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Millionaire Tycoon Could Face Jail Time for Racing Bugatti at 259 MPH

A couple of months ago, a millionaire made headlines with some Fast and Furious-worthy footage that showed him driving his Bugatti Chiron at 259 mph (417 kph) on a no-speed limit highway sector in Germany. He posted the video evidence on social media, and now prosecutors are investigating the case. Even though he did not break any law, he now could face jail time for "illegal race."
Radim Passer Driving His Bugatti at 417 kph 7 photos
Photo: YouTube / Radim Passer
Radim Passer Driving His Bugatti at 417 kphRadim Passer Driving His Bugatti at 417 kphRadim Passer Driving His Bugatti at 417 kphRadim Passer Driving His Bugatti at 417 kphRadim Passer Driving His Bugatti at 417 kphRadim Passer Driving His Bugatti at 417 kph
Radim Passer, who is a Czech millionaire with an estimated net worth of over $300 million, owns a Bugatti Chiron. He decided to push it to its limits on a German Autobahn between Berlin and Hannover a couple of months ago. He had already tried a similar stunt before with his Bugatti Veyron six years ago, but this one is faster.

The Bugatti Chiron is powered by an 8.0-liter W16 engine which delivers 1,479 horsepower (1,500 ps) and a maximum torque of 1,180 lb-ft (1,600 Nm). With figures like these, it can accelerate from zero to 62 mph (0-100 kph) in only 2.3 seconds, before maxing out to 261 mph (420 kph).

And this Czech millionaire wanted to make sure the French hypercar maker is telling the truth. Radim Passer shared the video on his YouTube channel, where he is seen whizzing past other drivers on the highway. The footage has already been viewed by over eight million people.

But, despite the fact that German highways are known to include sectors with no speed limits, he received a lot of backlash. Furthermore, the German government publicly criticized him. He replied to those claims, revealing he made the video at 4:50 am on a Sunday, when there were ten cars per ten kilometers, meaning one car per km. He had “good visibility” of 3-4 km ahead, and “enough time to react.

In theory, Passer did not break any law. But Germany’s Transport Ministry reacted in a statement saying that it “rejects any behavior in road traffic that leads or can lead to endangering road users.

Now prosecutors are investigating the 58-year-old millionaire for his alleged “illegal race,” The Sun reports, and the tycoon could face up to two years in prison for it, and a hefty fine might be on the way. Meanwhile, Swiss media refers to a five-year sentence. Police spokeswoman Doreen Guenther added: "We are looking at the possibility of a banned car race."

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About the author: Monica Coman
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Imagine a Wenn diagram for cars and celebrities. At the intersection you'll find Monica, putting her passion for these fields and English-Spanish double major to work. She's been doing for the past seven years, most recently at autoevolution.
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