‘Tempolimit? Nein, danke!’: why German petrolheads won’t slow down – despite the energy crisis

‘Tempolimit? Nein, danke!’: why German petrolheads won’t slow down – despite the energy crisis Driving fast is in ‘the German DNA’, say lovers of the speed-limit free autobahn, but support in the country for a restriction is growing D eath-defying thrills are not what draws Lutz Leif Linden to zip down the autobahn faster than a plane taking off. Instead, the feeling of freedom and an appreciation of technological mastery play a part in his “almost loving relationship” with driving cars faster than most people can imagine. The top speed he has reached on the road in Germany , the world’s only democracy without a blanket speed limit on motorways, is 400km/h (249mph). “It’s like an airplane,” said Linden, the president of the Automobile Club of Germany . “You are faster than an Airbus at start.” Often compared to the US’s attachment to guns, the German need for speed has weathered decades of pressure to hit the brakes even as environmental and political crises have mounted. Last week, the International Energy Agency issued the latest appeal for drivers to slow down as it urged countries to cushion the price shock from the biggest blow to oil supply in history. ​​The long-running debate over speed has become an emblem of a fight between shared green benefits and personal freedom in a country where cars – particularly fast ones – are still considered king. “It’s like the German DNA,” said Linden. Germany restricts speeds on about 70% of its autobahn, giving motorists on the rest of it the freedom to drive faster than the 130km/h (80mph) guideline. Public opinion has long been split on the merits of introducing a blanket tempolimit , but in recent years has tipped slightly in favour. Yet the political mood has not caught up. In Bavaria, the conservative home of carmakers such as BMW and Audi, the Christian Social Union channelled Germany’s famous anti-nuclear slogan in 2020 when it campaigned under the banner: “Tempolimit? Nein, danke!” Christian Lindner, a Porsche-drivi...