dead in almost every truck.
And I drove this Ford, this king Ranch last night
to the Capitol Theater in port Chester where I saw
Phil and Friends, which is Phil Lesh.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
You know.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
He is the bass player for The Grateful.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
Dead and I didn't know, but it was amazing.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
But you know, I'm also listening. I was listening to
Ministry this morning.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
Oh cool, all right, single there?
Speaker 2 (26:53):
And what else have I listened to in.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
These are the Girls with you at this point? Or no?
Speaker 2 (26:58):
When the girls are in the car?
Speaker 3 (27:00):
I'm typically listening to the Dead because Edna requests it,
and I don't think my infant child wants to be
hearing Alan Jurgenson.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
But yeah, uh, you know, I listened to a lot
of different stuff.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
It's not the same as It's not the same kind
of seventies metal that I would listen to in my
Challenger in the truck, I feel it's more like country
and the Dead makes more sense, you know.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
Yeah, I could see some Willie Nelson maybe.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
But my point is the Chevy version, it's it's more
luxurious and it's more I think about, maybe about the
driver like me, who isn't buying these trucks really uh,
to work on the ranch or to haul huge trailers,
and I don't do any of the precise testing that
you know, roadent track or a Roman ORF or Roman
(27:44):
at TfL do. But the Chevy doesn't feel as fast.
The Ford has a lot more get up and go.
But I think, uh, it's it's more of a refined
suspension so the Chevy.
Speaker 1 (27:59):
So does that mean that you would choose the Chevy
over the four.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
Well, I don't know, because they give you a different feeling,
you know that In the Chevy, I love it so much,
but I feel kind of like an impostor because it's
too good. I feel like I should be drinking a cappuccino.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
In the Chevy.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
I feel like I should be drinking a beer, you know,
and carrying a shotgun.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
So and neither one of those things I would do
on the public.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
No, no New York but no.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:25):
I think, just just my two cents on the difference
between those two vehicles, I need, I need you to
try these.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
I would really like I would really like the chance
to try to park it in the Bluebird Parking garage,
because that I already know will be a nightmare.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
You can't park them in the parking garage.
Speaker 3 (28:40):
And the other thing about both of these big heavy
duty off road diesel trucks is that they're kind of
too expensive for me.
Speaker 4 (28:46):
I mean, there's what's the price point.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
I didn't look at the Monroni, but I've I've configured
both the F two fifty and the Silverado twenty five hundred.
I don't get below like eighty eight thousand, and really
they go above. They both go above ninety because you
got to, like, you have to put a winch right,
I guess in case you ever need to pull somebody
(29:09):
out right.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
It would be embarrassing if you've showed up somewhere and
you didn't have.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
A we have this tool. You have to have the capability.
Speaker 3 (29:16):
But so they're both basically one hundred thousand dollars cars,
and I'm looking for something a little bit less pricey.
So I've been searching high and low, watching every documentary
and review, going to all of the websites from Supercar
Blondie to car Gurus for a Bentley and oh yes,
(29:37):
it's become like an obsession, Hannah. Why and you kind
of kicked it off when you first bought your rolls Rice,
I was like that is a cool that is a
ball or move.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (29:47):
Yeah, and then I sort of thought about it for
a while and never took it seriously.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
And then Matt Farrah from The Smoking Tire, which I'm
like my.
Speaker 3 (29:56):
Favorite podcast, he bought uh Turbo R, which is the
one I wanted, and.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
It's a big boy one.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
I was kind of like disappointed because I feel like
he's gonna drive the prices up because he's already done it,
so I can't do it. So I said, all right,
let me look at one generation newer, which is the
Bentley Arnaje. So the Turbo R was Bentley's, the Bentley
badged version of the Rolls Royce I think silver spur.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
Right, yes, And I will interject where Magnus always says,
the next Rolls Royce we get is going to be
a Bentley, because that's kind of true. Right, Well, there's
a crossover here.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
He tried to make them sportier, like I can't remember
when Rolls Royce took ownership of Bentley, but it was,
you know, before the war, right or or or somewhere
just thereafter. And then and then Rolls Royce focused on
Rolls Royces and they would badge Bentley's. The idea was
they're supposed to be a little sportier and with for
(30:54):
the Turbo R. That was the first time it actually happened.
I think they made first of mulsan Are and that
became the Turbo R.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
And basically they took the Rolls Royce six.
Speaker 3 (31:04):
And three quarter Leader V eight and they just put
a Garrett turbo charger on it.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
You know, we need to get Charlie Agapou on to
really lay it down for us. I would love we
should get him on, Matt. You know, this is for
anyone listening. He's the you know, favorite and pre eminent
Rolls Royce and Bentley mechanic in Los Angeles. He's eighty
years old ish, worked back in the day for the
Ford Pit Crew and Ford beat Ferrari. A gem of
(31:29):
a guy.
Speaker 5 (31:30):
Anyway, I would love to have him on him on
so and by the way, I'm looking all these Bentley's,
I'm looking at on bat and somewhere in the comments
of every Bentley auction, somebody inevitably says, hey, has Charlie worked.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
On this car?
Speaker 1 (31:45):
You know? Yeah, because if he has and you know, okay, okay, okay,
it's good. It's good.
Speaker 3 (31:49):
So anyway, the turbo r was the first time I
think in at least decades. Let's say that Bentley really
differentiated itself from Rolls Royce in terms of, you know,
the power and the handling. They they made the car stiffer.
They put a turbo charger on and it was a
lot fat. So I think the obvious choice to get
over the silver Spur of the era. But Matt Farrah
has gotten one, and so I thought, let me look
(32:11):
at some other Arnage reviews.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
There's a ton of really cool long term owner or
just classic car buff reviews on YouTube.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
The Bentley Arnage came after and a lot of people
will say it was the last real Bentley because then
there was the whole thing with BMW and Folkswagen like
fighting for control of Bentley and Rolls Royce, and but
this was the last like fully British in crew designed
and then built there Bentley the Arnage, and it gets
(32:42):
a lot of power like the te got I think
over four hundred and sixty horsepower and six hundred and
fifty pound feet of torqu which is massive even today.
