Premium price for Hamilton burnout car

FG XR · 30-03-2010, 05:04 PM

The Mercedes Lewis Hamilton was caught "hooning" in leaves the impound lot. Photo: Jason South

Mercedes-Benz is fielding calls from buyers keen to buy the $150,000 car former F1 champ Lewis Hamilton used to do a burnout in last week.

A race of a different kind is taking place this week, with buyers now vying for the car that landed Formula One ace Lewis Hamilton in hot water with police.

It may have a little less rubber on its rear tyres, but the car the 2008 F1 world champion used for his much-publicised burnout before the start of the Australian Grand Prix could command a price premium.

Mercedes-Benz Australia senior manager of corporate communications David McCarthy was fielding calls from several customers keen to buy the car, which has a 6.2-litre V8 capable of launching the four-door to 100km/h in 4.7 seconds.

“More than half a dozen dealers have rung, which is in response to calls they’ve had (from customers),” said Mr McCarthy.

He said Hamilton’s Formula One team, McLaren, had paid the release fee and returned the sports-focused C63 AMG sedan to the car maker.
Police seized the $150,000 luxury performance car on Friday night after Hamilton was caught performing a burnout outside the Australian Grand Prix circuit.

‘‘I was driving in an over-exuberant manner and as a result was stopped by the police,’’ Hamilton said in a statement after the vehicle was towed away. ‘‘What I did was silly and I want to apologise for it.’’

Would be a good talking point at the local pub wouldnt it? Or just buy the car and sell the rear tyres on ebay

csv8 · 30-03-2010, 05:49 PM

You would need a certificate of authenticity to prove it was Lewis's car for future sales.

FG XR · 30-03-2010, 05:51 PM

rego should be enough shouldnt it? with all the media photos and all

flappist · 30-03-2010, 05:55 PM

Proceeds of crime?

tex · 30-03-2010, 06:03 PM

You're right, the nancies will be all over this............

**DJR-351** · 30-03-2010, 06:07 PM

Park it next to Bingle's Aston....

FPV8U · 30-03-2010, 06:08 PM

The Nancy Zealots Wil definitly be over this, but what can they do, if someone offers more than sticker price or gets in a bidding war, whats the dealer to say?

FG XR · 30-03-2010, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJR-351

Park it next to Bingle's Aston....

Yeah its a "bingle" ... it will be for sale for a while!

FG XR · 30-03-2010, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flappist

Proceeds of crime?

Doubt it. No prison time.

I mean how many of us have broken the law by speeding / doing a burnout and go on the sell the car?

ea90gl · 30-03-2010, 06:23 PM

Wouldn't surprise me if this was a publicity stunt right from the beginning

XDV800 · 30-03-2010, 06:52 PM

I'll wager a lobster that the new owner will try to emulate the feat and haze the tyres again.
Will the the towie get to impound it again in the near future?
Should be entered into next years Summernats burnout comp!

RedHotGT · 31-03-2010, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yzfr101

I'll wager a lobster that the new owner will try to emulate the feat and haze the tyres again.
Will the the towie get to impound it again in the near future?
Should be entered into next years Summernats burnout comp!

The funny thing then would be - 2nd offence for the car...

(because from memory the offence for hooning goes on the car - not just the driver)...

And what happens on the 3rd offence???

deesun · 31-03-2010, 12:19 PM

Was there ever any film clip of said burnout or was it just a short/medium spinning tyres etc as he left the track area? It wasn't a full blooded screaching tyre frying affair was it.
I guess people will buy anything for a bit more money if it has a celebrity name attached.

:

ltd · 31-03-2010, 12:43 PM

Park it out front of Harold Scruby's house, just to tease him.

**Polyal** · 31-03-2010, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ltd

Park it out front of Harold Scruby's house, just to tease him.

LOL.

Ah its all good, last I heard the profit above the RRP goes to charity. If I brought it I would do everything I could to get Hamiltons signature on it somewhere. Just a story to go with the car and nothing more.

4Vman · 31-03-2010, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coyote V8

rego should be enough shouldnt it? with all the media photos and all

Its a loaner from Mercedes....

flappist · 31-03-2010, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loftie

The funny thing then would be - 2nd offence for the car...

