What is the fastest you have ever driven?

[Thing 342]

I honestly can't remember, but I did get up to around 87 or so going the speed of traffic on I-64 WB between Huntington and US-35 last weekend.

[Tarkus]

88mph in a 2002 VW Jetta Wagon on I-82, coming down Manastash Ridge near Ellensburg, WA, sometime in 2006.  Getting in the left lane and blasting it is really the best way to get through there.

[Darkchylde]

I did about 100 once back in Louisiana along LA 1088.

[kphoger]

120 mph
1992 Toyota Camry station wagon

[Jbte]

120 mph
1992 Toyota Camry station wagon

Can't believe, such car at that speed you might lose control easily, except it's a straight flat road in good conditions.

I did often 110 MHP (around 180 kph) using a Mazda 3 (2011) in various highways in Mexico, even a that speed feels loose, but pavement quality must be acceptable for reaching those speeds. In US I have never exceeded the speed limit posted, but in Mexico... none cares about speed limits, very often many cars reaches 100 mhp easily everyday, even I have seen it in US remote areas.

Fastest I've ever driven was around 135 MHP (220 kph) using a 2008 Chevrolet Denali in 2011, we were been followed by an armed group, so we didn't wanted to get caught so we speeded to get safe, was an scary situation which hopefully never happens again.

[kphoger]

120 mph
1992 Toyota Camry station wagon

Can't believe, such car at that speed you might lose control easily, except it's a straight flat road in good conditions.

In northwestern Kansas, where I grew up, "straight" is pretty much a given.  I did once attempt to pass someone in that car while going above 100 mph, then realized there was an oncoming vehicle.  With just a tap on the brake, I felt the vehicle wiggle.  So you're right:  losing control would have been very easy to do.

Back in those crazy days, I became fond of driving the 25 to 30 miles between towns at over 100 mph nonstop.  The station wagon was my mom's car, but I usually drove my dad's 1997 Camry sedan with a 5-speed.  I found out one night what a governor does...    At 113 mph, in the dark, suddenly the car went out of gear.  Freak out!!

Since high school (graduated in '99), I don't think I've gone over 90 mph.

I did often 110 MHP (around 180 kph) using a Mazda 3 (2011) in various highways in Mexico, even a that speed feels loose, but pavement quality must be acceptable for reaching those speeds. In US I have never exceeded the speed limit posted, but in Mexico... none cares about speed limits, very often many cars reaches 100 mhp easily everyday, even I have seen it in US remote areas.

I've never gone faster than 135 km/h in Mexico, although I do usually see people doing around 180 km/h there.  But the police are starting to use radar more and more these days.  I've personally been pulled over for speeding near the junction of Mex-2 and the newer bypass just west of Nuevo Laredo, and I've seen radar in use on the Libramiento Norponiente de Saltillo as well.  On the other hand, I've also had a Federal follow me as I was driving 105 km/h on an 80 km/h highway (40 Libre west of Saltillo) without pulling over–US license plates notwithstanding.

Fastest I've ever driven was around 135 MHP (220 kph) using a 2008 Chevrolet Denali in 2011, we were been followed by an armed group, so we didn't wanted to get caught so we speeded to get safe, was an scary situation which hopefully never happens again.

I would be very interested to know where this was.

[Jbte]

In northwestern Kansas, where I grew up, "straight" is pretty much a given.  I did once attempt to pass someone in that car while going above 100 mph, then realized there was an oncoming vehicle.  With just a tap on the brake, I felt the vehicle wiggle.  So you're right:  losing control would have been very easy to do.

Back in those crazy days, I became fond of driving the 25 to 30 miles between towns at over 100 mph nonstop.  The station wagon was my mom's car, but I usually drove my dad's 1997 Camry sedan with a 5-speed.  I found out one night what a governor does...    At 113 mph, in the dark, suddenly the car went out of gear.  Freak out!!

Since high school (graduated in '99), I don't think I've gone over 90 mph.


I've never gone faster than 135 km/h in Mexico, although I do usually see people doing around 180 km/h there.  But the police are starting to use radar more and more these days.  I've personally been pulled over for speeding near the junction of Mex-2 and the newer bypass just west of Nuevo Laredo, and I've seen radar in use on the Libramiento Norponiente de Saltillo as well.  On the other hand, I've also had a Federal follow me as I was driving 105 km/h on an 80 km/h highway (40 Libre west of Saltillo) without pulling over–US license plates notwithstanding.

I would be very interested to know where this was.

