RE: PH Blog: What makes the autobahn brilliant

[MC Bodge]

M666 EVO said:

So rather than expecting the guy infront to pull into the free middle lane, you would move into the (whatever you call it) slow lane, lane number 1, left hand lane, keeping a lane between the other car and undertake? That seems less hazardous? Wow...

You think that cruising along a motorway in the left hand lane, maintaining your position and passing a car that is 2 lanes away is more hazardous than tailgating somebody "at up to 120mph"?

[dingocooke]

900T-R said:

Autobahns are mostly not that straight (or level)... not when you're at 130 mph, anyway...

..er no I would accept that theyre not straight in the purest sense, but theyre hardly exciting; I've done quite a few 10-15 minute periods on autobahns in excess of 150mph, and it was hardly 'brilliant', just a quick and efficient way of covering distance; for me, for a road to be 'brilliant' it has to be deserted, challenging, with lots of different curves; think 'ring, TT course etc...no motorway comes close :-)

[btdk5]

Disastrous said:

thewheelman said:

M666 EVO said:

"And if that makes me sound like the sort of chap who sits two inches from the car in front, then I don't intend it to - it's just ruddy irritating when you want to make progress"

I hear you there. I was tootling to Reading last Saturday on the M4, in the fast lane, stuck behind an RX8 and he would not move over. I don't understand it. At one stage the entire 3 lanes were clear but he would not move to the middle lane at all. I obviously wasn't going to undertake him but when you have an XJR up your trumpet at up to 120 mph, do the sensible thing and shift over... I think he was upset that an old mans car was ready to show him a very clean pair of heels, bless...

120mph on U.K. roads......wow, very clever.....I hope you get the ban you deserve.

What does the UK have to do with it? Surely if he deserves a ban, then it's for dangerous driving, which would be dangerous in any country! Or does he deserve the ban simply for breaking the law?

Exactly the type as discussed earlier in the thread.

Would try to block you from just getting on with it.

Idiot.

[r129sl]

PILCH 23 said:

Perhaps the UK should have a few sections of de-restricted motorway as a two year trial. If it was applied to low density sections on a variable basis then I doubt that the accident rates would change. Potential sections could be the M62 east of the A1, the M69 and the M180.

Are these not derestricted already?

[thewheelman]

btdk5 said:

Disastrous said:

thewheelman said:

M666 EVO said:

"And if that makes me sound like the sort of chap who sits two inches from the car in front, then I don't intend it to - it's just ruddy irritating when you want to make progress"

I hear you there. I was tootling to Reading last Saturday on the M4, in the fast lane, stuck behind an RX8 and he would not move over. I don't understand it. At one stage the entire 3 lanes were clear but he would not move to the middle lane at all. I obviously wasn't going to undertake him but when you have an XJR up your trumpet at up to 120 mph, do the sensible thing and shift over... I think he was upset that an old mans car was ready to show him a very clean pair of heels, bless...

120mph on U.K. roads......wow, very clever.....I hope you get the ban you deserve.

What does the UK have to do with it? Surely if he deserves a ban, then it's for dangerous driving, which would be dangerous in any country! Or does he deserve the ban simply for breaking the law?

Exactly the type as discussed earlier in the thread.

Would try to block you from just getting on with it.

Idiot.

The only idiot here is the one doing 120mph on U.K. roads. What a selfish, arrogant prick. The speed limit in this country is 70mph, doing 120mph is the kind of speed that gets you put in prison & a long ban.

Clearly he's an idiot for doing it, & even more of a fool for admitting it in a public forum. If the police read this, i'm sure they'd like a word with him.

[sday12]

PaulMoor said:

Realy not helping the argument with this. The amount of time I get some impatiant t****r hammering up behind trying to bully me out of the way because I'm doing 70 going past two lorrys in lane 1 and 2. Why should someone not be aloud in to lane 3 because they stick to the speedlimit? Its not about being sanctimonious, it's about having every legal right to be there. I have no sympathy for people who sit in a lane and don't pull over, but complaining about people wanting to overtake someone doing under the speedlimit? That is what motorways are for.

Autobahns are far from perfect and just as full of t**ts from the lorrys who change lane with no warning to the idiots in big cars who will drive 2" from your bumper because you are doing under 120 going past a line of lorrys.

Edited by PaulMoor on Thursday 3rd May 11:25

Fair enough, overtake the lorries in the outside lane at 70, just do it when it's clear to do so, not when someone is clearly trying to make progress and cutting in on them is your legal right.

[KM666]

article said:

I'm not about to suggest we start to introduce de-restricted sections to British multi-laners - the pile-ups caused by over-exuberant yoofs as they try to max-out their Saxos really don't bear thinking about.

