Exotic Cars Speeding Through Beverly Hills Focus of Police Report

NBC Los Angeles ^ | Tuesday, Sep 15, 2015 | Jason Kandel and Robert Kovacik

[nickcarraway]

Police are investigating a street race between two high-performance exotic cars in Beverly Hills that garnered hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube — and the man claiming to own the cars says he is protected by diplomatic immunity.

The video shows a white Porsche 911 and a yellow Ferrari LaFerrari, a hybrid supercar with a combined horsepower rating of around 950, speeding through a residential tract at high speeds on Saturday evening in the 700 block of North Walden Drive. It includes an exchange between a journalist who captured the video and a man outside the house where the Ferrari was parked.

Video journalist Jacob Rogers said the man confronted him over his filming.

"He told me verbatim, 'I could have you killed and get away with it,'" Rogers said. "I told him, 'the press is allowed to be here on the sidewalk on a public street.' He said, '(Expletive) America' and threw a cigarette at me."

At one point the cars speed through a stop sign. The LaFerrari appears to nearly sideswipe the car of another motorist that's not involved in the street race. The video ends when the Ferrari's engine starts smoking and pulls back into the driveway. Police could be seen arriving in the neighborhood.

A new LaFerrari carries a price tag of about $1.5 million, but KBB told NBC4 the car could fetch up to $5 million. Neighbors were furious.

"The kids were terrified and the neighbors were out and this woman was screaming 'cause her husband almost got run over," said Roya Levian.

Police said they did not see the violations and "could not take any law enforcement action such as a citation or arrest," according to a news release.

While police were conducting their investigation, they were approached by a man who said the vehicles belonged to him and denied speeding, running stop signs or driving recklessly.

He said he had diplomatic immunity.

Police said they have been in contact with the United States State Department about the diplomatic status of the people involved and the legality of the vehicles driven on the road. The license plate of the Ferrari belonged to Qatar.

The renters of the $10 million home where the cars were seen did not want to talk to NBC4 on Monday.

[Moonman62]

He said, ‘(Expletive) America’ and threw a cigarette at me.”

...

Sounds like something Obama would do, or somebody Obama would invite into the country.

[familyop]

Caterham versus Ferrari F40
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ecdMZXp8fY

[taildragger]

"Caterham versus Ferrari F40"

Brilliant minds think alike. Yesterday when this broke here on FR, I was thinking to myself a good wheel could kick these two douche bags a$$es with a Lotus 7 / Caterham. Someday someone will make a real aero package for one ( yes I know an "11" was essentially a 7 with an aero body.)

Caterham has already thrown a 1.0l EcoBoost in one and it works...

[Secret Agent Man]

Shoot, shovel, and shut up.

[familyop]

There's also the Locost 7. One can do it wrong,...

The Homemades
Car and Driver magazine
Yes, you can build a Locost sports car for just a few grand.
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/the-homemades-feature

...or one can do it right.

Simon's Locost Clubman Site (Australia)
http://www.adelgigs.com/clubman.shtml

His second version.

http://www.adelgigs.com/swift.shtml

Picture of that.





Some rear-engine (now popularly called mid-engine) projects have begun. Haven't looked at 'em all, yet, and don't know if any of them are finished (except for the "Midlana," which requires a book priced at $100).

LocostUSA.com
Building Non-traditionally - Mid engine etc.
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=18&sid=cbf55e284cf9159fa94222063fbc2042

Some like to go for expensive projects. A few still like to go for cheap ones. My preference is well done work on the cheap, rebuilding the engine, transmission, layout, fitting, notching, bending, welding and all..

[taildragger]

Yes I have been following all of the above. "Locost" have a certain appeal. We will talk later, back to the debate ;-)

[Lurker]

“He said, ‘(Expletive) America’ and threw a cigarette at me.”

I’d have beaten him down on the spot.

L

[familyop]

"Someday someone will make a real aero package for one ( yes I know an "11" was essentially a 7 with an aero body.)"

This bunch did some carbon fiber/fiberglass laminate work without vacuum. There are videos on how they did it at YouTube, although not very detailed. ...still worth watching.

http://wikispeed.org/

Don't know how well the carbon/fiberglass laminate would hold up for bodywork. There are many other tutorial videos on carbon fiber and laminates at YouTube.

Too bad the boy didn't consider a steel roll chassis instead of aluminum rails for building his Wikispeed car. It appears that he's more interested in software development management strategies, presenting himself in videos and selling build parties for the unfinished ride.

Yes, I've done some fiberglass (boats, boards,...) and steel fab (industrial conveyors) in the past and am considering it. ...more study to do in advance, though. Learned circle track mechanics and driving from dad ('50s and '60s) and later on my own ('70s). ...electronics and other from self-study.

[minnesota_bound]

Drive a junker “accidentally” into the expensive cars.
Just scrap along the sides. Tell the police (if they are called) that the arabs caused the damage. No jury would convict the owners of the junkers.

[PhiloBedo]

“He told me verbatim, ‘I could have you killed and get away with it,’” Rogers said. “I told him, ‘the press is allowed to be here on the sidewalk on a public street.’ He said, ‘(Expletive) America’ and threw a cigarette at me.”

Reportedly, the unnamed arab has been invited to the White House, as a show of solidarity by Obama.