M25 Fastest Lap

[Rocket Pepper]

Was gassing with a friend today and we somehow got around to mentioning the quickest lap of the M25. It seems like a distant memory and I couldn't remember any numbers of course. Just curious. People still don't try for it do they? Surely not?

[Rocket Pepper]

simonrockman said:

There was a radio4 programme about doing the M25 in under an hour. I don't think it came to a conclusion.

I agree on the idea of allowing a race one bank holiday weekend. They could do it on one carriageway and make the other one bi-directional for the weekend.

Simon

That's a great idea, except the bi-directional bit. The opposite carriageway should be for spectating!

[Rocket Pepper]

john_r said:

Well a friend of mine was the project manager who set up the comms for the cameras... and guess what? They're on all the time according to him - the tolerance is a bit higher but the cameras from the M40 to the A3 are active 24/7.

And you call him a friend?

[Rocket Pepper]

Baby Huey said:

Plus, my G/f works in this field and she says they are only on when the limit is lowered.

Bin her!

[Rocket Pepper]

V8mate said:

Back in the late eighties, long before the automated governance of speed, the 'City boys' used to race round during the night in their 911s etc. To be 'in the club' you had to complete the circuit in under an hour: pay the toll, then go round and get back to the booths.

Taking into account the acceleration/deceleration phases plus the tunnel itself, they had to keep the average speed at 120mph minimum. And plenty of them achieved it!

Thesedays - no chance.

Yes, that's along the lines I remember.

[Rocket Pepper]

dxg said:

I'm driving as fast as I can, hogging the outside lane when the inner would do. Headlights flash me as I am forced to move over. One circumference is 125 miles. The second is only 124.5. Everything looks normal. I've seen it all before. The North Downs, the Surrey Woods, the Plains of Heathrow, up round the top M1 junctions, St Albans Cathedral in the distance, back down through Essex. All boringly familiar. But we know the further we go, the less familiar it will all become. We will begin to see things not seen before, discover new meaning in the signposts. The lie of the land. Lost tribes. The tank is almost empty. We pull in at Clacky Service Station, fill the tank, buy trash food, have a slash. Gimpo has a stop watch. The pit stop has taken us 9 minutes and thirty-seven seconds. He is not happy with this. Mr Green takes the wheel. We move back out into the flow. The eternal. The around and around. the headlights are coming on. The light is failing. The football results are coming through. End of the season is in sight and things are hotting up. And Mr Green is a dangerous driver. The weirdness is kicking in. It's a drug-free zone; even though Gimpo has invested heavily in all-night chemicals, Mr Green and I just say No. Mr Green cuts another artic. up, slams the brakes, ploughs through a dozen cones in the contraflow. Oncoming headlights blind, jumbo jets climb into the shepherd's delight sky. It's getting good. Gimpo is swimming in his hammock, mobile pressed to his ear, laughing and screaming at some London low-life friend.

So that's what he did after he burnt a million quid. Great poetry!

[Rocket Pepper]

It's come to my attention there are a few in this thread who don't understand the meaning of 'average'. Nor can some do simple arithmetic.

Worse still, you'd think French motorways were straight tarmac lines never seeing a bend or a hill. Can someone please direct me to these thousand mile long Euro dragstrips? Or is that Eurotrash talk me thinks.

Edited by Rocket Pepper on Tuesday 16th September 08:50

[Rocket Pepper]

Murdock said:

I've just spotted the crucial error in my last post - could've sworn I typed average.

Well, I wasn't referring to your post in particular. But as you believe 135mph average is possible along French motorways, I'd love someone to tell me where these motorways are. Put it another way. 270 miles travelled in 2 hours. 405 miles in 3 hours. One would assume the French would have a few mountains to climb. A few rivers to cross. Maybe the slight possibility of the odd town, or even a city to go around.

But of course, these guys are driving gods. They do it in the dark whilst mysteriously all French people wouldn't dream of being out on the roads. Did I mention headlamps? Are we allowed to factor in fuel stops too?

I think 135mph average, in reality, means travelling somewhat quicker than 135mph to maintain an average of 135mph was my point. In any case, I say it's bks. No matter the car, you couldn't compare such with an F1 car lapping consistently same lap times. The track is laboratory like, where as the road, no matter the lack of traffic or time of day, is a long way from being a predictable smooth as silk 2 mile loop fit for F1 racing.

But I'll stand corrected when someone shows me the proof.

[Rocket Pepper]

hairykrishna said:

Obviously you have to travel faster than 135

I believe that is the point I was making.

hairykrishna said:

Why the hell would the motorway crossing rivers, going around a town affect the speed?

Maybe because those things create bends, hills, slip roads, intersections. All which play a part in slowing a vehicle down. Though you seem to think there are French motorways that run for 150 miles, or twice or three times that distance, without offering anything so much as a curve that could not be taken at 150mph. Well, forget the odd one or two. French motorways, as fast as they are, are not capable of sustaing 135mph averages for any length of time like the ones claimed in this thread.

hairykrishna said:

An F1 track is a 'perfect' surface and a motorway would tear an F1 car to pieces. That is, again, irrelevant though.

The comparison offered by someone was pointing out the average speed of an F1 during a race was not that far ahead of a car travelling at very high average speed on a motorway. An F1 race is run where it is possible to drive the car as fast as is possible constantly and consistently for upto 2 hours. Please show me a motorway or road anywhere on the planet that can offer such uninterupted circumstances as those in an F1 race such could be possible it would allow a road car driven in the same manner as an F1 car on a track, to achieve an average speed of 135mph.

hairykrishna said:

Every French motorway is I've driven on is perfectly adequate to do 150mph on in a good road car. I've done it and I'm no 'driving god'.

No doubt that is so, but not for hour after hour after hour to achieve a 135mph average over several hundred miles, as suggested in this thread by some. And yes I believe you are no driving god

hairykrishna said:

As far as I can tell the only things that would stop it being possible are police stops and traffic.

Perhaps you don't understand how a steady 100mph curve becomes much more involving for driver and vehicle at 150mph?

hairykrishna said:

Obviously we’re got going to reach a conclusion arguing. Anyone got a GT2 and a camcorder I can borrow? We should do a ‘pistonheads cannonball’; it’s the anniversary of the last real cannonball next year…

No we're not going to argue GT2 or Veyron, 150mph is 1 mile in 25 seconds. Show me the person that can sustain such constant speed for an hour or three at night on a motorway, and I'll show you bionic vision!

Enjoy, and drive safe

[Rocket Pepper]

shoestring7 said:

In the early '70's, the Porsche 917's averaged 160mph during a race at Spa.

A circuit then made of roads.

A road made in to a race track, and the worlds fastest car at the time if memory serves. 230 odd mph?

Not remotely comparable to a French motorway at night.