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Mystery Solved: The truth behind pink McLaren pictured 'abandoned' outside London hotel for over 4 years
The mystery behind a pink McLaren car, which was pictured as "abandoned" outside a London hotel for several years, has finally been solved.
For over five years, a striking pink McLaren 570S has been a fixture outside the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel in London, drawing curious glances and sparking widespread speculation.
Many believed the supercar, which is worth over $201K, had been abandoned and left untouched.
However, the mystery has now been solved, and it turns out that the McLaren was never truly left behind; it was simply parked for an extended period by its owner, a resident of the hotel.
Reports about the car first emerged during the pandemic when locals noticed it parked outside the hotel for weeks, then months, with no apparent movement.
Despite the prolonged stay, the car’s condition remained impeccable. The tires were always inflated, it was consistently clean, and on occasion, the car even received new modifications.
The most curious aspect, however, was that the McLaren’s license plate was once changed, leading many to speculate about its ownership and purpose.
The mystery took another turn when the car was spotted driving down the highway for the first time earlier this month. A short video shared on Instagram by Great Londoner Meme showed the vehicle in motion, and to many, it felt surreal.
As the vehicle had become a well-known landmark, frequently photographed by tourists, a security worker at King’s Cross station named Haleem Ali was one of the first to realize that the car had disappeared in January.
"It was always there. I would take pictures of it. It’s a famous car," Ali said, according to Metro. "It’s such a beautiful car, the colour really sticks out...I’m really confused one day here, the next gone, it’s a mystery."
The car’s sudden disappearance even caught the attention of Franco Mauriello, a local café worker. "I’m Italian, and we love cars. I miss it already. I hope it comes back. It’s a talking point around here," he shared.
Its absence sparked widespread discussion on social media, with many users commenting that it had not moved for years, especially throughout the pandemic.
One person even joked: "He’s just out testing the rev counter on Oxford Street!" However, the mystery was finally cleared up when hotel staff revealed that the car’s owner had simply taken it on holiday.
A staff member revealed that the McLaren belongs to a British man who is a permanent resident at the St Pancras hotel.
"The owner is the son of someone very rich. He is British. He’s gone on holiday and taken the car," a staff member explained earlier this year. "He should be back with the car. He hasn’t moved out, as far as I know. He’s a very nice guy, very friendly."
So, it turns out the car, which was given a custom pink makeover by a specialist garage, was never abandoned - it was simply parked by its affluent owner, who made the iconic hotel his home.