Videos of exotic sports cars doing high speed runs are all the rage on youtube. But recent complaints about 200 kmh activity on public highways have some police forces asking questions.
The specific video that the RCMP in Alberta are investigating was linked on pretty much every car forum around the world and even made it to the front page of Digg.com.
With the healthy run-up in the price of light sweet crude, local real estate, and the Canadian dollar, 25 year olds in Calgary can use their fat paychecks and new-found home equity to buy exotic cars from the US significantly cheaper than they could in Canada. Late model Porsches Turbos, Ferraris and Lamborghinis are also in steady supply from a few local dealers. Cars ranging from 996 Turbos to Gallardos and F430s are a relatively common sight. The new owners of these cars often stage impromptu cruises, first meeting at a parking lot, and then going for a scenic ‘drive’ outside the city, in packs ranging from three or four to sometimes over 20. Seeing one of these car club runs on any summer weekend is not uncommon. Pictures taken by keen car spotters are often posted on forums and photo sites.
Zahir Rana, owner of the pre-owned exotic dealership ZR Auto (and a spectacular yellow Enzo Ferrari) , stages a few of these cruises with his customers every year. Two dozen exotics, usually ordered by type of car (Enzo in the front), head out together on a long drive through the scenic rocky mountain and British Columbia region. Nearly every car in the group can reach 200 km h very quickly and very comfortably, let alone much higher speeds. Rana has been known to hire helicopters to film their exotic car mountain road escapades.
The video filmed in October 2006, shows Zahir Rana outside the city with a couple of his customers. The cars featured are an Enzo Ferrari and a Novitec Rosso F430 F1 Supersport both belonging to Rana, and 2 lightly modified Lamborghini Gallardos. A ‘Top Speed’ run is attempted in each car, with the Enzo Ferrari easily taking the crown, its digital speedometer recorded a Max 339 km/h. (see photo below)
The video clearly states that the top speed runs were done in controlled conditions, by experts, on a closed highway.
At the time of its popularity on the web , there were many discussions of whether the roads were actually closed-off to the public when these high speed runs were performed, and if cops had been informed and this was done legally.
All that discussion can be put to rest as Alberta Police are stating in public that they had no idea!
This story is being covered now all the major newspapers in Canada. The globe and mail article includes transcripts of several noteworthy excerpts from the video, including this gem:
“I could have done 350, but I ran out of road,” Mr. Rana tells the camera.
Rana is currently declining comment.
August 14, 2007 ‘Dangerous driving speeds up in Alberta’ Article
Update: Wed Aug 15
Zahir Rana is interviewed in the Calgary Sun
In the article, Rana says they were not out racing, they were “out for coffee!”
Rana also acknowledges the video is under investigation, and then says ‘the film is fiction’.
CBC reports 4 people were arrested based on reports of 3 Ferraris and a Lamborghini driving at 200 kmh early Sunday morning outside Calgary. The article confirms that one of the people arrested was infact Zahir Rana.
Rana once again claims the video is a fake!
“It’s not factual at all,” he said. “You can make … spaceships land on the moon and put it on TV and [make it] look real.”
[Article Source: Globe & Mail - August 14th]
[Video Source: YouTube.com]
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