Speaker 1 (32:50):
It's massive for the time, I'm almost unthinkable.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
Yes, yeah, And people say it's a stiffer ride than
the Turbo R. It's it's a better handler. I prefer
the look slightly of the Turbo R. But I've now
the arnage has grown on me and so and by
the way, these cars, the Turbo AR and the arnage,
you can get you know, high mileage versions for little
(33:13):
you know, like thou thirty thousand dollars.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
Now you texted me a bring a trailer link to
in ninety seven azure.
Speaker 2 (33:21):
Yes, Bentley, which is like a convertible Continental.
Speaker 3 (33:25):
So they which which is in its in its in
its own right, like a very special car. But there's
a guy on YouTube called the Gadget Guru who does
these delightful videos about stuff, and one of them is
the Bentley.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
What did he buy an arnage or a urb?
Speaker 3 (33:42):
I think he bought an arnage right at Amkam Auction
in Kissimi. I think he paid thirty six thousand for it.
And then he'd he had like this is a meticulous dude.
He had everything all lined up in terms of the
dealership he'd already talked to.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
They knew the car was coming.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
So he buys that the auction has it shipped over
to them, and they're like, and they told him beforehand, like, dude,
expect at least ten thousand dollars.
Speaker 4 (34:04):
Of okay, fine, ten ten, I understand.
Speaker 3 (34:08):
So then they're like they look at the car and
they're like, actually, sorry, it's gonna be more like forty
thousand dollars. And he's like, oh, but then uh, he
drives it a little they look at it a little more.
His total repair bill within months after buying it from
me Kam was ninety six thousand dollars on top of
the thirty six grand he's spent to buy the.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
Car in the value of the car way more. I
question a million things in this story because what what
would you not see?
Speaker 5 (34:39):
So okay, I mean I've been digging out deep into this,
so this is so fishing.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
You know, what's that Hoovey Hoovey's garage. You ever watched that.
Speaker 3 (34:51):
He's a YouTube guy and he has awesome cars, and
but he his this is what he does. He like
buys the cheap version of the amazing car that you
had the poster on the wall of your bedroom in
the eighties and now you can get it for twenty thousand.
But you had to sick forty into it. He has
a mechanic called the Wizard who does his own videos,
and he does a video on the arnage about the
things that go wrong. He says, listen, he's never had
(35:13):
a Bentley Arnage in his garage that hasn't got at
least to twenty thousand in terms of repairs. And there
are multiple problems, starting with the no well, the suspension
for sure, because it's like this weird mineral oil pneumatic thing.
Your roles might have the same kind of suspension. But
the actuator for the transmission, like when you go from
(35:37):
park to drive, it doesn't actually move a lever to
the transmission. It moves like a little computer actuator that
then moves a lever. And of course they don't make
that anymore, even though it's only like twenty years old.
Plus if you want to get a used one, there's
one main place to buy used parts for Bentley's in
the US called Flying Spares, and for Rolls Royces as well.
Speaker 2 (35:57):
You may know it if you go to.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
Flying Spares and say I need an actual wait for
the transmission of an arnage. They say, like, get in line,
so does everybody, And when one pops up, used and reconditioned.
Speaker 2 (36:07):
It goes instantly.
Speaker 3 (36:08):
It's already been spoken for, So forget about getting one
the steering rack when you have to repair that twenty
fifteen thousand dollars. The suspension, as you mentioned, is multiple
thousands of dollars per part, right like a like a
control arm. You're talking about fifteen hundred dollars two thousand
dollars apiece. And then like the tires are an issue,
(36:29):
the Benley Turbo R wheels only fit tires made by Avon,
and Avon doesn't really make them that much. They'll make batches.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
I doubt it. Where are you getting this information?
Speaker 2 (36:40):
I've been looking. I've been digging so deep.
Speaker 1 (36:42):
Look, I think I want to do a phone a friend.
I need to phone a friend. I need to call
my friend, Steve Cirio. Steve listens to this podcast every
week with his sons in Zohen Rocco and you guys,
I think they could help us because this this is
seeming like wildly I'm unsure.
Speaker 4 (37:01):
I don't claim to know the world of Bentley's yet, but.
Speaker 3 (37:07):
We need well, I mean, we'll continue to talk about that,
and I want to interview Charlie. I will just end
by saying what I found through my search for a
cool Bentley, and I was looking for pre like Continental GT.
Bentley's like before the Germans totally owned it. Right, even
though those are really cool, there are amazing cars. I've
driven them, I love them, It's not the same kind
(37:28):
of thing. What I landed on is the car I
want is the Continental TE. So after the turboar and
before they arenage, they made the Continental which is not
the Continental GT that you see now.
Speaker 1 (37:41):
This predates that.
Speaker 3 (37:42):
It predates that, and it kind of is like a
five sixty sec, you know, like.
Speaker 2 (37:50):
They're beautiful of it.
Speaker 3 (37:51):
Probably not as well built as the Mercedes, but at
the time they were the most expensive. At the time,
they were the most expensive car in the world, and
they had the Continental R and then they shortened the
wheelbase and put some more power under the hood and
called it the Continental T. And I think that's the
one to get. But I'm afraid, and I think you
(38:12):
could probably get a well sorted one for like sixty
seventy eighty thousand, but I'm just scared that after that
the repair bills are going to be the same or more.
Speaker 4 (38:20):
It's a valid concern.
Speaker 1 (38:21):
I did hear somebody say, oh, it's British, it's not
meant to run every day. That's it's you know, it
wasn't bothered by it. It's just the nature of the business.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Well I can't. I can't have that.
Speaker 1 (38:33):
I mean, there is something to be said for I
feel like in these later model Bentley's and Rolls Royces.
I totally agree they're super cool and I would want
one too, But of course, like it's cheaper when everything's analog,
which is why my seventy five Rolls Royce it. Yes,
I've had to make a few minor repairs, but everything's
(38:55):
cheaper because it's all analog.
Speaker 4 (38:56):
It's none of this like high tech computerized stuff.
Speaker 2 (38:59):
I think you're hundred percent right.
Speaker 3 (39:01):
What you want is so I would have to throw
away my dream of the Arnage and the Continental because
what you want is only the analog vehicles, which is
maybe eighty nine was the last year for an analog vehicle,
and then before that you're good.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
After that it's too terrifying.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
But I do think in terms of nineteen ninety and
two thousand era cars and Mercedes is great. I don't
know about Bentley.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
Yeah, but no, Well, Mercedes is like Faber engineered the
highest quality. And that's so after my obsession got deep
and dangerous with Bentley's last week and then I started
seeing the costs. It scared me out of it. And
then I went straight back to looking at a W
one twenty six.
