So, You Crashed Your Bugatti. Now What?
Bloomberg Businessweek|October 07, 2019
The complicated, costly, world-crossing process of fixing a wrecked supercar.
Hannah Elliott
So, You Crashed Your Bugatti. Now What?

There’s no rule that says you’ve got to be a great driver to own a supercar. Oftentimes, quite the opposite is true. Witness the chronicle of crashes on wreckedexotics.com, the TMZ stories breath-lessly divulging which celebrity ride got mangled in L.A. traffic, or the cover of the New York Post blaring news of Tracy Morgan’s Bugatti bang-up in Midtown Manhattan in June.

But for the lucky few who do own such high-powered machines, the considerations that go into preserving their car from dings and dents are myriad. And they’re not, unfortunately, limited to perfecting their own driving skills. Just ask Kris Singh. In 2016 the Miami-based investor was hit while driving his $3 million Pagani Huayra down Collins Avenue. The culprit? An Uber driver.

“It sounded like a slap, and then I started spinning,” says Singh, whose 720,000 Instagram followers get eyefuls of his collection of million-dollar supercars from Koenigsegg, Lamborghini, Ferrari, and McLaren. “He ran a stoplight during rush hour, and I was the unlucky person he hit,” Singh says. “I thought I’d blown a tire, but when I looked back, the whole wheel was hanging offthe car. If I’d got hit any harder and hopped the curb, people could have died.”

Singh’s first phone call, once he stepped gingerly out of the Huayra, was to Pagani’s publicist. “I gave him a heads-up that this was probably going to be in the news tomorrow,” he says. “Then I asked for a truck.”

People who own supercars tend to have all the money in the world, but getting the cars fixed after a serious accident is a thorny procedure even for them. A small handful of technicians tend to be authorized to work on these outrageously complex and sensitive vehicles. If an unqualified monkey wrench tinkers with a supercar, a brand will be reluctant to take on further responsibility fixing it up.

This story is from the October 07, 2019 edition of Bloomberg Businessweek.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the October 07, 2019 edition of Bloomberg Businessweek.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEKView All
Instagram's Founders Say It's Time for a New Social App
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Instagram's Founders Say It's Time for a New Social App

The rise of AI and the fall of Twitter could create opportunities for upstarts

time-read
4 mins  |
March 13, 2023
Running in Circles
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Running in Circles

A subscription running shoe program aims to fight footwear waste

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
What I Learned Working at a Hawaiien Mega-Resort
Bloomberg Businessweek US

What I Learned Working at a Hawaiien Mega-Resort

Nine wild secrets from the staff at Turtle Bay, who have to manage everyone from haughty honeymooners to go-go-dancing golfers.

time-read
10 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
How Noma Will Blossom In Kyoto
Bloomberg Businessweek US

How Noma Will Blossom In Kyoto

The best restaurant in the world just began its second pop-up in Japan. Here's what's cooking

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
The Last-Mover Problem
Bloomberg Businessweek US

The Last-Mover Problem

A startup called Sennder is trying to bring an extremely tech-resistant industry into the age of apps

time-read
10+ mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Tick Tock, TikTok
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Tick Tock, TikTok

The US thinks the Chinese-owned social media app is a major national security risk. TikTok is running out of ways to avoid a ban

time-read
10+ mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Cleaner Clothing Dye, Made From Bacteria
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Cleaner Clothing Dye, Made From Bacteria

A UK company produces colors with less water than conventional methods and no toxic chemicals

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Pumping Heat in Hamburg
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Pumping Heat in Hamburg

The German port city plans to store hot water underground and bring it up to heat homes in the winter

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Sustainability: Calamari's Climate Edge
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Sustainability: Calamari's Climate Edge

Squid's ability to flourish in warmer waters makes it fitting for a diet for the changing environment

time-read
4 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
New Money, New Problems
Bloomberg Businessweek US

New Money, New Problems

In Naples, an influx of wealthy is displacing out-of-towners lower-income workers

time-read
4 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023