[Pyrat 2]

Noticed that my cruise control (active) will only allow me to set it to a maximum of 110mph!!! Seems to me that my E46 allowed a higher speed - can't recall though since I sold the car and can't try it out.

Oh well not really a problem.

[theclay]

Cruise control at 110mph? That just sounds like a bad idea. I like to have my foot on the gas when I'm speeding.

[tightie]

no my max thing lets me go up to 155 but the most i actually did was like 120 i think. i like using the gas, cruise is for bitchessssssss :-D

[theclay]

Originally Posted by tightie

no my max thing lets me go up to 155 but the most i actually did was like 120 i think. i like using the gas, cruise is for bitchessssssss :-D

We're talking about cruise control here, not max speed.

[JamieA]

The user manual says cruise control can be set for speeds between 30km/h and 180km/h (about 20MPH and 110MPH).

I think this is done for safety reasons. At that speed you need to have good concentration and cruise can make you feel a little safer than you really are at high speed.

[ON325i]

cruise control at high speed is a very bad idea. it reduces your awareness of danger ...

[Tierfreund]

The ACTIVE Cruise Control can only be set at maximum speeds of 180km/h (or about 116mph). That´s because the software for the radar adaptive distance holding was only written for that speed max. Going faster, the adaptive mechanism would not be able to catch up.

The REGULAR cruise control can be set to any speed above 30km/h (aka 20mph) inlcluding and up to VMax of 255km/h (155mph)

And before you go out and scream bloody murder, yes there is a usefull aplication for that mode. On unlimited roads (autobahn), I sometimes set my cuise to vmax and when the road is free (the slower traffic has finally deserted the left lane), I just push resume and let the car accelerate all by itself to VMax and hold it.

Using Cruise does not neccessarily mean dozing off, turning to reading your paper and gulping your super sized Latte from the lousy cupholders with both hands. There are other driving scenarios where Cruise can simply be used as a method to give your right leg a break. Full throttle driving for several hours can lead to a cramped right leg, you know...

In short, if youre a real petrolhead, you skip the ACC and go for the regular cruise.

[lux.sh]

I wonder you really tested this? You didn't try to cruise-control @ 110mph right?

Like you said, it really doesn't matter.

[silverado]

Originally Posted by Tierfreund

Full throttle driving for several hours can lead to a cramped right leg, you know...

Boy would I like to experience that though!!

[Tierfreund]

Originally Posted by silverado

Boy would I like to experience that though!!

Ah, the cramps are really not so bad. At full throttle, the 330 needs a fuel stop after 90 minutes... So plenty of opportunity to stretch your leg again.

[Broken1]

Surely your tires would heat up ALOT if you sitting at 250km/h for like 2 hours? I donno if I would feel so comfy doing that...but then again, i've never tried the autobahn...I would love to...Tierfreund...invite me to visit....(and drive your car)

[Tierfreund]

Heat buildup in the tires is not a problem if you´ve got them inflated correctly. Actually heat buildup on the autobahn is less of a problem than when tracking the car. At topspeed on the bahn you´re normally not pulling full g´s through the corners (aerodynamic lift alone would prevent that) so tires are flexed relatively little and since you are in the highest (or second highest) gear you´re putting far less torque to the wheels than when tracking or even driving hard on a secondary road. The only major force on the tires is the centrifugal force. And tires with sufficiently high speed rating (the Euro spec summer tires on the 330 are rated to 270km/h = 168mph) will take those for whatever time you care. Even if you were to fully load the tire by loading up the car with max. weight.

So no, the tires are not a problem.

Now, about your visit. Anytime
About driving my car You´re kidding, right?

[Tierfreund]

Besides, I´ve never managed to drive any stretch at 255km/h for two hours. Contruction sites, traffic and regional speed limits would certainly prevent that. You can go a few minutes at top speed if your lucky, and on a good day, you can have several such go´s on a long distance trip. But I did manage to drive my first car at VMax for several hours without ever slowing down. But then that was a 1987 VW Golf MKII with a 1.3Liter 55hp engine and a top speed of 92mph. Now that´s a speed you can have a car sitting at for hours without ever breaking a sweat.

If I remember correctly, the best average speed over any reasonable distance I ever managed was 310km in 87 minutes = 213 km/h = 133mph.
But that was several years ago (around 1995 or so). On a Sunday morning (left at 1am, at destination at 2.27am) and not even in a BMW but a Corvette (of all things, I´m still surprised it didn´t throw a rod) Kaiserslautern to Basel. AND despite no general speed limit, I was badly breaking most regional speed limits.
Back then it was well known that the radar systems the police used we´re only capable of measuring speed of up to 150mph. If you managed to go faster than that, the measurement would be deemed invalid. That was a fun game to play. In order to not get busted you had to make sure you were over 150mph

[Pyrat 2]

Originally Posted by lux.sh

I wonder you really tested this? You didn't try to cruise-control @ 110mph right?

Like you said, it really doesn't matter.

