A driver in Japan filmed himself driving his car at a hair-raising 174 mph (280 kph) on a public road before posting the footage on YouTube.
The incident, which is one of the most serious known speed violations ever to have taken place on a Japanese highway, occurred in the city of Osaka earlier this year, but only came to light recently after it was spotted on the video-streaming site. Police then worked to identify the man, who turned out to be a 35-year-old local resident.
The video shows the man’s car — a Nissan GT-R — parked inside a road tunnel before he climbs in and hits the gas. It takes about 20 seconds for the vehicle to reach 174 mph, a speed that took it about 134 mph over the speed limit.
According to Japan’s Kyodo News, the man admitted to the offense, telling cops that he posted the video online because “I wanted everyone to watch it.” He also said he was keen to “check the performance of the car.”
News outlets reported that the driver pushed the car to speeds faster than Japan’s famous bullet train, the high-speed rail service that runs almost the length of the entire country.
Trains on Japan’s “Hikari” bullet train service reach speeds of 168 mph (270 kph) between Tokyo and Osaka, though trains on the “Nozomi” service hit 186 mph (300 kph) on the same route, a speed that the motorist didn’t quite reach.
Osaka police this week sent papers to prosecutors, accusing the man of violating Japan’s Road Traffic Act.
Despite the astonishing speed, it’s not the fastest that someone has driven on a road in Japan … that the police know about, at least. In March, a 41-year-old man was accused of driving his Dodge Challenger at 146 mph (235 kph) along a highway in Tokyo.
The most extreme speeding violation is believed by some to have taken place in Texas in 2003. The driver was said to have been behind the wheel of a Koenigsegg CCR — a sports car made in Sweden — that reached 242 mph (389 kph) in a 75 mph zone, though many people today question whether the incident really ever took place.
To find out about the fastest production cars on the planet today, check out Digital Trends’ lovingly compiled list, which includes Hennessey’s Venom F5 that has a claimed top speed of 301 mph.
