How fast will cars get?

[GolfSupplierAU]

Hi all,

Just been wondering.. the fastest production car in the world at present is (tell me if i'm wrong) the 267 mph Bugatti Veyron SS.

Considering the advancement of technology and all that, how fast do you reckon cars will get before governments around the world decide 'enough is enough'?

Simon

[loose cannon]

We're at the pinnacle of road cars
Emissions safety and the nanny state will mean in ten years you won't even be able to drive by law you will just be a passenger IMO

[ModernAndy]

I have a theory that we'll have a maglev line for cars eventually that runs down the middle of the country for fast access to anywhere in the UK. Expect 300+ mph but you won't actually be able to drive obviously. If somebody doesn't build it, and once I've made my millions, I will.

[Ozzie Osmond]

GolfSupplierAU said:

the fastest production car in the world at present is (tell me if i'm wrong) the 267 mph Bugatti Veyron SS.

When you call it a "production car" that's really a meaningless term with such cars being built in tiny volumes. Same applies in realistic terms to Zonda and Koenigsegg.

At high speeds the aerodynamics just eat power and lead to severe compromise of other elements of the car. Fuel consumption goes to the sky so the car gets slower for a journey - because of the time spent in petrol stations.

[DrTre]

Ozzie Osmond said:

When you call it a "production car" that's really a meaningless term with such cars being built in tiny volumes. Same applies in realistic terms to Zonda and Koenigsegg.

.

Interesting point that...I wonder if the "enough is enough" will actually apply to something more legally mandated than the current "gentleman's" 155mph (does it even exist anymore?) among cars of x volume of manufacture, while not restricting top speeds for small volume manufacturers/models.

5 cars in the world capable of a road legal 1000mph wouldn't be half as big an issue as 10000 capable of 250mph.

[davepoth]

Ozzie Osmond said:

When you call it a "production car" that's really a meaningless term with such cars being built in tiny volumes. Same applies in realistic terms to Zonda and Koenigsegg.

At high speeds the aerodynamics just eat power and lead to severe compromise of other elements of the car. Fuel consumption goes to the sky so the car gets slower for a journey - because of the time spent in petrol stations.

But drag reduction is becoming important even on shopping cars. I bet the fleet average maximum speed is higher now than it's ever been and will keep on climbing.

[GolfSupplierAU]

I reckon we'll get a 300 mph car

[nickfrog]

I still don't understand the fascination for top speed. I really enjoy my car going fast round corners but straights are so boring.

[007 VXR]

GolfSupplierAU said:

I reckon we'll get a 300 mph car

+1

[Animal]

nickfrog said:

I still don't understand the fascination for top speed. I really enjoy my car going fast round corners but straights are so boring.

Have you driven a car at 200mph?

[crosseyedlion]

nickfrog said:

I still don't understand the fascination for top speed. I really enjoy my car going fast round corners but straights are so boring.

Yes, but its a great indicator for the cars ability at normal speeds. Something that can do 200 will find accelerating from 70-110 as easy as a tv phone-in question.

[007 VXR]

Animal said:

nickfrog said:

I still don't understand the fascination for top speed. I really enjoy my car going fast round corners but straights are so boring.

Have you driven a car at 200mph?

The answer is no

[matlee]

nickfrog said:

I still don't understand the fascination for top speed. I really enjoy my car going fast round corners but straights are so boring.

Same here. On country roads id try to go as fast/quick as i can. On a motorway, even when quiet, i'll stick to 70mph. Top speed really doesnt interest me.

[RDMcG]

Well...the level of skill at these speeds in anything other than a runway is considerable, and not sure drivers are getting faster. Technical advances will continue but these are strictly in the realm of a very few.

[davidf4]

What's the point of cars being able to go so fast? There's nowhere you can to drive them at anywhere near their potential maximum. In fact even at the few places they can be maxed, I wouldn't exactly describe them as being driven. They certainly can't manoeuvre properly at such speeds.

[007 VXR]

davidf4 said:

What's the point of cars being able to go so fast? There's nowhere you can to drive them at anywhere near their potential maximum. In fact even at the few places they can be maxed, I wouldn't exactly describe them as being driven. They certainly can't manoeuvre properly at such speeds.

think you are missing the point..
Its how quick you can do it

[Kolbenkopp]

GolfSupplierAU said:

Hi all,
Just been wondering.. the fastest production car in the world at present is (tell me if i'm wrong) the 267 mph Bugatti Veyron SS.

Considering the advancement of technology and all that, how fast do you reckon cars will get before governments around the world decide 'enough is enough'?

Simon

Don't think governments care much for top speeds of hypercars really. Irrelevant volume produced, most of them aren't driven anywhere, and the owners usually lack the b***s to go over 100 mph anyway. Pretty sure we'll have something claiming to do 300 mph at some point in time. No harm done.

But is it relevant? Don't think so. You can't really use it anywhere. Even on the Autobahn on an early Sunday morning, 180 mph is wearing one out quickly and the range really sucks, so plenty of stops on the way. Quicker progress is made in a Diesel 7er, A8 or S Class wafting along at 140 or so.

[nickfrog]

007 VXR said:

Animal said:

nickfrog said:

I still don't understand the fascination for top speed. I really enjoy my car going fast round corners but straights are so boring.

Have you driven a car at 200mph?

The answer is no

No indeed, the quickest cars I have driven tended to have so much aero and such short gearing that they would hit a barn door at 130/140mph, which was still more than could be reached between high Gs corners anyway. That's my motorsport background I suppose, never had the "chance" to experience very high speed and the incredible amount of skill required... Still, each to their own I suppose.

[007 VXR]

nickfrog said:

007 VXR said:

Animal said:

nickfrog said:

I still don't understand the fascination for top speed. I really enjoy my car going fast round corners but straights are so boring.

Have you driven a car at 200mph?

The answer is no

No indeed, the quickest cars I have driven tended to have so much aero and such short gearing that they would hit a barn door at 130/140mph, which was still more than could be reached between high Gs corners anyway. That's my motorsport background I suppose, never had the "chance" to experience very high speed and the incredible amount of skill required... Still, each to their own I suppose.

mine will do 300kph on under 30secs
That just so much fun

[dcb]

Kolbenkopp said:

But is it relevant? Don't think so. You can't really use it anywhere. Even on the Autobahn on an early Sunday morning, 180 mph is wearing one out quickly and the range really sucks, so plenty of stops on the way.

Depends on the car. Doing 180 mph in a suitably tuned family saloon BMW or M-B is
going to be a totally different experience to doing it in a sports car Porsche or Corvette.

Plenty of folks do seem to use all their cars abilities.

Kolbenkopp said:

Quicker progress is made in a Diesel 7er, A8 or S Class wafting along at 140 or so.

Quite possibly.

Those machines tend to be geared for sensible fuel consumption at high speeds
and have big fuel tanks, whereas a sports car would be geared for performance
and tend to have a smaller tank.

Back on topic, I expect a 300mph car in the next 3-5 years. That's a good thing.