As of this month, it’s tougher than ever to drive a high-performance vehicle in Australia — something one Lamborghini owner found out the hard way. On the very first day of a new law, he ended up receiving what may be the inaugural ticket for driving an “ultra-high-performance vehicle” without the newly required license for it.
Earlier this year, the province of South Australia passed a law that requires anyone who wants to drive a car with a power-to-weight ratio of at least 370 hp per 1000 kg (2,200 pounds) to obtain an “ultra-high-performance-vehicle” (UHPV) license. It also requires these individuals leave features like traction control on at all times.
A 36-year-old man without a license plate on his Lamborghini Huracan STO found that out the hard way on December 1 when the law went into effect.
“About 7.30am on Sunday 1 December, police stopped a Lamborghini Huracan on Queensborough Avenue, Hillcrest after noticing it was not bearing a rear number plate. The officer identified the vehicle as being classed as an UHPV however checks on the man’s licence revealed that he did not have the required ‘U’ class license endorsement,” the South Australia Police said in a post on Facebook. The maximum penalty for this first-time offense is $1,625 USD ($2,500 AU).
Somewhat hilariously, obtaining this special license requires little more than an online exam that reportedly takes less than an hour to complete. That’ll set them back about $40 USD ($61 AU), and then bob’s your uncle, they now know how to safely pilot an ultra-high-performance vehicle. Do those who obtain this hallowed license get new privileges like driving at higher speeds or the freedom to pass in special places? Absolutely not. Their privilege is, in essence, simply continuing to be able to drive the car they were last month.
While it may sound wild to Americans, the new law is in keeping with a long history of strict Australian motor vehicle laws regarding driving behavior and car modification. Police can impound a vehicle after only a second offense in some hooning situations, for example.
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