BBC News article...

[Nigel 911]

A motorist has been arrested on suspicion of driving at 172mph on a rural road.

Police, who had been using a speed gun on a bridge over the A420 near Abingdon, Oxfordshire, on Saturday, detained the 33-year-old man.
The man has been released on police bail until 17 February.
Helphire, a car lease firm in Abingdon, said an employee who had "borrowed" a £98,000 Porsche 911 Turbo without permission had since resigned.

Not that I condone those kind of speeds, but ......if you are going to quit your job, I can't think of a better way to do it!

 

[Gordon Attar]

Struggling to believe this for the following reasons.

The A34 is the road past Abingdon and and there are numerous bridges over it for speed cameras and you may be able to get up to those speeds on a quite night.

The A420 is the road from Oxford to Swindon and there is only one bridge I can think of near Cumnor and the stretch where the bridge is not suitable for those speeds, there are a couple of small stretchges of dual carriageway near Kingston Bagpuize but I dont think you could get up to that speed from a distance perspective.

Presumably it would need to be in daylight and both these roads in daylight are very business and very little chance of those speeds, though if he was doing say a hundred and found a straight bit with half mile plus I suppose he could get up some speed but I'm struggling with 172.

Will be very interested if this is true and the resulting court case regarding accuracy of the gun, if it is theoretically possible where the offence took place etc!!

 

[Gordon Attar]

Just caught it on the local BBC news who said it was near Faringdon, which was rubbish as well.

Then they went to a reporter at the offence site who confirmed it was on the A420 at Kingston Bagpuize on Saturday afternoon and then they should severel pictures of a 996TT Cab and one Coupe picture!

I'm still very interested when it gets to court on whether his defence team can prove it would have been impossible. The other question is where the hell did they pull him over as at 172mph he would have been passed the back up car before they could get on the walkie talkie!!!!!!!!!

 

[Porker993]

According to the rag I read, the last land speed record holder (152 mph) got five years, so I wonder what they'll throw at this guy.

NB The above figures are from memory so may be slightly wrong.

I too find 172 slightly unbelievable. You'd have to be nuts.

 

[911 Turbo LE]

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007040778,00.html

Here is the news article i was sent to day with comments from newspaper readers "car nut speeding at 172 MPH"

 

[sawood12]

ORIGINAL: Porker993

According to the rag I read, the last land speed record holder (152 mph) got five years, so I wonder what they'll throw at this guy.

NB The above figures are from memory so may be slightly wrong.

I too find 172 slightly unbelievable. You'd have to be nuts.

He might be lucky due to the overcrowded prison situation, but then again it is a crime which involves a speeding car so they'll probably let out a mass murderer or another Pedo to make room for him.

 

[kbooker]

Fortunatly for the driver caught at 152mph, the sentence was 5 months not years []

 

[graham m]

"though if he was doing say a hundred and found a straight bit with half mile plus I suppose he could get up some speed but I'm struggling with 172. "

No way condoning what the guy did - speeding is very irresponsible[], I do know that on my last jaunt on derestricted sections of German auto-bahns, the 997T pick-up from 100 to 'excessive' was amazing. The rate of acceleration is just quite awesome and yes, on over-boost I can image reaching a figure of 172mph
Perhaps check out the last V Max day results, I know my may pal in his 993 Turbo S was 'blown away' by the difference between his and the latest versions.
G