Opel on the Autobahn??

[Ahnuld]

Thurs i caught an episode of Modern Marvels where the show was on "The Autobahn".
Show opens up with a tuner testing a Porsche on the public road... at 212mph

So....
Any Opel GT owners open up the throttle on the Autobahn?

How was the ride? How fast did you get up to?

Does the Opel GT have a speed restrictor

[german gt]

Originally Posted by Ahnuld

So....
Any Opel GT owners open up the throttle on the Autobahn?

How was the ride? How fast did you get up to?

Does the Opel GT have a speed restrictor

Of course we open the the throttle on the Autobahn. Where not restricted it's legal.
I run arround 155 mph (gps) with the stock car (165 mph/265 kmh on the clock)

So no speed-limiter.

With the bsr-tune I can do 165 to 168 mph very fast.

But it feels not really safe, compared to a Mercedes SLK, a BMW Z4 or a Porsche Boxster/Cayman S.

[Ahnuld]

Originally Posted by german gt

Of course we open the the throttle on the Autobahn. Where not restricted it's legal.
I run arround 155 mph (gps) with the stock car (165 mph/265 kmh on the clock)

So no speed-limiter.

With the bsr-tune I can do 165 to 168 mph very fast.

But it feels not really safe, compared to a Mercedes SLK, a BMW Z4 or a Porsche Boxster/Cayman S.

Wow... those are some impressive numbers from a little 30k (US) 4 cylinder!!

A good portion of the Autobahn show was spent showing how... because of the Autobahn, the German cars are built better, safe and more stable because they know people are going to take them up to crazy speeds.

I think the fastest we have here in the states is 70mph, with most roads 55 or 65.

[LANDSCAPE]

Originally Posted by Ahnuld

I think the fastest we have here in the states is 70mph, with most roads 55 or 65.

Montana Speed

This is in Montana.

[fr0stb1t3]

There are some 75-80 outside the cities in Texas. In fact, the average speedlimit (based on how many miles there are of this speed) is 75 in Texas.

[Clark90]

Had my red line up to 147 mph (the speedometer said 145 and the gps said 147) Yes I have pics of the gps . WOW, What a thrill !!!

[Bogie]

Originally Posted by german gt

But it feels not really safe, compared to a Mercedes SLK, a BMW Z4 or a Porsche Boxster/Cayman S.

The SKY is not designed for speed. Its aero package is...well....it really doesn't have one.

No aero = Turbulence
Turbulence = Vibration
Vibration = "feels not really safe"

[uranium-238]

so is there a real aero kit to help with this? i'm not talking about the looks only kits, i'm curious if there's a kit, or at least a rear spoiler designed to increase downforce. i certainly don't plan on driving at extreme speeds but i have seen how much front/rear spoilers can help with cornering.

[K9ONU]

Originally Posted by LANDSCAPE

Montana Speed

This is in Montana.

As it says in the link it was only like that for 4 yrs before they changed it back. I was stationed up there from 2003-2005 and the interstate limit was either 70 or 75. My friends Dad got a ticket from a trooper back when the limit was "resonable&prudent" for cresting a hill at 95mph when there was cattle up there roaming... So they would still get ya!! Let me say that Montana is very beautiful country and if anyone has the time and money you should make that a vacation trip!! PM me if you want some good info... MAX

[marlboromike]

It is my understanding that all cars must be able to do whatever the speedometer reads in EUROPE because of the AUTOBAHN...it must be able to stay on the ground because lift begins at about 160-65 mph...cars can literally fly...so the little engine that would...could!

[RedSky1]

Ahnuld,

I saw the same show you watched and (if I recall correctly) the Porsche you are referring to was "enhanced" by a company called "RUF" - and it was costly for the customer (six figures).

Below is RUF's website (for those interested):
RUF

RUF did a test drive on the Autobahn - filming it - to prove their claim (212 mph) was reality. They even did the drive at night - pretty crazy stuff.

I don't know if my Sky would reach 212 mph falling off a cliff

[ParrotHeadNation]

Originally Posted by german gt

Of course we open the the throttle on the Autobahn. Where not restricted it's legal.
I run arround 155 mph (gps) with the stock car (165 mph/265 kmh on the clock)

So no speed-limiter.

With the bsr-tune I can do 165 to 168 mph very fast.

But it feels not really safe, compared to a Mercedes SLK, a BMW Z4 or a Porsche Boxster/Cayman S.

hows the gas mileage at that speed haha

[SKYLORD]

actually 2 highways in Ft. Stockton, TX have no limits! one running south and one running north. =D

[german gt]

Originally Posted by Bogie

The SKY is not designed for speed. Its aero package is...well....it really doesn't have one.

No aero = Turbulence
Turbulence = Vibration
Vibration = "feels not really safe"

Than it's very strange, that GM put a 264 hp engine in it and a gear box which is made for 185 mph in the 5th gear.

It not the bad aoerdynamic which gives you the "unsafe" feeling.

Its the rest: the shocks and the bars (and we in europe all have the sports suspension package in the stock Opel GT (suspension, bilstein and stiffer bars). We only have one upgrade and thats the "premium" package with the monsoon system and the leather/plastic seats)

[Bogie]

Originally Posted by german gt

Than it's very strange, that GM put a 264 hp engine in it and a gear box which is made for 185 mph in the 5th gear.

You have three options when designing a top speed:

1. Electronic/governor control.
2. Redline (gearing).
3. Drag.

The last two deal with gearing. If you have the top gearing redline before drag take holds, you are redline limited. If you have drag take hold before you redline, you are drag limited.

Why would you design a car to allow drag to limit you before you redline it? Because the fifth gear is designed as an overdrive gear for normal highway cruise...and you design overdrive for FUEL ECONOMY.

The SKY is not designed to go 150mph. It can. But it's not designed to operate there. And even if you beefed up 5th gear and made the RL redline limited, the payoff would only slightly extend the top speed.

***********************

And on the drag front, I'll re-emphasize that the lack of a low drag design (or any drag design) does create vibration. When you reach those speeds, any laterally deflected air will induce a lateral force (i.e., a force with components of acceleration perpendicular to the direction of travel). For example, a 45 degree deflection at 150 mph will act just like 100mph side gust at that point on the vehicle. If these drag components are disturbed (which they will be in a dirty drag design) they will fluctuate wildly (at all sorts of frequencies) at those trap points. So you have 100 mph winds banging point on the vehicle at a high frequency in directions out of phase with the direction of travel. Off axis high frequency banging is just a fancy engineering way to say "vibration".

Oh, and that doesn't mean a suspension tweak won't help. A suspension that can dampen the vibration will...well...vibrate less.

[Rob the Elder]

My 88 Mustang was limited by aerodynamics. At about 130 the rear end started to fly. It was a pretty good speed limiter.

The Sol / Sky is designed to accelerate quickly and be fun to drive not to go super fast. If you want to go much over 140 in my opinion you really need to do a lot of work on the aerodynamics of the car to lessen the buffeting and instability created by the aero forces and you need to get enough down force to keep the car planted. Lots of cars can act as a lifting body at speed and . . . Im Flying . . .