First long run

[Volvocano]

Originally Posted by S90

Nobody needs to drive at that speed on a public road, period. Other road users are the issue. And at that speed you're dying in an accident, irrespective of what the manufacturer claims!

I think you'll find it will become standard across all makes eventually, although no idea where they got 112 from?

Modern cars can stop in the wet far, far quicker than a much lighter MkIII Ford Cortina could do in the dry - 70mph was apparently safe back then - so why isn't a faster speed safe now? Not just the advanced braking systems and giant leap in tyre performance, we have airbags, crumple zones all sorts of active and passive systems. 70mph speed limit is just a joke - you should be able to go far faster where traffic conditions allow.

[Philip Fisher]

Originally Posted by Volvocano

Modern cars can stop in the wet far, far quicker than a much lighter MkIII Ford Cortina could do in the dry - 70mph was apparently safe back then - so why isn't a faster speed safe now? Not just the advanced braking systems and giant leap in tyre performance, we have airbags, crumple zones all sorts of active and passive systems. 70mph speed limit is just a joke - you should be able to go far faster where traffic conditions allow.

Because doing so burns a lot more fuel.

Because road deaths are a lot lower than they were when we all drove Cortinas.

Because traffic is a lot heaver than it was 50 years ago.

Because we are not that much out of kilter with the rest of the world who broadly have motorway speed limits of between 60 and 80.

Because there aren't many votes in it.

Because the standard of lane discipline on the UK motorways is pretty p155 poor.

Because, because, because.....

[vonRypp]

I really don't understand the whining around the speed limit. I am occasionally travelling through continental Europe and I am happy if I can travel more than 20 minutes on the speed limit without bumping into a traffic jam caused by an overtaking lorry or a grandma driving in the inner lane. I used to have several performance vehicles: Supercharged Jaguar XJRs, V8/V12 BMW 7-series, sportscar, etc. It was fun, but the world has changed and I got used to the "slower" traffic and to be honest, I don't miss those days anymore.

Driving at 112 mph vs 140 mph for 150 miles makes only 15 minutes difference, given you could maintain that speed for an hour, which is impossible even on the German autobahn.

Just face it, you are not even able to drive at 112 mph for longer than 5-10 mins, why bother with higher speeds? Purchase a day-ticket at the Nordschleife and rent a performance car to blow off the steam instead.

[Volvocano]

Originally Posted by S90

Someone on one of the American forums said using B uses more fuel. That you can't coast properly. I told him he was talking %^£&£& and that in B mode, when you lift off and get regen the engine stops. I think the Muricans are having trouble understanding what Hybrid means lol

Some people don't understand the huge energy loses involved in trading valuable kinetic energy for regenerated power - If your retardation is intentional - ie you are coming to a halt, going downhill and want to hold your speed or intend to slow down - then that's free energy. If you are on a flat road and are modulating the "throttle" to stay with the ebb and flow of traffic then B is costing you valuable kinetic energy, energy you've bought and paid for through several inefficient chemical processes to get to that speed - invoking regen will probably recoup perhaps 10% of that energy to the battery and only about 40% of that 10% will make it out the other side as motive force once it's gone through the various loses to be stored chemically only to be turned back into motive force when you attempt the conversion back the other way by pressing the l̶o̶u̶d̶ quiet pedal.

I flick it into "B" when I'm approaching a braking point - that said, gentle application of the brake pedal achieves exactly the same aim as the brakes won't be applied for gentle brake pedal inputs - it'll just be increasing regen. So coasting in "pure" mode is more efficient than inadvertently slowing down because you are in "B" and you've let the accelerator pedal off too much for the situation - throwing kinetic energy away that you are just going to expensively recoup by pressing the accelerator pedal needlessly.

[SnineT]

Simply put, too many **** drivers otr who play trolley rage with 2 tons of car and also drive 2 ft off the bonnet vision wise and seem to think mirrors, side & back windows are for the sole use of the passengers.


I wanna tell ya a story...

Back in the 1980's when I had my own lane on the M25 I was contently bumbling along in the inside lane at the speed limit or possibly just over it when to my right hand shoulder I sensed a huge dragon approaching, it was a big ass Merc lorry and as I looked up I could see the driver bouncing up and down in his seat to the tune of the speed he was doing and the undulations in the road, ah but there's more!, as he left me and I mean left me he had another trailer on the back, so effectively two curtain-siders going past me at an estimated 90 mph.


The Achilles of a car is always going to be the driver and don't get me started about driveless, one chip burnout and you have a pile up, the whole idea is about as smart as a smart motorway, the semi features are as far as we should go with it imo, my S90 used to brake and steer for me, for the most it worked well as long as I still had control so to speak, so a hand on the wheel that didn't resist where the car wanted to go unless it saw a chevron and assumed we we're getting off at this junction whether I wanted to or not and a foot covering the brake in case it simply lost a ref point and turned off at the most dangerous moment. Don't start me off about City Safe......Dillliiiid Dillliiiid! everybody through the window.

[foggyjames]

Originally Posted by Philip Fisher

Now I know the A30 is a bit up and down, compared to the M5/M42/M1, but that is quite a difference.....

I bet 90% of that is the A30. It results in a profound change in MPG in anything I've taken on that route.

cheers

James

[Philip Fisher]

Originally Posted by foggyjames

I bet 90% of that is the A30. It results in a profound change in MPG in anything I've taken on that route.

cheers

James

Thanks for the feedback. It is not a route I had driven for years so was quite surprised - in fact I was worried something was wrong with the car at first as the fuel consumption was just dropping....