NYC Man Sues After $315K Lamborghini Ticketed by Noise Camera

A Staten Island driver is suing over a noise ticket he received for his $315,000 Lamborghini, arguing that the fine should be dismissed because he didn't modify the car to make it louder.

Anthony Aquilino claimed the ticket was a mistake, as his 2018 Lamborghini Huracan Performante is entirely stock and compliant with city regulations.

"The fine amount is $800 for the first offense. The second offense is $1,700 & the third offense is $2,700," Aquilino told the New York Post. "How can anybody afford that? Especially if the city wants to move these cameras all across the five boroughs."

The car owner argues in a lawsuit filed last week in Manhattan Supreme Court that New York City law permits tickets only for cars intentionally modified to make them louder. His 2018 Lamborghini Huracan's V-10 engine is loud by its factory design.

His lawsuit claims that the only way to avoid future fines is to stop driving the two-seater supercar, which he describes as "undoubtedly unreasonable."

"The only remedy would be to sell the vehicle," Aquilino said. "How else do you fight the fine?"

Aquilino contends that, because he did not intentionally modify his car to be louder, he shouldn't legally be held responsible for any noise it makes. He also notes that the car is legal for city streets and passes inspection annually.

"I feel that if the residents are upset by noise and the city wants to crack down on noise — I don't disagree with it," Aquilino said. "I disagree with if a car is unmodified and you want to fine them."

Aquilino noted that he received the fine while he was "slowing down and going up 41st Street."

"So speed isn't a factor in this," he added.

About six weeks after receiving the ticket, Aquilino said he took his vehicle to a Manhattan dealership for an inspection, where they confirmed it had no aftermarket modifications.

"Aquilino did not 'cause or permit' the total sound from the Vehicle to exceed the sound level restrictions," the suit reads, "as he did not modify the Vehicle in any way and operated the Vehicle in an ordinary and reasonable manner."

In a statement to the Post, the city's law department said it will review Aquilino's suit.

"I'm not speeding. I'm not driving excessively. I was driving down 41st Street at a normal rate of speed and there's people walking by and they don't even pick up their heads," Aquilino further argued. "So if I was driving that recklessly or being that noisy, they would've picked up their heads like, What is that noise? No one even budges."

However, according to the Post, citing city violation data aggregated by the website How's My Driving NY, Aquilino received two tickets that same day, for skipping a red light in the West Village and speeding in a school zone.