Getting pulled over for a traffic offense and ending up with a fine and a spot on your record is bad. But getting roasted online by the police is perhaps even worse than having your "driving experience" ruined.
Without over-generalizing, police in the UK are unmatched for their sense of humor when it comes to offering details on minor infractions, like speeding, single-car accidents with no injuries, or driving without insurance or proper documentation. They also seem to have a soft spot in their heart reserved exclusively for drivers of expensive supercars.
So imagine how thrilling getting five of them together in a "pack" must have been like.
Earlier this week, officers from the Wiltshire Police pulled over a pack of five McLarens on the A303 in Wiltshire, South West England. Apparently, they'd been having a "driving experience" that included traveling on a public road at speeds in excess of 100 mph (161 kph) and driving in close proximity to one another and other drivers on the road.
"This isn’t a race track so take your ‘driving experience’ and sign the traffic offense report (push hard it’s 3 copies)," the police department wrote on the official X (former Twitter), in the caption of the photo of the cars. Yes, Wiltshire Police still hand out written forms because they bought many of them in bulk and are trying to get their money's worth – another joke from the same channel.
Photo: McLaren
The police were driving a BMW in a 330d SE spec "sadly," but there was no need to chase down the offenders – had there been, the BMW wouldn't have stood much chance. The McLarens were easy to catch because, apparently, McLaren drivers "can only go a few miles before they have to pull over to take pictures of their cars." Mic drop.
Jokes aside, all offending McLarens were close to the Castle Combe track, which would have been a better-suited venue for their experience. They were also wearing plates that hinted they were official McLaren cars – MCL, MCT, or variations on them – probably rented out for the event.
In a statement to the media, the local McLaren Owners Club denied having organized the event. McLaren also said it was aware of the incident but denied it was a "promotional or testing activity," but rather a group of enthusiasts getting carried away.
Whoever is handling the police X channel is hoping that getting carried away will come with serious consequences for these drivers. "They thought they were Lewis Hamilton but it was lunacy to go that fast in such a powerful car on an ordinary public main road," reads another response in the thread.
#RPU managed to get 5 Mclarens stopped on the A303 after the pack were driving in excess of 100mph and close proximity driving to themselves and the public.
This isn’t a race track so take your ‘driving experience’ and sign the traffic offence report (push hard it’s 3 copies) pic.twitter.com/lw0D5GYb1u
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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