yee

I drove down from Bay Area to L.A. this morning, and there was about 3-5 minutes where I was driving at 145 mph ... I was extremely impressed by how steady the car was (maybe my spoiler helped a little :p ) Aside from how fast things are passing by, it felt like I was driving 70 mph...the only thing I had to do is close my sunroof's screen (it was getting loud) ...

I just wanna say that this is one of the most steady car I've driven at such speed... ( more steady than a E36 M3, oh, and much better than an Accord )

Then I was thinking that I should see how the speed limiter play it's thing (@ 147 mph, right?! )... but I was out of room and had to slow down.

ZodiakTL

yeah, doesnt the car just feel amazing at that speed?
well, ur probably gonna get flamed by almost everyone else, so be ready

yee

haha...I'll just be like Joe and never respond again.

edgalang

What does the SSM TL-s mean on your sig? and how does your spoiler look like? any pics?

bioyuki

SSM stands for Satin Silver Metallic. Other common abrevations are ABP, NBP, DEP etc.

edgalang

Doh! For some reason I only know of the blue one NBP...DEP...Im not even sure which one is black or white. lol

yee

The part about my spoiler is a joke!
the only downforce I may be getting from it is it's weight. :p


http://www.acura-tl.com/forum/showth...threadid=17590

BlackShadow

I heard we have a speed limiter but I have taken my stock TL to 147 mph and it was still pulling (real slow but still pulling). Just be careful.

rockinTLS

Sorry, not much into the high speed driving scene. I'll keep it under 100 and let you guys experiment with the car's limits. Nice to know the car can do it, though.

On the side note, White Diamond Pearl (WDP) is MOST important! How can you forget that?

2K2SilverTL-S

I have to disagree with the TL-S being stable at 145 mph. I'm probably the only person on this board that actually maxed out the TL-S (my spedometer said 150 mph redlining 4th gear), and I have to say that after 120 mph, the stock tires really show that they are not the greatest. I hit a minor crevice in the road at 120 in my TL-S and almost slammed it into the divider. Yes, the TL-S is a comfortable cruiser at 100 mph and you actually feel very relaxed maintaining that speed. But after 120 mph.....be careful.

tdoh

Stock TL ? You mean that a TL has the same top speed as a TL-S?

Tony

BlackShadow

I guess so. But I am pretty sure a TL-S can go a little faster. Remember that the TL and TL-S is the same design so there is a drag limit (wind resistance). Meaning our cars can only go so fast due to its design. Correct me if I am wrong.

yee

2k2SilverTL-S I guess we have different road conditions then...or my spoiler really did help?! anyway...I use to drive hella fast too...I guess I've slowed down a little since I got my TL-S... but I've been able to say that I've floored every car I've driven, and besides the 911's, S-Class, E-Class. The TL is actually on par with the 5 series (except the M5)...I guess I was expecting the Accord feel at 140+mph...so I was really satisfied with it.

tdoh & BlackShadow I guess we're pretty safe to say that all engines have a speed limiter cuz they need to classify their vehicle into a particular class. (eg. most SUV have set their limit at 98 mph) So I wouldn't be surprise at all if TL and TL-S have the same speed limit

What I do want to know however, is if the 2002 TL or TL-S have the same speed limit as the previous gen?

tdoh

Okay, that makes sense but it still sucks; I mean, why bother at all (from a practical standpoint) with a limiter if a car can reach fairly high speeds like the TL/TL-S?

You're right about the SUV limiter cutting out at around 98 (my Tahoe does that) but I thought one of the primary reasons (not the only or the main reason) for that was because of the tire rating (the BFGs on my Tahoe are T-rated, which IIRC is rated to 102 mph). Of couse, I could save up and buy a Power Programmer which can do among other things, remove the limiter and allow adjustment of speedo due to tire size or final drive ratio changes. Isn't there someone who can come out with something like that for Japanese cars?

Tony

pianoman41

The TL-S has a 149mph governor for this exact reason - V-rated OEM tires are good up to 149mph. Although the tires could certainly handle (but not well) speeds over this there is a liability issue at stake. Legal departments of most major US manufaturers require them...

That being said, in stock form I don't think the TL-S could get much higher than 149 because of either gearing or aero drag. Headers/intake/exhaust etc would change that.

yee

I could be wrong on this...

but I guess there're plenty of design issue about the speed limiter...
first of all, insurance, wihtout the limiter it'll be $$$, which affect sells.
Imagine a Civic going over 150 mph, that's extremely risky cuz the bodyframe is not design to hold
Remember the 3 TT's that flipped on the Autobahn? Safety issues are extremely important too...
choice of tires are important too...it's in the asembly line right...the need to calculate the cost efficient and productive rate (some sh*t like that)

in most cases, the limiter are chips that can be remove..
btw, I once read an article that an E-Class have 4 speed limiter.

hey, tdoh in no means I'm trying to argue with you, I just find this an extremely interesting topic to discuss.

tdoh

yee --hey, didn't take it that way at all. I'm just putting in my two cents worth of what my take is on all this. Quite frankly, it makes no sense to have a limiter based solely on safety issues, given that you can't legally drive faster than 75 mph (varies from state to state) on public highways anyway. By putting in a limiter at some triple-digit speed (like 147 for a TL-S) the inference to be made is that it's okay to drive such a car that fast, rules and regulations be damned.

