Hot wheels: Lamborghini goes up in flames

The owner of this supercar quite literally had a burn-up in the countryside – when his £150,000 motor burst into flames.

He was enjoying a drive through the Scottish Highlands on Saturday when smoke started pouring from the engine bay of his blue Lamborghini Gallardo.

The driver pulled over near a hospital in Fort William and rushed inside to get a fire extinguisher.

But by the time he returned the vehicle was well alight and he watched in despair as his pride and joy was reduced to a smouldering wreck within five minutes.

Eye witness Robbie Jordan, 34, who was visiting relatives near Belford Hospital, said: ”We came round the corner and drove past it as it had just started smoking.

”Within two minutes, there was a lick of flames and, within five minutes, it was totally ablaze.

”The owner just stood by holding his head in his hands. I’ve heard of money to burn but this was ridiculous.

”That was £150,000 worth of hand-made art and it just went up in flames.”

Police at Fort William said the fire was the result of a fault in the vehicle.

The car’s owner – thought to be a Scot in his 40s – later stopped at a local petrol station and revealed his misfortune to shocked staff.

Ruaridh MacPhee, who works at the BP garage, said: ”I asked him how his day had gone when he said his car had burst into flames.

”I couldn’t believe it when he told me it was a Lamborghini. He was very calm about it.

”He said his friend had come to pick him up and he was going to Inverness.”

A fire crew from Fort William Fire Station, which is half a mile from the scene, attended and extinguished the fire.

The wreckage of the car was towed away by Croft Motors.

One employee said: ”The thing is just knackered now. There’s nothing left of it. It’s a real shame to see such a beautiful car in that condition, but sometimes these things just happen.”