Interest from London, UAE in New Zealand auction for wrecked McLaren supercar

Deputy Head of Print Content·NZ Herald·

1 Jun, 2017 04:58 AM2 mins to read

The badly damaged 2015 Mclaren 650s coupe, described as a "diamond in the rough", will go to auction on June 27. Photo / Supplied

A wrecked McLaren supercar will go under the hammer after a top-gun global executive crashed it during a test drive on an Auckland motorway.

The black 2015 McLaren 650s coupe will go to auction on June 27 at 10am, with the Herald understanding there has already been interest from as far afield as London and the United Arab Emirates.

Manheim New Zealand national salvage manager Michael Fernandes told the Herald the wreck was being sold by the auto auction company on behalf of the insurer.

He said the auction will be streamed live around the world "to allow the global salvage market to partake in the auction and not miss the opportunity to own this diamond in the rough".

The supercar has a 3.8L petrol engine and its odometer has a total of 901km.

The car was severely damaged after businessman Heng Loon Chee flipped it on April 22.

Chee pleaded guilty to careless driving yesterday at the Auckland District Court and was fined $500 after the car hit a median barrier on the Northwestern Motorway, near Pt Chevalier, and crashed.

Chee was taking the half-million dollar car for a test drive and rounded a corner at up to 120km/h when he lost control, the court heard.

The car went under a safety barrier and rolled down an embankment.

The supercar was being taken for a test drive when it crashed. Photo / Supplied

The wrecked McLaren is being held in South Auckland. Photo / Supplied

The businessman, who was also ordered to pay $130 in court costs, suffered minor scratches to his hands and cuts to his head. A passenger in the vehicle was uninjured.

Chee's lawyer told the court his client was taking the corner too fast and the tyres were cold.

The 56-year-old is an executive at Massachusetts-based multinational computer company Dell EMC, a subsidiary of Dell Technologies, and lives in Auckland.

Despite McLaren Auckland refusing to comment on whether the car was part of its fleet, witnesses have told the Herald they saw the supercar and heard its unique engine as it drove out of the Great North Rd dealership.

The car was also heard "screaming" on to the motorway.