WEBVTT - All Things Bentley with CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser 0:00:01.000 --> 0:00:03.880 I'm Matt Miller and I'm Hannah Elliott, and this is 0:00:03.960 --> 0:00:04.560 hot pursuit. 0:00:12.480 --> 0:00:16.759 All right, we have I would say a legend on 0:00:16.800 --> 0:00:17.599 the program today? 0:00:17.640 --> 0:00:20.120 Is that a legend and a guru and a doctor. 0:00:20.720 --> 0:00:24.239 Frank Stephen Wallaser is going to join us. He is 0:00:24.280 --> 0:00:28.080 the CEO of Bentley, the new CEO of Bentley, and 0:00:29.080 --> 0:00:32.120 was at Porsche for two decades. I think longer. 0:00:32.200 --> 0:00:34.960 Actually, right now, I think longer. 0:00:35.080 --> 0:00:37.720 I mean, obviously we all know him because he was 0:00:37.760 --> 0:00:40.839 the project leader for the nine to eighteen Spider hypercar 0:00:41.280 --> 0:00:47.159 in twenty ten and really developed Porsche's motorsport program. He 0:00:47.600 --> 0:00:49.279 did all the GT cars. 0:00:49.800 --> 0:00:50.840 He really is. 0:00:51.520 --> 0:00:53.519 Kind of the genius behind it. I mean, he's a 0:00:53.520 --> 0:00:59.400 mechanical engineer I think orchestrated Porsche's dominance in that area 0:00:59.600 --> 0:01:00.640 for two decades. 0:01:01.080 --> 0:01:06.760 Also, my favorite Porsche supercar that I've never driven, but 0:01:06.800 --> 0:01:09.160 I've never driven any of them, right, so I would say, 0:01:09.200 --> 0:01:13.000 like the nine to fifty nine, the Carrera GT, and 0:01:13.040 --> 0:01:15.720 then the nine eighteen Spider. Those are the three that 0:01:15.800 --> 0:01:17.959 stick out at least for me. I've never driven any 0:01:18.000 --> 0:01:21.840 of them, but I like the looks, the layout, the 0:01:21.920 --> 0:01:25.240 technology of the nine to eighteen better than any of 0:01:25.280 --> 0:01:25.720 the others. 0:01:25.920 --> 0:01:28.840 It's so cool. It's so cool, you know. 0:01:29.000 --> 0:01:32.360 But also we should say now he's at Bentley, and 0:01:33.000 --> 0:01:36.520 I think we can really expect that some of this 0:01:37.360 --> 0:01:43.000 really tight engineering, edgy perfectly balanced handling is going to 0:01:43.280 --> 0:01:47.039 be transferred over to Bentley, which is exciting to hear about. 0:01:47.360 --> 0:01:49.720 Yes, the question is when are we going to see 0:01:49.760 --> 0:01:52.640 the first vehicle that he you know, from start to 0:01:52.680 --> 0:01:53.800 finish overseas. 0:01:54.120 --> 0:01:56.040 Yeah, that was a that's a great question. 0:01:56.360 --> 0:01:59.480 And you know we have frank on because Bentley announced 0:01:59.520 --> 0:02:03.440 last week that they are pushing off their electric vehicle 0:02:03.480 --> 0:02:08.079 goals for another five years and we'll be making hybrid 0:02:08.520 --> 0:02:12.040 combustion engines at least until twenty thirty five, which I 0:02:12.160 --> 0:02:16.600 actually received a lot of comments saying how happy people 0:02:16.639 --> 0:02:17.520 were that they're doing that. 0:02:18.120 --> 0:02:20.399 Yeah, delaying that so yeah, interesting times. 0:02:20.440 --> 0:02:23.480 I don't think anyone wants them to kill their internal 0:02:23.520 --> 0:02:27.360 combustion engines and just have like battery powered Bentley's. 0:02:27.680 --> 0:02:29.520 Right yet, not yet. 0:02:29.760 --> 0:02:32.440 Maybe there are a few people out there, but probably 0:02:33.120 --> 0:02:37.800 most of those who will be buying Bentley's would prefer 0:02:37.840 --> 0:02:39.160 the gas powered versions. 0:02:39.480 --> 0:02:39.840 I think. 0:02:39.919 --> 0:02:41.600 So, Oh, I got to tell you something that's amazing 0:02:41.600 --> 0:02:44.080 I don't know if I told you already. So my 0:02:44.280 --> 0:02:48.919 daughter's Edna especially, but also Lola. They love to have 0:02:49.000 --> 0:02:51.640 daddy daughter dance parties. And I was playing Zeppelin and 0:02:51.720 --> 0:02:53.560 Edna was like, I want to see this band. So 0:02:53.639 --> 0:02:57.680 I showed them the song remains the same and they 0:02:57.720 --> 0:03:03.640 loved it. And at one point Robert Plant introduces Jimmy Page. 0:03:03.680 --> 0:03:06.239 He says, ladies and gentlemen, Jimmy Page on the electric guitar, 0:03:06.639 --> 0:03:12.200 and Edna says, Daddy, his guitar doesn't need gas. That's amazing, 0:03:12.360 --> 0:03:13.960 which I thought was pretty funny. 0:03:14.320 --> 0:03:17.600 That's an amazing connection in her head. Yeah, she's been 0:03:17.639 --> 0:03:19.279 listening to you obviously. 0:03:19.760 --> 0:03:22.880 Yeah. Her favorite thing. When I say it's an electric car, 0:03:22.960 --> 0:03:25.000 she'll turn to her other four year old friends and 0:03:25.040 --> 0:03:28.040 say that means it doesn't need gas. So that's as 0:03:28.080 --> 0:03:30.320 far as she's gotten, I think with electric vehicles. 0:03:30.480 --> 0:03:32.359 But I mean, maybe that's as far as you need 0:03:32.400 --> 0:03:32.720 to get. 0:03:32.960 --> 0:03:35.240 Yeah, now she thinks it applies to guitars. 0:03:35.400 --> 0:03:39.320 I guess weren't electric guitars considered quite. 0:03:38.880 --> 0:03:42.840 A revolution and a revelation. 0:03:43.160 --> 0:03:46.240 I imagine, you know, compared, I would imagine they were, I. 0:03:46.200 --> 0:03:47.640 Mean everything before. 0:03:48.000 --> 0:03:50.119 Yeah, it changed everything. 0:03:50.360 --> 0:03:52.119 I never thought about it that way. 0:03:52.000 --> 0:03:54.960 But for the good, right, I mean, like everything was 0:03:55.000 --> 0:04:00.520 better post electric electrification in guitars, and you know what, 0:04:01.080 --> 0:04:03.080 that's the case now, you know exactly. 0:04:03.160 --> 0:04:06.080 I'm sure there were a lot of people who thought, 0:04:06.200 --> 0:04:08.320 you know, this is sacrilege. 0:04:08.840 --> 0:04:10.120 Those people were called parents. 0:04:10.800 --> 0:04:16.320 You know, it's probably it's probably true. And there are 0:04:16.360 --> 0:04:21.640 people who think, uh, you know, electrification is a hugely 0:04:22.800 --> 0:04:27.600 beneficial and positive change to driving, even for other reasons 0:04:27.600 --> 0:04:31.719 than you know, fighting climate change. Like people enjoy a 0:04:31.720 --> 0:04:35.880 lot of people enjoy driving their evs. The you know, 0:04:36.000 --> 0:04:40.680 instant torque and uh, you know, just the smoothness, the silence, 0:04:40.880 --> 0:04:42.960 like there are so many things that a lot of 0:04:43.480 --> 0:04:46.600 younger people feel like it's a it's a great change. 0:04:46.920 --> 0:04:51.800 Yeah, Honestly, I will say I do. I hate the 0:04:52.440 --> 0:04:55.599 worrying noise that a lot of evs have that really 0:04:55.760 --> 0:05:01.800 droney were I hate it. However, I also hate the 0:05:02.480 --> 0:05:09.720 young gentlemen who drive their very loud, unmuffled vehicles Hondas 0:05:09.800 --> 0:05:12.920 and the like up to up the hill at like 0:05:13.160 --> 0:05:15.039 five am coming home from a night out. 0:05:15.160 --> 0:05:19.400 I also hate that. I'd rather they be in electric vehicles. 0:05:19.440 --> 0:05:23.000 It's Honda civics and late model BMWM cars. 0:05:23.400 --> 0:05:27.400 Oh it's so and they're going fifteen miles an hour, 0:05:27.520 --> 0:05:32.039 twenty miles an hour, and it's like they sound really terrible, 0:05:32.360 --> 0:05:32.839 really bad. 0:05:32.960 --> 0:05:34.800 There's a lot of rattle in there too. 0:05:35.800 --> 0:05:37.680 All right, So we're going to talk to Frank Wallacer 0:05:37.720 --> 0:05:40.360 about a lot of this stuff, and I'm excited for 0:05:40.440 --> 0:05:43.520 our listeners to hear that. I also want to give 0:05:43.600 --> 0:05:45.800 some equal time to Rolls Royce, since we're going to 0:05:45.800 --> 0:05:49.320 focus so much on Bentley, and since you spent time 0:05:49.839 --> 0:05:54.159 in a Rolls Royce in Las Vegas learning to be 0:05:54.200 --> 0:05:56.719 a chauffeur. And my question is like, what do you 0:05:56.760 --> 0:05:58.960 need to know other than like, oh my gosh, shut 0:05:59.000 --> 0:05:59.920 your mouth and dry. 0:06:00.440 --> 0:06:01.440 It's so much. 0:06:01.800 --> 0:06:04.560 I don't even know where to start start with yourself, Like, 0:06:04.640 --> 0:06:09.240 you need to be dressed, not in shorts, obviously dressed 0:06:09.240 --> 0:06:13.320 like a professional. You know, coat, clean clothes, press clothes, 0:06:13.400 --> 0:06:14.080 blah blah blah. 0:06:14.120 --> 0:06:14.760 All of that's fine. 0:06:14.920 --> 0:06:17.359 See isn't it always black suit, white shirt? 0:06:17.880 --> 0:06:20.280 Yeah? I mean suret Yeah, that'd be nice. If you 0:06:20.320 --> 0:06:21.000 show up on time. 0:06:21.040 --> 0:06:22.720 You're late. You need to show up early. I mean 0:06:22.800 --> 0:06:24.480 all of these things. Seating position. 0:06:24.839 --> 0:06:27.520 Let me back up and say I had this amazing 0:06:27.640 --> 0:06:31.520 day with Andy mccannon, who is the head driver at 0:06:31.600 --> 0:06:34.840 Rolls Royce. He drove Torston around for years and who 0:06:34.920 --> 0:06:43.279 also trains chauffeurs for Rolls's private clients for dealerships. He 0:06:43.360 --> 0:06:47.279 does security and evasive training. Andy is a fascinating guy. 0:06:47.279 --> 0:06:50.919 He's a former pro skier, and so he took a 0:06:50.960 --> 0:06:53.240 small group of us for the day so that we 0:06:53.320 --> 0:06:57.039 could learn to be white glove chauffeurs. And I actually, 0:06:57.400 --> 0:07:00.640 spoiler alert, did get glove. 