Three Ferrari 360 Spiders wowing the crowd doing burnouts just inches from each other at Top Gear's Live show are apparently fakes, based on Toyota MR2s. Well, at least they weren't Fiero-based.
Here's what Drive has to say about the shocking scandal:
The three Ferraris that wowed the crowd by doing burnouts just inches from each other in the confined spaces of Acer Arena were apparently fakes.
Underneath their exotic red panel work, the "Ferraris" were believed to be infinitely less glamorous Toyotas.
The replica Ferraris, reportedly based on Toyota MR2 underpinnings, were produced at a fraction of the cost of the real McCoy. The Ferrari 360, which was discontinued in 2005, sold for almost $400,000, while the MR2 cost less than $50,000 new.
But wait, wouldn't the auto-crazy crowds at the Top Gear Live shows have noticed the MR2 engine sounds a wee bit different from the beast behind the glass panel in the 360? Well, yes, which is why they weren't allowed to actually hear them:
For fans who attended one of the ten shows last weekend, the only clue that all was not what it seemed was the loud music that drowned out the sound of the "Ferrari" engines.
Organisers were clearly concerned that the sound of four-cylinder MR2 engines – in lieu of high pitched Ferrari V8s - would give the game away, especially in a stadium full of car nuts.
Several Herald bloggers who saw the show complained that the sound of the "Ferraris" had been drowned out by loud music and one suggested the cars may not have been genuine.
How naughty is this? [Drive]