I found out the TOP Speed of the Q when limiter removed

[pdqwrx]

WOW! well thats one of life's mysteries figured out. Now wasn't there somebody on here that did a top speed run a year ago or so and had all kinds of problems with the car soon after? Well I hope all is well with your Q and a video nexttime would be great fun to watch.

Thanks for answering one of lifes important questions.

Scott

[goody90q45]

Don't just post and go into hiding. Give us some details of the run.

[maxnix]

From private correspondence with an Infiniti launch person:

"I was also part of the Infiniti launch management team in 89. Many stories to tell and will always regard that experience as one of the more interesting highlights of my career.

We made so many mistakes, but we were never short on passion for the industry and those big fast "badged" cars. I once drove one at 167mph (speed limiter removed) at the Nissan Arizona test track."

[StarPD]

Having driven a number of cars above 150, I must suspect the readings. VERY few cars can exceed 150 without becoming so light that aerodynamic lift makes steering control go away. I owned 10 new maximum performance Corvettes in a row, from 1966 to 1990, all geared for high-speed road use, 3:55, 3:36 and even 3:08 ratios.Wrecked my '68 L89 (not L88, I had one of those in '69) thanks to a blown right reat tire at a tach indicated 165 MPH. They all got light at over 150, the earlier ones ('63-'67) sooner than the later ones.

My brother drove my '94 Q45t from Phoenix to L.A. on I-10 at 135 MPH all the way. No,we didn't get caught. I was sick, so he drove. Over 135, it started to get too light, so we held it there. FWIW, after that run, my fuel mileage increased and oil consumption dropped to zero. It must have broken it in perfectly. I'd do it on my new to me 2005, but it's too much hassle if caught. Now it's considered a felony to drive that fast, which is why I ran from police when radared at 150 twice on my tweaked '90 ZX11C1 Ninja. I checked it out for top speed too, and I chickened out when the speedo indicated 186 MPH, approximately 171 corrected. It got light at that speed too, which is why I backed off. Once was enough though,and I usually limited my speed on it to around 140 or 150, whre it was stable and handled very well.

Anyone who wants to try to see how fast their Q will go needs to ensure that tires are good and inflated to near max, and find a place that's capable of allowing high speed safely. Watch carefully for floating and loss of steering control. Sometimes it's gradual, sometimes it's abrupt. Especially watch for crosswinds at speed.

Final note: "The "t" models will be more stable at speed than regular Qs. The small rear deck spoiler on "t" models DOES contribute significant downforce and reduce lift at speed a lot more than it one might expect.

If you choose to try this, be VERY careful. It requires a lot of skill and experience to control a 4250 lb passenger car at extreme speeds. Death is permanent.

[Rex]

FYI, some infor about lift and the grille-less Q



There was also at one time a scanned in FL State Patrol issued ticket documenting a Q going over 160, may have been over 170, but my memory is getting weak nowadays.

[Falkdesigns]

That's simply amazing! Good stuff.

[StarPD]

Understood and agreed, Rex. But lift does occur on all motor vehicles, and at speeds over 150 it becomes significant. That's why race cars have such extensive aerodynamic aids. I still caution all but more mature drivers with skill and experience to be VERY careful if trying to determine just how fast their Q will go. Any car, even a Q can get away from the driver unexpectedly. Without experience, one has no idea how to react in a bad situation and can completely lose control. Driving a beater fast on dirt is one of the best ways to learn vehicle dynamics and the fine art of driving fast.

Me? I LOVE high speeds. Been driving fast, VERY fast for over 40 years, both cars and extremely fast motorcycles. It's not for the inexperienced or dilettantes though. Driving fast well is something best accomplished by learning, gradually increasing top speed over an extended time, and in cars that are specifically designed and set up for doing so. A Q mets that requirement, but only if all factors, like tires, brakes, suspension, steering, etc. are considered and in like new condition. Otherwise, disaster can strike without warning. Axe me how I know.

I drive Qs because they are suitable for very high speeds, and are well suited for it if in the hqands of a skilled driver. While Corvettes are admittedly better oriented to high speeds, they aren't as comfortable or luxurious as a Q, nor are they as practical. I wish I had a video of the salesman when I took my new to me 2005 Q45 for a test drive. When we returned to the dealership, he was white as snow. When I asked him what the burning smell was, he snarled "That's the tires, they're smoking!". I learned what I wanted to know though, and bought the car.

Have fun, and enjoy your Qs. Just be careful, guys.

