161mph on I81 Wade bridge today. :o)
03-24-2001, 07:04 PM
#31
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Whataride, LOL = Laugh out loud. 
MacGyver, I don't think Frank is debating speed differential. The point is therr are certain cars built to handle well at high speed(very few as well designed as our Stooks especially in the $30k range!). The risk of being on the road with a real "maniac" in a 1990 escort trying to do 85MPH is more likely to have a mechanical/handling failure/problem that results in an accident and possible harm!
I join a group of people here in Austin that have far different limits than I do (Lips included). They wait for the rest of us at turn offs (Thanks Lips!). I don't try to drive to their limits or the cars limits, I only drive to my limits. If the top drivers of our group were reckless and careless, I'd likely not drive with them. But many are much better drivers than I and have higher comfort zones.
Q1) If some of these people have spend more time on the track than I have in a performance car in my life, don't you think they can safely exceed MY LIMITS?
A1) Of course they can, AND DO!
If A1 is not correct, what do people waste the time and money on track time and training for? It is a place to advance your comfort zone in an enviroment that is meant for that purpose. The track is NOT the exclusive place to speed, anyone that says they never exceed posted limits on this board? Get real!
END SOAPBOX.....
MacGyver, I don't think Frank is debating speed differential. The point is therr are certain cars built to handle well at high speed(very few as well designed as our Stooks especially in the $30k range!). The risk of being on the road with a real "maniac" in a 1990 escort trying to do 85MPH is more likely to have a mechanical/handling failure/problem that results in an accident and possible harm!
I join a group of people here in Austin that have far different limits than I do (Lips included). They wait for the rest of us at turn offs (Thanks Lips!). I don't try to drive to their limits or the cars limits, I only drive to my limits. If the top drivers of our group were reckless and careless, I'd likely not drive with them. But many are much better drivers than I and have higher comfort zones.
Q1) If some of these people have spend more time on the track than I have in a performance car in my life, don't you think they can safely exceed MY LIMITS?
A1) Of course they can, AND DO!
If A1 is not correct, what do people waste the time and money on track time and training for? It is a place to advance your comfort zone in an enviroment that is meant for that purpose. The track is NOT the exclusive place to speed, anyone that says they never exceed posted limits on this board? Get real!
END SOAPBOX.....
03-24-2001, 07:13 PM
#32
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I am not saying 161 on I81 is a good idea 
BUT, I just moved from PA 8 months ago and can't think of any section of that road that is in shape for a 160+ run.
But if Scot drives that road everyday (or frequently), I guess he knows the potholes by name A pothole at 160+ would spell disaster for anyone near by!
BUT, I just moved from PA 8 months ago and can't think of any section of that road that is in shape for a 160+ run.But if Scot drives that road everyday (or frequently), I guess he knows the potholes by name
A pothole at 160+ would spell disaster for anyone near by!
03-24-2001, 07:48 PM
#34
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I think Scot is doing us all a public service. How the hell else would you know that top speed in reverse is 48 mph? You might be tempted to try it and find out. Thanks to Scot, there is no need 
Thanks Scot, now I can say to those who ask that is does 161 without having to actually go there. While I've never gone beyond 130 I can say this bud of mine did 161. I can do this without risking my licence, car or life.
Man, you rock!
Thanks Scot, now I can say to those who ask that is does 161 without having to actually go there. While I've never gone beyond 130 I can say this bud of mine did 161. I can do this without risking my licence, car or life.
Man, you rock!
03-24-2001, 07:51 PM
#36
Registered User
I think Montana changed that law now, but I'm not sure what the new limit is. I'm not going to give my extended opinion on this, but this sums it up quite well: "It's not illegal unless you get caught." That of course, does not apply to everything I do in my life.
03-24-2001, 08:07 PM
#38
Oh well. Found this on the Montana Department of Transportation web site:
http://www.mdt.state.mt.us/speed_limit/
http://www.mdt.state.mt.us/speed_limit/
03-25-2001, 04:20 AM
#40
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Lunacy and legality aside... The claims of an S2000 or any street car for that matter being better designed to handle 100+ mph than other cars is not a very valid argument.
1) kinetic energy goes up by velocity squared. That means if you wanted to be able to stop or do a lane change at 100+mph in the same time/distance as "regular" cars going 55mph, you will need to have brakes and tire grip of almost 4 times that of the average car - not going to happen unless you are driving an F1 or CART car. At 160 mph, you need almost 9 times the stopping or turning capability than the car going 55mph.
2) in most cases, driver skill is a bigger limiting factor. Reaction time, driving skills like knowing where to look going down the highway at speed, etc. etc. Esp. in the US where we are not used to it.
3) the highways are not a controlled environment like a track (and even that is arguable). You do not have corner workers looking out for debris or other adverse conditions. Instead, there could be anything on the road in front of you and even if you could see them, at 100+mph, you may not be able to do anything about them. In fact, just a bump in the road in a curve may be a problem.
4) the other drivers on the road are a bigger hazard. what if the person you pass does not see you because you came up so fast that he/she decides to change lane - even if 20-30 yards in front of you - you cannot react in time (in fact, neither can the car)
Just as an FYI, at 1:40am this morning, I get an email on my NSX mailing list. 4 hours before that, an NSX owner in Europe (now, was that Sweden or Switzerland), did a lane change that he thought was normal at 100+mph to get around some traffic. In a simple lane change manuever, he lost control of the car and bounced from the left guardrail to the right one - deploying the airbag and totalling the car. He walked away but it could have been much worse.
Be safe and do a continuous risk assessment when you drive.
1) kinetic energy goes up by velocity squared. That means if you wanted to be able to stop or do a lane change at 100+mph in the same time/distance as "regular" cars going 55mph, you will need to have brakes and tire grip of almost 4 times that of the average car - not going to happen unless you are driving an F1 or CART car. At 160 mph, you need almost 9 times the stopping or turning capability than the car going 55mph.
2) in most cases, driver skill is a bigger limiting factor. Reaction time, driving skills like knowing where to look going down the highway at speed, etc. etc. Esp. in the US where we are not used to it.
3) the highways are not a controlled environment like a track (and even that is arguable). You do not have corner workers looking out for debris or other adverse conditions. Instead, there could be anything on the road in front of you and even if you could see them, at 100+mph, you may not be able to do anything about them. In fact, just a bump in the road in a curve may be a problem.
4) the other drivers on the road are a bigger hazard. what if the person you pass does not see you because you came up so fast that he/she decides to change lane - even if 20-30 yards in front of you - you cannot react in time (in fact, neither can the car)
Just as an FYI, at 1:40am this morning, I get an email on my NSX mailing list. 4 hours before that, an NSX owner in Europe (now, was that Sweden or Switzerland), did a lane change that he thought was normal at 100+mph to get around some traffic. In a simple lane change manuever, he lost control of the car and bounced from the left guardrail to the right one - deploying the airbag and totalling the car. He walked away but it could have been much worse.
Be safe and do a continuous risk assessment when you drive.