cpayne

Well this evening was fun..was just out on a spirted drive the area...passing a few cars on the right that wont merge right as they are inconsiderate typical drivers...and there behold in the left lane a E46...oh man I was stoked...not only a beauty of a car..a great challenge.

So he merges right and at this point I thought well heck..I guess I will just pass him around 80-85 or so...but then I can tell he is starting to press on the pedal a bit...hmmm I say..this could be fun. Put her in 4th and push her hard....nose to nose till about 130 or so (was focusing on the road..lets just say redline 4th gear)...in 4th..he starts to pull a "bit" (1/2 Car Length)...I shift to 5th and then he runs in to a bit of traffic and has to brake...bummer..I say...I signal to him to pull off my ramp but no luck...give him the "hang-loose" sign (windows down entire time) he waives back and we go on our way. Seemed like a cool guy...hope to meet on less fast terms in the future...

**Time for my Garrett/RS2 conversion + FMIC...would have been no contest...but not bad for a chip+exhaust+intake+exhaust cam ;-)

Disclaimer: Road was clear for a good 1 mile..no lives endangered but our own. We both braked safely when it was necessary. I dont endorse speeding in neighborhoods, around schools and parks, and conditions that are unsafe in general..but on the freeway when you can...I take the 5th Amendment.

Xel

E46 M3 still has a 130mph speed limiter doesnt it ;-)?

cpayne

Not sure...didnt look down at the Speedometer...only the Tach...redline in 4th..any ideas of speed?

quattro20v

to 3500 rpm in 4th, see what speed and double it to calculate speed at 7000 rpm.

cpayne

That has got to be over 100 at 3500 ;-)...thx will check it out

UrS4boy

at 7000 RPM, the speed is 128 mph according to the July 1992 R&T. 130 mph is 190.67 ft/sec which with 225/50/16 tires (24.86" dia or 6.51 ft in circumference) is 29.3 wheel revolutions per second (1757.3 RPM at the wheels). With a final drive ratio of 4.11 and 5th gear at 0.73:1 (final drive ratio = 3.00:1) the calculated engine speed is 5272 RPM. Play the same game backwards with 7000 RPM and 0.93:1 for 4th gear (final drive ratio = 3.82:1), this yields 135.4 mph - which can't happen. The speed limiter will cut in at about 6700 RPM (before red line).

As a matter of interest, I once ran A8 wheels and tires (225 - 60 -16's) about 1.77 in bigger in diameter and hit the "speed limiter" at 5250 RPM (the car didn't know it was wearing bigger shoes). This calculates to 138.5 mph. No wonder the older 928 that was trying to pass me couldn't!!! (6% up hill grade in the interior of BC - BC listers think - Peachland connector to Brenda Mine). (I think the turbo might have been a bit red on that one).

Dave F.

Xel

can't u "turn off" the speed limiter according to JPibbles site ;-)?

UrS4boy

tires (i.e. capable of up to but not exceeding 130 mph) would not blow up their tires and then have their estate sue the pants off Audi North America, i.e. the speed limiter was a calculated decision based on Audi's legal department's input. If you read the details of the jumper removal (especially at Ned Ritchie's Intended Acceleration site - which detailed the procedure that Jimmy Pribble copied to his site), you are obligated to tell the next owner that you have done this. Otherwise there is potential that you could be sued in the future.

I always run VR rated tires in the summer, in any case. Too many speeding tickets to risk getting caught above 130 mph (the Mounties don't take too kindly to that sort of behaviour). Acceleration, thats another story.

Dave F.

Bangetek

Car and driver claims 152Mph and I seen other claims of 155+ MPH. Using the speed at 3500 RPM in 5th times 2 gets 170Mph.....

I know they can at least do a sustained
155MPH @ 6200 RPM (with plenty of throttle left)

UrS4boy2

with the square of the velocity, i.e. it is typically very difficult to red line a production car in the top gear because you are starting to "hit the wall" of drag (increasing exponentially with mph) while your horsepower is starting to drop off after 5900 RPM (on a stop ECU-equipped car). As a result, you end up an equilibrium between horsepower being produced and the horsepower required to overcome rolling resistance (relatively minor) and drag. This is why the Bonneville salt flat cars are very streamlined and they run high pressure skinny tires - the tires reduce both rolling resistance and aerodynamic drag. What you thought 245/45/17's were going to make you go faster?? Think again, bucko.

Dave F.