RE: Police chase BMW at 140mph on M25

[sfh3l]

What I should have said was that, whatever BMW you may have been driving, had you been at 140mph for much of the time, your consumption would have been more like 10mpg than the enviable numbers you achieved. Therefore, with a typical 3 series tank being 60 or so litres, the range at the stated speed would be more like 140 miles - i.e. less than an hour's driving for out perp here. In fact, at that speed with that kind of range it makes the whole idea of a risky chase seem all the more pointless.

Why not just wait for the muppet to run out of fuel?

[dcb]

sfh3l said:

I'm guessing you are in a (diesel fuelled?) BMW minority there and the 'max' figures you quote were more momentary than habitual in the journeys you list?

325 petrol.

There was lots of over 120 mph where allowed, but let's
not forget other cars, roadworks 50 mph max, lorries 62 mph max,
which brought the averages down quite a lot.

sfh3l said:

My old M3 csl would do over 30mpg if driven carefully, but those 100+ v.max speeds you quote would destroy that and make it more like sub-20mpg.

Sure ? Do you have practical experience of this or are you just making
up some numbers ? I suggest you take your M3 and go and find out for yourself.

In practice I get far worse mpg in town than I ever do on the autobahn.
22-25 mpg around town, 28-36 mpg out on the open road. I get similar
results in a variety of cars.

150 mph saves a lot of time, at a small cost in extra petrol.

[davemac250]

Am I the only one here that can read?

He wasn't arrested for speeding.

He was arrested for dangerous driving. Speeding alone does not make dangerous driving.

So he must have done something else.

moronic comments worthy of the daily mail readers section.

[andyps]

davemac250 said:

Am I the only one here that can read?

He wasn't arrested for speeding.

He was arrested for dangerous driving. Speeding alone does not make dangerous driving.

So he must have done something else.

moronic comments worthy of the daily mail readers section.

I think there is an assumption in the UK that speeds as high as that are "dangerous" and that is probably why the arrest was for that.

[Blown2CV]

i am sure he will get charged for speeding aswell as not stopping and dangerous driving

[sfh3l]

dcb said:

Sure ? Do you have practical experience of this or are you just making
up some numbers ? I suggest you take your M3 and go and find out for yourself.

In practice I get far worse mpg in town than I ever do on the autobahn.
22-25 mpg around town, 28-36 mpg out on the open road. I get similar
results in a variety of cars.

150 mph saves a lot of time, at a small cost in extra petrol.

Err, more experience of the 30+ in fact and to admit to anything else on a public forum would be as dumb as what this muppet was doing round the M25! I did many track days in my (previous, E30) M3 and fuel consumption was dreadful at around 50% of what I got on the road. My 'claims' for the CSL were an extrapolation of that more than any prolonged personal experience. Constant speed is, of course far better than constant accelerating and decelerating, which is about the best we can hope for on roads in the UK. Best leave it at that.....

[davemac250]

andyps said:

I think there is an assumption in the UK that speeds as high as that are "dangerous" and that is probably why the arrest was for that.

Not by the officers though. They'd know they need more than just speed.

After 75 miles and hitting that speed, he was arrested for what happened during the chase as a whole, nit the speed

Not what the hand wringing, shoddy reporting sensationalist press (and in this ph is most definitely included) report.

Some of the cobblers spouted in this thread smacks of tin-foil hat wearing idiots.

Utter load of cock custard.

[chimaera5.0]

Only 140mph. My TVR did a stretch of the M25 at 165mph once between M40 and M4 before cameras were activated in the early hours once when I literally was the only car on the road. Perfectly safe and no damage done. It is all these idiots who insist on driving at 50mph in the outside lane and other drivers who fail to indicate lane changes and others who drive too close to the car in front that force me to drive at 60 to 70mph nowadays in order to be safe. As far as Damon Hill is concerned I turn to the words of Harry Enfield in his Rottweiler sketch "Damon, STOP what you are doing Now. I will not stand for it" Too many politically correct numpties in Britain today and it looks like he has joined their boring tones !!!!!

[Vipers]

chimaera5.0 said:

Only 140mph. My TVR did a stretch of the M25 at 165mph once between M40 and M4 before cameras were activated in the early hours once when I literally was the only car on the road. Perfectly safe and no damage done. It is all these idiots who insist on driving at 50mph in the outside lane and other drivers who fail to indicate lane changes and others who drive too close to the car in front that force me to drive at 60 to 70mph nowadays in order to be safe. As far as Damon Hill is concerned I turn to the words of Harry Enfield in his Rottweiler sketch "Damon, STOP what you are doing Now. I will not stand for it" Too many politically correct numpties in Britain today and it looks like he has joined their boring tones !!!!!

Both of your statements are correct, you drove at 165 safely and no damage done, you have a fast car and no doubt the skills to drive it at those speeds. Doesnt make it right though, it would be impossible to leave speed limits up to individual drivers. Hope you enjoyed the drive, I would.

With the exception of your comment those idiots forcing you to drive at 60 to 70, as we know the limit is 70 anyway.

[Pistonwot]

Vipers said:

it would be impossible to leave speed limits up to individual drivers

Germany does this daily with no ill effects.

