Does a low top speed in a performance car bother you?

[cerb4.5lee]

We've been discussing the top speed on another thread about the new electric MG Roadster, and its top speed is only a 125mph, yet it has over 500bhp though.

For me personally I'd want it to go quicker than a 125mph, and I don't like Volvo anymore because they limit their cars to only a 112mph as well.

So would a low top speed in a performance car bother you?

[raspy]

cerb4.5lee said:

We've been discussing the top speed on another thread about the new electric MG Roadster, and its top speed is only a 125mph, yet it has over 500bhp though.

For me personally I'd want it to go quicker than a 125mph, and I don't like Volvo anymore because they limit their cars to only a 112mph as well.

So would a low top speed in a performance car bother you?

No because the limit is 70mph here.

[Doofus]

Aren't all Japanese cars (including stuff like Nissan GTRs) limited to 112mph in their home market?

[cerb4.5lee]

raspy said:

No because the limit is 70mph here.

End of the thread then!

[biggbn]

cerb4.5lee said:

We've been discussing the top speed on another thread about the new electric MG Roadster, and its top speed is only a 125mph, yet it has over 500bhp though.

For me personally I'd want it to go quicker than a 125mph, and I don't like Volvo anymore because they limit their cars to only a 112mph as well.

So would a low top speed in a performance car bother you?

No, limiters or low top speeds would not bother me one bit.

[cerb4.5lee]

Doofus said:

Aren't all Japanese cars (including stuff like Nissan GTRs) limited to 112mph in their home market?

They are(or at least they used to be), and that used to wind me up a bit as well to be fair.

[blank]

Wouldn't bother me with something like that.

Performance EVs are likely to always have this "problem" unless they move to multi speed transmissions (Taycan has 2 gears) as there is a direct trade off between top speed and torque multiplication (and therefore acceleration).

Think I'd rather have better acceleration I'd use regularly than a 155mph top speed that I wouldn't.

Might think differently if I drove in Germany a lot.

[ecsrobin]

cerb4.5lee said:

We've been discussing the top speed on another thread about the new electric MG Roadster, and its top speed is only a 125mph, yet it has over 500bhp though.

For me personally I'd want it to go quicker than a 125mph, and I don't like Volvo anymore because they limit their cars to only a 112mph as well.

So would a low top speed in a performance car bother you?

How often are you above 125?

[Mr E]

I own an elise. Straight line speed isn’t what it’s for

[DodgyGeezer]

I suspect that the principle of the thing would bother me more than (say) a limit of 123mph - I have driven faster than that and enjoyed it (I know, what a madman!) but, especially on the crowded roads of the SE it's a pipedream to even think of achieving such a speed

[cerb4.5lee]

ecsrobin said:

cerb4.5lee said:

We've been discussing the top speed on another thread about the new electric MG Roadster, and its top speed is only a 125mph, yet it has over 500bhp though.

For me personally I'd want it to go quicker than a 125mph, and I don't like Volvo anymore because they limit their cars to only a 112mph as well.

So would a low top speed in a performance car bother you?

How often are you above 125?

Not too often, but I will go over a 100 most days though. I think it is more that I'd be pegged back to just 125 if I did want to go quicker though, and that bothers me.

[cerb4.5lee]

Mr E said:

I own an elise. Straight line speed isn’t what it’s for

I've got an F82 M4, and that is all about its straight line speed for me(and going sideways should you wish). I do also have a Caterham 7 though, and that is much more about the corners in comparison, because its top speed is only 122mph.

[Dunbar871]

Wouldn’t touch a performance car with a low top speed; wouldn’t touch an EV. Not necessarily the same thing.

[cerb4.5lee]

blank said:

Wouldn't bother me with something like that.

Performance EVs are likely to always have this "problem" unless they move to multi speed transmissions (Taycan has 2 gears) as there is a direct trade off between top speed and torque multiplication (and therefore acceleration).

Think I'd rather have better acceleration I'd use regularly than a 155mph top speed that I wouldn't.

Might think differently if I drove in Germany a lot.

That is a good way to look at it I think, and it is the acceleration that excites me too. Even if a car can do 155mph(or more), I'd only blast up to that speed and then drop back down though. Rather than being sat at that speed for a prolonged period.

[Silvanus]

cerb4.5lee said:

Mr E said:

I own an elise. Straight line speed isn’t what it’s for

I've got an F82 M4, and that is all about its straight line speed for me(and going sideways should you wish). I do also have a Caterham 7 though, and that is much more about the corners in comparison, because its top speed is only 122mph.

So top speed in a performance car doesn't bother you then, unless a Caterham isn't a performance car? Guess that opens up, what is a performance car.

[cerb4.5lee]

Silvanus said:

cerb4.5lee said:

Mr E said:

I own an elise. Straight line speed isn’t what it’s for

I've got an F82 M4, and that is all about its straight line speed for me(and going sideways should you wish). I do also have a Caterham 7 though, and that is much more about the corners in comparison, because its top speed is only 122mph.

So top speed in a performance car doesn't bother you then, unless a Caterham isn't a performance car? Guess that opens up, what is a performance car.

The Caterham was an odd move for me really to be honest, because generally in the past I'd go for bigger engines and more power.

It could be argued that my Caterham isn't a performance car really, because it only has a 140bhp. But Caterham do offer much faster/more powerful versions though to be fair.

[kambites]

For a road car, not in the slightest (as long as it's over, say, 90mph). For a track car, it depends very much on the track.

I think my car tops out at about 135mph; I've never been anywhere near that in it.

Edited by kambites on Tuesday 25th June 20:16

[Wacky Racer]

Better to have all the performance between 20-90mph than some stupid 170mph top speed that the average person would never get near.

Same with Motorbikes.

[murphyaj]

Would a 125 mph top speed bother me?
Not even a little bit.

I had my last car for 3 years, 500bhp, top speed over 190. I never went past 100 on the road, never saw the point. As long as the car can accelerate well into proper motorway speeds I just don't see a problem. Different story if you do track days or spend time on the autobahn, but we're talking about UK road driving here right?

[raspy]

ecsrobin said:

How often are you above 125?

It's clearly a bragging contest down the pub. My car can do 155mph, and if I pay to get the limiter removed, it could do 168mph. Blah!