Speaker 4 (39:47):
Like I feel I was going to feel.
Speaker 1 (39:49):
I'm feeling this.
Speaker 2 (39:50):
Yes, yeah.
Speaker 3 (39:51):
The thing is they're just not as powerful, you know,
because you're getting what maximum like maximum three hundred horsepower
from the factory out of any Mercedes before, like the
two thousands, and these Bentleys were putting out four hundred,
four twenty obviously my favorite number four fifty four sixty,
so you know they're they're putting out.
Speaker 2 (40:10):
A lot more power. All right, that's all we have
time for today. But it's been great talking to you, Hannah.
So glad you're back in the US.
Speaker 1 (40:19):
Me too.
Speaker 3 (40:19):
I'm gonna beg like Dan Barbosa to send you a
Super Duty with a big Diesel motor in it.
Speaker 1 (40:26):
Great Ford, Thank you. I can't wait to try.
Speaker 3 (40:29):
And because I think it's really a luxurious experience. People
think of them as work trucks, but I.
Speaker 2 (40:33):
Think it's luxury I'll be the judge of that, Yes
you will.
Speaker 1 (40:37):
I'm Matt Miller, I'm Hannah Elliott, and this is Bloomberg.
I'm Matt Miller and I'm Hannah Elliott, and this is
Hot Pursuit.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
We have a lot to talk about today.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Hannah's back from Saudi Arabia but still on Middle Eastern time. Yes,
I have took delivery of, bought and licensed my new car.
Plus I've been test driving one of my dream cars
a truck, so we'll discuss those things. Plus you have
a story out on Supercar Blondie and yet another auction site.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
But it may make sense.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Right, Yeah, I think it very well could make sense.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
You're also test driving g Wagon, the big AMG version,
so I want to talk about that. I owned the
lesser version a couple of years ago in Berlin, and
we've got some cool emails that we're going to go over.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
What's the email address again?
Speaker 1 (00:53):
The email address is Hot Pursuit at Bloomberg dot net,
and we do really appreciate your emails. I also got
phone message from my mom, but that was somehow emailed
to me. Hon't you get your numb Thanks mom? I'm
not sure, but thanks for that. But email also works
Hot Pursuit at Bloomberg dot net.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Awesome.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Yeah, we do love the emails because a we like
to connect with our listeners and engage converse with our listeners.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
But also we get a lot.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Of content that way, or we get good content. I think, no,
a lot, but quality over quantity. Let's kick it off
with the Supercar Blondie story, because initially, when I think, oh,
another auction site, Like I'm already searching on auto Trader
and auto Tempest for normal cars and then I'm going
on BAT. I spend like at least an hour a
(01:43):
day on Bring a Trailer. Yeah, Doug has cars and
bids which I've started looking at as well, and.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
There's collecting cars in the UK.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Yeah, that's the Chris Harris thing.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
My buddy James Little works for them, makes really cool videos.
Recently I watched one he did of a Bentley, So
I want.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
To talk about that.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Oh, I got to talk about my new obsession with
or my yes, increased obsession with Bentley. It is a
love hate thing. But Supercar Blondie, whom a lot of
people know from social media, has started another another auction site,
which I would think we don't need one, but it's
specifically targeted at the hypercars that she profiles.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Right, Yeah, that's right. So Supercar Blondie. It sounds like
Matt you're familiar with her. For anybody who isn't familiar
with her, she is a very influential content creator. She
started her YouTube platform in twenty seventeen.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
She's Australian.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Her name is Alex Hershey and she runs the brand
with her husband, Nick Hershey, who actually is a former
Bloomberg employee, I should say from several years ago, but
he's a finance guy who quit and now they have
Supercar Blondie, this brand. She actually counts two billion viewers
a month across all of her platforms, Holy which Holy
(02:57):
Wild Wild, and she is launching on March eighteenth something
called SBX Cars, which is going to be, like you say,
an online car auction platform, and the platform is going
to specialize only in the ultra rare kinds of hypercars
and supercars that she features.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
So it's not going to be.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Like Ferrari four eighty eights and Lamborghini SUVs and BMWM three's.
It's going to be like the Hyperion prototype and a
BMW hydrofoil glass boat, and there will be a Tesla
cybertruck offered, but like.
Speaker 4 (03:37):
A Mercedes AMG one.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
They've got some John Player special Formula one cars from
the seventies and eighties that they're going to sell. So
she's focusing really on the highest of the high end,
and Alex says, look, there are enough people buying and
selling these cars, and they don't have a place that
is only premium. Now, of course we've seen bring a
trailer sell million dollar cars.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
It's been done, people will do it.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
But Alex and Nick argue there isn't a place for
simply only extremely premium cars. So that's true, trying for
only access, but there is right like.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
Your friends at Gooding or of course you know they
don't only sell those, but they.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Do sell absolutely Yeah. I mean Lewis Hamilton's eighteen million
dollar Formula car that arm Soetheby sold during the Formula
race in Las Vegas last year is a perfect example.
I really think by the way that those Formula cars
are going to really gain in value. But that's an
example of arm Sotheby's doing the same, same type of thing.
(04:44):
And so now we've got a new entry, and I
think the real question with it is does a big
social media platform actually translate into being able to sell
sell things? And will people trust you to sell their
very expensive and special cars.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Especially for that clientele.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
Like I mean, I have I know a guy who
collects very expensive cars, and you know, he's a wall
Street like a Titan, and he is, you know, he's
like an Aspen Saint Marit's kind of guy. She she, right,
but he doesn't spend a lot of time on social media.
I doubt that he's one of the two billion views.
(05:23):
And by the way, I imagine it's two billion views,
not two billion viewers a month, right, because that would
be like a fourth of the people on Earth follow
super Car Blondie.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
I think it's views if I said viewers, take that back,
but I can give you another figure. They claim one
hundred and ten million subscribers, so maybe that's more of
a concrete number. Still huge, still big. And I did
ask her about that, and Alex really says, Look, it's
not that every billionaire follows us. Of course they don't.
