ROME (AFP) - One of Italy's top executives was caught speeding on a motorway in northern Italy at 311 kilometres (193 miles) per hour while trying out his new car.

Riccardo Ruggiero, who runs Telecom Italia, the country's main telecoms operator with a turn over of 30 billion euros last year, told police he was just putting his new Porsche Carrera GT through its paces, the daily La Stampa said Saturday.

He was fined 357 euros (435 dollars) and lost 10 of the 20-points on his driving licence and will also face a suspension of his license for one to three months, as decided by police.