Refering to the thread about the high speed crash in France. I was doing almost three figures on the M1 (yes I know) on Chrsitams Day in a small line of cars. My car was loaded with five people and luggage.
The car felt very safe and secure, and with plently more to give. It felt better at 100 than it does at 65. I am not surprised if high speed in an Audi A8 gives an illusion of safety and security that is not really there.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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By all means discuss whether or not a car is more stable at speed, but no more discussions regarding the high speed crash in France please. Any such postings will be deleted.
Thankyou. DD.
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yes its true, aerodynamics, gearing and suspension seem to create a higher speed comfort band. The goona was happiest at an indicated 95mph where it planted itself firmly on the road, and all the NVH seemd to quiet to a whisper. Less comfortable at 70!
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Not in the Fiesta surely?
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Noooo - the Forester Turbo!
As TVM says, the car felt really planted on the road, the steering felt sound and the car clearly had enough power to go faster with ease. How much this feeling of security is translated into real security I don't know.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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With big cars built for speed and handling there is acomfort feeling and security.
However the Laws of Physics are well known and if something happens - ice, flat tyre, sudden swerve then the faster you are going the more serious the problem.
Even 10 mph on black ice / a diesel spill can make a mockery of your "driving skills" and "electronic wizardry".
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All luxury cars can make high speed cruising seem quite effortless. They are designed to be able to cross continents in the quickest possible time with maximum comfort.
The A8 in particular is noted for it's uncanny stablity at high speeds. It's got a very wide track from what I can recall, the S8 has double glazing, not sure about your model?
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Well - 530d between 70 and cough cough....120mph - quieter than the petrol versions. I challange anyone to drive one of these and guess its speed without looking at the speedo.
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The A8 is typical of large German saloons in that in many ways it feels steadier at 100mph+ than 70mph. The whole car seems to have been optimised around high speed cruising.
Many of the 4.2 models (be they S8 or not) have the double glazing option although A8's still have some wind noise around the A-pillar.
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They don´t just feel steadier. They are designed to travel at 120mph+, because that´s how the Chermans drive them!
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They don´t just feel steadier. They are designed to travel at 120mph+, because that´s how the Chermans drive them!
Yes, unfortunately, however advanced our cars get I'm afraid the weakest links are those that sit behind the steering wheels.
Except in the rarest cases their skills don't keep up with the car's technology. The latter only serves to disguise this weakness and sometimes can compensate for those inadequacies!
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I agree with oldgit, BMWs have softened their cars so that anyone can drive them and not get punished for making a false move - There's a word in IT circles that sums it up, PICNIC = "Person in chair, not Computer."
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Another factor here is that most drivers are more alert at high speed and therefore more in tune with what is going on around them. Most modern cars are just too cosseting at the NSL.
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