0:07:00.800 --> 0:07:03.720 I'm showing that now signed by Andy. 0:07:04.760 --> 0:07:07.160 So I did pass. That's that's a spoiler alert. But 0:07:07.320 --> 0:07:10.400 it's it's a lot of things. It's a lot of etiquette. 0:07:10.440 --> 0:07:14.920 It's a lot of you know, how to open the 0:07:14.960 --> 0:07:17.880 car door, like we literally learned how to open a 0:07:17.960 --> 0:07:21.960 door properly, how to load luggage, setting the scene inside 0:07:22.040 --> 0:07:24.960 the car, make sure all the vents are the same direction. 0:07:25.040 --> 0:07:27.880 Where do you put water bottles? Where do you direct 0:07:27.920 --> 0:07:30.239 the rear view mirror so that you don't make eye 0:07:30.240 --> 0:07:33.080 contact with the driver. Where should the lady of the 0:07:33.120 --> 0:07:37.480 house sit. All of these considerations are taken into account 0:07:38.040 --> 0:07:38.880 when you're trained as a. 0:07:38.880 --> 0:07:39.760 White glove chauffeur. 0:07:40.160 --> 0:07:40.800 Fascinating. 0:07:41.560 --> 0:07:45.160 It was really fascinating. And then of course we practiced 0:07:45.280 --> 0:07:50.160 the whiskey, gin and tonic and champagne stops, which are 0:07:50.320 --> 0:07:54.280 just like they sound. You practice stopping so that whiskey 0:07:54.480 --> 0:07:59.880 in a in a shot glass won't spill, and then 0:08:00.200 --> 0:08:03.520 you graduate to gin and tonic and a traditional gen 0:08:03.600 --> 0:08:07.480 and tonic class, and then you graduate to the champagne 0:08:07.480 --> 0:08:10.920 coop full of champagne and try to break so as 0:08:10.960 --> 0:08:11.520 not to spill. 0:08:12.880 --> 0:08:14.200 It's harder than it sounds. 0:08:15.000 --> 0:08:19.280 I realized, Oh, I've been like thrashing my own cars 0:08:19.320 --> 0:08:23.840 around LA with no regard for anything. And yeah, it 0:08:23.880 --> 0:08:28.480 was really a fascinating, fascinating training. 0:08:28.760 --> 0:08:30.960 I mean, I feel like Rolls Royce does have the 0:08:32.120 --> 0:08:37.160 lion's share of ultra high priced chauffeured vehicles, right, because 0:08:37.200 --> 0:08:39.200 Bentley is more about driving it yourself. 0:08:39.600 --> 0:08:43.000 Yes, so, Rolls Royce told me that of the roughly 0:08:43.080 --> 0:08:46.680 six thousand vehicles that they deliver every year, twenty percent 0:08:46.880 --> 0:08:52.880 go to owners who employ full time chauffeurs, and that 0:08:52.960 --> 0:08:56.800 proportion gets dramatically higher for people who own the phantom 0:08:56.840 --> 0:08:59.760 extended wheelbase, which is really a car to be driven in. 0:09:01.040 --> 0:09:03.920 And then on top of that, a lot of rolls 0:09:04.000 --> 0:09:07.400 Royce owners employ part time drivers where maybe they have 0:09:07.480 --> 0:09:09.720 the driver on weekdays to drive them to the office 0:09:09.720 --> 0:09:11.520 in backs that they can work and take calls, and 0:09:11.559 --> 0:09:13.199 then on the weekend they drive themselves. 0:09:14.360 --> 0:09:16.000 So it's really interesting. 0:09:16.160 --> 0:09:19.520 The whole idea is in a weird way that as 0:09:19.600 --> 0:09:26.200 we go deeper into autonomous driving and artificial intelligence, the 0:09:26.240 --> 0:09:30.480 real luxury is being driven by another human. Yes, you know, 0:09:30.800 --> 0:09:33.640 during this class we talked about building a relationship with 0:09:33.720 --> 0:09:36.280 your client, you know, remembering the name of their dog, 0:09:36.360 --> 0:09:39.720 remembering the name of their children, remembering their preferences for 0:09:39.840 --> 0:09:43.120 climate and music and seating position. 0:09:43.240 --> 0:09:46.200 And it's all just about the. 0:09:46.640 --> 0:09:50.960 Warmth of another human who can respond to things in 0:09:51.320 --> 0:09:55.440 the real world and real time that no computer will 0:09:56.440 --> 0:10:00.840 is able to do on that level. And for the 0:10:00.840 --> 0:10:04.920 people who have the resources to employ a driver, that's 0:10:04.920 --> 0:10:07.280 what they're buying. It's like a concierge, right. 0:10:07.600 --> 0:10:11.800 Well, and those people probably also have fabulous wealth, so 0:10:11.840 --> 0:10:15.200 maybe they need a bodyguard. Does the chauffeur often double 0:10:15.559 --> 0:10:18.079 as a bodyguard, as Andy packinheat. 0:10:18.520 --> 0:10:21.360 You know what, I'll have to ask him. He does 0:10:21.400 --> 0:10:27.120 offer courses on evasive driving. We did talk about driving 0:10:27.360 --> 0:10:33.640 in security threat areas, and he mentioned that, you know, 0:10:33.760 --> 0:10:37.640 in urban areas versus rural areas, and urban areas they're 0:10:37.640 --> 0:10:40.000 gonna try to take what's in the car, like a 0:10:40.040 --> 0:10:42.880 watch or a handbag. In rural areas, they're gonna take 0:10:42.880 --> 0:10:46.880 the car itself. So he does train people to do that. 0:10:46.960 --> 0:10:50.400 I didn't do part of that training with him, but yeah, 0:10:50.440 --> 0:10:53.200 and you know, the other interesting thing is Andy actually 0:10:53.480 --> 0:10:57.679 just came from spending two weeks in Dubai training drivers 0:10:57.720 --> 0:11:00.760 in Dubai for a high net worth individual. And he 0:11:00.800 --> 0:11:05.120 also runs a program to train women drivers in Saudi Arabia, 0:11:05.400 --> 0:11:09.280 which is obviously a really big deal because women up 0:11:09.320 --> 0:11:12.280 until a few years ago could not drive in Saudi Arabia, 0:11:12.840 --> 0:11:16.640 but now there's a very big growth market for women 0:11:16.679 --> 0:11:20.080 who will drive other women and children to stores, on errands, 0:11:20.080 --> 0:11:22.840 to school, that sort of thing. So, having been to 0:11:22.840 --> 0:11:25.360 Saudi Arabia for the first time earlier this year myself, 0:11:25.760 --> 0:11:27.480 I find that really fascinating. 0:11:28.160 --> 0:11:31.720 Yeah, that is really interesting stuff, and your story on 0:11:31.800 --> 0:11:35.800 that is going to come out later later. 0:11:37.280 --> 0:11:39.199 I'm taking it as a very good thing. It was 0:11:39.240 --> 0:11:40.880 supposed to run this weekend and now they're going to 0:11:40.920 --> 0:11:43.880 hold it until Thanksgiving. And hopefully make it into a 0:11:43.920 --> 0:11:46.040 bit more of a feature, which means that I get 0:11:46.080 --> 0:11:48.480 to write longer and then. 0:11:48.400 --> 0:11:51.560 We include more words. So I like the sound of that, 0:11:51.679 --> 0:11:52.800 So stay tuned, all. 0:11:52.760 --> 0:11:56.280 Right, I look forward to that. And now I want 0:11:56.280 --> 0:11:59.040 to talk about the car you're driving right now, which, 0:11:59.120 --> 0:12:02.520 by the way, Mercede has so many different variants. 0:12:02.240 --> 0:12:03.360 It's so confused. 0:12:03.400 --> 0:12:08.319 They're no longer divided easily between Mercedes and AMG products 0:12:08.320 --> 0:12:11.000 because when they put out the GT you know they had, 0:12:11.120 --> 0:12:12.600 it was just an AMG thing. 0:12:13.280 --> 0:12:13.439 Yea. 0:12:14.160 --> 0:12:16.640 Now they're bringing it all together. And by the way, 0:12:16.679 --> 0:12:19.800 the coops can have two doors or four doors. 0:12:20.080 --> 0:12:22.800 Yeah, nothing mean nothing basically. 0:12:23.160 --> 0:12:27.280 And I have issues with Mercedes like alphabet. 0:12:26.760 --> 0:12:28.960 Soup and BMW does too. 0:12:29.280 --> 0:12:31.800 I feel like they're trying to confuse the public to 0:12:31.840 --> 0:12:35.320 some extent, which I don't know why that works in 0:12:35.360 --> 0:12:37.160 a marketing sense, but. 0:12:37.280 --> 0:12:37.960 I don't get it. 0:12:38.080 --> 0:12:41.440 But they still make amazing vehicles. So tell me what 0:12:41.480 --> 0:12:46.280 you think about this. You're driving the Mercedes AMG S 0:12:46.280 --> 0:12:49.520 sixty three E Performance, which is not only I think 0:12:49.559 --> 0:12:52.640 their most powerful S class, but like probably the most 0:12:52.679 --> 0:12:54.679 powerful car that they make overall. 0:12:55.000 --> 0:12:59.440 Yes, first, let me say that this car on the 0:12:59.520 --> 0:13:04.240 Maroni that I got starts at just under two hundred 0:13:04.320 --> 0:13:09.480 thousand dollars. Now I'm looking online and it's the MSRP 0:13:09.920 --> 0:13:12.480 says one hundred and eighty six thousand. 0:13:12.640 --> 0:13:12.840 Yep. 0:13:12.960 --> 0:13:15.000 But I'm telling you, on the Maroni that I have 0:13:15.160 --> 0:13:18.240 in the car with me, it's like high one nineties. 0:13:18.520 --> 0:13:21.040 And then the car that I drive personally with all 0:13:21.280 --> 0:13:24.320 the extras, it's at two hundred and sixteen thousand dollars, 0:13:24.480 --> 0:13:28.040 which I was shocked to find out. It's that is 0:13:28.160 --> 0:13:29.400 so expensive to. 0:13:29.320 --> 0:13:32.840 Me, he really think, I guess I've got that's so expensive. 0:13:32.920 --> 0:13:34.320 That's that's to me. 0:13:34.640 --> 0:13:39.959 Like Bentley Territory, and in my mind, Bentley Occupy is 0:13:40.000 --> 0:13:42.080 a place that's higher than Mercedes. 0:13:43.040 --> 0:13:44.360 Although I know we think you're going to. 0:13:44.360 --> 0:13:47.280 Find that it's going to be half of what a 0:13:47.320 --> 0:13:48.319 Bentley costs. 0:13:48.720 --> 0:13:49.720 Bentley Continental. 0:13:50.320 --> 0:13:55.360 The Bentley Continental GT that I drove was about four 0:13:55.480 --> 0:13:58.280 hundred and whoa and. 0:13:58.360 --> 0:14:01.720 Yeah, but it's star it's arts at. 0:14:01.640 --> 0:14:04.400 Lower fifty at. 0:14:03.800 --> 0:14:08.319 No, no, it starts at to something hmm. 0:14:09.040 --> 0:14:13.960 Right, I'm gonna go ahead and look at Bentley dot com. 0:14:14.160 --> 0:14:15.240 It'll be in my review. 