A 2012 Porsche that was abandoned on the Spirit of Vancouver Island ferry has been impounded while police check on why the person who drove it on board opted not to drive it off.

A Vancouver man apparently drove it on board at Swartz Bay on Wednesday night but when the ferry docked at Tsawwassen, left it on board and caught a bus home instead.

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The uninsured Porsche remains locked up in the Delta Police Department’s impound lot after it was towed off the ferry.

Police said Thursday that they have no information to lead them to believe there was something suspicious or sinister at play. “At this point we have no information to support any of that,” said Delta Police Const. Ciaran Feenan.

The pricetag for a Porsche can range from $60,000 to $850,000 with most Porsches ranging from $90,000 to $125,000, according to Porsche Centre Victoria.

Seemingly, the driver couldn’t find his expensive new car amongst a sea of vehicles, so he left without it. “That seems to be the real story, said Feenan. “He’s maintaining that, ultimately, he didn’t know where his car was parked so he took the bus back to his residence.”

B.C. Ferries’ cameras captured images of the car as it and its lone male driver went through the ticket booth and onto the ferry at Swartz Bay. When the ship docked at Tsawwassen at 8:50 p.m., the abandoned Porsche created a stir as staff and police scrambled to find the owner.

Delta police were able to contact the owner by tracing the licence plates and acquiring the man’s cellphone number, according to B.C. Ferries spokesman Darin Guenette.

Passengers waiting to return to Vancouver Island were delayed by more than an hour. The final sailing departed at 10:15 p.m.

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A newer-model Porsche abandoned on the Spirit of Vancouver Island at Tsawwassen terminal Wednesday night delayed the vessel’s final sailing by more than an hour while B.C. Ferries staff and police scrambled to find the owner.

B.C. Ferries’ cameras captured images of the car as it and its lone male driver went through the ticket booth and onto the ferry at Swartz Bay. But when the ship docked at Tsawwassen at 8:50 p.m., the Porsche was left behind as all other vehicles disembarked.

Delta police traced the licence plates and phoned the driver’s cellphone, said B.C. Ferries spokesman Darin Guenette.

If police are to believe the story, the fast car did not have a quick driver.

“He said he forgot, and got the bus,” Guenette said Wednesday night.

Police were dealing with the matter but when they tried to call the driver back, he wasn’t answering his phone.

Upon inspection, police discovered the vehicle was uninsured. The case has been handed over to the Vancouver Police Department.

At 10:15, the ferry left Tsawwassen for its final sailing back to Vancouver Island — 75 minutes late.

ceharnett@timescolonist.com