A "split second decision" by the car's new owner to slam his foot onto the accelerator ended in tragedy.
Within three seconds, David Wills lost control due to his heavily acceleration and ran into the back of a van.
The 42-year-old killed his passenger, father-of-two Marco Guzman-Vargas, and on Friday he was handed a two-year and four-month prison term for it.
"You owed a duty of care to your passenger, you accelerated heavily despite your past experience of loss of traction in the vehicle," County Court Judge Susan Wakeling told him.
"The loss of traction resulted in the loss of control of the vehicle. And, within mere seconds, the tragic loss of a life."
Wills pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death and received a 16-month minimum prison term on Friday.
Wills had purchased a 2007 Ford Performance F6 Typhoon, which was modified to run like a race car, in February 2025 and collected it on April 3 after it passed roadworthy checks.
He planned to detune the car as he said its power "scared" him, but Wills had not done so when he decided to take it for a ride with Mr Guzman-Vargas on April 11.
After finishing work, about 2pm, Wills and Mr Guzman-Vargas got into the Ford for a drive near their workplace at an industrial area in Epping, Melbourne's north.
The Ford had just made a right-hand bend when Wills put his foot on the accelerator and lost control.
Within three seconds the Ford had hit the back of a StarTrack Express van.
Mr Guzman-Vargas suffered significant injuries and died at the scene, while Wills was taken to hospital with injuries.
The 49-year-old left behind two children and a wife, with his teen son telling the court he felt "empty" over the loss of his father and suffered from the trauma of his loss every day.
The judge noted Wills' offending was the "unintended consequence of your inexperience in the vehicle and of your split-second decision to accelerate".
"You were aware of the power of the vehicle, you were inexperienced in driving it, you had experienced loss of traction while driving it, it's power scared you," Judge Wakeling said.
"You formed an intention to detune the vehicle to reduce its power. You had not attended to this when you agreed to demonstrate it to Mr Guzman Vargas."
Wills felt genuinely remorseful for his actions and had good rehabilitation prospects, she said.Â
The judge cancelled and disqualified his driver's licence for 18 months, as she ordered Wills be taken to prison.
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