0:14:17.040 --> 0:14:21.440 So the price in your Bentley Continental review was I 0:14:21.440 --> 0:14:24.000 think a price for an old Bentaga. 0:14:24.840 --> 0:14:28.640 Okay, three hundred thousand dollars, you're right, Yeah, it's three 0:14:28.720 --> 0:14:29.640 hundred into all. 0:14:29.600 --> 0:14:33.560 Right, Prices are just much higher than we thought they were, right. 0:14:34.160 --> 0:14:37.400 It's so wild to me that this car costs that much. 0:14:38.520 --> 0:14:40.520 Someone asked me over the weekend what I thought of it, 0:14:40.560 --> 0:14:43.240 and I just didn't really feel like talking at the moment, 0:14:43.200 --> 0:14:45.400 and I just said, it drives great, and that is true. 0:14:45.480 --> 0:14:46.880 It does drive great. 0:14:47.440 --> 0:14:50.800 To me. It's a little bit like having a nightclub 0:14:50.840 --> 0:14:54.520 and a hotel, and I don't think that often works 0:14:54.560 --> 0:14:55.880 because if you want to go to a club, you 0:14:55.880 --> 0:14:57.280 go to a club and then you go to your hotel, 0:14:57.320 --> 0:14:59.200 and I just want to like sleep and chill at 0:14:59.200 --> 0:15:01.560 the hotel. And this car is kind of like that. 0:15:01.720 --> 0:15:06.280 Like it's a big, heavy sedan that is engineered to 0:15:06.320 --> 0:15:10.600 be thrashed and like drive like a sports car, and 0:15:10.680 --> 0:15:14.440 it's jarring. It drives great, but it's kind of a 0:15:14.560 --> 0:15:21.000 mind warp. It's wildly fast, but the breaks are extremely jagged, 0:15:21.960 --> 0:15:24.400 And yeah, did you not find that? 0:15:25.000 --> 0:15:27.520 I didn't. So, first of all, I think the car 0:15:27.600 --> 0:15:30.600 looks very unassuming because it's an escue. 0:15:30.720 --> 0:15:31.680 You guys have a spoiler. 0:15:32.640 --> 0:15:36.120 I don't think so mine has a mine has a 0:15:36.360 --> 0:15:37.920 Speedboy spoiler on it. 0:15:38.400 --> 0:15:43.320 Really, Yeah, that is a strange I mean, I don't 0:15:43.360 --> 0:15:49.120 know where that comes from. I'm going to go through 0:15:49.160 --> 0:15:52.040 the configurator right now. I'm not sure there's any kind 0:15:52.040 --> 0:15:56.040 of spoiler on the one on the website, so maybe. No, 0:15:56.160 --> 0:15:59.920 there's definitely not. And it's very smooth. 0:16:00.640 --> 0:16:03.000 Oh, I didn't have that experience. And in any case, 0:16:03.400 --> 0:16:04.640 did you get out of comfort mode? 0:16:05.160 --> 0:16:07.800 I had it in sport, it plus in track, like 0:16:08.240 --> 0:16:09.400 all the time, the whole time. 0:16:09.560 --> 0:16:11.720 I kid, I kid, but I wow. 0:16:11.880 --> 0:16:15.640 Yeah, and and and so to me, it like a 0:16:15.920 --> 0:16:20.320 much like a Moroccan palace. You know, it looks like 0:16:20.400 --> 0:16:22.920 nothing from the outside, and then when you get inside 0:16:22.920 --> 0:16:27.480 you're like whoa Like I was mind blown at the 0:16:29.320 --> 0:16:32.840 display behind the steering wheel because it's three D and 0:16:33.640 --> 0:16:35.680 you have to pay attention to that, Hannah, if you 0:16:35.720 --> 0:16:37.160 haven't noticed it, you can turn. 0:16:37.040 --> 0:16:39.320 It on and off. I see it, Yes, I see it. 0:16:39.640 --> 0:16:41.880 I've never seen it in any car before, so it's 0:16:42.200 --> 0:16:44.040 it's the first time I've ever seen that. 0:16:44.560 --> 0:16:46.760 I think I was too distracted by the fact that 0:16:46.800 --> 0:16:51.120 the cup holders don't actually fit coffee cups, Like did 0:16:51.120 --> 0:16:55.960 you notice this? No, this single very poorly and this 0:16:56.000 --> 0:17:00.360 is a shock from Mercedes because they are generally so great. 0:17:01.040 --> 0:17:05.720 Cup holders for the coffee and the center console are two. 0:17:05.760 --> 0:17:10.159 There's a lip and it catches the lid of the coffee. 0:17:11.840 --> 0:17:12.520 Cups. 0:17:12.760 --> 0:17:13.240 Yeah. 0:17:13.280 --> 0:17:15.080 Well, yeah, I'm not a. 0:17:14.720 --> 0:17:17.280 Farmer, I know, but I am a farmer, so I 0:17:17.359 --> 0:17:19.520 have like you know, twenty four rounds. 0:17:20.720 --> 0:17:23.199 You get a very small cough, you get a normal 0:17:23.359 --> 0:17:27.879 small coffee and the lid instantly pops up because the 0:17:27.960 --> 0:17:31.800 coffee holder is too small and claustrophobic. And that huge 0:17:32.000 --> 0:17:34.160 center divider, Yeah, this is a problem. 0:17:34.240 --> 0:17:37.760 That is probably a problem well a lot of cars 0:17:37.800 --> 0:17:40.199 built for the American market because I'm like putting the 0:17:40.200 --> 0:17:41.920 big gulp in there and it's no problem. 0:17:42.320 --> 0:17:44.679 Let me ask you about the sound. Did you notice 0:17:44.680 --> 0:17:49.520 any odd whirring and humming and you know, odd sounds 0:17:49.520 --> 0:17:53.240 coming from underneath the hood when the hybrid modes were engaged. 0:17:54.000 --> 0:17:56.960 No, But I, like I said, I had it in 0:17:56.960 --> 0:18:01.159 sport plus the whole time, so I didn't ever have 0:18:01.280 --> 0:18:03.120 a moment when it wasn't as loud as it could 0:18:03.119 --> 0:18:07.639 possibly be. The combustion engine, I mean, if you have 0:18:07.720 --> 0:18:12.160 eight hundred horsepower and a thousand pound feet of torque 0:18:12.280 --> 0:18:14.400 that you're gonna thrash it, right. 0:18:14.359 --> 0:18:17.960 Yeah, Yeah, that's where I'm like, Oh, but it's it's 0:18:18.000 --> 0:18:19.680 like a big heavy sedan. 0:18:20.200 --> 0:18:22.760 That didn't feel heavy to me either. I mean it 0:18:22.840 --> 0:18:26.800 felt pretty nimble. I was. I was away impressed by 0:18:26.880 --> 0:18:29.119 this vehicle, and I feel like, I want you to 0:18:29.119 --> 0:18:30.560 go spend another couple of days with. 0:18:30.560 --> 0:18:32.200 It, because I had a couple of days of it. 0:18:32.400 --> 0:18:34.600 I just thought it was amazing. 0:18:35.200 --> 0:18:36.360 I knew you would. 0:18:36.119 --> 0:18:40.120 I literally said in the car, Matt Miller is going 0:18:40.160 --> 0:18:41.600 to love this car. 0:18:41.800 --> 0:18:43.840 And I couldn't. I couldn't not compare it to the 0:18:43.840 --> 0:18:47.760 Bentley Continental GT because I had had or I had 0:18:47.760 --> 0:18:50.000 the Bentley Continental GT right after this, and they both 0:18:50.040 --> 0:18:54.600 have very similar power trains. They both have turbocharged V 0:18:54.680 --> 0:18:57.840 eight's with a hybrid assist, so they both have these 0:18:57.880 --> 0:19:00.920 massive horsepower and torque numbers. Although the Mercedes has more, 0:19:01.240 --> 0:19:06.439 they're both extremely luxurious. The Bentley felt tighter. I had 0:19:06.520 --> 0:19:10.040 less room in the Bentley. The Mercedes felt airrier. I 0:19:10.080 --> 0:19:14.320 had more the Bentley. I didn't get the feeling it 0:19:14.359 --> 0:19:16.879 was smoother. I did get the feeling it was twice 0:19:16.920 --> 0:19:23.399 the price though, so for this power and performance and luxury. 0:19:24.000 --> 0:19:27.160 In the Bentley it's four hundred thousand dollars for two doors, 0:19:27.480 --> 0:19:30.800 and the Mercedes it's two hundred thousand dollars for four doors. 0:19:31.960 --> 0:19:35.560 I just to me, the value proposition falls easily in 0:19:35.640 --> 0:19:36.679 Mercedes favor. 0:19:37.359 --> 0:19:39.840 Okay, let me ask you this, which car do you 0:19:39.920 --> 0:19:41.399 think looks better? 0:19:42.200 --> 0:19:45.960 Oh? The Bentley is a much more beautiful question, no question. 0:19:46.280 --> 0:19:49.359 I don't understand. What's the Mercedes exterior design? 0:19:50.119 --> 0:19:50.359 To me? 0:19:50.680 --> 0:19:54.280 For over a decade has been It's been lost on me. 0:19:54.359 --> 0:19:56.800 I don't understand it. I don't like it. I love 0:19:56.880 --> 0:20:01.680 the AMGGT obviously, or I did before this new iteration, 0:20:02.359 --> 0:20:05.200 and I think they've they've lost that too as they 0:20:05.200 --> 0:20:07.720 bring it under the Mercedes roof. But in terms of 0:20:07.800 --> 0:20:13.000 the luxury experience on the interior, in terms of the 0:20:13.160 --> 0:20:19.439 high tech of the NBUX entfotainment system so good, And 0:20:19.480 --> 0:20:22.920 in terms of the hybrid, I thought the ev drive 0:20:23.000 --> 0:20:26.840 train was amazing. Like I like just their straight six 0:20:26.880 --> 0:20:30.119 in the CLA four fifty. I think they're pretty unrivaled. 0:20:30.680 --> 0:20:33.600 I will say this was the first time that I 0:20:33.760 --> 0:20:38.920 have equibble with that NBUX system because I actually drove 0:20:39.000 --> 0:20:42.199 this on Saturday and I had a crazy night at 0:20:42.240 --> 0:20:46.080 the SPA and decided to dry drive it home over 0:20:46.160 --> 0:20:51.000 Mulholland that car kept telling me there were speed bumps 0:20:51.040 --> 0:20:53.560 coming when there were no speed bumps in sight, and 0:20:53.600 --> 0:20:57.280 then when there were speed bumps, absolutely nothing. And it's 0:20:57.400 --> 0:20:59.960 done that repeatedly, and it's kind of annoying. 0:21:00.200 --> 0:21:01.919 Yes, and they had the same thought, and that was 0:21:02.240 --> 0:21:04.800 that was pretty much my only complaint, especially and it 0:21:04.800 --> 0:21:07.080 would say there's a pothole coming right and I'm driving 0:21:07.080 --> 0:21:09.040 around New York where, yes, I know that. 0:21:09.160 --> 0:21:09.959 How is this? 0:21:10.320 --> 0:21:13.200 I'm completely that is highly ironic and funny that it's 0:21:13.240 --> 0:21:16.080 telling you there's a pothole coming up in midtown Manhattan, 0:21:16.200 --> 0:21:16.800 for instance. 