The McLaren 570S that had been listed for sale in Sydney, Australia, sustained serious damage from the flames, but thankfully, it was insured
- A man was caught on CCTV using pizza boxes and a lighter to set a McLaren 570S on fire.
- The owner of the supercar had parked it on the street instead of its usual place in the garage.
- The now-totaled McLaren had been listed for sale just three days before the arson attack.
In a bizarre turn of events, a white McLaren 570S was intentionally set ablaze by a stranger wielding nothing but pizza boxes and a lighter. Adding insult to injury, this act of arson occurred a mere three days after the owner put it up for sale. The mid-engined supercar, usually snug in the garage, found itself parked on the street just outside the owner’s home when the fiery ordeal occurred.
The incident occurred last Friday night in the Sefton suburb of Sydney when security cameras caught something unusual happening on the street. A man wearing a hoodie and holding an umbrella can be seen igniting pizza boxes on fire next to the parked McLaren. A few moments later, the man places the boxes under the bumper of the supercar, with a clear intention of setting it on fire.
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The suspect fled the scene on foot as the flames intensified. A neighbor attempted to douse the fire with water, but it was futile—the blaze had already taken hold. Minutes later, the owner returned home from dinner with his son, only to be met with the sight of his cherished ride engulfed in flames.
Firefighters were summoned to extinguish the fire, prompting the police to cordon off the area for investigation. Unfortunately, the supercar appears to be totaled, as the high temperatures melted a sizeable portion of the front fender, bumper, door, and windshield.
As reported by 9 News, the owner of the McLaren is local builder Hamad Ajajz, who purchased it just one year ago for a cool AU$350,000 (US$231,486). Interestingly, Ajajz had listed the car for sale online just three days before the arson attack and had already shown it to potential buyers. The asking price for the 2018 McLaren 570S was AU$260,000 (US$172,070). Thankfully, the supercar was insured, so the owner will likely get his money back.
The Australian police collected the charred pizza boxes as evidence for forensic tests. Authorities issued an open call for any information that could assist in identifying and tracking down the individual responsible for the arson.
Speaking to local media, the McLaren owner said: “It’s devastating to be honest. The way we came in and seen it lit up on fire. I don’t think there’s anyone who has it out for us. He probably wanted to go for a ride and I never maybe didn’t give him the chance to, maybe.”
Ajajz called on the arsonist to come forward. However, even if that doesn’t happen, he expressed confidence that the police would eventually apprehend the culprit.