(05:53):
Many aren't even on social media, like your friend. But
the argument for her is that they can put out
a video and guarantee it's going to be seen by
twenty million people at any given point, and eventually whatever's
in the video will trickle down to someone who's gonna
buy it, maybe somebody shares the video on WhatsApp, or
you know, word gets out because they naturally have such
(06:15):
a big platform.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
Anyway, I think so the Supercar Blondie story is interesting
on so many levels. Right Number one, she herself and
the business that she's built is fascinating. Number Two, I
love the content that she puts out, and obviously so
do a lot of other people. Number Three, we care
about these cars, especially you, that's your bag. And then
number four will the business? You know, is there room
(06:39):
for another auction platform? Is she going to have trouble
competing with the guys at Gooding?
Speaker 2 (06:45):
And so the b's what if they think about this?
Speaker 3 (06:47):
They might be a little bit unhappy about her encroaching
on their territory.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
That's a very fair question.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
And I spoke with David Gooding, I spoke with Rob Myers,
I spoke with the guys at Craig jack at Barrett Jackson.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
So yeah, it's a fair question.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
And as you might expect, you know, they're they're tentatively watching,
you know. I spoke with Ed at Collecting Cars. He
really made the point that, look, this business isn't just
about gaming an SEO or figuring out an algorithm for
reaching people. It's about a lot of hard work and
knowing how to run an auction. It's about more than
(07:26):
just being able to be online. And David Gooding really
I said what does it take to be good in
this world? And he says, high tolerance for pain and
misery basically, So you know this is these are guys
that have done this for twenty thirty years.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
I do know it's a lot of work.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
It's not glamorous, but then again they're coming from a
position of more of an old model, obviously not at
collecting cars. But you know, I think the sentiment seems
to be it's not as easy as it looks, right,
and bring a Trailer has made it look very easy.
And we had Randy on and we love Randy and
(08:04):
we know that he does a great job with Bring
a Trailer, But the thing is, bring a Trailer makes
it look easy, and it's not easy.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Well, bring a Trailer I think is on another level
because and that's something that was created. It was a
passion project that turned into a very successful auction site.
Whereas you know Doug, we talk about Doug DeMuro all
the time.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
I figure.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
Everyone who cares about cars knows Doug de Murro because
he's had such a huge impact in terms of his
YouTube videos.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
And that's another thing.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
He had this massive passion and then I don't know
how he came up with the idea for cars and bids,
but he then sold it for a few million dollars
and then promptly used those few million dollars to buy
a really cuigh cars. Yeah, which is awesome, right, But
now super Car Blondie obviously she's also passionate about cars,
and she's created this huge social media following.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
She probably saw Doug. Well, you know how she how
did she come up with the idea?
Speaker 1 (08:57):
Well, Alex says that many of the people that she
has come to know over the years because she features
their cars, have asked her, Hey, I'm looking for such
and such a car, can you help me find one?
Or Hey, I would like to sell this car that
you featured, do you know anybody who wants to buy it?
So Alex really says, look, I've built this network of
(09:20):
collectors of owners for the past seven years since she's
been going around the world documenting the cars, and that's
very valid. And Alex says look, these people are asking me,
can you help us find somebody to sell this car
or somebody who might want to buy this car. So
she claims she has quite a network built up that actually,
(09:40):
perhaps an RM Southeby's or a Gooding may not be
able to tap into.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
And you know, she's also young, and people with money
are increasingly younger, right, and people's texts are changing. I
think that's interesting because something like Southeby's the way you
say it, well, it just seems like something old people
would go to, right, even these the Concorde Elegance, you know,
(10:05):
like these things seem like events for old people. Young
people are, you know, watching Supercar Blondie. And maybe she
has a really good point there, like if you're a
cool kid who some kind of NEPO baby, or if
you inherited hundreds of millions of dollars or you sold
your video game making company, you know, and now you
want to buy a sweet car, it's probably much more
(10:27):
fun and cool to hang out with her Blondie, you know,
then go to a Concord elegance on Amelia Island or whatever.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
So, yeah, I think that's really true. Alex is a
smart girl. She she is a very hard worker, she's
very motivated and she has a great team around her.
So I would never ever underestimate what she's able to do.
I mean, before her her YouTube channel, she was a
radio show host in Dubai and.
Speaker 4 (10:57):
She has created by Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
Yes she's Australian, but she resides in Dubai with her husband.
So I would never ever underestimate what she's able to do.
I think she's motivated and smart and if she wants
to do something, you know, you got to pay attention
to it.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
So you were in Saudi Arabia, yes, And last time
we spoke, you were at this Bloomberg event and you
were interviewing, you know, powerful people in the world of racing.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
But then you went off on like your little.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
Adventure off pieced.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Yeah, so what was that?
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Like?
Speaker 2 (11:26):
What did you do?
Speaker 1 (11:27):
It was great?
Speaker 4 (11:28):
I have to say. First of all, I did make.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
It to practice rounds of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
in Jedda, which which were very cool. I was very
happy to see those. I was in Aston Martin Paddock
and saw the new safety car, the new Vantage safety car, which.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
Is super beautiful.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Yeah, and I got to talk with the guy who's
driven the safety car for like twenty five years. Is
he's German. His name's uh Burnt. I'm going to murder
his name, so I'm not going to say it. Oh
please trying it very I'm not as someone who's Marlin. Yeah, yes,
yes that that that So that was great. But then
I went off on this pilgrimage to a place called Allula,
(12:11):
which is in the desert, about four hours outside of Medina,
and I visited a hotel called Habitas Alula, which is
truly in the middle of nowhere.
Speaker 4 (12:22):
Now you might have.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
Heard of Medina because it's the stopping off point before Mecca.
So Medina has a constant flow of pilgrims on their
journey to Mecca. So it feels extremely foreign to my
La sensibilities. But I was in the desert at this
at this amazing hotel called Habitas Allula, and it's I'm
(12:46):
going to be writing about it, but it's it's sort
of portrayed as a burning man in Saudi Arabia, and
I wouldn't quite go that far. There's no alcohol, there's not,
there's not. That's kind of where your mind, that's where
your mind goes. There are no drugs, there's no alcohol
on the premises, there are no orgies. You know, it's
(13:07):
mostly Saudi families in very traditional dress, fully covered.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
So just the fact that it's in the desert, and.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Of course there are art installations around the pool's incredible.
I would I will say, to be honest, the no
alcohol thing did not put a damper on any amount
of fun.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
It will you not going to drink the whole week?
