Rich Sheikh Indulges in £20k ($40k) Oil Change

A rich sheikh had his Lamborghini flown thousands of miles from Qatar to Britain and back - just so he could have the supercar's oil changed.

The anonymous resident had the £190,000 car put on a scheduled Qatar Airways flight from the Gulf nation to London's Heathrow Airport and had it sent straight back after the routine check, the Sun reports. The entire operation is thought to have set the sheikh back around £20,000.

It seems likely that the unusual move will spark concern among environmentalists. "This car doesn’t have a carbon footprint – more of a crater," one worker at the airport told the newspaper. An annoyed cargo handler added: "It would have been far more efficient to fly mechanics out there."

Also expressing her concern, Jenny Evans at anti-aviation lobbyists Plane Stupid said that the five-figure oil check "horrifies me", and Richard Dyer at Friends of the Earth branded the sheikh's behaviour "ludicrous".

The anonymous - and very rich - Qatari did win support from David Price at Lamborghini Club UK, however. "If an owner wants to service his car in that way, it is his choice," he said.

"I'm not surprised. Thankfully the age of excess in some areas continues."

Source: The Sun