What you mean those maxed out Saxos and the like you only ever see on a motorway in the inside lane doing barely 60mph because any faster and the rock solid suspension would shake the car and driver into lots of little pieces, those yoofs?

Biggest problem I see on the roads are the 1.9TDI or 3/520d lot deciding that a 120mph undertake in the rain is a perfectly acceptable maneuver to attempt, because afterall they need to get to the front of that pack of cars overtaking the dawdlers cruising at 65 at any cost, but its okay because a nice big A4 is likely to just go through whatever it hits.

The other big problem with UK motorway driving are people who for whatever reason feel the need to make it known that they dissaprove of you making progress. For instance was following a porsche up the M4, some 4x4 following me all keeping a nice pace, (whilst reciting "only a fool breaks the two second rule", as you should) blipping it between the groups of cars to the next group, cruising it really. No more than 90 odd, when suddenly a Saab on the inside lane is driving along with full beams, putting his foot down, passes me whilst seemingly attemting to take a photo on his phone before swerving infront of the Porsche and slamming on the anchors. So because we dared to travel above 70mph its okay to drive without due care and attention and then try to run a car off the road?

Edited by KM666 on Thursday 3rd May 17:10

[KM666]

M666Evo said:

I like to drive like a dick

You'll be a youtube celeb yet http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0ocPWZdnFM

Edited by KM666 on Thursday 3rd May 16:59

[Disastrous]

thewheelman said:

btdk5 said:

Disastrous said:

thewheelman said:

M666 EVO said:

"And if that makes me sound like the sort of chap who sits two inches from the car in front, then I don't intend it to - it's just ruddy irritating when you want to make progress"

I hear you there. I was tootling to Reading last Saturday on the M4, in the fast lane, stuck behind an RX8 and he would not move over. I don't understand it. At one stage the entire 3 lanes were clear but he would not move to the middle lane at all. I obviously wasn't going to undertake him but when you have an XJR up your trumpet at up to 120 mph, do the sensible thing and shift over... I think he was upset that an old mans car was ready to show him a very clean pair of heels, bless...

120mph on U.K. roads......wow, very clever.....I hope you get the ban you deserve.

What does the UK have to do with it? Surely if he deserves a ban, then it's for dangerous driving, which would be dangerous in any country! Or does he deserve the ban simply for breaking the law?

Exactly the type as discussed earlier in the thread.

Would try to block you from just getting on with it.

Idiot.

The only idiot here is the one doing 120mph on U.K. roads. What a selfish, arrogant prick. The speed limit in this country is 70mph, doing 120mph is the kind of speed that gets you put in prison & a long ban.

Clearly he's an idiot for doing it, & even more of a fool for admitting it in a public forum. If the police read this, i'm sure they'd like a word with him.

Be good if you addressed my point though...why is it more dangerous in the uk? Or should he just get banned for breaking the law?

[thewheelman]

M666 EVO said:

thewheelman said:

120mph on U.K. roads......wow, very clever.....I hope you get the ban you deserve.

DNFTT

Wow, so you doing 120mph on the roads in the U.K. is the right thing to do? You really are a complete moron.

[Disastrous]

thewheelman said:

Wow, so you doing 120mph on the roads in the U.K. is the right thing to do? You really are a complete moron.

Or if you won't answer my question, just explain what's intrinsically 'wrong' about breaking the speed limit, given we have no information about the conditions and can't judge the 'safety' of the action?

[thewheelman]

Disastrous said:

thewheelman said:

btdk5 said:

Disastrous said:

thewheelman said:

M666 EVO said:

"And if that makes me sound like the sort of chap who sits two inches from the car in front, then I don't intend it to - it's just ruddy irritating when you want to make progress"

I hear you there. I was tootling to Reading last Saturday on the M4, in the fast lane, stuck behind an RX8 and he would not move over. I don't understand it. At one stage the entire 3 lanes were clear but he would not move to the middle lane at all. I obviously wasn't going to undertake him but when you have an XJR up your trumpet at up to 120 mph, do the sensible thing and shift over... I think he was upset that an old mans car was ready to show him a very clean pair of heels, bless...

120mph on U.K. roads......wow, very clever.....I hope you get the ban you deserve.

What does the UK have to do with it? Surely if he deserves a ban, then it's for dangerous driving, which would be dangerous in any country! Or does he deserve the ban simply for breaking the law?

Exactly the type as discussed earlier in the thread.

Would try to block you from just getting on with it.

Idiot.

The only idiot here is the one doing 120mph on U.K. roads. What a selfish, arrogant prick. The speed limit in this country is 70mph, doing 120mph is the kind of speed that gets you put in prison & a long ban.