[DrewQ45]

I've driven my 90'Q @ 157mph (according to speedo). This was before the Nico Ecu. It felt very stable at that speed and seemed to hunker down and tighten up. Also felt like it had a lot more to give but common sense prevailed. I suspect the limiter would have had something to say soon anyway.

[maxnix]

But lift does occur on all motor vehicles, and at speeds over 150 it becomes significant. That's why race cars have such extensive aerodynamic aids.

A lot of new supercar designs include wind tunnels and diffusers to actually pull the car to the road with decreased under-chassis pressure at speed.

[ScottJackson]

Yup, supposedly the Saleen S7 could drive upside down once it goes above 130mph or something like that.

[StarPD]

Yup, supposedly the Saleen S7 could drive upside down once it goes above 130mph or something like that.

No doubt, but not likely on a Q45. :-)

The (now) old AMG "Hammer" was allegedly capable of 210 MPH.I don't think I'd want to drive one at that speed.

Race car and "Supercar" designers spend great effort to reduce lift and increase downforce. In fact, in many cases the increased downforce actually eats horsepower, requiring even more to maintain the top speed the vehicle is otherwise capable of.

No matter what you consider in lfe, and especially with cars (also motorcycles and guns, my favorite subjects), always keep in mind the vaunted science-fiction wroter Robert Heinlein's dictum:"TANSTAAFL", There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch".

It's a known scientific fact that man cannot create either energy or mass, but can only convert one to the other, and that all other laws of science prevail.

Want more downforce? It'll cost you speed. Want more speed? You'll get more lift, and increasing downforce to counter it consumes even more horsepower than drag alone.

Also, drag increases exponentially with speed. Accordingly, horsepower requirement increases the same way. If a given car can do 150 with 350 HP, a 25% increase in HP will not produce a 25% increase in speed.Similarly, as speed increases, lift doesn't increase on a linear basis with it, but rather exponentially. This is why cars that can attain 180 MPH and more require so much horsepower and aerodynaic aids, as witnessed in the Saleen mentioned, and why they cost so much. "Speed costs money; how fast do you want to go?"

All this means that Q owners that wish to find out how fast their cars will go must be aware of the factors applicable to doing so, and that speed always involves lift; the higher the speed, the more lift there is. Any disruption in air movement, like crosswinds can drastically alter the dynamics of vehicle movement and cause unexpected control anomalies.

We would be shocked to learn how much actual weight is on each tire at 150 MPH and higher, even on our beloved Qs. I can assure you it's nowhere near 1050 lbs, 4250 lbs divided by four.

Bottom line is that it takes great skill and precision to drive a Q45 above 150. Doing so also requires much attention and care, as well as a comprehensive "what if?" library in the old cabeza.

Do it if you must, but take all necessary precautions before and during doing so.

Now, I just know that at least one of us is, as a result of this thread, going to take their Q out and try to see "what she'll do". If anyone does so, report back and tell us how your car handled and responded at speeds over 150 (true, not indicated; speedo error is great at high speeds due to speedo error and tire slip).

Edited for typos.
Modified by StarPD at 10:01 PM 3/23/2007

[Jesda]

And a helmet.

[StarPD]

And a helmet.

Actually,if one studies the science behind helmet devlopment, one will learn that they are designed primarily to protect the human head from a fall from standing height. They will not and cannot protect against high-speed impact, and relying on them for that is dangerous. Not to say that a helmet shouldn't be worn, but rather to caution that relying on one for protection in high-speed motor vehicle operation is fraught with danger.

I've destroyed TWO top of the line helmets, a Shoei and an Arai in motorcycle crashes. I must admit that they saved my skull from serious injury, but mostly from sliding down the road at modest speeds of only 60 MPH. Both were shattered and the side that contacted the pavement was ground completely through. That would have happened to my head if I wasn't wearing them. Nevertheless, I learned that the scientific testing on them proved accurate, that they only worked at low impacts and relatively low speeds.

By all means, wear a helmet if testing a car at high speeds. Just don't think doing so makes you invulnerable.

BTW, if testing a vehicle at high speeds, don't dismiss the importance of good gloves, preferably deerskin ones. The natural incination in a crash is to put one's hands out to protect one's face and head from impact, and the hands are made of lots of small vulnerable bones. Good gloves will not only protect against abrasion, but will tend to hold the hands together and keep the bones from being broken and shattered more than they would be without them.

[Q_SHIP]

Nahhh, i was just doing 140 on blizaks.

