Do cars made for the general public really need to go so fast?

[Natural Citizen]

You showed the steering wheel to obviously show off your car and to taunt.

Heh heh. Please. That particular car is a going on 33 year old C4. It barely has over 200 HP.

Do you really think that I picked up that one for speed? Come on, man. Get real.

That's a road course car. It's a driver. The beauty of free-markets is that we as consumers have these options, depending on what we're looking for in a given scenario or application.

You're not qualified to whine about your own ''concern'' for other people is the problem.

And that's why I cropped it the way that I did. Was a perfect demonstration of your ignorance to the terms of controversy in your own argument. Just seeing a specific brand has triggered your programming and all of the infantile dick waving on your part that followed was a very predictable extention of that programming. You'll have to do better than that. That won't work.

Anyway. Good luck with your government mandates. The Biden administration does actually have kill switch legislation penned and ready for your little ipads on wheels, though. I believe I've shared that around here a few times previously. So I imagine that oughta wet your whistle a bit. Oughtta come in handy whenever they feel like they need another lockdown decree or whatever. As well, a great utility in enforcing their notion of who is defined as society's essential citizen/worker and who isn't during these opportunistic times. Just make sure you don't go farther than the permitted distance and whatnot. Just to the grocery store and back. ''To each according to his need'' and all. Any farther than that, and I suppose you just wait on the side of the road all kill switched and sht until officer friendly shows up with his government gun and reaffirms to you what government has decided the extent of your need actually is. It's for the childrens, after all...

 

[Hellokitty]

Well, at least you're honest.
100mph seems awfully fast but I don't know you or your vehicle.
Of course, I hope you wouldn't do that if the road was wet, slippery or at night.

If I have to drive on the highway at night I'm always concerned about deer jumping out from the woods so I tend to go as slow as safely possible at night on the HW. Minimum speed is often 45 so I might do 60. Dont want to impeded traffic either. But if the speed limit is 65 and I'm doing 60 and someone comes along at 100 then that's really their fault not mine.

Too bad people can't just be responsible. Many are probably on drugs of some sort.
As we speak I just heard a car outside (V8) accelerating as hard as it could sounding like it was on a drag strip, in a residential area.

I mostly drive an Audi SUV. We do have a sports car but I don't drive it that fast. In the SUV you can speed without realizing it. I also don't speed around curves, I tend to slow way down especially if I don't know the road. I have a phobia about hitting a deer so I do the same with slowing down at dawn and dusk or certain areas. I'm actually a very cautious driver especial in any type of bad weather.

 

[Batcat]

Corvettes (190mph)
Mustang 5.0 (175mph)
1000HP street cars (200mph+)
Teslas (Plaid...9.2 1/4 mile) (175mph)
And there is a plethora of BMW, Ford, GM, Lexus, Nissan etc cars that can easily top 150mph.

WHY ?????

If you really think about it, if our politicians were really concerned about public safety then why allow cars that can exceed posted speed limits by 2x or even 3x ?
Isn't that doing nothing more than putting everyone else at risk?

Can anyone justify why ANY regular passenger vehicle operated on public roads NEEDS to be capable of exceeding the posted speed limits by so much?
Limiting vehicles maximum top speed to say, 10 mph over the posted speed limit (for passing only) would likelt save millions of lives over time. Disagree? WHY?

Police chases often see violent perps in getaway vehicles weaving and bobbing recklessly in and out of traffic at speeds often exceeding 100mph.
Why not limit vehicles to 10mph over the posted speed limits?

Does anyone have a legitimate argument against limiting non-emergency vehicles in this manner?
Is it really your "Right" to be able to exceed the posted speed limit by dangerous amounts?
Driving is not a Right, it is a privilege. As such, no one has the right to put others in danger due to their recklessness.
Your desire to have "Fun" should not ever supersede the safety of everyone else for a privilege. EVER.
I see idiots barrelling down neighborhood streets at 50, 60 and sometimes 70 or more in posted 30MPH zones. WTF ??
What if children are playing?
The Number ONE cause of traffic injuries and death is excessive speed.
I'm sick of imbeciles and their ability to put everyone else at risk over something that could easily be fixed.

