OT: Talking Cars Tuesday - Speed Edition
Maybe it was from your motorcycle as you listened to K-Log and drove down a runway next to an F-14.
Maybe it was chasing your girlfriend who had a REALLY awesome and badass Porsche
Maybe it was on a work trip to Germany on the unrestricted Autobahn. What's the fastest you've ever driven? Was it legal? What was the fastest car you've ever driven? We did a biggest/most powerful/etc. a while ago, but let's hear about the need... the need for Speed!
145, Dodge SRT-4, uncomfortably fast. Now 90 is really pushing it.
My fastest ride was back in college at UM - mazdaspeed protege built block forged pistons/rods 14-16psi of boost on a garrett gt3037s turbo. Made 350 whp
Here she is spanking a srt-4 stage 2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yy9U5fUDvI
now im slumming around in this s2000:
Work trip, rental VW Passat Diesel (Euro version, not the Americanized one we get here). I was quite comfortable driving at 90-100mph on the autobahn. Ze Germans I was with hit the top speed of about 130mph - fastest I've been as a passenger.
Fastest car I've ever driven? Probably my current GTI. Either that or an original Boxster. I may set new records when I head to an autocross in a month or two also...
Bought a 2015 GTI a few months ago. Love that car, and though lots of people mod them up I'm plenty happy with the stock acceleration. Just wish it had blue instead of red accents!
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I am cautious, accident prone, and am aware of my limitations therefore, I keep my risky behavior to a minimum.
When I was 14, my cousin and I took a VW Rabbit off my uncle's used car lot and went speeding up and down East Torch Lake Drive. It had just started sprinkling, and being an inexperienced driver, I swerved to avoid something on the road, Of course, I lost control of the back end, snaked back and forth, over-compensated and ended up powersliding onto the gravel shoulder. The car went up on 2 wheels, hung there for what felt like a minute, and finally slammed back to the ground on all four. Since then, I've tried to keep my speed in check.
Years later, I did take my Heritage Softail Classic over 100, just to feel what it's like.
@JeepinBen this would bee a good idea for a topic. i.e biggest near miss/code brown moment.
Next week on TCT - Code Brown
Sadly (or awesomely) I have a couple of Code Brown moments to tell.
Mine are all low-speed Jeep related though. Thought I rolled twice. One was topless and doorless in mud and that would have been a true "code brown"
My 19 year old nephew was driving his mom's Jeep Cherokee between Frankfort and Crystal Lake. It was snowing and he was driving a bit too fast - it's easier to get your own kid to slow down than a nephew - we come over the crest of a hill and on the other side there is a pickup with a trailer jack knifed in the middle of the snowy road.
He swerved, over corrected and proceeded to roll the car into a ditch in the National Forest. Thankfully we did not blast a tree head-on or nail the stuck truck. We walked away fine but the car was totaled. Cop gave us a ride to the Homestead resort where we had to call a car service in TC to come to Glen Arbor and get us to the TC airport to get a rental to get back to Detroit. No cabs in that part of Michigan.
Interesting fact was that the tow company said they cannot use power saws in a national forest so thankfully they could get the car anyway, but I guess if it is totaled who cares?
I've done 120ish in a couple of different Mustangs. Suprisingly it didn't feel all that fast.
In a couple cars
- My Mazdaspeed 3
- My Dad's boss' Ferrari (Montach? not one of the better ferraris)
- BMW X6 Hybrid (We designed the battery for it and had a sample test vehicle)
Riding passenger 130 mph in high school in my buddy's Datson on some back roads. Can't remember if it was a 240 or not. I just remember being scared shitless in that thing.
a big red disaster!
Yeah, It was not a great car to drive. The seating position is awkward. My dad, who is 6 ft, kept knocking levers coming off the steering cloumn with his knees. It was a very long car with the mid engine and plus 2. I think it was one of the only ferraris to drop in price almost immedeately and continue to drop.
But then again I also like Porsche 928's and XJ12's
Current car of about 5 months has 408 HP, but have not exercised it fully yet. Fastest was about 130 MPH on a closed track on the straight away. It was a 1993 Porsche 911 RS America. Always afraid of getting tickets. Last Sunday at a Cars and Coffee event in NOVA, cops were everywhere on the roads to and from the venue.
vs all of the other porsche models? Not that I am or will ever be in that predicament, but just wondering what put you to the GTS vs a Carrera 4s or even a Caymen S. From what I have read, the GTS is an amazing track car. Do you get a lot of track days? How are the daily commutes/ drives?
When the powerball was ridiculous recently (we understand math and didn't buy tickets) I let my mind wander to my perfect DD, and I landed on a 911 Targa 4 GTS in blue. (Minus the new 911R) the GTS is the fastest one with 3 pedals.
