Singapore 'vending machine' dispenses Ferraris, Lamborghinis

SINGAPORE - Forget about soft drinks and potato chips - a "vending machine" in Singapore is offering up luxury vehicles, including Bentleys, Ferraris and Lamborghinis.

Used car seller Autobahn Motors opened a futuristic 15-storey showroom in December, with vehicles on display in 60 slots, billing it as the "world's largest luxury car vending machine".

Customers on the ground floor choose from a touchscreen display which car they wish to see. The car arrives within one to two minutes thanks to an advanced system that manages vehicle retrieval, the company says.

Gary Hong, general manager at Autobahn Motors, said the vending machine format was aimed at making efficient use of space in land-scarce Singapore as well as standing out from the competition.

"We needed to meet our requirement of storing a lot of cars. At the same time, we wanted to be creative and innovative," he told Reuters.

He has been approached by developers interested in using the company's Automotive Inventory Management System for parking services, he added.

Vehicles on offer run from modern luxury sports cars to classics, including a 1955 Morgan Plus 4.

U.S. company Carvana also uses vending machine-like towers to sell used cars. In March, it opened an eight-floor structure that holds up to 30 cars in San Antonio, Texas.

(Reporting by Chris Gallagher; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Maserati used in MMDA enforcer attack found

MANILA - Authorities have found the luxury car of a motorist who assaulted a Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) enforcer Thursday.

The car, a Maserati, was found in a condominium in Quezon City.

The owner has been identified as Joseph Russell Ingco of Valencia Hills, Quezon City.

The MMDA has put up a P100,000 reward to anyone who has information on his whereabouts.

Traffic enforcer Jorbe Adriatico plans to file cases of serious physical injuries and direct assault to a person in authority against Ingco.



Adriatico earlier said he flagged down the blue Maserati after it tried to make an illegal left turn at the corner of Quezon Avenue and Araneta Avenue.

The traffic constable said he took a video of the Maserati, prompting the driver to go straight on Araneta Avenue and make a u-tur

The Maserati driver then gave Adriatico the dirty finger, angering the MMDA employee who then challenged the driver to do it again.

It was then that the driver grabbed Adriatico's phone and his collar and dragged him along while the car was moving along Quezon Avenue.

Adriatico said Ingco punched him twice in the face, breaking his nose, even as he ran beside the car.

He said the driver only let him go when his passenger noticed that another traffic enforcer was following them on a motorcycle.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino also said they expect more details on Ingco to come out today. They also want to cancel his driver's license.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com