Clearly he's an idiot for doing it, & even more of a fool for admitting it in a public forum. If the police read this, i'm sure they'd like a word with him.

Be good if you addressed my point though...why is it more dangerous in the uk? Or should he just get banned for breaking the law?

Wait, are you trying to defend this? Or do you have some kind of problem with the law, & safety to others? I very much doubt the roads in the U.K. are upto the standard to allow such speed limits.

[KM666]

Disastrous said:

thewheelman said:

Wow, so you doing 120mph on the roads in the U.K. is the right thing to do? You really are a complete moron.

Or if you won't answer my question, just explain what's intrinsically 'wrong' about breaking the speed limit, given we have no information about the conditions and can't judge the 'safety' of the action?

If you dont understand whats wrong with this;

M666EVO said:

I obviously wasn't going to undertake him but when you have an XJR up your trumpet at up to 120 mph...

Please hand in your driving licence at the nearest police station.
Your attitude makes you a danger to yourself and to others.

[Disastrous]

thewheelman said:

Disastrous said:

thewheelman said:

btdk5 said:

Disastrous said:

thewheelman said:

M666 EVO said:

"And if that makes me sound like the sort of chap who sits two inches from the car in front, then I don't intend it to - it's just ruddy irritating when you want to make progress"

I hear you there. I was tootling to Reading last Saturday on the M4, in the fast lane, stuck behind an RX8 and he would not move over. I don't understand it. At one stage the entire 3 lanes were clear but he would not move to the middle lane at all. I obviously wasn't going to undertake him but when you have an XJR up your trumpet at up to 120 mph, do the sensible thing and shift over... I think he was upset that an old mans car was ready to show him a very clean pair of heels, bless...

120mph on U.K. roads......wow, very clever.....I hope you get the ban you deserve.

What does the UK have to do with it? Surely if he deserves a ban, then it's for dangerous driving, which would be dangerous in any country! Or does he deserve the ban simply for breaking the law?

Exactly the type as discussed earlier in the thread.

Would try to block you from just getting on with it.

Idiot.

The only idiot here is the one doing 120mph on U.K. roads. What a selfish, arrogant prick. The speed limit in this country is 70mph, doing 120mph is the kind of speed that gets you put in prison & a long ban.

Clearly he's an idiot for doing it, & even more of a fool for admitting it in a public forum. If the police read this, i'm sure they'd like a word with him.

Be good if you addressed my point though...why is it more dangerous in the uk? Or should he just get banned for breaking the law?

Wait, are you trying to defend this? Or do you have some kind of problem with the law, & safety to others? I very much doubt the roads in the U.K. are upto the standard to allow such speed limits.

I'm not defending it at all. I'm just pointing out that saying something is 'dangerous' simply because it breaks an arbitrary legal limit is the definition of simple, IMO.

Also, it's the Police's job to catch people who break the law, not yours. How do you know he put the safety of others in jeopardy and what do you base your assertion that uk roads will not support a car driven at 120mph?

Would this have been equally dangerous in the autobahn, or do you think that would have been ok?

[BBS-LM]

redback911 said:

Baryonyx said:

If only we could import German culture and economic policy to this country and get rid of our useless Conservative led nanny state.

UK motorway discipline is the worst I've ever experienced. In Italy and Spain, for instance, people will drive very fast down the dual carriageways, but doing so with courtesy and respect for others. So much of UK motorway driving is about 'being in the right' and getting your own way.

Completely agree, we just came back from a two-week tour of the continent, including a pilgrimage to the Nurburgring. Highlights were driving in Northern Spain and Germany. Excellent lane discipline and people seem to know that an overtaking lane, is just that. Soon as we hit the M20 we were shocked back to reality. Selfish driving, total lack of observation and sanctimonious attitude of people who flash you because they feel able to tell you your driving too fast.

Totally agree. But to some degree we only have are selfs to blame, there is an undergoing selfishness in this country where people only care about themselves and there own little world which is just one reason why we have this nanny state government. And you wonder why most Europeans hate the English, I have to agree sometimes.

[Disastrous]

KM666 said:

Disastrous said:

thewheelman said:

Wow, so you doing 120mph on the roads in the U.K. is the right thing to do? You really are a complete moron.

Or if you won't answer my question, just explain what's intrinsically 'wrong' about breaking the speed limit, given we have no information about the conditions and can't judge the 'safety' of the action?

If you dont understand whats wrong with this;

M666EVO said:

I obviously wasn't going to undertake him but when you have an XJR up your trumpet at up to 120 mph...