Imagine how much safer we ALL would be if idiots were not able to go 100, 150, 200+ on PUBLIC roads and highways or run from the Police.
What possible reasonable argument could be made against this?
This could EASILY be achieved through onboard computer chips. You could still have cars that could accelerate to posted speed limits faster than others for those whose egos need constant stroking. But there is no "need" to go faster.
Then if someone is caught exceeding the posted speed limits by more than 10mph, make it LAW that the vehicle is confiscated and sold and the funds go to families of victims of speeders or to highway and road infrastructure programs.

Only first responder and emergency vehicles should be allowed to go over the speed limit.

Doesn't this just make common sense?
I suppose politicians are too busy accepting gifts from the car manufacturers to give a flying flip about sensible public safety issues.
Want to go fast? Go to the frickin race track.
An NO...this does not extend to Constitutional RIGHTS.

When I was learning to drive I was told in an emergency situation you can maneuver, brake or speed up. In order to speed up in a second or two you need a powerful engine. Perhaps not as powerful as to be able to go 200 mph but still powerful.

I have used all three tactics to successfully avoid a traffic accident in the 60 years I have been driving.

 

[Natural Citizen]

When I was learning to drive I was told in an emergency situation you can maneuver, brake or speed up. In order to speed up in a second or two you need a powerful engine. Perhaps not as powerful as to be able to go 200 mph but still powerful.

I have used all three tactics to successfully avoid a traffic accident in the 60 years I have been driving.

I've seen more people back into other cars because they were blinded by the brightness of the screen on their car than I have people driving 200 mph on muh roads. Or tinkering with their icons or whatever.

They should ban touch screens and icons from cars for the childrens.

 

[Batcat]

I've seen more people back into other cars because they were blinded by the brightness of the screen on their car than I have people driving 200 mph on muh roads. Or tinkering with their icons or whatever.

They should ban touch screens and icons from cars for the childrens.

Last week I was a passenger in a car with a woman driver. It was nighttime and we were on a freeway. The light from the screen in her car was so bright it was hard to see the road. She just recently got the car so she couldn’t figure out how to turn the brightness down until she looked it up in her driver’s manual. It was the first time she had driven the car at night.

 

[Natural Citizen]

Last week I was a passenger in a car with a woman driver. It was nighttime and we were on a freeway. The light from the screen in her car was so bright it was hard to see the road. She just recently got the car so she couldn’t figure out how to turn the brightness down until she looked it up in her driver’s manual. It was the first time she had driven the car at night.

Yeah, a lot of the ''features'' on newer vehicles are more of an obstruction that takes your attention off the road than an asset. Or, in that case, makes you an obstruction and a liability to yourself and to others.

Knobs and buttons have worked for a century. And don't even need to take your eyes off the road to look at a screen to control every function of the vehicle. Nowadays everybody's scrolling and tapping on icons and looking at their screens while they're supposed to be paying attention to the road.

Sitting through the same red light three times is common practice these days because of that nonsense. Horns blowing all over the place trying to get the dolt holding trafic up to pay attention to the light and whatnot.

Those retina burning lasers they're pawning off for headlights are something else. Donlt even get me started on that. lolol...

 

[Canon Shooter]

Your response is unbelievable.
If you need to speed to "stay alert" you DO NOT need to be behind the wheel putting everyone else at risk.

I don;t see where he condones it. He's simply pointing out that it happens...

 

[Concerned American]

Can anyone justify why ANY regular passenger vehicle operated on public roads NEEDS to be capable of exceeding the posted speed limits by so much?

