Jay Leno takes us through his ongoing love affair with a British automaker, including one particularly high-powered car: “It always scares me to death — and I enjoy it.” Plus: Local recommendations while traveling? Great. Actually living like a local? You might want to reconsider.

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Jay Leno Said He’d Never Buy Another Supercar. Then Came the McLaren W1.

Jay Leno isn’t afraid to speak his mind when it comes to cars. All the way back in 2019, he explained why “there’s almost no reason to have a gas car” anymore. In 2022, he equated buying a Ferrari to going to a dominatrix. There’s a reason his car show is still going strong 10 years later.

Our correspondent Basem Wasef was recently invited to a private event at Leno’s garage to preview the McLaren W1, the new flagship supercar from the British automaker. And guess what? The 74-year-old Leno was as candid as ever.

He opened up about why the legendary McLaren F1 isn’t as fun to drive anymore, waxed poetic about the car that “always scares [him] to death” and detailed why he’s buying the W1 after previously saying he’d never buy another supercar.

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Is It Virtue Signaling to Want to “Live Like a Local” When Traveling?

BY LINDSAY ROGERS

“Live like a local.” That’s the message that travel publications and influencers have parroted for years now, a simple piece of advice that can supposedly transform your travels. Help you have a more authentic experience. Except is that really what travelers want? To live like locals when they visit new destinations?

On the r/travel subreddit a while back, one user asked, “What is a travel thing that is popular on Reddit, but not in real life?” The responses were varied, but one that garnered a lot of attention was this: “Obsession with ‘being with locals.’ It’s not extremely pronounced in this sub, but tends to be in many travel forums. It’s a special kind of arrogance and I literally know no one IRL who travels with the proclaimed priority to ‘hang out with locals.’” Nearly everyone who responded was in agreement.

Skip the Big-Name Champagnes: This Historic Brand Is All You Need

Choice of Champagne can say a lot about a person. Yellow labels are safe. Dom Perignon says you have money, a bit of taste and a deep knowledge of Biggie lyrics. Selosse, Savart and Cedric Bouchard are inside baseball, and ordering grower Champagne — a blooming movement of farmer-winemaker sparkling producers — sets off nerd alerts.

But Billecart-Salmon is the Swiss army knife of Champagnes. It’s approachable but not entry-level. Highly artisanal but not esoteric because you don’t need a sommelier’s knowledge of soils or subregions to appreciate it. The wine is expensive, but not unreasonably so; Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve will run you $70. It’s offered at some of the world’s most exclusive and prolific restaurants, but my local bodega (shockingly) stocks it if emergencies or celebrations strike.