Speaker 4 (13:28):
Oh, I'm still going.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
I I didn't have it. Yeah, I didn't have a
drink for like eight days, nine days, and I've just
kept it going.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
But doesn't see how long it lasts. I mean, aren't
there oases? There aren't there places for Westerners to get booze.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
So I actually thought, surely, you know, once you get
into the boutique hotel, there's going to be a backstash,
they'll have a little bit of wine. Yeah, surely, No, no, no, no,
absolutely verboten. No.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Now, I'm told if you go sailing, or if you
leave land and you go out into the Red Sea
and you're on somebody's boat, then there will be alcohol there.
But I'm like you, Matt, I kind of thought, yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever,
there's gonna be a little bit somewhere or you know, no,
absolutely not.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
You also are driving this week in AMG sixty three
G sixty three, so it's the g Wagon that's super
pumped up. This is what I imagine everybody in Saudi
Arabia drives.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
But you're driving or in La in La, so you're.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
In both places, right, Beverly Hills.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
Yes, first of all, I mean I would say, what's
it like? But I know it's amazing.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
We know the thing is. Look, this is nothing new.
This has been around since seventy nine. We all know
what it's like. We know that it's perfect. What can
I say is there's a reason it's an icon. It's
a diamond that just needs a little bit of polishing
every now and then when they do a model year update.
But as far as I'm concerned, I would not change anything.
I'm even so oo Tree has to say. I love
(15:03):
the mono block wheels, I love the night package. The
one I have is this like all of metallic color
that costs like seven thousand dollars.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Oh, I know the color very nice.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
Oh it's I mean, it's to die for and it
just makes you feel so bossy and rude when you're
driving it, and I love the power. I get drunk
on power when I drive.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
I'm a huge fan. You know.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
I bought the base model, the G five hundred, the
year they came out with like the real independent suspension updates,
which is a change. I'm so happy they made.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
Purists.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
We're angry about it at first, but it drives a
billion times better and is almost as capable off road.
Really yeah, depending what you're doing, maybe more capable off road.
I love those trucks, but they're just so expensive. I've
always thought Mercedes has really missed a trick, because how
cool would it be if right now they I think
they can only make them at the Magnus Dyer plant
(15:59):
in Gratto.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
She's been to yes in Austria, that's right.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
And they can all make it amount Yeah, exactly exactly.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
Fortunately, I wish they would make like, you know, the
like the VW Bug, right a people's car.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
I wish they would make an version the PO like
the two door like that.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
But you know what, they could easily replicate it in
Instead of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars car, they
could make it, you know, a fifty thousand dollars vehicle
and they don't. Yeah, I know they want to make
Mercedes is very focused on the higher end, the bigger,
fatter margins.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
I totally get that, but I just feel like this
is a car every kid likes.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
You know, the shape, It's just easy to draw, and
you want to feel the doors close when you get
in and start to.
Speaker 4 (16:46):
Sounds so good when you slam them shut.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
Yeah, it's just like a it's like a safe that
you're slamming shut.
Speaker 4 (16:52):
But about the price, I have to say, this is.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
How warped my mind is. I was remembering because someone
amazing had emailed in and talked about the fact that
you hadn't driven the take Can yet I have. Actually
that was an email from Doug So, Doug, thank you
for your not Doug Demurroe, No, a different Doug. So.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
I was looking up.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
You know, they just came out with the Porscha Tacan
Turbo GT, and of course they set a lap record
with the WISAC Package Turbo.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
So I'm like going down.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
A deep dive of this on on the Nurber Green. Yeah.
But so I see that that the WISAC package starts
at two hundred and thirty thousand dollars. Then I go
back to my beautiful humble G Wagon, my G sixty three,
and I see that it starts at only one hundred
and seventy nine thousand, So if you ask me, it
(17:45):
feels like a bargain. And even with all of the
extras in the one that I'm driving, which includes you know,
the mono block wheels, is olive metallic paint, blah blah blah,
it's only two hundred and five thousand, which is far
cheaper than that sitan.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
Right, and you can I mean, first of all, there
aren't many options to check on the G Wagon, so
you don't really option it up to Valhalla. Secondly, with
the ty Can, as good as it may be and
as fast as it is around the nurburg Ring, it's
still gonna take you at least twenty minutes to fill
it up if you can find a charger that no
(18:21):
one's waiting and it's not broken, whereas the G Wagon
you just pop up into any gas station and baby exactly.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Yeah. I wouldn't have thought to compare those two, but
I would like to drive it.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
Not a natural comparison.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
I would like to drive the ty Can and obviously
the it's going to be completely different behavior, right, because
the thing about the g Wagon, it's so tall and boxy,
it looks like it's gonna flip over when you turn it.
What I love is that when you really go into
a curve hard, you don't feel like it's gonna actually
fall over. Or maybe I edited my behavior in the
(18:56):
behind the wheel to save the money. By the way,
when I bought my for an eye watering price and
that was just the base model, I didn't realize that
a couple of years later I would sell it out
of profits, the only car I've ever sold not at
a loss.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
That to me is such a testament and a testimony
to the glory that is the g How many vehicles
can you say that about.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
I wish I hadn't been forced to sell it, but shipping.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
Costs, I mean, I feel like that's gonna You're gonna
be bitter about that for a long time, and I
don't blame you.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
And well, and the regulations suck too, because I bought
a nine to eleven here, which is the first time
I spent an exorbitant amount of like all my money
on a car, and I was able to bring it
to Germany. So I bought it in the US and
I was able to bring it over to Germany and
drive no problem. But if you buy a car that's
made in Germany, you're not allowed to bring it back
(19:50):
to this supposedly free country, right because of the regulations.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
It seems weird.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
It's horrible.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
A lot of people pick up their cars in Germany
and bring them back, though.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
I wasn't yet.
