1 00:00:01,720 --> 00:00:04,520 Speaker 1: I'm Matt Miller and I'm Hannah Elliott, and this is 2 00:00:04,559 --> 00:00:05,160 Speaker 1: hot pursuit. 3 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:15,480 Speaker 2: All right, we have a fantastic guest for you today. 4 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:18,520 Speaker 2: I'm pretty excited, Hannah. You're the one who brought him 5 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 2: to us. And John Hennessy has really become a legend 6 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:24,919 Speaker 2: alongside you know, Carol Shelby in America. 7 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:29,440 Speaker 1: Completely and he's done the difficult task of running and 8 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:33,520 Speaker 1: operating a car company and actually delivering cars. When they 9 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:35,320 Speaker 1: say they're going to make them, they make them and 10 00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 1: they actually do it. And he's got a few world 11 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:38,080 Speaker 1: records too. 12 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:41,239 Speaker 2: Yeah. Absolutely, So it's a ten year anniversary of the 13 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:44,480 Speaker 2: world record that they set with the Venom GT, which 14 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:47,640 Speaker 2: I think Steven Tyler famously had a one off version 15 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:51,480 Speaker 2: built for himself as a spider. And now it looks 16 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:53,560 Speaker 2: like they're going to try that again with their new car, 17 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:54,639 Speaker 2: the Venom F five. 18 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 1: Which is super exciting. And John also shared some very 19 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:01,720 Speaker 1: enticing little tidbit too, I have to say in our conversation. 20 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:04,399 Speaker 1: So I'm actually going to be watching Hennessy pretty closely 21 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:05,160 Speaker 1: these next few years. 22 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:07,480 Speaker 2: All right, let's get into it with John Hennessy. Let's 23 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:09,959 Speaker 2: kick it off with the Venom F five and Coda. 24 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:13,280 Speaker 3: Okay, sure, Venom F five went to the circumd America's 25 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 3: about a month ago, and we've been doing a little 26 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:18,760 Speaker 3: bit of testing up there, just kind of dialing our 27 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:21,679 Speaker 3: setup in in the car for our customers, and got 28 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 3: close to a lap record and we thought, well, golly, 29 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:26,760 Speaker 3: maybe we can come back and see if we can 30 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 3: be the fastest production series roadcar and street tis at CODA. 31 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:33,600 Speaker 3: And we did just that. We beat the I think 32 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 3: the Seizinger guys there from LA. We beat them by 33 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:39,000 Speaker 3: four tenths of the second. We beat the McLaren P 34 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 3: one by about seven seconds of lap and I still 35 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 3: don't think that we're anywhere near what the F five 36 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:47,240 Speaker 3: is capable around Coda. But again, I think that what 37 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:50,000 Speaker 3: was kind of a cool thing with kind of demonstrating 38 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 3: its capability on the road course. People weren't expecting the 39 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:56,000 Speaker 3: Venom F five to be something that would be capable 40 00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 3: of going and setting big numbers on racetracks like Coda, 41 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 3: like we have gone in the numbering yet, but it's 42 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 3: on our list. But but we always wanted that Venom 43 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 3: F five to be you know, my track analogy would 44 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:09,800 Speaker 3: be track and field and nowgs it would be to 45 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 3: be the decathlete of hypercars. So it does, it stops, 46 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:17,799 Speaker 3: it turns, it accelerates. Obviously, it's got tremendous power to 47 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 3: weight ratiow Again, certain hyper cars are known for certain 48 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:25,799 Speaker 3: you know Bugatti obviously the very luxurious and very high 49 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:28,359 Speaker 3: top speed. And so anyway, that was a that was 50 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:29,960 Speaker 3: a big box for us to check. And we've got 51 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:32,960 Speaker 3: a number of other performance records and speed records that 52 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:34,760 Speaker 3: we're looking at down the road, but right now it's 53 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 3: nice to validate being the fastest production series roadcar and 54 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:39,080 Speaker 3: street tiers at CODA. 55 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:41,960 Speaker 1: John, I have to say a couple of things. Number One, 56 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 1: I love hearing you say golly, because that is so Texan. 57 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:47,800 Speaker 1: And my dad says that he's the only other person 58 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:52,400 Speaker 1: I really so that's that's a very texting thing. And 59 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:55,480 Speaker 1: you know it's really interesting. You know, we've talked in 60 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 1: the past about You've said, hey, these type of records 61 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 1: and these really high speeds are kind of just the 62 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 1: result of engineering. They're not even necessarily the goal, because 63 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:11,360 Speaker 1: a lot of your buyers are not looking necessarily to 64 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 1: own a world record car. Is that am I remembering? 65 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:14,280 Speaker 2: Right? 66 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 1: Is that still accurate. 67 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 3: That is exactly right. You've got an excellent recollection and 68 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:24,280 Speaker 3: exactly to your point, the lap record. Like, we didn't 69 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:27,360 Speaker 3: go to CODED as a marketing event, as a marketing exercise. 70 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 3: We went there basically to develop our car, perfect our car, 71 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 3: to simulate our car under conditions that at some point 72 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 3: our customers are going to drive it again. Nobody. I 73 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 3: don't know that any but any of our We've sold 74 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:42,600 Speaker 3: about forty cars. We've delivered twenty two F fives to day. 75 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:45,520 Speaker 3: I've not had an F five client say well, hey, 76 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 3: you know, look, I'll be really really excited if you 77 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:50,800 Speaker 3: can set a lap record somewhere. They love that. I 78 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:54,080 Speaker 3: tell you what's interesting what our clients really resonates with 79 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:56,320 Speaker 3: our clients. We hear this from almost all of them. 80 00:03:56,720 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 3: They tell us that buying the F five is much 81 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 3: for the experience with me, with our family, with our company. 82 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:06,280 Speaker 3: That's as important to them the overall experience. It is 83 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:09,240 Speaker 3: the actual car itself. So what's cool is is by 84 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:14,680 Speaker 3: developing the car and focusing on engineering and perfecting the product, 85 00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:19,719 Speaker 3: the by product is the speed record. And so you 86 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 3: know the old saying of form follows function, form follows 87 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:27,039 Speaker 3: performance really in this case, the the the the performance 88 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:28,920 Speaker 3: of the car is really just a function of our 89 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:31,359 Speaker 3: focus on trying to make the best car that we 90 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:34,919 Speaker 3: can make, and the result is we said a lap record, 91 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 3: and again we still feel like there's there's quite a 92 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:40,280 Speaker 3: bit more time left in the car, but we've checked 93 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:42,120 Speaker 3: that boxers are the things that we're looking at down 94 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 3: the road. But it's it's cool for our customers to 95 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:47,279 Speaker 3: have a brading right to say, hey, my car is 96 00:04:47,279 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 3: the fastest of this. And again we have we've got 97 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 3: big goals for the F five, whether it's the Vmax run, 98 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:55,880 Speaker 3: the top speed run that we're looking at doing hopefully 99 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:58,599 Speaker 3: later this year, and maybe a few other things along 100 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 3: the way. So yeah, I think the story behind the 101 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:04,440 Speaker 3: car is very important, but you know, people really like 102 00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:07,360 Speaker 3: the overall experience and going to car Week and coming 103 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:10,159 Speaker 3: to the factory and specing their car and spending time 104 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 3: with our clients. It's it's very experiential and it's a 105 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:17,320 Speaker 3: very boutique part of the process that we really that 106 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:19,840 Speaker 3: we I enjoy my family or enjoy all my all 107 00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:21,800 Speaker 3: of our kids work on a business and are all 108 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:25,200 Speaker 3: very involved in the program. So those relationships with those 109 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:26,640 Speaker 3: clients is really special. 