A Porsche 911 GT3 driver was clocked at roughly 194 mph on France’s A40 motorway early Sunday, more than twice the posted 81 mph speed limit. The 48-year-old Swiss driver had his car impounded, his license suspended in France and was required to post a $1,740 bond before being released.
France’s New Speeding Record
Gendarmes in the Haute-Savoie region recorded the Porsche traveling about 194 mph, putting the driver 113 mph above the legal limit.
The speed appears to have set a new French motorway record. The previous record involved an Audi RS3 that was clocked at 178 mph on the same A40 earlier this year.
France introduced tougher penalties for extreme speeding in 2025. Driving more than 31 mph over the posted limit can now constitute a criminal offense, even for a first-time offender.
The Porsche driver could face a fine of roughly $4,350 and up to three months in prison. A court appearance is reportedly scheduled for early next year.
Swiss Speeding Laws Could Add Consequences
The driver is Swiss, and Switzerland has considerably more severe penalties for speeding. On Swiss motorways, exceeding the limit by 50 mph or more constitutes a serious speeding offense and can result in prison time, lengthy driving bans and fines tied to the driver’s financial circumstances.
Because the offense occurred in France, the driving ban against the driver’s license applies only in France. However, in extreme cases, Swiss authorities can independently review a driver’s fitness to drive and impose additional consequences, including a ban in Switzerland.
Could the Radar Reading Be Challenged?
After the Gendarmerie de la Haute-Savoie posted about the incident on social media, readers identified the radar shown in the post and pointed out that its published certification reportedly limits the device to speeds of around 300 kmph, or 186 mph.
A traffic lawyer, speaking to blue News, suggested that the certification issue could give the driver grounds to challenge the radar reading in court.
That does not automatically invalidate the 194-mph reading. However, it could require prosecutors to establish that the specific radar device was legally certified to measure speeds at that level.
For the Porsche 911 GT3 driver, the legal dispute could therefore center not only on whether he was traveling at an extreme speed, but on whether authorities can establish precisely how fast the car was traveling.
