It's back to the drawing board for trainee architect Matt Smith, after a savage car-jacking parted him from the £27,000 Volkswagen Golf GTI he had been driving for just four weeks.
Matt, who had driven to visit a friend in Whitefield, Lancashire on 23rd July, fought tooth-and-nail for his car keys after a balaclava-wearing thug appeared on the pavement beside him.
He only gave up the keys after two accomplices joined the first man and, in his words, "put the boot in". In the attack, Matt sustained stab-wounds from a screwdriver that would require 22 stitches; he was then kicked unconscious and left for dead.
David Smith, Matt's father, said, "This happened in what I believed was a respectable neighbourhood. To all intents and purposes this was attempted murder."
He added, "To inflict such damage on someone is completely unacceptable and the sooner that those responsible are locked up, the better."
Once his wounds have healed, Matt will need a new car and car insurance quote so he can begin again as a young driver.
We imagine he'll opt for an online car insurance quote rather than risk setting foot on one of Lancashire's potentially dangerous high streets.
A £2,500 reward has been offered for any information leading to the three car-jackers' arrests.