German police have recorded a Porsche driver travelling at 199mph (320km/h) on the autobahn, nearly three times the speed limit for that stretch of motorway. The incident occurred on the A2 near Burg in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, making national headlines even in a country known for its passion for speed.
The motorist, whose name and age have not been released, faces a €900 (£785) fine and a three-month driving ban, among other penalties. The driver was caught on radar in late July, but police only released the data this week. The stretch of the A2 where the Porsche Panamera, a luxury car retailing at over €100,000, was detected had an upper limit of 75mph (120km/h).
The A2, which runs from the Ruhr valley to Berlin's ring road, is notorious for traffic jams, which had recently reduced major speeding offences. However, in 2021, a Bugatti driver was clocked at 259mph on the same motorway near Magdeburg. That driver allegedly took his hands off the wheel and was accused of joining an illegal race, but the case did not lead to a conviction due to lack of evidence.
With most of Germany on summer school holidays, police in Saxony-Anhalt are conducting a 'speed camera marathon', setting up radar traps on notorious stretches of road. The radar that caught the Porsche driver was mounted on a mobile 'enforcement trailer'. Police have recorded hundreds of violations this week alone.
Regional police used the case to appeal to motorists, stating that exceeding the speed limit 'endangers not only the driver himself but also all those on the roads'. They urged drivers to respect speed rules to ensure safety and avoid fines, penalty points, and driving bans. The debate over nationwide speed limits continues, with advocates citing safety and climate concerns, while driving clubs and the auto lobby defend the freedom of the autobahn as a cherished cultural right.
