Supercar firm slammed for 'stupid and irresponsible' New Forest publicity stunt
DRIVERS of a convoy of Lamborghini supercars have been attacked for a “stupid and irresponsible” publicity stunt after video emerged of them motoring two abreast through the New Forest.
About a dozen vehicles from national luxury cars dealership HR Owen were filmed filling both sides of the road as they passed through the national park on their way to the Beaulieu Supercar Weekend earlier this month.
The clip was triumphantly tweeted by the London-based company to its 11,800 followers, declaring: “Lamborghinis for as far as the eye can see. Our arrival to the Beaulieu Supercar Weekend!”
However, the footage quickly sparked complaints and a promise by Hampshire Police to speak with the event organisers.
People responded to the video on Twitter with concern about the hazards of such a driving exhibition on public roads – which are particularly busy in the summer with cyclists, holidaymakers and open to roaming livestock.
One man condemned their actions saying: “Usually shots like this from Top Gear etc are taken on closed roads.
“Like this, it is subject to the usual rules of the open road. Very stupid and irresponsible.”
Another woman commented: “Interesting use of public highway through the New Forest along a stretch with blind summits.”
The incident comes as New Forest organisations are campaigning for motorists to drive more carefully in a bid to reduce the numbers of animals killed on the roads.
A Hampshire Police spokesperson told the A&T: “Our neighbourhood officers in the area do not condone this type of driving behaviour and work regularly with organisers of events such as this to ensure those involved drive responsibly and within the law.
“Part of the conditions of those taking part in these events is that they must drive within the law.
“Following this incident we will be contacting the organisers to ensure that this type of driving behaviour does not happen again by those attending their events.”
HR Owen Lamborghini deleted the tweet video after being contacted by the A&T. A spokesperson for the company said its first priority at driving events was “maintaining the safety of all road users”.
He added: “All drivers are given a verbal safety briefing before departure, encouraging them to follow the rules of the road at all times.”
The convoy was on its way to the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu for a supercar weekend – one of several every year which draw thousands of visitors to the New Forest for fans to celebrate different styles of vehicle.
A museum spokesperson for Beaulieu said: “We continually urge all of our visitors to drive responsibly and with respect to our neighbours, the New Forest and its wildlife and the safety of other road users. This is reinforced with pre-event emails, on-site signage and announcements during events.
“We also employ a traffic management company to control the entrances and exits to the attraction and liaise closely with the local police, though we do not have jurisdiction on roads outside.
“We will continue to do everything in our power to reinforce this important safe driving message.”
On Twitter, the attraction said later: "We have been in consultation with them since becoming aware of these actions outside of the event and are seeking reassurance that there will be no repeat of this type of behaviour."
Last month a rash of speeding sports cars on the same day as a similar motoring event at Beaulieu, Simply Japanese, sparked public concern from New Forest Cllr David Harrison.
He said he had alerted the police, adding: “As always, I suspect it is a small number of drivers acting recklessly, giving all the others a bad name.”
