# What color is your car? Is it true red ones go faster? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 8, 2000, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-your-car-is-it-true-red-ones-go-faster/24915 "2000-07-08T01:00:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2000, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-your-car-is-it-true-red-ones-go-faster/24915/21 "2000-07-09T22:23:02Z")
> [@](#): > > If were up to me when I bought it, white would have been the last colour on my list. My last Porsche was white. Not “I’m so cool” red, nor pretentious black, nor one of the other colours that I didn’t much care for. Just plane white. I liked it. ---
**Author:** ![tiggeril](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tiggeril/32/7234_2.png) [@tiggeril](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiggeril)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2000, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-your-car-is-it-true-red-ones-go-faster/24915/22 "2000-07-09T22:48:52Z")
Mine’s a 1991 Audi V8 Quattro in that pearly white shade. That puppy kicks ass. ---
**Author:** ![Oncle\_Biere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8baadc/32.png) [@Oncle\_Biere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oncle_Biere)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2000, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-your-car-is-it-true-red-ones-go-faster/24915/23 "2000-07-09T23:23:18Z")
I once had a navy blue Mustang that I repainted silver, and it did slow down. After an accident, I repainted it red, with a skinny white pinstripe on the rear top edges. Wow, would that thing go then! I did get a couple of tickets, though. It’s hard to be inconspicuous in red. ---
**Author:** ![Buddy\_Holly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Buddy\_Holly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buddy_Holly)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2000, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-your-car-is-it-true-red-ones-go-faster/24915/24 "2000-07-10T06:54:43Z")
My car used to be red. However, right now it’s approaching a beautiful shade of “Rust.” It could be considered a speed demon though: If you floor the accelerator, you can expect to be nearing the speed limit in only 30-40 seconds! And thats on 25 mph residential streets! Yep, she’s quite a machine. Anyone who rides in it can take home a souviner because everytime the door is closed a little too hard, a small chunk of it falls off. Still, she’s my baby, and I love her… until I can save up the money for a new (read: "Made in the last 10 years) one. But that’s the life of a high school student, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2000, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-your-car-is-it-true-red-ones-go-faster/24915/25 "2000-07-10T08:42:06Z")
1996 Peugeot 306, Bleu Sigma. Apparently, that’s French for “Bright Blue Metallic” 😃 It’s quick enough for normal traffic, but if I had to buy another one now, I would definately choose the 6-speed 20.0 GTI version that tops out at 224 km/h, woohoo!! ---
**Author:** ![JavaMaven1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@JavaMaven1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JavaMaven1)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2000, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-your-car-is-it-true-red-ones-go-faster/24915/26 "2000-07-10T09:21:09Z")
I’ve got a dark, metallic green '97 Saturn. A thoroughly dependable car, but I must say I’ve never tried to push it over 80 mph–we Saturn drivers tend to be a little sensible about stuff like that. Besides, in L.A. traffic, think I’d ever get a chance to even do 65? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2000, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-your-car-is-it-true-red-ones-go-faster/24915/27 "2000-07-10T11:23:07Z")
> [@](#): > > Besides, in L.A. traffic, think I’d ever get a chance to even do 65? 405 South. Weekdays. 0700. You’d better be doing at least 70, or you’ll get runover, scowled at, and maybe shot. ---
**Author:** ![T\_G\_I\_F](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9a140/32.png) [@T\_G\_I\_F](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T_G_I_F)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2000, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-your-car-is-it-true-red-ones-go-faster/24915/28 "2000-07-11T05:25:33Z")
Right now I’m “between” cars. The repairman said it’s time to put “Old Paint” down. Renting from “Rent-a-Relic”. When you rent you have no choice of color, so I’m stuck with “champagne”. What I wouldn’t give for a red car again! ---
**Author:** ![CanadianSue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@CanadianSue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanadianSue)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2000, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-your-car-is-it-true-red-ones-go-faster/24915/29 "2000-07-11T06:25:21Z")
According to the speeding ticket I got the other day, I’d have to say that red cars go faster 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Bottle\_of\_Smoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Bottle\_of\_Smoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bottle_of_Smoke)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2000, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-your-car-is-it-true-red-ones-go-faster/24915/30 "2000-07-11T18:36:49Z")
I drive a ‘96 Dodge Caravan. It’s white. It’s got a luggage rack. And built in child seats. It’s bitchin’. Better watch out if you pull up next to me. I haven’t noticed if the red minivans go any faster than the other colored ones… ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2000, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-your-car-is-it-true-red-ones-go-faster/24915/31 "2000-07-11T21:45:23Z")
It is not that red cars go faster. It is that a car of _any_ color will glow red when going fast enough. didn’t you learn that in school? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2000, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-your-car-is-it-true-red-ones-go-faster/24915/32 "2000-07-11T23:22:05Z")
I’ve heard that red cars get more tickets, but that doesn’t mean they go any faster. I always assumed they were just more likely to be noticed by the state troopers. A red car will catch someone’s eye, but there are eyes out there that are better left uncaught. ---
