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The Lamborghini, above, was overtaking the Ferrari when the two collided. Photo: SCMP

Fast and Furious: US$650,000 Lamborghini and Ferrari wrecked in 160km/h Beijing road race crash

A Lamborghini was wrecked during a 160km/h illegal road race with a Ferrari along the streets of Beijing on the weekend in scenes that resembled the Hollywood franchise The Fast and the Furious.

A Lamborghini was wrecked during a 160km/h illegal road race with a Ferrari along the streets of Beijing on the weekend in scenes that resembled the Hollywood franchise .

The crash happened just two hours before the latest instalment of the blockbuster franchise hit Beijing screens.

The two cars collided as they jostled for position then spun out of control in the Datun Road Tunnel in Chaoyang district, near the National Stadium. The Lamborghini, which had been trying to overtake, veered to the side, ran over a guardrail and hit the tunnel wall, tearing down chunks of panelling, China News Service reported. One person in the Lamborghini was slightly injured in the crash, which occurred at around 10pm on Saturday. Witnesses said the two drivers belonged to the same car club.

Municipal traffic police said on Monday that the two drivers had been detained. The driver of the Ferarri was a 20-year-old from Changchun, in Jilin, and the Lamborghini driver was a 21-year-old from Beijing. 

The front of the Lamborghini was ripped off while the Ferrari was damaged on its side and rear. Pieces of the vehicles were strewn across the tunnel.

The speed limit in the area is 60km/h. No tyre marks were found to indicate the drivers had tried to brake. No arrests had been made but police said they were continuing to investigate.

Lamborghinis sell for between 4 million yuan (HK$5.06 million) and 8 million yuan in the capital; Ferraris cost between 3 million yuan and 6 million yuan.

The two-way tunnel is about 20 metres across and stretches 1.2km through a mostly residential area. Locals have long complained to the police about drivers gathering to hold races at night but the authorities say it's difficult to catch them.

The drivers play "hide-and-seek" with the police, driving away when officers arrive to investigate and returning once they leave, the reported.

During weekends more than 10 motorcycles and several sports cars have been found racing back and forth through the tunnel. Some vehicles didn't have licence plates, others covered them with paper, the newspaper said.

Three years ago, Ling Gu, the son of rising political star Ling Jihua was killed when his Ferrari crashed in Beijing. Ling Jihua, previously an aide to former president Hu Jintao , was sidelined from politics over an attempted cover-up of the crash.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Lamborghini wrecked in road race
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