At 14 40, Luis left Town X for Town Y, driving at a speed of 87 km/h. At 16 40, John also left Town X for Town Y driving at a certain speed. Both of them did not change their speed throughout the journey. At 19 40, both of them passed a florist that was 261 km away from Town Y. How many minutes earlier did John reach Town Y than Luis?

Distance that Luis travelled
= 5 x 87
= 435 km

Distance between Town X and Town Y
= 435 + 261
= 696 km

Since John passed the florist at the same time as Luis, it means that John travelled 435 km in 3 hours.

John's speed during the journey
= 435 ÷ 3
= 145 km/h

Duration that John took to reach Town Y after passing the florist
= 261 ÷ 145
= 1.8 h

Duration that Luis took to reach Town Y after passing the florist
= 261 ÷ 87
= 3 h

Difference between the time they took to reach Town Y
= 3 - 1.8
= 1.2 h

1 h = 60 min
1.2 h = 1.2 x 60 = 72 min

John reached Town Y 72 minutes earlier than Luis.

Answer(s): 72 min