West Vancouver impounds Ferrari after 20-year-old 'L' driver caught impaired

West Vancouver police impounded a black Ferrari Portofino valued at over $300,000 early Monday after catching a 20-year-old learner driver behind the wheel while impaired.

Just before 2 a.m., an officer spotted the Ferrari revving its engine at Marine Drive and 13th Street. The driver failed a breathalyzer test twice, showing a blood-alcohol content above 0.08 per cent. She received a 90-day immediate roadside prohibition and was ticketed $109 for driving contrary to learner's-permit restrictions. L drivers are prohibited from roads between midnight and 5 a.m. and must have a qualified, sober supervisor in the passenger seat.

The driver also received a $109 ticket for failing to display the L magnet on the supercar.

While officers were issuing tickets, the 49-year-old passenger and car owner moved into the driver's seat and attempted to drive. He made it about 10 feet before being stopped. His breathalyzer showed a blood-alcohol content between 0.06 and 0.08 per cent—enough for a three-day roadside prohibition.

Police had the Italian supercar towed and impounded for 30 days. The incident comes as West Vancouver police have stepped up nighttime patrols in the Ambleside area following complaints about aggressive driving and loud vehicles. Police have issued five tickets for unnecessary noise violations in recent weeks; regulations require vehicles to produce no more than 83 decibels.

West Vancouver police spokesperson Suzanne Birch said the incident should serve as a warning as summer approaches—a season when high-risk driving typically increases. "We are so lucky in West Vancouver to have these beautiful stretches of road and the iconic Sea to Sky Highway, but we're not willing to allow these public spaces to become unsafe," Birch said. "There are private tracks available for drivers. City streets and public highways are not an appropriate place for that behaviour."