Rare Cizeta V16 sports car, worth $700,000, seized by federal agents in Orange County
Rare Cizeta V16 sports car, worth $700,000, seized by federal agents in Orange County
December 7, 2009 | 5:34 pm
Fancy car
A $700,000 Italian sports car that originally was brought into the United States in 2001 for maintenance was seized today in Orange County as part of a federal investigation into violations of environmental and transportation safety regulations.
Agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement found the 1994 Cizeta V16 sports car at the Family Classic Cars showroom in San Juan Capistrano, eight years after an agreement specified that the car would be sent back to where it came following repairs.
The car is one of fewer than a dozen such vehicles produced by automotive engineer Claudio Zampoli in a joint venture with music composer Giorgio Moroder, said Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Virginia Kice.
The government alleges that Zampoli and his agent violated U.S. customs and environmental laws, Kice said They allegedly claimed the vehicle was worth $125,000, even though the car originally sold new for approximately $600,000.
In addition, Zampoli and his representative failed to export the vehicle within a reasonable period of time, according to the allegation.
“Make no mistake, the illegal importation of gray market vehicles like this is not just a technical violation,” said Miguel Unzueta, special agent in charge for the customs agency's Office of Investigations in Los Angeles. “Cars that don’t meet U.S. standards are outlawed for a reason. These vehicles can pose a real threat to public health and safety.”
The car was loaded onto a flatbed truck and taken to a secure government storage facility, Kice said.
The Cizeta will remain in storage while authorities seek to have it forfeited to the federal government. If the vehicle is forfeited, it will be offered for sale at a public auction. Since the vehicle does not meet U.S. environmental and safety standards, any domestic buyer would have to export the car following its purchase. Here is Description of the supercar No, it's not a Lamborghini. It's not a Ferrari either. It's actually a Cizeta. Say "Chee-ZAY-tah." A Cizeta V16t to be exact for its transverse V16 engine. Kudos if you knew that already, because this isn't a car many people know about, even within exotic car circles. Although most seem to think it is some kind of Lamborghini Diablo ripoff, the car was actually penned by stylist Marcello Gandini before the Diablo. So what is a Cizeta? The Cizeta was the brainchild of one Claudio Zampolli, whose initials are spelled Ci Zeta in Italian, hence the name. A former Lamborghini engineer, Zampolli envisioned building his own V16 supercar -- well before Bugatti introduced its 16-cylinder Veyron. Cizeta-Moroder-v16t 
First shown in late 1988, the car instantly grabbed magazine covers around the world. Without much financial backing, however, production of this 540-horsepower beast didn't start until 1991. It ended less than two years later with fewer than a dozen cars delivered. For the lucky few who managed to get their hands on one though, nothing at the time even came close. Capable of ripping from 0 to 60 mph in 4 seconds, the 6.0-liter, 64-valve V16 didn't stop until the car had punched a 205-mph hole in the air. And the sound it made doing it was like nothing else on Earth. Think of two muscular V-8s rumbling at low rpm but positively singing as they approach their 8,000-rpm redline. It understandably attracts a crowd whenever it is started up. Check out the company's official website at 16cylinder.com. Image Gallery
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