Luxury Cars
Ben Chen Crashes Rare Gemballa Mirage GT in New York City
Ben Chen aka @bc crashes his rare Gemballa Mirage GT in a drug-fuelled joy ride through the streets of New York City, also taking out a Toyota Sienna and three other cars in the process.
Earlier this week a rare Gemballa Mirage GT driven by owner Ben Chen caused automotive carnage after a drug-fuelled joy-ride down the center of Midtown Manhattan, New York City.
In a city currently battling to contain over 81,000 cases of COVID-19 and at least 4,500 deaths, a Gemballa Mirage GT crashing into a Toyota Sierra van parked on the side of the road and then taking out a further three cars in the process was the last thing most people expected to see happening on the streets of NYC under a “Stay At Home” directive.
The official NYPD account reads:
“On Tuesday, April 7, 2020, at approximately 0730 hours, officers responded to a motor vehicle collision in the vicinity of West 44 Street and 11 Avenue, within the confines of the Midtown North Precinct.
Upon arrival officers observed a 33-year-old male operator and sole occupant of a 2014 Porsche Gemballa Mirage GT conscious and alert. Further investigation revealed that the operator of vehicle #1 struck the rear of a parked unoccupied vehicle #2 and fled southbound on 11 Avenue in his Porsche The motorist proceeded to strike vehicles #3,4 and 5 that were also parked and unoccupied in the vicinity of West 44 Street where his vehicle came to a rest. The suspect was taken into custody at the scene.
The following individual was arrested and charged with the above incident:
Chen, Benjamin
33-year-male
[Address redacted]
Charges: Operating a Motor Vehicle Impaired by Drugs and Reckless Driving
In footage shared to social media, the Gemballa Mirage GT can be seen hurtling out of control through the near-empty streets of Midtown Manhattan and crashing into a parked Toyota Sienna before continuing out of the CCTV line of sight.
In another clip shared online, pieces of the damaged Mirage GT are seen flying off the car as he drives away from the first collision (running a red light in the process) and further reports note that he proceeded onto 11th Ave, leaving a “trail of damaged vehicles” in his wake before coming to a stop and being apprehended by police.
Ben Chen (also known as @bc online) is a somewhat well-known figure in the supercar community thanks in part to his incredible collection of supercars and his previous involvement in the Gold Rush Rally events that saw supercar owners participate in multi-day rallies across the continent while enjoying some of the best parties, hotels, and events along the way.
According to one Reddit user, his extensive collection has included some of following models: Koenigsegg Agera R, Rolls Royce Phantom Coupe, Rolls Royce Phantom Coupe Series II, Mercedes McLaren SLR GTR, Mercedes SLS Black Series, Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, Bugatti Veyron (Pur Blanc 1 of 1), Porsche Carrera GT Gembella GT, Porsche Carrera GT, Bugatti EB110 Super Sport, Porsche 997 Turbo S, Lamborghini Murcielago SV, Lamborghini Aventador SV, and a Range Rover Sport SVR
It’s not only his extensive supercars though have brought him notoriety in the past, but his propensity for crashing them.
To date Ben’s totaled a rental McLaren 12C Spider on a Gold Rush Rally in 2013, trying to swerve at high speed to miss a truck and crashing into a storage unit complex.
Then in 2016 he wrote off his 2010 Lamborghini Murcielago SV in Westlake Village Californa after speeding off from a car meet and there are reports online of several other crashes.
The Cobalt Blue Gemballa Mirage GT which is now his latest victim was a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT that was converted by German-based auto tuners’ Gemballa somewhere around 2013-2014. According to an interview with Dupont Registry not long after he had taken delivery of the newly converted Gemballa, the choice of the Cobalt Blue color was in honor of his late father who he had purchased his first exotic car with in the same color – a 2007 Porsche Turbo – and was planning on having all future Porsches finished in the same color. The Gemballa Mirage GT was also one of a few special cars that his father had thought about purchasing back in the early 2000’s when they first came out but had never done so.
