This would piss me off!
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvsNn-26d-s&mode=related&search=


)(*&)(*&A%)^(&$)(A^& limiter.:rolleyes: MB is pulling this crap with all there cars now, I think even the S600 is limited to 130. WTF?

Tires. After your first set, if you don't use tires rated for your top-speed you put yourself at serious risk of a high speed blowout.

Even the Bugatti Veyron has a speed limiter: From wiki
"The driver must, using the key, toggle the lock to the left of his seat in order to use the maximum speed of 253 miles per hour (407 km/h). Theoretically it can go faster but it is electronically limited to 253 miles per hour (407 km/h) to prevent tire damage. The key functions only when the vehicle is at a stop when a checklist then establishes whether the car—and its driver—are ready to enable 'top speed' mode. If all systems are go, the rear spoiler retracts, the front air diffusers close and the ground clearance, normally 4.9 inches (12.4 cm), drops to 2.6 inches (6.6 cm)."

Clarkson mentioned that there are two keys, one for normal mode....and one for the 253mph FUN mode. ;)

What, you'd be pissed cause you could only go 160 mph?!

Maybe there's a 12 step program called adrenaline junkies anonymous.

I would.

Why? If you want to quit, you don't need the 12 step dance. If you are unwilling to quit, you are only prolonging the inevitable.

Firstly if I had such a car I'd have aftermarket Brabus wheels on it, with the highest performance and speed rated Bridgestone, or Mich tires I could stick on them. MB on the other hand wants to be cheap and use H rated tires.

You can bet I would be pissed, what if I were racing a 911T or 360? He would &)(_)* pass me.:mad: Its a $100k car you pay for that speed, you should get it.

There are very good reasons why you will receive harsh legal sanction if you get caught doing that speed on public roadways.

The margin of error diminishes as the speed goes up. How many families do you think it's OK to endanger or kill because you think it's your God given right to do 160 on publicly funded highways?

You want to do it on a track, seems like the limiter could be taken off, no?

Automotive magazines have been reporting for years that most big German sedans are factory limited to 250km/h, let it be Benz, Bimmer or Audi. You can order your new ride with or without the limiter (may not be an option in the States).
In Japan all domestic models are factory limited to 180km/h.
Technically only imports can go faster, hence my race with a Volvo two weeks ago. We hit 200km/h when my wife blew a fuse so I backed off, not to mention the fact that the suspension on an Avantgarde E320 is too soft for that kind of speed unless driven on a straight road.
The highway was nearly deserted at the time, however there are cameras all over Japan and it can be a very expensive exercise.

Alex

I agree - who needs to go over 160mph here in the States? If you're on the Autobahn all bets are off and in fact Porsches have been allowed to break the gentleman's rule regarding a hard limit of 155mph. This was because the manufacturers determined that Porsche has made it's namesake on being a high speed car, so to limit it would hurt their sales.
Dacia - I was under the impression that the Japanese gentleman's agreement was actually a limit to under 300hp and that many manufacturers underrated their cars as to not break the rule. Can you clarify the rules there in Japan?

Thanks
Peter

I want to know, where do you do 160mph, in the dark, while one hand holds a video camera? And who's dumb enough to take a hand off the wheel at 160?

And it most certainly does not piss me off that there's a limiter for US highways.

I am not sure about the horsepower issue (a lot of Japanese I talk to can't even tell me what kind of cars they are driving, they do know the manufacturer and the model but that's about it) but North-American market models have certainly broken that "agreement". Both Lexus and Infiniti have more powerful engines.
Very few things around here decided by "gentleman's agreement", it seems to be one of the most tightly controlled and over regulated country in the world.

Alex

Of course it would be done on a closed track with a professional driver.;) :)

Actualy there are roads in the tri state area where you can do 200+mph. As a Lambo recently proved, no problem just do it at about 5am and watch for traffic.;)

The limiter would be the first thing to go when I get such a car.

Most German speedos read high and are non-linear in their error. I had a Porsche Turbo and I had it pegged at 165, it was probably doing 150-155 in reality. Either way you couldn't get a needle the size of a hair in my ass that baby was puckered so tight.

I call BS on anybody who claims they can do anything but drive in a straight line above 150, unless you are on a banked track. And half of those people would be in the wall when their suspension unloaded coming off the banks and they discovered one of Newtons laws of motion....Actually discover one, then another.

I have a DVD of a Lambo doing 180-200 on a typical road, looks like any major highway in upstate NY/CT. Driver's hands had a death grip on the wheel, surprisingly little drama other than that. Car vibrated a bit past 180, probably due to road imperfections. The road was not straight and the car turned at 150+ without any drama. Also passing the handful of cars that were on said road at that speed is scary! I wouldn't do it, he was blowing past cars doing 80mph in the center lane with a 100mph speed difference. Nuts if you ask me.

Not something that I would do, personally. Not because the road or car couldn't handle it, because they could. But because someone could change lanes in front of you, and your DOA. Speed differentials and other drivers is a bad combo, this isn’t Germany. People are not used to cars in the left going 100mph+ faster than they are.

Seriously speed is fun, just don't be stupid about it.

My Tahoe is limited to 100 MPH. Drat.