So, if the insurance and/or NHTSA are so worried about people pushing their vehicles to limits that they (the cars) can't handle, then they should just put a limiter to cut off at 80 (LEO vehicles excepted), since people shouldn't legally be driving that fast anyway; otherwise, why bother with one (tire and other issues notwithstanding)? I mean, heck--just because a Corvette (for example) has higher performance limits than other vehicles doesn't mean that just any Joe Blow can properly take advantage of them. There are some people out there (probably even in this forum) who can probably push a Civic/Integra/some other cheap rice car) way past its limits and still have complete control while others are so full of themselves that they'll probably wreck a Corvette or Porsche even at 5/10ths of the car's limits.

Anyways, enough rambling for me...

Tony

Mr.T

I hit a minor crevice in the road at 120 in my TL-S and almost slammed it into the divider.



It's your driving skills that save your car :p

MR.T

1000bpm

What the hell do you tell a cop who pulls you over at 140 mph

yee

haha...maybe they're worried that you might kill the engine...and my friend's civic had to make alot of reinforcement before going @ 130+...

I was at the Autobahn a few years back...and I was sitting in my cousin's car doing 130 mph...and we had to be on the 'right lane'!!!

140 mph & Police... (I was more concern about the aircraft, been pulled over once by those d*mn plane)... I really don't have an answer for that one, they can lock you up!...but before I floored my car I made sure I was fully aware of all of my surroundings (I had a clear view up front, my rear view mirror was clear) and that there weren't any highway exit/ramp for the next 10 miles.

I posted this topic simply because I'm proud of my car's handling @ 140+ mph, I have no intention of arguing how fast I should drive because I know I'll never be on the right side. I consider myself a very safe driver (9 years and never caused an accident)...I drive a little over average speed in cities, never too fast w/ passenger in car, and this is my first attempt to go over 140+ in ... 3 years!

bh

its probably cuz the gauges would look better goin to 160mph. seeing 100mph on a gauge would suck.

btw 5/10ths = 1/2
hehe

Steveb

You drive over 145 mph on a hwy and you consider yourself to be a safe driver? Talk about an oxymoron.

I guarantee if you asked any professional race car driver if that's considered safe driving they would not only say it's not but that it's also foolish and irresponsible. So please don't insult our intelligence.

1SICKLEX

145 mph for 3 to 5 minutes, YOU'D BE OUT OF THE STATE..........

Having driven over 150, I was sweating, scared to death, looking ALL OVER for cops, and I then caught reality AND SLOWED THE @#$%^ DOWN.....maybe 10-15 seconds....

I usually don't doubt people but this is fishy

1SICKLEX

3-5 minutes at 145 mph, that is a HUGE time difference going that fast

I thought the engine gave up after 110 so in all honesty there must be a seiously long straightaway for you to do 145, I am guessing those that have done it have lot's of mods?

Please explain.

Steveb

This is a very important post and only adds convincing evidence for those of us who say that driving such high speeds is irresponsible and dangerous no matter how good your driving skills may be. You hit a "minor crevice" going 120mph and it *almost* caused you to lose control of your car. THIS MEANS YOU ALMOST DIED! Would you of had the same result if you were going 145mph, hit a larger crevice or a pothole?

There may have been some skill involved saving you from a fatal crash but how much luck was involved? Think about it.

ZodiakTL

the car by no means gives out at 110mph. our 1/4 mile is around 90-95mph as u well know , and it takes the car about 2-3 miles to attain its top speed of 147mph(limited) which, btw, unlike someone ealierier in the thread posted, is nowhere near redline in 4th. the reason that it seems to go cruising at 110 is cuz u upshift into 4th and the rpm's drop below the power band. it takes some 20 seconds to once again hit the VTEC range where some decent accleration power is coming in.

R Man

Huh? 3 minutes at 145 mph equals 7.25 miles. What state do you live in?

RUF87

Never had one actually clock me going that fast. But I did have one just look at me as I blew past him and another say, " I don't know how fast you were going, I don't care. All I know is I was running all out and you lost me in mear seconds." So he gave me a ticket for 100MPH and an illegal lane change. :o

As for how fast I was going I have no clue either. Speedo buried and we were clocking mile markers at 150-160MPH. Oh, it was 2am so pretty much me and the man.

RUF

RUF87

HP does make a difference in top end. So TLS will have higher top end verses TP even if drag the same. There is a speed at which the car will become unstable and the variables are many. Tires, suspension, areodynamics, steering, road conditions and surface type, weather etc.

With this car my guess is that the tires are part, but not the biggest part of the problem. Suspension, steering and downforce (aerodynamics) are probably a bigger factor in the TLS top speed.