This reminds me of anti-gun folks asking why I "need" a gun. It is no ones business and need has nothing to do with it. If I WANT a vehicle that goes 800 mph, that is my right--just like owning a jet airplane. It is a free country. I think some whack job democrats tried to limit production cars to 85 mph back in the 80s and it didn't go over well. Just because a car is capable of exceeding posted limits does not give the operator a right to exceed them--there are laws and penalties that address that eventuality. This is America and it is supposed to be FREE.

 

[Concerned American]

I agree with that.
When we drive to see Bonzi's mother, we hit a lot of open interstates with little traffic. I will speed up to 85-90 mph. It makes the trip shorter and going that fast does keep you more alert.

There are Interstate freeways in many states that have speed limits of 80 mph.

 

[Concerned American]

How many people do you think would tinker with their car`s engine so they can go faster? Most driver`s won`t even change their flat tires if they can call AAA or another service to do that. Would that altered engine be able to pass inspection?

You would be amazed at the number of folks in CA that "chip" their cars and trucks in order to increase performance in violation of state smog laws and manufacturers warranties. They are not concerned with the fact that circumventing smog laws carries fairly extreme financial penalties as well as voiding the mfr. warranty on the vehicle. The manufacturers can tell when a car has been modified. Stupid is as stupid does.

 

[MarathonMike]

I don't speed in traffic or at night. I mostly speed on the HW but not over 100 mph.

Same for me, that's what I meant. There is going a few miles over the limit and then there is dangerous speeding. I swear some these people drive like they have a death wish.

 

[hjmick]

Corvettes (190mph)
Mustang 5.0 (175mph)
1000HP street cars (200mph+)
Teslas (Plaid...9.2 1/4 mile) (175mph)
And there is a plethora of BMW, Ford, GM, Lexus, Nissan etc cars that can easily top 150mph.

WHY ?????

If you really think about it, if our politicians were really concerned about public safety then why allow cars that can exceed posted speed limits by 2x or even 3x ?
Isn't that doing nothing more than putting everyone else at risk?

Can anyone justify why ANY regular passenger vehicle operated on public roads NEEDS to be capable of exceeding the posted speed limits by so much?
Limiting vehicles maximum top speed to say, 10 mph over the posted speed limit (for passing only) would likelt save millions of lives over time. Disagree? WHY?

Police chases often see violent perps in getaway vehicles weaving and bobbing recklessly in and out of traffic at speeds often exceeding 100mph.
Why not limit vehicles to 10mph over the posted speed limits?

Does anyone have a legitimate argument against limiting non-emergency vehicles in this manner?
Is it really your "Right" to be able to exceed the posted speed limit by dangerous amounts?
Driving is not a Right, it is a privilege. As such, no one has the right to put others in danger due to their recklessness.
Your desire to have "Fun" should not ever supersede the safety of everyone else for a privilege. EVER.
I see idiots barrelling down neighborhood streets at 50, 60 and sometimes 70 or more in posted 30MPH zones. WTF ??
What if children are playing?
The Number ONE cause of traffic injuries and death is excessive speed.
I'm sick of imbeciles and their ability to put everyone else at risk over something that could easily be fixed.

Imagine how much safer we ALL would be if idiots were not able to go 100, 150, 200+ on PUBLIC roads and highways or run from the Police.
What possible reasonable argument could be made against this?
This could EASILY be achieved through onboard computer chips. You could still have cars that could accelerate to posted speed limits faster than others for those whose egos need constant stroking. But there is no "need" to go faster.
Then if someone is caught exceeding the posted speed limits by more than 10mph, make it LAW that the vehicle is confiscated and sold and the funds go to families of victims of speeders or to highway and road infrastructure programs.

Only first responder and emergency vehicles should be allowed to go over the speed limit.

Doesn't this just make common sense?
I suppose politicians are too busy accepting gifts from the car manufacturers to give a flying flip about sensible public safety issues.
Want to go fast? Go to the frickin race track.
An NO...this does not extend to Constitutional RIGHTS.

Do you feel compelled to control every aspect of everyone's life? Or just driving?

