Has anyone ever asked you how far your speedometer goes?

[AdamK47]

I've had this happen to me three times now. Each time I look at them confused as to why they would even ask me that question. They ask it as if it were some magical indicator of how fast your car can go. I tell them 200MPH and their eyes get wide. Maybe I should tell them it only goes to 80.

 

[woodie1]

Wasn't there a time in the USA when 85mph was the limit? Yes, I have been ask but it was a long time ago.

 

[Gillbot]

I get asked often, mnine goes to 220 but probably could never actually reach that speed.

 

[Pacfanweb]

It's more of a relevant question on the old circular speedos. I had a vehicle where "0" was at about 8 o'clock and "100" was at 4 o'clock. The speedo would go back around to almost 30. :Q


Then again, I had one that stopped at 85, but the car would go much faster. When slowing down after a top speed run, the needle would just sit on 85 awhile before it would start coming down.

 

[Toastedlightly]

Mine goes to 85. Pegged easily.

 

[Tiamat]

The car that I drove the most was an 85 Caravan. Its speedometer maxed at 85, but I was never able to get it that high on the highway when passing other cars

 

[jagec]

130 and 140, I believe. Neither vehicle is able to peg it, unless a cliff is involved.

 

[Dudewithoutapet]

Some (ignorant) people believe thats the max speed of a car?

 

[GoatMonkey]

I've had a cop ask me how fast I've taken my car up to. I was on the side of the highway changing a flat and he pulled over to help. He asks me this when we're standing in front of his car, where they keep the video camera, not sure if it was running. I had to decline to answer, but I told him that Mustangs can get up to around 140 - 145 or so, if they're on a race track.

 

[exdeath]

Mine goes to 160 which is a perfectly reasonable place for it to end. Electronic limiter cuts at 155 and it can go faster if removed, but not really safe without some serious aero and cooling system upgrades. World speed record on the salt flats is 213 mph for the 2003 Cobra, with the aforementioned upgrades.

I've never had it over 100, which can be reached before the top of third, on public roads. Fortunately for me I got my raw speed bug out with much slower cars before I ever got my Cobra. Now I just enjoy the g-force and acceleration and smoking the tires more than watching how high my speedo can go.

I've started even taking a liking to cornering. Amazing how not so fast you can go around a right hand corner and still feel yourself wanting to eject out of the driver side window with the seat belt digging into your shoulder Though I still like to know I can experience the same forces under my own power as well when there isn't a corner.

 

[FDF12389]

Mine goes to 120 and can reach it. But speed alone is no indication of the value of a vehicle, let alone the speedometer.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: exdeath
Mine goes to 160 which is a perfectly reasonable place for it to end. Electronic limiter cuts at 155 and it can go faster if removed, but not really safe without some serious aero and cooling system upgrades. World speed record on the salt flats is 213 mph for the 2003 Cobra, with the aforementioned upgrades.

I've never had it over 100, which can be reached before the top of third, on public roads. Fortunately for me I got my raw speed bug out with much slower cars before I ever got my Cobra. Now I just enjoy the g-force and acceleration and smoking the tires more than watching how high my speedo can go.

I've started even taking a liking to cornering. Amazing how not so fast you can go around a right hand corner and still feel yourself wanting to eject out of the driver side window with the seat belt digging into your shoulder Though I still like to know I can experience the same forces under my own power as well when there isn't a corner.

I love cornering. My problem is that if I leave a small item somewhere in the car (cellphone, keys, screwdriver, whatever), I sometimes forget it and hear a sudden BANG! on the door when I take a corner

And then there's driving with a backpack on the seat...downshift for the corner, stick your right arm out to hold the backpack in place while your left grips the wheel to countersteer and keep the back end in alignment...don't do this if there are ANY houses or other traffic around, of course.

 

[Epic22]

Originally posted by: Gillbot
I get asked often, mnine goes to 220 but probably could never actually reach that speed.

220?! what do you drive?

 

[Gillbot]

Originally posted by: exdeath
I've never had it over 100, which can be reached before the top of third, on public roads.

:shocked:

I've had mine to ~125 in the 1/4 mile. I don't go crazy on the streets, my car color isn't very common which makes it an easy target the law enforcement officers. No reason to give them any ammo to pull me over if I don't need to. I think there are only maybe 2 or 3 other cars in this area the same color as mine.

Originally posted by: Epic22

Originally posted by: Gillbot
I get asked often, mnine goes to 220 but probably could never actually reach that speed.

220?! what do you drive?

See sig.

 

[nateholtrop]

Originally posted by: AdamK47
I've had this happen to me three times now. Each time I look at them confused as to why they would even ask me that question. They ask it as if it were some magical indicator of how fast your car can go. I tell them 200MPH and their eyes get wide. Maybe I should tell them it only goes to 80.

