Author: adm_f_club

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A brand new development in the heart of Chiswick, represents a rare opportunity to live in one of the capital’s most sought-after neighbourhoods.

The mix of 137 apartments, penthouses and townhouses, alongside thoughtfully designed landscaping, Chiswick Green by renowned boutique developer Great Marlborough Estates brings together a charming village-like location with the cosmopolitan lifestyle of central London.

Tucked behind Chiswick High Road, the leafy Zone 3 neighbourhood boasts beautiful green surroundings. Alongside Turnham Green, which borders the new homes at Chiswick Green, several of London’s most prestigious parks are close by – including Chiswick House & Gardens, Kew Gardens and the globally-renowned Richmond Park. The River Thames and its extensive paths are also close by for riverside walks.

Chiswick itself is home to a bustling high street with a strong community and an eclectic mix of boutique shops and everyday necessities, as well as a thriving cultural and foodie scene – from the Michelin-starred La Trompette to exclusive members’ club High Road House, part of the Soho House Group. The area has also seen an influx of new independent names in recent years, from the eco-friendly Chiswick Cinema to British-Afghan BBQ brand, Cue Point, located in Chiswick Pavilion.

Great Marlborough Estates has brought together some of the most prestigious names in the industry to bring the development to life, with architecture by the award-winning Assael and interiors by renowned designers Millier. Chiswick Green seamlessly blends within the existing townscape, drawing inspiration from the red-brick buildings and greenery of Chiswick High Road, yet with its own distinctive, contemporary twist.

Creating a beautifully-designed community of modern homes, the range of one, two and three-bedroom apartments – which sit across three buildings – with the majority benefitting from private balconies with river, park and city views. With interiors inspired by the development’s natural surroundings, spacious apartment layouts have been carefully crafted to ensure flexible living spaces fit for modern living.

In addition, an exclusive collection of six penthouses provide far-reaching, uninterrupted views across the capital. Meanwhile, tucked away behind the high street, a terrace of just four generous three-storey townhouses will provide the very best of luxury family living.

Whether travelling by foot, bike, car or train, residents enjoy excellent transport connections. Chiswick Park Station is just a three-minute walk, providing access to Victoria in 24 minutes, and Bond Street and King’s Cross in under 40 minutes, while Overground services from nearby Gunnersbury Station put residents in Richmond in around 15 minutes. London Waterloo can also be reached in just 25 minutes via mainline services from Chiswick Station. In addition, Crossrail services from nearby Ealing Broadway – set to open in May 2023 – will further boost connectivity for local residents and put Heathrow Airport within a 15-minute journey.

Perfect for families, Chiswick is renowned for its near-unrivalled educational facilities, with a range of both highly regarded state schools and independent schools within close proximity.

“Chiswick Green is set to bring a different offering to the neighbourhood with its mix of distinctive design and architecture, impressive local lifestyle offering and landscaped setting,” says Grant Lipton, Director, Great Marlborough Estates.

Prices at Chiswick Green start from £580,000
chiswickgreen.co.uk
020 8017 1947

The Glenturret is celebrating an exceptional year, boasting 31 international award wins, success at a ground-breaking Sotheby’s auction, collaborating with the country’s most renowned hotel, Gleneagles, and becoming the world’s first distillery to receive a Michelin star just seven months launching The Glenturret Lalique Restaurant. Managing Director John Laurie speaks to Nima Suchak about his role in blending tradition with the future for a new generation of whisky lovers.

Describe about how the philosophy of The Glenturret connects to you?
My journey into whisky comes from a love and passion for the product, and what it means for the nation that I am proud to be part of. I went to a whisky show at 25 and fell in love with the branding, the stories and connection to Scotland that the whisky industry has quite uniquely. It wasn’t a commodity to me, it was always something more special than that. The Glenturret is the oldest distillery and still the only handmade whisky in Scotland, yet, there is a real sense of humility here…we call it the warmest of Scottish welcomes. And while we are super premium luxury, our humility and honesty are key components. That locks me into the brand and keeps me here because it’s great to be part of something that is Scotland’s oldest, that is delivering the traditional methods of whisky-making, while being really humble and honest.

How does the brand balance heritage, tradition, and the future?
You need to understand what parts of your heritage are actually the key parts of your identity and what makes your brand special. The quality of whisky that’s made by Glenturret is non-negotiable. The way we go about making it is non-negotiable. Where we embrace the future is in the way that we communicate with the consumer. If you want to continue and grow it’s really important that you adapt to the world that you’re living in and that has to be negotiable. As much as I believe the product should never change, your presence in the world and how you communicate your presence in the world has to always change.

