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Top speed. - barney100

I read in the local paper so and so was awarded a fine and penalty points for speeding on the M3. As the speed limit is 70mph why do we buy cars that do 155mph?

Top speed. - RT

I read in the local paper so and so was awarded a fine and penalty points for speeding on the M3. As the speed limit is 70mph why do we buy cars that do 155mph?

Some people visit Germany which does still have some unrestricted autobahn

Top speed. - Doc

Some people take part in track days or have access to private land.

Top speed. - SLO76
“ As the speed limit is 70mph why do we buy cars that do 155mph?”

Bragging rights...
Top speed. - macski

No spped limits in Isle of Man, Northern Territories of Australia, Saudi Arabia

Many countries have higher speed limits then the UK

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limits_by_country#/med...g

I can't tell the difference in the key colour of countries that have no limit and 120KPH :(

Edited by macski on 08/02/2018 at 20:33

Top speed. - Mr Carrot Cake

We're one of the slowest in Europe.

btw that map shows Northern Territories in Australia as being 80mph, and Saudi Arabia 75mpyh

Edited by Mr Carrot Cake on 08/02/2018 at 20:53

Top speed. - focussed

We're one of the slowest in Europe.

btw that map shows Northern Territories in Australia as being 80mph, and Saudi Arabia 75mpyh

We're one of the slowest in Europe.

btw that map shows Northern Territories in Australia as being 80mph, and Saudi Arabia 75mpyh

Not for very much longer - the race to be the country with the slowest overall speed limit will soon be won by-- France!

The overall default speed limit for roads with no central barrier and no other signed speed limit will be 80 kph, that's 49 mph.

So that's all the RN's that are single carriageway, and all the D roads, and all of the unclassifieds.

Coincidentally, the French government have sub-contracted the speed radars to a private company who are using mobile radar cars that can nick you when they are on the move or parked with radar surveillance front and back.

This is in addition to the fixed radars.

So watch it if you are going to be driving in France this summer.

For those interested in finding out more:-

www.radars-auto.com/info-radars/radars-mobiles-mob.../

If you have google translate enabled, right click on the pages, and left click on translate.

Top speed. - KJP 123

Even quite ordinary cars can easily do over 100mph and that could be seen as unnecessary.

Taking your question seriously though, I think that this is the main reason. With a low powered engine you will need to be near peak power, say 5000 rpm, to maintain 70 mph or 80 mph on continent. You don’t want that, noise and wear, so cars are powerful enough to do those speeds at say 3000 rpm. Consequently at max rpm they can do 100 plus.

155mph may be a different matter: I think that these very powerful engines are more about low acceleration times and high top speeds follow from that.

It’s really about marketing, appealing to the buyer’s bragging rights. I don’t think many go to Germany or take fast but large saloons on track days.

Top speed. - Mr Carrot Cake

Some cars can do 70 at 2000rpm or less.

Top speed. - Mr Carrot Cake

Because fast cars tend to have fast acceleration too and also they tend to look cool.

Top speed. - John F

'Top speed' is irrelevant these days. 0 - 100 kph and mph times are better indications of capability.

Top speed. - Gibbo_Wirral

As the speed limit is 70mph why do we buy cars that do 155mph?

Because manufactuers don't make cars that only go to 70 mph?

Top speed. - SteVee

One point not often considered is that tyres must be fitted that can handle that top speed, even if the car never approaches it; and that those high-speed rated tyres can cost more money than the lower speed.

How do these high performance motors get run-in properly, coughing along in traffic without an oil change for 20,000 miles. They need to lend them to me for an airfield / track day

Top speed. - argybargy

I also assumed it was because the cars with the highest maximum speeds tend to be those which are quickest to the legal speed limit.

Top speed. - KJP 123

Lowering the overall speed limit in France from 90kph to 80kph on single carriageway roads is a typical government solution.

Don’t look at what a speed limit should be for somewhere where accidents have happened but lower it overall even where there have been no accidents.

You then ignore other factors like the poor signage of bends and accidents still continue so lower it again. But these accidents are happening at 130kph so way above the speed limit.

I, and cars in front, got overtaken on blind bends by some idiot: no way could he see if anything was coming. This measure will not prevent this.

Politicians are many things but they are not necessarily idiots: they are just working from an agenda that they have not told you about. Lower speeds equal lower emissions: saves them doing something in another area.

Top speed. - Smileyman

Politicians are many things but they are not necessarily idiots: they are just working from an agenda that they have not told you about. Lower speeds equal lower emissions: saves them doing something in another area.

won't happen in the UK - slower speeds, less fuel used, lower tax revenue from fuel taxes (of which there are plenty)