August 01, 2008	Friday	Rajab 28, 1429

LONDON, July 31: A high-powered Lamborghini sports car was sent on a 6,500-mile round-trip to Britain simply to have a service, sparking fury from environmentalists, The Sun newspaper said on Thursday.

The 190,000-pound ($376,000) black and gold car was put on a regular Qatar Airways flight to London’s main Heathrow airport, then flown back after having its oil checked. Servicing at an approved dealer costs 3,552 pounds. The cost of sending it by air freight was 20,000 pounds, the daily said, citing the airline, which confirmed it carried the Murcielago LP640 model on Monday.

Friends of the Earth’s transport campaigner Tony Bosworth said: “The pollution from driving a Lamborghini is bad enough, but flying one thousands of miles for a service is taking climate-wrecking behaviour to new heights.

“With rising fuel costs and mounting concern about climate change most people are trying to save energy. They are likely to find this type of wasteful and damaging activity outrageous.” But David Price, of the Lamborghini Club UK, told The Sun: “If an owner wants to service his car in that way it is his choice. I’m not surprised.

Thankfully, the age of excess in some areas continues.”

Lamborghini UK spokeswoman Juliet Jarvis said the supercar was not inspected at any of its service areas but told the tabloid: “This sort of thing is not unheard of.”—AFP