The Hongcouver | The truth behind Vancouver’s Lamborghini-driving Chinese students

Craigslist ad posting went viral

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The Lamborghini Murcielago SV for sale on the Vancouver Craigslist. Photo: screengrab

Published: 10:30am, 11 Dec 2013Updated: 3:23pm, 25 Feb 2016

Take one Lamborghini supercar, throw in some racial stereotypes, add a hefty scoop of envy and voila: A high-octane viral internet sensation.

Such was the result of a posting on the Vancouver Craigslist site, better known for snowshoes and Ikea bookshelves, in which a Lamborghini Murcielago SV in a chameleon purple/green finish was offered for sale at a knockdown C$388,888. Awesome enough, but the jaw-dropper came in the vendor’s description.

“I'm returning to China next year after graduation so I have to sell it,” the November 11 posting said. “Serious buyers only. Asking $388,888 firm. Will also accept trade + cash to take the car back to China. Value of trade must be $200,000 minimum. Must sell before Lunar New Year.”

One month later and the posting has been shared more than 500,000 times on the GTSpirit website, which posted photos of the car in all its lurid glory.

The advertisement seemed believable enough; there is no shortage of very young Chinese men driving very expensive cars around Vancouver with “N” [new driver] plates. The phenomenon was even referenced in the YouTube video “How to be a Vancouverite”.

Notoriously, an entire convoy of young men driving 13 Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and other supercars worth more than C$2 million was yanked off Vancouver’s Highway 99 in 2011 for alleged street racing. A majority of the baby-faced Asian drivers were on their N-plates, said police. Several were reportedly boarding students at Vancouver’s elite St George’s School, which issued a statement which did not deny the claims.

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