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.

The US doesn't need such stringent speed limits what it needs is better driver training. Also I think (sorry Polak et al) that unless there are oustanding conditions (like a parent with a serious medical condition) that children under the age of 18 should not be permitted to drive without a parent. Most drivers don't know the rules of the road and some don't care. GET OUT OF THE FAST LANE UNLESS YOU ARE PASSING! I have a better idea than super slow speed limits how about you keep your kiddies out of the drivers seat until they are mentally mature enough and have enough time driving with mom and dad to actually count as some experience. I didn't get my driver's license until I was 18 and I lived in LA. I managed to get around and I am no worse off for it now. So stop whining about your babies and realize that most accidents involving youngsters have to do with inexperience and alchohol and drugs. It would be a more accurate warning to ask you to keep your kids off the road then to assume that my driving style (fast) is the danger if safety is your concern.

some people get highs from drugs, others from gasoline. Besides, we all gotta go sometime...

devoid,

You are correct. As I've always said, speed does not kill, bad driving does, but speeding makes bad driving worse.

A good sports car (or whatever the RX-8 is) does NOT make YOU a better driver. In fact, especially with the DSC, I'd suggest that it offers false confidence in your own abilities, prompting more agressive driving, and more stupid decisions.

The BMW crowd (especially in Roundel, the club's mag) likes to jaw about how the "other" drivers are so bad and that the "chosen" ones who drive BMWs (I don't) are just that much better at everything, including driving, than the "commoners". Funny thing is, BMW drivers stick out in my mind as some of the WORST drivers (along with SUV's) on the road here in Tampa.

If you really think you're hot (as I once did) get yourself to a driving school. There are several good ones throughout the US. Check AutoWeek or the BMWCCA (their schools are good and cheap). You will soon realize that you are not as good as you think you are and that you CAN become much better at car control - all in an appropriate setting.

It is said that 80% of drivers think they're better than average. In this country (USA) average is WHOLLY UNSATISFACTORY. I'd say that 80% of drivers are inadequately trained and that 30% should not be allowed to drive. That probably (but not definately) applies to this group as well (sorry friends) and possibly to me, too. :-)


93rdcurrent,

While emotional maturity has a lot to do with the decisions made while driving (which has become the essence of this topic), age is only a strong correlation, not absolute. I know a few 17 year olds who I would have trusted with my well-sorted RX-7 on the track and plenty of 40 year olds who haven't made it yet.


ACHILLES,

I fall into the adreneline rush myself, but I know enough not to endanger others who have not chosen to accept the risk.


Attack that on-ramp! Out-brake that Vette! But be smart about WHEN and WHERE you do it.

[gets off soapbox]

we should adopt indian highway driving code.

1. Might is right (the bigger vehicle has right of way)
2. Those in front have right of way (ie watch out for those in front of you...there is no such thing as being "cut off" you simply should be watching for, and making appropriate manuevers to allow the person ahead of you to move in front of you)

Oh yeah...and there is no such thing as a speed limit...but if you get in an accident and kill a pedestrian and its your fault, they cut off an apendage. :) I like this one!

Hmm ... I live in So Cal and I remember days back then ... There is a nice stretch of the 210 that goes through a mountain pass between Pasadena and SFV, that I tested out the limits of my Passat on late at night in these curvy hills.

BUT - that's only 1. after 1AM in the morning ... 2. where there isn't an onramp for miles on end ... 3. There isn't a SOUL around. My top speed of 1.8T was ~135mph?

This was also when I was 17. Would I do that again now? Probably not ... but let's just say that I was always way more careful when speeding/racing than I was doing routine things like merging in traffic ... and it was the latter one where I total'ed my mother's Camry at the tender age of 16. I was going 45mph on the 605 when that happened and miraculously didn't hit a single other car even though there were ~30 other cars in sight. Since then, I have always been a careful and defensive (if not always lawabiding) driver.

There are a lot of stereotypes and misconceptions about driving, but I definitely think as a rule of thumb ... 1. You don't know your own capabilities and/or mortality until you've experienced a huge accident ... and most young people are guilty of thinking themselves better than they really are. 2. Accidents happen when you LEAST EXPECT IT ... the SECOND you take your guard down you are at risk. There is nothing wrong with going 140 in a safe place and in safe conditions as long as you can handle the speed and are prepared to face the consequences if something goes wrong.

I can go 94 mph and stop in the same distance as an SUV at 70 (everyone drives 5 over the speed limit). So just to be safe, I usually hover around 90.

