Over the years during my time on Instagram, I have been asked many questions, and some of the same questions pop up time and time again. These have ranged from “How did you get into supercars?” to “Can you share your aspirations for your social media?”
I’ve also considered the point of view of someone who would want to know more about a car enthusiast. With that in mind, I have created some questions from that perspective.
How did you get into cars?
When the Xbox was first introduced to me, I recall playing The Simpsons: Hit & Run, and I progressed to Forza Motorsport 3. I’m sure a lot of you guys can remember those games. I think they are iconic, so much so that gamers were signing a petition for the remaster of The Simpsons: Hit and Run – so I wait eagerly in anticipation.
My father owned a few Jaguars when I was growing up I loved visiting the car showrooms with him. Of course, back then, I only had one of those old Nokia phones, so as you can imagine, the quality of my photos were……dire. Probably only a handful of photos I took exist from that era.
Fast forward to 2017: I studied performing arts for three years. During my lunch break one afternoon whilst walking through Newcastle city centre, I stumbled across two Rolls-Royces parked up on Grey Street. This street was designed by several architects including John Dobson – who specialised in neoclassical style. I took some photos of the cars – this was just a spur of the moment thing. I didn’t have plans to publish them as I only had a personal Instagram account at the time.
One evening whilst travelling home from college, I spotted a Ferrari 458, and that was the start of my serious interest in supercars and me wanting to share my photos with you all. I wondered if there was information out there on the internet about supercar groups, meets, events, and that type of thing. I remember one of my Google searches was “Newcastle Lamborghini”. Google images brought up a blue Lamborghini parked on Grey Street. Then that was it. I was getting hooked, and my passion took hold.
If anyone is familiar with Newcastle upon Tyne, then it is highly likely they’ll be aware that Jesmond, Gosforth, and Darras Hall are affluent areas. I actively went carspotting there, and within weeks, my 16GB of phone capacity was bursting at the seams. Even for an amateur photographer, that’s not a lot of memory. Yes, you may say “An iPhone to take photos?’ But didn’t you know that some iPhone photography was used on one of the splendid and stunning Sir David Attenborough’s natural world documentaries.
So in July 2018 – with my phone almost full – I decided to create an Instagram account, so that I could share my supercar spots with fellow car enthusiasts. Not long after setting my account up, I bought myself the iPhone 11. This model holds 256GB of memory, and the camera is great if you aren’t able to invest in a camera or it doesn’t suit your needs or lifestyle.
In August 2020, I treated myself to a Sony A6400, primarily because it takes super-sharp images and catches the finer detail clearer than my iPhone. My Instagram followers were beginning to grow, and equally my passion for photography.
Has your social media presence evolved over the years?
I created my account in the summer of 2018. Initially my photos were taken in Newcastle and then I broadened my horizons to the North-East of England.
My account has had several names over the years, and I think I’ve finally settled on ‘felixjsupercars’. I believe it separates me from other car-spotting accounts. My previous iterations were too generic (i.e. ‘northeastcars’ and ‘carspotting__uk’).
By the autumn of 2018, I was regularly visiting London, and in 2020, I found Alderley Edge. This coincided with me broadening my social media platforms. I can now be found on TikTok and YouTube too. The latter has seen me progress from static images to videos – and more creative content.
What are your favourite locations to spot supercars?
London and Alderley Edge have got to be my top locations to spot supercars. In 2020, London had the 2nd highest number of billionaires of any city within Europe. Each year during the summer months, swarms of supercars from the Middle East descend on London. Wealthy owners from countries such as Saudi Arabia like to show off their hypercars.
Alderley Edge is in Cheshire East, and is part of what is known as the Golden Triangle. Wilmslow and Prestbury are also part of the triangle. Many a footballer and TV personality has been spotted driving around this area and I have been able to ‘pap’ a few myself.
