Car enthusiasts in the UK have a new aspect of law enforcement to look out for because Big Brother isn’t just watching traffic anymore, but listening in too. Acoustic noise cameras in select London councils can now measure how loud a car’s exhaust is, with fines being sent to offending owners after reviewing security camera footage. For one supercar driver in London though, things were a lot more straightforward. In a video posted to social media, a Lamborghini Siān is seen revving its hybrid V12 at a traffic light, only to be pulled over by a police vehicle in the next lane.
It’s a common enough occurrence, going by the tons of videos of cars exiting car shows more enthusiastically than legally allowed, only to be taken by surprise by waiting police forces. While the internet seems to carry a range of reactions, from derision that the police are wasting their time pulling over loud cars instead of keeping crime in check, to reinforcement against these “anti-social” activities, the jury’s still out on how much of a difference spot-checking makes.
In the case of this rare 1-of-63 Lamborghini Sián for example, a pedestrian may have asked the driver to rev up the engine to get a taste of what Lamborghini’s first-ever hybrid V12 sounds like. It isn’t every day that one spots the $3 million Sián FKP 37, and certainly not every day that one can hear the Sián’s 808 horsepower hybrid-enhanced V12 clear its throat either.
As for the acoustic noise cameras that drivers in London have to keep an eye out for, the system has had fair success from an enforcement perspective — over 369 drivers have been fined since it was set up in 2021. The council has earned over £25,000 in the year or so it’s been operational. Reports claim repeat offenders have been very few, which points to the system working to reduce street racing and disruptive behavior from drivers with loud cars. Residents seem to appreciate the acoustic cameras, since they don’t have to worry about loud cars racing by their homes at night. The system also keeps the dreaded pops-and-bangs fans at bay, considering the camera is triggered by loud sounds, then allowing personnel to scan security camera footage to find the likely offender.
From an enthusiast’s point of view, it could be seen as a step in an unfortunate direction. But if more enthusiasts enjoyed their machines more responsibly on the street, and on a racetrack where possible, these measures wouldn’t have been put in place. It all goes to show that sometimes restraint truly is the best option.
