200 km/h is fast – and that’s official!

Claus Ebberfeld
Random Thoughts

I have added another car to my garage which happens to have a top speed of just over 280 km/h. Which some seem to think is not fast. Are they mad?!!?

In fact I’m almost embarrassed to admit it, because I’ve always considered style, sound, history, shape, colors and everything else as pretty good criteria for choosing my classic cars. But the new one, which is of course not new but then again not that old either (I’ll present it later) is in many, many ways an exception for me – including the almost irrelevant fact that it is that fast. Different sources say different things but most agree that the top speed is more than 280 km/h (that’s 174 mph for some of you). As usual, there is no consensus, and has it ever been any different: did a Countach ever reach 300 km/h? Wasn’t a 911 Turbo faster than 260 km/h? Could an E-type really reach 150 mph under its own power? Etc.

Could it really?

The new addition to the garage was not carefully chosen because of the top speed, I would like to emphasize: I am still not to be had for cheap performance and potent power. The car happens to address that too, but for me it’s a secondary thing that just seems to come with the car – which I actually chose on the usual quite sound basis of shape, sound and all that. But I’ve just noticed one thing lately: Hardcore car enthusiasts, not to mention the professionals in the industry, have become completely speed-blind and don’t consider that kind of performance anything special anymore.

It really dawned on me when I quite thoroughly researched an Aston Martin V8 Vantage in the summer of 2019 – dreaming ahead to an excellent season in 2020, where I just might like to try that thing with a really great car – with super performance as a side effect on my own body. I couldn’t summon the courage and it came to nothing. But anyway: that early V8 Vantage with the small engine (yes, they really call it that!) with “just” 385 horses that accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 5 seconds and can reach a top speed of 280 km/h is still quite a dream car for me and there seems to be some consensus that it is actually a very fine automobile.

Nevertheless I read and saw several tests of the model where the test drivers loudly and clearly stated that “it is nice and handles well, but it is not really fast” or other waffle along those lines.

Absolutely beautiful car, the little Aston V8. Which does 280 km/h. Since when was that not fast? I don’t really care, I just want that car.
Excuse me, but 280 km/h not really fast? 0-100 in five seconds not fast either? Are they perfectly insane ?!?
Numbers like those are very similar to the figures for the Seventies and Eighties absolute dream icons, Countach, Testarossa and 911 Turbo (and Aston Martin V8 Vantage, if you happen to be British). And it’s not as though 280 km/h as an absolute speed has been devalued since the Eighties. Nor that the actual conditions to test it have improved: if you have ever tried to approach a couple of lorries on the motorway at 300 km/h then you will know how nerve-wracking the idea of ​​whether one pulls out to overtake is when approaching at more than three times their speed.

It doesn’t really make any sense, and I realized that years ago. That is, on the purely practical level.
On the other hand I absolutely agree that in many other ways performance and top speed in essence is the very thing that sets apart, for example, one Italian supercar from another Italian supercar. Or points to those two rather than a German car. And of course I myself am fascinated by the fact that a Ferrari Testarossa does 297 km/h – and does not manage the three kilometers more that the Countach claimed ten years before. Claimed.
Blurred photo, as of course it is not easy photographing in a Testarossa at top speed – where this one isn’t yet.

But this is folklore, adventure, bar room talk and heresay without any practical significance. And I think in the same breath it’s ridiculous to say that 280 km/h isn’t fast. Just because something else can do 400 km/h? Well, let me tell you that it’s the one who does 400 that’s got it wrong! For it is simply foolish to strive for that number.

So in short: I would hereby like to officially declare that 200 km/h is fast. Everything above that speed is varying degrees of very fast, really fast, crazy fast, insanely fast, much too fast and so on. If you don’t understand that, it’s back to the Playstation console.

The Volvo 240 Turbo actually did not break the 200 km/h barrier – but my, I thought it was fast back then!

 

Previous Classic Rivals: Ford Cortina and Sierra vs Vauxhall Cavalier
Next Prime Find of the Week: Going For A Singer?
Claus Ebberfeld
Broad taste in cars. Prefer them working, though. Coupés, estates, racing cars – and so on. Origin less important, but I love Italy. And Britain. Germany. And so on. I strongly believe everything was better in the old days. Except the internet of course. My keeper is a 1978 Reliant Scimitar GTE. As a true Scandinavian of course I also own a Volvo – a 445 of 1956 vintage.

Related Posts

10 Responses

  3. Wait, @rune, spring is coming and so are photos and a story.

    @peter, no SUV should be allowed to do more than 200. In fact I’d say couple that with a law that offroad capable cars should do, say, a minimum of 20% of their mileage on unpaved roads and I think we’d get the problem under control.

  4. The highest speed I’ve reached is 251km/h on the A7 between Wurzburg and Ulm in a 911 (996 version) – it was early on a summer evening and the autobahn ahead was clear, so I had to have a go. The car was still accelerating and was absolutely stable but I ran out of cojones…on converting back to mph, I was irritated to find it was 156mph – had I gone on to 260km/h I would have broken 160mph…in any case, thrilling as it was, I almost certainly will never try that again; 200km/h is definitely plenty fast enough!

  5. Around the turn of the century I was working for Ford Motor Co, and had reason to drive from Cologne to Chemnitz to visit a supplier. We took a 2.5 V6 Mondeo out of the engineering pool and thrashed this thing pretty much flat out 500 km east and 500 km back again. Given it’s ownership, it was a particularly healthy example and that overcast morning I topped it out at an indicated 241km/h coming down a long hill somewhere close to our destination.

