To kinda jump in on this statement, I spent 13 years in Germany with three different Vettes... The autobahn, for those that have never driven on them is often windier and more challenging then our Interstates and I now for a FACT that when running at or above 156 MPH by the time you see something in your path, you've already hit it! I'm not talking about a barn, but something large enough to make you a 3 mile fiberglass trail on the road!

I had some pretty accurate and enlightening facts and figures on this but can't for the life of me find them agian...

LOL I'll never forget the time I was tooling along at 140ish and all of a sudden got flashed by a Lamborgini that came out of nowhere and subsequently shot past me like I was standing still!

And the comment about runflats handling a puncture at these speeds, I think they would shred...

On the other hand I really think every Vette owner should have the oppurtunity to to be able to run their car flat out at least once! It's freaking awesome, tunnel vision, total concentration and one ugly *** grin rear to ear!!!! You can't beat it!

 

Happens every so often at Nextel Cup, Busch, and other events and these dudes do it for a living.

All that said, I think I need to have my '98 tuned 'cuz it started laying down at about 145 in 6th. Maybe it just wasn't accelerating as rapidly and it started running out of steam about the same time I started running out of ball$.

Charlie

 

The C5 is built to go faster then most people would like to travel for a long distance. I'll probably get flamed, and I hate to be a killjoy, but 100+ on a public highway should be a
I had a 63 that I took to 176 on the salt flats for 2 miles and I was white knuckled all the way.
I drove sprints for 5 years on 1/2 mile and 1/4 mile dirt and asphalt and did fairly well at it, but everyone out there were going the same way and had a pretty good idea what the other guy/girl was going to do. I had a good friend that hit a 3 yo when he and a buddy were out horsing around and while the child lived, he never got over it after he got out of the house of do-rights.
Please do it on the track to protect yourself and others. I don't care how good you are, s""t happens, especially when you don't expect it, and real quick.(Been there done that)
The general driving public suck at driving. They don't know what you are doing and can not judge speed. Protect yourself and others. I personally like everyone that has posted on the forum and the members are the greatest. Hate to read about a member wrecking or getting hurt or worse. Well there is my lecture flame me if you want, but keep it safe.

 

I did 130 no problems. Usually don't drive like that but it was wide open with zero cars in sight. Won't be doing it anytime soon but fun to say that I did it once.

 

If ppl are really as highly skilled and great drivers as they say they are, Why dont they have a NASCAR or other high dollar PROFESSIONAL race driving contracts??

 

I've been up to 167 with ease, I backed out of it because of concern of the tires I was running on. I have now switched out my 5th and 6th gear with G-Force gearing, added an additinal, say 300hp, and I will be shooting for 200+ mph. It will be closed course, but as said above, if you do have an animal pop oout in front of you, you're done. At 200mph you are traveling you are traveling 293ft/sec!! Every second you are basically covering a footbal field. Average reaction time is about .6 of a sec, or at that speed, 176 feet. So if an animal popped out in front of you 176 ft up the road, you would just be reacting by the time you hit it. Do you think you can see up the road 176 feet? But with every goal comes a risk, you just have to be clear on the risks and if you're really truly willing to accept them. Even at 150 you are covering 220 ft/sec!! Or basically at that speed it will take you 132 feet to even react. Drive safe!!

 

torchvette10,

Just knowing is good enough for me!

I have a '00 FRC and a '72 Cpe. The FRC is getting a 402 as I write this. It had 420 RWHP with the last combo. I've been over 100 MPH on the street, and that was many, many years ago in my 67 GTO vert.

I let my friend drive the '00 after it was dyno tuned last year. He wound it up it traffic on I95 to the point that I was screaming at him to slow down. All it takes is some soccer mom to take her position in the left lane just as you come up and you both have problems.

I do plan to take the '00 to the track this summer and expect to see 120's in the qtr.

Keep it safe on the streets.
Bob K.

 

171

 

Noted-----
Road Pliot

 

2004 Model - 155mph with the Roof down. Probally has more to go but...

First time racing DB9, Ran out of road.... then i slowed as i normally would for the junction (Same application of peddle). Just the old "speeds relevent" applied after long periods of excessive speeds, your brain thinks normal high speeds are slower than they really are... result thinking at 80mph I would be able to break and slow for a junction 15 meters away .... lucky no traffic.