[Falkdesigns]

When we moved into our new 56k sq ft facility, we destroyed dozens of sample helmets (I work for SIMPSON) and I literally had to use the strap and "whip" a helmet as hard as I possibly could to even dent the shell. I figure I got it to hit the ground at about 40-50 mph square on. When I threw one up as high as I could, it just bounced and had barely a scratch. Motorcycle and auto helmets are built with different standards too. Anyhow, in a high speed crash the only thing that can save you is multi-point harness (5 or 6) snugly attached, a helmet AND a HANS type of device.

Eric Medlin crashed his funny car on Monday testing in Fla after the Gatornationals. He hit the wall hard near the end of the track, speed hasn't been released, but he drives nitro-funny car for John Force Racing, so assume he was in the 275-325 mph range. He's in critical condition, they did a craniotomy Wednesday and he'll be in a drug induced coma for the next 2 weeks. He had every safety item he could; suit, harnesses, helmet, Hans type device, but at that speed, even all that couldn't save him from serious injury, and there's no guarantee he's even going to survive. It's headline news on NHRA.com and Castrol set up an email account to send him your get well wishes, [email protected]

[Falkdesigns]

*choke, sniff, sniff* well, no sooner than I just posted about Eric, we just got a call at work, he died 1 hour ago. This isn't even on NHRA.com yet. Damn, my heart just sank to my stomach, I feel ill.

[maxnix]

That is sad. So sorry to hear.

[StarPD]

Of course, helmets have advanced over the years, but I studied the progress of them a few years back, and read up on the Snell vs DOT vs ANSI requirements, testing,and devlelopment. As I stated, in both of my motorcycle crashes, my premium state of the art helmets both shattered and were severely ground off on one side all the way through. But that's what they were designed to do. Better them than my head. Even so, that was only at 60 MPH. While I NEVER rode without one, or would, I never RELIED on one to protect me from poor judgement or even accident. They were just as much insurance as I could get against untoward incident.

Sorry about Eric. He's proof that safety devices can ony do so much. If it was me though, I'd rather die than be a vegetable for the rest of my life. May he rest in peace.

[StarPD]

Here's a link to a 7 minute clip on what it takes to do 253 MPH.It features the VERY expensive Bugatti "Veyron".

http://www.dailymotion.com/vid...speed

Note the driver's comments near the end of the clip regarding fuel and tire consumption. Cost of the Veyron is reputed to be $3 MILLION!!!!!!

Enjoy.

[szh]

Cost of the Veyron is reputed to be $3 MILLION!!!!!!

It has gone up!! It used to be only $1.3Million not too long ago!

Z

[maxnix]

Euro to dollar vagaries. Remember when the Euro = $0.85?

Thank you, W.

[Q45tech]

"We already mentioned that Mercedes-Benz had kindly "deactivated" the CL55's 155-mph speed limiter, and we were all slack-jawed when it laid down another 32 mph--matching the Viper step for step. When excited calls were placed to Mercedes to share the good news, what was their reply? "Of course. That's what we expected. Because we only removed the first level of speed control, and the second one tops out at 187."

http://www.motortrend.com/feat....html

Top speed is kinda unimportant as the time to get there ON THE STREET is what's useful..................anything taking more than 1.0 mile to accomplish?

"our first top-speed test 30 years ago in MT's "Flat-Out Classic of July '73" (see "Archive" this issue), the number to beat was 124.3 mph, set by a Pontiac Firebird Trans Am packing a 455-SD V-8. Today, that performance would be embarrassed--to the tune of 22 mph--by a full-size Ford pickup."

[maxnix]

A Ford pickup at 146 mph is indeed a scary thought. One side gust and it would be cartwheels.

[Q45tech]

Safe top speed vs attainable top speed....................as we all know a Q at 90 mph is beyond the safety limits for a class of drivers and an entire group of poorly maintained units.

Every time I see a Q on S rated tires or pulling out from Azone/Pboys/etc, I move to the farthest away lane.

[TBrack]

Safe top speed vs attainable top speed....................as we all know a Q at 90 mph is beyond the safety limits for a class of drivers and an entire group of poorly maintained units.

Every time I see a Q on S rated tires or pulling out from Azone/Pboys/etc, I move to the farthest away lane.

lol true that! I've seen too many Q's that haven't been taken care of around town and they look like they're about to blow up! Then they floor it, with black smoke coming out the tail, and weave through traffic on I-75 at 100+mph with not a thought in their mind that it isn't safe for anyone around them.

[maxnix]

Every time I see a Q on S rated tires or pulling out from Azone/Pboys/etc, I move to the farthest away lane.

Even in a ragged-out state, still more performance for the buck than anything else. Too bad the ECU is too stupid to cut back to ½ throttle if the brakes have non OEM pads or rotors, or the shocks are pogo sticks.