Helenmoonstone_myblog: Streets of Knightsbridge are jammed with Arab-owned supercars

2012年4月26日星期四

Streets of Knightsbridge are jammed with Arab-owned supercars

This blue Ferrari 456 Italia has been given a spider wrap by its Qatari owner, who was keen to show it off on the streets of central London yesterday

A gold and black Saudi-owned Bugatti Veyron - which can sell for up to £1million - was parked in a street in Kensington yesterday, causing many to stop and take photos

This heavily-modified gold Range Rover - estimated to be worth more than £150,000 - has attracted attention after its owner parked it outside the Wellesley hotel

A number of the supercars have been spotted with parking tickets while others have been driving around with incorrect registration plates. But despite residents dreading 'The Season', there is one group of people salivating at the supercars and leaping to the defence of the drivers - the Carparazzi.

When the wealthy Arabs arrive in London, car enthusiasts show up with their cameras to film and photographer the million-pound motors.

Paul Wallace, who runs the YouTube channel Supercars of London, played down their bad behaviour. He said: 'August always proves to be the best time of year for petrolheads to see their dream machines on the road.

'Having seen the change in driving styles and cars, I still can't believe the police presence and residents kicking up a fuss. For four weeks out of 52, these super-wealthy individuals come and pump millions of pounds into the UK economy.

'Not only that, they fulfil many car fan's dream by bringing super rare Bugatti Veyrons, or special edition Paganis. I feel sorry for these guys coming here with their expensive toys as they get harassed by police.'

The limited edition Mercedes - which have a starting price of £370,000 - were originally engineered for the Australian Army but have become popular with Arabs as they are one of the few vehicles which can be driven safely off-road through the desert dunes

A blue and white Saudi-owned Rolls Royce attracts attention of pedestrians after its owner parked it outside the bay in Knightsbridge, west London yesterday

It's not just modern sportscars that are being brought over, this classic UAE registered Nissan 240 GL was spotted on London's Sloane Street yesterday

As word got around that London's richest tourists were showing off their cars near Harrods yesterday, this yellow Lamborghini Huracan were soon seen driving past

He added: 'I have been filming all summer and rarely see them drive more than 25 per cent throttle, or make any noise at all.

'I don't see why the residents of Knightsbridge don't use this influx in foreign cars as an excuse to go on holiday and escape one of the busiest, loudest cities in the world for a couple of weeks of the year.'

Previous summers have seen expensive cars clamped outside department store Harrods, towed for being uninsured and locals complain about being kept awake by revving engines.

Westminster council has revealed the parking fines handed out to cars registered in the United Arab Emirates has nearly doubled in the last three years.

A Saudi-registered Pagani Huayra, which has a starting price of around £1million, was spotted parked next to an expensive hotel in the area

A pink-tinged Rolls Royce with Saudi number plate was seen driving through west London yesterday as part of the now-annual influx of Arab-owned cars

A Qatari millionaire has brought this yellow Mercedes AMG with him for his holiday in Britain and parked the machine outside Harrods yesterday

Cars from the Middle-Eastern country were given a whopping £57,060-worth of fines last year, up from just £31,780 in 2011/12.

Fears have been raised that drivers feel they can flout the rules either because they can easily afford the penalties, or because they know they'll be able to move home and ignore the fines.

A Westminster City Council spokesman said: 'We do all we can to ensure that all outstanding fines are paid – whatever the nationality of the driver.

'However, when cars aren't registered in this country, it is sometimes extremely difficult to track people down.

'We already work with an agency to help recover money owed by European drivers and we're currently exploring other avenues that might further our success. The start and end point here is that every driver who parks in Westminster is subject to the same laws.'

A policeman approaches a modified black and gold Range Rover, registered in Saudi Arabia, amid locals' concerns about breaches of parking rules and road safety

A Qatari-owned Lamborghini Aventador parks up next to the a Bugatti Veyron as Arab playboys compare their sportscars outside Harrods yesterday

The streets of Knightsbridge are packed with sports cars, including these Maserati Gran Turismo, Audi R8 and Lamborghini Aventador, as Arabs flock to London

The capital has seen a boom in the number of Lamborghinis, Ferraris and Bugattis on its streets as rich Qataris, Saudis, Emiratis and Kuwaitis move to London during the Middle East's baking mid-summer months.

The growing number of sports cars around the wealthy Knightsbridge district is causing some local residents to worry about breaches of parking rules and potential dangerous driving.