You were named one of the ‘50 most influential people in British luxury’ in the ‘rainmaker’ category of Walpole’s Power List. How are you going to make the most of the recognition and influence that this brings?
What that meant for me was the arrival of Scottish single malt onto the luxury stage. In Scotland in particular, we are guilty of not having confidence in our strengths so it’s about our industry getting onto that stage in an incredible and confident way. It shows that the whisky industry has arrived in the luxury consumer goods world, and is here to stay.

The Glenturret is one of the fastest developing brands in the sector by value and volume since the acquisition by Lalique Group and entrepreneur Hansjörg Wyss. What makes this relationship work so well?
Lalique has a huge depth of understanding of the luxury market and what it means to be a true luxury consumer good. Where we are similar is their protection of the history and heritage of the Lalique brand and the protection of Rene Lalique’s history and heritage to ensure that he is very present in the modern brand. What resonated with me was how they managed to modernise and bring a product into this world without whitewashing its history, and they’ve done that here again with us. The Glenturret was very small when it was bought, and while we have grown very fast, we remain a boutique distillery.

The Glenturret Lalique Restaurant is the first distillery in the world to have a Michelin star—and just seven months after opening. Was this always in the game plan?
The concept of neighbourhood vineyard restaurants really interested us and we thought it would be great to be the first to have a fine dining restaurant within a distillery setting. Our mission was to create a world class restaurant that really helped a new set of consumers understand the terroir of our area. Globally-renowned Head Chef Mark Donald spent his first couple of months with our production team, championing the Scottish produce foraged in the local terroir, fusing playful flavours reflective of his global experience. The entire team at The Glenturret have worked incredibly hard to get the business to where it is now and we have been very successful with awards, winning gold medals and the coveted Distiller of the Year. But that only means something to you if you are aware of what those things mean within the industry. Whereas Michelin is universally recognised and gave us the wider recognition for the hard work that the whole team have done—whisky and restaurant combined.

What has been the most challenging aspect for you in relaunching the brand? How did you overcome these challenges?
When the business was part of Edrington, it was part of a large, corporate entity. And the culture and systems of work that exist in a large corporate entity are very different from a small agile operation. So, taking the business on a journey to becoming a standalone distiller within Scotland that has a really ambitious target of a super-premium product required a new set of skills, a new energy, a new pace. Therefore, the biggest challenge for my leadership was to find that skill, pace, and culture without moving too far from our humility and tradition.

How has Brexit impacted the brand, and its new international appeal?
As a business, it has been a very difficult challenge. Lots of different markets require different paperwork, administration, and labelling which has created an administration burden on the business and caused us a lot of strain. The challenge, though, has been to ensure that the consumer doesn’t see that challenge. The consumer should get The Glenturret that they love and paid for, and should get it the way they expected. The challenge for us is not to let any of those frustrations apparent to the consumer.

Where do you see the brand in the next five years?
I’ve always had the vision that The Glenturret will become that special occasion drink. It’s going to be the one you reach for at special event, or you want to share a special dram with that special person on that special occasion. We’re on that journey. We’re very much becoming that brand for people.

What is your choice of drink to relax?
I genuinely love whisky and the industry so my drink of choice is The Glenturret Triple Wood. It’s super smooth and super easy to drink.

theglenturret.com

With 8.5 billion searches per day on Google and 4.2bn active users on Facebook and Instagram, it’s vital to your business success that you are active and easily found online. In today’s digital world, the relationship between your business and your digital marketing agency could be one of the most important relationships you will have. Club member and founder of Disturb Digital, Rick Parmar explains how to pick the right digital marketing agency for you, and for your business.

FXC: Why is digital marketing so important for businesses?

In a nutshell, digital marketing is considerably cheaper and arguably more effective than traditional methods of marketing. Every penny is measurable online and you can reach thousands of people across the world for less than a tenner. And if your digital marketing is executed correctly, for every pound spent, you can expect to achieve at least 5-10 x return.

FXC: Can this be done in-house? Why should I use a third party agency over an in house person?

You could employ a person to do this work in-house, but it is quite rare for any individual to be a master at every single online and advertising platform. The best way to do this in-house would be to hire persons per ad platform type, though this can easily add up to £150k upwards in annual salary. More often than not, it will be more cost effective to employ an agency who typically specialise in more than one online advertising platform. Of course, if the relationship and results are not working out with the agency, it will be fairly easy to hand in notice to cancel.

