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At least he¿ll be able to pay the fine: Gold-plated car is impounded by police¿ after owner forgot to tax it

The owners of a Nanjing jewellers thought they had come up with a pretty good publicity stunt with this gold-plated sports car. Until they tried to park it in the street, that is.

The specially adapted sports car was towed away from a street in China after its owners forgot to get it taxed and registered.

Scores of amazed onlookers flocked to a busy shopping steet in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, eastern China, to see the Infiniti G37 convertible after it was parked outside a jewellery shop.

Towed away: A Chinese policeman impounds the gold-plated Infiniti luxury sports car parked outside a jewellery store in Nanjing after it was discovered that the car has no registration

Unfortunately for the owners, police soon flocked to the scene as well. And they noticed that the dazzling automobile lacked an essential accessory - a number plate.

The car, which took a team of five artisans over five months to cover with gold, was soon on its way to the Nanjing impound yard.

Now its owners have 10 days to pay a hefty fine - or it will be crushed.

The G37 is the latest luxury model from Infiniti, the luxury arm of Japanese car firm Nissan, but it's improbable that this bling touch can be ordered from the factory.

The modification was specially commissioned by the owners of a Chinese jewellery store to promote their merchandise.

China's luxury market has been growing apace, as the country establishes itself as the world's economic powerhouse.

The country is predicted to become the world's largest luxury goods market by 2020, accounting for 44 percent of worldwide sales, and bigger than the entire global market is now.

Conspicuous consumption: The gold plated car is symbolic of the new-found wealth many Chinese are beginning to enjoy