Thorney Motorsport – McLaren Independent Specialist

In mid-2022, I began obsessing over working on and servicing supercars. We sponsored a well-known group in Phoenix called PHXDRIVEN, a social group of supercar and hypercar owners that hosted get-togethers and rallies.

With e-commerce sales roaring and the shop needing much attention with the addition of our shop technician, Alex Tillman, it was time to make a plan. Owners of these cars are always looking for a place to take them besides the dealers. In my experience, the dealer and any business are only as good as those associated with them. This is where leadership and accountability come into play. I believe some people work at places for a paycheck, and a small percentage are very passionate about what they do. The amount of money that dealerships charge should reflect not only their association with a brand, facility, overhead, and many key aspects of the business but also EVERYTHING about the car and its associated services. I fully understand the volume and nature of the business, and that’s where WE come into the mix. We’re not looking for volume or high prices. We’re looking to build lifelong relationships with our clients, not customers. A client is someone who keeps coming back.

• We’re willing to go above the calling – if there is a problem, the client is the first to know about it
• we’re willing to be fair with pricing – we understand the nature of these areas is expensive, but that does not mean a shop should milk you for every dollar. Our prices are competitive with other performance shops, the area where we are located, and our overhead.
• We are more than transparent—if a job is not worth taking, we’re okay with saying no, and if we think a job is unquotable, we give you the option to purchase blocks of time. We’re the first to contact you if we find additional issues with the vehicle.
• Most importantly, we give a shit – Our facility is as spotless as can be for a mechanical workshop. We document all customer vehicles for damages, repairs, and upgrades. We make sure to protect any vehicles that come into this facility. If a car is staying longer than usual, we make sure to cover every car. We wash, vacuum, and protect all areas of your vehicle. If something is broken, we do not ignore it, we immediately tell you. If something is an easy fix, we just do it, note it, and never charge for any work that was never authorized.

Why go through any of this? Because I am unbelievably passionate about cars. I have been around cars since age 5, when the McLaren F1 came out. Reading about it in a magazine that showcased supercars at the time was awe-inspiring. From the center seat driver placement to the dihedral doors and its top-speed capabilities, it was indeed a modern wonder of automotive tech.

I remember driving my first McLaren, an MP4-12C, and thinking how cool it was to go from being a kid to driving these incredible cars. As my driver skills advanced, I got amazing opportunities to track many McLarens, such as the 600LT and 620R. I was doing some googling, and that’s how I found Thorney Motorsport, the undisputed leader in McLaren servicing and repair. At the time, owner John had just started the program; I reached out immediately as I wanted to be a part of this. The opportunity couldn’t have been more perfect; between hiring Alex, our sponsorship with the local club, and my newfound love with McLaren, we decided to commit to becoming a Thorney Motorsport franchisee.

More than just the license to be a Thorney repair center, we needed to brush up on McLaren & Scan tool training. That meant flying over the massive Atlantic Pound and getting our butts over to Thorney Motorsports headquarters near Silverstone Circuit over in the United Kingdom. I have been to Europe a few times but never to England. Beyond being excited about becoming a dealer, I was insanely pumped to visit a new country, meet some new faces, and experience an entirely different culture.

Jumping in our right-hand drive Mercedes-Benz Turo, we left Heathrow Airport and headed directly to John’s headquarters.