Our Cars (dream or actual)
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@Giles said in Our Cars (dream or actual):
Yeah, I doubt it was driven over......
Here's what Claude said on the matter.
Yes — this is actually a well-known phenomenon called "Supercar Season."
How it works
Wealthy visitors, mostly from the Gulf states (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait), fly their supercars into London every summer, usually via air freight rather than driving or sea shipping. The term began in London and became synonymous with wealthy Middle Eastern visitors showcasing their supercars in affluent neighborhoods like Knightsbridge and Kensington. Owners typically visit during June, July and August specifically to escape the summer heat back home, transporting their cars along with them, which is why so many cars with Middle Eastern plates show up on London streets each summer.How the cars actually get there
There's a whole industry of car transport specialists who work with airlines — particularly Middle East-based carriers — to fly these vehicles over, essentially letting favorite cars "follow" their owners around the globe. It isn't cheap: one owner mentioned it cost him £28,000 to fly his Porsche from Dubai to London on Emirates — more than the price of a brand-new Volkswagen Golf.The scale and reaction
Cars with plates from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait are regularly spotted, with Knightsbridge — home to Qatar-owned Harrods — a particular hotspot. It's spawned its own car-spotting subculture (nicknamed the "Carparrazzi") who film the cars for social media, but it's also generated real friction with residents over noise and illegal parking, and even inspired a Channel 4 documentary, Millionaire Boy Racers.So if you've seen a gold-wrapped Lamborghini with Gulf plates cruising past Harrods in July, that's exactly this — and yes, it very likely arrived by plane rather than by road or sea.
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We are enjoying this one so far. It is replacing my 2013 Subaru Outback 3.6R Limited and will eventually become an overlanding platform for us.
Think it, be it.
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@Tago-Mago It was my first car at 18, inherited from my mother who bought it for her 21st birthday, I think it's the best car I've ever had
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@mclaincausey I have zero clue what that truck is. What is it?
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@goosehd oh sorry, this is a 2026 Lexus GX550 Luxury Plus, basically a 4Runner with an upgraded powertrain and features.
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@Tago-Mago beauty!
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@northsouthdenimguy I thought about disagreeing too, but then remembered I bought my 911 at 40 and sold it at 49 so I was definitely in my midlife!
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@Tago-Mago ...This is usually how i feel about Corvettes...
...not that there's anything wrong with a midlife crisis car purchase... -
@mclaincausey That is fantastic. I've been eyeballing these. What are your thoughts on the Luxury vs Overtrail trims?
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@WhiskeySandwich we would probably not have ordered this trim. The Overland ones are most attractive to me but we needed a 3rd row. This one happened to be available, and features id never have sprung for would now be missed. So it was a happy accident that luxury+ wound up being the move.
I’d want smaller wheels and bigger tires for overlanding but fact is this is a soccer rocker mostly for the next several years so it worked out great!
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@mclaincausey It's super nice, I love what they did with them. Congrats! Also, great color.
I like the features of both and wish some were cross-trim. While the Overtrail+ has a vibe more my style, I would rarely use the offroad features as intended. I admit I dont take my trucks rock crawling or mudding. I take it on the sand once in a blue moon at the beach and 99% of driving is highway, so the Lux would be better, more often. But the Lux is also just as capable I'm sure. This may be my top option when we move on from our Subaru Ascent.
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@WhiskeySandwich exactly. Overtrail+ is me, but not practical for what we really do. Luxury+ has the running boards and massage chairs I don’t care much about, but the former helps my kid and wife a lot, and on a lengthy road trip the ass massage will doubtless be appreciated.
Think it, be it.
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@mclaincausey I've got a fourteen-year-old Ford Fiesta that's got nearly 215,000 km or 133,000 miles, a busted air-conditioning pump, and way more rattles than are healthy. I'm taking that to Adelaide next week, which is about 800 km or 500 miles.
Maybe I need to upgrade my road trip mobile!
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@Graeme said in Our Cars (dream or actual):
@Bridger the Kuwaiti 911 doesn't appeal, but the Mini 1275 GT was a car that I loved when I was a small kid. I haven't seen one for years.
I am with you. I would certainly prefer stepping out of the Mini than the Porsche in Soho.
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@Graeme I’m a “ride it into the ground” kinda guy but IRS section 179 lets you do a significant write off for vehicles > 6k lbs GVWR, so it wound up being a nice opportunity to upgrade!
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@Graeme what you need is a FG XR6T
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@Bridger the 911 looks like a rolling midlife crisis.
That said, I find most modern sports and supercars boring. The exceptions are the new Morgans and the Renault 5 Turbo 3E. Unfortunately, the former aren't sold in Australia, and the latter is really expensive.
The Mini has charm and it isn't trying too hard.
@Brian the current plan is to drive over on Wednesday. I'm at the Royal Adelaide Show on Thursday with my hound, and possibly again on Sunday if he beats his uncle again. I'll probably head back on Monday.
The current plan is to stay in an Airbnb in Glandore.
@mclaincausey the tax write-off sounds nice. In Australia there are incentives for pickups, as they're allegedly commercial vehicles, and EVs if you get one on a lease.
@louisbosco a '73 Falcon XB GT with the optional MFP package is the only Ford to go for, especially with the world looking increasingly apocalyptic!
The Renault might be cheaper...
