Go easy on the pedal in St Gallen

Imagine you’re behind the wheel of a red Ferrari Testarossa. You have nothing but open road in front of you in St Gallen, Switzerland. You’re rich. You’re in Europe. Maybe you’ve got a hottie riding shotgun and whispering incredibly absurd things in your ear. It’s impossible to believe you wouldn’t push the pedal to the floor and send your life (and hers) into overdrive. This thrill wouldn’t come cheap, if you take a recent speeding ticket at face value. Swiss police nailed a millionaire gunning through a village in his Testarossa at a mere 100 kmph with a fine for $290,000.

According to a Reuters report, “The accused ignored elementary traffic rules with a powerful vehicle out of a pure desire for speed.” He’s said to have hit up to 137 kmph out on country roads. With a fortune of more than $20 million, though, his fine shouldn’t hurt all that much.

The previous record for a Swiss speeding ticket was just over $100,000, given to a Porsche driver in 2008, after he’d committed several traffic offenses.

[Photo by Steve Brandon via Flickr]