85mph limit on TX highway?

Started by Morris Minor, June 07, 2012, 06:57:52 AM

Morris Minor

 :ohyeah:
---------------------------
The Texas Department of Transportation said today a toll road being built from San Antonio to north of Austin could be the first road in the country to have a posted 85 mile per hour speed limit. "It was designed under extremely high design parameters," said Darren McDaniel, the Speed Management Director for the department, which builds and manages all Texas highways

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Tave

I thought there were some stretches of highway in far west Texas that already had 85 mph limits?
As I write, highly civilized human beings are flying overhead, trying to kill me.

Quote from: thecarnut on March 16, 2008, 10:33:43 AM
Depending on price, that could be a good deal.

280Z Turbo

Wont somebody think of the children?!

Morris Minor

I'm thinking back to my childhood in the 1960s (I'm 56) when the 70mph limit was introduced on British motorways. Most family cars of that era were pushing their limits at that speed.  They'd shake; the noise was terrible; engines were straining; they were liable to overheat; brakes were woeful for the speed etc.

Now, 70 is nothing; cars are so much better engineered that this is a dawdle.

What hasn't changed is people. Most lack the training & observational skills needed for sustained high speed driving.
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Lebowski

Damn, I wish we had 85mph limits here.

Speed_Racer

There are parts of I-15 in southern Utah where they have been testing an 80 mph speed limit. They found that the average speed of vehicles has stayed nearly the same despite the limit increase. People just naturally find a comfortable cruising speed.

It is nice because it's so flat and barren down there.

68_427

Quotewhere were you when automotive dream died
i was sat at home drinking brake fluid when wife ring
'racecar is die'
no


Raza

Quote from: Lebowski on June 07, 2012, 08:56:54 AM
Damn, I wish we had 85mph limits here.

Everyone would still drive the same.
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Quote from: the Teuton on October 05, 2009, 03:53:18 PMIt's impossible to argue with Raza. He wins. Period. End of discussion.

cawimmer430

Meanwhile in Germany I was doing 215 km/h today in my underpowered 143-hp shitbox.  :devil:
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Eye of the Tiger

Quote from: cawimmer430 on June 07, 2012, 06:08:18 PM
Meanwhile in Germany I was doing 215 km/h today in my underpowered 143-hp shitbox.  :devil:

My 110-hp shitbox is even more underpowered. :rolleyes:
2024 Mitsubishi Mirage ES

cawimmer430

Quote from: Eye of the Tiger on June 07, 2012, 06:17:17 PM
My 110-hp shitbox is even more underpowered. :rolleyes:

How do you manage to merge unto a freeway and survive on 55 mph highways with so little power?  :evildude:
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Eye of the Tiger

Quote from: cawimmer430 on June 07, 2012, 06:30:22 PM
How do you manage to merge unto a freeway and survive on 55 mph highways with so little power?  :evildude:

It does 55 in fuggin second gear
2024 Mitsubishi Mirage ES

CJ

Quote from: cawimmer430 on June 07, 2012, 06:30:22 PM
How do you manage to merge unto a freeway and survive on 55 mph highways with so little power?  :evildude:


I was doing 80-90 (Sometimes closer to 100) on my way to and from St. Louis, MO last weekend in my 114 HP, 3300 lb. 940. 

MX793

Quote from: Tave on June 07, 2012, 07:00:56 AM
I thought there were some stretches of highway in far west Texas that already had 85 mph limits?

IIRC, the Federal Gov't mandates 75 mph max or else they cut federal highway funding.  That's why Montana had to abandon their "prudent and reasonable" speed limit years ago and had to post actual speed limits.  This road in Texas is a toll road, meaning it's likely self-funded.
Needs more Jiggawatts

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Eye of the Tiger

Quote from: CJ on June 07, 2012, 08:06:56 PM

I was doing 80-90 (Sometimes closer to 100) on my way to and from St. Louis, MO last weekend in my 114 HP, 3300 lb. 940. 

I totally thought you got a 850 and then got some Mercedes thing.
2024 Mitsubishi Mirage ES

CJ

Quote from: Eye of the Tiger on June 07, 2012, 08:16:52 PM
I totally thought you got a 850 and then got some Mercedes thing.