110 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:29,719 Speaker 2: I have to say, you know, just looking at the car, 111 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:34,280 Speaker 2: it's gorgeous. I would be happy to own one for 112 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:38,040 Speaker 2: just the design, the engineering, the power train. I wouldn't 113 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:42,440 Speaker 2: need a world record to buy this car. That doesn't 114 00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:44,800 Speaker 2: mean you're not going to try and set one. Right currently, 115 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 2: I think it's held by the Bugatti at three hundred 116 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:49,960 Speaker 2: and four miles per hour or so. 117 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:53,200 Speaker 1: And I think there's a konig Seg that I think. 118 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 2: John tell me I'm wrong. 119 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:59,039 Speaker 1: The Bugatti is a prototype the konig Seg has. 120 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:01,520 Speaker 2: In any case, you you've set a world record before. 121 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:03,680 Speaker 2: John tell us about this whole the whole history, because 122 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:06,159 Speaker 2: you set a world record with the with the VENOMGT 123 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:10,440 Speaker 2: ten years ago basically, and that was beating a Bugatti 124 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:12,760 Speaker 2: at least I've read, And now it seems like you're 125 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:14,400 Speaker 2: in the same situation a decade later. 126 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:18,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's kind of a funny story. So way back 127 00:06:18,279 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 3: when is the Venom GT came into existence and we 128 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:26,040 Speaker 3: had orders and we're developing the car. It was always 129 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:28,560 Speaker 3: our goal to be the fastest. So at the time 130 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:31,680 Speaker 3: Bugatti with their vay Round supersport had run a two 131 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:34,480 Speaker 3: AA average of two hundred and sixty seven miles per hour, 132 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:37,080 Speaker 3: and that was the number that we wanted to beat. 133 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 3: So when we went to NASA and we're running on 134 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 3: the former spaceship landing runway. On that particular day we 135 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:47,520 Speaker 3: ran two hundred and seven miles our in one direction, 136 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:50,400 Speaker 3: we wanted to turn around and run the opposite direction. 137 00:06:50,520 --> 00:06:54,480 Speaker 3: So you typically to for Guinness or for FIA, or 138 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 3: just for the world to recognize an official top speed run, 139 00:06:58,520 --> 00:07:00,400 Speaker 3: you want to run in both directions. That way, you 140 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:03,799 Speaker 3: cancel out any wind or I mean, NASA is very flat, 141 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:05,960 Speaker 3: but in the case of Kona Seig, they ran on 142 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:09,040 Speaker 3: a run or on a highway in Nevada that had 143 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:10,600 Speaker 3: a slope to it, so you have to go uphill 144 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:12,520 Speaker 3: and down hill. So anyway, we wanted to make the 145 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:16,520 Speaker 3: return run. But on that particular day, NASA was testing 146 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:20,280 Speaker 3: an autonomous spacecraft called Morpheus on the end of the 147 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:23,200 Speaker 3: runway that we were departing from, so we could run. 148 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:25,240 Speaker 3: I think we were running from north to south, but 149 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:27,120 Speaker 3: they would not allow us to run south to north 150 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:30,280 Speaker 3: because they had spacecraft and people on the opposite of 151 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:32,280 Speaker 3: the runway. So we thought, no big deal, so we 152 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 3: put that it went out in the news and then 153 00:07:34,880 --> 00:07:37,280 Speaker 3: some of the haters, and I won't say Biggutty's a hater, 154 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:40,000 Speaker 3: but they definitely were like, well, that's not a because 155 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 3: you didn't run both directions. Yeah. Oh hey, Look, we're 156 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:46,320 Speaker 3: friendly competitors. And at that time, their CEO is a 157 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:48,840 Speaker 3: guy named Wolfgang Drheimer, whom I got to know. I 158 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:51,320 Speaker 3: met him a car week. He really liked the fact 159 00:07:51,320 --> 00:07:53,520 Speaker 3: that we were competing with him. He felt like having 160 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:56,280 Speaker 3: that rivalry he created relevance in the market, which I 161 00:07:56,320 --> 00:07:58,960 Speaker 3: totally agree with, and so we became friends, and so 162 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:01,720 Speaker 3: I saw him maybe a couple of years later. I 163 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:05,600 Speaker 3: was at Geneva when they were unveiling the Shiron and 164 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 3: he was very busy, shook hands, just chatted for a moment, 165 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:10,600 Speaker 3: and as he walked away, he turned around and looked 166 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 3: at me over his shoulder and he smiled and said, Hey, John, 167 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:15,080 Speaker 3: make sure next time you run a top streeed run 168 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:18,520 Speaker 3: you run bout directions. And I laughed and like, okay, man, 169 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:21,960 Speaker 3: all right, it's on and so fast forward. So he's 170 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 3: no longer co. He retired, and then the guy the 171 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:28,800 Speaker 3: Bugatti guys went out and ran their shure on superscored back. 172 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:32,440 Speaker 3: I think it was in twenty nineteen. Amazing number. They 173 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:34,960 Speaker 3: ran almost three hundred and five miles per hour, but 174 00:08:35,040 --> 00:08:38,320 Speaker 3: for whatever reason, they only ran one direction. Yeah, and 175 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:41,080 Speaker 3: I know some of the guys that work there. I'm like, okay, 176 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:43,800 Speaker 3: you've left the door open now, Hannah. You were mentioning 177 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:46,559 Speaker 3: earlier the Conaset guys have run a two average. I 178 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:49,439 Speaker 3: think it still stands at two hundred and seventy eight 179 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:51,439 Speaker 3: miles or something like that. They did that back in 180 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:56,080 Speaker 3: maybe twenty seventeen. So again we feel like, again for 181 00:08:56,120 --> 00:08:59,120 Speaker 3: the vmax run or an official two, for an official 182 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:02,720 Speaker 3: production top seed record, you've got to run both directions 183 00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:04,960 Speaker 3: and to your point, and I don't know, I don't 184 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:06,599 Speaker 3: know this for a fact. I wasn't that air the 185 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:09,880 Speaker 3: same when they ran the car. But it's been mentioned 186 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:12,760 Speaker 3: that the car that they ran maybe had some significant 187 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:17,240 Speaker 3: modifications that are not necessarily on the road cars that 188 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:19,600 Speaker 3: you could buy. So I'm not gonna I'm not going 189 00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:21,280 Speaker 3: to take any knocks against them. If they had a 190 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:23,840 Speaker 3: rollcage or they lighten the car, whatever they did to 191 00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:26,320 Speaker 3: make that run, it's still an astonishing record. It still 192 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:30,200 Speaker 3: sets a high bar Look, we love competition. We want 193 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:31,880 Speaker 3: to we want to go out and beat that number 194 00:09:32,240 --> 00:09:34,760 Speaker 3: again others are playing. 195 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:37,720 Speaker 2: Let me just ask, is it true that the theoretic 196 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:41,199 Speaker 2: theoretical top speed of the Venom F five is over 197 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:43,280 Speaker 2: three hundred twenty five miles per hour? And how do 198 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:45,240 Speaker 2: you how do you figure that out? 199 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:49,079 Speaker 3: Yeah? Uh yeah, So we've got a team of aridon 200 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:53,560 Speaker 3: amesis internally and externally from the company. Uh the CFD. 201 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:57,000 Speaker 3: The aero analysis says, with the power that our car 202 00:09:57,080 --> 00:10:00,320 Speaker 3: is making with its funnel area and drag, it's three 203 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:03,480 Speaker 3: hundred and twenty eight miles per hour theoretical top speed. 