Move Over Supercars, This Opel Astra Was Ticketed For Hitting 432 MPH
A motorist in the Belgian town of Quiévrain has been fined for speeding at 696 km/h (432 mph) in an Opel Astra. The best part? The car is only capable of hitting a fraction of the ticketed speed.
The driver was in utter shock that his family-friendly, compact economy car could reach a top speed that surpassed that of supercars. The Telegraph reports that the Opel Astra was ticketed for traveling 696 km/h (432 mph) in a 50 km/h (31 mph) zone. That is outrageous speeding in and of itself, without even considering the ridiculousness of it reaching such a figure.
The recorded speed for the Opel Astra (which is sold in the U.S. as a Chevrolet Cruze) on the citation was taken from a speed camera. According to Fox News, the motorist was mailed a letter that reduced the violation to 406 mph and a fine of $7,800 (6,579 euros) that went along with it.
To put things into perspective, the speed indicated on the letter he received from police suggests that he was traveling at half the speed of sound. Considering how quiet and small a town Quiévrain is, that just adds to the humor of it.
Astra-nomical Fine After Opel Hatch 'Hits 432mph' In A 30mph Zone - The driver of an Opel Astra has been ticketed for travelling at, ahem, 432mph in a 30mph zone. No, really – see the photo of the ticket above, showing the 696kph speed in print. ... pic.twitter.com/b1WQgZTwXg
— James Stamper (@autonewssiite) May 11, 2018
Obviously something went very wrong here.
The fastest speed ever achieved was done in a Formula 1 car at 247 mph during a race at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 2006. At this point in time, the Koenigsegg Agera RS is the fastest production car in the world with a 284 mph top speed. Given those figures, the Opel Astra definitely hit them both out of the water with the impressive, yet falsely ticketed time.
Police attributed to the fact that the error was due to a malfunction with the camera. The driver got off the hook with the initial fine, but was still hit with a citation for 6 mph over the limit. Their argument for this was that the camera must have caught the driver speeding illegally at some mark to have been triggered to cite him. The driver chose not to fight this reduced fine, as it only came with a $60 penalty.
Check out the test drive below of a 2016 Opel Astra hitting a top speed of around 240 KM/H.
Next: Video: The Koenigsegg Regera Endures Brutal Crash Testing
Have you ever been falsely ticketed for anything or found ridiculous errors on the slip? Let us know some of your stories in the comment section below. We cannot wait to read them!