The authorities caught it red-handed.
McLaren was the birthplace of the 570S, the rare HTML620R. One of 350 road-legal race cars will never be made and it was illegally imported to the Philippines.
According to the Bureau of Customs of the Philippines, the McLaren 620R limited-run was stopped at the Port of Manila. Worse, this supercar was also declared a terroristic vehicle. Porsche Cayman To avoid paying inevitable taxes
The Philippine Bureau of Customs posted a social media message stating that the McLaren 620R was due to arrive in Manila on Jul 16, 2020. It was then taken into custody by authorities on August 3. The local value of the McLaren 620R was P33-million, or approximately $672,080, at current exchange rates. There were corresponding duties and taxes at P16.8 million ($342,000). The Mclaren 620R’s starting price in the U.S. is $299,000
The Philippine Bureau of Customs also noted that the importer had not declared taxes worth P1.5 million ($30,550). This means that the importer evaded around 90% of the total dues.
The Philippines’ President Duterte’s government is well-known for its ability to track down illegal shipments and maximize tax collection. We’ve seen it happen multiple times over the last three years. However, cars that are seized by authorities end up being destroyed.
We can’t help but wonder about the McLaren 620R’s future now that it is in the capable hands of the authorities. It is hoped it will not be bulldozed as many luxury cars, sports cars, or even earlier. It’s a rare supercar and doesn’t deserve to be scrapped.