IT exec admits careless driving in half-million-dollar McLaren supercar crash

The top global software executive who crashed a half-million dollar McLaren supercar on an Auckland motorway has pleaded guilty to careless driving.

Heng Loon Chee, 56, appeared at Auckland District Court this morning where he entered a guilty plea after a driving charge was amended.

The IT executive, who holds a top position at computer giant Dell EMC, was originally charged with driving in a dangerous manner after the black McLaren he was driving hit a median barrier on the Northwestern Motorway near Pt Chevalier and flipped off the road on April 22.

Witnesses reported hearing the car "screaming" on to the motorway before it left the road and struck a barrier. One person was taken to hospital with minor injuries after the crash.

The court heard Chee was taking the supercar for a test drive when the crash happened. He was rounding a corner at up to 120km/h when he lost control. The car went under a safety barrier and rolled down an embankment.

The recommended speed for motorists taking the sweeping corner to get on the motorway heading back to the city is 55km/h.

The businessman suffered minor scratches to his hands and cuts to his head. A passenger in the vehicle was uninjured.

Chee was fined $500 and ordered to take a defensive driving course. He was also ordered to pay court costs of $130.

He told the court through his lawyer the crash happened because he was taking the corner too fast and the tyres were cold.

He also had no prior experience with the vehicle and made an error behind the wheel with things unravelling extremely quickly.

The McLaren dealership in Auckland today refused to comment on the costly crash.