FXC: How can one identify the best agencies for a business? What should I look for?

It is a wild wild west out there. I would look at agencies:

Who are in the same city as you (or at least country).
Who you have a good connection with as you’ll need to work closely with them going forward
Who have strong agency reviews from actual business owners.
Who have a good, long trading history, backed up with the same trading history on Companies House.
Who can show case studies closely related to your product or service that delivered results similar to what you’re looking for.
Who are prompt replying to emails and phone calls, turning up to meetings on time when initially dealing with them.
Who may challenge your existing set up to help you reach your goals.
And steer clear from those guaranteeing results if they haven’t got a track record or any case studies of working on projects in a similar space to your business.

FXC: It can sound like gobbledygook. What should the agencies be saying to me? Anything I should be looking out for?

They should initially ask you what your overall goal is from advertising – which products or services are the most popular and most profitable for you, your typical average order value, and typical average lifetime value per customer. Once confirmed, they should also ask you what the maximum you could spend to acquire a new customer. This is usually termed as your CPA (cost per acquisition) which is the most common (and arguably most important) metric used between business owners and digital marketing activity being undertaken.

There is a lot of software out there. No real secret software will turn fortunes overnight. However, the biggest deal breaker I would look out for would be any agency using the words ‘boosting posts’, ‘promoting posts’, ‘engagement advertising’ and those using ‘google smart/express advertising’. These are tell-tale signs the agency is not fully equipped to deliver tangible results for you at maximum impact. More often than not, those using these methods will waste your money. Lastly, it’s helpful if the agency is a Facebook or Google Agency Partner, but not a deal breaker.

FXC: What is the process? How do I choose?

Step 1

Carefully pick out a handful of agencies you feel could deliver for you based on their case studies and checking items mentioned earlier in this article.

Step 2

Set up a call to have a chat with the agency to discuss your business and goals going forward.

Step 3

Invite the agency to provide you a proposal on how they would approach the project to help you deliver the business goal(s) you’re looking for.

Step 4

Consider the agency that provides you the clearest (and most honest) route to your goals, without any hefty-long running contracts. Typically three months initial trial period would be a good measure to start with, and fair for all parties.

FXC: Once chosen, how do you incentivise performance?

Initially I would suggest paying a flat rate rather than operate on a commission model. If the relationship and results blossoms after the initial period of working together, there is an opportunity for the agency and your business to work much closer together where the agency would have a more vested interest in reaching your business goals – where the likes of commission could come into play.

disturbdigital.com

Photo by Charles Deluvio

It feels like we’re only just getting over the nail biting excitement of the Formula One 2021 season, after Max Verstappen dramatically pipped Lewis Hamilton to the F1 Drivers Championship at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. But as races go, Formula 1 returns hot on its heels with the Bahrain Grand Prix, promising another tight, breath taking contest.

Race weekend is scheduled for Friday March 18 to Sunday March 20, with the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc solidly back on the grid for the opening clash.

The 2022 race ushers in a new era for F1, following possibly the biggest revolution of rules in the history of the sport. As the opening race of the season, it will be the first opportunity for F1 fans around the world to witness the new cars in action.

As well as Formula One, F2 and F3 have both been confirmed as support races and season openers in Bahrain. The Porsche Sprint Cup Middle East will also take place over the race weekend.

Lighting up the stage at the F1 village will be Grammy Award-winning DJ and producer, Afrojack, joined by global Top 10 DJ and producer Don Diablo for a double header spectacle on the Friday evening.

Fittingly, Bahrain Grand Prix was the first F1 race to be held in the Middle East when it began in 2004, remaining one of the biggest Formula F1 racing events in the world, and a major tourist attraction for the country. This year’s race is attracting more attention than ever, with huge demand for tickets and travel packages.

The national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Gulf Air has announced that it has added an additional daily flight from London Heathrow to Bahrain on March 16, 17, 21 and 22 to operate three daily services during the Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix weekend taking place on March 18 – 20.

“Demand for attendance to the season opener has definitely been significant,” said Captain Waleed Abdulhameed AlAlawi, Gulf Air’s Acting CEO. “We are excited to welcome our global visitors to the Kingdom of Bahrain to witness the Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix race.”

Passengers with a valid Formula One ticket and flying on Gulf Air flights to Bahrain from London Heathrow during this period will receive free lounge access at London Heathrow and at Bahrain International Airport.