I HAD an 850 Turbo, yes.  I sold it to buy my 940 back.  I literally almost bought that Mercedes, but I just decided at the last minute to not buy it.

Eye of the Tiger

Quote from: CJ on June 07, 2012, 08:18:00 PM
I HAD an 850 Turbo, yes.  I sold it to buy my 940 back.  I literally almost bought that Mercedes, but I just decided at the last minute to not buy it.

You make almost as much sense as I do.
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CALL_911

Quote from: cawimmer430 on June 07, 2012, 06:30:22 PM
How do you manage to merge unto a freeway and survive on 55 mph highways with so little power?  :evildude:

yo stfu


2004 S2000
2016 340xi

Madman

Quote from: CJ on June 07, 2012, 08:18:00 PM
I HAD an 850 Turbo, yes.  I sold it to buy my 940 back.  I literally almost bought that Mercedes, but I just decided at the last minute to not buy it.


Literally almost?  :facepalm:
Current cars: 2015 Ford Escape SE, 2011 MINI Cooper

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cawimmer430

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AltinD

Quote from: CJ on June 07, 2012, 08:06:56 PM

I was doing 80-90 (Sometimes closer to 100) on my way to and from St. Louis, MO last weekend in my 114 HP, 3300 lb. 940. 

I was doing daily 80 - 100 MPH with the old 115HP Passat, did also 120 once. Since they doubled (or was it tripled) the number of the fixed speed cameras, I rarely reach 100 MPH on my daily commute with my ciurrent 250 HP, 155 MPH car

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Morris Minor

Just on my limited experience with my wife's ?ber-chick-car Merc CLK350, it feels like it WANTS to cruise at way higher speeds than are allowed here - barely getting into its stride at 80MPH. Germans like to engineer their cars for sustained autobahn work. I wonder if they lower the gearing for US-spec models.
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sportyaccordy

Speed limits should be raised but Americans need to be trained

I dont get why they dont go harder on training, its easy tax money

hotrodalex

85 mph is nice in a BMW, but my El Camino would have to be in the slow lane... That or I'd have to install an overdrive gear. Right now it'd be pushing 4200-4500 rpm, which would ruin my gas mileage and make me go deaf after a long trip.

MX793

Quote from: sportyaccordy on June 08, 2012, 07:42:09 AM
Speed limits should be raised but Americans need to be trained

I dont get why they dont go harder on training, its easy tax money

Maybe out west, but there are plenty of roads (interstates even) in the Northeast that aren't suited to much higher than 65 mph by virtue of the road condition (rough, potholes, poorly made patches of potholes...)
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Morris Minor

Quote from: hotrodalex on June 08, 2012, 09:00:15 AM
85 mph is nice in a BMW, but my El Camino would have to be in the slow lane... That or I'd have to install an overdrive gear. Right now it'd be pushing 4200-4500 rpm, which would ruin my gas mileage and make me go deaf after a long trip.

LOL. My son drives an Infiniti G35 6MT. It's great (close ratios, shortened final drive ratio) if you are hauling ass on mountain roads. But it gets a bit tedious on long interstate journeys - 70mph = just over 3,000rpm if I recall.
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MX793

Quote from: Morris Minor on June 08, 2012, 12:09:33 PM
LOL. My son drives an Infiniti G35 6MT. It's great (close ratios, shortened final drive ratio) if you are hauling ass on mountain roads. But it gets a bit tedious on long interstate journeys - 70mph = just over 3,000rpm if I recall.

That's almost as bad as 5th in my little Mazda.  IIRC, my Mustang turns around 2100-2200 RPM at 70, and that's with the optional shorter final drive gearing (standard gears are significantly taller).
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AltinD

In Sport mode, my car shifts to the 5th on 110 MPH

2016 KIA Sportage EX Plus, CRDI 2.0T diesel, 185 HP, AWD

WookieOnRitalin

I'm consistently cruising 80-90 on my morning commute in the Zashi. I'm in full support of raised speed limits. 
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Northlands

Quote from: sportyaccordy on June 08, 2012, 07:42:09 AM
Speed limits should be raised but Americans need to be trained

I dont get why they dont go harder on training, its easy tax money

I'm gonna put on my tin foil hat and spit out a conspiracy theory.

There's no money in good drivers.  :lol:



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