James Bond Might Be Proud Of This Thief' s Mercedes C-Class CarBuzz News Features New Cars Used Cars Sell My Car Shopping Tools Car Reviews Car Finder Compare Cars Best Cars Car Dealerships Used Car Reviews Car Advice Home News James Bond Might Be Proud Of This Thief' s Mercedes C-Class
James Bond Might Be Proud Of This Thief' s Mercedes C-Class
May. 22, 2022 8:02 PM ET by Chase Bierenkoven Offbeat / 8 Comments Diamonds are forever, and so are these charges. Every once in a while, we see something that makes us stop in our tracks, mouths agape at our computer screen. This is one of those times. A humble Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan used in a burglary was hiding a stunt that would make 007 himself smirk. Thieves in Irvine, California, managed to create a rotating license plate, just like the one on Bond's Aston Martin DB5 in Goldfinger. However, instead of displaying several license plates, this one simply flipped the existing plate to show a black piece of plastic on the other side. Still, it's incredibly clever. Eventually, a tip from a resident resulted in the suspect's apprehension and an end to their Bondian tricks. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cdt1qEhPy2k/ Irvine PD Irvine PD Irvine PD Irvine PD Information on the device is pretty scarce, but Irvine PD did release some imagery of the device and its workings. The plate rotated around a plastic frame which was bolted to the Merc's plate bracket at the rear and could be activated by the touch of a button. There wasn't one for the front, which honestly wasn't very bright. California requires drivers to display a front license plate. Regardless, it appears the mechanism works via an air compressor in the trunk of the C-Class. Or, it was used for something else we'll get to in a moment. That pump is wired to a 1000 mAh DeWalt battery, which likely powered the unit. It's tough to make out any of the finer details, but it's safe to say the trick plate required a serious bit of ingenuity. If it weren't being used to take things from other people, we'd even be impressed at the Bond-like gadget. It's a good thing there wasn't a second plate on there. That's another charge the suspects likely don't need. Irvine PD Irvine PD Irvine PD Mercedes The car itself is a C-Class from about ten years ago, and it's honestly not the most subtle of rides. That's largely thanks to the huge, gaudy aftermarket wheels. Perhaps next time you want to act like a spy, you ought to commit a little bit more. In some ways, the thieves did. The cops also found some sort of clever gas siphoning system, which is another possible explanation for the air pump in the images above. The Instagram post from the department also states that there were "burglary tools, evidence of ID theft, and stolen property" found in the vehicle. Mercedes Mercedes Mercedes Mercedes Join The Discussion
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Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sedan Chase Bierenkoven Associate Editor Shortly before applying to law school, Chase decided to take a chance on pursuing his dream job: playing with cars and getting paid for it. Law school was just a means to an end, after all. His first writing job was freelance and barely paid his grocery bill. It quickly turned into a full-time position, eventually leading Chase to join CarBuzz in 2022. Chase now tests cars, and sits comfortably at the news desk when he's not in the driver's seat. In his spare time, Chase can be heard trying to play guitar, or out enjoying Colorado's natural splendor in his BMW M3. Contact Chase @bierenkoven @cbier823 LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top