German police have clocked a Porsche driver doing 199mph (320km\/h) on the autobahn, nearly three times the speed limit for that stretch of motorway.<\/p>\n
Even in a car-mad country gripped by the need for speed, the report from the A2 near Burg in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt made national headlines. Police said the motorist, whose name and age were not released, faces a \u20ac900 (\u00a3785) fine and a three-month suspension of his licence among other penalties.<\/p>\n
Germany\u2019s autobahns are the stuff of myth for many drivers, given the absence of a general speed limit. But significant parts of the motorway network do have a cap, particularly in more congested areas. Roadworks also often lead to the enforcement of temporary maximum speeds.<\/p>\n
The stretch of motorway where the driver of the Porsche Panamera, a luxury car that retails at more than \u20ac100,000, was caught on radar had an upper limit of 75 mph (120 km\/h). He was detected in late July, but police only released data collected from the trap this week.<\/p>\n
The A2, which runs from the Ruhr valley to Berlin\u2019s ring road, is known for lengthy traffic jams which have cut down on major speed violations of late, local media reported.<\/p>\n
However a Bugatti driver was clocked at 417 km\/h on the A2 in 2021, near the state capital Magdeburg. He allegedly even took his hands from the wheel for a few seconds and was accused of joining an illegal race \u2013 a common problem on German roads<\/a> \u2013 but the case did not lead to a conviction due to lack of evidence.<\/p>\n Racing enthusiasts, who often gather from across Europe<\/a>, commonly zero in on long, straight stretches of public roads that they illegally block, and sometimes autobahn sections without speed limit.<\/p>\n With most of Germany on summer school holidays, police in Saxony-Anhalt are carrying out what the regional public broadcaster MDR called a \u201cspeed camera marathon\u201d, setting up radar traps on notorious stretches of road across the state.<\/p>\n Radars such as the one that caught the Porsche driver are mounted on mobile \u201cenforcement trailers\u201d. Police have recorded hundreds of violations only this week, MDR reported.<\/p>\n Regional police used the extraordinary case of the Porsche driver to issue an appeal to motorists.<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/a><\/p>\n Sign up to This is Europe<\/p>\n The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans \u2013 from identity to economics to the environment<\/p>\n Privacy Notice: <\/strong>Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy<\/a>. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy<\/a> and Terms of Service<\/a> apply.<\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n \u201cGeschwindigkeits\u00fcberschreitungen, or exceeding the speed limit, \u201cendangers not only the driver himself but also all those on the roads\u201d, the force said in a statement. \u201cRespect the speed rules, that way you\u2019ll be on your way safely and avoid high fines, penalty points and driving bans.\u201d<\/p>\n