Skip to main content
A photo of a Porsche 911 996 outdoors.

Porsche 911 Owner Cited for Going 90 MPH Over the Speed Limit

Since its introduction in the 1960s, the Porsche 911 has been one of the most exciting sports cars available. So much so that one over-enthusiastic owner was reportedly caught going 90 mph over the speed limit on a Texas highway. The result is a citation for going 166 mph in a 75 mph zone. According …

Since its introduction in the 1960s, the Porsche 911 has been one of the most exciting sports cars available. So much so that one over-enthusiastic owner was reportedly caught going 90 mph over the speed limit on a Texas highway. The result is a citation for going 166 mph in a 75 mph zone. According to The Drive, this speeding ticket was one of the fastest handed out in 2018.

The Porsche 911 driver went 166 mph at 10:22 am in heavy traffic

A photo of a Porsche 911 996 outdoors.
Porsche 911 | Porsche

The car in question is a 2003 Porsche 911. Given the cars model year, we know it had to be some 996 generation variant. In 2003, the 911 had a top speed of around 177 mph, meaning it was likely near its limit when it was clocked.

The now infamous Porsche 911 speeding ticket was handed out in June of 2018 at 10:22 am in Texas. As you can imagine, by the recorded time, plenty of people were likely on the highway heading to work. We know this because the officer noted that traffic was fairly heavy at the time of the incident. Although it was not specified in the ticket’s notes, a traffic-filled highway likely means that the owner was weaving in-between cars to reach this speed.

According to NerdWallet, a ticket of this kind could cost the owner a minimum of $246. Given the speed overage of 90 mph, it is safe to assume that this ticket was not cheap. Additionally, The Drive did not mention whether or not the driver got arrested. According to Find Law, a reckless driving charge in Texas could easily result in jail time up to 30 days.

It most likely was a 911 Turbo

A photo of a Porsche 911 996 outdoors.
Porsche 911 | Porsche

As mentioned earlier, the Porsche 911 was without a doubt of the 996 generation. However, given the 166 mph speed achieved in heavy traffic, it likely was not a base variant. While the standard 911 had a top speed of 177 mph, it would’ve needed ideal conditions to get there. It is also worth mentioning that the 996 could achieve 177 mph in 2003. There is no telling what a 15-year-old example is capable of. According to New Car Test Drive, power came from a naturally-aspirated flat-six-cylinder engine developing 315 hp. Prices in 2003 started at $68,600, or $97,039 in today’s money.

The most likely scenario is that it was, in fact, a Porsche 911 Turbo. The 996 Turbo’s more powerful turbocharged engine developed an extra 100 hp over the standard 911 Carrera. Unlike the standard Carrera, the Turbo’s engine was developed by the legendary race engine builder, Hans Mezger. As a result, the Turbo’s top speed was elevated significantly to 189 mph. This would mean that the 911 Turbo would need less time to get up to the infamous 166 mph speed. Prices for the 2003 996 Turbo started at $116,200, or about $164,372 in today’s money.

These other cars also went a little too fast in Texas in 2018

A photo of a police officer in a speed trap looking through a radar gun.
Police Speed Trap | Paul Zinken/picture alliance via Getty Images

As you can imagine, Texas’ wide-open highways attract more than just speeding Porsche 911’s. In fact, The Drive published a comprehensive list of the fastest speeding tickets handed out in 2018. Surprisingly, the next two spots were claimed by motorcycles.

The second-place spot goes to an unspecified 1994 Honda motorcycle, which managed to clock 162 mph in a 75 mph zone. Third place went to a 2008 Suzuki GSX, which received a citation for 160 mph in a 65 mph zone. Unlike the Porsche 911’s ticket, these motorcycles achieved their speed when traffic was reportedly light, making the 911’s citation all the more infamous.

Related

Bring a Trailer Bargain of the Week: 1966 Porsche 912