£300,000 Rolls-Royce Phantom

The Phantom caught the eye of passers-by in Knightsbridge last night.  It's said the supercar, which was seen on Sloane Street, is worth around £300,000. 

Its purple velvet body is touched up nicely with gold plating, with a black topping. 

The exact same car, with the same registration plate, was seen in the area in December, but with an all-black velvet coating.

It's understood the total cost of the makeover would have cost just under £7,000. Purple velvetting of a Rolls Royce Phantom sets you back around £4,500, with gold chrome plating costing between £1,000 to £2,500.

A British company, Raccoon, was responsible for the UK's first velvet-covered car - a black Porsche that became an internet sensation when it was seen in London in 2013.

Created by Velvet Car, a French company specialising in luxurious films and accessories, the service involves ‘wrapping’ the cars in a durable and weather resistant fibre. 

The capital has seen a boom in the number of Lamborghinis, Ferraris and Bugattis on its streets as rich Qataris, Saudis, Emiratis and Kuwaitis move to Britain to escape the Middle East's baking mid-summer months.

Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster councils last month began consulting with the public on a plan to tackle nuisance drivers from Gulf states who descend on the neighbourhood each summer.

The drivers are seen cruising downs streets of central London and revving their flash cars.

But proposed laws of a £100 fine will not put off some Middle Eastern supercar owners.

One anonymous owner of a Dubai-registered Lamborghini, who shipped his 6.5-litre V-12 auto to London in June, told 7DAYS: 'The fine won't stop anything. What is £100?

'One-time filling the gas tank. No one cares.

'Everyday a new law comes out, but where there is a will there is a way.' 

The driver, who spent more than £4,000 to ship his car to the UK, claims he doesn't rev his 691-horsepower Aventador but does enjoy cruising past Knightsbridge, Harrods and Mayfair.

(dailymail.co.uk)