204 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:06,240 Speaker 3: We're not trying to go anywhere near that. But look, 205 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:08,800 Speaker 3: I mean if we could get to five hundred kilometers, 206 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:11,600 Speaker 3: which is around three hundred and eleven miles per hour, 207 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:13,960 Speaker 3: if we could do that in one direction, I think 208 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:15,559 Speaker 3: that would be really cool. But you know, the thing 209 00:10:15,559 --> 00:10:18,000 Speaker 3: that really boils down to these top speed runs is 210 00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:20,520 Speaker 3: where do you do this a runway? I don't know 211 00:10:20,520 --> 00:10:23,520 Speaker 3: if the NASA runway in Florida is long enough. We're 212 00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:25,160 Speaker 3: probably going to have to do it on a highway. 213 00:10:25,880 --> 00:10:28,400 Speaker 3: And so look, this is high stakes poker in that 214 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:32,160 Speaker 3: you've got the safety of the driver. You've got the car, 215 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:35,360 Speaker 3: you know, so where do we run the car? That's 216 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:36,960 Speaker 3: the big thing that we're working on. We feel like 217 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:39,360 Speaker 3: we've got the car right now is ready to go, 218 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:41,760 Speaker 3: go make the run, but we're we're working on a 219 00:10:41,760 --> 00:10:44,880 Speaker 3: few different things. Maybe a longer runway, a little bit 220 00:10:44,880 --> 00:10:48,360 Speaker 3: longer than us and also the possibility of a Texas 221 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:51,719 Speaker 3: Highway so you know, howdy yeehaul, you know, all those 222 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:53,240 Speaker 3: good texts and things, would be kind of fun to 223 00:10:53,280 --> 00:10:55,679 Speaker 3: do it here here and here in the great state 224 00:10:55,720 --> 00:10:56,760 Speaker 3: of Texas, we'll say. 225 00:10:56,880 --> 00:11:01,800 Speaker 1: Second largest state. I'm curious, can you give us a 226 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:05,560 Speaker 1: feel for when you decide to go for a record run, 227 00:11:07,320 --> 00:11:11,679 Speaker 1: how long is the planning for that and how much 228 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:14,520 Speaker 1: does it cost? In general? I mean, is this a 229 00:11:14,800 --> 00:11:20,200 Speaker 1: big output for the company or it's not that big 230 00:11:20,240 --> 00:11:22,000 Speaker 1: a deal for lack of a better word. And then 231 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:24,319 Speaker 1: I just also want to say, theoretically, on that three 232 00:11:24,480 --> 00:11:27,720 Speaker 1: twenty eight, it seems like you're saying that the limiting 233 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:33,480 Speaker 1: factor on a speed is space to do tires also 234 00:11:33,559 --> 00:11:37,200 Speaker 1: come into it and think specific to the car. 235 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:42,800 Speaker 3: Absolutely, so first question, it's absolutely a huge deal to 236 00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:49,000 Speaker 3: do it right. So we have dedicated resources. Our engineering 237 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:50,840 Speaker 3: team has been actually been working on this for quite 238 00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:53,600 Speaker 3: a while so in a variety of phases, so prepping 239 00:11:53,679 --> 00:11:56,520 Speaker 3: the car, working with Michelin. We were actually in South 240 00:11:56,520 --> 00:11:59,680 Speaker 3: Carolina and had some meetings with the fine folks of Michelin. 241 00:11:59,720 --> 00:12:02,160 Speaker 3: They've been a great partner on the tire. So we 242 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:05,719 Speaker 3: feel great about the tire. Obviously there's president the gonna set. 243 00:12:05,760 --> 00:12:08,280 Speaker 3: Guys have run into the two ninety range with the 244 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:12,160 Speaker 3: with the pilots Supersport Sport Cup two tire, So we 245 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:14,360 Speaker 3: feel good about the tire. But really to your point, 246 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:17,280 Speaker 3: it's the where you know the location. How much distance 247 00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:19,760 Speaker 3: do we have to work with. We did a test 248 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:25,680 Speaker 3: on gosh really probably twelvehndred horsepower. We ran two hundred 249 00:12:25,679 --> 00:12:28,040 Speaker 3: and seventy two months power with the F five a 250 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:31,000 Speaker 3: couple of years ago, just to validate the car before 251 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:34,320 Speaker 3: we started delivering the clients, and so I think we 252 00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:36,920 Speaker 3: can probably run upwards of three hundred at NASA, but 253 00:12:37,440 --> 00:12:40,360 Speaker 3: again that's nowhere near it's it's we don't We're not 254 00:12:40,400 --> 00:12:42,280 Speaker 3: trying to get to the theoretical top speed, but we 255 00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:44,559 Speaker 3: would like to hit that five magic five hundred kilometer 256 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:47,160 Speaker 3: number at least in one direction. So so yeah, there's 257 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:50,559 Speaker 3: a ton of time, a ton of resources. It's risky business. 258 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:53,760 Speaker 3: As President Kennedy said back in the sixties, we don't 259 00:12:53,800 --> 00:12:56,120 Speaker 3: do these things because they're easy. We do them because 260 00:12:56,160 --> 00:12:59,520 Speaker 3: we're hard. Because they're hard. So it makes our product better, 261 00:12:59,559 --> 00:13:03,560 Speaker 3: it makes our engineers are drivers better. I don't know 262 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:05,240 Speaker 3: that I've had a customer say, well, you know, I'll 263 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:07,240 Speaker 3: buy the car if I can, if it has the 264 00:13:07,280 --> 00:13:09,840 Speaker 3: top speed record. Yeah, it's probably good for breaking right, 265 00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:12,280 Speaker 3: So it's probably really good for brand, long term and 266 00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:15,440 Speaker 3: long term value of the car. But again, people are 267 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:18,360 Speaker 3: buying the F five not because of its vmax potential. 268 00:13:18,400 --> 00:13:21,320 Speaker 3: They're buying it because it's a piece of automotive art 269 00:13:21,840 --> 00:13:25,520 Speaker 3: and it's the most fun vehicle I've ever driven, So 270 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:28,000 Speaker 3: that's part of what they're buying. But I think again, 271 00:13:28,559 --> 00:13:30,960 Speaker 3: I think some of them, these guys and men and 272 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:33,120 Speaker 3: women that own the F five and have it on order, 273 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:35,920 Speaker 3: they're also savvy investors. They're also somewhat betting on the 274 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:38,400 Speaker 3: come that if we do knock off Bugatti and we 275 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:40,880 Speaker 3: do set the two way average, that the likeliness of 276 00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:42,960 Speaker 3: their car being worth more than they paid for it 277 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:45,480 Speaker 3: is going to increase. So yeah, now we take it 278 00:13:45,559 --> 00:13:48,280 Speaker 3: very seriously. It's a huge investment of time and money, 279 00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:50,960 Speaker 3: and it's also look, there there's also risk involved. There's 280 00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:54,439 Speaker 3: reasons why the manufacturers do not play in the sandbox. 281 00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:57,560 Speaker 3: It's because it's it's high stakes pokers. So we take 282 00:13:57,600 --> 00:13:59,559 Speaker 3: that very seriously in the safety of our driver in 283 00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:02,559 Speaker 3: our car. So but we're still very intent on doing it. 284 00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:05,240 Speaker 3: This is just part of our our family's DNA, our 285 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:07,720 Speaker 3: company's DNA, and it's white and one of the reasons 286 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:10,240 Speaker 3: why we're in this business. We like to push the boundaries. 287 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:12,000 Speaker 3: We like to climb the next highest mountain. 288 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:19,120 Speaker 1: Now you mentioned neburgering, sounds like you might take the 289 00:14:19,160 --> 00:14:21,520 Speaker 1: car over, did were you? 290 00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:27,480 Speaker 3: Yeah? So, look, I mean it's it's always been something 291 00:14:27,520 --> 00:14:29,960 Speaker 3: that's been loosely on a radar screen, but way down 292 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:37,400 Speaker 3: the priority list. Relevant. It is absolutely relevant. But I 293 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:42,160 Speaker 3: will say this that the degree of difficulty of going 294 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:45,960 Speaker 3: fast or being the fastest the Nordchlifa is a higher 295 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:50,080 Speaker 3: bar than a top speed run. It's a bigger investment, 296 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:53,560 Speaker 3: it's riskier, there's a lot that there's a lot there's 297 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:57,840 Speaker 3: just as many variables in terms of weather, the track, 298 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:01,160 Speaker 3: it's down to the driver. Look, we've we've got access 299 00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:05,160 Speaker 3: to So I hired a guy, Brian Jones, about nine 300 00:15:05,160 --> 00:15:07,840 Speaker 3: months ago who came to me. I didn't seek him out. 301 00:15:07,880 --> 00:15:09,440 Speaker 3: I didn't even know that I needed at the time. 302 00:15:09,880 --> 00:15:12,160 Speaker 3: But Brian was previously the chief engineer of the ams 303 00:15:12,280 --> 00:15:14,640 Speaker 3: want Ams Wan has the record at the Normie Life 304 00:15:14,640 --> 00:15:16,560 Speaker 3: But so I think they ran a six thirty two 305 00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:19,480 Speaker 3: or six thirty three lap time. So Brian's Brian's now 306 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:22,880 Speaker 3: my chief engineer, and he feels like we're we're capable 307 00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:26,680 Speaker 3: of running a time fashion than that, but it's very complicated. It's, 308 00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:29,560 Speaker 3: you know, five six thousand miles away. I would have 309 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:32,600 Speaker 3: to take a significant part of our team and kind 310 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:34,800 Speaker 3: of camp out over there, and ultimately you're looking for 311 00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:37,160 Speaker 3: the right day with the right weather. So again, we 312 00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:40,240 Speaker 3: have other other priorities on the on the record list 313 00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:42,840 Speaker 3: between now and then, but I could