2nd time i was going to blow my old record away but around 155 it wanted to change gear and a "Check Engine" light came on so i took my feet off the loud peddle.

Ok and now the Rant.

Driving fast needs no skill and it is indeed luck that keeps you alive. If i wish to drive fast I will and if you wont get out my way be prepared to take some abuse there are very few joys left in life that havent been nannied out of fun. So dont start the its Dangerous crap.

Dubai's roads need no skill - they are designed on american roads. Long straight and boring. This has a clear impact on your ability as a driver and you must accept that the standard un trained US driver is simply no where near as capable as someone exposed to EU roads. My long time driving of a Golf GTI along twisting mountain roads on a daily basis at excessive speeds and my karting experience I feel would would stand me well on a proper track.

Almost wetting myself at yes because driving in a circle takes years of experience.... go away.

 

PS: Driving a corvette is dangerous no matter what speed.

As much as i love mine, It is American and as such made out of some used toilet roll, PVA Glue and a Cornflake boxs. Anything hits you at any sort of 30+mph and it will rip through your car like Tin Foil.

My Uncle died in a car crash. Aston Martin, Car slipped comong off a roundabout. Car hit a piller side on at 36mph (Police report). Blunt force Truma RIP. Years of driving 100+ and it is an insignificant bump in the road and small speed impact that wrote him off.

When it is your time to go it is your time to go - Live life to the max.

 

Iv done 180 about 5 times when i was more or less stock and i have to say i never felt like the car was unsafe!

 

Feeling of safety and safety are two very different things. Look at the sale of 4x4s on School runs....

If someone was to ask you what was safer a huge Land Cruiser or a Ford Feista you would natrualy think the 4x4. However in a crash in the 4x4 you cant open the door and the Engine and Peddels are now in your stomach. In the ford you can open the door and have enough room to walk away...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIKu1UDoa6s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuGOAbTeEMs USA Driver + Corner + Corvette = Donkey

 

 

Shoot, I see that in an NA 346 so that shouldn't be a problem for you.

I don't think I have ever seen over 100 on the street but I would love to open it up for a while. Just to much traffic here in Jersey.

 

Just a thought

If an insurance underwriter got their hands on this thread, what would they do to corvette insurance premiums?

 

Some of you guys are killing me :-)

On the right road, that you've been on a hundred times, at the right time of day, with the right traffic conditions (basicaly no other vehicles), in a car that you know is in top shape, with a driver that has some experience at high speed driving, 100+ for a short run isn't one iota more dangerous than regular highway speeds.

You can make all the comparisons you want, statisticaly I'm gonna die within five miles of my house in some mundane manner, so I guess bungie jumping from a helicopter over a burning lake filled with crocodiles in the himilaya's is safer huh?

I'm not advocating irresponsible driving, but coming to the corvette forum and trying to sell "ya know, you really shouldn't exceed the posted speed limit on public roads" is like going over to the Golden Gloves Boxing forum and saying "you shouldn't hit someone in the head, you might hurt them". Bothe statements true, but maybe out of place :-)









135 btw, only a few times, but they were the right times.

 

Hi Bob,
trust me, when I do go beyond the speed limit, there is no one in sight. I couldn't live if I injured or killed someone.
I know I might be stupid for speeding, but at least I respect others on the street and wouldn't put them in danger. It doesn't happen that often either

Good luck with your 402!! You will have a monster. And if well built, you should be able to hit high 120s low 130s in the 1/4 mile!

 

I crashed at 120 mph with a Vette (C5)! It saved my life! My GF and I came out ok! The car was even repairable! They are far from being crap cars! The chassis is really solid and after this accident I wouldn't trust any other car like I trust the Vette! It saved our life! The corvette is really well built. I love that car. Fiberglass is justthe body, the frame willsave your life. It is incredibly strong! You should have seen when we tried to straighten it, it was the hardest frame to correct I have ever seen, same thing for the shop doing the work (he's seen BMW M3s and other sports car). Now that car is gone anyway, it's been stolen
PS Accident was due to a repro wheel that had air bubbles in it and exploded taking the car out of the road. Lesson learned: don't buy POS chinese wheels

 

Regardless of your capabilities and experience, or what you think they might be, here's a photo from a previous high-speed thread showing what happened when a tire blew at 203 mph. The car didn't hit anything.......this damage was from the tire explosion alone.



From THIS THREAD