Yahoo Autos Lamborghini Driver Sues NYC Over Noise Ticket for 'Not Modified' Exhaust
New York City's new "noise cameras" are now active, ready to hand out $800-plus tickets to drivers whose vehicles exceed 85 decibels. The cameras are a result of a law designed to curtail illegally modified loud cars, but the city has notably ticketed stock cars that violate the threshold, too. One Lamborghini Huracan Performante driver isn't taking that lightly; having been ticketed for noise coming from what he says is a stock car, and that driver is now suing the city.
The Lambo's owner, Anthony Aquilino, claims in a filing that he "did not cause or permit" his car to go over the sound limit because "the vehicle is not modified in any way." The document includes extensive claims that the car is completely stock, including a December 2023 diagnostic from a local dealer confirming the fact.
In May, a stock Porsche 911 driver who received a similar ticket spoke to Road & Track. That driver appealed their case on the grounds that their car was stock twice and was denied both times. A video shared with R&T shows the cameras registering a peak noise of 90.4 decibels, which a judge saw as enough to uphold the ticket — whether the driver's car was stock or not.
That precedent may be bad news for Aquilino's case. His case could also be hurt by two other traffic violations that popular New York traffic citation registry How's My Driving notes on the same day — November 4th, 2023. Those include two $50 tickets: one for failing to stop at a red light and one for speeding in a school zone. Records indicate that Aquilino has already paid both.
What sets this apart from the previous case we reported, however, is that Aquilino is escalating to the point of a lawsuit against the city, rather than filing a simple appeal. While it may not be enough to get his $800 fine dropped — or to keep him from accruing future fines that escalate to $1700 and $2700 — it could begin a process that leads to a change in the law. Until then, drivers of particularly loud cars should be aware that New York City will hand out noise violation tickets... whether those cars are modified or not.
Via The New York Post.
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