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"193 mph? Oh... I was just testing it, officer"
Alright, so certain Autoblog staffers (who shall remain nameless) have routinely trotted out the old 'Sorry, officer... I'm just testing this vehicle' chestnut to mixed effect (it works about 80-percent of the time). But admittedly, we've never been bagged rockin' a new Porsche Carrera GT to the tune of 193 mph.
The same can't be said for Italian telecom boss Riccardo Ruggiero, who was snagged on the near side of the double-century in Northern Italy. That sort of antisocial behavior would likely wind Ruggiero behind bars and Porsche-less Stateside, but the executive escaped with half of his drivers license points and a 357 Euro fine (about $433 USD). Ruggiero may lose his license for between 1-3 months, but we suspect the man can afford a hire-car while he awaits reinstatement.
[Source: Motortorque via Askaprice.com]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Chicken 11:13AM (3/21/2006)
Whip me, beat me, take away my drivers license...so worth it for that kinda rush!
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Mike 11:25AM (3/21/2006)
kind of ironic that people will praise this man for doing 193mph in a Carrera GT but lash the man who wrecked his Enzo....
As far as I am concerned, you can do 193mph anytime you want as long as you are on a track. driving that recklessly on a public road should get you drawn and quartered.
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Jason 11:29AM (3/21/2006)
Funny how behavior that can kill other innocent people (who are driving properly) is treated with amusement simply because the car is hot-looking.
Being an automotive writer does not, evidently, mean you have intelligence or maturity.
Here's a guideline: Want to test a vehicle at above-normal speeds? Find a track.
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Chicago Joe 11:42AM (3/21/2006)
If I was driving a car that could go 193 mph (or more), I damn sure wouldn't stop for the fuzz. Good luck catchin' me, coppers.
Stopping for them is just as dumb as driving that fast to begin with.
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DKB_SATX 11:46AM (3/21/2006)
Frankly that's only about 70 mph faster than ho-hum speeds on the Autostrada. Granted, a 70 mph differential is enough to cause messy accidents and such, but since Italians actually have a clue about which lane to drive in, it's quite easy to drive fast there. It was not uncommon for me to be passed by diesel sedans while I was ticking along around 110 mph on my motorcycle, in fact. It's amazing what lane discipline can do for the flow of traffic. Should he have been going that fast? Probably not. Was he on a very safe limited-access highway where people are accustomed to very high speeds? Since the article says "motorway" I would say yes, it was autostrada. Is this less dangerous than racing an Enzo on a NON-limited-access stretch of the PCH? Most definitely.
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zverg 11:48AM (3/21/2006)
way to endager the safety of others dipshit. He should be in jail and have no license for at least a year. There is a purpose for TRACKS
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Russ 12:00PM (3/21/2006)
How does one get pulled over in a car going 193mph? Was the driver just honest and waited for the cop to catch up, do they police place fake goat traps in the middle of the road, or what?
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Bobby 12:01PM (3/21/2006)
#4, and when they set up road blocks, send a helicopter, and spike strips to stop your behind, you will get caught and behind bars no matter how fast your car is.
The real world is not Need for Speed Hot Pursuit.
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Geoff 12:11PM (3/21/2006)
If I was going 193 mph I would not stop for anything, and I probably would be afraid of pressig the brake without wiping out...jk.....Cops can't go 193 there top speed is probably around 120-130. So don't stop keep on goin...and goin.....and goin..until the tank runs out or you wipe out!!!1
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Teacups 12:28PM (3/21/2006)
Whether or not he was endangered other people depends on where he was driving. I've been on roads that were straight, flat, empty and you can see for miles (goto Wyoming). The only person you would realistically be endangering by going 193 would be yourself.
As for outrunning the cops; they haven't built a car yet that can outrun a radio and I'm thinking it probably wouldn't be that difficult to track down Porsche Carrera GT; even in Italy.
