lamborghini sent 10 460km for oil check

Some people have money to burn.

From correspondents in London | August 01, 2008
A HIGH-powered Lamborghini - the same model as Batman's - was sent on a 10,460km round-trip from Qatar to Britain simply to have a service, sparking fury from environmentalists.

The £190,000 ($400,484) black and gold car was put on a regular Qatar Airways flight to Heathrow airport, then flown back after having its oil checked, the The Sun newspaper said.

Servicing at an approved dealer costs £3552. The cost of sending it by air freight was £20,000, the daily said, citing the airline which confirmed it carried the Murcielago LP640 model last Friday and Monday.

Friends of the Earth's transport campaigner Tony Bosworth said: "The pollution from driving a Lamborghini is bad enough, but flying one thousands of miles for a service is taking climate-wrecking behaviour to new heights.

"With rising fuel costs and mounting concern about climate change most people are trying to save energy. They are likely to find this type of wasteful and damaging activity outrageous.''

But David Price of the Lamborghini Club UK, told The Sun: "If an owner wants to service his car in that way it is his choice. I'm not surprised. Thankfully, the age of excess in some areas continues.''

Lamborghini UK spokeswoman Juliet Jarvis said the supercar was not inspected at any of its service areas but told the tabloid: "This sort of thing is not unheard of.''