A legendary moment in London’s supercar history resurfaced recently when viewers rediscovered footage of Saudi Arabia’s Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan Al Saud commanding the streets in a $6.5 million Lamborghini Veneno. The video, originally captured by the YouTube channel Supercars on the Streets, provides a rare glimpse into the extraordinary automotive culture that transforms London each summer when Middle Eastern royalty arrives.
Prince Badr is among the many Middle Eastern royals and ultra-wealthy individuals who migrate to London during the summer months, bringing with them an awe-inspiring fleet of exotic machines. These seasonal visits have turned central London into a rolling supercar showroom, where billion-dollar tastes and global attention converge on the city’s most glamorous streets.
The footage shows the breathtaking Veneno—one of only four coupes ever produced—gliding through London’s prestigious neighborhoods, instantly triggering a wave of smartphones raised skyward by stunned onlookers.
Pedestrians freeze mid-stride, conversations halt, and within seconds, the distinctive howl of the Veneno’s V12 engine creates an impromptu street gathering of mesmerized spectators. Notably, the car bears Saudi Arabia’s distinctive KSA license plate, a subtle yet unmistakable mark of royal provenance.
What makes this sighting particularly noteworthy is that the Veneno no longer resides in Prince Badr’s collection. This transient ownership highlights the fluid nature of ultra-exclusive automobile collections among the world’s elite—where vehicles worth more than most mansions can change hands in private transactions that rarely receive public documentation.
The security detail accompanying the Prince’s Veneno speaks volumes about both the value of the vehicle and the status of its royal driver. A precisely choreographed convoy of blacked-out Range Rovers and Mercedes-Benz V-Class vans maintained protective positions around the hypercar, with earpiece-equipped personnel visible in the original footage. This level of security, standard for Saudi royalty abroad, created the atmosphere of a diplomatic procession rather than merely a car enthusiast’s joyride.
The Lamborghini Veneno itself represents the absolute pinnacle of automotive exclusivity. Created to celebrate Lamborghini’s 50th anniversary in 2013, the Veneno was essentially a road-legal racing prototype, with a price tag that shocked even the most seasoned luxury car enthusiasts. Each of the four coupes featured a 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12 engine producing 750 horsepower, enabling 0–60 mph acceleration in just 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 221 mph.
What truly separates the Veneno from other hypercars isn’t merely its performance specifications but its radical, almost otherworldly design. Crafted entirely from carbon fiber, the Veneno’s body featured unprecedented aerodynamic elements, including a massive rear wing, Y-shaped headlights, and an exposed rear end that showcased the car’s mechanical components like a piece of industrial art. The model name—Spanish for “venom”—perfectly captured its aggressive aesthetic and lethal performance capabilities.
The car’s value has only increased since its limited production run, with specimens now estimated to be worth significantly more than their original $4 million price tag (which had risen to approximately $6.5 million by the time of the London sighting).
Prince Badr himself represents the evolving face of Saudi Arabia’s leadership. Appointed as the Kingdom’s first dedicated Minister of Culture in June 2018, the then-33-year-old royal brought a contemporary vision to Saudi Arabia’s cultural development. His impressive portfolio includes chairing the Misk Art Institute and serving on numerous prestigious boards, including the Royal Commission for AlUla.
The King Saud University law graduate has been instrumental in establishing Saudi Arabia’s presence in international cultural bodies, including securing the Kingdom’s first-ever membership on UNESCO’s Executive Board. Under his leadership, eleven cultural commissions have been established and sixteen national cultural awards have been launched.
Prince Badr’s choice of the Veneno during that London summer epitomized the seamless blend of extraordinary privilege and serious diplomatic responsibility that characterizes the modern Saudi royal family. For a fleeting moment captured on YouTube, London witnessed the convergence of automotive artistry and royal prestige—a $6.5 million rolling statement that continues to fascinate supercar enthusiasts years after the Veneno moved on to its next fortunate custodian.