0:21:16.880 --> 0:21:19.440 Yeah, no, that was that. I mean, I am. I 0:21:19.440 --> 0:21:22.880 imagine you could turn that off and I will own 0:21:22.920 --> 0:21:25.920 the car. All right. Well, next week I want to 0:21:25.960 --> 0:21:28.959 talk about it more because I just think it's a 0:21:29.000 --> 0:21:30.800 pretty standout vehicle. 0:21:31.280 --> 0:21:36.040 It's a great car. It's just at least it makes 0:21:36.040 --> 0:21:38.800 me feel something. I don't know what I feel about. 0:21:38.840 --> 0:21:42.439 I feel a little conflicted. At least it makes me 0:21:42.480 --> 0:21:44.520 feel something. Yes, nothing right. 0:21:44.480 --> 0:21:45.960 For sure, And I can't wait. Are you going to 0:21:46.000 --> 0:21:47.440 write a review on this or are you gonna do it? 0:21:47.600 --> 0:21:47.760 Yeah? 0:21:47.840 --> 0:21:49.199 Yeah, yeah, we'll do something on it. 0:21:49.280 --> 0:22:00.840 Yes, yes, let's get to Frank Stephen. I mean, this 0:22:00.920 --> 0:22:05.320 guy had an incredibly storied career with Portia. I'm not 0:22:05.359 --> 0:22:07.119 sure when he started there, but he took over the 0:22:07.119 --> 0:22:12.520 motorsport division in two thousand and three. Legend, and he 0:22:12.640 --> 0:22:16.600 was the project manager for the nine to eighteen and yes, 0:22:16.880 --> 0:22:18.720 absolute legend. I think he took over the nine to 0:22:18.720 --> 0:22:23.760 eleven as well, and Acklitner left and now he's got 0:22:23.760 --> 0:22:26.399 his own baby right now, he's moved over to be 0:22:26.520 --> 0:22:30.040 the boss of Bentley. And you talked to him in Switzerland. 0:22:29.640 --> 0:22:31.280 Yeah, and ander Mott that was the first time I 0:22:31.320 --> 0:22:35.719 got to meet him. And it's really interesting having a 0:22:35.840 --> 0:22:41.400 German CEO follow Adrian Hallmark who was Bitley's British, very 0:22:41.440 --> 0:22:44.800 British CEO, who left and went to Aston Martin. So 0:22:45.000 --> 0:22:47.560 now it's like we've got a whole new regime. And 0:22:48.080 --> 0:22:51.000 it does make me excited about the future of Bentley 0:22:51.040 --> 0:22:54.640 because I because Frank is very open, like, yeah, let's 0:22:54.720 --> 0:22:56.280 we've got some things to work on and this is 0:22:56.320 --> 0:22:56.960 what we're gonna do. 0:22:57.040 --> 0:22:59.520 I like that, Yeah, I like it too. Let's listen 0:22:59.520 --> 0:23:01.680 to actor Frank Stephen Ballasser. 0:23:02.119 --> 0:23:04.720 Frank, you're actually not that new to Bentley anymore. You've 0:23:04.720 --> 0:23:08.480 been there since July. Where are you along your big 0:23:08.560 --> 0:23:11.399 plans to make your mark on Bentley and propel the 0:23:11.440 --> 0:23:12.480 company to the future. 0:23:13.000 --> 0:23:18.359 Well, there's something about the famous hundred days for a CEO. 0:23:20.359 --> 0:23:23.320 You have to set up the scenes, and I got 0:23:23.320 --> 0:23:24.440 some interesting books on that. 0:23:25.240 --> 0:23:27.720 I got even a book with ninety days. But this 0:23:27.840 --> 0:23:28.359 is too short. 0:23:28.359 --> 0:23:30.720 You need and we work with the team here on 0:23:31.160 --> 0:23:36.200 strategy and the future ideas on Bentley. This was coincidental. 0:23:36.240 --> 0:23:41.720 Ass or Beyond one hundred strategy was close to five years, 0:23:41.760 --> 0:23:45.240 so every five years you rework your strategy anyway, so 0:23:45.320 --> 0:23:49.320 that fit nicely together. We just announced last week or 0:23:49.400 --> 0:23:54.240 Beyond one hundred plus strategy that already signs out. It's 0:23:54.240 --> 0:23:57.680 the continuation of what was done in the past, but 0:23:57.800 --> 0:24:00.000 we did some tweaks and adjustments. 0:24:00.080 --> 0:24:00.280 We have. 0:24:01.000 --> 0:24:01.640 I think over the. 0:24:01.640 --> 0:24:04.960 Last five years, everybody in the automotive industry is a 0:24:04.960 --> 0:24:08.800 better understanding of the biggest transition in the history of 0:24:08.880 --> 0:24:12.720 the car to switch to the electric drivetrain. Also in 0:24:12.760 --> 0:24:16.320 the market feedbacks speed of the different markets, A lot 0:24:16.359 --> 0:24:20.359 about technology. Not so easy for an industry that was 0:24:20.560 --> 0:24:24.240 used to have a proper life cycle. You launch a product, 0:24:24.280 --> 0:24:27.040 you have it seven years in, you do different model years, 0:24:27.040 --> 0:24:31.560 you have a proper legislation. It changes tremendously, changes very quick, 0:24:31.720 --> 0:24:34.200 changes different in different angles of the world. 0:24:35.320 --> 0:24:37.880 But nothing to complain and nothing we can really influence. 0:24:37.880 --> 0:24:41.000 We just have to be in our technology and our 0:24:41.080 --> 0:24:44.760 product offer flexible enough and this is what we mainly 0:24:44.840 --> 0:24:46.760 work through with the team. 0:24:47.040 --> 0:24:51.080 Frank I have to say I received no shortage of 0:24:51.600 --> 0:24:54.919 messages in my social media inbox of people who are 0:24:55.040 --> 0:24:57.640 very happy to hear that Bentley will continue to make 0:24:57.760 --> 0:25:01.520 combustion engines and of course we're all very excited to 0:25:01.520 --> 0:25:04.080 see what the new electric model is. Can you tell 0:25:04.160 --> 0:25:06.720 us what the feedback has been like. What do you 0:25:06.720 --> 0:25:08.159 hear on your side of things. 0:25:09.160 --> 0:25:13.240 We're reading the media feedback, we get some personal messages. 0:25:13.520 --> 0:25:20.600 We have a very strong feedback from our investors and dealers. 0:25:21.480 --> 0:25:24.720 They they are happy with the strategy. They see the 0:25:24.800 --> 0:25:29.880 more balanced product portfolio and an additional car, the additional card. 0:25:29.880 --> 0:25:33.159 It can hopefully grow their business. It's not a substitution, 0:25:33.359 --> 0:25:38.040 it's growing the business. The more balanced portfolio gives them 0:25:38.040 --> 0:25:41.119 the opportunity to keep a lot of the existing customers 0:25:42.320 --> 0:25:48.040 staying Bentley customers all in the future, and was pretty 0:25:48.080 --> 0:25:51.639 well received. If I say pretty well, this is Brittish understatement. 0:25:53.560 --> 0:25:56.400 The W twelve has been a big focus of Bentley 0:25:56.520 --> 0:25:59.600 for as long as I can remember. What's the future 0:25:59.720 --> 0:26:02.560 like for that engine? I mean, is it short lived 0:26:02.760 --> 0:26:07.040 or can we expect it to stay around in some form, 0:26:07.160 --> 0:26:10.160 you know, for at least another five years or a decade. 0:26:12.359 --> 0:26:15.560 I have to say we already stopped the production also 0:26:15.600 --> 0:26:16.160 in summer. 0:26:16.520 --> 0:26:19.520 It was around July end of June we stopped the 0:26:19.520 --> 0:26:21.040 production of the W twelve. 0:26:21.359 --> 0:26:25.680 It is replaced by the fabulous V eight quag In 0:26:25.760 --> 0:26:31.520 hybrid like the Continental GT, and I could drive it. 0:26:31.520 --> 0:26:35.600 It's a It's interesting because well, there's so much history 0:26:35.640 --> 0:26:38.800 about this W twelve and it was the defining engine 0:26:39.000 --> 0:26:43.520 of Bentley. But Bentley is more than only only the engine. 0:26:44.240 --> 0:26:48.439 This makes it also really exciting in deciding now the 0:26:48.440 --> 0:26:50.600 future of the carrs but also of the company. 0:26:51.600 --> 0:26:54.639 There's more about Bentley than only the engine. 0:26:55.000 --> 0:26:59.680 And driving this we eight, especially in the PF configuration, 0:27:00.520 --> 0:27:02.280 it just shows you how good it. 0:27:02.200 --> 0:27:04.639 Can be without being a W twelve. 0:27:04.760 --> 0:27:07.800 For sure, there's an emotional part, but from a pure 0:27:07.880 --> 0:27:11.680 driving perspective, from the emotions you get, from the feedback 0:27:11.720 --> 0:27:13.119 you get, and how good the car is. 0:27:13.480 --> 0:27:16.640 Good technology can replace something like that. 0:27:17.280 --> 0:27:20.480 I would say, there's no replacement for displacement. Do you 0:27:20.560 --> 0:27:22.040 have a different take. I mean you come from a 0:27:22.080 --> 0:27:25.280 place where a three liter flat six is more than enough. 0:27:25.320 --> 0:27:26.800 So am I wrong? 0:27:27.920 --> 0:27:29.280 I went through this and. 0:27:30.640 --> 0:27:34.400 This is the magic of electrification, and this is more 0:27:34.440 --> 0:27:35.280 than displacement. 0:27:35.600 --> 0:27:36.760 It can do things better. 0:27:36.840 --> 0:27:39.720 This is new technology and it is really driving some 0:27:39.920 --> 0:27:44.320 magic into it. And without referring too much to the past, 0:27:44.440 --> 0:27:46.520 but I had the fun. 0:27:46.400 --> 0:27:49.760 In making a Superspot's got a hypercar. 0:27:50.920 --> 0:27:54.680 Everybody believed five point five V ten is the best 0:27:54.720 --> 0:27:57.240 what you can get with a manual, and then we 0:27:57.320 --> 0:28:00.040 put a D eight in with a hybrid. 0:28:00.040 --> 0:28:02.879 A little bit more heavier, and everybody. 0:28:02.440 --> 0:28:06.600 Was super happy. But only after sitting in the car. 0:28:07.160 --> 0:28:09.199 It does not work to judge it from an office. 0:28:09.240 --> 0:28:12.720 Sorry to say, you have to drive it. 0:28:13.240 --> 0:28:17.399 You have to feel the sensation and then it really 0:28:17.600 --> 0:28:18.560 it really changes. 0:28:19.440 --> 0:28:21.000 You know. That's a really interesting point. 