Obeying the law is taken very seriously in Taiwan. Step out of line and you could end up in serious trouble, as one motorist found out the hard way. And his exotic supercar ultimately paid the price.
Details are a little sketchy, but it appears that the owner of this Lamborghini Murcielago – which may or may not actually be a SuperVeloce as advertised – failed to register the vehicle properly and display the proper plates. So after what we can only assume were multiple warnings, the government impounded the car, and just to make sure it couldn’t be resold completely and utterly destroyed.
Given the crowd of cameramen assembled, it seems obvious that the authorities wanted to make a spectacle of the Lambo’s destruction and an example out of it for others who might consider breaking the rules. But if this all strikes you as a terrible waste, we’re with you.
Released in 2009, the LP670-4 SuperVeloce was the ultimate version of the Murcielago. Its 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12 engine was rated at 661 horsepower and 490 lb-ft of torque to send the supercar rocketing to 60 in under three seconds and on to a top speed well in excess of 200 miles per hour.
Lamborghini only made 186 examples before switching over to the newer Aventador. The Murcielago SV retailed in the United States for $450,000, but the import taxes would have roughly doubled its price in Taiwan. Surely selling the car intact and using the proceeds to, say, promote road safety, would have been a less wasteful option. But, as you can see from the videos below, it’s much too late for that now.
H/Tip to Aston C!