I get the same look all the time and then they ask if the gauges came in yellow like that. Love it...

 

[Raduque]

Mine only goes to 100.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: woodie1
Wasn't there a time in the USA when 85mph was the limit? Yes, I have been ask but it was a long time ago.

Yes, in the 1980's the US government mandated all speedometers stop at 85 mph. The idea was that by making the speedometer max out at 85, people would be fooled into thinking that 55 mph was faster because the needle was farther along the range that it would be with a higher maximum value.

Instead, it ended up with a lot of smart-ass people telling traffic cops that they honestly didn't know how fast they were going because the speedometer stopped at 85.

As for me, the 951 has its last number as 160 and the last tick-mark at 170. At the rev limiter in 5th it should be just past 170. Fastest I ever had it was ~145. Racetracks are fun.

ZV

 

[ultimatebob]

The one on my Mini goes to 150. The turbo edition might come close to that if you're racing down a hill or something, but it's silly for the base model to use the same speedo when it tops out at 125.

My old Audi was even worse... The speedo went up to 160 on that car even though it topped out at 130.

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: ultimatebob
The one on my Mini goes to 150. The turbo edition might come close to that if you're racing down a hill or something, but it's silly for the base model to use the same speedo when it tops out at 125.

My old Audi was even worse... The speedo went up to 160 on that car even though it topped out at 130.

yea common folk always think that if your speedo says 150, your car can go 150

 

[Mojoed]

Some people aren't car enthusiasts or afficionados like you guys. These people see cars as point A to point B devices that they put gas in once in awhile.

I wouldn't go so far as to call people ignorant who may think a car goes as fast as the highest number on the speedometer.

 

[imported_Truenofan]

150 on mine, but my tach is far larger and dead center in my console so i don't really pay attention to the spedo as much as the tach, fuel, oil pressure, water temp, gas and battery level.
best example i could find. i know i can do 120-130 in 4th, the n/a seems to be really slow in 5th though.
http://imagehost.vendio.com/bi...00/rx7addict/ACA33.JPG

 

[SVT Cobra]

Mine goes 160. 125 in the top of 3rd. 155 4th

5th and 6th are over drive ratios

 

[fbrdphreak]

Originally posted by: SVT Cobra
Mine goes 160. 125 in the top of 3rd. 155 4th

5th and 6th are over drive ratios

Not to question a Cobra owner, but I thought the ratios in an 03 Cobra topped 3rd at like 108 mph.

Specs 2003 Cobra 2006 GTO
Engine DOHC 4.6L OHV 6.0L
Stock RWHP 360-370 340-350
Curb Weight 3700 lb 3700 lb
Stock Tire Width 275 245
1st Gear (Max MPH) 2.66 (53 MPH) 2.97 (48 MPH)
2nd Gear 1.78 (79 MPH) 2.07 (69 MPH)
3rd Gear 1.3 (108 MPH) 1.43 (100 MPH)
4th Gear 1.00 (140 MPH) 1.00 (143 MPH)
5th Gear 0.8 (175 MPH) 0.84 (171 MPH)
6th Gear 0.63 0.57
Final Drive 3.55 3.46
600-ft Slalom 64.1 MPH 62.4 MPH
Lateral Accel. 0.85g 0.83g

DOn't mind the GTO numbers to the right.

 

[fbrdphreak]

One guy in a Mercedes how fast I'd had the Goat up - I answered somewhere in the 120 range, apparently he'd gone to 150 and his car felt very stable. Woohoo. I don't give a crap about top speeds and frankly, I don't like to drive in the triple digits on public roads. What I care is about acceleration. The G's pulling you either into your seat, or the lateral G's trying to throw you to the side in a fast turn.

True story: I was at my parent's house for Easter and for whatever reason, invited some "church friends" over as well :roll: So this guy seems like a real housewife - drives a minivan and everything. My Dad tells him a bit about my car, say it has 400 HP.

Housewife guy: "400HP in that little car?"
Me: "Yep, she's pretty heavy for a 2-door but she's still pretty quick."
Housewife guy: "Wow. And how big is the gas tank?"
Me: "Uh.....uh......16 gallons......"
Housewife guy: "Wow, that's huge!"
Me: "Uh......................."

My wife told me later he asked my Dad how big the gas tank was in his Avalanche - I bet he got real excited over the size of THAT gas tank :shocked:

Yes, some how he was equating vehicle performance to gas tank size...that's worse than how high the speedometer goes.

 

[GoatMonkey]

My first car was a 1978 Monte Carlo with a 305 and a 3 speed automatic. The speedometer went up to 85. The display for the automatic transmission's position was at the bottom of the speedometer. If you went over 85 the needle for the speedometer would touch the needle pointing to "D". So, it's top speed was D MPH.