see us, I 314 00:15:42,840 --> 00:15:45,280 Speaker 3: could see us doing some testing there and next year 315 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:48,040 Speaker 3: and but you never know. I mean, obviously now we're now, 316 00:15:48,080 --> 00:15:50,120 Speaker 3: I mean we're always playing with the big boys, but 317 00:15:50,280 --> 00:15:56,440 Speaker 3: like you know, Mercedes Porsche, so they're very significant competitors 318 00:15:56,440 --> 00:15:58,320 Speaker 3: and I'm going to guess at some point, you know, 319 00:15:58,360 --> 00:16:00,760 Speaker 3: Porsche's not going to sit back and why Mercedes sit 320 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:02,520 Speaker 3: at the top of the leader board, They're going to 321 00:16:02,560 --> 00:16:04,560 Speaker 3: want to knock that off. So back to what we 322 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:07,520 Speaker 3: first started talking about, we will go to the nerveberg 323 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:10,560 Speaker 3: Ring to further develop our car and make our car 324 00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 3: even better. And if as a byproduct, we've got a 325 00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:16,000 Speaker 3: fast lap time, you know, even if it's not a 326 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:17,520 Speaker 3: record time, if we go out and we've set a 327 00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:20,600 Speaker 3: respectful time, we'll put the video out. It's compelling, it's fun, 328 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:25,040 Speaker 3: and again it's something that we want to do, but 329 00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:28,360 Speaker 3: again for the long term brand of the car and 330 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:31,760 Speaker 3: the provenance and future value. I think I think this 331 00:16:31,800 --> 00:16:34,240 Speaker 3: is another reason why we do these things is because 332 00:16:34,880 --> 00:16:38,840 Speaker 3: you know, at some point, you know, you know, mean again, 333 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:42,120 Speaker 3: I feel like we build the world's greatest internal combustion 334 00:16:42,760 --> 00:16:45,400 Speaker 3: powered hypercar currently, but at some point there may not 335 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:48,440 Speaker 3: be internal combustion powered hypercar. So we kind of feel 336 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:50,240 Speaker 3: like it's our duty to be kind of a part 337 00:16:50,280 --> 00:16:51,680 Speaker 3: of history as much as we can. 338 00:16:59,040 --> 00:17:02,200 Speaker 2: I want to ask first tout Hennessee Performance because it's 339 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:05,239 Speaker 2: hard to really pinpoint the company you do. You know, 340 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:08,320 Speaker 2: you tune the way I found about out about the company. 341 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:10,119 Speaker 2: You know, ten years ago or fifteen years ago, you 342 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:12,720 Speaker 2: tune other cars. So I wanted to, you know, get 343 00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:15,719 Speaker 2: your supercharger kit for my Tahoe way back when. And 344 00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:20,480 Speaker 2: you do. You know, obviously a number of manufacturers products, 345 00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:23,840 Speaker 2: but you also make these cars which I think compete 346 00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:29,600 Speaker 2: with more like Pegani and Bugatti, McLaren and Kunigseeg than 347 00:17:29,920 --> 00:17:33,399 Speaker 2: you know, Porsche or Mercedes that you mentioned. Explain the 348 00:17:33,440 --> 00:17:35,360 Speaker 2: way you think about Hennessee Performance to us. 349 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:39,240 Speaker 3: Sure, So we basically have three different divisions within the company. 350 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:43,679 Speaker 3: Hennessey Performance modifies. We make fast cars and trucks go faster, 351 00:17:43,880 --> 00:17:48,040 Speaker 3: so Broncos, rappers, Mustangs, corvettes, things of that nature. The 352 00:17:48,119 --> 00:17:50,600 Speaker 3: last couple of years we built just under six hundred vehicles. 353 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:53,320 Speaker 3: So again, you come to us, you want something that's fast, 354 00:17:53,359 --> 00:17:55,879 Speaker 3: it's probably in the one hundred of two hundred and 355 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:58,560 Speaker 3: fifty thousand price range. That's what we built. You might 356 00:17:58,640 --> 00:18:00,000 Speaker 3: own the vehicle and send it to us, you might 357 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:01,720 Speaker 3: call us up. I just want to buy a turnkey vehicle. 358 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:05,200 Speaker 3: So that's from a revenue standpoint, since this is Bloomberg, 359 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:08,600 Speaker 3: that's about half of our revenue. The other half predominant 360 00:18:08,640 --> 00:18:11,080 Speaker 3: other half of our revenues from AT five production, so 361 00:18:11,119 --> 00:18:14,360 Speaker 3: again about eleven cars the year the last two years. 362 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:16,520 Speaker 3: Then we have another division of the business that we 363 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:18,959 Speaker 3: don't really talk about a lot, but it's really it's 364 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:21,720 Speaker 3: a huge part of our culture, and that's our trade 365 00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:23,879 Speaker 3: school called Tuner School, where we teach people how to 366 00:18:23,920 --> 00:18:27,919 Speaker 3: modify cars. We have classes three semesters a year. The 367 00:18:28,040 --> 00:18:31,240 Speaker 3: students are eighteen to eighteen to thirty five year old 368 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:34,000 Speaker 3: men and women both come to Tuner School. They're here 369 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:37,840 Speaker 3: for four months, fourteen weeks, and so that's about forty 370 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:39,560 Speaker 3: percent of our work staff. We have just under one 371 00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:41,960 Speaker 3: hundred employees. About forty percent of the people that work 372 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:43,840 Speaker 3: here at Hennessy have come out of Tuner School. So 373 00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:46,360 Speaker 3: it's a really it's a really important part of our workforce. 374 00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:48,399 Speaker 2: It's a big part of our top line business. 375 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:52,640 Speaker 3: Ye correct, correct and so and so this overall machine. 376 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:55,400 Speaker 3: They're very Again, we have different divisions, but they all 377 00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:58,800 Speaker 3: interrelate to each other. We're our best and our brightest 378 00:18:58,840 --> 00:19:01,920 Speaker 3: that come out of Hennessey Performing Us generally will migrate 379 00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:04,360 Speaker 3: over to the Hennessy Special Vehicle side of the business, 380 00:19:04,640 --> 00:19:08,080 Speaker 3: building and developing the f five. We also are growing 381 00:19:08,119 --> 00:19:12,680 Speaker 3: our engineering department significantly under under Brian Jones leadership. Again 382 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:15,600 Speaker 3: previously with MULTIMATEC he was chief engineer for MG one 383 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:18,840 Speaker 3: and for four GT. And so look, we you know, 384 00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:21,160 Speaker 3: we've been around for thirty three years. People part our name, 385 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:25,320 Speaker 3: whether it's modified vipers, the Venom Viper, you know, Mustangs, Camaros, 386 00:19:25,560 --> 00:19:28,240 Speaker 3: raptors for lost rappers, that's what we're really known for. 387 00:19:28,320 --> 00:19:31,399 Speaker 3: But I promise you this, we are setting up the 388 00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:35,200 Speaker 3: company for success and growth for the next one hundred years. 389 00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:38,400 Speaker 3: And again our our our kids or we have five 390 00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:40,320 Speaker 3: kids plus the son in law. They're all involved in 391 00:19:40,359 --> 00:19:42,880 Speaker 3: the business in some form or fashion. It started off 392 00:19:42,880 --> 00:19:45,480 Speaker 3: as a crazy idem me wanted to modify Admitsubshi three 393 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:48,320 Speaker 3: thousand GT and race back in nineteen ninety one. But 394 00:19:48,359 --> 00:19:51,600 Speaker 3: it's turned out a really neat need be neat business 395 00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:55,840 Speaker 3: and need brands. You know we've got yeah, oh yeah, 396 00:19:55,840 --> 00:19:58,240 Speaker 3: I got a little personal collection with the number of 397 00:19:58,280 --> 00:20:00,000 Speaker 3: Radeway cars. So yeah, stuff. 398 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:03,600 Speaker 1: I'm so curious. You know, you mentioned that you're thinking 399 00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:06,439 Speaker 1: about the next hundred years, and I can't help but 400 00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:11,080 Speaker 1: think that there have been so many automotive startups that 401 00:20:11,119 --> 00:20:13,680 Speaker 1: have come and gone over the years. You know, Matt 402 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:17,320 Speaker 1: and I in our line of work see them come 403 00:20:17,359 --> 00:20:22,200 Speaker 1: and go, and you know, it's just I'd be curious 404 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:26,720 Speaker 1: to note to what do you attribute your ability to 405 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:30,359 Speaker 1: really actually not just show a car at a car 406 00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:32,760 Speaker 1: show and not just make one or two that are 407 00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:37,560 Speaker 1: trotted around everywhere, but actually be producing vehicles for clients. 