Wealth

Arab supercars back in London’s top neighborhoods

Supercars invade London
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Supercars invade London

It's that time of year again, when Arab boy racers in souped-up Lamborghinis and Bugattis, cruise along London's most luxurious streets.

Knightsbridge – home of famous department store Harrods – and Sloane Square are two of the spots where you might see admirers of the supercars snapping selfies in front of the vehicles.


Jonathan Cronin | CNBC

But while fans might be ogling over high-end custom vehicles, politicians are fighting back over the noise and disruption caused by hitting people who rev their engines with £100 ($155) fines.

Arabs have been coming with their Dubai-registered supercars to Knightsbridge – where average property prices exceed £3.5 million ($5.4 million) – for several years. But residents in the area have been outraged by the noise caused by the engines.

Jonathan Cronin | CNBC

Karen Morgan Thomas, a local resident, has been campaigning since 2010 to stop the noise. Last year she told CNBC that it was causing "sleep deprivation".

The £100 fixed penalty notice will be dished out by the local council. The leader admits the small sum won't put off the super-rich, but said that if they continue to get tickets, it could lead to harsher action.

Jonathan Cronin | CNBC

"Of course we're not expecting Zonda and Veyron drivers to quail at a ticket for a mere hundred quid, but we'll be keeping track," Nick Paget-Brown, leader of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea wrote on a blog post on Friday.

"If they rack up a few tickets, they might just find their cars being seized by the police. Hopefully that will start to have a salutary effect."

Jonathan Cronin | CNBC