Any one want to comment on this. It is generally stated that for every 5 mph over 55 will reduce your MPG by 5%. I just got home from the central Florida GTG (Thanks TheDon) in our 500SEL. On one segment of the trip home I had a moving average of 72 mph and got 19.9 mpg. If I loose 5% for each 5 mph then I should be able to get 17% better at 55, or 19.9 + 17% or 23.3 mpg. Well after 8 years of monitoring the mileage on this car, it ain't gonna happen. Well I did get 23 mpg one trip to Florida about 6 years ago. I was running with a pack of 18 wheelers early one morning. I wasn't drafting or anything like that, but just staying in the pack. Speed ranged from 80 to 100 for over 200 miles.
Now why does this car get better mileage at higher speed? I just calculated the mpg of a 126 going 140mph on the autobahn would give it a MPG of about 1, or 26 miles per tank at a 5%decrease per 5 mph. When they finish the bridge to Europe I am going over there and find out the truth.
I believe the Germans engineered these cars to go fast but the US government doesn't want us to know that. Can anyone say for sure what the mileage is for a 126 at say 130 mph on the autobahn?

OK let me have it.
Paul

PS all data came from gas tickets, speed and distance checked by gps and all calculations done on a spread sheet. So don't say I can't calculate, I didn't have to.

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84 500 SEL (307,xxx miles)