Top Speed
 

just got back from a trip to tx to visit some friends and figured i would see what the 8 could really do on the open road. i attached a pic below of what i could get. ive had the 8 not even a month and im at 5000 miles, so i guess you could say i love driving it. i feel like i have been driving it for yrs. anyway, enjoy and if you have pics of your top speeds post em i wanna see. i also have video footage of about 130 if you wanna see. the one picture is easy to read, the other one well lets just say its not 111.


ps.....i dont recommend driving 145 and using a camera at 4:30 in the morning in BFE Mississippi. only do it if you know your car and know how to drive at high speeds. i take no responsibility for accidents.

So, what is the number in the second shot?

How did the 8 feel at these speeds? Stable? Any "floating"?

My FD was fantastic at 152 mph, and it had a lot more to give. I quit long before the FD was ready to!

So is this in a AT? or a MT/T?

If top speed matters (to me, at the limit in corners is far more telling), then check out the videos on my RX-7 site below.

Though its hard to tell, velocity just before braking into Sunset Bend at Sebring was 165 (155 following the Viper who had to brake VERY early).

What was it like at 165? Well... boring. That's the part of the track where you've got so little to do that you're supposed to check guages, belts, and helmet strap.

Was that top end for the car? No. I don't know what the top end was, but I buried the 180 mph speedo, though those are well known to be inaccurate. A buddy with identical mods saw 205 on a radar gun setup (I won't say where), but I don't think I ever saw over 190.

BTW, there is hardly any steering above 140 in the 3rd gen. Too much air gets into the engine bay to be let out down the sides of the engine so the lift on the hood unweights the front wheels. How much? Enough to bow the hood so you could, theoretically, slide your hand in.

Hood venting (and removing the weatherstripping where the hood meets the windsheild base) takes care of that.

Please be responsible.

What is going to happen when a drunk floats over into your lane at those speeds.. I know you feel like you are in control. But you are not. Please think of other peoples children before you act this reckless and irrisponsilbly again.

What if a deer had run out in front of you?

You should go to jail for this and you would have if you'd have gotten caught. Probably lost you job too. Is it worth that?

a deer? he would have hit it, the deer would die, he would get his car fixed, and move on. he said there was no one else on the road, and i dont think he would have done it with other people on the road.

Top speed
 

Right around 149 out side of tampa's I-75 N late night. But check this out. I was pulled over by a state trooper on I-75 doing 95 Mphr, then he asked if I knew why he stopped me. I responded "yes I was just wanting to get home" then he told me his job responsibility. He said " not only am Im here to slow motorist down because they never know if their car would go out of control at high speed, but the worst part of my job is to knock on the door of the other motorist family that did not make the impact of a high speed incident and explain to them that THEY ARE NOT EVER COMING HOME!! Please be super careful out their with these great high speed top of the line vehicles. I like my mazda but I dont love it because it can take me out in just seconds. BE SAFE CHILDREN!! :rolleyes: :o

Thanks, mommy. :)

Not trying to be anybodys mother but.... I just handled a death claim, on a 30 year old trying to see how fast his Monte Carlo would go. When a friend of mine pulled the body out of the car, the speedo was locked at 115mph. Be safe.

136 mph, NJ Turnpike, southbound between exits 11 and 9. there is no place there for cops to sit and clock you. I average about 110 mph on my trip home from work everyday. This is at a time when there is no traffic. The RX8 seems to handle great at these speeds. I actually got pulled over doin about 120. The cop didn't clock me, he just saw me from somewhere. I saw flashing lights in the backround for like two miles, slowly approaching me, so I slowed down and pulled over. He told why it was stupid to go that fast and then let me go, no ticket. 75% of cops are idiots, 25% are cool. Luckily this was one of the cool cops.

I don't mean to be a jerk, but going 115mph in a Monte Carlo is a little crazy. I would never do such a thing. May the young man rest in peace.

Joe you are right. To make matters worse, he was on a back country road.

You all are like Wile E. Coyote with the jet pack on his back and rollerskates, just before the pile of dust. Stay out of So. Cal. please. I like driving here.