As for tire ratings go and as I remember it, the speed rating isn't the speed at which the tires let go. Meaning they don't blow up at that point immediately. Here's a quote from one source.

http://www.tiresafety.com/size_class/size_nav2a.htm

"Speed Ratings
Many of today's automobiles come equipped with speed rated
Original Equipment tires. Speed rating passenger tires originated in
Europe, where highway speeds can exceed 100 mph. The speed
rating indicates the maximum speed a properly inflated tire will
withstand for a determined time. Testing for speed rating certification
is conducted in a laboratory setting."

Here are some interesting websites with more info on tires.

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/testing/tirerate/
http://www.autopedia.com/html/Tire.html
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/speed.htm

RUF

yee

Thanks! R Man, I was just gonna say the same thing.

1SICKLEX I haven't driven at such speed for a long time too, so I was very nervous at first too! But the stability of my TL helped me gain my confidence back, and that was why I posted this topic at first.
I have a stock TL-S.
Oh, I hope the following would clear up the fishy part

I was driving @ ~80mph and I was approaching one portion of the freeway which I'm rather familiar (S. of 152, Southbound on I-5 where there's no exit or ramp for a good 15~20 miles). So I stepped on the accelerator. When my indicator shows that I'm going at 145mph...I roughly remained at that speed. There were a few trucks on the collector lane, I flashed my hazardous light while passing them and I placed my foot on the brake's just in case. The whole thing was about 5 minutes, I finally slowed down as I was approaching an exit (1 mile away).

oh, and it was 4am.

SteveB I don't know any professional racing drivers. :p jk. You're right! no one should drive at such speed on public access road. If you think that I'm a Mutha thucking kaxy driver, that's fine with me.
And you're right again, if there was a crevis, I would've been in danger
But please, I don't need you to teach me about driving. (I've scored perfect on all my driving test.) Your lecture is not necessary.
However, if you like, I'm not a safe driver, I'm foolish and irresponsible. Here, I've said it, u happy?!
I'm here to post and read views and opinions, including yours, but I think we should respect each other, not insulting one another. ( I apologizes if my previous comment offended you, I was just trying to show my point)

Ruf87 Thanks for the tire info, but more importantly, thanks for sharing that 'lil between the two of you' sercet with us man, that was hella funny!

1SICKLEX

Makes sense yee...

Beat some dude Sunday in a modded E430 topped out at 130 before he turned off (cause he lost ) we started at 80, took about 1 minute for the whole race........

Was NOT a straightaway so some scary $hit.....

Steveb

I'm not trying to teach you about driving. Unfortunately, what you need to learn about driving cannot be taught and that's common sense, respect for the one's that give a damn about you( family, friends, etc), and other drivers on the road.

I think if more people on this board would stand up against such irresponsible behavior maybe, just maybe, one 16-17 y/o kid will decide not to try and go 145mph and kill himself. You are glamorizing speed which is okay but it's irresponsible when you glamorize it on public roads. Glamorize it on a track and then I'll enjoy your post.

My response was not about lecturing you nor was it about name calling. I know my post will not change you. That's not my intentions. And as far as respecting each other, I can disagree with you and still respect you as a person.

yee

SteveB first of all, thanks for your response.

yeah, I totally agree.
Driving way over the speed limit is a stupid and dangerous thing.

but I really have to make one thing clear, the whole purpose of my thread is to praise the stability of our TL at high speed. I'm not trying to brag of the speed I drove (I've driven faster than that :p ). But I've never ever tried to 'show off' the speed I drove, especially in this forum (there's a lot of people who drives much faster. )

anyway, this in an entertaining discussion.

sincerely, E

stiletto

one of the few reasons I bought a TL-S is to go as fast as I can with confort, safety and reliability. When I drive 140 mph (quite often) I have a (false) sense of security driving in this vehicle at those speeds, better than any other vehicle I have driven over 140 mph... It all comes into reality when you start braking hard and realize you are still 10-20 mph over a highway speed limit (75 mph)... The brakes on this car are for slower speeds

MrDuck

Hey, be careful about dissing WDP. . . .there may be some
people on this list that have one. Am I the only 'square'
one to get this color in '03? (actually getting my wife to
agree to the TLS was easier once she had a say in the
color

The speed discussion are great. . . .next time you are on the I-10
between LA and Phoenix there are several spots that are very good to test out speeds. Would not try it on I-5 between LA and SF--to many CHP's hiding just over the rolling hills!
MrDuck

Kramer

Turn around assume the position and say Here are my hands sir

TopGum

"I'll have that one phone call now officer"

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

Damn.. this topic is a year old!!

Bottom line is... if you want to go this fast.. do it on a track.
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....hreadid=141587

tls260

Once I got my car up to 145 mph and in front of me was a huge branch in the road (like 1 or 2 feet thick)...........needless to say the tls has a good braking system

JasonT

If they really clock you at that speed, the won't even give chase. They might radio a car up ahead though. Most cops have rules about chaseing cars doing over X amount of speed. I got nail at 110mph in my boss's E55 once. It was really 125+ but I slowed down when my detector went off.