General Do you fly at 100 mph?

[ruinin]

It is really fun like when I am in a hurry - often drive from Prague to Pilsen on very good, smooth motorway and I am usually late so I just floor it and
keep driving at about 100 mph overtaking 90 % cars who probably think there is something strange about my Panda (is it the 100HP version? no it is not).
THe only thing that frustrated me in the past that is related to the lack of power of 1.2 is that whenever there was a bit steeper uphill section on the motorway and the hill took a few miles, I gradually lost quite a lot of speed, my ego bit harmed. So last time I found a way how to solve this problem
in a funny way without losing too much time. As you approach a long, uphill section on the motorway, slow down to the speed you can maintain and pretend you have just decided to drive slowly - actually this not pretending, it is TRUE! You just comfortably cruise and let the faster cars drive by in the left lane (Continental Europe).

But this is also possible in Germany on autobahn, where doing 100 mph is often legal and it makes your life easier to keep up with the big audis and BMW without getting stuck behind a truck as the other small cars do.

Actually it is a bit more tiring to drive at these speeds long distance - you have to concentrate more, the engine is much louder than in big cars and
you feel as if you were racing flat out rather than cruising (as was the case in my old Escort which was much more powerful and easier to control at speeds). On the other hand, you are never bored on the motorway.
And when I sometimes want to relax and listen to the stereo, I drive under the speed limit, and don't feel strange that all other cars overtake - they can see it is "only" Panda and understand - of course, the slowest car here...

 

[ruinin]

And this is completely different situation in France, where you better keep the speed limit as the fines are high and radars frequent. In France my Panda is just one of all kinds of cars that all drive about 130 kph and there is nothing special going on and in Britain it must be the same, I have never driven in Britain but been driven and you guys hardly ever drive at 100 mph so Panda can't have a problem there. And such long steep hills as in Czech are probably very rare in Britain on motorways. I sometimes feel sorry for you guys in countries where you have to stick to speed limits. You should see how much fun Panda is when you floor it and pass everyone on the motorway. Of course, everywhere else on secondary roads it is almost impossible to overtake. But I hardly ever get in such a situation - when a car is too slow in front and there is some traffic in the other direction,
it is usually a long procession of cars so overtaking is useless anyway.

 

[Advanced Driver]

We have a 70mph limit and if you get caught at 96+mph you risk being banned!

A lot of drivers do 80+mph, like the ones I saw a couple of days ago, but they are also the ones that cause traffic, make the roads dangerous, and make it difficult for the rest of us IMHO. I did no more than 70mph for about 20 mins, and during that time a number of cars flew past at 80+mph, and many of them more than once! It doesn't make much sense to me how I kept overtaking these speeders, but I'm sure it must have been related to their bad driving. They certainly make it a lot harder for me to maintain 70mph though

 

[ScoobyChris]

A lot of drivers do 80+mph, like the ones I saw a couple of days ago, but they are also the ones that cause traffic, make the roads dangerous, and make it difficult for the rest of us IMHO.

Nothing like sweeping statements. On a motorway where all the traffic is doing 80mph is it safer to do 80mph too or stick to 70 and cause traffic, make the roads dangerous, and make it difficult for the rest of us?

Chris

 

[Sammyboy]

My sat nav records your maximum speed in the memory so you can check it later. I've once had 103.9MPH out of mine - not intentionally, I think it's really easy to pick up more speed than you think in the Panda. My sister got pulled over for doing 91MPH and was told by the police officer if she had been caught doing 95MPH she would have been banned. I don't usually speed anywhere. Normally on the motorway I sit on the inside lane behind a lorries slipstream and rate loads of fuel. I went to my Moms recently and she lives 40 miles away. I did this only the motorway and drove as efficiently as I could on normal roads and I arrived with my Range To Empty saying i'd only used 5 miles worth of petrol! I also arrived stress free and relaxed. There is alot to be said for slowing down and sticking to the speed limit. My sister always moaned about how slow I drive on the motorway but now she feels foolish that she's been done for speeding!

 

[Trefor]

France - yep, I can confirm they're really cracking down on speeding there. 130kph isn't too slow though. You can do 140 and be OK since most cars overread. Remember when its raining/reduced visibililty, the limit is 110kph.

In the Panda I tend to cruise at 80ish mph, but often zip up to 90-100 for a short stretch. Not killed any children yet.

In my other cars I tend to cruis at 80-90mph too. In the TVR I keep it below 95mph most of the time (it has a 100% accurate speedo - satnav checked). since most car speedos overread anyone else would be doing 100-105mph to keep up with me.

Naturally, the TVR throttle is stretched a little further on the odd occassion :devil:

There is speeding and inappropriate speeding. I have zero points, never had any either.

 

[HP]

...A lot of drivers do 80+mph, like the ones I saw a couple of days ago, but they are also the ones that cause traffic, make the roads dangerous, and make it difficult for the rest of us IMHO. I did no more than 70mph for about 20 mins, and during that time a number of cars flew past at 80+mph, and many of them more than once! It doesn't make much sense to me how I kept overtaking these speeders, but I'm sure it must have been related to their bad driving. They certainly make it a lot harder for me to maintain 70mph though

This says to me that you are not familiar with motorway driving and how it works.