Um... no- you hit a deer going 144mph and you're going to have a totaled car and a dead driver. I'm guessing you haven't seen what damage those things can do at 60mph...?

How did I know you had the base model?

As an FYI, you'll note that my locations were race tracks. Doing such speeds on public roads is stupid.

I don't care about you. If you take yourself out, it was your decision.

But you cause any injury to my baby girl and I'll hunt you down and kill you... slowly.

Take it to the track where everyone around you knows the consequences, has chosen to be there, and has taken the required safety precautions.

As I said, pure top speed is boring. Taking turn 12 at Road Atlanta on the limit will get your heart going!

It's fun, inexpensive, and safe(r). Plus you can see how you compare to your friends and learn how to improve car control. As Willie T. Ribbs said, "I can teach your grandmother to drive at 200, taking the turns is where I earn my money".

And a deer at those speeds would take your head off...THROUGH the windshield.

Ok...to all those nay sayers out there, speed is NOT the leading cause of motor vehicle deaths. Its your drunken, high, talking on the cell phone, putting on their makeup, etc, etc, motorists. Period! That's the statistics. As already talked about by this forum, the US speed limits were created during the oil crisis and economy was the big concern. Vehicles of that time were designed to be most economic at 55. How many countries are without speed limits for that matter? I'm not advicating blaring down the highway at 100 some odd mph, but having done so in appropriate situations, I can attest, sometime you just wanna see what your car can do. Know the road, know the situation, know the car. Use common sense. So on that note, let's continue with the purpose of this thread...what's your top speed?

Just some real food for thought, and a bit of insight! http://www.investigatemagazine.com/july00speed.htm (For the nah sayers, that is!)

I hit 140 on Hwy 400 way up north, and then I began to think about the non-limited access (no entrance ramps up that far; intersections) and ran these calculations, albeit very roughly...
80 MPH = 117.333~ feet per second
140 MPH = 205.333~ feet per second
Average Compound Bow Arrow Speed = 250 feet per second

Most people when they approach an intersection cannot determine and react to an object approaching them at nearly the speed of an arrow shot from a compound bow.

Amen. Or the Diving Turn at Lime Rock Park... weeeee!

Besides, we all know the tested top speed is around 148mph, yes?

So what's the REAL point in "seeing what the car can do?" We already KNOW what the car can do.

109mph, theres no room here in chicago :(

Only got it up to 185kph (about 115mph)...I'm going on a road trip to B.C. in a couple of weeks. That number should move up.

Well OK, to actually answer the question...

About 90+ on a very crowded route 287 in NJ. But only because that's what everyone surrounding me was doing at the time. Safer to go with the flow than be an obstacle, IMHO.

I keep joking with my wife that I no longer feel a need for track events... a drive down 287 is cheaper and faster. I really should wear my helmet next time. That'll freak out the commuters.

What amazes me about the 8 is how stable it is (amoungst the other thousand things). The steering is so perfectly weighted, so easy to keep centered, and yet so responsive if you need to dodge some idiot cutting in front of you. It's very relaxing and confidence-inspiring at speed, even with semis and SUVs inches inches from either side. Coupled with the perfect driving position and oh-so-comfy and supportive seats, it's wonderful.

We keep swapping from the 8 to our Civic when making this run every day, and although I love the civic for what it is, the contrast certainly helps you appreciate and realize where the extra 10K dollars was spent.

The Autobahn in Germany and these stats from that Argentina article are clear proof that high speeds aren't what we have to worry about. There are certain roads in the US where I don't have a problem with people going fast. The NJ turnpike is a perfect example. There is nothing wrong with doing 120 on the NJTP at 5 in the morning. This is how it is in Europe on major highways and they dont seem to have a problem. Stay right and don't pull out on anyone and you and your sweet little kids will be fine. Moron.

My buddy should have bought your car, he just purchased a 1999 Porsche 911 Carrera. Your car was awesome in the videos.

In about 2-3 years, I will be looking for a 3rd gen to add to my garage, but for now I'm modding my 8.