“In recent weeks we have seen great demand for tickets and travel packages from international fans, including from the UK,” said Shaikh Salman bin Isa AlKhalifa, CEO Bahrain International Circuit. “We are thankful to our partners at Gulf Air for adding to their capacity and we look forward to fans joining us from all over the world to celebrate the beginning of this great new era for the sport.”

Gulf Air recently announced the return of its exclusive Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix packages on gulfair.com for passengers visiting Bahrain in coordination with Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority and the Bahrain International Circuit.

This would allow eligible visitors to book a flight, accommodation, a 3-day race pass along with transport to and from the race.

“2022 is proving to be an exciting year for tourism in Bahrain and the great reception we have been receiving from international travellers who are travelling to Bahrain to watch the season opener of the Formula One race is a testament to that,” said Dr Nasser Qaedi, CEO, Bahrain Tourism & Exhibition Authority. “We are excited to welcome more tourists from the United Kingdom to enjoy both the race and the other activities and attractions happening on our island in March.”

Find out more at www.gulfair.com/f1

Learn more about the experiences and tickets on www.bahrain.com & www.bahraingp.com

F1 Bahrain Grand Prix Participants

Mercedes: Lewis Hamilton, George Russell

Red Bull: Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez

Ferrari: Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz

McLaren: Lando Norris, Daniel Ricciardo

Alpine: Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon

AlphaTauri: Pierre Gasly, Yuki Tsunoda

Aston Martin: Sebastian Vettel, Lance Stroll

Alfa Romeo: Valtteri Bottas, Guanyu Zhou

Williams: Nicholas Latifi, Alex Albon

Haas: Nikita Mazepin, Mick Schumacher

One of the nation’s most recognisable number plates, AMS 1, is back on our screens in Lord Sugar’s search for a new apprentice. Jason Wilkes, member of the Club, and director at plate trader CarReg tells Nima Suchak about the Asian love affair with private number plates, and why they’re as good an investment as ever.

The ultimate status symbol, a personalised number plate is an ideal way of making a car look even more unique. Successful people certainly take pride in the car they drive, and like with most luxury goods, number plates are a means of showing off their success.

“In terms of appeal, some prefer a subtle approach with the meaning of their plates, while others are definitely quite extrovert and like to be noticed,” says Jason. “The Asian community in particular is very inventive and have an array of names which can be creatively made with UK private and personalised number plates.”

During the pandemic, the personalised number plate business in the UK saw a surge in demand. “That surge could have been due to customers having more time to browse online or having some spare cash to invest. And with regular online auctions and sales, there was no need for buyers to step out their front door,” says Jason.

Historically, UK number plates have always been great investments, with the vast majority of private plates rising in value over time. “Time and time again we see clients reselling for profits,” says Jason. “We compare personalised number plates to antiques and works of art. And of course, there is no upkeep or continual maintenance.”

Some number plates will double in value within a short space of time. Some sold back in the late 90’s, have gone up more than 10 times the original sale price — effectively doubling every five years.

“Shorter numbers are very interesting. We have seen a steep rise in values of two, three and four character plates”, says Jason. “Take 7B for example. This was initially sold for £8200 in 1993, we bought it for £12000 in 1995, then later sold it for £40000. We recently offered £180000 to buy it back, and that was not enough!”

Short, dateless plates and ones which spell a word or name without having to ‘illegally mis space’ hold the most value, according to Jason. “The closer it looks to the name or word, the higher value it can potentially reach. Especially in the Asian community, those closely resembling Asian names often make high values.

“There have been a number of Asian names sold for massive amounts over the years,” he says. “The plate ‘S1 NGH’ is obviously very popular, so in turn the value has increased. The DVLA have sold both 51 NGH and S1 NGH, and also KR15 HNA made a huge amount. Words and names like P4 TEL, S1 KHS, AHM 3D, HAM 2A, FA21 ZAL, AKH 84R, etc, and some 786 plates have also made a premium.”

CarReg has sold many very high value numbers. In particular, the single (2 character plates), also known in the industry as ‘Superplates’. But mid-range plates are also seen as shrewd investments. “We continually invest in plates between £1000-£10000…they are all very much worthwhile investments,” says Jason. “Registrations which include initials like KAM, BAS, RAJ, SAJ, along with cheaper plates like ABZ, HAZ, etc, have proved popular and risen in value over time.

