Maserati Levante driver gets bogged in the sand while off-roading
Locals are calling it “the dumbest thing they’ve ever seen”.
The owner of a Maserati Levante has been ridiculed after getting his luxury SUV bogged in the sand on a popular four-wheel-drive beach.
A photo posted to Facebook last week showed the Maserati Levante SUV stuck in the sand at Stockton Beach on the mid-coast of NSW, with the driver rushing to rescue the vehicle.
Locals and 4WD enthusiasts were quick to comment on the driver's actions, saying he should have known the Maserati is not designed for driving in deep sand.
“Just because it’s all wheel drive, does not mean it’s a 4WD,” one commenter said.
“Why the hell would they attempt to drive this on the beach?”
Unlike hardcore off-road models with low-range gearboxes and differntial locks, the Maserati only has an all-wheel-drive system, meaning it does not have the cabability to prevent itself from getting beached in soft sand.
A separate video captured by a passerby shows the moment the luxury SUV got stuck in the dunes, with all four wheels spinning, kicking up sand and digging itself deeper.
It’s a lesson learned for the driver, as despite the higher ride height of the Levante, the opulent car is designed for on-road duties and not for rough terrain and sand dunes.
It is unclear how the car was retrieved from the tricky spot, with commenters joking the owner should be able to afford the towing fee if they can pay for a $150,000 car.
Stockton Beach has 19km of beach-front driving available to capable off-road vehicles, and more than 350 hectares of dune driving, available to those with a permit.