At the best of times, the un-modified Porsche Carrera GT has been known to be a beast with Porsche test driver Walter Rohrl quoted in Drive Magazine as saying it’s “the first car in my life that I drive and I feel scared”, leading one to believe it should be handled with all the respect one would have approaching a raging tiger.
Based on the Porsche 980 Carrera GT, a project that was first developed for a Le Mans prototype in the late 90’s, the Mirage GT is an even more powerful vehicle upgrade starting at €300,000 that features 2 extra exhaust pipes, a roof-mounted air intake, a special Gemballa Sports Clutch, Gemballa wheels, and a completely new Gemballa body kit.
Before this spectacular misdemeanor only 25 of these Gemballa Mirage GT’s existed in the world, of which Ben Chen’s was the only one in USA.
After having been identified as the driver, Ben Chen was taken into custody, arrested and charged for reckless driving of his Gemballa Mirage GT under the influence of drugs.
Whether there are long term consequences or a change in the owners driving behavior (if he even still has a license now) remains to be seen given his previous driving offenses but one can only hope he will seriously reflect on these recent events.
The only upside of this story is that despite the extensive vehicle damage thankfully no one was hurt or killed.
Lamborghini is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Countach with a special edition LPI 800-4 model debuting at this year’s Monterey Car Week.
In celebration of the Countach’s 50th anniversary, Lamborghini has unveiled a special limited edition Countach LPI 800-4 as a futuristic tribute to the poster car of the 1980s.
While sharing the same name and drawing on the visual legacy of its predecessor, the new Countach LPI 800-4 is powered by Lamborghini’s aspirated V12 engine combined with new hybrid supercapacitor technology initially developed for the Sian.
Delivering 802hp maximum combined power (rounded to 800 for the sake of its model name), the LPI 800-4 can reach 0-62mph acceleration in just 2.8 seconds and hit a top speed of 220mph.
“The Countach LPI 800-4 is a visionary car of the moment, just as its forerunner was,” says Automobili Lamborghini President and CEO Stephan Winkelmann. “One of the most important automotive icons, the Countach not only embodies the design and engineering tenet of Lamborghini but represents our philosophy of reinventing boundaries, achieving the unexpected and extraordinary and, most importantly, being the ‘stuff of dreams.
“The Countach LPI 800-4 pays homage to this Lamborghini legacy, but it is not retrospective: it imagines how the iconic Countach of the 70s and 80s might have evolved into an elite super sports model of this decade. It upholds the Lamborghini tradition of looking forward, of exploring new design and technology avenues while celebrating the DNA of our brand. It is a Lamborghini that innately expresses the marque’s enduring and emotive power: always inspirational and thrilling to see, hear and most of all drive.”
Inspired by the Countach’s distinctive silhouette, sharp angles, and wedge shape, the Countach LPI 800-4’s exterior inspiration was taken specifically from the Quattrovalvole edition in the bold lines of the front bonnet with long, low rectangular grille and headlights, as well as in the wheel arches with their hexagonal theme.
Unfortunately for fans of the Wolf of Wall Street Countach, there’s no fixed rear wing on the latest model. However, there are still air scoops integrated fluidly into the car’s shoulders and the distinctive Countach slatted “gills” and famous scissor doors.
The rear of the Countach LPI 800-4 still features a distinctive inverted wedge shape, with the rear bumper featuring a lower, sleeker line and the hexagonal rear light design similar to that of the Sián.
Lamborghini has revealed only 112 models of the new Countach LPI 800-4 will be produced (a number chosen in honor of the internal project name “LP 112” used for the original Countach development) with allocations already fulfilled prior to the public launch.
Porsche Motorsport celebrates 25 years partnership with Manthey-Racing and reveals the limited edition 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25.
Porsche Motorsport is celebrating 25 years of collaboration with Manthey-Racing GmbH and has unveiled the limited edition 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25 to commemorate.
Founded by racing driver Olaf Manthey in 1996, Manthey-Racing GmbH is responsible for running the Porsche 911 RSR of the factory squad in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and has made a name for itself in both the motor racing world and as a GT road car specialist.