I did the same, but landed on the carrera 4S and Volvo XC-90. The thought behind the 4s is that it would be an easier car to handle for an amatuer, and I could drive it year round with some snow tires.
I always have a few Lotto cars picked out for myself.
It is a 2012 and I'm the second owner after first 16,000 miles. Loved the aero cup spoilers on the car and it was equipped the way I would have bought it new. So, did not compare all the models prior to purchase. Not tracked yet and I have an Infiniti Q60 IPL as my daily driver. The GTS replaces my 1993 911 which I owned for 16 years.
Would be terrified of speeding in NoVa. My brother got a misdemeanor driving 15 over on the way back from the Outer Banks.
Maserati Ghibli SQ4 (my weekend car, 3 months old). 100 mph on I70 westbound. No inclinication to go any faster.
Maryland drivers seem to be the most aggressive in the DMV, so perhaps the VA cops have it easy finding ticketable offenses.
114 mph on M14 riding a 1984 Honda Magna.
Not surprisingly, that felt fast (and was really stupid).
120 mph while on a work trip in Germany in a Peugeot. Not a bad rental car but that was the top speed while going down hill. Next time I hope to talk my way into an Audi or something similar to top that speed. Driving 100 mph or so on the Autobahn is a nice drive, especially in German cars because they are so smooth to drive at those speeds.
My boss has a crazy suped up Audi that goes around 200 mph or so but I have yet to ride with him in it yet.
My families growing again this summer, so with 3 kids I need to get a bigger car. Pretty slim pickings when you are looking at 6 and 7 passenger vehicles that are fun to drive.
I drove a Explorer XLT with a V6, and it was fine. It is a big vehicle that can put three across the back seat and put a lot of stuff in the back, and I like the way it looks (Land roverish). Last night I drive the Sport version with the Turbo V6 though, and it actually put a smile on my face. That engine is amazing. I think I may have just cost myself a lot more money, but will enjoy myself a lot more in the long run. If you find yourself in a similar predicament I highly recommend you try it out.
Also, did anyone else know that they are selling minivans for nearly $50,000? I wasn't planning on getting one, but I looked just to check the "econimical" way, and wow.
Minivans are second only to truck in terms of "Oh shit that's expensive!"
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I learned about the trucks about 10 years ago, but was always under the impression that minivans were around $25-35,000. Who the hell are buying (can afford) all these cars?
Leased a Silverado 4x4 - nothing special - sticker was $48k. Two year one pay lease was $6k. Hoping to have more small truck options in 2017.
First, in terms of fun and 3 rows, look at the Mazda CX-9 - it's all new and going to be the best driver in the segment (like many Mazdas are). Otherwise, it won't really be fun. http://www.caranddriver.com/mazda/cx-9 C&D also likes the Durango - which will be more butch/masculine and has a more traditional RWD based layout.
Second - minivans - of course they're expensive! And the reason is because there are TONS of used minivans out there. The market is oversaturated with really nice 2-5 year old vans in the $10-30K range. So new ones are $30 and up. If you need a van and a warranty on the cheap the Dodge Grand Caravan is going to be your only option.
Good luck searching. Bring your kids to the dealership, see if they can open the doors, if they want to, how easily they can climb in back, etc.
Yea, I've been keeping my eye on the Mazda, as I love my current Mazda. Hopefully it hits dealerships soon so I can test drive to compare. I do think the ford engine will be hard to beat, and it will depend on how big the insides compare too with seating (3 across car seats is a pain).
I'm actually thinking of leasing for the first time in my life. My commute is really short, and it doesn't lock me into a vehicle for too long of a time if I end up really not liking it (I've had current car for 9+ years). It also allows me to keep my current car which I love. Any MgoAdvice from people who lease? I know to put as little down as possible, so you don't lose out if you want a pull ahead or something else. I'd use the z-plan, so it seems pretty simple, but working outside the comfort zone here.
Coming from a Ford Focus that was going to need lots of work, we looked at a new car for her. We went in looking at a Golf hatch (I get a substantial discount through my employer with many companies, but the best with VW, and this was October when the shit hit the fan and VW was throwing LOTS of money on the table) and ended up with a Tiguan for her with a substantially reduced monthly payment. There are a couple big things to watch for when leasing:
- Residuals - Leased cars are "sold" twice by the dealerships. This is how we ended up with a $34K Tiguan for less than a $24K Golf. After 3 years and 36K miles VW estimates that the Tiguan is going to be worth $X while the Golf will be worth $Y. That residual number matters. (as an aside, this is part of what killed GM with the last downturn. The estimates said all kinds of leased Tahoes, etc. were going to be worth lots of $$, when gas prices soared they got killed on the residuals)
- Miles - They get REAL expensive if you go over. As long as you have another car available, like you said, this is a commuter, you'll be fine. My GTI is purchased and better on gas, so we use it for road trips anyway.
