Speeding supercars: The world's biggest traffic fines

The eye-watering Dh175,000 that a Lamborghini driver in Dubai racked up in one night is by no means the most expensive ticket in history

This Dh1.3 million Lamborghini was used to clock up Dh170,000 of traffic fines in less than four hours in Dubai. Saeed Ali Rent a Car

A 37-year-old Swede driving a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, like this one pictured at the 2009 Dubai International Motor Show, faced a fine of a million Swiss francs (Dh3.7m) in 2010. He piloted his two-seater at speeds of up to 290kph in Switzerland, 170kph over the limit, in a country that employs means-tested fines. Kareem Halfawi / The National

While no conclusive proof has been found that this incident definitely happened aside from a brief reference by Jeremy Clarkson, the story goes that a Koenigsegg CCX was clocked at 390kph in a 120kph zone during the 2003 Gumball 3000 rally in Texas. The damage: depending on who you believe, as much as US$650,000 (Dh2.4m). The car is certainly capable, with a top speed of 395kph. Koenigsegg

A Swiss millionaire also fell foul of his country's earnings-related fines system in 2010 when he was caught driving a red Ferrari Testarossa like this one through a village at 137kph. While the was 'only' 57kph above the speed limit, previous offences and his estimated net worth of more than US$20m saw him fined 299,000 francs (Dh1.1m). Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

Also in Finland, businessman Reima Kuisla's €6.5m salary earned him a ticket of more than €54,000 (Dh230,119) in 2015 when he was nabbed for doing 103kph in a 80kph area. 'Finland is impossible to live in for certain kinds of people who have high incomes and wealth,' he ranted, to the sympathy of absolutely nobody. The model and make of his car wasn't reported. AFP

Two-wheeled speed nuts haven't been immune from massive fines, such as Anssi Vanjoki, a Nokia director at the time of his €116,000 (Dh494,159) penalty in 2002 for riding his Harley-Davidson motorbike at 75kph in a 50kph zone in Helsinki. It was based on 14 days of his income. Antonie Robertson / The National

Attempting to weasel out of a speeding ticket is rarely a good move, as one Audi R8 driver from Britain found out in 2015. David Pickup took the police to court after his German sports car was recorded at 163kph, more than 50kph above the limit. The prosecution rented an airfield to prove his guilt and after losing the case, Pickup picked up a bill equivalent to about Dh64,000. Audi

In 2010, the unfortunate owner of a yellow Lamborghini Gallardo in Australia didn't land a fine as sizeable as the Huracan renter in Dubai, but he makes the list for having his car impounded while it was in a garage for repair. An unscrupulous mechanic took it for a joyride and was caught at more 160kph in a 90kph zone. Getty

This week, a man who rented a Lamborghini Huracan from a luxury-car rental business in Dubai clocked up an astounding 33 tickets in the space of four hours, hitting speeds of 230kph, with his total fines hitting Dh175,000.

That is nowhere near the highest financial penalty ever handed out across the world for motoring offences, however.

The stakes are particularly high in European nations such as Finland and Switzerland, which take into account the earnings of those in the dock – millionaires, therefore, have had to pay fines running into the equivalent of millions of dirhams.

Swipe through our gallery above to see some of the worst offenders.

The UAE is no stranger to traffic fines even larger than this latest incident, either, with one man reported to have tallied Dh300,000 of fines in 2013. It's all a far cry from what is widely thought to be the first ever speeding ticket in 1896, when British driver Walter Arnold was nabbed for speeding at 8mph (13kph) in a 2mph (3kph) zone. He was fined one shilling, plus costs.

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Read more:

Speeding is Dubai's most common traffic violation for 2018 so far

Complete list of UAE traffic offences and penalties

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