Just because parts of the Autobahn have no speed limits doesn't mean that you can drive on it like it's your own private road, as there are still other road users who use the same highway.
What turned out to be a dream come true is about to turn into a nightmare, as local German authorities are on the hunt for Radim Passer for his actions.
According to UK-based publication The Sun, the region's transport chief, Linda Hueskens, said drivers need to behave responsibly when no speed limit is posted. “In this case, there are certainly very serious doubts as to whether that happened.”
According to the police department in Saxony-Anhalt, if Passer is found guilty, he will likely face a prison sentence of up to two years for illegal racing offences.
The run has even faced some backlash from Bugatti themselves, as they have come out with a statement practically distancing themselves from their customer.
“Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S is aware of the video of a Bugatti Chiron being driven at high speed on a German highway,” the company said in a statement. “However, due to the possible investigation being conducted by the public prosecutor, Bugatti Automobiles does not wish to comment on or anticipate any further assessments regarding the incident referred to.”
The irony of Bugatti's statement is that the automobile company once congratulated Passer and his team for a top speed run in 2014, where he took the Bugatti Veyron up to 404km/h on a public road.
The high-speed run got some attention after Passer uploaded the whole run on Youtube (including the 404km/h Veyron run from 2014). Despite conducting the speed test at 4.50 am, where there was barely any traffic, the actions of the Czech billionaire are still being criticised by Germany's Transport Ministry as they are accusing him of putting other drivers in danger.
In the video, Passer, Czech Republic's 33rd richest person, even said that “safety was a priority, so the circumstances had to be safe to go”. While you could argue that Passer did consider safety, the speed run was still conducted on a public road. If money was no object, and it certainly seems the case here, why didn't Passer just book a circuit anywhere in Europe and make his run in a controlled environment?
For those who are wondering who this speed demon is, the video down below should give you a good idea.
The Bugatti Chiron is equipped with an 8.0-litre quad-turbocharged W16 engine and has a peak power output of 1,479 hp and 1,600 Nm of torque. In 2017, Bugatti announced that the Chiron broke the record of fastest 0–400–0 km/h acceleration time, completing it in 41.96 seconds in a span of 3.2 kilometres.
Keyword: Czech Billionaire Hunted By German Authorities For Doing 414km/h In His Bugatti Chiron