For me the crazy days was like 6-7 years ago, when I used to reckless driving in small two lanes highways in Mexico 23, in a lonely scenic segment south of Zacatecas state and north of Jalisco (near to Teúl), I was drifting in curves using the mazda 3 hand brakes and manual shifting, and of course speeding, bypassing cars in hills, curves, etc, was a an incredible experience but dangerous, I stopped doing it when I lost control of my car in a 180° curve going over 120 kph (70 mhp), fortunately I just hit a gravel segment which helped to reduce the speed, rolled in 360° inside the road and barely crashed into the curve signal until fully stop, some minor damages, like a small scratch from the signal, the brake pads, severe tire damage (of drifting and going off road) and suspension, lol... never again..

As for police checking speed in Mexico, there are many segments being watched, for my experience driving over and over the same road I usually know where are the "hot" spots where police uses to be checking speed among Zacatecas-Durango highway and Zacatecas-Aguascalientes highway. In many cases, there are surprise checkpoints, as soon I see a police, I do check my rear view mirror (to see if there isn't any car behind me) and hit the brakes to reduce speed quickly as possible to the speed limit... it's a dangerous trick but have worked for me in many situations for avoid detained. I do often drive at 140 kph (about 90 mhp), seems a good speed but the speed limit in most areas it's just 110 kph (about 70 mhp).

The 2011 incident was in Zacatecas-San Luis Potosí highway, which its a desert straight flat highway and lonely, here in street view; https://goo.gl/maps/qsNNH6mSphB2

[J N Winkler]

In northwestern Kansas, where I grew up, "straight" is pretty much a given.  I did once attempt to pass someone in that car while going above 100 mph, then realized there was an oncoming vehicle.  With just a tap on the brake, I felt the vehicle wiggle.  So you're right:  losing control would have been very easy to do.

Back in those crazy days, I became fond of driving the 25 to 30 miles between towns at over 100 mph nonstop.  The station wagon was my mom's car, but I usually drove my dad's 1997 Camry sedan with a 5-speed.  I found out one night what a governor does...    At 113 mph, in the dark, suddenly the car went out of gear.  Freak out!!

At high speeds there are special rules for tire inflation that come into play.  The 2005 Camry I use as a roadtrip vehicle (fifth generation; the ones in your family were third or fourth generation) is in comfort-oriented XLE trim, with label pressures of 29 PSI, but the owner's manual specifies 35 PSI if the car is routinely driven above 100 MPH, while sports-oriented SE trim calls for 35 PSI on the label from the start.  (Supposedly some of the suspension components used for the SE differ from those used for the base, LE, and XLE, but I have not actually verified that they are listed under different part numbers.  The SE does get alloys one inch larger in diameter than the XLE.)  Beyond 100 MPH, there are tables specifying added inflation and reduction in maximum load according to the speed rating of the tires.  As an example, this table applies to H-rated tires (safe at speeds up to 130 MPH):

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=298

My primary reason for not speeding is to avoid the burden of watching for the police, but my tire maintenance regime is a secondary factor.  It is so troublesome to check and adjust tire pressures under conditions that minimize the likelihood of directional effects on handling that I like to overinflate the tires slightly and then ignore them for months and months.  (For example, if the car is routinely parked outside, tire pressure adjustment has to be done in the dark before the car has been driven for the day, because direct sunlight is enough to create a ~4 PSI differential across each axle.)

I last did tire pressures on the Camry and Saturn about a week and a half ago.  I found the Camry to be 4 PSI under label (last checked and adjusted October 2015, with pressures set to label + 3 PSI) and the Saturn to be 6 PSI under label on front, 4 PSI under on rear (last checked and adjusted probably September 2014, with pressures set to label + 4 PSI).

[Pete from Boston]

Floored it for many miles on 84 in Connecticut trying to get to someone dying.  No idea how fast I was going–it felt like I was going 40, but it was likely as fast as I've ever gone.  Didn't make it.

[cpzilliacus]

Long(er) distance - about 80 to 85 across the Alligator Alley in Florida, before it was I-75 - back then it was a wannabe Super-2 highway. 

Short(er) distance - about 90 or 95 MPH in my current (but worn) 2001 Ford F250, which was as fast as it would go (I believe it has some sort of governor, as well as a built in RPM limiter, though I was noplace close to red-lining it in 6th gear).

I should also add that I have driven 130 km/h (legally) [about 81 MPH] on motorway E18 in southern Finland in the good old days when 130 was the highest legal limit there (it's  120 now). 

That is the fastest I have ever driven  legally (I have driven on I-15 on Utah with a posted limit of 80 MPH).

[kphoger]

Fastest I've ever driven was around 135 MHP (220 kph) using a 2008 Chevrolet Denali in 2011, we were been followed by an armed group, so we didn't wanted to get caught so we speeded to get safe, was an scary situation which hopefully never happens again.

I would be very interested to know where this was.

The 2011 incident was in Zacatecas-San Luis Potosí highway, which its a desert straight flat highway and lonely, here in street view; https://goo.gl/maps/qsNNH6mSphB2

That's interesting.  I wasn't aware of any heightened level of violence along that route.  Data released by the PGR (Attorney General) in 2012 only goes through September 2011, but I am including what data I have for the route below, broken down by municipio and by month.

