A  Swiss man who was caught driving his Ferrari through a village at 137 km/h (85 mph) has been fined $290,000 (£180,000) by a court.

The penalty was based on the millionaire motorist's wealth and down to the fact he is a repeat offender.  The court said in its judgement: "The accused ignored elementary traffic rules with a powerful vehicle out of a pure desire for speed."

This is the highest fine a Swiss court has handed out for speeding, and is more than double the highest amount previously handed out to a Porsche driver in 2008.

Full story - BBC news 07/01/10