Interesting stream of replies on this. For me it was just an observation not a statement that it was acceptable or unacceptable, foolish or not foolish etc.

To answer your question of did I try it. Answer is yes but let me qualify this. I tried on a 45 mph 2 lane road with traffic. When I activate the active cruise the car automatically maintains a distance to the car in front of me based upon it's speed and my distance setting on the cruise. Since the car in front was going probably 50 or so my car also maintained that speed. I then increased the set speed in 5 mph increments until I could go no further. The digital indication stopped allowing me to set it faster after it hit an indicated 110 mph set speed.

[Broken1]

Originally Posted by Tierfreund

Now, about your visit. Anytime
About driving my car You´re kidding, right?

That's mean. I'd let you drive my car

Oh well...time to make friends with Heinz...

[Broken1]

Originally Posted by Tierfreund

Back then it was well known that the radar systems the police used we´re only capable of measuring speed of up to 150mph. If you managed to go faster than that, the measurement would be deemed invalid. That was a fun game to play. In order to not get busted you had to make sure you were over 150mph

I watched a whole program on the Discovery Channel about the autobahn.

If I remeber correctly, it's only unlimited in between towns, and when there is a speed limit, it's strictly enforced by radar and undercover police.

They also interviewed an undercover cop (in an A6) that said they don't generally catch poeple doing 90 in and 80 zone, they catch the poeple doing 190 in an 80 zone. :-)

Also, if you get into an accident - and it's discovered in the investigation that the cause was from a speed to high to suit conditions - your insurance can reject the claim (if you survive the crash that is)

And they said it was actually against the law to flash someone in the fast lane to move over - but a commenly practiced tradition. People also used their indicator (as if they would change lanes into the median) to indicate they want to pass.

It was such an interesting program. The Abahn seems fun - but to you it's probably just another highway....

[Tierfreund]

Originally Posted by Broken1

I watched a whole program on the Discovery Channel about the autobahn.

If I remeber correctly, it's only unlimited in between towns, and when there is a speed limit, it's strictly enforced by radar and undercover police.

They also interviewed an undercover cop (in an A6) that said they don't generally catch poeple doing 90 in and 80 zone, they catch the poeple doing 190 in an 80 zone. :-)

Also, if you get into an accident - and it's discovered in the investigation that the cause was from a speed to high to suit conditions - your insurance can reject the claim (if you survive the crash that is)

And they said it was actually against the law to flash someone in the fast lane to move over - but a commenly practiced tradition. People also used their indicator (as if they would change lanes into the median) to indicate they want to pass.

It was such an interesting program. The Abahn seems fun - but to you it's probably just another highway....

Well strict enforcement is a matter of perspective. But true, there are plenty of mobile radars and undercover police in fast cars (fast Benzes and BMW´s). Nowadays they´re equipped with video and if they catch you speeding, thats bad. If they catch you speeding and driving asocially (undercutting security distances, flashing people in front of you, driving agressively in general) - prepare to become a pedestrian for a while. The good news is, they don´t care if you´re a bit faster than allowed if you drive in a generally safe matter and the conditions allow. They only pick targets that are worth their while.

The last time I ran into on of those, it was an E46 330d touring and we were both speeding. I was doing about 160-170 in a 120 area (km/h) and so were they. When they were about to take an exit they flashed their blues for a few seconds while next too me (inside the car, looked funny) just to show me: "We saw you and you were going too fast. Don´t overdo it, or next time we´ll stop ya"

Very cool.

But then, the radars have no sense of humour...

So yeah, the picture you have from DC is probabaly about right. Not all autobahn is unlimited (a believe on average only about 1/3 of all autobahn miles is) and your progress is interrupted all the time by regional limits near towns, because of construction sites, because of poor road conditions etc.
It´s till fun though. Especially if you pick the right day and the right time of day. Business hours driving is bad though. You wouldn´t even know youre on unlimited german autobahns during peak hours because traffic is so bad.

[Broken1]

But then at least the road is "smooth" because of the thickness and all the maintence...

Driving on some of the roads here (out of major cities - hell even in major cities) can get quite bad...in america too on the heavilty travelled routes...

[Tierfreund]

Nah, the days of smooth well paved german autobahns are long gone. Except for bavaria where the sun allways shines and the bahns are wide smooth and well kept, the german autobahns are as patchy as a secondary road in bangladesh.

Haven´t you heard? The german state is broke and has been for years. Road maintenance has been neglected for much of the last 20 years. If you want great highways, go to Switzerland or France. But then, they do have speed limits and the have no sense of humour about enforcment. If you want to be a millionaire, you just need to start out as a billionaire and buy an M6 in Switzerland.

[Broken1]

Eish. What's the world coming to.

[GeoXP]

My experience on my last 3 trips on the A-Bahn were very good. I've driven from Frankfurt to Leipzig and back, Munich to Stuttgart and back, and Munich to Neuschwanstein and back twice. Each time I was able to experience very well maintained roads and about 1/4 to 1/3 of the time was in unlimited speed zones.