[kphoger]

I should also add that I have driven 130 km/h (legally) [about 81 MPH] on motorway E18 in southern Finland in the good old days when 130 was the highest legal limit there (it's  120 now). 

That is the fastest I have ever driven  legally (I have driven on I-15 on Utah with a posted limit of 80 MPH).

I've driven 85 mph legally (137 km/h) in Texas.

[jbnati27]

110 mph in my 1994 Acura Integra.

I once drove a sustained 90-95 in my 1984 Honda Accord and made it from Knoxville TN to Lexington KY (the stretch was about 180 miles) in about 2 hours.

[Jbte]

That's interesting.  I wasn't aware of any heightened level of violence along that route.  Data released by the PGR (Attorney General) in 2012 only goes through September 2011, but I am including what data I have for the route below, broken down by municipio and by month.

Usually the media covers only major incidents like homicide in its statistics like you show in this graph, but no incidents of mugging, extortion and other "minor" criminal activities which are common almost everywhere in the country, usually people just faces it and doesn't complain to the government due of complicity fear, lack of support and trust to government institutions.

I've driven 85 mph legally (137 km/h) in Texas.

As I understand, you can actually do to max of 90 mph in 85 mph speed limit areas in certain places of Texas, due the 5 mhp tolerance, is that true? (some friends in US told me about this tolerance gap), you add 5 mhp to any rural highway speed limit (not in urban areas), example posted 75 mph speed limit, you can be tolerated to go max to 80 mph, getting to 81 mph (at 75 mph speed limit) it's detention by the cop, but not sure if legally allowed to exceed the posted speed limit.

[Mrt90]

105 mph in a 1994 Nissan Maxima on I-65, somewhere between Crown Point and Lafayette, IN, very early in the morning and no one else in sight so I went for it. I don't remember the year but I got that car in 1996 and sold it 1998. It seemed like it took forever to slow from 105 back down to 65ish. Never got close to that speed again, no faster than the low 90's after that.

It was kind of scary but not as bad as going 42mph on a bicycle while being chased by a growling dog who could run 35mph and wouldn't give up the chase.

[Truvelo]

I once reached 137 on a Yamaha R6 due to an idiot in a car who sped up when I was overtaking him. He gave up when he reached his 130mph top speed. Why does anyone driving a car with a 2 litre engine think they can outrun a sports bike.

[compdude787]

I went 90 mph on I-5 NB in Vancouver, WA. My brother, my friend, and I were coming home from vacation near Tillamook, OR and we were driving home on Labor Day and we just saw a Subaru SVX get onto the freeway. It's a very rare car that my brother really likes, and my brother wanted to catch up to it. I had to go 90 to do so.

[jakeroot]

As I understand, you can actually do to max of 90 mph in 85 mph speed limit areas in certain places of Texas, due the 5 mhp tolerance, is that true? (some friends in US told me about this tolerance gap), you add 5 mhp to any rural highway speed limit (not in urban areas), example posted 75 mph speed limit, you can be tolerated to go max to 80 mph, getting to 81 mph (at 75 mph speed limit) it's detention by the cop, but not sure if legally allowed to exceed the posted speed limit.

I think the only legal tolerance is the limit of the radar, which often have a mile an hour or two plus/minus rating (for example, if they clock you going 72, you could very well have been going 70, but you could also have been going 74). Unofficial tolerance levels vary by the state. In my experience here in Washington, it seems to be 10-15 over the limit + your variance from surrounding traffic. If everyone is going 75 in a 60, they won't pull anyone over. But if someone is doing 90 or 95 while everyone else is going 75, they'd probably stop you.

[qguy]

Momentary 102 mph on I-81 southbound just south of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, in 1983 in a 1978 Oldsmobile Delta 88.

Sustained 115 mph on the A6 and A67 autobahnen in southwest Germany in 1997 in some unknown, late-model (for the time), mid-size, German rental car.

[golden eagle]

Just 100 in a rented Volkswagen Jetta on I-55 in north Mississippi.

[catch22]

I had a new 1975 Honda CB750F motorcycle.  Back then, only a small section of I-275 in Detroit's western suburbs was open (from the M-153 Ford Road exit to the present-day M-14/I-96 interchange, and there was hardly anyone using it since it didn't really go anywhere yet).  I got on at Ford Road, accelerating to the red-line in each gear.  As I entered the freeway, I was going about 80 in third gear.  I topped out at around 125 (speedo needle was dancing a bit, so it could have been a tad more or less).

I didn't stay there long.  All the things that could go wrong started going through my head (throwing the chain, flat tire, etc.), and I slowed down to about 60 and it felt like walking speed. I never had the bike over 80 after that.