0:28:21.080 --> 0:28:23.600 I'm curious if you think that we're at a similar 0:28:24.200 --> 0:28:28.680 spot right now, just in terms of educating consumers that hey, 0:28:29.400 --> 0:28:33.440 just because we're going we're losing some cylinders, doesn't necessarily 0:28:33.480 --> 0:28:35.679 mean you're going to feel any less excited when you 0:28:35.760 --> 0:28:38.320 drive things because this is a new technology. 0:28:38.640 --> 0:28:41.800 Is that sort of similar to what you went through 0:28:42.280 --> 0:28:44.440 in your previous life when you introduce some of. 0:28:44.400 --> 0:28:47.680 These harbards, I would say yes. 0:28:48.200 --> 0:28:50.840 The majority of the customers is not engineers. They're not 0:28:51.360 --> 0:28:54.440 not their education to judge something from paper. 0:28:54.120 --> 0:28:55.840 Or from information. 0:28:55.920 --> 0:28:58.960 They get their customers, and we have to respect this. 0:28:59.120 --> 0:29:02.600 They need their own experience, they need good media that 0:29:02.760 --> 0:29:06.760 is explaining it. What is kind of confirm is doing so, 0:29:07.760 --> 0:29:14.000 but there's nothing like own experience and coming back a 0:29:14.040 --> 0:29:18.040 little bit from an engineering perspective, nothing else and displacement. 0:29:18.120 --> 0:29:20.760 It was right, but with the introduction of all the 0:29:20.840 --> 0:29:25.120 new exhaust gas limitations and Knox reduction and all what 0:29:25.160 --> 0:29:28.560 we have, the character of these engines is changing. It's 0:29:28.600 --> 0:29:31.240 it's not the old math and not the old physics 0:29:31.280 --> 0:29:33.560 and the old engineering that is behind it. That just 0:29:33.680 --> 0:29:36.880 war makes it better. You must make it different to 0:29:37.000 --> 0:29:40.560 fulfill the regulations and to bring the magic back of 0:29:40.680 --> 0:29:44.240 such an engine and well, and the customer has to 0:29:44.240 --> 0:29:47.640 be educated is maybe a little bit too strong in 0:29:47.640 --> 0:29:50.640 the wording, but give the chance to have to make 0:29:50.680 --> 0:29:53.440 an own opinion and to have an own experience in 0:29:53.520 --> 0:29:57.520 that And all the feedback I got from the customers, 0:29:57.560 --> 0:30:00.160 they're more than happy with what they can feel and 0:30:00.240 --> 0:30:02.680 how balanced the car is. While the experts were driving 0:30:02.720 --> 0:30:06.680 the car, what is the automotive and on automotive media, 0:30:06.840 --> 0:30:09.280 and they had been really blown away by the performance 0:30:09.320 --> 0:30:14.840 and the easiness of driving it. And this character of 0:30:14.960 --> 0:30:20.120 such an electrified powertrain fits perfectly to a Bentley because 0:30:20.200 --> 0:30:23.960 we're always talking the wave of torque, and that was 0:30:24.000 --> 0:30:27.280 coming from big displacement back in the days, a six 0:30:27.360 --> 0:30:30.720 to three quarter that was a nice size of an engine, 0:30:31.160 --> 0:30:33.640 and everything was about tor but we are over exceeding 0:30:33.680 --> 0:30:37.040 these talk numbers. Today the spontaneous reaction of the engine 0:30:37.080 --> 0:30:39.160 is way better and the same will come on the 0:30:39.160 --> 0:30:44.920 electric drive train. More talk, more response, nice and quite driving. 0:30:45.080 --> 0:30:48.040 But if you want and if you put the accelerated 0:30:48.080 --> 0:30:49.880 down to the floor, it will happen. 0:30:49.960 --> 0:30:52.480 Something I think I should say for the listeners in 0:30:52.520 --> 0:30:56.440 case anyone is not aware. Doctor Wallace are actually holds 0:30:56.440 --> 0:30:59.520 a doctoral degree in mechanical engineering and is sort of 0:30:59.560 --> 0:31:03.480 considered the grandfather of the nine to eighteen Spider hypercar. 0:31:03.560 --> 0:31:06.160 In case anyone didn't mention that, or didn't know that, 0:31:06.280 --> 0:31:07.000 or we didn't mention it. 0:31:07.120 --> 0:31:09.640 Sure the Bloomberg terminal has you down as the project manager, 0:31:09.720 --> 0:31:11.600 so I would say you were the boss on that. 0:31:12.320 --> 0:31:16.560 And you've been doing this for I mean, gosh, twenty ten, 0:31:16.920 --> 0:31:19.840 Since before twenty ten, working on this type of technology. 0:31:20.640 --> 0:31:24.480 Yeah, I started in nineteen ninety five, so it's nearly 0:31:24.520 --> 0:31:28.280 thirty years now of experience in the automotive sector, different projects, 0:31:28.720 --> 0:31:31.520 but on these electrification part. 0:31:31.640 --> 0:31:33.120 I started working on. 0:31:33.160 --> 0:31:38.000 I think it was pretty much around in November, maybe 0:31:38.000 --> 0:31:42.640 even the day matches in two thousand and nine where 0:31:43.000 --> 0:31:47.440 the first ideas on electrification electrification of big cars started. 0:31:47.600 --> 0:31:50.400 Gained a lot of experience in that some of the 0:31:50.480 --> 0:31:52.280 technologies still around. 0:31:52.680 --> 0:31:56.880 So I mean basically you were at Porsche since the 0:31:56.880 --> 0:32:00.680 turn of the century, right running the motorsport division, I 0:32:00.680 --> 0:32:02.760 think in starting in two thousand and three, and then 0:32:03.280 --> 0:32:06.200 the ninet eighteen and now you're at Bentley, and I 0:32:06.240 --> 0:32:09.320 think it must be incredibly exciting for you to have 0:32:09.880 --> 0:32:12.720 now this whole brand that you can shape and mold, 0:32:13.160 --> 0:32:15.920 you know, Obviously it's storied and has a long history, 0:32:15.920 --> 0:32:18.120 so you're working with everyone who's already been there. But 0:32:18.760 --> 0:32:22.320 you have this leadership position now at such an incredible mark. 0:32:22.360 --> 0:32:24.440 What are you most excited about at Bentley? 0:32:25.000 --> 0:32:26.440 It's exactly what you described. 0:32:26.640 --> 0:32:29.560 It's not only an engineering job, it's not only a product. 0:32:29.600 --> 0:32:30.640 It's a complete company. 0:32:31.000 --> 0:32:35.240 It includes communications, it includes the customer interaction. It includes 0:32:35.360 --> 0:32:39.200 our sales channels, our dealerships, all the partners we have 0:32:39.360 --> 0:32:40.720 outside there, but also. 0:32:40.800 --> 0:32:45.000 The production stuff. How to develop our. 0:32:44.880 --> 0:32:48.160 Culture here within Bentley what is really an important part 0:32:48.200 --> 0:32:48.400 of it. 0:32:48.480 --> 0:32:48.760 How to. 0:32:50.640 --> 0:32:56.200 Continue to being a high performance theme bringing great products 0:32:56.200 --> 0:32:58.320 and we all know the surrounding is not easier. 0:32:58.440 --> 0:33:01.600 We have to make decisions. We have, yeah, as I said, 0:33:01.720 --> 0:33:03.600 the biggest transformation in the history of. 0:33:03.560 --> 0:33:08.160 The car, and well that's part of the fund and 0:33:08.440 --> 0:33:12.560 daily work. But this is also very motivating. And sure 0:33:12.640 --> 0:33:17.840 you're responsible for the half thousand people here on site, 0:33:17.840 --> 0:33:20.480 the crew, but also on the international dealer network and 0:33:20.600 --> 0:33:24.920 all the partners outside, and for sure on the customers. 0:33:24.280 --> 0:33:28.280 That are really fans. I don't think we have really customers. 0:33:28.280 --> 0:33:30.640 We have fans of our brand and of our cars 0:33:30.640 --> 0:33:32.760 and the history and everything behind that. 0:33:32.760 --> 0:33:34.480 That's great, it's really exciting. 0:33:34.800 --> 0:33:38.800 What was your perception of the brand? I mean, if 0:33:38.840 --> 0:33:42.640 I'm not mistaken, you are from Stuttgart, so you have 0:33:42.680 --> 0:33:48.880 been immersed in you know, Porsche, Mercedes. You're not far 0:33:48.920 --> 0:33:53.680 from a falter Bach, you know. I imagine you were 0:33:53.720 --> 0:33:56.520 a huge German car fan, and then you must have 0:33:57.240 --> 0:34:02.880 taken note with extreme interest when Volkswagen acquired Bentley, as 0:34:02.920 --> 0:34:04.880 well as all the other brands they acquired. So what 0:34:05.240 --> 0:34:06.800 was your perception of it growing up? 0:34:09.360 --> 0:34:09.920 Growing up? 0:34:09.960 --> 0:34:13.080 I think it was it was the interesting time when 0:34:13.120 --> 0:34:16.279 these when these big changes happened, where there was this 0:34:16.400 --> 0:34:20.640 big consolidation of the of of some of the smaller 0:34:20.640 --> 0:34:26.520 brands and the acquisition strategy of Volkswagen that but honestly, 0:34:26.760 --> 0:34:29.680 maybe based on information and based on age and experience 0:34:30.520 --> 0:34:33.040 from outside, it looked a little bit what exactly is 0:34:33.080 --> 0:34:35.799 the idea and how will that work? 0:34:35.880 --> 0:34:37.520 And who did do the better deal? 0:34:37.840 --> 0:34:40.520 Back in the days, because one company took over the 0:34:40.600 --> 0:34:43.400 name and the other one took over all the assets. 0:34:43.000 --> 0:34:47.279 And the Bentley name that was not so known outside. 0:34:48.719 --> 0:34:52.040 Of the customers. It was a very small customer group. 0:34:52.960 --> 0:34:57.480 But obviously this master plan behind it. Now we can 0:34:57.560 --> 0:35:01.239 look back well twenties, more than twenty five years ago 0:35:01.320 --> 0:35:05.160 when the decisions were made, and seeing the outcome, how 0:35:05.200 --> 0:35:09.840 this idea really started to have a balance steps business. 0:35:09.880 --> 0:35:14.920 To have a modelized there, to have grown the fans 0:35:15.120 --> 0:35:20.160 by multiplus of thousands in comparison. 