 

[jackflash]

It's mostly the younger generation and young people (mostly)

They seem to have little respect for laws or others.
You probably see them driving recklessly down your neighborhood.


Still.
Tell me why it makes sense to have cars available to careless boneheads that can do 150mph ?

If boneheads cannot purchase these high end hp/torque vehicles then neither could the responsible folks. That's WHY we have police to patrol the streets for bonehead activity. Yes, I agree it is the younger folks mostly responsible for bonehead activities. Back in the early 70's after we were bounced out of town when we were grudge racing for $$$$$ on the street we then picked secluded areas(we wised up) far away from the general public for our nights activity, like Sheep Lake, a desert lake & Rd. #23 a NARROW two lane blacktop turned Saturday night dragstrip for our troop of quarter milers as can be seen below...

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

There was NO DANGER to anyone else on Rd. #23 but US desperate for an adrenaline rush, bragging rights & hopefully winners cash. I quickly recognized the Mule deer collision danger potential from 2-1/2 years prior experience with a semi-domesticated Columbian Black-Tailed deer(miniature Mulies) herd that roamed our acreage down in Redland Oregon. I quickly eliminated that potential Mule deer collision problem so as I said there was no danger whatsoever to anyone/any creature but ourselves. As can be seen above we took every precaution regarding the general publics safety(no one out there but Mulies, owls, rodents, coyotes, rattlesnakes & US).

Street racers are a different breed as we don't like sanctioned rules, regulations & the politic'n such as AHRA had back then @ the local dragstrip so we made our own rule(first across the traps takes the $$$$$!). Street racers fuel up on the adrenaline rush of controlling uncontrollable power & also domination over competition(god complex) as well as most of us are gambling addicts, just that our gambling is done on a 1320 foot long two lane black top! With NHRA dying a slow death small local tracks are once again appearing upon the scene. Though the below image is of the current era it is highly reminiscent of how I remember drag racing/street racing with the spectators only inches away from our rigs. As times change it's amazing how they stay the same!

Net WAY Positive! New Tracks & Drag Racing is Bigger Than Ever

Author: Doug Cook Doom and Gloom exists all over in our world, especially thanks to the evil Mainstream Media. If you read magazine articles today in most racing oriented publications you would be lead to believe that Drag Racing (and racing as a whole is dying). You must remember, just like the...

www.motionraceworks.com

 

[Leo123]

I like cars with power, it makes it easier and safer to pass on a 2 lane highway. Nobody wants to follow a wood chip truck or an exceedingly slow driver up a mountain road at 15 mph and, if your little 4 banger doesn't have enough power, you could easily get in a head-on.

 

[jackflash]

It's mostly the younger generation and young people (mostly)

They seem to have little respect for laws or others.
You probably see them driving recklessly down your neighborhood.


Still.
Tell me why it makes sense to have cars available to careless boneheads that can do 150mph ?

Modern Americans interpret freedom as THEIR freedom, not OUR freedom. Theyre no concerned if their freedom is encroaching on someone else's freedom. Like one person's freedom to play his radio at night encroaching on someone else's right to sleep at night. Americans are to a point where they're only concerned about their own.

A lack of respect/Love for our fellow man will destroy a society EVERY TIME, eg. NUTzi Germany(tragedy of tragedies). Mankind in general has been warned about this problem but again, tragically, the warning has fallen upon MANY deaf ears & blind eyes.

 

[petro]

They shouldn't make snowmobiles that do over a hundred, but they do.
And it's fun as hell.

Life is dangerous with zero guarantees.

 

[ABikerSailor]

Well, first there is simple mechanics involved. If you make a car that won't go over 80 mph, then you also have a car that won't carry very much stuff, and will be limited as to how much weight it can take. If you have a car that is capable of carrying a fair amount of weight and passengers, then it will also have the horsepower to go fast. So, having manufacturers limit the HP on their vehicles is pretty much a non starter. Everyone likes to take their families with them on road trips, as well as have enough gear to make the trip worthwhile and enjoyable. Make cars that are not capable of much, and people won't buy them.

