McLaren Supercar Ignites Twice After Fatal Crash in Storage Yard

A twisted McLaren supercar took two lives last month and then ignited again on its own more than a week later. The fiery event happened inside a locked police storage yard in Costa Mesa. Sparks flew from the wrecked car late Wednesday night before flames shot up and smoke filled the garage until cameras could not see anything.

The black 2019 McLaren 720S has sat at that tow facility since September 13. That was the day James Wehr, 27, and Alexis 'Lexi' Kramer, 22, died in a terrible crash. South OC Cars and Coffee founder Wehr ran into a tree in Irvine. The car split apart and burned instantly. Kramer worked as a bartender in Florida and appeared on Hooters calendars.

Investigators remain confused by this second blaze. Surveillance footage captured the exact moment sparks appeared near the front of the mangled vehicle before the fire grew quickly. Smoke poured into the storage garage within moments until the view vanished completely behind thick gray clouds. The incident baffles officials who are still trying to understand why a dead car would burn again on its own.

No one was hurt when the second fire started inside the secure California storage building. Surveillance video shows the wrecked McLaren supercar suddenly bursting into flames more than a month after the horrific crash that killed two young people.

Flames jumped out of the mangled vehicle. The car involved in the tragedy had already claimed the lives of influencer James Wehr, 27, and Hooters calendar model Lexi Kramer, 22, during an early morning accident on Saturday, September 13 in Irvine.

Irvine Police Department spokesperson Kyle Oldoerp confirmed the blaze happened at a Costa Mesa facility that contracts for storing vehicles involved in crashes. Investigators think the McLaren's badly damaged electrical system might explain why the wreckage suddenly reignited after sitting still for over thirty days. The original impact was so violent the supercar broke apart, leaving its electrical components extensively damaged.

Authorities have not yet determined exactly what triggered Wednesday's fire. Costa Mesa Fire and Rescue is looking into it, though police said they do not suspect arson. It was only last month when Wehr and Kramer seemed to be in the middle of a whirlwind romance before they were tragically killed just days after meeting in person.

Kramer flew from Florida to California two days before the fatal crash. She had traveled across the country to meet Wehr after the pair struck up a relationship on Instagram. Her devastated sister, Gracie Kramer, previously revealed that the two communicated for about a month before Wehr paid for Lexi's flight to California.

The car clipped the curb and barreled into a tree at 12:20 am on Saturday, September 13. This caused the vehicle to split in half and catch fire, leaving both passengers dead. Kramer and James Wehr had been talking on Instagram for about a month before they finally met up.

Friends described Wehr as one of the biggest inspirations, calling him a modern-day Paul Walker and an icon in the car community. The young woman arrived two days before the fatal crash, excited to meet the car enthusiast with whom she shared a passion for powerful vehicles and motorcycles. But the budding relationship became embroiled in controversy after Kramer's family alleged Wehr had misled her about his marriage.

Gracie claimed Wehr told her sister he was separated from his wife, Emma, and was in the process of getting divorced. That man lied to my sister and said his divorce was finalizing and he was fully separated, she told the California Post. He talked to her every day all the time and finally got her to fly out to California to come see him.

The pair spent Saturday attending Wehr's hugely popular South OC Cars and Coffee gathering before enjoying an evening together dining at Nobu and later visiting the Pendry Hotel in Newport Beach for drinks. Wehr shared a photograph from the hotel before posting another image showing his McLaren pulled over by police. It remains unclear why the vehicle had been stopped.

Shortly after midnight, the McLaren supercar accelerated rapidly away from traffic lights before Wehr, whom police subsequently identified as the driver, lost control. The car struck a curb and slammed into a tree around 12:20 am, breaking apart and erupting in flames. Nobody was injured in this second blaze inside the storage facility.

Two people lost their lives in a fatal collision at Newport Beach, leaving behind shattered families and a stunned automotive community across Southern California. The crash involved a black supercar that had been parked directly behind a police vehicle just an hour prior to the incident, as Wehr himself had documented on Instagram before the tragedy unfolded. Emma, the wife of the deceased driver, released a heartbreaking collection of images from their lives together, including pictures taken on their wedding day, alongside words that cut deep. She called her husband "smart, kind, funny, loving, and genuinely one of the best people I've had the pleasure of knowing." Her message was simple yet devastating: "Whether it's in this lifetime or the next my heart will always find its way to you. Rest easy my love."

Another family suffered a similar blow when Lexi Kramer died alongside her husband. The young woman, pictured smiling with her sister Gracie in photos shared after the death, had recently achieved an associate's degree from Polk State College and landed a new role in leadership. Her sister described her as "kind and funny and charismatic," mourning a future that suddenly vanished. This event sent shockwaves through tight-knit circles where car lovers gather regularly.

The driver, Wehr, was no stranger to the world of high-end automobiles. He had built a reputation among California's supercar fans and stood alongside his father, Simon, in founding South OC Cars and Coffee. That organization claims to be the largest weekly car show on the planet, drawing hundreds or even thousands of vehicles every week to its events. His mother, Sarah, remembered him as a "magnificent man" with an "insanely great belly-laugh" and a "cheeky smile." The loss hit hard for everyone who knew them, turning what should have been a celebration of life into a somber reminder of how quickly things can change.