(because from memory the offence for hooning goes on the car - not just the driver)...

And what happens on the 3rd offence???

Drivers have offences not cars.

RedHotGT · 31-03-2010, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flappist

Drivers have offences not cars.

I don't think that is correct.

I had a mate who had the car impounded for 28 days... 1st offence for him... 2nd for that car...

Cops told him that it sticks with both... they record the reg/vin of the car with a strike, and the driver...

SM1DY · 31-03-2010, 03:49 PM

SOLD!!!

http://www.carsguide.com.au/site/new...rnout_car_sold

Quote:

The silver Mercedes-Benz AMG C63 driven by Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton is now a celebrity in its own right. The super sedan was sold today for an undisclosed sum to a leading but unnamed Mercedes-Benz dealer.

The $150,000 V8 achieved icon status when the British Formula 1 driver was nabbed by police last week doing a burnout in St Kilda near the Albert Park race track.

When news got out that Mercedes-Benz Australia was selling the car, dealers and well-heeled car enthusiasts jammed the company's switchboard. The Hamilton car's notoriety has also peaked buyer interest in the C63 with dealers reporting strong interest.

Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman, David McCarthy, says an auction through its own dealers was the preferred option to avoid speculators. He says there was a lot of interest. "That's hardly surprising," he says. "I suppose everyone likes a celebrity. "Cars with a famous owner have always attracted big money."

However, Hamilton's AMG C63 was a loaner from Mercedes-Benz Australia, one of 27 Mercedes vehicles given to drivers and teams during the Australian Grand Prix. McCarthy said the final sale price would not be revealed.

Any extra cash made from the sale beyond the car's retail price of $150,000 would go to the Alannah and Madeline Foundation. "We've supported the Alannah and Madeline Foundation previously and feel it is a good choice to benefit from any excess sale proceeds," he says. "We honestly don't wish to profit from this, but if a charity can, well that's good."

The massively powerful luxury sedan has only travelled about 5000km, of which Hamilton is said to have contributed about 100km during his stay in Melbourne. "At the end of the day the only fair way to sell the car was at auction," McCarthy says.

Despite the car's notoriety, McCarthy says it was sold without a plaque saying who had driven it. "The vehicle's provenance is well established," he says. However, the car still wears a sticker on the windscreen allowing priority access to Albert Park.

rosco426 · 31-03-2010, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4Vman

Its a loaner from Mercedes....

Car was already registered so I doubt they would swap plates to another car, actually I'm sure of it.

For better proof they could use the pink sticker that shows its a pass for the drivers that is on the windscreen.

I wonder if the C63 they gave him the next morning would fetch just as much?

4Vman · 31-03-2010, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rosco426

Car was already registered so I doubt they would swap plates to another car, actually I'm sure of it.

For better proof they could use the pink sticker that shows its a pass for the drivers that is on the windscreen.

I wonder if the C63 they gave him the next morning would fetch just as much?

Im not sure what you mean, Hamilton is not an australian resident, Mercedes were probably lending the car to him while he was here, it would have been registered as a demo or execs vehicle...

Redrum · 31-03-2010, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loftie

I don't think that is correct.

I had a mate who had the car impounded for 28 days... 1st offence for him... 2nd for that car...

Cops told him that it sticks with both... they record the reg/vin of the car with a strike, and the driver...

The offence is on the driver. When the driver has their vehicle towed for a hoon offence and gets a conviction if they are caught committing a hoon offence again the vehicle they are driving at the time is towed. So If Lewis came back to Australia and did a burn out in a Ferrari, that car would be towed. The car would be impounded for a 48 hours period again but application could be made by police to the Magistrates' Court to hold the car for three months. If a driver commits a third offence, the car driven at the time is impounded for 48 hours and then police can make application to seize and sell the car.

jpd80 · 31-03-2010, 05:42 PM

Tell that to the guy in western Australia who had is Ferrari or Lambo with the mechanic when it got impounded...

Redrum · 31-03-2010, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpd80

Tell that to the guy in western Australia who had is Ferrari or Lambo with the mechanic when it got impounded...

That is my point, it is the driver, not the vehicle. I have impounded vehicles before in which the driver was not the owner.