- Why lease? For us, it helped with the monthly payment number and we're also not sure where we'll be life-wise in 3 years. Will my wife be at her same job? Will we have any kids/on the way? etc. Many people lease to have a nicer car than they should afford ($500/month can buy you a $30K car or lease you a $50K car). Just think if you'd want the car in 5 years, maybe buy it. Another benefit is a fixed cost - this and the nicer-car-effect is why tons of people lease German Luxury Cars. Repairs get expensive, so by having it for 3 years/36K miles they can avoid expensive 60K mile tunes. You also shouldn't have to replace high priced items, like tires, brakes, etc. and it'll be under warranty the whole time.
Some of the same reasons we are looking at leasing. The much lower monthly payment to keep things affordable and not having as long as a commitment if this doesn't end up being our be all car in the long run as the family changes. Still seems like a lot of money, but I htink that's just cars in general.
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and run a website called nasportscar.com. Through that I had the opportunity to have a ride along in a McLaren GT3 racecar around Road America with a McLaren (now Porsche) factory racecar driver, Kevin Estre. At one point he pointed to the digital speedometer and we were approaching 160MPH...that's when I stopped looking. Here's the incar video and yes, my belts were not as tight as they needed to be.
I hit 145 on a highway here in Pittsburgh one night in my old WRX, just because there was nobody else on the road and I wanted to see what it was like. I will never do that again but the car was surprisingly stable at that speed.
The fastest car I've ever driven was probably that WRX. The only comparable car would have been the Mazdaspeed 6 I test drove for a friend, because he couldn't drive a stick yet.
I got to 137mph on a local airport's runway in my 2010 Dodge Challenger R/T. Wasn't bad until about 120, and then you started to feel the bumps. If the runway had been longer and I'd done the hack to remove the limiter it would have kept going. I've never taken it much past 110 on the road, and that generally only happens when passing several semis at once on a state highway.
...from Chicago to Reno over a decade ago in an '88 Camaro. Threw it in neutral going down a "mountain" somewhere in Wyoming/Utah. Totally burried the speedometer (think it went to 120).
Never felt a rush like that in my entire life.
Never wanna feel a rush like that for the rest of my life.
Wife bought me the weekend for my 40th. I loved it. Putting the foot down on 470 hp was like what I imagine lighting off the space shuttle to be like
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My 29th birthday present is most likely going to be a learn-to-autocross with SCCA Chicago at Joliet.
When I was a kid I wanted to race SCCA in the worst way.
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http://scca-chicago.com/chicago-scca-solo/the-learning-curve/
$135 for 2 days, it's april 9th and 10th this year. I'm about 95% sure I'm goign to do it and I'll be the guy in the Navy GTI with Michigan plate covers.
I don't have anything like a rally car, unless they rally '94 Miata's. But I love events like that.
How many times do you get to hang a car out like that?
The SRT Experience was fantastic. I was really impressed with those cars. You can tell that they struggle with their weight a bit, but damn are they fast. And getting advice from a professional driver is a trip.
What really got me was that they were the daily drivers for the vent staff. The guys said they were bulletproof and many bought them after the season was done.
Its my personal opinion that in these days of 400 plus HP cars, classes like these should be part of the purchase price.
Of course, I also think drivers ed should be taught by professional drivers who teach you how to actually drive the damned car. So I may be off my rocker.
I'm inching towards 100% but really thinking it'd be a fun way to spend a day. I think the Miata would be right at home
About 110-115 on a deserted I-76 in eastern Colorado. Mustang was still brand-new and I wanted to see what it could do. I was still accelerating, but I saw headlights in the distance and I figured I'd better back off - and to this day it's one of the smartest things I ever did because, yup, the state mounties.
I had an eerily similar experience when I bought my 05. Had it for a total of 2 days and was doing well above the speed limit crossing between GA and FL at aroud 5 AM. Unfortunately for me I only slowed down once the state trooper lights came on in the median. Guy was pretty cool about it though. Wrote it as 80 in a 70 since that was the slowest he clocked me at.
I think I broke 100 on my old BMW 318ti just because I wanted to, but I don't regularly try to test the top end of my speed capabilities. I am more a cruise above the speed limit, push it a little when passing folks, type person. I have the perfect car for exactly that with a Civic Si. I live in a city, where quick and nimble driving is paramount. While I don't test SPEED, I definitely cut 15-25% off my arrival times consistently.