408 00:20:37,600 --> 00:20:40,000 Speaker 1: Because it's a very difficult thing to do. 409 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:44,160 Speaker 3: It is, and I don't take it for granted. I'm 410 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:47,240 Speaker 3: grateful every single day. And I guess if I'm going 411 00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:49,800 Speaker 3: to go down just kind of my mental gratitude list 412 00:20:50,119 --> 00:20:52,720 Speaker 3: of how do we get where we are and what's 413 00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:54,280 Speaker 3: going to get us where we want to go? I 414 00:20:54,280 --> 00:20:57,800 Speaker 3: think that's our people starts with like, again, our kids 415 00:20:57,840 --> 00:21:00,000 Speaker 3: are grown now, we've gotten through Baylor tuition and all 416 00:21:00,119 --> 00:21:02,639 Speaker 3: that private school for some of them, and so that 417 00:21:02,720 --> 00:21:04,680 Speaker 3: was a huge motivator. So getting back to the old, 418 00:21:05,320 --> 00:21:08,119 Speaker 3: the old saying of you know, for NASA's failure was 419 00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:10,440 Speaker 3: never an option. So you know, I've got five little 420 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:12,679 Speaker 3: kids and five kids in school and the wife that 421 00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:15,480 Speaker 3: depended on me. But again as that as we've kind 422 00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:17,960 Speaker 3: of evolved from that, now we have one hundred families 423 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:20,800 Speaker 3: that work here in the business. So you know, it's 424 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:23,359 Speaker 3: been pivotal for us and for our family to have 425 00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:26,120 Speaker 3: the right people on the team. So, whether it's accounting 426 00:21:26,119 --> 00:21:29,840 Speaker 3: and finance, whether it's marketing, whether it's engineering, whether it's design, 427 00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:33,080 Speaker 3: I really feel like we have we have eight players 428 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:36,479 Speaker 3: in fast and class talent here that would compete with 429 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:39,639 Speaker 3: any of the bigger OEMs that are operating obviously on 430 00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:42,960 Speaker 3: a much much larger scale. But you know, we, as 431 00:21:43,040 --> 00:21:47,040 Speaker 3: my friend Joe Jacuzzi from works a GM now pulled 432 00:21:47,080 --> 00:21:50,400 Speaker 3: me many years ago, don't believe your own bs, don't 433 00:21:50,400 --> 00:21:52,960 Speaker 3: believe your own press. We all have egos that we 434 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:55,360 Speaker 3: all have to put in check. And I'm I'm definitely, 435 00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:57,600 Speaker 3: you know, one of those people. But I guess, as 436 00:21:57,640 --> 00:21:59,480 Speaker 3: I've gotten older and hopeful a little bit wiser, try 437 00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:00,280 Speaker 3: to keep that going. 438 00:22:00,359 --> 00:22:00,560 Speaker 2: Check. 439 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:03,119 Speaker 3: Did Joe really just have great people and trust her people? 440 00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:06,119 Speaker 2: Did Joe somehow? Did Joe help you start up your business? 441 00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:09,000 Speaker 2: Because I've heard you talk about kind of your origin story, 442 00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:10,960 Speaker 2: and Jacuzzie always plays into it. 443 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:15,080 Speaker 3: I'll tell put Jacuzzi stories. So I me at Bonnable 444 00:22:15,119 --> 00:22:18,440 Speaker 3: in nineteen ninety one with my three thousand GTVR four 445 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:22,400 Speaker 3: and the very nice people at Mitsubishi Motors in California 446 00:22:23,160 --> 00:22:26,600 Speaker 3: decided to send Joe, who was in their PR department, 447 00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:29,200 Speaker 3: out with a freelancer, a guy named see Van Tune. 448 00:22:29,240 --> 00:22:31,280 Speaker 3: Van still a very close friend. Van rose up to 449 00:22:31,280 --> 00:22:33,840 Speaker 3: be the editor in chief at motorcrim back in the 450 00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:36,520 Speaker 3: mid to late nineties, and so Joe and Van showed 451 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:38,119 Speaker 3: up when I was just about to get into a 452 00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:40,240 Speaker 3: fist fight with one of the with one of the 453 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:42,600 Speaker 3: marshals in the pits who said you can't drive your 454 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:45,240 Speaker 3: car under his own power. I'm like, well I drove here. 455 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:47,480 Speaker 3: I didn't trailer my car. And the guy's like, what, 456 00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:50,040 Speaker 3: nobody drives their car to bonnible By I did. I 457 00:22:50,040 --> 00:22:52,480 Speaker 3: had my luggage on my floor, Jack and my suitcase 458 00:22:52,520 --> 00:22:55,640 Speaker 3: and helmet in the back. Anyway, so Van and Joe 459 00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:57,760 Speaker 3: pull up just as I was getting really to really 460 00:22:57,760 --> 00:23:00,000 Speaker 3: get into it with this guy, and they were like, oh, 461 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:01,600 Speaker 3: we've got a minivan. We can toe John around. So 462 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:04,080 Speaker 3: we became friends at Bonnable. I set a class record 463 00:23:04,119 --> 00:23:07,200 Speaker 3: at Bottable and then Joe was so kind. Joe said, Hey, look, 464 00:23:07,480 --> 00:23:09,880 Speaker 3: I really like your story. I really like what you're doing. 465 00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:13,120 Speaker 3: If you come down to LA after Bonnible. I'll take 466 00:23:13,160 --> 00:23:14,719 Speaker 3: you around all the introduce you to some of the 467 00:23:14,920 --> 00:23:17,439 Speaker 3: automotive Back then, it was just car magazines, right, So 468 00:23:17,760 --> 00:23:20,920 Speaker 3: the car magazine guys. And I've read car magazines ever 469 00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:22,560 Speaker 3: since I could read. And I'm like, oh, that'll be 470 00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:24,040 Speaker 3: so much fun. So I go down and do that. 471 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:27,680 Speaker 3: Meet guys from Jeff Carr at Motorcron and guys from 472 00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:31,520 Speaker 3: hot Rod and car Craft and Car and Driver. I've 473 00:23:31,520 --> 00:23:33,320 Speaker 3: been gone from home now for like three weeks. I'm like, 474 00:23:33,359 --> 00:23:35,440 Speaker 3: I'm ready to go home. Joe said, hey, look, trust me, 475 00:23:36,040 --> 00:23:38,040 Speaker 3: if these guys like you and they like your car 476 00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:40,680 Speaker 3: and they write something nice about you, your phone will ring. 477 00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:43,600 Speaker 3: It's sure enough. Two months later, magazine comes out, my 478 00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:46,200 Speaker 3: phone started ringing. People wanted to buyer stuff. So Joe 479 00:23:46,200 --> 00:23:48,200 Speaker 3: taught me a very very important lesson. I didn't even 480 00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:50,480 Speaker 3: know what that concept of earned media was back then, 481 00:23:50,880 --> 00:23:53,680 Speaker 3: but at that point once I learned that lesson, pretty 482 00:23:53,720 --> 00:23:56,480 Speaker 3: much every time for when somebody from a major car 483 00:23:56,520 --> 00:23:58,400 Speaker 3: magazine would call me up and said, hey, we need 484 00:23:58,440 --> 00:24:00,960 Speaker 3: a car to go do something stupid crazy like me 485 00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:02,680 Speaker 3: driving two hundre miles an hour and in a viper 486 00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:05,639 Speaker 3: around the hand a proving grounds in Capnia City. That 487 00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:08,640 Speaker 3: was that was a scary moment, but anyway, I would 488 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:11,560 Speaker 3: just say yes. And so that's I think how we 489 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:14,080 Speaker 3: began the process of building a brand, going back on, 490 00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:17,119 Speaker 3: you know, almost thirty years ago. So I credit my 491 00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:20,200 Speaker 3: friend Joe Jacuzzi to that. We still talk. I'll probably 492 00:24:20,200 --> 00:24:21,920 Speaker 3: see him in Detroit in a couple of weeks. He's 493 00:24:21,960 --> 00:24:25,119 Speaker 3: a dear friend and been a very very kind to 494 00:24:25,240 --> 00:24:26,840 Speaker 3: kind of help guide me along the way. 495 00:24:27,240 --> 00:24:29,520 Speaker 1: So I have to ask, it's two hundred miles an 496 00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:31,399 Speaker 1: hour the fastest you've driven? 497 00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:32,960 Speaker 2: John personally? 498 00:24:33,040 --> 00:24:34,240 Speaker 1: What ye personally? 499 00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:39,760 Speaker 3: Gone? Yeah, so venom GT I hit two forty three 500 00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:43,760 Speaker 3: and F five I think I'm around two twenty without. 501 00:24:43,880 --> 00:24:45,919 Speaker 3: You know, again, when we're out at NASA, we're testing 502 00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:47,640 Speaker 3: the car. We've got a pro in the car. They're 503 00:24:47,680 --> 00:24:49,320 Speaker 3: not going to just let me just jump in it 504 00:24:49,359 --> 00:24:51,120 Speaker 3: and go yeehaw, but I'm going to do that at 505 00:24:51,119 --> 00:24:51,520 Speaker 3: some point. 506 00:24:51,760 --> 00:24:52,639 Speaker 1: What does that feel like? 507 00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:55,320 Speaker 3: What is that speed? You know? I mean, so we 508 00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:57,600 Speaker 3: have a little drag strip out behind our factory here, 509 00:24:57,680 --> 00:24:59,960 Speaker 3: So in the F five, even at one seventy five, 510 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:03,000 Speaker 3: it's very axhilarating. But I mean in the case of 511 00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:05,640 Speaker 3: you have five accelerating even in the into the two twenties. 512 00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:08,880 Speaker 3: The faster it goes, the faster it wants to go. 513 00:25:09,520 --> 00:25:12,639 Speaker 3: It's very surreal. And you know you're not just feeling that. 514 00:25:12,720 --> 00:25:14,719 Speaker 3: You're not just feeling the G force and the speed. 515 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:19,359 Speaker 3: It's a it's a complete sensory overload of sound, of vibration, 516 00:25:20,119 --> 00:25:23,240 Speaker 3: even site, even even like where you're looking to you 517 00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:26,199 Speaker 3: get there quicker than you thought you would, so so 518 00:25:26,320 --> 00:25:30,040 Speaker 3: your whole body has this whole sensory download of every 519 00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:33,840 Speaker 3: sense that Again, we're talking about EVS, and I don't know. 520 00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:36,480 Speaker 3: I could talk about the EVS plenty, but you know, I've 521 00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:38,280 Speaker 3: got to test the plat. It's my it's currently my 522 00:25:38,359 --> 00:25:41,680 Speaker 3: daily driver. It gives you all the g's, but that's 523 00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:43,960 Speaker 3: all that's all you get. You know, it's somewhat antiseptic, 524 00:25:44,040 --> 00:25:46,000 Speaker 3: as my doctor friend says about luck of cars. 525 00:25:46,040 --> 00:25:50,159 Speaker 2: So why do you job? Why do you drive that 526 00:25:50,200 --> 00:25:52,359 Speaker 2: as a daily driver instead something that sounds good? 527 00:25:52,440 --> 00:25:57,000 Speaker 3: Well that's a long list, but the reason I'm have 528 00:25:57,119 --> 00:25:59,720 Speaker 3: been driving it up till now is I paid a 529 00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:01,480 Speaker 3: hund forty grand for it, and I think it's words 530 00:26:01,560 --> 00:26:04,600 Speaker 3: forty so like I lost my shirt on resale value, 531 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:07,719 Speaker 3: some might as well just wear it out. Also at 532 00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:09,959 Speaker 3: the time when I about the time I bought that 533 00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:11,840 Speaker 3: and I best bought that car because I wanted to 534 00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:14,520 Speaker 3: experience it to analyze, like, don't want to get into 535 00:26:14,520 --> 00:26:16,840 Speaker 3: that market. And we've sent our customers and dealers have 536 00:26:16,880 --> 00:26:19,800 Speaker 3: since told us they don't want evs. And now obviously 537 00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:21,399 Speaker 3: you're hearing that from a lot of the rest of 538 00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:23,760 Speaker 3: the market. But I had bought I had ordered an 539 00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:26,919 Speaker 3: Audi RS six of aunt Wagon for my daily driver. 