Please hand in your driving licence at the nearest police station.
Your attitude makes you a danger to yourself and to others.

That actually means nothing. "up your trumpet" is no measure of proximity I'm aware of, and could just as easily be exaggeration. Besides, I'm making a general point about why something is dangerous 'in the UK'. Ether it's dangerous or it isn't.

[Riggers]

thewheelman said:

The only idiot here is the one doing 120mph on U.K. roads. What a selfish, arrogant prick. The speed limit in this country is 70mph, doing 120mph is the kind of speed that gets you put in prison & a long ban.

Clearly he's an idiot for doing it, & even more of a fool for admitting it in a public forum. If the police read this, i'm sure they'd like a word with him.

Just a hypothetical, Wheelman - given that, say, an empty stretch of the M40 in Oxfordshire is not demonstrably different from a similarly traffic-free, why would it be idiotic to do 120mph there, but not idiotic on a comparable stretch of autobahn?

Or are you suggesting that it's idiotic to be doing 120mph per se? That's what I would infer from your assertion that M666EVO is selfish and arrogant for driving at those speeds.

Or is it merely that he is breaking a rule that you disagree with? In which case that's fair enough.

But, providing he's doing it in a manner that would be deemed safe by the German authorities (ie on a clear road, with good visibility) why should people get in his way unnecessarily? He knows he's breaking the law, and will face the consequences if caught.

Likewise, no sane human being would deliberately drive in a manner that would endanger their or other road users' lives, surely??

This is my whole point about why I wish I lived in Germany - let people make their own ruddy mistakes - it's their choice and their responsibility!!

[Antj]

Initially when i first went to Germany it was a real buzz, taken the car to the limiter at 155mph was a real buzz. But now its pretty .....meh.....

I tend to just sit on the inside now t 70-80. You can usually spot the newbies caning it down the outside ( can't blame them as its novel the first time you get to try it). Doing 10 or so trips a year to Germany I rarely gun it now, maybe the cost of fuel is the main factor also unless your in a big capacity Beemer its damn scary. The other week i took the Budget banger civic over to the ring and we tried a top a speed run and was very shocked that it rifled on up to 145mph GPS, however it did not feel safe at all, where as in the beemer it felt so relaxed.

Just a word of warning though, The police will still do you if you are driving beyond the conditions and if you sit up somebodys chuff bullying you will get pulled. They will also do you if they feel its unsafe due to amount of traffic, so where as there may be no speed limit you still need to respect other road users as they have as much right to use the outside lane as you do.

Also from a mechanical point of view, unless you have a big capacity motor don;t sit there gunning it flat out for ages as intake temps will rise massively. Flat out in 3rd gear is a lot less load on the car than flat out in 6th. if you don;t beleive me look at your temps using a scangauge. then theres the fuel.

Everyone should try it once as its fun, but its still as dangerous as ever and people get killed all the time. At 70mph your chances are low, but at 150mph youa re equalling the chance of winning the lottery of surviving a crash. I would also remember to check your review mirror a lot more as closing pseeds mean that a car that was not there 3 seconds ago can be bearing down on you very quickly and often at twice your speed.

[Riggers]

Antj said:

Also from a mechanical point of view, unless you have a big capacity motor don;t sit there gunning it flat out for ages as intake temps will rise massively. Flat out in 3rd gear is a lot less load on the car than flat out in 6th. if you don;t beleive me look at your temps using a scangauge. then theres the fuel.

Interesting to note the increase in oil temperature during sustained 140mph (speedo-indicated) running in the PH Fleet Golf GTI. would definitely make me think twice about doing it on a regular basis.

I think if I lived over there, or drove there more often I would probably get into a 95-100mph groove - much faster than that and you have to start putting your eyes on stalks...

[KM666]

Disastrous said:

That actually means nothing. "up your trumpet" is no measure of proximity I'm aware of, and could just as easily be exaggeration. Besides, I'm making a general point about why something is dangerous 'in the UK'. Ether it's dangerous or it isn't.

Really? So "up your trumpet" doesnt say tailgating to you?
I thought it was laymans myself.
It is dangerous full stop, the relevence of 'in the UK' is that the article specifies that UK drivers cannot be trusted to deregulation, but the article cites yoofs in Saxos going for a V-max as the reason, not the appauling example of driving M666EVO admits to.
As much as we might dislike to admit it typical UK motorway users are switched off to whats going on around them and so an extra level of caution is required, tailgating at 120mph is beyond tempting fate in a no-going-back way, it shows nothing less than contempt for other road users.

You can get a ban for doing 100mph at 3am on a clear motorway. The cited example of driving is deserving of far harsher penalty.