Speeding Swede made to pay massive Swiss fine

A Swede who was fined 27,000 Swiss francs ($30,000) after being clocked driving his luxury Mercedes at 290 km/h in Switzerland last year has lost his appeal to have the fine reduced.

• Facebook video puts brakes on Swedish speedster's Swiss appeal (3 Oct 11)

In August 2010, the 37-year-old Swede revved the engine of his $240,000 Mercedes-Benz to 290 km/h on the A12 motorway, a new record speed at the time. 

The man was arrested and his luxury vehicle was impounded.

The Swede appealed the fine, however, claiming his speedometer had become stuck and he didn't realise he was driving so fast.

His defence was also complicated by the emergence of a Facebook video clip showing his speedometer maxed out at 260 km/h. Sounds of a small child can also be heard in the clip, which the Swede claims was filmed in Germany.

On Tuesday, a Swiss court rejected the man's appeal and upped his fine from the equivalent of 180 days pay to 300 days pay, bringing the total fine to 45,000 francs, the Swiss newspaper Blick reported.

Driving more than 25 kilometres an hour over the 120-kilometre speed limit on motorways in Switzerland is regarded as a criminal offence, and fines are based on a driver's income.

However, half of the fine was then suspended by the court, and after deducting court costs and a 20,000 franc deposit already paid by the Swede, he ended up owing just over 200 francs.

On Tuesday, the Swede failed to turn up at his appeal hearing. According to his attorney, the 37-year-old had suffered an asthma attack and was unable to attend.