0:35:19.680 --> 0:35:23.759 To number of cars that have been produced before. This 0:35:23.920 --> 0:35:24.640 is really great. 0:35:26.960 --> 0:35:31.400 I'm really curious to hear you call Bentley owners fans. 0:35:32.239 --> 0:35:35.080 It's really nice to hear because I think that term 0:35:35.200 --> 0:35:37.920 I would naturally think, okay, that applies to Porsche people. 0:35:38.320 --> 0:35:42.200 But you know, with Bentley, you're kind of in a 0:35:42.239 --> 0:35:45.920 different space, and I'm wondering if you could talk about 0:35:45.960 --> 0:35:50.320 how you see Bentley positioned as a brand in contrast 0:35:50.360 --> 0:35:54.080 to Rolls Royce for instance, or in contrast even to 0:35:54.160 --> 0:35:57.759 my bock. I know when we've spoken Ander Mott, you 0:35:57.840 --> 0:36:01.960 mentioned that Bentley might it might improve by sharpening its 0:36:02.040 --> 0:36:04.000 image a little bit. So can you talk a little 0:36:04.000 --> 0:36:07.040 bit about what that means in your mind moving forward? 0:36:10.640 --> 0:36:14.440 Well, my learning is over the last weeks or months 0:36:14.440 --> 0:36:18.400 and discussions with the with the team here engineering and 0:36:18.480 --> 0:36:22.520 also with the comms team and marketing, and honestly also 0:36:22.560 --> 0:36:26.080 the chance to drive a lot of these heritage cars 0:36:26.120 --> 0:36:30.840 to really learn what makes it Bentley so special and 0:36:31.680 --> 0:36:33.200 also reflecting. 0:36:32.600 --> 0:36:33.360 On the history. 0:36:34.360 --> 0:36:37.440 When the thing that that's also a car that that 0:36:37.560 --> 0:36:40.680 really impressed me by by driving it was the turbo r. 0:36:42.440 --> 0:36:45.279 Oh Boy. But we talk about that car a lot. 0:36:47.000 --> 0:36:49.919 I'm a huge fan of, like I desperately want one. 0:36:50.040 --> 0:36:52.480 Okay, Okay, So we are three. 0:36:53.239 --> 0:36:57.960 But something obviously happened in the company back in the 0:36:58.040 --> 0:37:02.640 days that someone from me and some of the engineers decided, 0:37:04.360 --> 0:37:05.799 let's make a variant out of. 0:37:05.800 --> 0:37:09.480 That that is more sport here. That is considering times 0:37:09.480 --> 0:37:14.160 and everything was kind of revolutionary considering the company. 0:37:14.320 --> 0:37:17.839 So obviously there had been even though for this long 0:37:17.960 --> 0:37:22.879 long time where Bentley was kind of a second brand 0:37:24.440 --> 0:37:29.680 with together with Voice, there must have been enthusiasts for 0:37:29.800 --> 0:37:32.920 this brand that pushed it again and that they have 0:37:33.000 --> 0:37:36.480 seen a business opportunity also and they had been right. 0:37:36.600 --> 0:37:40.160 They had been proven right because everything I know then 0:37:40.239 --> 0:37:44.720 the sales numbers definitely went up and Bentley established again 0:37:45.600 --> 0:37:48.080 as a as a special brand. And I think this 0:37:48.200 --> 0:37:53.800 specialty within Bentley, besides for sure having a super valuable car, 0:37:54.120 --> 0:37:59.240 a unique car, small numbers you have to blend with having. 0:37:59.000 --> 0:38:00.600 A sportiness that is built in. 0:38:01.040 --> 0:38:04.440 I think there's still a chance to emphasize even more 0:38:04.719 --> 0:38:09.320 the sportiness of the brand and we can maybe maybe 0:38:09.360 --> 0:38:14.239 more even more exotic cars that some would not have considered. Well, 0:38:14.320 --> 0:38:17.600 that's that can work with Eventley. But I consider that 0:38:17.640 --> 0:38:20.680 the brand is being really really strong. It can offer 0:38:20.760 --> 0:38:22.320 a lot of products under the. 0:38:22.200 --> 0:38:25.920 Bentley brand as long as you keep this heritage. 0:38:26.040 --> 0:38:29.960 This is this unique blend of having this super valuable car, 0:38:30.800 --> 0:38:34.440 of having the sportiness, of having the craftsmanship in the 0:38:34.480 --> 0:38:39.120 future for sure, also having the sustainability, with the technical 0:38:39.160 --> 0:38:42.360 knowledge we have, with the abilities we have, and we 0:38:42.440 --> 0:38:44.680 have to say we have from group technology what we 0:38:44.719 --> 0:38:47.080 can use in certain degrees. 0:38:48.200 --> 0:38:50.799 I kind of liked that idea about you didn't say it. 0:38:50.840 --> 0:38:52.799 I'm saying this so this isn't on you. But having 0:38:52.880 --> 0:38:57.239 the Turbo R and that family of Bentley's sort of 0:38:57.280 --> 0:39:01.239 as a touch point in the history that you can 0:39:01.280 --> 0:39:04.320 refer to, but also maybe a bit of a north 0:39:04.440 --> 0:39:07.960 star as you move forward to tap into whatever you 0:39:08.040 --> 0:39:15.640 describe the excitement around that really gutsy, brawny, powerful driver's car. 0:39:16.480 --> 0:39:19.520 This is a car for drivers, for sure. You can 0:39:19.520 --> 0:39:23.440 be shuffled with them and that works pretty nice. But 0:39:23.520 --> 0:39:26.759 it's a driver's car, and this this is aldo then 0:39:26.840 --> 0:39:30.320 part of the engineering and the product is designed is 0:39:30.360 --> 0:39:36.560 also made for drivers. I wonder in the car it handles, 0:39:36.640 --> 0:39:38.920 how the acceleration is, how the steering is. 0:39:38.920 --> 0:39:39.799 Is this driver's car? 0:39:40.760 --> 0:39:43.640 Yes? Well, and you're, you know, just starting out there 0:39:43.680 --> 0:39:46.560 as the head driver. I was talking with Hannah about 0:39:46.600 --> 0:39:49.759 this when she went to drive the the new Continental 0:39:49.920 --> 0:39:54.040 and interview you. I thought, well, I'm sure the Continental 0:39:54.080 --> 0:39:56.360 is a great car, and now I've driven it, so 0:39:56.440 --> 0:40:00.359 I know it's fantastic to drive. But it wasn't something 0:40:00.360 --> 0:40:03.640 that you developed from the start. And I've been thinking, 0:40:03.680 --> 0:40:07.439 what is the first project that we will say, five 0:40:07.520 --> 0:40:11.280 years from now? This was Frank's first car at Bentley. 0:40:11.640 --> 0:40:13.719 Have you already started on it? Do you know what 0:40:13.800 --> 0:40:14.480 it's going to be? 0:40:15.520 --> 0:40:17.239 I have a very clear idea that I hope it 0:40:17.280 --> 0:40:18.719 takes not five years. 0:40:19.719 --> 0:40:22.160 How long will it take? I don't you know. I 0:40:22.160 --> 0:40:22.840 don't know more. 0:40:24.680 --> 0:40:26.000 The next podcast. 0:40:27.239 --> 0:40:31.880 Come on. I mean, look, you have you have Benega 0:40:32.239 --> 0:40:36.279 and a longer version of Flying Spur Continental and the 0:40:36.480 --> 0:40:40.840 and the convertible version. Do you think there's any holes 0:40:40.840 --> 0:40:43.319 in the portfolio? Is there something missing that you want 0:40:43.320 --> 0:40:47.479 to put back or recreate or create for the first time. 0:40:48.800 --> 0:40:52.080 I would not say holes, even knowing well on the 0:40:52.120 --> 0:40:57.799 things that are coming, especially with our next expect but 0:40:58.000 --> 0:41:01.319 looking in some of the derive tips and looking on 0:41:01.640 --> 0:41:06.120 ideas based on these cars, we have some ideas. 0:41:06.640 --> 0:41:09.960 They might be surprising, but it would definitely have fun 0:41:10.000 --> 0:41:10.640 in driving them. 0:41:11.000 --> 0:41:13.239 Can you tell us a little bit about the process, 0:41:13.400 --> 0:41:18.200 because I've always thought start to finish a motor vehicle 0:41:18.280 --> 0:41:21.000 takes five years. That's just a round number that's stuck 0:41:21.040 --> 0:41:23.480 in my head and maybe it's from twenty years ago 0:41:23.560 --> 0:41:27.200 and I'm wrong. So what is the process like when 0:41:27.239 --> 0:41:30.560 you started the nine to eighteen to when it started, 0:41:30.719 --> 0:41:32.719 you know, to when the first customer took delivery? How 0:41:32.719 --> 0:41:33.439 long did that take? 0:41:35.120 --> 0:41:38.000 Thirty eight months? Wow, very exact. 0:41:38.360 --> 0:41:40.560 That was a very specific number. 0:41:41.800 --> 0:41:44.920 Very specific, and it was it was pretty quick. I 0:41:44.920 --> 0:41:48.640 would say today. It depends always what is a new car. 0:41:49.560 --> 0:41:54.799 If there's a lot of things around, numbers are communicated 0:41:54.840 --> 0:41:55.880 by different manufacturers. 0:41:55.880 --> 0:41:57.600 Why it's always so difficult to compare. 0:41:58.239 --> 0:42:00.680 But if you have an existing platform and you do 0:42:02.120 --> 0:42:04.720 a new car based on that, so you have engines 0:42:04.760 --> 0:42:07.399 and gearboxes and things to carry over. I would say 0:42:07.400 --> 0:42:10.880 it would take you today between forty eight and fifty 0:42:10.880 --> 0:42:15.640 six months, so your five years is pretty much the number. 0:42:15.920 --> 0:42:18.400 But we also see that there is a need to 0:42:18.440 --> 0:42:21.920 be quicker, to react quicker. I would say the progress 0:42:21.920 --> 0:42:25.000 we are doing on the electronic software side forces a 0:42:25.040 --> 0:42:28.080 little bit of manufacturers really to accelerate what I would 0:42:28.120 --> 0:42:31.400 appreciate well, also with a little bit of motorsport background, 0:42:31.520 --> 0:42:32.320 So being. 0:42:32.239 --> 0:42:33.200 Quicker is not bad. 0:42:34.000 --> 0:42:39.040 Greak, I'm dying to know where are you living now 0:42:39.080 --> 0:42:41.640 in your new role and have you found any great 0:42:41.719 --> 0:42:45.640 driving roads in your area that you like to drive 0:42:45.760 --> 0:42:47.120 just for your own enjoyment. 