540 00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:29,680 Speaker 3: It came in around the same time when and when 541 00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:32,200 Speaker 3: my wife. And when my wife saw it, she said, 542 00:26:32,240 --> 00:26:35,440 Speaker 3: is that my new car? So that car's three years 543 00:26:35,480 --> 00:26:38,560 Speaker 3: old and has seven thousand miles on it. So anyway, 544 00:26:38,680 --> 00:26:40,679 Speaker 3: so maybe maybe at some point, out of the goodness 545 00:26:40,720 --> 00:26:42,760 Speaker 3: of her heart, she'll let me drive that. But I 546 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:44,720 Speaker 3: think I'm just about done with the Tesla. I have 547 00:26:44,800 --> 00:26:47,000 Speaker 3: no I have no issues with the Tesla. It's a 548 00:26:47,280 --> 00:26:50,320 Speaker 3: it's otherwise a very good car. It has horrible resale value, 549 00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:52,600 Speaker 3: and it destroys retires. I go through a pair of 550 00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:55,520 Speaker 3: retires every five thousand miles. But that it's been a 551 00:26:55,520 --> 00:26:55,920 Speaker 3: good car. 552 00:26:56,160 --> 00:27:00,440 Speaker 1: Now, does this mean that the project Deep Space is 553 00:27:00,920 --> 00:27:05,360 Speaker 1: not happening. And this is the six wheel three million 554 00:27:05,480 --> 00:27:11,280 Speaker 1: dollar Yes, this design idea that I remember writing about 555 00:27:11,280 --> 00:27:14,840 Speaker 1: a few years ago, is that is that done? 556 00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:17,920 Speaker 3: No, it's it's on hold. So if we go back 557 00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:20,560 Speaker 3: three four years ago, we felt like, okay, you know, 558 00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:23,520 Speaker 3: the OEMs and the government's all talking about, oh, we're 559 00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:25,640 Speaker 3: going to be all electric twenty thirty twenty thirty five. 560 00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:28,240 Speaker 3: I'm like, I hope that isn't true. Hopefully the market 561 00:27:28,240 --> 00:27:31,200 Speaker 3: gets to decide. Hopefully the consumer gets to decide. But if, 562 00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:34,080 Speaker 3: by chance, the OEMs and the governments do get away 563 00:27:34,119 --> 00:27:36,639 Speaker 3: with what I hope they won't do, we have to 564 00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:39,159 Speaker 3: be prepared to pivot. So we thought of, okay, if 565 00:27:39,160 --> 00:27:40,639 Speaker 3: we're going to get into ev we have to do 566 00:27:40,680 --> 00:27:43,960 Speaker 3: something radically different. And so that's where the six wheel drive, 567 00:27:44,119 --> 00:27:48,240 Speaker 3: long wheelbase, big battery you know, six motors came from. 568 00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:51,560 Speaker 3: And then we introduced that. We talked to our customers 569 00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:53,439 Speaker 3: and dealers about it for the I don't know, six 570 00:27:53,560 --> 00:27:56,400 Speaker 3: nine months afterwards, and everybody gave it a big thumbs down, 571 00:27:56,840 --> 00:27:59,480 Speaker 3: and I'm like, well, for at least our customers, they 572 00:27:59,560 --> 00:28:03,560 Speaker 3: still want combustion. So we didn't kill d space is 573 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:07,080 Speaker 3: not not dead, but it's on pause and we can 574 00:28:07,080 --> 00:28:09,360 Speaker 3: always circle back to it when there's interest. But right 575 00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:12,560 Speaker 3: now we're looking forward to the next car after F 576 00:28:12,560 --> 00:28:14,800 Speaker 3: five will be in one hundred percent of the turn combustion, 577 00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:17,119 Speaker 3: and we'll kind of see what's after that. You know, 578 00:28:17,160 --> 00:28:19,000 Speaker 3: when we put it was a big bet on that 579 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:22,520 Speaker 3: F five. I literally bet the family fortune what little 580 00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:26,399 Speaker 3: we've got on developing that car. And so basically what 581 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:28,520 Speaker 3: I'm saying is, you guys are referring to others that 582 00:28:28,560 --> 00:28:32,119 Speaker 3: have not you know, not made it financially. I can't 583 00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:34,560 Speaker 3: afford to make a bad bet and bet on a 584 00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:37,480 Speaker 3: car that doesn't go, that doesn't sell where the market 585 00:28:37,520 --> 00:28:40,680 Speaker 3: turns in the wrong direction. So we're always trying to 586 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:44,520 Speaker 3: listen to our customers, listen to the market, and hopefully 587 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:47,080 Speaker 3: kind of deal wing Gritzky saying, we want to be 588 00:28:47,160 --> 00:28:49,400 Speaker 3: skating towards where the puck is going, not where it 589 00:28:49,480 --> 00:28:50,080 Speaker 3: is right now. 590 00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:53,360 Speaker 2: To that point, I wanted to ask you about your kids. 591 00:28:53,440 --> 00:28:55,320 Speaker 2: I mean, you have five kids. You always talk about 592 00:28:55,360 --> 00:28:58,680 Speaker 2: your family in every interview, you know, so you're obviously 593 00:28:59,040 --> 00:29:01,440 Speaker 2: focused on them. Are they focused on you? Are they 594 00:29:01,480 --> 00:29:03,400 Speaker 2: focused on the business? Is this going to be the 595 00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:05,880 Speaker 2: kind of thing where they either get into it or 596 00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:08,040 Speaker 2: do they influence you heavily in terms of what you're 597 00:29:08,200 --> 00:29:09,200 Speaker 2: what you're doing in the future. 598 00:29:09,920 --> 00:29:13,440 Speaker 3: All the above. I mean, we just we're three point 599 00:29:13,520 --> 00:29:16,480 Speaker 3: one million Instagram followers. That was me yielding to my 600 00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:19,760 Speaker 3: oldest daughter and listen to my kids three or four 601 00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:22,600 Speaker 3: years ago when we had three hundred thousand Instagram followers. 602 00:29:22,720 --> 00:29:24,560 Speaker 3: They've grown it, you know, they've grown it ten x 603 00:29:24,560 --> 00:29:27,440 Speaker 3: since then. And so yeah, I think I think the 604 00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:30,520 Speaker 3: older I get and the better that the overall team 605 00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:33,680 Speaker 3: that surrounds them. But look, we want our brand to 606 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:37,240 Speaker 3: be relevant from age ages and demographics from eight years 607 00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:39,640 Speaker 3: old to eighty years old. We don't ever want to 608 00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:42,560 Speaker 3: go the way of you know, hopefully nobody gets mad 609 00:29:42,560 --> 00:29:44,680 Speaker 3: at Harley Davison, but I kind of feel like some 610 00:29:44,760 --> 00:29:47,040 Speaker 3: Harley Davis and buyers have aged out and now they're 611 00:29:47,080 --> 00:29:50,560 Speaker 3: getting older, so we want to make sure that we're relevant. 612 00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:55,440 Speaker 3: So yeah, So again I think listening and yielding to 613 00:29:55,920 --> 00:29:58,520 Speaker 3: our kids that are ranged from age from twenty three 614 00:29:58,560 --> 00:30:02,600 Speaker 3: to twenty nine, and it's very much we arm rustle 615 00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:04,920 Speaker 3: a lot, and we argue a little bit about future product, 616 00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:08,560 Speaker 3: but I generally, again on future product and kind of 617 00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:11,200 Speaker 3: certain directions of the company go. I'll give them some 618 00:30:11,360 --> 00:30:15,520 Speaker 3: leeway to to try different things, but ultimately we want 619 00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:17,400 Speaker 3: to see very focused, but we also want to be 620 00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:20,960 Speaker 3: open minded to certain pivot points of other you know, 621 00:30:20,960 --> 00:30:23,520 Speaker 3: we're talking a lot about rest of mods. We don't 622 00:30:23,560 --> 00:30:25,200 Speaker 3: really want to do portions. I mean, obviously there's a 623 00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:27,680 Speaker 3: number of other companies doing that type of stuff. So 624 00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:29,840 Speaker 3: what kind of rest a mod would we do? We 625 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:32,280 Speaker 3: don't really know, but that's a that's an active, almost 626 00:30:32,360 --> 00:30:35,640 Speaker 3: daily topic of discussion within the family, within the company, 627 00:30:35,760 --> 00:30:39,080 Speaker 3: so possibly yeah. I mean, look with muscle cars, I mean, 628 00:30:39,120 --> 00:30:41,040 Speaker 3: there's a lot of things we can do. I think 629 00:30:41,040 --> 00:30:44,800 Speaker 3: Broncos Blazers. Again, there's a lot of demand for those 630 00:30:44,960 --> 00:30:48,000 Speaker 3: cars that were the cars that were special to us. Again, 631 00:30:48,040 --> 00:30:50,000 Speaker 3: I'm sixty one, so the cars I grew up with 632 00:30:50,040 --> 00:30:52,480 Speaker 3: there and those are our customers. They have the money 633 00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:54,680 Speaker 3: to spend on those type of vehicles kind of going forward. 634 00:30:54,800 --> 00:30:57,320 Speaker 3: So it's fun having that. It's fun to be able 635 00:30:57,360 --> 00:30:59,280 Speaker 3: to experience the business with our family. 636 00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:05,960 Speaker 1: What your kids think about electric cars, especially electric hypercars, 637 00:31:06,040 --> 00:31:08,280 Speaker 1: I mean, is there an argument that there's a younger 638 00:31:08,320 --> 00:31:11,640 Speaker 1: generation that's a lot more open to an electric hypercar 639 00:31:11,760 --> 00:31:13,160 Speaker 1: than the older people. 