Episode from a german Autobahn... - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Eberhard Weilke · #1 08-22-2002, 06:37 PM

...talked to a friend of mine on the telephone this evening.

He asked me for advise how he should have handled the following situation:

He was cruising in his 300 E at about 210 km/h in northern Germany heading south, back home. Suddenly he caught up to a Ford Scorpio 2.9i Police cruiser on the left lane with the blue lights flashing cruising at about 200 km/h (the lights on the roof are a major backdraw)

What should he do, since they didn't let him go his way?

I have no idea how he should have handled the situation

Kind regards
Eberhard
(who, after this story, had in his mind the old Porsche ad for the US-market showing an Autobahnpolizei-Porsche with the line "In Germany, there are no gettaway-cars")

#2 08-22-2002, 07:53 PM

Cop with lights on...... He simply should have set back and stayed benind him.

Scratching my head though. How could he have "suddenly" come up behind the criuser with only a 10kph difference in speed?

rickjordan · #3 08-23-2002, 02:05 AM

I hope to drive on the Autobahns again. I have put in for orders (Air Force) to Germany. I was in your country back in '96 for about a week. We were running around in a German spec. Ford Escort. Your highways are much better than ours here and most people seem to have proper driving manners. Should I get orders, I don't know which car I would bring, my VW or the Mercedes. I say that because the TD's top end is only 103 mph (165 km/h). Whereas my Passat will do 130 mph (200km/h).

omegabenz · #4 08-23-2002, 03:56 AM

maybe they were trying to block cars from going really fast for a reason. I know in america sometimes people that fly cessna's (sp) you know the little airplanes run out of fuel and police block off the road for them to land. I dont know if they would ever do that in germany, but maybe there was a spil or a big accident ahead. I have heard of this...trucks doing 100 kph in the right lane, middle lane one does 105 kph to pass, then another truck does 110 kph to pass and a mercedes comes up at 270 kph because hes a business man flying low, and hits the truck...maybe they were trying to warn of the situation????

jjrodger · #5 08-23-2002, 04:58 AM

Surely he should do just what all those 996 Turbo drivers do when they come up behind S-Classes flat out at 155mph: he should take up position ten feet off the cop's rear bumper and get on those headlight flashers. That's the German way, right?

Eberhard Weilke · #6 08-23-2002, 06:42 AM

Well...

they weren't blocking the road for anybody landing or any trucks passing (if they would take care of trucks passing they would be pretty busy), they were just trying to go as fast as possible

Going around 200 kph everything is some kind of suddenly

Anyway. With the lights flashing they have the way of right. But shouldn't they at least let people pass

Or they should get real cars:

Kind regards
Eberhard

Holson Adi · #7 08-23-2002, 10:12 AM

I wonder how fast a late model 280E with a 5-speed manual can go... I'd love to have a 280CE w/ 5-Speed.. I'd gladly trade my diesel..

omegabenz · #8 08-23-2002, 11:16 AM

one of my friends got my diesel to 117 mph.

jjrodger · #9 08-26-2002, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by omegabenz
one of my friends got my diesel to 117 mph.

Did he push it off a cliff?

omegabenz · #10 08-26-2002, 01:24 PM

No he didnt push it off a cliff. It was on a straight away at 6000 feet. I have a coupe so its a little lighter. Maybe we will do it again and Ill take a picture.

Eberhard Weilke · #11 08-26-2002, 01:45 PM

It is not the weight, it is the cw and ca which determines the force you have to overcome and which determine the top speed. Weight pretty much has nothing to do with it, it increases a little the force at the tires. But that is diminutive.

BTW: Your road construction vehicle sized tires are a step into the totally wrong direction (plus they eventually ruin your front axle)

Maybe a stock C 123.153 with the 2,85 rear axle of the last model year with stock wheels might be capable of going 117 mph, in this case I seriously doubt that the car reached that speed.

Kind regards
Eberhard

Mercedes Fred · #12 08-26-2002, 03:17 PM

Would the police have charged the driver if he passed their police car in the other lane? i.e., is it illegal to pass on the right side or to pass a flashing police vehicle?

here the police flash and sound the siren in order to move obstructing vehicles blocking a clear path but as the driver in this case was going faster than the police and therefore not blocking or inhibiting them, his passing them is of no consequence to the police, unless they have an ego problem

yal · #13 08-26-2002, 03:47 PM

I would've pulled in behind the cop at a safe distance of say 40 feet and cruised on at 200kph, after all its that far off 210 kph and its certainly better than a ticket for passing on the right.

omegabenz · #14 08-26-2002, 04:01 PM

cw and ca what are you refering to. Center of Mass Crossectional Frontal Area. I would say speeds over 160 matter more with Crossectional area than the mass of the vehicle. The 117mph was achieved with 195.65.R15 tires. Standard is 205/70/R14. Ruin front axle, you mean have to replace the wheel bearings. If thats the case, Im not too worried because I will have to do that soon anyway with the amount of miles.

Eberhard Weilke · #15 08-26-2002, 04:58 PM

Well, standard on the 123 Coupe was 195 tire, nothing else. 205 wasn't included in the original setup. Problem is, that with wider tires you increase the stress on the front axle. Not so much the bearings, they are pretty solid (pretty much the same as in the 116 and 126), but the rubber bearings of the lower and the upper arm and, to the most part, the stearing box. And that is a pretty pricy item.

In general the front axle of the 123 is not one of the solidest construction Mercedes ever designed.

If you look at the topspeed you gained take into consideration that you usually have a 7% tolerance at the speedometer. At least.

Kind regards
Eberhard