Each week, we'll be bringing you the essential strangest motoring news from around the world.

Don't forget to come back every Friday for your new helping.

Got any stories you think we should feature in the Weird World of Wheels? Send them to us at mailto:editorial@autotrader.co.uk.

This week: 

Speed camera destroys itself

Sometimes I find a story with a level of irony that makes my mouth water.

An Australian speed camera came a-cropper last week in an accident caused by its very existence.

One motorist driving an HSV Maloo in Perth spotted a speed camera and jammed his brakes on hard. The driver of the Nissan Pintara behind him slammed his brakes on so hard that he skidded past the Maloo right into the speed camera, destroying it.

Maloo - gotta love those Ozzie car names. Try saying it in the accent.

Swanning about

Animals instinctively protect their young by any means. Sheltering them from the cold, rain and predators at any cost.

But fending off heavy traffic on the A48 is beyond the call of duty.

Two swans and their seven cygnets (above right) caused huge tailbacks on the A48 Eastern Avenue this week when they refused to move from the road.

One motorist said: "The parents were quite protective, guarding their cygnets from the passing traffic, and putting themselves between their young ones and the cars. Traffic was tailed back for miles."

Police soon arrived to place their car in a protective position, before a worker from the Swan Rescue charity moved the family to safety.

Dog bites man

Speaking of animals...

When police approached 47-year-old Nicholas T. Galanis (right) to ask him about some stolen property, he jumped into his car and sped away.

As the police set off in pursuit of the Salt Lake City resident and his pooch, they noticed something happening inside the vehicle.

Also in the car was Galanis' dog - a pit bull cross.

Detective Jody Edwards said: "Deputies could see the dog in the passenger seat getting slammed into the window. The dog became so agitated that he bit his owner in the face. And this is what ended the chase."

Galanis was taken to the Iron County Jail (via the Valley View Medical Center), and his dog was taken to the Enoch Animal Shelter.

The world's most expensive lemon

I get annoyed if I have to quibble over a supermarket receipt. But having seen this, I don't feel so bad.

An American man has found himself in a bit of a pickle after his two door Mecedes-Benz CLK-GTR turned into a gigantic lemon - not going for more than ten blocks without breaking down.

Understandably miffed, the owner is suing Mercedes in an attempt to claw back some of the cars' value - $1.7 million - plus legal fees and other expenses.

The car, believed to be one of a kind, has a 6.9-litre 12 cylinder engine and a top speed of 198.4mph.

Dealership co-owner Ernest Johnston said: "It's unfortunate the defendants have forced us to bring a lawsuit in order to have our contract honored. We obviously cannot sell the car in its current condition, which right now represents nearly $2 million of scrap metal."

Missed a previous edition of Weird World of Wheels? Take a look through the archive now.