As has been noted here further up the thread, you CAN put limiters on them, but, there will also be the people who will simply remove the restrictions placed on the engine, or find someone to do it for them, resulting in a car that will go fast again.

You need to have a good amount of HP to make the vehicle useable. Me? I have a Honda Civic that is good on gas, and won't win any drag races, but it also won't be able to drag a trailer behind it that is over 1000 lbs (which is only a pop up camper trailer, anything bigger and it won't be able to tow it). Lots of people out there need a vehicle that can tow trailers or carry lots of cargo for whatever reason. It's their right. But, that also means those vehicles will be capable of high speeds when empty. No, limiting the vehicles won't work.

And, even if you did, it's too late to put the genie back in the bottle. There are MANY people out there (myself included) who know how to get more HP into an engine. Even though I might not need it all the time, it's nice to have if I do. Someone further up also noted that there were times that having lots of HP and able to hit high speeds quickly saved them from an accident. I've had an experience or two like that myself, and was grateful that my vehicle was able to get me out of a bad situation. I had a motorcycle (Harley Sportster), that I modified for HP. It was capable of hitting 130, and only took it up that high a few times. Once was to see how well I'd done on the engine (which is why I know how fast it was), and other times were doing dyno drags in Sturgis (which I won handily). BUT, having that extra "oomph" kept me from getting ran over by cars a time or two. And, it also allowed me to keep up with the big twins that I rode with.

I don't speed (much), and I try to keep it no faster than what the flow of traffic is. Here in SC, on interstate roads, there are times that if you're not doing at least 75, you are actually holding up traffic. I've seen many days where I'd be sticking with the flow of traffic, only to look down at my speedometer and see that I'm doing 85 to 95 and STILL getting passed by other cars.

If people want high HP cars that go fast, let 'em have them. They'll figure out how to make them go fast no matter what the regs are. I mean, look at all the street racers out there, many of them modify their cars themselves. All that can really be done is make the punishments fit the crimes of exceeding the speed limit. Go 10 to 25 over? You should only get a fine. Go 30 plus over the limit? You should have your car taken away and license suspended for at least a year, because you've proven yourself to be a danger to others as well as yourself. But even then, there are still places in this country (Montana, where I'm from for one) where speed is needed if you want to get somewhere without spending all day getting there. In Montana, police won't pay much attention to you if you're doing 85, since it's such a big state with a small population.

But, even then, I can see exceptions being made. If I had a seriously injured person who needed medical ASAP with me? You can bet that I'm gonna get them to a hospital as quick as I can, even if that means going 100 plus mph to get there, as I don't want them to die on me.

Sorry to say, but I don't agree with the OP. There are times that high HP and speed are needed, some where it's wanted, and sometimes (in the case of approved racing) where it's just plain fun.

 

[JohnDB]

What the fuk does that have to do with 200mph cars ?
Lay off the meth

Hypocrisy....including yours.

 

[KissMy]

The same way people who lost their ability to drive for breaking other laws.
Simple
Dont want to walk or take the bus? Slow your ass down. It's called personal responsibility. OMG! There's that dreaded phrase!

Next

We already have a serious shortage of construction workers due to transportation issues from revoked licenses, lack of ID, criminal record, etc due to draconian police state measures since 9/11 that did nothing to lower crime.

 

[P F Tinmore]

We already have a serious shortage of construction workers due to transportation issues from revoked licenses, lack of ID, criminal record, etc due to draconian police state measures since 9/11 that did nothing to lower crime.

This is a problem for those on the bottom rung of the income ladder. I know people who don't spend that $25 for a license because they can't afford a car anyway. Then there are "money laws." People lose their license because they can't pay child support, traffic tickets, buy car insurance...

And when people don't have much money, the government cuts down their employment possibilities by not allowing them to drive.