 

[Stu DemonD]

This says to me that you are not familiar with motorway driving and how it works.

Indeed - someone sticking to dead on 70 and not keeping up with the flow of the traffic is potentially more of a hazard than those doing 80+

 

[Advanced Driver]

This says to me that you are not familiar with motorway driving and how it works.

No, I am more than happy with my motorway skills, and would be perfectly happy to do 100+mph if it was legal. If driving at 70mph is dangerous then somebody is clearly doing something wrong!

 

[Advanced Driver]

Indeed - someone sticking to dead on 70 and not keeping up with the flow of the traffic is potentially more of a hazard than those doing 80+

If somebody smashes into the back of a car doing 70mph I think it's pretty obvious which one is the hazard!

 

[Ffoxy]

No, I am more than happy with my motorway skills, and would be perfectly happy to do 100+mph if it was legal. If driving at 70mph is dangerous then somebody is clearly doing something wrong!

Those doing MORE than 70!

 

[Hellcat]

If you're a good driver you shouldn't need to look at the speedo ever. You adjust your speed depending on the conditions and risk. Through a narrow urban street - maybe 20mph or less is safe. Quiet motorway - perhaps 120/130 wouldn't be too dangerous.

Problem is we have too many drivers who don't have the skills to judge risks - and too many vehicles which are not safe enough (and i mean in maintenance e.g. brakes failing) - to do away with draconian speed limits.

 

[HP]

No, I am more than happy with my motorway skills, and would be perfectly happy to do 100+mph if it was legal. If driving at 70mph is dangerous then somebody is clearly doing something wrong!

...but you show that you don't understand how it all works.

How do the people who do more than 80 (that you saw a couple of days ago) cause the traffic?

How do they make the roads dangerous?

How is it you think that the middle and inside lanes sometimes flow faster than the outside lane is related to people's bad driving?

 

[Advanced Driver]

...but you show that you don't understand how it all works.

How do the people who do more than 80 (that you saw a couple of days ago) cause the traffic?

How do they make the roads dangerous?

How is it you think that the middle and inside lanes sometimes flow faster than the outside lane is related to people's bad driving?

It is a bit of a mystery how I caught up those speeders, I'm not sure how that worked.

Look at the three lanes of a motorway one day and count the cars in each lane. You will probably find that the quantity increases as you go to the right, and so does the density. Although they are driving faster they have a very small gap. Now imagine the one at the front brakes, the one behind is right up his bumper so he slams the brakes on, the one behind needs to brake even harder because he's too close. It's not only dangerous, but you can easily end up with the middle lane moving faster, then people cut into the middle lane, which causes problems there too.

That's not even mentioning the vehciles in the middle lane that want to overtake when there is a vehicle in the distance doing 100+mph.

 

[puffed out daddy]

with the cost of fuel I cant afford to do 100 mph.

 

[ScoobyChris]

It is a bit of a mystery how I caught up those speeders, I'm not sure how that worked.

Probably a good old spot of undertaking - not that that's at all dangerous

Chris

 

[PNL]

You should see how much fun Panda is when you floor it and pass everyone on the motorway.

I passed a porsche coming back from London the other day the expression on his face was priceless..

 

[HP]

It is a bit of a mystery how I caught up those speeders, I'm not sure how that worked.

Look at the three lanes of a motorway one day and count the cars in each lane. You will probably find that the quantity increases as you go to the right, and so does the density. Although they are driving faster they have a very small gap. Now imagine the one at the front brakes, the one behind is right up his bumper so he slams the brakes on, the one behind needs to brake even harder because he's too close. It's not only dangerous, but you can easily end up with the middle lane moving faster, then people cut into the middle lane, which causes problems there too.

That's not even mentioning the vehciles in the middle lane that want to overtake when there is a vehicle in the distance doing 100+mph.

You get the concertina effect at any speed, not just above the limit. You can end up doing 40 - 20 - 40 - 20 in heavy traffic - been there dozens of times on the M1, M62, M42, A1 etc. People doing 80+ don't cause that.

The drivers are not driving safely if they are leaving too small a gap, but that's unsafe at 70, 60 or 50 etc. too.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all against inappropriate use of speed, but I don't really think your original points hold water.

 

[Chinky_500]

In short no, I don't get my Panda airborne at 100mph. Damn nose won't even lift at 115. But I do have my PPL / fATPL and go flying most weekends.In a machine built to fly I usually leave the ground at about 65 knots

 

[pdtrewern]

To all those that think 70mph is ok.

This was introduced in the 1960's thanks i believe to the AC cobra, when yes there was less traffic, but there was also drum brakes, pants tyres and no abs/ebd/dsa etc. etc.

These days i believe 80/90mph should be the limit (providing of course you leave enough room in front).

Its amazing just how quick you can stop, if required.

PS: Flat out in my mx-3 track car in 5th on the german autobahn in may...