Ton-up driver blamed ‘too quiet’ car for excessive M90 speed

A company director from Fife clocked speeding at 107mph said he never realised he was going so fast because his new hybrid car was too quiet.

Liam Torrance, 47, was caught driving his £150,000 Honda NSX sports car – which has a top speed of almost 200mph – on the motorway.

But he escaped a driving ban after a sheriff noted that the Crown prosecuted him under rules which meant he could not be disqualified.

Sheriff Keith O’Mahoney noted Torrance already has three points from a previous speeding offence but said he had no option but to let him stay on the road.

He said: “The accused has three live points from an analogous offence in June last year. Five points, discounted from six, is the maximum I can impose in a case of this nature.

“I am not going to discount that any further for the early plea, having regard to your high speed.”

Torrance was fined £600. Depute fiscal Tina Dickie told Perth Sheriff Court: “It was 12.30pm. The accused was detected by police travelling at 107mph in a 70mph limit.”

Torrance said: “The car is an electric hybrid and is very quiet and I was clearly not used to it.

“I have had the car fitted with an audible speeding alert since the incident to ensure I do not go over the speed limit.

“I have never been in any trouble in my life except for speeding offences. I have three points on my licence.”

Torrance, who runs Glenrothes engineering firm Euro Precision, admitted clocking 107mph on the M90 Perth to Edinburgh road on May 30.