Speaker 3 (19:59):
Well, they have to be specially made for the US,
and the only changes are not really significant in terms
of engineering. It's just that instead of stamping an E
on the headlight, they make the US the same headlight, right, Yeah,
they just change the software a little bit, so it
won't be able to work as well in the US
because we have regulations.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
Even with the motorcycles, like I right before I was
transferred back from Berlin, I bought a BMW R nine
T the seven to nineteen version, which was awesome, and
I wasn't allowed to bring.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
It back by the way.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
I dealt with the bureaucracy this week at the Department
of Motor Vehicles, so I finally got my family trucks
for the Mercedes GLS four fifty I'm excited to say
that I paid half pretty much of the original MSRP
by buying a twenty twenty one version with thirty four
(21:03):
thousand miles.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
I don't know why anyone ever buys new cars frankly
mean neither. So we get it for basically fifty percent
off from my new friends at Galpin in Los Angeles.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
They ship it over here.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
The shipping was fantastic and fast and not a scratch
on the vehicle. But I had to do the whole
licensing process myself registration and get the licenses. I had
to go to the DMV three different times.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
Which one which actual office.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
In White Planes, New York. And the thing is, you
see a different person each time. So the first person
will say you need A and B or we can't
do this, And I come back with A and B
and the second person says, no, no, no, you need C
and D for sure, and you don't even you didn't
even need B. So everybody has a different idea of
what you need. They all go back to supervisors and
(21:54):
ask questions. I feel, you know, I'm not angry with
the people who work there, because it seems like like
a horrible place to work.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
Yeah, but that's nice. Have compassion.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
Why do we have these, you know, these masses of
regulation that just make life harder and not as enjoyable.
I mean, I I sort of know why. But I
finally got it licensed and drove it home, and I'm
so excited. The main thing I love about it is
that it's the same color that our G five hundred
(22:25):
was in, this emerald green.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
I don't know if you've ever seen it in my life.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
No, it's a beautiful It looks black in almost every
light unless it's in direct sunlight.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
Does it have metallic flake in it? Yes, slightly so.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
If it's in direct sunlight, then it's all of a sudden,
oozing metallic flake, like somebody.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
Just poured out stripper.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
Sprinkles on it. And it's emerald green. It's so beautiful.
But in any other light it's black, and so I
love that. And then I got, uh, you know how
obsessed I am with big trucks that have giant diesel motors.
So Ford delivered Bless their hearts and f two point
fifty King Ranch with the Tremor package. It has the
(23:06):
six point seven liter what's it called the power stroke
turbo diesel with twelve hundred foot pounds of torque, Like
that's just insane. That's an insane amount of push. And
it's in this really cool color Anti matter blue, and
I've had a couple of cars with that before.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
It's the same kind of thing.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
It looks black and almost every light unless there's direct
you need even more sunlight for this one. And then
it has the sparkly blue tone which is amazing. And
I absolutely love this truck, Hannah. I'm gonna, honestly, I'm
gonna tell the people at Ford to give you one for.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
A week because I'll want it. I want it.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
The thing about it is, of course it's nothing like
your Rolls Royce or you know.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
A huge luxo barge.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Yeah no, but it does have that.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
It does have the push right, and that's the thing
that Rolls Royce has and Bentley has. They have this
a massive amount of torque, but this has double what
those have. And even though you know it's it's a
heavy duty truck and it's got off road suspension so
it doesn't absorb the bumps. It's not the magic carpet ride.
But when you put your foot down, no matter what,
(24:19):
no matter where you're going. Even though it's like heavier
than you know, an oil tanker, it's just boom, it goes.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
What are you gonna do with it?
Speaker 3 (24:28):
Well, I just it puts such a huge smile on
my face. It makes my life better to drive it. Oh,
and what I keep doing is comparing it to the
Chevy version that I had a few weeks ago. I
had the Chevy Silverado twenty five hundred hd z R
two with a six point six liter Duramax.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
These names are so long and whatever. My wife makes
fun of me for that, but.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
They're essentially the same kind of thing. They're heavy duty
trucks with the off road package and the big diesel motor.
But they're very different vehicles because the Chevy, I think,
and maybe it's because of the suspension. It's got that
really trick suspension that comes out of Canada, I believe,
(25:13):
and it just does absorb the bumps on the road.
By the way, neither one of these vehicles I'm gonna
use for their intended purposes.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
I'm not hauling anything.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
I'm not using them for any work projects, and I'm
not taking them off road.
Speaker 4 (25:25):
Where are you parking it?
Speaker 3 (25:27):
I can only park it outside because it doesn't fit
in any garage neither one. But basically, I'm just driving
into Bronxville. I pull up in front of Langs. I
go in there and get a toasted corn muff on
the extra butter and an Arnold Palmer. You know, I'm
just cruising to Starbucks. You know, maybe I'm buying cars
and coffee. Yeah, so I'm only driving these on the road.
And the best thing there for me that they're useful
(25:47):
for is just munching miles. Like they can just go
on the highway and they have you know, one thousand
mile range, not quite a thousand, but over six hundred
miles of range. But the Chevy is more of like
a luxury product. I feel like the Chevy is more
high end and even the interior feels better appointed, whereas
(26:08):
the Ford feels like more of a work truck. I
wear my cowboy hat in it because I feel like
I am going to the farm.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
This is cosplay level. Yes, really we're getting close.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
But it's more it's bouncy and jouncy over highway joints.
And you know, what are.
Speaker 4 (26:26):
You listening to when you drive this truck?
Speaker 1 (26:27):
Like what music?
Speaker 3 (26:29):
Well, I listened to the Dead in almost every truck.
And I drove this Ford, this king Ranch last night
to the Capitol Theater in port Chester where I saw
Phil and Friends, which is Phil Lesh.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
You know.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
He is the bass player for The Grateful.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
Dead and I didn't know, but it was amazing.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
But you know, I'm also listening. I was listening to
Ministry this morning.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
Oh cool, all right, single there?
Speaker 2 (26:53):
And what else have I listened to in.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
These are the Girls with you at this point? Or no?
Speaker 2 (26:58):
When the girls are in the car?
Speaker 3 (27:00):
I'm typically listening to the Dead because Edna requests it,
and I don't think my infant child wants to be
hearing Alan Jurgenson.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
But yeah, uh, you know, I listened to a lot
of different stuff.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
It's not the same as It's not the same kind
of seventies metal that I would listen to in my
Challenger in the truck, I feel it's more like country
and the Dead makes more sense, you know.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
Yeah, I could see some Willie Nelson maybe.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
But my point is the Chevy version, it's it's more
luxurious and it's more I think about, maybe about the
driver like me, who isn't buying these trucks really uh,
to work on the ranch or to haul huge trailers,
and I don't do any of the precise testing that
you know, roadent track or a Roman ORF or Roman
(27:44):
at TfL do. But the Chevy doesn't feel as fast.
The Ford has a lot more get up and go.