Its much better to do whatever you want at any speed you choose, its safer, far more enjoyable than observing the speed limit and the occaisional fine is more than affordable, its a win, win

[Blown2CV]

Vipers said:

chimaera5.0 said:

Only 140mph. My TVR did a stretch of the M25 at 165mph once between M40 and M4 before cameras were activated in the early hours once when I literally was the only car on the road. Perfectly safe and no damage done. It is all these idiots who insist on driving at 50mph in the outside lane and other drivers who fail to indicate lane changes and others who drive too close to the car in front that force me to drive at 60 to 70mph nowadays in order to be safe. As far as Damon Hill is concerned I turn to the words of Harry Enfield in his Rottweiler sketch "Damon, STOP what you are doing Now. I will not stand for it" Too many politically correct numpties in Britain today and it looks like he has joined their boring tones !!!!!

Both of your statements are correct, you drove at 165 safely and no damage done, you have a fast car and no doubt the skills to drive it at those speeds. Doesnt make it right though, it would be impossible to leave speed limits up to individual drivers. Hope you enjoyed the drive, I would.

With the exception of your comment those idiots forcing you to drive at 60 to 70, as we know the limit is 70 anyway.

issue isn't whether you can handle your car at that speed, it's has everyone who might get in your way seen you approaching that fast AND have you predicted everything stupid they might do and acted accordingly to avoid it. It's an impossible conundrum, only vaguely solvable by going a bit slower.

[dcb]

Pistonwot said:

Germany does this daily with no ill effects.

But Germany is a serious country where citizens are given
basic freedoms to drive as fast as they like and are
expected to use their brains when exercising said
basic freedom.

The UK on the other hand, treats its citizens like
children, imposes one of the slowest speed limits
in Europe, plasters the country in speed cameras
in the name of some attempt at road safety, and then
wonders why some folks don't like it.

[Blown2CV]

if there was some way of educating others to not be so stupid on the fking roads then we could all go fast safely. It's the stbag pulling out with checking that mirror that means "speed kills"

[Vipers]

Pistonwot said:

Vipers said:

it would be impossible to leave speed limits up to individual drivers

Germany does this daily with no ill effects.

Its much better to do whatever you want at any speed you choose, its safer, far more enjoyable than observing the speed limit and the occaisional fine is more than affordable, its a win, win

Interestingly German manufactured have limiters fitted to restrict their cars to 155 kph for safety reasons, although then can be overriden, so its not and cut dried unlimited speeds, they reconnend a limit of around 81 mph, apparantly, of course you can exceed it. (This is my understanding of rulet etc n Germany - I apologise if I have misinformed)

Apart from that some sections of the autobahns do have slower speed limits, so the statement "Germany does this daily with no ill effects" doesnt hold water. Anyway, we are not in Germany.

But as allways, this seems to be cop out, speeding of course can be safe, stopping can be a problem at times, leaving things up to individuals can be summed up by the town who did away with parking wardens, result mayhem, folk parking where they wanted to.

I am not saying fast at 155 at 2 in the morning is unsafe, but we have limits, and should try to abide by them, otherwise some irresponsible driver may "Think" in his opinion that 0700 when the traffic is still light, 155 is still safe.

Most agree drivers drive to close to the car in front, lane discipline is atrocious, joining a motorway for some is a black art, indicators done seem to work, ao its bad enough now without unlimited speeds.

[Vipers]

dcb said:

Pistonwot said:

Germany does this daily with no ill effects.

But Germany is a serious country where citizens are given
basic freedoms to drive as fast as they like and are
expected to use their brains when exercising said
basic freedom.

The UK on the other hand, treats its citizens like
children, imposes one of the slowest speed limits
in Europe, plasters the country in speed cameras
in the name of some attempt at road safety, and then
wonders why some folks don't like it.

Maybe the german drivers are not as arrogant as some of ours, up your back end lights flashing when you Are half way passing a bunch of cars at 70+? If they put an upper limit at 130 some would bh about it

[Debaser]

Vipers said:

If they put an upper limit at 130 some would bh about it

I would. There's no logical reason to have any speed limits on our motorways. I think 70 is laughably low, and 130 isn't much better.

[Vipers]

Debaser said:

Vipers said:

If they put an upper limit at 130 some would bh about it

I would. There's no logical reason to have any speed limits on our motorways. I think 70 is laughably low, and 130 isn't much better.

As I said, some would bh about it. I do agree 70 can be low on some stretches of our motorways, but with congesting on the increase, driving abilities on the decline, I dont see it being raises much above 80 in the near future.

Looking at your profile I can understand your wish for unrestricted motorways, and no doubt you have the abilities to handle those apeeds, most don't though.

Edited by Vipers on Tuesday 3rd July 22:22

[1point7bar]

Pistonwot said:

Germany does this daily with no ill effects.

Except they ended up making the best cars, which is economically for many non-Germans an ill effect.

Our economy needs less speed limits.

[Debaser]

Vipers said:

I dont see it being raises much above 80 in the near future.

I agree with that, in fact I'll be surprised if they raise it from 70 at all.

[Germs]

On the speed awareness course I had to attend the supervisor said in answer to someone saying (I am a bl***dy good driver and it was 3 in the morning etc etc..." - he said "you might be the best driver in the world but what about the numpties/drunks/sleepy/careless drivers out there"? I think that is true even in the early hours of the morning on a motorway which in my experience is never empty and rarely even quiet of traffic.