Foreign playboys descend on London with their supercars

£300,000 Rolls-Royce Phantom that was seen in Knightsbridge with black velvet trim just months ago is now PURPLE - with a gold trim

The Phantom caught the eye of passers-by in Knightsbridge last night as it sat parked on Sloane Street 

The exact same car, with the same reg plate, was seen in the area in December, but with an all-black 

velvet coating

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

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 Council last month began consulting with the public on a plan to tackle nuisance drivers from Gulf states who descend on the neighbourhood each summer

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?'

Another supercar driver from the United Arab Emirates, who lives in London with his brother is 'saddened' by the 'rude' attitude towards owners of flash vehicles in the UK

A black Rolls Royce Phantom was spotted in Knightsbridge in December. The owner now has now changed the colours to purple and gold

The black velvet Rolls Royce Phantom went viral on the internet when it was pictured in Knighstbridge in December 2014 

Despite their top speeds, many of the cars rarely get out of the gridlocked London traffic and often spend much of the time parked outside Harrods and other luxury hotels. Pictured is black Mercedes receiving a velvet makeover. Scroll down for to watch a video on how it is done




An Aston Martin Vanquish worth £190,000 was also pictured on Sloane Street in Knightsbridge yesterday. It is registered in Qatar and was given parking ticket outside London's five star Dorchester Hotel earlier this week

Qatari-owned supercars seen outside The Dorchester Hotel in London earlier this week. The Aston Martin Vanquish, left, worth £190,000 was given a parking ticket

The parking ticket placed under the wiper of an Aston Martin Vanquish worth £190,000 at the Dorchester Hotel in London on Wednesday

A yellow Lamborghini Aventador in Knightsbridge last night. This car is worth around £254,000

A white Lamborghini Aventador, worth £254,000, in Knightsbridge yesterday

A red Lamborghini Aventador supercar, worth £254,000, cruising down Knightsbridge last night as passers-by take snaps of the flash vehicle

Despite their top speeds, many of the cars rarely get out of the gridlocked London traffic and often spend much of the time parked outside Harrods and other luxury hotels. Pictured is a black Lamborghini Aventador, worth £300,000, at the Dorchester Hotel on Wednesday

Pictured is a black Lamborghini Aventador, worth £300,000, at the Dorchester Hotel on Wednesday. Westminster Council has previously revealed the parking fines handed out to cars registered in the United Arab Emirates have nearly doubled in the last three years

Cars from the Middle-Eastern country were given a whopping £57,060-worth of fines last year, up from just £31,780 in 2011/12. Pictured is an orange and black Lamborghini Aventador, left, worth £300,000 and a red Ferrari worth around £200,000. Both vehicles are registered to Qatar

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.