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McLaren passed off as Porsche seized in Filipino tax sting

Supermarkets have long claimed that the self-serve checkout system is abused by customers who scan through cheaper items in place of expensive ones.


It appears this scheme has been taken to a whole new level in the Philippines.

A McLaren 620R was seized at the Filipino border after it was fraudulently declared to be a much cheaper Porsche Cayman in an attempt to avoid local taxes.

That is, according to a recent Facebook post from the country’s Bureau of Customs.

 

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According to the government agency, the McLaren was value at ₱33,000,000 (approximately $AU934,000), and the corresponding duties and taxes should have equated to ₱16,771,688 (approximately $AU474,588).

Under the guise of being a Porsche, the importer declared just 1,500,000 (approximately AU$42,396) in taxes to be paid – The scheme, therefore, attempted to steal around ₱15,000,000 (approximately $AU424,413) from the local tax office.

While aesthetically similar to the Porsche Cayman in some ways (being a low slung two door coupe), the McLaren 620R is a road-legal version of McLaren’s 570S GT4 race car.

 

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Only 350 examples of the car exist worldwide.

It is powered by a 3.8 litre twin-turbo V8 engine that produces 456kW of power and 620Nm of torque.

That’s enough to propel the car from 0-100kmh in just 2.9 seconds – roughly one and a half seconds quicker than the most expensive Cayman.

 

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It is unclear what will become of the detained car, however the country’s controversial "strongman" leader Rodrigo Duterte has made a habit of using property demolition displays as a form of deterrence throughout his term.

In 2018 The Daily Mail obtained footage of the president watching on as 68 luxury and performance cars – including Lamborghinis, Mustangs and Porsches – were crushed after being deemed “contraband.”

Watch the video below – if you can handle witnesses the mass destruction of supercars.

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William Davis

William Davis has written for Drive since July 2020, covering news and current affairs in the automotive industry. He has maintained a primary focus on industry trends, autonomous technology, electric vehicle regulations, and local environmental policy. As the newest addition to the Drive team, William was brought onboard for his attention to detail, writing skills, and strong work ethic. Despite writing for a diverse range of outlets – including the Australian Financial Review, Robb Report, and Property Observer – since completing his media degree at Macquarie University, William has always had a passion for cars.

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