The city government seems unwilling to drop the ticket, even though the 911’s exhaust is unchanged
- A man driving a stock Porsche 911 was fined $800 because of the noise coming from its exhaust.
- Although he has argued with the government about it, he is still on the hook for the violation.
- Enthusiasts with loud stock exhaust systems should be aware that this is not the first similar incident.
For most people, tickets are part of owning and enjoying a collector’s vehicle, but in New York they are becoming increasingly difficult to avoid. New noise laws aimed at drivers with modified exhaust systems also affect those with stock exhaust systems. That’s the cold, hard reality one Porsche 911 owner experienced when an $800 speeding ticket showed up in his mail.
Last year, the state passed a law requiring the installation of numerous $35,000 noise cameras throughout the city. These cameras are designed for people who produce noise levels above 85 decibels. According to reports, the owner of the Porsche in question, a 2010 Porsche 911 Carrera S with standard exhaust, briefly exceeded this limit by 5.4 decibels for less than two seconds. Despite the brief violation, he received a ticket.
More: Angry neighbor uses expanding foam to silence Mustang’s loud exhaust
The driver in question, known as Jerry, shared his experience with the situation with Road & Track. He admits exceeding the speed limit and driving 25 miles per hour in a 35 mph zone. However, he insists that he did not “wring out” the emergency call. Rather, a video of the incident suggests that it only triggered the system slightly.
In the video, Jerry can be seen accelerating to the traffic light, triggering the camera to highlight his car. The camera recorded a noise level of 90.4 decibels and despite the short duration, it was enough for Jerry to receive a ticket. Understandably, Jerry was reluctant to pay an $800 fine for this temporary violation.
He says that despite a defense that highlighted that the 911 was stock and questioned the camera’s calibration, he is still on the hook for the ticket. Ultimately, it’s hard to argue that he didn’t break the law, even temporarily. At the same time, shouldn’t there be an exception for a production vehicle that was built and sold more than a decade before this law came into force?
More: Hyundai Elantra N owner receives traffic ticket for standard exhaust system, police want to sue dealer
This is also far from the first time this has happened. Just last year in California, a Hyundai Elantra N owner had to go to court for a similar noise violation related to his stock exhaust. The lesson is clear: Anyone with a loud exhaust, even a stock exhaust, needs to be careful in places with these noise laws.