But I think, uh, it's it's more of a refined
suspension so the Chevy.
Speaker 1 (27:59):
So does that mean that you would choose the Chevy
over the four.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
Well, I don't know, because they give you a different feeling,
you know that In the Chevy, I love it so much,
but I feel kind of like an impostor because it's
too good. I feel like I should be drinking a cappuccino.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
In the Chevy.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
I feel like I should be drinking a beer, you know,
and carrying a shotgun.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
So and neither one of those things I would do
on the public.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
No, no New York but no.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:25):
I think, just just my two cents on the difference
between those two vehicles, I need, I need you to
try these.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
I would really like I would really like the chance
to try to park it in the Bluebird Parking garage,
because that I already know will be a nightmare.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
You can't park them in the parking garage.
Speaker 3 (28:40):
And the other thing about both of these big heavy
duty off road diesel trucks is that they're kind of
too expensive for me.
Speaker 4 (28:46):
I mean, there's what's the price point.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
I didn't look at the Monroni, but I've I've configured
both the F two fifty and the Silverado twenty five hundred.
I don't get below like eighty eight thousand, and really
they go above. They both go above ninety because you
got to, like, you have to put a winch right,
I guess in case you ever need to pull somebody
(29:09):
out right.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
It would be embarrassing if you've showed up somewhere and
you didn't have.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
A we have this tool. You have to have the capability.
Speaker 3 (29:16):
But so they're both basically one hundred thousand dollars cars,
and I'm looking for something a little bit less pricey.
So I've been searching high and low, watching every documentary
and review, going to all of the websites from Supercar
Blondie to car Gurus for a Bentley and oh yes,
(29:37):
it's become like an obsession, Hannah. Why and you kind
of kicked it off when you first bought your rolls Rice,
I was like that is a cool that is a
ball or move.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (29:47):
Yeah, and then I sort of thought about it for
a while and never took it seriously.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
And then Matt Farrah from The Smoking Tire, which I'm
like my.
Speaker 3 (29:56):
Favorite podcast, he bought uh Turbo R, which is the
one I wanted, and.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
It's a big boy one.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
I was kind of like disappointed because I feel like
he's gonna drive the prices up because he's already done it,
so I can't do it. So I said, all right,
let me look at one generation newer, which is the
Bentley Arnaje. So the Turbo R was Bentley's, the Bentley
badged version of the Rolls Royce I think silver spur.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
Right, yes, And I will interject where Magnus always says,
the next Rolls Royce we get is going to be
a Bentley, because that's kind of true. Right, Well, there's
a crossover here.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
He tried to make them sportier, like I can't remember
when Rolls Royce took ownership of Bentley, but it was,
you know, before the war, right or or or somewhere
just thereafter. And then and then Rolls Royce focused on
Rolls Royces and they would badge Bentley's. The idea was
they're supposed to be a little sportier and with for
(30:54):
the Turbo R. That was the first time it actually happened.
I think they made first of mulsan Are and that
became the Turbo R.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
And basically they took the Rolls Royce six.
Speaker 3 (31:04):
And three quarter Leader V eight and they just put
a Garrett turbo charger on it.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
You know, we need to get Charlie Agapou on to
really lay it down for us. I would love we
should get him on, Matt. You know, this is for
anyone listening. He's the you know, favorite and pre eminent
Rolls Royce and Bentley mechanic in Los Angeles. He's eighty
years old ish, worked back in the day for the
Ford Pit Crew and Ford beat Ferrari. A gem of
(31:29):
a guy.
Speaker 5 (31:30):
Anyway, I would love to have him on him on
so and by the way, I'm looking all these Bentley's,
I'm looking at on bat and somewhere in the comments
of every Bentley auction, somebody inevitably says, hey, has Charlie worked.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
On this car?
Speaker 1 (31:45):
You know? Yeah, because if he has and you know, okay, okay, okay,
it's good. It's good.
Speaker 3 (31:49):
So anyway, the turbo r was the first time I
think in at least decades. Let's say that Bentley really
differentiated itself from Rolls Royce in terms of, you know,
the power and the handling. They they made the car stiffer.
They put a turbo charger on and it was a
lot fat. So I think the obvious choice to get
over the silver Spur of the era. But Matt Farrah
has gotten one, and so I thought, let me look
(32:11):
at some other Arnage reviews.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
There's a ton of really cool long term owner or
just classic car buff reviews on YouTube.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
The Bentley Arnage came after and a lot of people
will say it was the last real Bentley because then
there was the whole thing with BMW and Folkswagen like
fighting for control of Bentley and Rolls Royce, and but
this was the last like fully British in crew designed
and then built there Bentley the Arnage, and it gets
(32:42):
a lot of power like the te got I think
over four hundred and sixty horsepower and six hundred and
fifty pound feet of torqu which is massive even today.
Speaker 1 (32:50):
It's massive for the time, I'm almost unthinkable.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
Yes, yeah, And people say it's a stiffer ride than
the Turbo R. It's it's a better handler. I prefer
the look slightly of the Turbo R. But I've now
the arnage has grown on me and so and by
the way, these cars, the Turbo AR and the arnage,
you can get you know, high mileage versions for little
(33:13):
you know, like thou thirty thousand dollars.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
Now you texted me a bring a trailer link to
in ninety seven azure.
Speaker 2 (33:21):
Yes, Bentley, which is like a convertible Continental.
Speaker 3 (33:25):
So they which which is in its in its in
its own right, like a very special car. But there's
a guy on YouTube called the Gadget Guru who does
these delightful videos about stuff, and one of them is
the Bentley.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
What did he buy an arnage or a urb?
Speaker 3 (33:42):
I think he bought an arnage right at Amkam Auction
in Kissimi. I think he paid thirty six thousand for it.
And then he'd he had like this is a meticulous dude.
He had everything all lined up in terms of the
dealership he'd already talked to.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
They knew the car was coming.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
So he buys that the auction has it shipped over
to them, and they're like, and they told him beforehand, like, dude,
expect at least ten thousand dollars.
Speaker 4 (34:04):
Of okay, fine, ten ten, I understand.
Speaker 3 (34:08):
So then they're like they look at the car and
they're like, actually, sorry, it's gonna be more like forty
thousand dollars. And he's like, oh, but then uh, he
drives it a little they look at it a little more.
