# Whoah ! These guys are going FAST !! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 20, 1999, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoah-these-guys-are-going-fast/9669 "1999-10-20T15:38:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bantmof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@bantmof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bantmof)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 1999, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoah-these-guys-are-going-fast/9669/21 "1999-10-20T21:44:00Z")
As a driver: a shade over 150 MPH (241 KPH) in a souped-up V8 firebird, which was a LONG ways from being topped out, but my nerves had topped out some ways back :-). The real problem is that car probably had enough power for 175-ish MPH (280 KPH), if not more, but the suspension was not good for more than about 110 MPH (177 KPH), so it got pretty “floaty” when you went a lot faster. Not even remotely a safe thing to do. As a passenger, about 110 MPH (177 KPH) in a turbo Eclipse. ## I am hearby officially jealous of Coldfire’s ride in the Testarossa. peas on earth ---
**Author:** ![bantmof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@bantmof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bantmof)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 1999, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoah-these-guys-are-going-fast/9669/22 "1999-10-20T21:49:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Passenger in the Dodge Viper - 170MPH or 273KPH. Holy shit. Kinda makes one keenly aware of one’s mortality, does it not? 🙂 – peas on earth ---
**Author:** ![Sylence](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b19c9b/32.png) [@Sylence](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylence)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 1999, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoah-these-guys-are-going-fast/9669/23 "1999-10-20T22:37:00Z")
I-25 in the middle of the night through Wyoming-- 110 mph. As a passenger, maybe 80 mph. My parents don’t drive that fast. 🙂 I am also officially jealous of Coldfire. – Sylence * * * And now, for my next trick, I will talk in spooky half-references. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 1999, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoah-these-guys-are-going-fast/9669/24 "1999-10-21T00:06:00Z")
Thanks guys. I knew those 55 mph speed limits were bothering you 🙂 ## Satan: must I remind you of the fact that the US is officially metric ? Not that it really affects everyday life though 😉 (Well, there was this rocket that went to Mars… ooh nevermind…) No worries, for Patriotic Americans who don’t want to loose the King’s Measurements, I’ll do the conversion myself. Coldfire * * * “You know how complex women are” - Neil Peart, Rush (1993) ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 1999, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoah-these-guys-are-going-fast/9669/25 "1999-10-21T02:07:00Z")
650mph in a plane. ---
**Author:** ![realm505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@realm505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/realm505)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 1999, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoah-these-guys-are-going-fast/9669/26 "1999-10-21T02:35:00Z")
125 in a vw beetle, yep. unstable as hell as that speed. ---
**Author:** ![wireless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f14d63/32.png) [@wireless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wireless)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 1999, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoah-these-guys-are-going-fast/9669/27 "1999-10-21T13:44:00Z")
OK, since we’re getting into alternate forms of transport: Mach 2.0 in the Concorde, NYC to London and back. (They have these big displays on the bulkhead wall that tell you how fast & high you’re traveling.) ::waiting to be topped by some AF or Navy pilot:: But here’s the clincher: I got to fly Concorde for FREE!! (OK, it was 130,000 frequent flyer miles.) ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 1999, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoah-these-guys-are-going-fast/9669/28 "1999-10-21T13:50:00Z")
Hey, Start your own thread, you airheads !! This is about cars, speed, highways, etc. ## Near-crash stories are welcome too. But get your plane-stories on out of here 🙂 Coldfire * * * “You know how complex women are” - Neil Peart, Rush (1993) ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 1999, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoah-these-guys-are-going-fast/9669/29 "1999-10-21T14:00:00Z")
No planes, Okay, how about boats? 70MPH or 112KPH as a passenger. No, I’m not going to water ski when that crazy s.o.b. is driving. * * * “The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind.” - _Humphrey Bogart_ ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 1999, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoah-these-guys-are-going-fast/9669/30 "1999-10-21T15:00:00Z")
How about Jetskis? 60mph, and I would have gone faster but I’d hit a wave and go flying up in the air, losing a good 7 - 8mph. It would nearly fling me off, too; my body would bounce a good two feet above the seat and the only thing keeping me on was my death grip on the handles. God, that was fun. The guy who I rented the 1200cc Jetski said, “y’know, you never really need to use full throttle; maybe a tap on the throttle to get you over a wave or something.” Yeah, right! What’s the point of having full throttle unless you crank it? * * * “Happiness is nonetheless true happiness because it must come to an end, nor do thought and love lose their value because they are not everlasting.” - Bertrand Russell ---
**Author:** ![Moonshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Moonshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonshine)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 1999, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoah-these-guys-are-going-fast/9669/31 "1999-10-21T15:54:00Z")
250kmh test driving a Mercedez 560SEL at the beginning of this year, and the chip wouldn’t let it go any faster. I swear that is the last time they let me test their cars. I have to say though, it feels more like you are driving a sofa than a sportscar though, give me that Ferrari anyday. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 1999, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoah-these-guys-are-going-fast/9669/32 "1999-10-22T05:49:00Z")
Memorable zippy times: As a passenger, 140 mph in the trunk of a Dodge Dart; At 17 I got pulled over for 120 in a 70 zone and didn’t get a ticket! They pretty much disassembled the car, though. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 1999, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoah-these-guys-are-going-fast/9669/33 "1999-10-21T18:00:00Z")
Okay, I **have** to hear beatle’s story. 140MPH in the trunk? You were running late for the drive-in movie? Hmmmm? * * * “The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind.” - _Humphrey Bogart_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoah-these-guys-are-going-fast/9669.md?page=1)