112mph

[IanF]

Volvo are the first, and many expect the ETSC to adopt similar rules by 2021. So is it a good thing or not?

Positives:

Gearing suited for the actual speeds we do - hopefully improving mpg
Less accidents (apparently, not sure how many are caused by high speed vs inappropriate speed)
Less cost for manufacturers (safety based) and buyers (tyres etc)

Negatives:

Doesn’t tackle the issue of people driving inappropriately for the conditions.
This won’t be the only technological advancement; I’d expect geo-fencing and driver monitoring to show up aswell. I don’t have an issue with geo around schools or hospitals etc, but max 60 on a dry, summer’s evening with no other traffic around?

[Mito Man]

Well it certainly works as you never hear about fatal road accidents in Japan since they implemented it.

I remember when the R35 GTR came out it had geofencing in Japan - it would remove the limiter around racetracks, then a few weeks after being on sale some cheeky chaps delimited it like every other performance car over there.

[JLv3.0]

Gearing suited for the actual speeds we do - hopefully improving mpg

Walk me through this. A modern car geared to hit its maximum speed of 112mph in top will be unbelievably low-geared.

[Simon]

Gearing suited for the actual speeds we do - hopefully improving mpg

Walk me through this. A modern car geared to hit its maximum speed of 112mph in top will be unbelievably low-geared.

JLIC. Generally speaking, as long as the engine can turn without labouring, you use higher gearing to improve mpg. That's why under NEDC tests, automatics were keen to get into as high a gear as possible as quickly as possible. There are cars that are reputedly too long geared, like the Cayman GT4, at least when the suspension turret isn't trying to escape through the bonnet.

[V8Granite]

Considering how horrible the Volvo engine range is it’s not a surprise they don’t want anyone to use them

Colleagues have an XC60 diesel, an XC90 T8 and an older xc90. The older and newer XC 90 were lovely inside and the looks are great but apart from the earlier V8 (which were vastly overpriced) the engine choices are rubbish.

It worries me that it’s another nibble at freedom to enjoy our cars though so hoping it doesn’t spread.

Dave!

[McSwede]

Considering how horrible the Volvo engine range is it’s not a surprise they don’t want anyone to use them

Colleagues have an XC60 diesel, an XC90 T8 and an older xc90. The older and newer XC 90 were lovely inside and the looks are great but apart from the earlier V8 (which were vastly overpriced) the engine choices are rubbish.

It worries me that it’s another nibble at freedom to enjoy our cars though so hoping it doesn’t spread.

Dave!

The common 4cyl engine they use across the range is dull. My wife has an S60 T5 and although it makes reasonable progress for its 190bhp it's an unpleasant thing to rev out.

The final days of driving fun may soon be upon us

[Jobbo]

My Volvo is limited to 140mph or thereabouts; it should easily do 150+ with 310bhp but the limiter definitely works. Nobody made a fuss when they introduced limiters at a lower speed than the 155mph which is usually standard.

[dinny_g]

but the limiter definitely works

[GG.]

Nobody made a fuss when they introduced limiters at a lower speed than the 155mph which is usually standard.

To be fair... i'm not sure that Volvo customers (your good self excepted, or not, as the case may be) would be the type to get excited about a sub 155 mph speed limiter

I'm not sure there are many other cars (other than 4x4s as a result of them being ungainly) that have limiters lower than 155mph, anyway.

[Jobbo]

Japanese market cars always had a 112mph limiter - is that still the practice now?

[GG.]

Think that's still the case but not applicable to cars sold in the UK.

I remember you made (what I presume was) a sarcy comment about "well at least leaving the EU will solve this" when I posted the story from Evo about mandatory speed limiters but the Japanese example does actually show how the technology can be left off for territories where that law is not applicable. The one good thing about electronically based systems I guess is that it can be either programmed on or off with minimal effort.

[tim]

Who here, in reality (not posting on the internet reality) regularly drives at 3 figure speeds these days? I don't think I would really care if my car was limited to 112 mph so long as it was just a speed limiter and not a power limiter.

[GG.]

That's true. 112 mph limiter wouldn't bother me overly.

The bonging every time you go over 70mph on a motorway that was suggested by the EU committee, however...

[tim]

Yes that can fvck off.

[Gwaredd]

Who here, in reality (not posting on the internet reality) regularly drives at 3 figure speeds these days? I don't think I would really care if my car was limited to 112 mph so long as it was just a speed limiter and not a power limiter.

Exactly. I might whip up to 110mph or so when coming from a sliproad onto an empty DC, but it's only for a few seconds before I shit myself & take it back down to 3 points territory.

A 112mph limiter wouldn't bother me.

[JLv3.0]

Didn't your Pug hit 200 mph in third?

[Mito Man]

I tend to drive mostly around midnight so if I’m in the right car at the right time and it’s empty then foot to the floor.

You can tell that many of the foreign lorries are delimited when driving late at night - not uncommon to see them 1 in 15 driving at 65!

[dinny_g]

Who here, in reality (not posting on the internet reality) regularly drives at 3 figure speeds these days? I don't think I would really care if my car was limited to 112 mph so long as it was just a speed limiter and not a power limiter.

This...

[JonMad]

Who here, in reality (not posting on the internet reality) regularly drives at 3 figure speeds these days? I don't think I would really care if my car was limited to 112 mph so long as it was just a speed limiter and not a power limiter.

This...

That. With an option to disable it on a track.

[dinny_g]

Who here, in reality (not posting on the internet reality) regularly drives at 3 figure speeds these days? I don't think I would really care if my car was limited to 112 mph so long as it was just a speed limiter and not a power limiter.

This...

That. With an option to disable it on a track.

T'Other...