“I don’t think there is an exact time to sell. Everyone’s circumstances vary so the best time is what is best for the owner at that time. If you are happy with the reg on your vehicle and don’t need to sell it, then don’t, but everything has a price doesn’t it? As long as you are satisfied with the price you have agreed to sell, then it’s a good deal all round for both seller and buyer.”

Jason’s tips for buying number plates as a long term purchase

Know your budget and stick to it. Don’t be tempted to buy a plate you can’t really afford. (Although Finance is available to help spread the cost!)
Remember that the rarer a personalised number plate combination is, the more expensive it will be. Likewise, very popular/common initials command higher values due to the higher demand.
Don’t confine your search to just one website. Speak to some experts in the industry.
Only deal with companies that are fully accredited with all the relevant organisations.

Get in touch with Jason Wilkes or Russell Palmer at CarReg to find out more 01902791997

carreg.co.uk

As the travel industry shows healthy signs of waking up post pandemic, Frank Waters founder of DAF Concierge and member of the Club, shares his favourite destinations for 2022.

With airlines and hotels competing for much needed attention, coupled with highly confusing and fluid covid restrictions, booking trips abroad feels like a much harder job than it used to be. Most of us have been busy scrolling for a much-needed getaway (or two) since the beginning of the year, but admittedly we are still living in an unpredictable era. We reached out to Frank Waters to tap into his in-depth knowledge of luxury leisure and where we could be heading this year.

Abu Dhabi

Middle Eastern 5* service

An exciting and destination of ancient culture, garden cities, pristine beaches and adventure. Abu Dhabi is thriving with exciting new developments and world class theme parks including Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, and Yas WaterWorld.

When to go: All year round – cooler in January / February, and perhaps too hot in July / August

Good for: Families, friends

Stay at: Emirates Palace

Photography by Daniel Olah

Mauritius

Stunning Indian Ocean destination where nothing is too far out of reach

Be as adventurous as you want to be! Mauritius is a small island, so make the most of it by hiring a car and setting off to discover monuments, waterfalls, and lakes. Of course, the white-sand beaches are a must, coupled with whale watching and swimming with wild dolphins.

When to go: Avoid January – March as it’s the cyclone season

Good for: Couples and families

Stay at: Shangri-La Le Touessrok

Photography by Xavier Coiffic

Banff & Lake Louise, Canada

Endless outdoor adventures with vibrant history and heritage

Amongst the world’s most awe-inspiring mountain destinations, take a panoramic tour of the Canadian Rockies including Lake Louise, hot springs in Banff, dog sledding and sleigh rides.

When to go: February – April for snow and ski!

Good for: Couples, families, friends

Stay at: Fairmont Lake Louise

Photography by Dustin Bowdige

Oman

A taste of authentic Arab culture

Combining traditional Bedouin villages, breath taking mountains, canyons and deserts, and untouched beaches, Oman is one of the most exciting destinations in the Middle East. Don’t miss out on an excursion to Wadi Shab…a natural oasis, home to crystal clear pools and secret waterfalls!

When to go: All year round – Oman is cooler in January / February, and very hot between June and August

Good for: Couples and families

Stay at: We have two contenders— The Chedi Muscat or Six Senses Zighy Bay

Photography by Anfal Shamsundeen

Cabo San Lucas

Where the Hollywood Stars go on holiday

Just a two-hour flight from LA, Mexican coastal town Cabo San Lucas is a trendy destination boasting secluded beaches, Instagrammable sleepy towns, and authentic Mexican street food.

There’s no direct flight from the UK, but it would be worth doing a city stopover via LA or Mexico City.

When to go: October – July

Good for: Couples

Stay at: One&Only Palmilla

Photography by Victor Hughes

Key West

Fun, wacky, one-of-a-kind island on the southernmost point of the US

Located closer to Cuba than Miami, Florida’s Key West is a subtropical paradise. The best way to visit is as part of a road trip itinerary with Miami, stopping in different towns along the drive.

When to go: Avoid Hurricane season from July – end of October

Good for: That all important friends’ trip

Stay at: Southernmost Inn

Photography by Andre Tan

Garden Route South Africa

One of the world’s greatest drives…the highlight of any trip to the Rainbow Nation

Fly to Cape town then grab a car for an exceptional adventure over the 200 km stretch of coast connecting Mossel Bay to the Storms River Mouth. Head to Stellenbosch for the vineyards and a fantastic picture of the rolling vineyards. Stop at Hermanus for whale Watching, and Mossel Bay for the sharks. Finish in the Eastern Cape where all the safaris are.