640 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:18,560 Speaker 3: So I've got Sun along drives a Model three to 641 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:20,400 Speaker 3: work just because he can just wear it out back 642 00:31:20,480 --> 00:31:23,880 Speaker 3: and forth. But he also owns a C seven Corvette 643 00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:26,560 Speaker 3: for a track car. He's got a fifteen hundred Ardstar 644 00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:28,360 Speaker 3: of Super sitting in his garage. He's probably a little 645 00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:30,720 Speaker 3: bit like me that the EV kind of becomes the 646 00:31:30,760 --> 00:31:32,920 Speaker 3: appliance that gets us kind of where we want to go. 647 00:31:33,320 --> 00:31:35,240 Speaker 3: But we don't want to rock chip and wear out 648 00:31:35,280 --> 00:31:38,840 Speaker 3: our special cars. Right. The rest of the kids are 649 00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:42,160 Speaker 3: all driving internal combustion, So again there's there's pros and 650 00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:46,600 Speaker 3: cons to that program. But to your question on you know, look, 651 00:31:46,640 --> 00:31:49,560 Speaker 3: you've got you've got Pinaprina and you've got Remonks with 652 00:31:49,680 --> 00:31:53,200 Speaker 3: these two thousand horsefar hypercars. I think the Pinafrina is 653 00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:56,320 Speaker 3: better looking than the Remonks, but technologically they're both I'm 654 00:31:56,360 --> 00:32:01,280 Speaker 3: sure amazing cars and ridiculous fast. But most again, most 655 00:32:01,320 --> 00:32:03,520 Speaker 3: of our F five customers don't want them. I've got 656 00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:06,800 Speaker 3: one customer that just bought a Penafrina, but they don't 657 00:32:06,840 --> 00:32:10,480 Speaker 3: have the emotion and they know that. So again it 658 00:32:10,840 --> 00:32:12,800 Speaker 3: fits a certain part of the niche part of the market. 659 00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:14,920 Speaker 3: That's not where we're going to be going if other 660 00:32:14,960 --> 00:32:17,040 Speaker 3: people want to get into the You know, it seems 661 00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:19,200 Speaker 3: like there's always some ev HyperCard that kind of pops 662 00:32:19,280 --> 00:32:21,520 Speaker 3: up out of the woodwork and makes a big splash, 663 00:32:21,520 --> 00:32:23,640 Speaker 3: and then you don't hear. At least Geneva Motor Show, 664 00:32:23,640 --> 00:32:26,080 Speaker 3: there'd be some Chinese company with some new you know, 665 00:32:26,080 --> 00:32:28,000 Speaker 3: one thousand words part of shoe box. It would show up, 666 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:29,920 Speaker 3: and the next year at Geneva you didn't see them anymore. 667 00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:31,960 Speaker 3: We don't want to be those guys. We want to 668 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:35,560 Speaker 3: be again. We want to make relevant, smart decisions on 669 00:32:35,760 --> 00:32:38,120 Speaker 3: future product and I think so much of that is 670 00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:40,280 Speaker 3: driven is the combination of what I like, what our 671 00:32:40,280 --> 00:32:43,080 Speaker 3: family likes, but really it's all about what our customers 672 00:32:43,120 --> 00:32:45,760 Speaker 3: and dealers want. It's about what the public wants. 673 00:32:46,040 --> 00:32:47,520 Speaker 2: I just want to talk a little bit about the 674 00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:51,360 Speaker 2: cars that you like and where your taste is now 675 00:32:51,600 --> 00:32:54,120 Speaker 2: versus where it was. I think of you as synonymous 676 00:32:54,160 --> 00:32:58,160 Speaker 2: with muscle cars, but you know, you started out with 677 00:32:58,280 --> 00:33:01,320 Speaker 2: the Mitsubishi, and you did a lot of g ADM cars, 678 00:33:01,480 --> 00:33:04,040 Speaker 2: and I know that you also were into like the 679 00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:08,320 Speaker 2: super B rally cars. So what do you like right now, 680 00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:11,080 Speaker 2: Like if you could put together a garage of like 681 00:33:11,080 --> 00:33:12,880 Speaker 2: two or three cars, what would you what would you 682 00:33:12,920 --> 00:33:13,880 Speaker 2: pick for that garage? 683 00:33:14,520 --> 00:33:17,479 Speaker 3: So like right now, I really want to ven mgt 684 00:33:17,680 --> 00:33:20,160 Speaker 3: in the stable. We built about a dozen of those. 685 00:33:20,320 --> 00:33:22,040 Speaker 3: There's a client that might take one on trade. I 686 00:33:22,080 --> 00:33:24,680 Speaker 3: might build my own VENMGT twelve and a horse power 687 00:33:24,760 --> 00:33:27,800 Speaker 3: twelve and Arkilo's a very light weight. I definitely want 688 00:33:27,840 --> 00:33:30,160 Speaker 3: to repuill my wife's Audi or a sixth on at 689 00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:33,520 Speaker 3: some point that's that will be my daily At some 690 00:33:33,520 --> 00:33:36,680 Speaker 3: point we might end up with his and hers. We'll see, gosh, 691 00:33:36,720 --> 00:33:39,080 Speaker 3: what will be the third one? So the car that 692 00:33:39,200 --> 00:33:41,080 Speaker 3: the car that my wife and kids gave me for 693 00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:44,440 Speaker 3: my sixtieth birthday a year and a half ago, nineteen 694 00:33:44,520 --> 00:33:47,480 Speaker 3: sixty nine olds four four to two convertible, which is 695 00:33:47,560 --> 00:33:49,440 Speaker 3: very similar to the very first car that I bought. 696 00:33:49,480 --> 00:33:51,480 Speaker 3: So if I had to have three cars right now 697 00:33:51,680 --> 00:33:53,520 Speaker 3: and plus and half five, so that'd be four cars. 698 00:33:53,520 --> 00:33:55,320 Speaker 3: So those those would be my four cars. 699 00:33:55,600 --> 00:33:57,880 Speaker 1: You know, that's a good list. Did you come from 700 00:33:57,880 --> 00:34:00,560 Speaker 1: a car family? John rolling Up? 701 00:34:01,200 --> 00:34:03,720 Speaker 3: My dad was definitely a car guy. I was always 702 00:34:03,760 --> 00:34:06,440 Speaker 3: in the cars and always had something new, and so 703 00:34:06,520 --> 00:34:10,080 Speaker 3: I think I inherited the car bug from my dad, definitely, 704 00:34:10,360 --> 00:34:12,279 Speaker 3: but he was the only one in the family. My 705 00:34:12,280 --> 00:34:14,720 Speaker 3: grandfather was in the planes and he was a pilot 706 00:34:14,800 --> 00:34:16,640 Speaker 3: during World War One, so I guess there's that side 707 00:34:16,680 --> 00:34:18,879 Speaker 3: of the business. But yeah, my dad, you. 708 00:34:18,840 --> 00:34:20,560 Speaker 2: Know, I wanted to ask you brought the olds, and 709 00:34:20,600 --> 00:34:23,200 Speaker 2: I've seen it on YouTube, and as far as I understand, 710 00:34:23,239 --> 00:34:26,520 Speaker 2: it's not like a resto mod it's still original, right, 711 00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:30,440 Speaker 2: So it is original, which is interesting because you're you're 712 00:34:30,480 --> 00:34:34,240 Speaker 2: a guy who mods everything. That's your business. So I wonder, 713 00:34:34,719 --> 00:34:36,600 Speaker 2: aside from the olds, because you have that and I 714 00:34:36,640 --> 00:34:39,960 Speaker 2: know how it's meaningful to you, are there cars that 715 00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:42,719 Speaker 2: you would like to have that you wouldn't modify. 716 00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:47,120 Speaker 3: That's a great question. I mean, in the case of 717 00:34:47,120 --> 00:34:50,279 Speaker 3: my fourth four two it you know, it seemed like 718 00:34:50,280 --> 00:34:52,520 Speaker 3: it was fast back when I had mine in the seventies, 719 00:34:52,560 --> 00:34:54,640 Speaker 3: but it doesn't feel very fastness. I've been thinking about 720 00:34:54,640 --> 00:34:57,040 Speaker 3: putting an LT four in it and tune that up 721 00:34:57,080 --> 00:35:00,879 Speaker 3: to you know, eight hundred horsepower, eight fifty horsepower. Yeah, no, Look, 722 00:35:00,920 --> 00:35:03,319 Speaker 3: there are other cars. I can tell you a great car. 723 00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:05,880 Speaker 3: Lexus was very kind of about ten years ago. Let 724 00:35:05,880 --> 00:35:08,560 Speaker 3: me drive an LFA for two weeks. That's a car. 725 00:35:08,600 --> 00:35:10,880 Speaker 3: If I own LFA would be LFA would be on 726 00:35:10,920 --> 00:35:13,480 Speaker 3: my extended list of like vehicles I'd love to own. 727 00:35:13,760 --> 00:35:15,840 Speaker 3: I don't think I would touch a thing about the LFA, 728 00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:19,480 Speaker 3: you know, I really wouldn't. Every car is different. I'm 729 00:35:19,520 --> 00:35:22,000 Speaker 3: trying to think other cars that I really wouldn't want 730 00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:25,480 Speaker 3: to touch. Nothing really comes to mind. I mean, again, 731 00:35:25,880 --> 00:35:28,240 Speaker 3: the cars that we want to modify for our clients, 732 00:35:28,600 --> 00:35:31,000 Speaker 3: we have to have some upside where we can make 733 00:35:31,040 --> 00:35:34,759 Speaker 3: them more fun, more unique. But they also have to 734 00:35:34,800 --> 00:35:38,280 Speaker 3: be reliable, they have to pass smog, they we offer 735 00:35:38,280 --> 00:35:42,000 Speaker 3: a warranty, so so we have to check all those boxes. 736 00:35:42,040 --> 00:35:44,800 Speaker 3: But again, for what I would want to do for myself, 737 00:35:45,160 --> 00:35:48,239 Speaker 3: I level muscle cars, but look, the carbureter are having 738 00:35:48,239 --> 00:35:50,640 Speaker 3: to pull off the air box and force some fuel 739 00:35:50,680 --> 00:35:53,360 Speaker 3: and the batteries go dead. So again, if at some 740 00:35:53,400 --> 00:35:56,279 Speaker 3: point we pivot towards restaurants, I would want to make 741 00:35:56,320 --> 00:35:58,080 Speaker 3: it to where like you could sit in your garage 742 00:35:58,120 --> 00:35:59,480 Speaker 3: for six months and you can just go out and 743 00:35:59,520 --> 00:36:01,399 Speaker 3: just hit the key and it starts the first time. 744 00:36:01,920 --> 00:36:03,440 Speaker 3: That I think would be a nice thing to have. 745 00:36:03,600 --> 00:36:06,520 Speaker 2: Would you pivot towards restomods because it seems like a 746 00:36:06,560 --> 00:36:07,960 Speaker 2: market that isn't going away. 747 00:36:09,120 --> 00:36:12,040 Speaker 3: Absolutely, again, we will likely do it at some point. 748 00:36:12,080 --> 00:36:13,799 Speaker 3: I just don't know what vehicle it is. I mean, 749 00:36:13,920 --> 00:36:17,360 Speaker 3: right now we from design engineering standpoint, I probably have 750 00:36:17,440 --> 00:36:20,160 Speaker 3: the bandwidth to develop one or two restaurants in the 751 00:36:20,200 --> 00:36:22,880 Speaker 3: next year or two. But again, I don't want I 752 00:36:23,280 --> 00:36:24,640 Speaker 3: don't want to. I really don't want to do what's 753 00:36:24,640 --> 00:36:26,520 Speaker 3: already been done unless I feel like I can, I 754 00:36:26,520 --> 00:36:29,959 Speaker 3: can differentiate our product and our brand in a significant way. 755 00:36:30,640 --> 00:36:33,160 Speaker 3: So you know, I'm not going to throw out any 756 00:36:33,200 --> 00:36:35,880 Speaker 3: names of vehicles, but anybody listen to podcasts if you 757 00:36:35,880 --> 00:36:38,440 Speaker 3: want to comment or email us and what kind of 758 00:36:38,440 --> 00:36:40,000 Speaker 3: a rest am id you would like to see come 759 00:36:40,040 --> 00:36:43,560 Speaker 3: from Hennessy. But I think it leans towards American muscle 760 00:36:44,080 --> 00:36:46,640 Speaker 3: you know, whether it's just a muscle car, a sports car, 761 00:36:46,840 --> 00:36:50,000 Speaker 3: or a trucker issue, I don't know. But uh, you know, 762 00:36:50,080 --> 00:36:53,320 Speaker 3: I just don't I just generally don't like doing products 763 00:36:53,360 --> 00:36:55,399 Speaker 3: where it's kind of already been done. Like again, I'll 764 00:36:55,480 --> 00:36:58,760 Speaker 3: use the I love nine eleven's and there's a particular 765 00:36:58,840 --> 00:37:00,880 Speaker 3: genre of nine to eleven that's not been done before 766 00:37:00,880 --> 00:37:03,240 Speaker 3: that I'd love to do, but I feel like Singer 767 00:37:03,280 --> 00:37:04,920 Speaker 3: and others do such a nice job of it. I 768 00:37:04,960 --> 00:37:07,880 Speaker 3: don't know if I want to jump into that sandbox necessarily. 