**Author:** ![Niggle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Niggle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Niggle)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2000, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-your-car-is-it-true-red-ones-go-faster/24915/33 "2000-07-12T05:16:10Z")
Mmmmmm… Silver 99 miata. Silver is great… you don’t need to wash it as often. I drove a red miata before I bought mine. The silver one went faster. 🙂 -niggle ---
**Author:** ![Paradocs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Paradocs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paradocs)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2000, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-your-car-is-it-true-red-ones-go-faster/24915/34 "2000-07-12T05:41:53Z")
My first car ever was a '69 MG B GT, red, and that _definitely_ made it go faster, zoom zoom!! I grew up on a farm, though, and because the roads were too hard on the MG, my dad made me drive the 22 year-old diarrhea-brown '69 Chevy tank aka station wagon with the nasty bright yellow-green vinyl seats and the three foot long piece of twisted, rusted metal sticking out the back end from an attempt to pull it out of mud gone awry that always scraped the ground when you hit a dip. _Murder_ on a sixteen year-old’s sense of self! That car would hit 110mph before you could blink, though. I suppose that a diarrhea-brown car is just intrinsically fast… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tymp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Tymp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tymp)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2000, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-your-car-is-it-true-red-ones-go-faster/24915/35 "2000-07-13T14:36:15Z")
I must respectfully disagree with just about everyone that’s checked in on this thread. The fastest cars on the road are those that are orient blue metallic in color. Sometimes, I play along when someone wants to race on the highways of Connecticut. I have been beaten exactly once. The state of North Carolina, of which I am _not a resident_, tried to suspend my driver’s license out of sheer terror caused by my orient blue metallic majesty while I was passing through that lovely state. Some would say that the ridiculous speeds achieved by my car could be attributed to the combination of a confident driver and an in-line 6-cylinder BMW engine. They are wrong. It is the paint. Red paint makes for a fast car, but here in Connecticut, Red has been sent scurrying off in cowardice with its tail between its legs before my mighty orient blue metallic divinity. Additionally, clean cars always outperform dirty cars. You might notice this the next time that you wash yours, no matter what color it may me. The rational mind might state that a driver will become more pleased with the sexy shininess of a clean car and be tempted to drive quickly and joyfully. In reality, the increased speed is caused by the car’s newfound freedom from the tiny dust particles and bug guts that were causing reduced performance as a result of increased drag. Also, as the luster of a car’s paint is restored, speed will increase. Wash your car. Don’t get me started on how a leather interior will increase performance. Ooh! The stereo, too. The mathematical illustration of the physical effect of a good stereo on a car’s performance is _way_ too elaborate for this forum. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2000, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-your-car-is-it-true-red-ones-go-faster/24915/36 "2000-07-13T14:49:38Z")
Brown Chevy Truck, Stick Shift. Yes, it’s sluggish. But I think the clutch has been slipping, so there is a reason. Now when my boyfriend drives it, it does, in fact, go very fast. Way TOO fast if you ask me. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2000, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-your-car-is-it-true-red-ones-go-faster/24915/37 "2000-07-13T16:41:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Robot Arm \* > I’ve heard that red cars get more tickets, but that doesn’t mean they go any faster. I always assumed they were just more likely to be noticed by the state troopers. A red car will catch someone’s eye, but there are eyes out there that are better left uncaught. I heard the same thing, but that the reason was that people who tend to drive fast tend to buy red cars. I have a red _minivan_. It’s got some sort of V8 Superhonkin’ Overdrive (I believe that’s the technical term) so it can indeed go fast. Hold on to your carseats, kids! Mommy’s burning rubber! Ahem. ---
**Author:** ![Bolo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@Bolo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bolo)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-your-car-is-it-true-red-ones-go-faster/24915/38 "2000-07-14T04:59:00Z")
I drive a white Chevy Suburban. It’s white, I’m white. It’s long, I’m long. I live in the suburbs, that’s what it is called. Red cars do go faster. I think it’s from something called the red shift I heard about in high school physics. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tymp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Tymp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tymp)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-your-car-is-it-true-red-ones-go-faster/24915/39 "2000-07-14T05:33:08Z")
Red Shift affects only wedge-shaped cars with super shiny rims. ---
**Author:** ![Minxsmom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Minxsmom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Minxsmom)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2000, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-your-car-is-it-true-red-ones-go-faster/24915/40 "2000-07-14T05:34:51Z")
I have a red car, but not by choice - it was the only color left. I drive a red Geo Metro hatchback. I can go from 0 to 60 in a week and a half. I would really recommend a Geo to anyone looking for something reliable and cheap to get them around. My car is a 1995 and I’ve never had a days trouble with it _knock wood_. And, I really abuse the poor thing. I forget to get the oil changed, I speed, I’m a big fan of jackrabbit starts, I use cheap gas, etc. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-your-car-is-it-true-red-ones-go-faster/24915.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-your-car-is-it-true-red-ones-go-faster/24915.md?page=3)