What I like about Alderley Edge is that I can see everything by standing on London Road. It is a long stretch of road and serves the residents of Alderley Edge. It is also the road that takes you through to Wilmslow and Macclesfield. London Road has an array of coffee shops, restaurants, and the best fish and chip shop in the country which is named Fosters.
If the weather isn’t so good, I typically grab a coffee and sit under Costa’s canopy. I can quite happily snap away taking photos of supercars without getting soaked.
And I mustn’t forget to mention my home town of Newcastle upon Tyne. I mean, I did spot a Pagani Huayra Roadster driving in convoy with a Porsche 918 Spyder in Jesmond. And that’s not mentioning all of the Newcastle United players – whose cars I get to see so often.
And finally, a special mention to Harrogate – not so far from my home town and a chance to spot some different cars and some wonderful plates too.
What’s your dream car?
Gosh, I’m scratching my head now! I mean, how many supercars are there to choose from?
There are a handful of cars that I particularly love for so many different reasons. The bodywork, the engine, the attention to detail on their interiors, limited editions, and the noise of their acceleration. I’ve decided on my top three, and here they are:
3rd place – Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
You can hear its V12 engine roar a mile off. It’s bigger than most Lamborghinis and is a formidable model.
2nd place – McLaren Senna
This evokes memories of a great week-end in Alderley Edge – when first thing on a Sunday morning, one of these literally had the road to itself.
1st place – Bugatti Chiron
A W16 engine – four banks of four cylinders – produce an unmistakeable sound. And, to me, the headlights have a ubiquitous gaze effect.
Have you drove (or been driven) in any supercars/sports cars/luxury cars?
- Aston Martin DBS Superleggera Volante
- Aston Martin Vanquish (2015 model)
- Aston Martin Vanquish S Ultimate Edition
- Aston Martin V8 Vantage (2006 model)
- Aston Martin V8 Vantage (2018 model)
- Audi e-tron GT Vorsprung
- Audi R8 V10 Gated Manual
- Audi R8 V10 Plus (2017 model)
- BMW i8 (two different ones)
- BMW XM
- Ferrari 296 GTB
- Ferrari 458 Spider
- Ferrari 812 Superfast
- Jaguar F-Type R V8
- Jaguar F-Type SVR
- Lamborghini Aventador SV Roadster
- Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Roadster
- Lamborghini Urus (original model and an Urus S)
- Land Rover Defender 110
- Land Rover Range Rover Autobiography (2022 model)
- Land Rover Range Rover Sport Autobiography (2023 model)
- Lotus Europa Twin Cam
- Lotus Evora GTE
- Lotus Evora S Sports Racer
- Maserati GranCabrio
- McLaren 540C
- McLaren 720S Coupe
- Mercedes-AMG C63
- MG Midget 1500
- Rolls-Royce Dawn
- Rolls-Royce Ghost
Whilst travelling around the country doing what you do, I’m guessing you must have spotted cars driven by celebrities?