The basic concept and technical ideas for the new special edition was provided by Manthey and based on the 911 GT2 RS Clubsport with Porsche providing the final design.
Developed specifically for track days and circuit racing, the Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25 is powered by a 3.8-liter flat-six twin-turbo engine and produces 515 HP directed to the rear wheels through Porsche’s seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox (PDK).
Taking inspiration from Manthey’s 911 GT3 R, known as the “Grello” because of its distinctive green and yellow livery, the Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25 sports a similar green and yellow color scheme to highlight functional areas of the vehicle and adopts many vehicle components and elements from future Porsche racing cars.
“The design of the 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25 expresses the long-standing collaboration between Porsche Motorsport and Manthey,” emphasizes Grant Larson from Style Porsche. “It amalgamates the respective strengths of each partner into one racing car, and at the same time bridges the gap between the 991 and 992 model generations of the 911.”
The Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25 is limited to 30 vehicles in total (only six are allocated for North America) with deliveries expected to begin in early 2022.
To order, customers will need to email 911GT2RSClubsport25@porsche.de directly and have a spare $620,00 on hand.
The new Pagani Huayra BC Pacchetto Tempesta is set to make its debut at this year’s Monterey Car Week and celebrates ten years of the Huayra supercar.
This year at Monterey Car Week, Pagani celebrates ten years of the Huayra with the world premiere of the new Pagani Huayra BC Pacchetto Tempesta.
Based on the Huayra BC, the new Pacchetto Tempesta package means the Huayra BC’s high-performance platform can be equipped with a range of “state-of-the-art technical and artisan solutions” to maximize the car’s racing abilities and achieve an 8% power increase to deliver 827 hp and 1,100 Nm torque.
Pagani has only teased several introductory images of the green carbon fiber bodied beauty ahead of the premiere, and although full details are yet to be shared, Pagani has noted that the Pacchetto Tempesta features a new front splitter, dedicated air intake, rear wing with an integrated central fin, and six-pipe exhaust system to maximize aerodynamic efficiency.
A tweaked suspension system and the addition of an all-new “Soft Driving mode” also ensure drivers are afforded maximum comfort in the aggressive Huayra BC Pacchetto Tempesta.
The Huayra BC Pacchetto Tempesta will make its debut at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering event on Friday 13th August at Monterey Car Week 2021 and will be seen alongside the Huayra R project and an up-close-and-personal look at the all-new Pagani V12-R engine, six-speed sequential gearbox.
While no prices have been revealed yet, the Pagani Huayra BC Pacchetto Tempesta will no double start above the $2.25 million price tag of the Huayra BC.
Breitling Releases Limited Edition Premier Chronograph in Burgundy
Harrison Eisgaard Reveals New 417ft Expedition Yacht Concept
Lamborghini Reveals Countach LPI 800-4 Revival
Porsche & Manthey Racing Collab on Limited Edition 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25
Pagani to Reveal Huayra BC Pacchetto Tempesta at Monterey Car Week 2021
Heesen’s Project Altea Launches As MY ELA
Ferrari Launches New Fashion Line At Maranello Factory
Life Size LEGO Lamborghini Sián FKP 37 Built With 400,000 Pieces
Aston Martin x Girard Perregaux Collab on $146,000 Limited Edition Tourbillon Watch
New Hublot Big Bang Unico SORAI II Draws Attention to Rhino Conservation
Breitling Releases Limited Edition Premier Chronograph in Burgundy
Harrison Eisgaard Reveals New 417ft Expedition Yacht Concept
Lamborghini Reveals Countach LPI 800-4 Revival
Porsche & Manthey Racing Collab on Limited Edition 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25
Pagani to Reveal Huayra BC Pacchetto Tempesta at Monterey Car Week 2021
Heesen’s Project Altea Launches As MY ELA
Ferrari Launches New Fashion Line At Maranello Factory
Life Size LEGO Lamborghini Sián FKP 37 Built With 400,000 Pieces
Aston Martin x Girard Perregaux Collab on $146,000 Limited Edition Tourbillon Watch
New Hublot Big Bang Unico SORAI II Draws Attention to Rhino Conservation
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