His total repair bill within months after buying it from
me Kam was ninety six thousand dollars on top of
the thirty six grand he's spent to buy the.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
Car in the value of the car way more. I
question a million things in this story because what what
would you not see?
Speaker 5 (34:39):
So okay, I mean I've been digging out deep into this,
so this is so fishing.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
You know, what's that Hoovey Hoovey's garage. You ever watched that.
Speaker 3 (34:51):
He's a YouTube guy and he has awesome cars, and
but he his this is what he does. He like
buys the cheap version of the amazing car that you
had the poster on the wall of your bedroom in
the eighties and now you can get it for twenty thousand.
But you had to sick forty into it. He has
a mechanic called the Wizard who does his own videos,
and he does a video on the arnage about the
things that go wrong. He says, listen, he's never had
(35:13):
a Bentley Arnage in his garage that hasn't got at
least to twenty thousand in terms of repairs. And there
are multiple problems, starting with the no well, the suspension
for sure, because it's like this weird mineral oil pneumatic thing.
Your roles might have the same kind of suspension. But
the actuator for the transmission, like when you go from
(35:37):
park to drive, it doesn't actually move a lever to
the transmission. It moves like a little computer actuator that
then moves a lever. And of course they don't make
that anymore, even though it's only like twenty years old.
Plus if you want to get a used one, there's
one main place to buy used parts for Bentley's in
the US called Flying Spares, and for Rolls Royces as well.
Speaker 2 (35:57):
You may know it if you go to.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
Flying Spares and say I need an actual wait for
the transmission of an arnage. They say, like, get in line,
so does everybody, And when one pops up, used and reconditioned.
Speaker 2 (36:07):
It goes instantly.
Speaker 3 (36:08):
It's already been spoken for, So forget about getting one
the steering rack when you have to repair that twenty
fifteen thousand dollars. The suspension, as you mentioned, is multiple
thousands of dollars per part, right like a like a
control arm. You're talking about fifteen hundred dollars two thousand
dollars apiece. And then like the tires are an issue,
(36:29):
the Benley Turbo R wheels only fit tires made by Avon,
and Avon doesn't really make them that much. They'll make batches.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
I doubt it. Where are you getting this information?
Speaker 2 (36:40):
I've been looking. I've been digging so deep.
Speaker 1 (36:42):
Look, I think I want to do a phone a friend.
I need to phone a friend. I need to call
my friend, Steve Cirio. Steve listens to this podcast every
week with his sons in Zohen Rocco and you guys,
I think they could help us because this this is
seeming like wildly I'm unsure.
Speaker 4 (37:01):
I don't claim to know the world of Bentley's yet, but.
Speaker 3 (37:07):
We need well, I mean, we'll continue to talk about that,
and I want to interview Charlie. I will just end
by saying what I found through my search for a
cool Bentley, and I was looking for pre like Continental GT.
Bentley's like before the Germans totally owned it. Right, even
though those are really cool, there are amazing cars. I've
driven them, I love them, It's not the same kind
(37:28):
of thing. What I landed on is the car I
want is the Continental TE. So after the turboar and
before they arenage, they made the Continental which is not
the Continental GT that you see now.
Speaker 1 (37:41):
This predates that.
Speaker 3 (37:42):
It predates that, and it kind of is like a
five sixty sec, you know, like.
Speaker 2 (37:50):
They're beautiful of it.
Speaker 3 (37:51):
Probably not as well built as the Mercedes, but at
the time they were the most expensive. At the time,
they were the most expensive car in the world, and
they had the Continental R and then they shortened the
wheelbase and put some more power under the hood and
called it the Continental T. And I think that's the
one to get. But I'm afraid, and I think you
(38:12):
could probably get a well sorted one for like sixty
seventy eighty thousand, but I'm just scared that after that
the repair bills are going to be the same or more.
Speaker 4 (38:20):
It's a valid concern.
Speaker 1 (38:21):
I did hear somebody say, oh, it's British, it's not
meant to run every day. That's it's you know, it
wasn't bothered by it. It's just the nature of the business.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Well I can't. I can't have that.
Speaker 1 (38:33):
I mean, there is something to be said for I
feel like in these later model Bentley's and Rolls Royces.
I totally agree they're super cool and I would want
one too, But of course, like it's cheaper when everything's analog,
which is why my seventy five Rolls Royce it. Yes,
I've had to make a few minor repairs, but everything's
(38:55):
cheaper because it's all analog.
Speaker 4 (38:56):
It's none of this like high tech computerized stuff.
Speaker 2 (38:59):
I think you're hundred percent right.
Speaker 3 (39:01):
What you want is so I would have to throw
away my dream of the Arnage and the Continental because
what you want is only the analog vehicles, which is
maybe eighty nine was the last year for an analog vehicle,
and then before that you're good.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
After that it's too terrifying.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
But I do think in terms of nineteen ninety and
two thousand era cars and Mercedes is great. I don't
know about Bentley.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
Yeah, but no, Well, Mercedes is like Faber engineered the
highest quality. And that's so after my obsession got deep
and dangerous with Bentley's last week and then I started
seeing the costs. It scared me out of it. And
then I went straight back to looking at a W
one twenty six.
Speaker 4 (39:47):
Like I feel I was going to feel.
Speaker 1 (39:49):
I'm feeling this.
Speaker 2 (39:50):
Yes, yeah.
Speaker 3 (39:51):
The thing is they're just not as powerful, you know,
because you're getting what maximum like maximum three hundred horsepower
from the factory out of any Mercedes before, like the
two thousands, and these Bentleys were putting out four hundred,
four twenty obviously my favorite number four fifty four sixty,
so you know they're they're putting out.
Speaker 2 (40:10):
A lot more power. All right, that's all we have
time for today. But it's been great talking to you, Hannah.
So glad you're back in the US.
Speaker 1 (40:19):
Me too.
Speaker 3 (40:19):
I'm gonna beg like Dan Barbosa to send you a
Super Duty with a big Diesel motor in it.
Speaker 1 (40:26):
Great Ford, Thank you. I can't wait to try.
Speaker 3 (40:29):
And because I think it's really a luxurious experience. People
think of them as work trucks, but I.
Speaker 2 (40:33):
Think it's luxury I'll be the judge of that, Yes
you will.
Speaker 1 (40:37):
I'm Matt Miller, I'm Hannah Elliott, and this is Bloomberg.
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