In case you missed it, Czech businessman Radim Passer posted a new, more complete video of his autobahn joyride during which he hit a top speed of 417 km/h (nearly 260 mph) with his Bugatti Chiron. The authorities of Germany have already condemned his behavior as “irresponsible”.
According to the Department of Transports, the lack of a speed limit on a German speedway does not mean that you have to go out of your wits to drive as fast as possible. The recommended top speed is still 130 km/h (80 miles per hour), and Passer was going more than thrice as fast. Luckily, there were no incidents.
Still, the officials pointed out that the speed must be chosen so as not to endanger other drivers on the road. The driver must control the car and the road situation around them constantly and at all times, which is all but impossible to do efficiently at 400+ kilometers per hour.
The aftermath of the joyride might be not what you expect, however. Chances are good that Passer, who made it half a year ago, avoids any kind of repercussions for his alleged misbehavior. However, the autobahn itself may end up slapped with a hard speed limit. Discussions about responsible limits have been ongoing for a while in Germany, with the Green Party advocating a maximum of 130 km/h (80 mph) for all speedways nationwide.
For his part, Passer claims the Chiron was carefully inspected at the Bugatti factory prior to the run. He also picked an early July morning for the ride, and made sure it took place on a three-lane stretch of the road with visibility exceeding 10 kilometers (6 miles). He did change his allegations regarding the speed, initially claiming it maxed out at 414 km/h (257.2 mph), but later saying it was actually 417 km/h (259.1 mph).