Illegal autobahn racing? German police take 122 sports cars off the road
German police have stopped more than 100 sports cars found racing down the autobahn at speeds of up to 250 kilometers (155 miles) per hour. The drivers are suspected of taking part in an illegal race through Europe.
Lots of very fast cars
Police stopped the sports cars after being notified by other drivers on the autobahn alarmed by the speed at which the vehicles were traveling. Two helicopters were involved in the operation near the northern German city of Wismar.
Petrolheads galore
All the cars bore the inscription "Eurorally," the name of a Norway-based organization that runs group trips for car enthusiasts. If the drivers really were taking part in such an event, the planned route, according to the Eurorally website, was to take them from Oslo, Norway, via Kiel in Germany and on through Poland to the Czech capital, Prague.
Paying for the pleasure
The Eurorally trip costs drivers up to €799 ($892). The price includes "parties at every destination" on the four-day trip, according to the Eurorally website. Rostock police said that many of the cars bore Norwegian license plates. Other road users had called to complain of drivers traveling at speeds of around 250 km/h (155 mph).
High-end sports cars
Many of the cars, like this Lamborghini Diablo VT, would have had a six-figure price tag when new. While much of Germany's autobahn highway network has no speed limits, around 30 percent of the network does limit drivers to 130km/h (80 mph) or lower. Holding races on any public roads — speed limited or not — is illegal.