0:42:47.840 --> 0:42:51.080 Well, I'm living not so far away from Croup on 0:42:51.160 --> 0:42:55.440 the office, twenty minutes in Cheshire on a farm in 0:42:55.840 --> 0:42:56.799 a bar conversion. 0:42:56.880 --> 0:42:59.680 So come frut, how old? How old is the bar 0:42:59.719 --> 0:43:00.400 and can version? 0:43:01.200 --> 0:43:03.480 Maybe one hundred years, I guess. 0:43:03.760 --> 0:43:08.000 I guess driving around in Cheshire is looking at the 0:43:08.040 --> 0:43:10.279 size of the of the of the streets is a 0:43:10.320 --> 0:43:14.920 little bit demanding, but not maybe the best place. 0:43:14.680 --> 0:43:16.920 You'll look for, I've heard, but it's. 0:43:16.800 --> 0:43:20.080 Not so far away to go peak district where you'll 0:43:20.120 --> 0:43:23.160 find the first great roads to drive. And next weekend 0:43:23.200 --> 0:43:25.560 we go north of Wales, what is definitely a great 0:43:25.560 --> 0:43:30.320 place to drive amazing. So step by step, week weekend 0:43:30.320 --> 0:43:34.360 by weekend, we're looking for opportunities going out taking my 0:43:35.160 --> 0:43:39.920 Continental GG convertible a little bit around. That's but it's 0:43:39.960 --> 0:43:44.320 also part of learning about the product, how to handle 0:43:44.520 --> 0:43:46.759 what is it in the day to day usability. 0:43:47.320 --> 0:43:50.319 I'm wondering about you growing up. I don't know if 0:43:50.320 --> 0:43:52.120 you spent most of your time in Stuttgarter around I 0:43:52.120 --> 0:43:55.280 went to tubing in so I'm familiar with the roads, 0:43:55.280 --> 0:43:57.839 and I spent a lot of time at Filterstart and 0:43:58.000 --> 0:44:03.120 Winstadt and you know the counch dot Vasen. What were 0:44:03.160 --> 0:44:06.400 you into growing up? I mean you're like generation Golf, right, So. 0:44:06.920 --> 0:44:08.400 What kind of cars? 0:44:08.920 --> 0:44:12.120 Yes? What kind of cars were you driving in high school? 0:44:12.200 --> 0:44:15.359 And what what spurred you to get so involved in 0:44:15.400 --> 0:44:17.880 this industry other than you know, obviously growing up in 0:44:17.880 --> 0:44:19.120 the bosom of it. 0:44:19.120 --> 0:44:23.000 It was well a part definitely from the area because 0:44:23.000 --> 0:44:26.200 I was growing up near to Voidling and so tubing 0:44:26.280 --> 0:44:29.160 and that and giving me away, so you should know that, 0:44:29.760 --> 0:44:35.600 of course, and car industry always was important. But my 0:44:35.719 --> 0:44:38.279 parents told me when I was a kid, I was 0:44:38.520 --> 0:44:41.000 always in cars all the time in everything. 0:44:41.400 --> 0:44:45.640 And I remember in we had been on a on. 0:44:45.520 --> 0:44:49.839 A holiday travel and I was excited about every car, 0:44:49.920 --> 0:44:53.600 but it was I fell asleep and my parents later 0:44:53.719 --> 0:44:57.080 told me there was a Lamborghini parsting us and I 0:44:57.160 --> 0:44:57.520 missed that. 0:44:58.520 --> 0:45:01.000 Since that time, I never s again in a car. 0:45:01.960 --> 0:45:05.319 Now it's getting better, but for twenty years I never 0:45:05.480 --> 0:45:06.640 ever slept because I. 0:45:06.560 --> 0:45:11.960 Could miss a specific exotic supercar or something. Okay, and 0:45:13.200 --> 0:45:18.839 well then always in technology, always interested in cars fascinated 0:45:18.880 --> 0:45:21.799 me my whole life. The first one was what that was? 0:45:22.080 --> 0:45:23.759 What I could afford was a Fia do know? 0:45:24.719 --> 0:45:25.200 Oh cool? 0:45:25.640 --> 0:45:29.560 But it was an S so important. I did not engine, 0:45:29.840 --> 0:45:31.400 only the super small engine. 0:45:33.160 --> 0:45:35.960 Then was the golf too, and after the Golf tour 0:45:36.000 --> 0:45:38.000 I have to think on after the GLF tour, it 0:45:38.120 --> 0:45:38.600 was a Boxer. 0:45:39.160 --> 0:45:39.440 Nice. 0:45:39.760 --> 0:45:41.240 My first colleagues. 0:45:40.840 --> 0:45:43.320 Car are your car as an employee? 0:45:43.360 --> 0:45:43.520 Then? 0:45:43.719 --> 0:45:43.919 Right? 0:45:44.239 --> 0:45:45.279 Yeah? 0:45:45.360 --> 0:45:47.520 Do you own a car that you know you will 0:45:47.560 --> 0:45:49.520 have forever? Currently? 0:45:50.960 --> 0:45:51.880 Two of them? Yes? 0:45:52.160 --> 0:45:52.759 What are they? 0:45:53.200 --> 0:45:57.600 One is a nine nine to three convertible model year 0:45:57.800 --> 0:45:58.800 ninety seven. 0:45:59.400 --> 0:46:00.200 What color black? 0:46:00.239 --> 0:46:03.040 Black? Black? Reimported from New York City? 0:46:03.560 --> 0:46:03.799 Wow? 0:46:05.520 --> 0:46:06.000 All black? 0:46:06.880 --> 0:46:08.080 Yes, of course, triple black. 0:46:08.080 --> 0:46:12.520 It's key Manuel with the Molia upgrade on the Stormer 0:46:12.560 --> 0:46:14.760 engine two hundred and eighty seven. 0:46:14.840 --> 0:46:15.759 Power and the other. 0:46:15.960 --> 0:46:18.400 But I keeped out on the c the US suspension 0:46:18.440 --> 0:46:19.200 that was not good. 0:46:21.160 --> 0:46:22.080 And what's the other one? 0:46:22.200 --> 0:46:27.880 Everyone is a Citish Rae Touring two thousand eighteen. 0:46:29.040 --> 0:46:35.360 Great common wow and better for the for the Autobahn 0:46:35.400 --> 0:46:38.279 than other roads. Don't you think the rest of US 0:46:38.320 --> 0:46:41.799 could learn a thing or two from Germany about unlimited 0:46:41.840 --> 0:46:46.880 speeds or do you think that they need to change that? 0:46:46.880 --> 0:46:47.960 That's an interesting question. 0:46:48.120 --> 0:46:50.279 And number one, the reality in Germany is not so 0:46:50.360 --> 0:46:53.439 many unlimited roads that everybody seeing, especially if. 0:46:53.360 --> 0:46:57.720 You're south of Germany. Everywhere one set down really open 0:46:58.480 --> 0:47:02.200 is super limited. The traffic is very dense. Even if 0:47:02.239 --> 0:47:04.440 it's unlimited, it's super dense. 0:47:05.080 --> 0:47:07.239 Well, I like to I enjoy it if it's if 0:47:07.280 --> 0:47:09.000 it's possible, but it needs a. 0:47:08.920 --> 0:47:11.920 Lot of experience as to do so and to have 0:47:12.160 --> 0:47:14.560 it properly. And he has to be vice if you 0:47:14.600 --> 0:47:15.760 have a powerful. 0:47:15.360 --> 0:47:17.960 Car or I like that. I agree, I don't. 0:47:18.160 --> 0:47:21.160 I don't think drivers in LA should have unlimited speed limits, 0:47:21.440 --> 0:47:24.960 knowing how knowing how these people drive out on these streets. 0:47:25.239 --> 0:47:28.680 We cannot have that here. You can't trust us with us. 0:47:28.560 --> 0:47:30.440 I would highly recommend to not do so. 0:47:33.480 --> 0:47:37.200 That was Frank Stephen Walliser, Doctor Frank Stephen Wallaser, the 0:47:37.200 --> 0:47:42.200 CEO of Bentley, holding his cards a little bit close 0:47:42.239 --> 0:47:42.800 to the vest. 0:47:42.960 --> 0:47:44.840 No, we're gonna have to have him on again. I 0:47:44.880 --> 0:47:46.600 guess I take it as a good sign. It means 0:47:46.680 --> 0:47:48.440 this is a conversation ongoing. 0:47:49.120 --> 0:47:49.680 I suppose. 0:47:49.960 --> 0:47:53.400 Yeah, I think it's going to be interesting to watch. Also, 0:47:53.840 --> 0:47:56.839 their competition with Rolls Royce. I don't know, do they 0:47:56.880 --> 0:48:00.560 see themselves as direct competitors anymore or something completely because 0:48:01.480 --> 0:48:04.080 still offers a twelve cylinder motor and Bentley does not. 0:48:05.239 --> 0:48:07.200 Let me just take the liberty of saying, I don't 0:48:07.239 --> 0:48:11.200 think Rolls Royce thinks they're competitors. Yeah, so you know, 0:48:11.520 --> 0:48:14.040 and that's no shade on Bentley. I think Bentley, of course, 0:48:14.160 --> 0:48:16.560 is going more to what we talked about at the 0:48:16.600 --> 0:48:19.239 beginning of this show, more of a sporting driver, like 0:48:19.320 --> 0:48:21.319 perhaps the higher end Mercedes. 0:48:21.920 --> 0:48:22.080 Right. 0:48:22.120 --> 0:48:22.520 I don't know. 0:48:23.680 --> 0:48:26.600 I wouldn't crossh up those cars for the record, sounds 0:48:26.640 --> 0:48:30.080 like you in your mind there's some cross shopping, but 0:48:30.200 --> 0:48:30.760 I wouldn't. 0:48:30.960 --> 0:48:33.640 Yeah, No, I mean, look, if you're gonna pay four 0:48:33.719 --> 0:48:35.880 hundred thousand dollars for a car, you're not going to 0:48:36.000 --> 0:48:38.920 probably price it shop at against something that price is 0:48:38.960 --> 0:48:39.960 priced it at half. 0:48:40.160 --> 0:48:42.520 I'm good in a Ferrari. If I'm spending four hundred thousand, 0:48:42.760 --> 0:48:44.400 I feel for the record. 0:48:44.440 --> 0:48:48.640 I would get a Lamborghini therein lie our differences, I 0:48:48.680 --> 0:48:52.719 guess you would still compare the Bentley Continental against Does 0:48:52.800 --> 0:48:56.319 Rolls Royce even make the Wraith anymore? I don't know. Yes, 0:48:57.560 --> 0:49:01.080 those those are too too much for me, obviously to 0:49:01.160 --> 0:49:06.000 even configure, because in my wildest dreams, I can imagine 0:49:06.040 --> 0:49:08.960 getting the nine to eleven that I want, But I 0:49:09.000 --> 0:49:13.439 cannot imagine ever spending Bentley or Rolls Royce money, even 0:49:13.480 --> 0:49:16.000 if I somehow earned it, you know what. 0:49:16.040 --> 0:49:19.600 This is on a totally different topic. But I was 0:49:19.640 --> 0:49:21.160 in the same room as the guy who won the 0:49:21.160 --> 0:49:24.319 two billion dollar Power Bowl payout a few days ago, 0:49:25.040 --> 0:49:28.319 and he's very you know, and you can google him 0:49:28.680 --> 0:49:33.319 and he's buying like old stuff at auctions, And can 0:49:33.360 --> 0:49:35.799 you imagine, I mean, this is just a guy. 0:49:35.880 --> 0:49:38.200 This is Can I imagine or do I on a 0:49:38.280 --> 0:49:39.080 daily basis? 