We've all been there. No matter where they come from or what they're behind the wheel of, every driver out there has their own excuse for breaking the speed limit – maybe they're late for work, or maybe their wife is having a baby, or maybe they just really need a bathroom break. Whatever the reason, it probably won't beat the whopper Lotus CEO Jean-Marc Gales' lawyers came up with to get out of a suspended license for going 36 mph over the limit – “ likes to test drive cars himself.”

Continue reading for the full story.

The Full Story

The basics of the story are pretty straightforward – a 54-year-old male is caught speeding in a high-end sports car, clocking in at 102 mph in a 70-mph zone. The driver in question has a history of speeding on that very road, and with the repeat offenses, he will likely lose his license.

But here's the twist – the 54-year-old in this story is Jean-Marc Gales, chief executive officer at Lotus. He's caught on the A11, a road located near Lotus' headquarters in Norwich, England, while presumably out for a test drive, and despite already accumulating several points on his license, Gales gets off with a relatively light punishment.

According to a recent report from the U.K. publication The Telegraph, Gales' defense team managed to convince the powers that be to not add any more points and yank his license for a year, given it was imperative he be able to test drive the cars himself.

The Telegraph, Gales' defense team managed to convince the powers that be not to add any more points and yank his license for a year, given it was imperative he be able to test drive the cars himself|align=center>

In the end, Gales ended up with a meager 30-day driving ban, which is basically a slap on the wrist compared to the full suspension in line with this sort of infraction. A 6- or even 12-month ban would have been the likely result for any other speeder in his position.

Of course, Gales still has the maximum number of points allowable on his license, meaning that if he gets caught again, it'll likely result in a suspension. Maybe. The extra points were added in 2014, when Gales was caught doing 96 mph on the same stretch of road, resulting in a fine of £400 ($569 at current exchange rates) and five points towards his license. He currently has eight points total.

It was also suggested that Gales stick to Lotus' test track to carry out the high-speed runs, rather than the A11.

“There are people out there doing far worse – someone driving at 35 mph on their mobile phone is far more dangerous ,” said Simon Nicholls, Gales' attorney.

In all honesty, it's not that surprising that the CEO of Lotus was caught speeding, or that he has so many points on his license. With regards to the light punishment, well, does it seem fair? No, not really. But you won't hear any complaints from us, just so long as we get the next Lotus Exige Cup shipped to these shores.

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