Well, I've had cars on public roads out to as fast as 170 mph, and let's just say that's not the smartest thing in the world to do (that was in a Porsche 930 turbo in 1985) - even when you're on a deserted highway in eastern Colorado with 10 miles of empty, visible road in front of you.

Here in the Chicago area, we have our own little version of the autobahn - it's call the Tri-State Tollway between the Wisconsin State Line and O'Hare airport. When it's not backed up with traffic, the prevailing rate in the MIDDLE lane is 80+ mph. The other morning (6:00 AM on a Tuesday) I was headed to O'Hare Airport for a flight out, and was faced with three lanes wide of open road for more than 1/4 mile in front of me. I was already going 91, so I downshifted to 3rd, pulled the redline, upshifted to 4th and pulled long and hard, and when I was few football fields length away from catching the pack in front of me I jumped off and watched the speedo digits dropping through 120 mph.

So, I'm guessing I was out around 125 or so. That's fast enough for me. I have three kids I have to think about all the time.

My favorite speed in this car is between 45 and 75 - in the lower/mid gears - 2nd, 3rd, 4th - the car pulls like an F-16 on afterburners. For that matter, it sounds like one too.

To the guy that said "no room in Chicago", give the Tri-State a try ... just don't do it in traffic.

Oh, and Saturday and Sunday during the day sucks because that's when all the cheeseheads from Wisconsin are passing through going 66 mph ("because you know, for cripes sake, that the speed limit is 65, fer sure.") in the left lane, getting confused at the toll plazas and shaking their hands at all the FIB's who are blistering by them at 80+ mph.

Like me.

I agree its all about where and when. I haven't checked the profiles but I would lay money on catagorizing the responses by age. I think the older you get the more aware of the world around you. Maybe its because you've had more experience at beating it back. Maybe its because you are aware of the outcome of your actions. I'm a father of two young kids. If somebody took those kids from me because he needed to know how fast his car could go I would also hunt him down.

That being said, there can be a time and place for testing your limits as well as the car's limits. You will probably hit your limits first. Most people aren't as good as they think they are. I will find a stretch of highway pavement that is clear so that if I screw up, the only person who bites it is me.

Speed doesn't kill...

Massive deceleration does! :p

I was wondering how long it would take before somebody made that quote!

Like the guy who fell off the cliff as he was falling he kept saying "so far so good, so far so good"

Let's not kid each other . . . we all want to know how fast our 8s will go. If I had open road, or a racetrack, I would love to see what our cars are capable of doing. Who wouldn't ?

Well guys (and girls)... today im going to see what this car tops out at. If I can video tape it, i will (might have to tape the camera to the steering wheel)... I have hit 152mph already and it was still pushing... but the turn up ahead made me take my foot off the gas. I'm going to Ocean Parkway today (about 15 miles of straight almost deserted highway out on Long Island) for this little speed test. Hopefully I'll bring back a video.

You're absolutely right--they are probably young. I am willing to bet that the people who drive foolishly like this are also the ones that have never been to the racetrack to push their cars and skill to the limit as well. After six years of racing, I find that the the limits of street cars in general are quite low, and it doesn't take much more than a twitch at speed (like dodging an obstacle) to send you off the wrong way. As a result, I drive pretty slowly on the street, because of my acute awareness of what the car can and can't do, and my desire to maintain some safety margin in the loads I put on the car. Anyone who keeps chanting "speed doesn't kill" may be technically right, but the deer, driveshaft, or odd tire carcass lying on the road WILL if you are going 140.

And again, I'll point out that C&D tested it already for ya at 150mph, and R&T tested it at 148mph.

Whew! And you guys thought YOU had to go find out for yourself on public roads. What a relief, huh?

I was in a accident on this stretch of road as a passenger and spend 9 days in the hospital with internal bleeding on my brain and other injuries including a 30 percent loss of hearing. It was because of another driver going too fast, simply put. Anyone who speeds in this road is putting others at risk. It is a two lane road with toll plazas every 10 miles. I drive from Wisconsin to CT every few months and this small stretch of highway is the WORST stretch of the 980 mile trip!!!! I can not beleive you would call it the autobahn.

BTW two people were killed in the accident which happened on the stretch across from the dodge neon plant in rockford IL. This highway also has more fatal accidents than any highway in IL.

Risk vs Reward. I have spent some time driving my 8 at the track and still think its crazy to go over 120 on the street. Know your limits and the limits of the car. The risk is high and unless you peak and orgasm at 150 then I don't see the reward.