0:49:39.160 --> 0:49:44.040 I either I it can't even my mind can't process. 0:49:44.840 --> 0:49:47.240 I mean this guy, you would never in a million, 0:49:47.320 --> 0:49:49.520 even still I think he won in twenty twenty two. 0:49:49.600 --> 0:49:51.880 Even still, you never ever ever guess he looks like 0:49:51.960 --> 0:49:52.920 just some dude. 0:49:53.320 --> 0:49:55.640 I mean, so weird. I do this all the time 0:49:55.640 --> 0:49:57.360 in my head. First of all, if you win the 0:49:57.400 --> 0:49:59.760 two billion dollar jackpot. 0:49:59.440 --> 0:50:00.760 Do you take it all up front? 0:50:01.880 --> 0:50:06.759 Would? I would probably get the payout it's higher, but 0:50:07.080 --> 0:50:09.719 there are many, I think maybe better arguments for taking 0:50:09.760 --> 0:50:12.000 it up front. You're you're not getting half of that, 0:50:12.239 --> 0:50:14.720 so you're not gonna end up with even a billion 0:50:16.000 --> 0:50:20.640 after the government takes you know its share. But don't 0:50:20.640 --> 0:50:24.960 you put your dream garage together every time you daydream 0:50:25.000 --> 0:50:28.040 about having a billion dollars or one hundred million or 0:50:28.120 --> 0:50:32.400 fifty million, like I do that constantly. Yeah, Yes, I 0:50:32.440 --> 0:50:35.719 would need a truck and that would be probably right now. 0:50:35.760 --> 0:50:38.919 That would be the Chevy Silverado twenty five hundred ZR two. 0:50:39.920 --> 0:50:41.800 I would need a nine to eleven. I think I 0:50:41.800 --> 0:50:43.719 would take a careerra tee even if I had all 0:50:43.719 --> 0:50:46.920 the money, because I don't really need an ST and 0:50:47.000 --> 0:50:49.440 I think it would take forever to get one. I 0:50:49.440 --> 0:50:53.480 would need a big luxury sedan for the whole family, 0:50:53.920 --> 0:50:56.880 and you know that I want like the twenty twenty 0:50:56.920 --> 0:51:02.560 two BMW M seven sixty with the V twelve. Yeah, 0:51:02.760 --> 0:51:08.000 probably needed a big suv. I don't know. No minivans, No, 0:51:08.120 --> 0:51:10.480 definitely not a minivan. By the way, So I was 0:51:10.480 --> 0:51:12.400 talking to you last week about my minivan and I 0:51:12.440 --> 0:51:15.520 had them cut it out of the podcast because I wasn't. 0:51:15.360 --> 0:51:17.360 Gonna say that we don't have to talk about it. 0:51:17.440 --> 0:51:20.680 Well, here's the problem. On the day we recorded last week, 0:51:21.120 --> 0:51:23.399 I had driven it for all of a half hour 0:51:23.800 --> 0:51:25.760 and it was like I was in a good mood. 0:51:26.120 --> 0:51:29.080 I drove it a few people to Pickleball and I 0:51:29.200 --> 0:51:34.400 was like, Wow, this is so cool. I'm driving the Chrysler. Yes, 0:51:34.520 --> 0:51:39.000 because it's brand new, beautiful paint. It's not a great 0:51:39.080 --> 0:51:42.440 looking vehicle from the outside, obviously it's a Chrysler Pacific, 0:51:42.440 --> 0:51:46.200 a minivan, but the seating position is so different from 0:51:46.560 --> 0:51:49.400 anything I'm used to. You're sitting like at the front 0:51:49.840 --> 0:51:53.640 on the edge of a skateboard. Yeah, And I thought, wow, 0:51:53.640 --> 0:51:55.640 this is really cool and it kind of glides along 0:51:55.680 --> 0:51:59.120 the ride felt fine, you know, on my suburban roads 0:51:59.160 --> 0:52:03.160 out to the pickleball and I was so into it. 0:52:03.200 --> 0:52:05.760 I was like, that's awesome. Why have I been avoiding 0:52:05.800 --> 0:52:09.680 a minivan? It's so spacious, you know, the load floor 0:52:09.800 --> 0:52:13.680 is so low, and you know the two doors that 0:52:13.920 --> 0:52:16.160 go all the way back. Like I thought, this is 0:52:16.520 --> 0:52:18.879 I've been missing this, this is your new you. Yeah. 0:52:18.920 --> 0:52:20.919 And then the next day, like I commuted to work 0:52:20.920 --> 0:52:24.600 in it, and I realized, no, that is not a 0:52:24.600 --> 0:52:25.120 good car. 0:52:25.880 --> 0:52:29.120 Man. It's a good thing you didn't actually buy that. Like, 0:52:29.200 --> 0:52:32.440 what if you actually bought it after a fifteen minute I. 0:52:32.400 --> 0:52:36.040 Would know that, And that actually is a very good point. Yeah, 0:52:36.080 --> 0:52:39.120 so many people test drive a car for fifteen minutes 0:52:39.239 --> 0:52:42.839 or a half hour or maybe an hour max. And 0:52:43.160 --> 0:52:45.600 you just don't have any time to get used to 0:52:45.640 --> 0:52:47.160 a vehicle, not at all. 0:52:47.239 --> 0:52:49.560 And that that would be like my mood. 0:52:49.719 --> 0:52:52.239 My mood would determine how I feel, like whatever I 0:52:52.400 --> 0:52:54.920 ate for lunch, you know, that would determine how I 0:52:55.040 --> 0:52:58.120 was feeling potentially about a car, Like if I had 0:52:58.200 --> 0:52:59.760 just done a great workout or whatever. 0:53:00.040 --> 0:53:01.640 I can see how that affects. You know, you need 0:53:01.680 --> 0:53:02.640 more than fifteen minutes. 0:53:02.800 --> 0:53:05.080 You need it for a week because you got to 0:53:05.960 --> 0:53:08.360 commute with it, go to the grocery store, go to 0:53:08.400 --> 0:53:12.120 an event. You know, I take it on date night exactly, 0:53:12.160 --> 0:53:14.080 get your friends in it, take it up to Bear 0:53:14.120 --> 0:53:16.920 Mountain or Angelie's Crest or whatever. Like, you need to 0:53:16.960 --> 0:53:19.440 do a whole gamut of things with it to understand 0:53:19.480 --> 0:53:21.080 if you want to spend your harder in cash. 0:53:21.640 --> 0:53:24.399 Yeah, and it's not to say that a car has 0:53:24.440 --> 0:53:27.319 to do everything, but it's just to say you will 0:53:27.440 --> 0:53:31.000 learn which tasks this tool is good for. 0:53:31.520 --> 0:53:32.960 Yeah, and if you're okay with. 0:53:32.920 --> 0:53:34.880 That or not, where do you want to make compromises? 0:53:34.880 --> 0:53:38.920 Where are you willing to make compromises? Yeah? So the 0:53:39.080 --> 0:53:44.600 Chrysler minivan, I mean, for for what it is, Like 0:53:44.640 --> 0:53:46.680 if it was just if I was using it just 0:53:47.040 --> 0:53:51.280 in my suburbs taking the kids to you know, basketball 0:53:51.640 --> 0:53:55.279 and dance or whatever. I guess that makes sense. But 0:53:55.960 --> 0:53:58.320 as soon as I got into the city, I realized 0:53:58.360 --> 0:54:03.240 it already felt like a beat up uber over these roads. 0:54:03.480 --> 0:54:06.680 And I actually had kind of a revelation because you 0:54:06.719 --> 0:54:08.759 know how disappointed I am with the suspension in the 0:54:08.800 --> 0:54:12.040 GLS that we bought. I realized, I need a body 0:54:12.040 --> 0:54:14.200 on frame truck as a family car. 0:54:15.920 --> 0:54:19.560 Isn't like that? Yeah that's cool, Yeah, I mean why not? 0:54:20.680 --> 0:54:22.719 I just need the heavy duty suspension. It's not like 0:54:22.760 --> 0:54:25.160 I'm taking it off road. I'm not really tolling anything. 0:54:25.719 --> 0:54:29.480 It's just that suspension in these roads here in New 0:54:29.560 --> 0:54:32.600 York in the metropolitan area. Like you need something that 0:54:32.719 --> 0:54:34.759 could survive armageddon? 0:54:35.239 --> 0:54:37.799 Is that a crew cab? I mean, is that big 0:54:37.920 --> 0:54:40.480 enough to fit the family realistically? 0:54:40.960 --> 0:54:44.520 Yes, I mean a crew cab like F one fifty 0:54:44.800 --> 0:54:48.040 or Silverado for sure fits the whole family. I was 0:54:48.080 --> 0:54:51.120 thinking like a Tahoe, you know, or a Yukon, which 0:54:51.160 --> 0:54:55.680 is essentially the same thing with a bat Yeah, but no, 0:54:56.040 --> 0:54:59.480 what I mean is body on frame. I mean, not 0:54:59.640 --> 0:55:03.319 you a yeah, so yes, not any suv in fact, 0:55:03.320 --> 0:55:07.680 most SUVs. No, it's only like Tahoe and probably what's 0:55:07.719 --> 0:55:12.520 the Nissan, the Armada, you know or whatever. The Tundra 0:55:12.680 --> 0:55:15.600 is called an suv form it starts with it Sequoya, 0:55:15.920 --> 0:55:23.240 sequoyah Sequoya. And I imagine that the Ford Expedition is also, 0:55:24.120 --> 0:55:26.719 you know, a body on frame truck. And if it's not, 0:55:26.840 --> 0:55:28.600 I just I don't have any time for it as 0:55:28.600 --> 0:55:33.520 a family car because I need solid suspension for driving 0:55:33.560 --> 0:55:36.680 my kids around the New York metropolitan area. 0:55:37.719 --> 0:55:43.120 Yeah, I support it. I've no comeback to that other 0:55:43.160 --> 0:55:44.560 than you. It makes sense to me, honestly. 0:55:44.719 --> 0:55:46.839 All Right, I guess that's all we have time for 0:55:47.040 --> 0:55:50.759 this week. Yeah, I'm really looking forward, Hannah, to you 0:55:50.840 --> 0:55:54.239 spending more time in this Mercedes AMG S sixty three 0:55:54.280 --> 0:55:55.040 E Performance. 0:55:55.239 --> 0:55:57.480 I'm gonna look for those Easter eggs. They're better be 0:55:57.520 --> 0:55:59.800 an American flag in there somewhere today. 0:56:00.160 --> 0:56:04.520 Today, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of 0:56:04.600 --> 0:56:07.359 the eleventh month, it all ended. 0:56:08.800 --> 0:56:11.839 Oh, November is my favorite month, my too. 0:56:13.040 --> 0:56:14.720 Yep, wait, when's your birthday? 0:56:14.880 --> 0:56:15.480 The sixteenth? 0:56:16.040 --> 0:56:21.840 Nice? Yeah, coming November babies excellent. Okay, that's it for 0:56:21.960 --> 0:56:23.600 us this week. I'm Matt Miller, and 0:56:23.600 --> 0:56:25.760 I'm Hannah Elliott, and this is Bloomberg.