- Walid Abu-Zalaf (Ferrari 488 Pista Spider)
- Lystra Adams (Bentley Continental GTC)
- Yazeed Al-Rajhi (Bugatti Chiron)
- Lord Aleem (Lamborghini Urus, Rolls-Royce Cullinan)
- Miguel Almirón (2023 Range Rover Sport Autobiography)
- Elliot Anderson (Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S)
- Sven Botman (Mercedes-AMG G63 with an Urban Automotive kit)
- Andy Carroll (Mercedes-Benz AMG GT R)
- Aaron Chalmers (Urban Range Rover Vogue)
- Kyle Christie (BMW i8)
- Adam Deering (Lamborghini Aventador SV Roadster and Ferrari F2X Longtail)
- Martin Dúbravka (Mercedes-AMG G63)
- Paul Dummett (Range Rover Sport and Range Rover SVR)
- Chris Eubank Snr (Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead)
- Bruno Fernandes (2023 Bentley Continental GT S)
- Ryan Fraser (Audi R8 V10 Performance, Audi RS Q8 Vorsprung, Lamborghini Urus, and 2023 Range Rover)
- Tyson Fury (Rolls-Royce Ghost)
- Mark Gillespie (Audi Q5 S Line)
- Anthony Gordon (Lamborghini Urus S)
- Bruno Guimarães (Mercedes-AMG G63)
- Lewis Hall (Audi Q2 S Line)
- Isaac Hayden (Ferrari 812 Superfast and Lamborghini Aventador SV Roadster)
- Joelinton (McLaren 720S, Onyx Concept Range Rover SVR-X, and Onyx G7X Mercedes-AMG G63)
- Afzal Kahn (Bugatti Veyron and Porsche 918 Spyder)
- Umar Kamani (Lamborghini Aventador SV and Rolls-Royce Cullinan)
- Loris Karius (Audi SQ8 Black Edition)
- Emil Krafth (Audi Q8 Hybrid and 2022 Range Rover Sport Autobiography)
- Jamaal Lascelles (Mercedes-AMG G63 with an Urban Automotive kit)
- Jamal Lewis (BMW X6 M Competition and Bentley Bentayga S)
- Wayne Lineker (Bentley Continental GT)
- Jesse Lingard (Onyx Concept Bentley Continental GT and Mansory Lamborghini Urus)
- Tino Livramento (Audi RSQ8 Carbon Black)
- Sean Longstaff (Range Rover SVR)
- Rachel Lugo (Bentley Continental GT with Mulliner Driving Specification)
- Riyad Mahrez (Audi RS6 Avant ABT 120th Anniversary Edition)
- Javier Banquillo (Audi RSQ8 Carbon Black)
- Lewis Miley (Mercedes-Benz A-Class A200)
- Ederson Moraes (Lamborghini Aventador S)
- Jacob Murphy (Lamborghini Urus and Range Rover SVR)
- Nick Pope (BMW X6 M Competition)
- Daria Radionova (Lamborghini Aventador SV)
- Cristiano Ronaldo (Aston Martin DBX)
- Marcos Rojo (Onyx Rolls-Royce Wraith)
- Fabian Schär (Range Rover SVR with a fully exposed carbon kit and an Urban Automotive Lamborghini Urus S)
- Allan Saint-Maximin (Bentley Flying Spur First Edition, Ferrari 458 Speciale, and Lamborghini Huracan EVO Spyder)
- Alan Shearer (Range Rover and Audi RSQ8 Vorsprung)
- Jonjo Shelvey (Audi RS Q8, Range Rover SVR and Bentley Continental GT V8)
- Reuben Singh (Rolls-Royce Cullinan)
- Ben Stokes (Bentley Continental GT Speed)
- James Stunt (Lamborghini Aventador, Rolls-Royce Phantom, and some Range Rovers)
- Matt Targett (Bentley Bentayga S)
- Jason Tindall (Lamborghini Urus (original model) with an Urban Automotive kit)
- Sandro Tonali (Audi SQ8 Black Edition)
- Lee Westwood (Lamborghini Urus Graphite Capsule)
- Joe Willock (Lamborghini Urus)
- Callum Wilson (Lamborghini Urus – three different ones including an Urus Performante, and a Range Rover SV)
Have you sat in any celebrities’ cars?
Yes – I’ve been privileged to sit in some fantastic cars. I’ve sat in the driver’s seat of a Bentley Continental GT owned by entrepreneur Wayne Lineker, and a Rolls-Royce Ghost which belonged to the world heavyweight champion boxer Tyson Fury and finally Jesse Lingard’s Onyx Concept Bentley Continental GT.
What software do you use to make your YouTube videos and edit images?
Since starting out, I have been using iMovie, which I find an invaluable tool. It is available on devices which use iOS, and it is so very simple to use – great for anyone starting out. It is free and that’s a bonus too. To edit images, I use Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom (which you do have to pay for) and along with CapCut and iMovie, this combination makes a perfect video – I think so anyway.