A stolen McLaren valued by its owner at $500,000 (£380,000) appeared in video footage of a Detroit street takeover, where a driver performed doughnuts in front of spectators.
Businessman and social media influencer Ali Sobh then appealed to his roughly 1.1 million followers for help finding the bright green supercar. Tips helped point police towards a possible location, and officers recovered the vehicle.
The McLaren had disappeared from the driveway behind Sobh's home in Detroit's historic Boston-Edison neighbourhood. He later recognised the car in footage circulating online, showing it spinning in the road while spectators watched and recorded the scene.
Stolen McLaren Spotted at Detroit Street Takeover
Speaking to local broadcaster ClickOnDetroit, Sobh said the car's distinctive paintwork made it immediately recognisable. He described it as a collector's vehicle and claimed no other McLaren in the country had the same colour.
'I'm the only one in the country that has this color as well,' he said.
That claim has not been independently verified, and the reported $500,000 valuation is Sobh's estimate rather than a confirmed sale price.
Seeing the car driven at a public gathering added to his frustration over the theft.
'Being paraded around, it's like nobody can do nothing to us,' Sobh told the broadcaster.
The footage showed a driver performing doughnuts, but did not establish who had stolen the McLaren. Police have not publicly confirmed that the person behind the wheel was involved in taking the vehicle.
Followers Help Police Locate Stolen Supercar
Instead of relying solely on the police investigation, Sobh shared the footage on Instagram and asked his followers to report anything they knew.
The video gave viewers a clear look at the unusually coloured vehicle and the gathering where it appeared.
According to reports citing ClickOnDetroit, the responses helped identify a possible location near Six Mile Road and Telegraph Road. Sobh passed that information to Detroit police, who subsequently recovered the car.
The available reporting does not identify the tip that led officers to the McLaren or explain exactly how they located it. However, the recovery followed Sobh's public appeal and his decision to share the information with police.
In an Instagram video posted on Monday, 9 November, Sobh celebrated the recovery and thanked people who had helped spread the word.
'I got my baby back, nice and safe here,' he told his followers.
Police Investigate Who Stole the McLaren
Detroit police are continuing to investigate the theft and review footage from the street takeover, according to ClickOnDetroit.
No arrests had been announced in the reports available as of 11 November 2026. Detroit Police Commander Phillip Rodriguez told the broadcaster that the department wanted residents to feel safe and know their property was protected.
Sobh, meanwhile, said he intended to improve security around his home after the incident.
The supercar's return has brought Sobh's search to an end, but questions remain about who took it and how it reached the street takeover. For now, the footage that showed the stolen McLaren in public remains central to the account of how its owner got it back.
