The bravado that followed a chance meeting between two high-performance car drivers led to a race that ended in a horrifying collision, a court was told.

Snaresbrook Crown Court heard how Christopher Owolabni and Saifur Rahman reached speeds of nearly 80mph – twice the speed limit – as they raced their hired BMW M3 and Aston Martin Vantage around tunnels towards the Limehouse Link

But their encounter – on a busy afternoon in July 2010 – ended when the two powerful vehicles collided in a smash that left the Vantage a total write off.

The vehicle – which had previously been used at a James Bond film premiere – was left unrecognisable after it spun out of control and struck a concrete wall. Extraordinarily, both men walked away unharmed from the encounter.

Rahman and Owolabni had never met each other before – and the race appeared to have motivated by bravado after the two high-performance cars, worth a collective £120,000, pulled up side-by-side near Canary Wharf.

Owolabni (28) who address was given as Giffin Street, Deptford and 24-year-old Rahman of Turners Road, Tower Hamlets were both convicted of dangerous driving.

Owolabni was sentenced to a nine-month sentence suspended for 12 months, ordered to complete 140 hours of community service and disqualified from driving for 18 months.

Saifur Rahman received a three-month custodial term suspended for 12 months, given 100 hours community service and handed down an 18-month ban.

Both men were ordered to re-take their driving test after completing their disqualifications.

A third man, Ryan Atherley (28) of Vaughan Street, Rotherhithe was sentenced to three months suspended for 12 months and ordered to complete 150 hours of community service for attempting to pervert the course of justice.

He originally falsely claimed that he was the driver of the BMW M3. Owolabni was also found guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice for his role in claiming Atherleyley was behind the wheel at the time of the crash.

Police said it was pure chance that nobody was killed or seriously injured during the race – the Vantage was just feet from other vehicles following the collision.

DC Robert Eastick of the MPS’s Traffic Operational Command Unit added: “It was a miracle no-one was killed. The CCTV footage shows that the Aston Martin was a few feet away from colliding with other motorists after it had lost control.

“Both drivers showed a complete disregard for other motorists and their own safety when they raced at very high speed on what was a very busy summer day.”