Best time to go: November – April

Stay at: Shamwari Private Game Reserve

Good for: Couples and families

Photography by Tom Podmore

Maldives

The dreamy Indian Ocean escape

Just 1% land and 99% ocean, a Maldives trip is your key to be part of the postcard, so do it well. Fly to Male, catch a sea plan or a speed boat to one of the exclusive islands for much needed luxury and relaxation.

Best time to go: November – April

Stay at: Cora Cora Maldives

Good for: Couples and families

Photography by Chelsea Gates

Iceland

An adventure-filled trip for families all year round

Enjoy Iceland’s geothermal energy and take a dip in the Sky Lagoon and Blue Lagoon. Try and see the magical Northern Lights by winter, or the Midnight Sun in the Summer. Go bird watching, visit the ice caves and walk through glaciers. What’s not to like?

When to go: September – March for winter wonders

Good for: Couples, friends, families

Stay at: The Retreat at Blue Lagoon

Photography by Jeff Sheldon

Bahrain

The desert island nation

From city tours to desert landscapes, Bahrain is a destination that brings together history, monuments, beach views and natural beauty. Smaller than Dubai, you can get around the entire country in a day, and easily access surrounding islands. Motor racing fanatics should visit the world famous Bahrain International Circuit – home to twelve of the Bahrain Grand Prix.

When to go: November – March

Good for: Couples

Stay at: The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain

Photography by Gulf Air

Whether you want a simple one stop holiday or a complete round the world itinerary, arranged for just yourself, your family or a group of friends or work colleagues, get in touch with Frank Waters on 02082255651, email Frank.Waters@DAFConcierge.co.uk or follow on Instagram @FW_dialaflightconcierge

Main image: Aditya Chinchure

Words: Nima Suchak

Founder of Car Audio & Security, Raj Sangha has just opened his new showroom, specialising in car audio, performance and styling as well as home audio and cinema.

Raj’s passion for the industry was ignited when he was a student, working part time in a store on London's Tottenham Court Road. His own business selling car audio was born in 1992 and has since gone from strength to strength. The new state of the art showroom provides the ultimate experience – showcasing elements of both car and home audio and includes market leaders and niche brands, with four demo rooms, including a full on £50,000 home cinema.

You have managed to merge your passion and business. What’s it like living the dream?

Growing up I always loved cars and dreamt of owning one or two. My car passion has escalated over the years! I have a rolling collection of cars which I relish. Some are classic cars, some are new, and each one is unique. I buy a regular car, modify it and add my own personal touch to make it unique—it could be suspension, wheels or audio, but ultimately, it’s about putting my own stamp on it.

For social media engagement, it is important to put a face to the business and hear the story behind it. We recently launched Raj’s Garage on YouTube which is about me and my collection of cars, completely merging my passion and my business.

Your biggest extravagance is: I would say buying a Ferrari at the age of 35. I shouldn’t have done because I think it may have sent out the wrong message to others around me. On a business level, the biggest extravagance is the cinema room that I’ve created here in this building. This is the biggest single cost in the new showroom.

Ambition or talent, which matters more to success? For me, it’s ambition. I’ve always had drive and that’s why I continue to do what I do, to push boundaries, reach the next level, bringing my team along with me.

One thing you’re glad you tried but would never do again is: I went into a business partnership in 2001.The problem with partnership is that it is a marriage of two people and the challenge is when there is a clash of personal differences and personalities and different opinions on the future of the business. The partnership didn’t last but I learnt a lot from it, I would never do it again.

Brand new cars which have caught your eye for 2021 are: Weirdly enough, the first is a fairly affordable car in comparison to what I would normally say, but it’s a Toyota GR Yaris. A hot hatch which all the motoring journalists are talking about because of the way it drives, the way it delivers the power, and the handling. I’ve actually ordered one! Then I would say the Porsche Taycan Turbo S (electric cars are the future), and the Porsche 992 GT3. That’s a car I’m trying my hardest to get allocation on.

Three tracks on your driving playlist are:

Soul II Soul, Keep On Moving
Ice Cube, It Was a Good Day
Will Smith, Miami

Your first car was: a Ford Fiesta 950 CC in sky blue which my father bought for me when I was 17. The first one I bought from my own money when I was 20 was a Peugeot 205 1.9 GTI.

The vintage car you would love to drive is: a Ferrari F40 from the late 80’s, which was definitely a bedroom poster car for me. Such an iconic car and possibly the first of the ‘hypercars’.

caraudiosecurity.com

Photographs by Kam Parmar

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