A Ferrari that had been in the UK for less than 24 hours got towed away by police before it even hit the half-hour mark on the road — probably the most ironic headline of the week.
This Ferrari Monza SP2 is the launch model of the Icona Series, limited to 499 units worldwide, with an official value of $4.995 million. With its windshield-less speedster design, it's the kind of car built for showing off on a few extra laps around Hyde Park. Instead, the driver — who only held a provisional license and was driving in a manner that violated its terms — got pulled over by the Metropolitan Police less than 30 minutes into the drive. The car was seized on the spot.
This was just one vehicle out of a much larger sweep. Between August 7 and 9, London police impounded 90 vehicles worth over $10 million across Hyde Park, Kensington, and Chelsea, including a Bentley Continental, a Lamborghini Revuelto, a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, and several Mercedes-Benz and Porsche models. But it was the Ferrari that never even got warmed up that ended up making the news.
UK police cast a wide net when it comes to defining "anti-social driving" — uninsured driving, street racing, convoy cruising, even stunt driving all fall under the umbrella. This latest operation marks the largest crackdown yet in a five-year-running enforcement program. Chief Superintendent Geoff Tatman said in a statement: "Through operations like this, we're able to arrest these drivers and seize their vehicles, helping to keep our roads safe and sending a clear message that we will not tolerate reckless and dangerous driving."
The ability to seize 90 vehicles in one sweep comes down to a key policy shift: police can now impound cars outright instead of just issuing warnings or citations. The operation was carried out with support from the Motor Insurers' Bureau. As for what happens next to the owner of that Monza SP2 — or when the car might be returned — the police statement didn't say.