769 00:37:08,320 --> 00:37:11,520 Speaker 1: Well, if you, if anyone listening has a recommendation for John, 770 00:37:11,640 --> 00:37:15,400 Speaker 1: that email is hot pursuit at Bloomberg dot net. Email 771 00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:19,160 Speaker 1: us with your recommendations and we'll get them to John. 772 00:37:19,360 --> 00:37:24,280 Speaker 1: And sounds like there's room for some Porsche activity maybe 773 00:37:24,560 --> 00:37:27,040 Speaker 1: or or not right? I mean, I know you said 774 00:37:27,120 --> 00:37:30,680 Speaker 1: Singer does it great? But didn't you just say there's 775 00:37:30,719 --> 00:37:31,120 Speaker 1: does it? 776 00:37:31,840 --> 00:37:32,319 Speaker 2: Does it? 777 00:37:33,040 --> 00:37:33,279 Speaker 1: Yeah? 778 00:37:33,360 --> 00:37:36,080 Speaker 3: Look, I mean put it this way, there's a certain 779 00:37:36,120 --> 00:37:37,600 Speaker 3: type of a nine to eleven that I would like 780 00:37:37,600 --> 00:37:39,719 Speaker 3: to build for myself that does not really exist in 781 00:37:39,760 --> 00:37:40,360 Speaker 3: the marketplace. 782 00:37:40,800 --> 00:37:41,360 Speaker 1: Which type is? 783 00:37:41,760 --> 00:37:44,399 Speaker 3: So I don't know if I want to give it away. 784 00:37:44,880 --> 00:37:46,319 Speaker 3: Good we end up doing that. I like they like 785 00:37:46,400 --> 00:37:47,400 Speaker 3: to keep it a surprise. 786 00:37:47,600 --> 00:37:49,720 Speaker 1: I take that as a good sign that you're serious 787 00:37:49,760 --> 00:37:51,480 Speaker 1: about it, whatever it is. 788 00:37:51,600 --> 00:37:54,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, Yeah, we talk. We talk about it a lot internally, 789 00:37:54,960 --> 00:37:55,800 Speaker 3: but we'll see. 790 00:37:56,040 --> 00:37:58,279 Speaker 2: I want to finally ask you about the powertrains that 791 00:37:58,320 --> 00:38:01,440 Speaker 2: you love, John, because that's, you know, been your focus 792 00:38:01,480 --> 00:38:03,279 Speaker 2: for so long. And I guess i'll leave out we 793 00:38:03,280 --> 00:38:06,320 Speaker 2: can leave out the flat sixes. But are there power 794 00:38:06,320 --> 00:38:09,960 Speaker 2: trains that you prefer, like big naturally aspirated motors. Do 795 00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:12,960 Speaker 2: you like superchargers vetter than turbos or are you Does 796 00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:15,200 Speaker 2: it depend completely on the car? Are there some that 797 00:38:15,239 --> 00:38:16,200 Speaker 2: really stick out for you? 798 00:38:16,960 --> 00:38:19,400 Speaker 3: Look, I meet a opportunity. I love it all. So 799 00:38:19,520 --> 00:38:23,800 Speaker 3: if it's rowdy and fast and fun, makes the right sounds, 800 00:38:23,880 --> 00:38:27,520 Speaker 3: makes the car go feel right, I'm a fan. So 801 00:38:28,280 --> 00:38:31,000 Speaker 3: I love NA Again. Going back to our days with 802 00:38:31,040 --> 00:38:33,799 Speaker 3: the Viper, we were we had big war kits for 803 00:38:33,840 --> 00:38:36,320 Speaker 3: the Viper. We did a nine liters package and we 804 00:38:36,360 --> 00:38:38,320 Speaker 3: could get eight hundred horse power of the Viper normally 805 00:38:38,280 --> 00:38:42,000 Speaker 3: asked right, I love that again. When it comes to boost, 806 00:38:42,680 --> 00:38:45,880 Speaker 3: I can make an argument for supercharger or turbo. I 807 00:38:45,960 --> 00:38:48,799 Speaker 3: love this feeling and the sound of turbos. But in 808 00:38:48,880 --> 00:38:52,040 Speaker 3: terms of our business, it's hard to scale big powerful 809 00:38:52,040 --> 00:38:55,120 Speaker 3: turbo kits. So predominantly of the six hundred vehicles that 810 00:38:55,160 --> 00:38:57,279 Speaker 3: we're building a year, like we have our we have 811 00:38:57,360 --> 00:39:01,760 Speaker 3: our our Venom seven seventy five horsepower F one fifty 812 00:39:01,760 --> 00:39:04,920 Speaker 3: pickup truck. It's super charged because we can scale that 813 00:39:04,960 --> 00:39:08,040 Speaker 3: and it's got great reliability to it. Obviously, the F 814 00:39:08,040 --> 00:39:10,320 Speaker 3: five is twin turbo, but again, we're only doing eleven 815 00:39:10,360 --> 00:39:13,680 Speaker 3: of those a year typically, so I love them all. Again, 816 00:39:13,880 --> 00:39:18,759 Speaker 3: I think that, you know, if there's one common denominator, 817 00:39:18,800 --> 00:39:22,319 Speaker 3: it's it's kind of American muscle. It's it's V eight 818 00:39:22,360 --> 00:39:25,560 Speaker 3: in the case of the Viper obviously V ten. But look, 819 00:39:25,600 --> 00:39:27,560 Speaker 3: I have no issue with you know, you can get 820 00:39:27,560 --> 00:39:30,000 Speaker 3: a GTR to make three thousand horse power out of 821 00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:32,920 Speaker 3: a V six, so there's no I'm not in particular, 822 00:39:33,080 --> 00:39:35,600 Speaker 3: you know, I don't have anything against the Inline six 823 00:39:35,719 --> 00:39:37,359 Speaker 3: like the two jay Z and the Super those are 824 00:39:37,400 --> 00:39:40,120 Speaker 3: wonderful motors. But again, there I guess it just kind 825 00:39:40,120 --> 00:39:42,880 Speaker 3: of comes down to the V eight and the V 826 00:39:43,000 --> 00:39:44,759 Speaker 3: ten are kind of special to us, and they've been 827 00:39:44,760 --> 00:39:47,439 Speaker 3: our kind of our specialty going back for almost thirty 828 00:39:47,480 --> 00:39:51,120 Speaker 3: three years, so we'll probably continue to continue to go 829 00:39:51,160 --> 00:39:51,840 Speaker 3: down that path. 830 00:39:52,400 --> 00:39:52,560 Speaker 2: Good. 831 00:39:52,640 --> 00:39:55,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, thanks for taking the time to share all this stuff. 832 00:39:55,360 --> 00:39:56,000 Speaker 1: We're watching. 833 00:39:56,120 --> 00:39:56,800 Speaker 3: Thank you all. 834 00:39:56,800 --> 00:40:00,440 Speaker 2: Eagerlly loving watching your work, and I'll be watching with 835 00:40:00,760 --> 00:40:02,840 Speaker 2: even more focus from now on. Thanks so much for 836 00:40:02,920 --> 00:40:07,400 Speaker 2: joining us. All Right, so awesome interview with John Hennessy. 837 00:40:07,400 --> 00:40:09,920 Speaker 2: He loved listening to him, It loved his answers, I've 838 00:40:09,960 --> 00:40:13,279 Speaker 2: been looking deeper and deeper into his work recently. So 839 00:40:13,880 --> 00:40:15,759 Speaker 2: very cool that they're gonna it looks like they're gonna 840 00:40:15,760 --> 00:40:17,200 Speaker 2: attempt a world record. Yeah. 841 00:40:17,239 --> 00:40:19,840 Speaker 1: I think it's exciting. And I just love the Texas connection. 842 00:40:19,960 --> 00:40:22,960 Speaker 1: As you know, he's just a guy down in Texas 843 00:40:22,960 --> 00:40:25,400 Speaker 1: doing his thing, and he's he's earned a lot of 844 00:40:25,480 --> 00:40:27,439 Speaker 1: respect over the years, so I think that's very cool. 845 00:40:27,600 --> 00:40:30,040 Speaker 2: He just like went racing a few times and was 846 00:40:30,160 --> 00:40:32,000 Speaker 2: very successful, and he was like, I'm gonna start this 847 00:40:32,040 --> 00:40:32,800 Speaker 2: doing business. 848 00:40:32,920 --> 00:40:35,279 Speaker 1: I know, he's so casual about doing these things that 849 00:40:35,320 --> 00:40:39,200 Speaker 1: are incredibly complicated and difficult, and he's just you know, 850 00:40:39,920 --> 00:40:41,040 Speaker 1: very ho hum about it. 851 00:40:41,280 --> 00:40:43,480 Speaker 2: Kind of cool, very cool. And he talks about the 852 00:40:44,040 --> 00:40:47,839 Speaker 2: potential of resto modeling a few cars, which I think 853 00:40:47,920 --> 00:40:50,879 Speaker 2: is so tantalizing. I wonder what they could be. 854 00:40:51,239 --> 00:40:54,600 Speaker 1: I think we need our listeners to email us at 855 00:40:54,640 --> 00:40:56,080 Speaker 1: hot Pursuit at Bloomberg dot. 856 00:40:55,920 --> 00:40:58,520 Speaker 2: Net, Hot Pursuit at Bloomberg dot net, and. 857 00:40:58,600 --> 00:41:04,759 Speaker 1: We're thinking, you know, Porsche, Corvette, Bronco, maybe something along 858 00:41:04,800 --> 00:41:05,280 Speaker 1: those lines. 859 00:41:05,400 --> 00:41:08,040 Speaker 2: I wonder I wonder if he'll go the four by 860 00:41:08,080 --> 00:41:11,279 Speaker 2: four route. I wonder if that market has come substantially 861 00:41:11,320 --> 00:41:12,880 Speaker 2: down like I look on bring a trailer, and the 862 00:41:12,880 --> 00:41:13,640 Speaker 2: prices seem to it. 863 00:41:13,719 --> 00:41:15,640 Speaker 1: I do think it's peaked a bit. I honestly do 864 00:41:15,680 --> 00:41:16,280 Speaker 1: think it's peaked. 865 00:41:16,320 --> 00:41:19,120 Speaker 2: But he could do something that we haven't even thought about, so. 866 00:41:19,480 --> 00:41:20,000 Speaker 1: That'd be cool. 867 00:41:20,040 --> 00:41:22,520 Speaker 2: I would love to hear suggestions, and we'll send him 868 00:41:22,520 --> 00:41:25,560 Speaker 2: along to John Hennessy next week. Have you got anything 869 00:41:25,560 --> 00:41:26,399 Speaker 2: special coming up? 870 00:41:26,520 --> 00:41:30,960 Speaker 1: You know, Mercedes is finally unveiling their electric g Wagon. 871 00:41:31,040 --> 00:41:31,239 Speaker 3: Now. 872 00:41:31,360 --> 00:41:35,840 Speaker 1: I drove a prototype of this vehicle last year, and 873 00:41:36,000 --> 00:41:39,040 Speaker 1: now they're of course having the official launch. I'll have 874 00:41:39,080 --> 00:41:41,360 Speaker 1: something to report about that next week. 875 00:41:41,640 --> 00:41:45,759 Speaker 2: All right, Well, I am expecting to try out the 876 00:41:45,840 --> 00:41:51,319 Speaker 2: Lamborghini the off road Lamborghini Strato. The Strato cool. They're 877 00:41:51,320 --> 00:41:54,400 Speaker 2: supposed to bring it over tomorrow and a buddy of 878 00:41:54,440 --> 00:41:57,799 Speaker 2: mine he sent me a suggestion that I thought was 879 00:41:57,840 --> 00:42:00,480 Speaker 2: pretty amazing. And I've never even thought about it before. 880 00:42:01,680 --> 00:42:04,800 Speaker 2: You could even do a story. The old Albany Post Road. 881 00:42:05,400 --> 00:42:06,160 Speaker 1: Never heard of it. 882 00:42:06,160 --> 00:42:09,480 Speaker 2: It's about, I don't know, fifteen miles north of me. 883 00:42:09,719 --> 00:42:12,960 Speaker 2: It's not that far away. It is the oldest dirt 884 00:42:13,040 --> 00:42:14,040 Speaker 2: road in America. 885 00:42:14,680 --> 00:42:17,360 Speaker 1: How do you even know that it's I mean, how 886 00:42:17,400 --> 00:42:18,600 Speaker 1: would you claim that. 887 00:42:18,480 --> 00:42:21,880 Speaker 2: I don't know. The Old Albany post Road is apparently 888 00:42:22,040 --> 00:42:24,440 Speaker 2: one of the oldest unpaved roads in America, or the 889 00:42:24,520 --> 00:42:26,480 Speaker 2: oldest everywhere I look. It says it's the oldest. It's 890 00:42:26,480 --> 00:42:29,879 Speaker 2: about ten kilometers long, six point six miles long. And 891 00:42:30,080 --> 00:42:31,840 Speaker 2: I'm gonna take this because they told me not to 892 00:42:31,880 --> 00:42:34,920 Speaker 2: take it off road, right the off road Lamborghini in 893 00:42:34,960 --> 00:42:37,560 Speaker 2: the press religion in the lone agreement, it says it's 894 00:42:37,680 --> 00:42:39,200 Speaker 2: not fair. It says, by the way, don't take it 895 00:42:39,200 --> 00:42:41,560 Speaker 2: off road. So I wanted to find a road that 896 00:42:41,719 --> 00:42:42,440 Speaker 2: wasn't paved. 897 00:42:42,920 --> 00:42:46,440 Speaker 1: Yes, that's fine, fair game, it's still ally ho and 898 00:42:46,480 --> 00:42:47,000 Speaker 1: carry on. 899 00:42:49,280 --> 00:42:51,360 Speaker 2: Well, that does it for this week. That's all we 900 00:42:51,440 --> 00:42:54,439 Speaker 2: got time for. I'll see you here, same time, same place, next. 901 00:42:54,360 --> 00:42:56,799 Speaker 1: Week, the time, same place. Email us hot Pursuit at 902 00:42:56,800 --> 00:42:59,800 Speaker 1: Bloomberg dot net. I'm Matt Miller and I'm Hannah Elliott, 903 00:42:59,800 --> 00:43:01,120 Speaker 1: and this is Bloomberg