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Qatari sheikh flees US after speeding Ferrari [w/video]

A prominent Qatari national has reportedly fled the United States after a video ostensibly showing his Ferrari racing through the streets of Beverly Hills went viral. Although the exact identity of the driver remains unclear, it is believed that the yellow LaFerrari was owned by Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al-Thani, a member of the ruling family of Qatar, the country's former interior minister and a well-known racing enthusiast. The video below, which has already attracted some 1.5 million views (but contains language that may not be safe for the workplace), shows the yellow hybrid hypercar racing with reckless abandon against a white Porsche 991 GT3 through the swanky Los Angeles neighborhood. The Ferrari is shown scraping its chin spoiler on the road before pulling back into the driveway (alongside a black Bugatti Veyron) with smoke billowing out its engine bay. Neither of the European exotics appear to show much regard for traffic laws, running stop signs as they speed through a residential area. The Ferrari appears to be wearing Qatari plates, while the Porsche does not appear to be carrying plates at all - just some racing decals on the doors and hood. According to reports, the Ferrari belongs to Sheikh Khalid, but the identities of the drivers behind the wheel of either car has not been ascertained. The Al-Thanis are known for their supercar collection, which is shipped around the world for the enjoyment of royal family members. Their signature teal and black exotics are a regular site around London. The Beverly Hills Police Department confirmed that, when approach by officials, the driver claimed diplomatic immunity – which the driver may not actually have. "It is against a federal law for someone to claim diplomatic immunity when they don't have it," said police chief Dominick Rivetti. The Ferrari was not, according to reports, registered with the State Department as belonging to a credentialed diplomat. Al-Thani has since reportedly fled the country, and taken his cars with him. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: BBC, Effspot via YouTube Government/Legal Ferrari Porsche Supercars porsche 911 gt3 ferrari laferrari

Ruf Turbo Florio is the Turbo Targa Porsche won't sell you

Porsche offers a staggering array of 911 variants. You can get the Carrera, Carrera S, Carrera GTS, Carrera 4, Carrera 4S, Carrera 4 GTS and Turbo and Turbo S (to say nothing of the GT3 and new GT3 RS). And with few exceptions, you can get each as a coupe, cabrio or Targa. Except you can't get a Turbo Targa. The partial-convertible model tops out at the GTS. But if the one thing you really wanted was a Targa with a turbo engine, the folks over at Ruf will be glad to hook you up with the tuned version you see here. It's called the Ruf Turbo Florio, taking the latter part of its handle from the second part of the Sicilian road race where Porsche got the name for its lift-top in the first place. But Ruf's take doesn't just match the factory Turbo's output – it far exceeds it: with 621 horsepower and 608 pound-feet of torque on tap, it'll put even the 911 Turbo S (on Sport Plus overboost, no less) to shame. Plus you can get it with a six-speed manual or seven-speed DCT, driving all four wheels like the factory Turbo or just the rear set like the GT2 that Porsche doesn't even make any more. It'll top out at 205 miles per hour, and all the while with the wind in your hair – but not too much of it. Related Video:

Porsche slathers Martini livery on 911, Panamera, Macan and Cayenne

This is how we imagine the conversation went in Porsche's Stuttgart headquarters: "Martini livery. Martini livery all the things." Okay, so maybe not, but that hasn't stopped Porsche from showing off images of its entire lineup bearing the iconic racing livery.
While we aren't sure about the questionably yellow 911 and lime green Macan, the navy blue Cayenne and the white Panamera both look pretty spectacular as they lap about the streets of Sochi, Russia.
As for why the liveried sports cars and crossovers were at the site of the 2014 Winter Olympics, we aren't totally sure. Porsche's Facebook page, where the images first popped up, was really light on details. Whatever the reason, we fully support Porsche doing more with Martini livery. Take a look at the full gallery to see what we mean.