    However, what really sticks in my from that trip was tanking along at not much less speed on the two lane Autobahn when a Polish registered lorry suddenly changed lanes without indicating and blundered into my path, doing about 170km/h less than I was. All praise Our Lady of ABS Braking.

  6. @tony, the 996 is a prime example of what I mean: There seems to have formed a widespread understanding of the “fact” that while the Turbo is fast the naturally aspirated ones are not. That’s ridiculous! You could have kept going until 175 mph.

    @dave, it doesn’t get more fun near 300 km/h either, I guess…

  7. On a deserted Autobahn in the middle of night, making quicktime for home after a couple of days at the Nürburgring, I once saw 292 km/h on the GPS while behind the wheel of a vivid orange first-generation Porsche Cayman S Sport. That was pedal-to-the-metal. I might add, the owner – and very good friend – was in the passenger seat pushing me on. On the one side, the Porker was ridiculously stable and calm as we powered down the practically empty three-lane Autobahn. Even so, I was rather tense because things sure do pass by your side windows at quite some pace when charging on like this. Was it exhilarating? Well, yes, I suppose it was. But was my highest ever achieved topspeed also my most exciting and entertaining drive? Absolutely not and very far from! In fact, I more often find myself dreaming back to days of shuffling my nimble little 55hp Sunbeam Imp Sport down some twisty backroad at speeds which were probably largely legal, but even so, that truly was an all-encompassing and hugely exhilarating experience…

  8. Again I absolutely agree, @anders: Exhilarating drives have nothing to do with the pure speed achieved.

    Personally I’ve never had more intensive drives than when racing my old Triumph Spitfire historic race car: Doorhandle-by-doorhandle on the limit in long sweeping curves in top gear – THEN you know you’re alive! But the again that’s a car living for the corners – with less than 100 horsepower straights and top speed were never its territory.

  9. Naturally, I will disagree in the strongest possible terms. I know – or at least imagine – that Mr Ebberfield is being somewhat humourous , but people, the last thing we need is more damned governmental intervention. Dont give ‘them’ any more encouragement.

    reminds me of a story I heard back in the late 70s. Ted Nugent was on a European tour, and he took his Bronco with him. Now, Teds old Ford wasnt exactly stock… 6 inch lift on 36″ offroad tyres, it had a blown Cleveland under the hood. Mr Nugent took it to the autobahn for grins, and the local fuzz, probably never having seen a lifted, zebra striped full size Bronco,especially one emitting blower whine above the bellowing exhaust of an approximately 6 litre V8, were aghast. they pulled him – for no legal reason – and demanded he take the vehicle off the streets. Ted argued – correctly – that there were other cars going faster than the 125 or so his truck was doing, so why pick on him? No sense of humour over there…
    Personally, I wish i could afford a new[ish] Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT. Should I be able to do so some day, i shall wave as me, the dogs and a weeks worth of groceries go by listening to all 8 speakers in comfort…

  10. Living in South Africa, we have wide open spaces and many wonderful roads. Speed can be enjoyed with reasonable safety – pick an open straight road 100 kms from the nearest big town. Must have a straight run of 10 or so kms. Do two or three dummy runs , checking out for potholes , make sure the road is fenced ( no cows) Check no farm gates. ( very important- there must be no cross roads or tracks and perfect visibility – dry road – no rain- no chances. )
    Check that there is no undergrowth or tall grass that could conceal any thing that could surprise you (local traffic officers included! )
    Then approach your run- making sure the road is empty – very important as this is a two lane road!!
    Of course, before you start this trip you must make sure your car of choice is in perfect mechanical condition – specially tyres, brakes and suspension – the road will not be of autobahn standard, and north of 200kms/ hr a slight dip can prove your undoing.
    First attempt in a BMW 635csi with 4 speed auto – ran up to 220 km before I had to lift. Then a more serious contender BMW 850 6 speed manual – according to the Garmin the limited cut in at 256km/ hr. At altitude of 1600 m. In 5th gear I remember.
    Next was a 928 S4 Porsche – road conditions stopped fun at 235- 240.Similar speed achieved in Merc 560 Sec and 1993 Merc S600 coupe and 1998 Jaguar XK8.
    Never had a chance to try my Bitter CD ( only one in Africa- 350 Corvette powered) or Aston Martin Lagonda.
    My last attempt was in my 840 BMW Ci sport – made 254 on the Garmin, with my very surprised wife asking why are you going so fast – my reply “to see how fast it will go!”
    A similar speed is expected from my current 1999 Jaguar XKR supercharged convertible, which on the road would outperform the 840.
    Of course, great care must be taken – the road at 250 becomes very narrow – minor changes in level become major bumps – hence the 2 or 3 test runs. And if another vechile. comes into sight, the run is aborted.
    I am looking forward to seeing what my wife’s car will do – Grans taxi- Merc R500 long wheelbase 7 seater 7 speed tip tropic ,5,5V8 with a conversion and aftermarket performance exhaust- it is very stable at 240 with more to come.
    I agree that it was just as satisfying coaxing my 3 speed Anglia side valve to valve bounce to achieve 100km/ hr, or reaching 160 km/ hr at Kyalami race track on a “ton up day” – failed the next year In my 1900 Opel GT.
    Now as years advance, more care is needed- speed uphill where it is safe to do so. Get on the skid pan – practice high speed braking – it takes far longer to stop than you imagine from speed.
    But by practicing advanced defensive driving skills my 56 years of licensed driving has been completly accident free going forwards for some 1,400,000 kms in Southern Africa (I confess I have reversed into a few things!!)
    Never bought a new car ( have owned over 35)- prefer to drive an older classic – less likely to be hi- jacked!!

Comments are closed.