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Alex Wu 12:44PM (3/21/2006)
Unfortunately #8, I have seen far too many videos of people escaping cops, helis, road blocks, and strips.
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cowboy bob 1:00PM (3/21/2006)
For an auto enthusiast page, you people seem to have an awful low tolerance for those of us who really are.
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Bogey 1:09PM (3/21/2006)
Driving fast (even 120+) on a freeway in Europe is waaaaaay safer than over here in the US. As already said by poster #5 (DKB_SATX). At least Europeans have a clue about lane discipline and indicator usage. People here will get into the left hand lane and sit on the speed limit regardless of the flow of traffic and then change lanes without use of any signalling... fark! People should realise that the left lane(s) are for passing only. If you are being passed on your right, you're in the wrong lane. Move over bozo (using your indicator to signal your intention first, of course)...
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klaatu 1:14PM (3/21/2006)
Well, cowboy, you're well named. Plenty of us can be car enthusiasts AND be mature an responsible and take our speed to a track where it belongs, and leave the speeds on the roadways to a level where things are not insanely stupid/too fast for the majority of drivers who are actually SHARING the roadway at that time.
Driving 193 mph on a public roadway should mean the loss of driving privileges for life, and a decade in prison no matter who does the driving, or where it is (outside the Autobahn in Germany, where at least there is no speed limit on certain sections during the daylight).
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Tmoney 1:25PM (3/21/2006)
All the commentators who state that he endangered others...driving above normal speeds...all this talk about tracks. It's in NORTHERN ITALY where the speed limit is higher, the roads are built to accommodate high speed driving, and people know the road rules and proper lane usage. #5 DKB_SATX states it all very well from personal experience.
Helicopters, speed spikes, and roadblocks - Silly Bobby - stop believing everything you see on COPS is true all over the world. Speed spikes or a roadblock at 193mph...a landmine or portable rocket launcher would produce the same end result, talk about endangering life!
Jason - shut your pie hole...unless you have never gone above the speed limit, never had a ticket, never broken the law. The automotive writer comment is pitiful, "Italian telecom boss Riccardo Ruggiero", that's who got caught doing 193mph. Here's a guideline - go to 'a track' and plow yourself into a wall.
I would ass-u-me this person slowed down and pulled over after they police gave him a few blue lights to let him know fun time was over. After all, the radio ahead always works and they could always just meet you at your house/home/castle.
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Steve C. 1:27PM (3/21/2006)
If he was on an Autostrada, he had nowhere to run since they are limited access tollroads. All they had to do was radio ahead. No need for spike strips when you have a toll plaza.
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Finished.Law.School 1:49PM (3/21/2006)
The guy who wrecked his Enzo is a completely other matter that can't reasonably be compared to this. On top of that the Enzo guy is a convict, lied to the cops, and scammed investors out of millions.
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Mike 2:14PM (3/21/2006)
limited access? Any toll road that I have seen is almost as packed as the standard freeways.
Doesn't matter anyways, lets assume the speed of standard traffic is 100mph. This guy was doing 93mph faster than any other traffic around him.
It takes a Carrera GT 150 feet to stop from 70mph. A vehicle traveling 193mph passes 262.98 feet per second.
To say that these speeds on a PUBLIC roadway (toll or not) are not dangerous are beyond naieve. There is no arguing on behalf of this man. Take it to the track.
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Michael Moulton 2:37PM (3/21/2006)
Sorry klaatu, I disagree. You believe that 193mph is a speed that should earn you lifetime punishment. I guarantee you there are people in the US today who believe that you should get the same punishment for doing 80mph. Or even 70 in a 65.
Something like that cannot be tied to a number, you have to consider everything-- conditions, other traffic, etc.
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Jt 3:01PM (3/21/2006)
who really gives a sh*t, you people have too much time on your hands to sit here and argue on something like this. if you've got it, use it. those of you complaining about driving fast on an open freeway probably have never owned a fast car in your life, who could resist. "use a track" haha ..
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