We love you though. Give a call if you need to make bail.

Yeah, that's the maximum speed the computer on a 1.8t will allow you to go. I had mine (APR programming) up to 144 before it stopped. (not enough power to get any higher) Mine was a GTI, which is about as aerodynamic as a shoebox.

I've had my RX-8 to 130.

Well, actually, CPChester, you're confused between the Northwest Tollway - which is I-90 and is exactly what you said - a two-lane hell of bad, rough pavement with toll plazas every 15 miles for extra fun, and populated with nothing but trucks (that sound like your road out by Rockford?); and the Tri-State Tollway - which is I-294 and 94 - the run from O'Hare to Milwaukee.

The particular stretch where people really seem to "air it out" is from the Lake County IL line south to about Golf road - along there, the road is brand new pavement, three very wide lanes wide, with wide shoulders and a double-width left shoulder and a large "jersey barrier" in the middle.

At the time I blasted down there, I had just crested the hill southbound just south of Lake Avenue, and could see ahead three miles - the road runs wide and smooth through a long, shallow valley - up to about Golf Road, and the traffic "pack" was at least 1/4 to 1/2 mile in front of me.

I was going 91 mph in the left lane which was slightly, and I mean SLIGHTLY faster than everyone else - it took me a 1/2 mile to pass the last guy in the middle lane next to me, and then there was no one across all three lanes for the next open stretch.

OK, if we want to get technical, if the car decided to barf a tire at that speed and I spun, I could have jumped the center divider and killed a bunch of folks. You're right about that ... but on smooth pavement in a straight line, with no one around me, why not.

For the record, in traffic, around town, etc., I'm the most docile driver on the road. I've had a large amount of "seat time" in real race cars over the years and have no need to drive like an idiot all the time.

The reason I call it the autobahn (and believe me, not alone) is because the prevailing speed on that stretch of road is so fast - again, if you're not going 80 mph, you're getting passed a lot.

Out by Rockford, the pace is still about 80, but I won't exceed the flow out there.

Hope you have safe travels.

note the fact i said it was 4:45 in the morning in the middle of no where mississippi. i dont know if you have ever driven through mississippi in the middle of the day..the roads are still empty. and there arent many families out at this hour. its not like i was on a city street. this was pure country setting. i may be dumb for doing a top speed but im not retarded enough to do with other lives in danger. and another thing if you pass a stopped cop at 145...hes not gonna know what kind of car or be able to catch up fast enough to know which car it was. im not some brand new driver out to play in my new car. ive done driving schools, i know not to be dumb.

i thank you for your concerns though. everyone wants to see limits of thing they own whether its a car, a tool, or anything that is meant to be used. its human nature. but once agian thank you for your concern. i dont plan on making the top speed a weekly thing. the car was broken in and i figured i would test its limits.

thank you. i totally agree, which is why i posted the thread to begin with. i mentioned i know my car and how it handles. dont just go buy a car at top speed it the way home. since i got the car a month ago ive done 2 9 hour trips a 12 hour trip and plenty of city driving and back country roads. ive tested it out in parkin glots on straight-aways. always learn your car people.

on another note, i know a car is different on track or on a straight away. that is why i plan on trying it both places and getting used to both conditions. so for the people out there who say top speed is nothin...it is something, its knowing your possessions and enjoying and respecting what they can do.

as for someother questions i saw while trying to read the responses after ebing away, its a manual. as for handling, it was like floating on glass. maybe it just my 8 but even when im in the coty i can feel little bumps once and while, so the small bumps i felt why driving that fast, felt normal. other than that it seemed to squeeze the road.

it about expirencing it for itself. just like the 0-60, your telling me you havent tried it out, or tried to get close? manual tells you what the nav can do...yuou not try it out? just because someone else already did it dosent mean not to do it. if power or something faster than the 4x4 truck i used to have didnt matter than i wouldnt have cared.

Unless some 8's have defective ECU's... There are alot of lying pieces of shit in this thread. :D

Well said, it is not about the speed per se. There was a great show on the History Channel a few weeks back all about the Autobahn which contained some great info, including the fact that there are less deaths per mile traveled on the Autobahn then there are on US interstate highways.

152 MPH, I don't know what the RPMs were but it felt like I was hitting the rev' limiter or whatever it is.

BTW: I am a 59 year old male. I only slowed down when my false teeth fell out, I didn't feel safe looking around on the floorboard for them.