Friday 29th February 2008

Fake Ferrari Gang Caught

Men arrested for selling rebodied Toyotas in Italy

---

Incredibly, it was once a Toyota...

A gang of rogue mechanics in Italy has been arrested for selling fake Ferraris.

The men were said to be cobbling together the counterfeit supercars in much the same way as people do here – out of Toyota MR2s and Pontiacs – and selling them for £15,000 each.

Police are understood to have confiscated 14 fake 360 Modenas – seven sold and seven under construction – and eight people are under investigation.

Apparently those buying the cars knew they were fakes (how wouldn’t they?) so we can only hope that people rolling in rebodied MR2s over here will soon get busted for being so lame.

It seems that in Italy just selling a Ferrari replica is actually against the law, whereas over here it is just a crime against style.

Investigators in Italy said the buyers were simply buying the cars to impress the neighbours.

‘That is the only reason,’ said Guido Geremia head of the Italian financial police unit that led the investigation.

A Ferrari spokeswoman said they monitored websites for evidence of fakes.

‘Ferrari is a product that maintains its value over time and of course we try to protect our clients who buy the real thing.

‘When a car is not official, it does not have the characteristics it should have for the brand,’ she added.

[Lutz]

Sad gits who buy them.... I mean, what is the point of having the lookalike?

[Fire99]

I hope the picture wasn't a true indicator of the cars they were 'palming off'
That is one dodgy looking replica..

[kambites]

Fire99 said:

I hope the picture wasn't a true indicator of the cars they were 'palming off'
That is one dodgy looking replica..

That's an MR2 with some vents and a front valance (badly) photoshopped onto it.

Edited by kambites on Friday 29th February 10:43

[james_tigerwoods]

kambites said:

Fire99 said:

I hope the picture wasn't a true indicator of the cars they were 'palming off'
That is one dodgy looking replica..

That's an MR2 with some vents and a front valance (badly) photoshopped onto it.

Edited by kambites on Friday 29th February 10:43

Very, very badly....

[jeffstelling]

i think its supposed to be very very bad, like the "real" thing

[fluffyducky]

I hope the knob in Wolverhampton who drives his Toyota "Dino Yellow F355" MR2 is reading this. He thinks he's a right rude bwoy. I make a habit of pointing and laughing whenever I see him. Bloody idiot. They do look as bad as that picture in the flesh. Its just a body kit and some badges, that's all.

[briSk]

out of interest did they ever do a 348 replica on the mr2 or did they just go straight to Faux355?

[DamoLLb]

I have never seen the point of these, they are so awful! You may as well have a play-doh penis extension!

£15,000 could buy you some interesting metal after all.

[S1MMA]

I'm going to carry some "Go to jail. Go directly to jail. Do not pass go. Do not collect £200" cards and throw them in any future MR2 rude bwoy 355's that I see. Muppets.

[photo_ed]

briSk said:

out of interest did they ever do a 348 replica on the mr2 or did they just go straight to Faux355?

Not sure, more than likely though, I found this recently on my travels....

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FERRARI-288-GTO-REPLICA-BUIL...

288 GTO replica from a Lancia Monte Carlo! - why, why, why?

[Stu R]

briSk said:

out of interest did they ever do a 348 replica on the mr2 or did they just go straight to Faux355?

Someone out there did a 348 rep, there used to be two floating around up here, one looked fairly convincing, from a distance, the other wouldn't pass for a ferrari unless you removed your eyes.

[FezzaDezza]

Never heard of a 348 replica but I'm sure its been done at some point....

The 355/MR2 has done enough damage however as I still get asked on a regular basis if my 348 is real....

[chris7676]

Fezza - the thing is 348 is more similar looking to MR2 than anything else (or the other way around)

[DamoLLb]

FezzaDezza said:

Never heard of a 348 replica but I'm sure its been done at some point....

The 355/MR2 has done enough damage however as I still get asked on a regular basis if my 348 is real....

just blip the throttle next time, that should answer the daft question. Mind you, the dash isnt much better

[atom-ick]

Lutz said:

Sad gits who buy them.... I mean, what is the point of having the lookalike?

good question, it makes me wonder how the likes of Westfield stay in business (and avoid arrest from the italian police!)

[dberkmen]

I'm pleased to see that Ferrari's personal security service, are now engaged in a further sweep of stolen information and intellectual property from the factory..

Apparently Italy's chief of police, was recently quoted as saying "All red cars are now a focus of our investigation worldwide".

The Italian government must really sell their shares in Fiat/Ferrari etc, or is it the other way round?

[Wigeon Incognito]

FezzaDezza said:

Never heard of a 348 replica but I'm sure its been done at some point....

The 355/MR2 has done enough damage however as I still get asked on a regular basis if my 348 is real....

Just looked in your profile, and, as well as the 348 and a couple of others you have.... a SUZUKI X90!!!!

I see you say it's good for a laugh. My word, I've always wondered what the target demographic for X90s is. What made you pick one? (Genuine question not an insult, I think they're comical.)

[fluffyducky]

Wigeon Incognito said:

FezzaDezza said:

Never heard of a 348 replica but I'm sure its been done at some point....

The 355/MR2 has done enough damage however as I still get asked on a regular basis if my 348 is real....

Just looked in your profile, and, as well as the 348 and a couple of others you have.... a SUZUKI X90!!!!

I see you say it's good for a laugh. My word, I've always wondered what the target demographic for X90s is. What made you pick one? (Genuine question not an insult, I think they're comical.)

I was thinking the same. Please tell me it was given to him!

Edited: I drive a Fiat Marea Weekend... I really am not in a position to comment.

Edited by fluffyducky on Friday 29th February 11:37

[danp]

I can recall a day last Summer, the sun was shining and a "Ferrari 355" parked prominently (and very illegally) in the town square (Winchester), whereupon a fairly elderly gentleman and his younger man friend / butler disembarqued and took out collapsible chairs to some gounds about 30 yards away, overlooking the car.

Needless to say the car was soon attracting a lot of attention, mainly it seems by foreign tourists who were even having their pictures taken next to it, no doubt to the pleasure and delight of it's handily placed owner. I was in a bar off the town square, and had to have a look at the sows ear clothed in a silk (nylon?) purse more closely, just out of morbid curiosity obviously ;-) - there was even a disabled parking permit on the PoS MR2 dashboard. I have to confess I even told some of the ogling onlookers it was a fake, but they were an Italian couple and not sure that they understood...

I was later in a womans clothes shop (with the g/f ;-), also overlooking the square, and got chatting to the shop manager, she said the owner was always parking there, and obviously also thought it was a real Fezza as well..

[oagent]

I wonder if Italian law makes exceptions for Re-creation/replica's of classic cars built using some autentic parts?
Ive seen some very convincing Maserati 450's and Ferrari TR's built using the engines from QP's and 365/400GT's. How about the Autocraft Daytona replica?
Are they also illegal in Italy, or only if they are hideous knock off's that look nothing like the real deal built on MR2's?