That's one expensive drink!

"Klaus Schmoll" (klausschmoll)
10/27/2013 at 17:56 • Filed to: car crime

The owner of this Ferrari California parked his car in a quiet side street in one of the better parts of Hamburg, Germany, this thursday night and went to a nearby steak house for dinner. As he had a few drinks with his dead cow, he did the reasonable thing and took a cab home. Only to find this when coming back for his Italian stallion at 9:30 the next morning. The car sitting on cinderblocks, the wheels gone, and passers-by taking pics of his misfortune and probably posting them on facetube or something. The Germans even invented the word for this: "Schadenfreude".

A set of factory wheels for the California sets you back a whopping € 7800, and my guess is that this is without the rubber needed to make actual use 0f them. Staying sober and driving home in his own car would have saved this man quite some money.

Local police reason that this was organized crime at work and that the wheels were "ordered".

DISCUSSION (30)

Hindered23 > Klaus Schmoll
10/27/2013 at 18:00

can't really give him shit for enjoying himself and not expecting his rims to be stolen. he did the responsible thing to do in his situation, maybe he shouldn't have taken his rarri out that night though

getchapopcorn > Klaus Schmoll
10/27/2013 at 18:02

Yikes!

exizeo - still loving fourza > Hindered23
10/27/2013 at 18:03

Expecting my rims to be stolen is probably the last thing I'd expect...

All Motor Is Best Motor > Klaus Schmoll
10/27/2013 at 18:06

I think it's time someone engineered a set of locks for wheels so they can't be stolen like this, where it would need a key kept locked inside the car, all without affecting function and aesthetics. I'm sure it could be done.

lepie > Klaus Schmoll
10/27/2013 at 18:09

I'm sure Klaus is well insured.

Manuél Ferrari > Klaus Schmoll
10/27/2013 at 18:10

He should have bought a high end Porsche or Merc. Maybe the thieves would have left it alone out of national pride ;)

Cherry_man1 > All Motor Is Best Motor
10/27/2013 at 18:12

they do, ford has locking lug nuts im surprised these don't. I have them on my 2011 Mustang GT

Klaus Schmoll > lepie
10/27/2013 at 18:14

Hm... time to check if my insurance actually covers wheel theft. They are a little less desirable though. :) (More on that tomorrow, so stay tuned!)

All Motor Is Best Motor > Cherry_man1
10/27/2013 at 18:16

Oh, I had no idea that's what locking lug nuts actually did. I figured it was just another name that doesn't quite mean literally what it sounds like. How do they work? It also might be possible that these guys had tools to get passed them?

desertdog5051 > Klaus Schmoll
10/27/2013 at 18:16

If they could afford the car, they could afford insurance. Be glad they did no damage to the body.

The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123 > Klaus Schmoll
10/27/2013 at 18:16

Dead cow is delicious.

lepie > Klaus Schmoll
10/27/2013 at 18:16

I think omnium should cover it. It probably falls under the category of "vandalism".

Dunnik > Klaus Schmoll
10/27/2013 at 18:24

"No good deed goes unpunished."

Were I a rich Ferrari owner who wasn't an asshole, I'd pitch in for some new wheels so he can avoid an insurance hike. He did try to do the right thing.

Michael Ballaban > Klaus Schmoll
10/27/2013 at 18:26

I would laugh, but I've feared this exact thing happening to me before.

Klaus Schmoll > Michael Ballaban
10/27/2013 at 18:30

Did they at least also put it on bricks, or did they drop it on the ground?

anonsagainstanonymous > All Motor Is Best Motor
10/27/2013 at 18:32

Oh lockable lug nuts have been around for a long time now. Believe me, I've spent way too much time looking through cars for the "keys" just to find out the owner forgot to leave them in his car..

I'm guessing for similar reasons, I've seen universal tools being sold at conventions. Not sure if they work as well as advertised, though. Most designs are simply uniquely shaped bolt heads rather than an actual locking systems.

wkiernan > Klaus Schmoll
10/27/2013 at 18:42

If the thieves had stolen the wheels off the middle-class MB parked in front of that Ferrari they'd probably have got more money selling them, at a lot less risk too. How many people are in the market to buy used Ferrari wheels off ebay.de?

Klaus Schmoll > wkiernan
10/27/2013 at 18:44

As I said in the post. The police reckon that the wheels were stolen on order. So they already had a "customer".

MooseKnuckles > Klaus Schmoll
10/27/2013 at 18:47

Kinja'd!!!

Oh those silly Germans

George McNally > Klaus Schmoll
10/27/2013 at 18:50

I drive a 14 year old Saturn.......I feel this guys pain but a set of his lug nuts probably cost more them my whole car.

Cherry_man1 > All Motor Is Best Motor
10/27/2013 at 19:33

its a special nut that actually requires a key to get it off. it it cant turn unless its been unlocked

Not a Sunburst Miata > All Motor Is Best Motor
10/27/2013 at 19:33

I can't tell if you're being sarcastic...

SpeedSix > Klaus Schmoll
10/27/2013 at 19:57

I smell aftermarket wheels and tires in the future.

m2m, apex detective > Klaus Schmoll
10/27/2013 at 20:07

Steal the wheels, leave the car ... kind of says it all about the California, doesn't it?

Jeff-God-of-Biscuits > All Motor Is Best Motor
10/27/2013 at 21:06

That way you can replace the broken window at the same time you order the new wheels!

MGBhoon > anonsagainstanonymous
10/28/2013 at 06:43

Kinja'd!!!

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > Klaus Schmoll
10/28/2013 at 09:01

Kinja'd!!!

How did they set the rotors down on the bricks? Seems like it would be easier and quicker to put the bricks under some suspension bits and the pull the wheels off. To do this they needed to jack it up, pull the wheels and then set it down on the bricks.

eovnu87435ds > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much
10/28/2013 at 11:35

you put the bricks under the rotors, let the air out of the tires. the car drops onto the bricks, the wheels are no longer on the ground.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > eovnu87435ds
10/28/2013 at 12:03

But the rotors are inside the wheel.

eovnu87435ds > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much
10/28/2013 at 13:01

oh true... my brain is not yet up to full functioning capacity yet...