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Why Europe’s Mandatory Speed Limiters Mean The End Of Driving As You Know It
The Autopian ^ | 8 July 2024 | Matt Hardigree

Posted on 07/08/2024 4:26:55 PM PDT by DUMBGRUNT

If you’re in Europe, it’s now a choice that the government makes. As of July 7th, all new cars sold on the continent or in Northern Ireland have to have a mandatory speed limiter installed. The system is generally known as Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) and it’s probably going to show up on a lot of vehicles in the United Kingdom as well because the country basically shares a car market with the rest of its neighbors.

...drive 88.5 and live on the continent this is your new reality, though there are a couple of ways around it.

...“Arguably ISA will mark the beginning of the end of a world in which people choose their cars on the basis of its top speed and the time it takes to accelerate from 0 to 60mph. "It’s a sign of things to come,” he continued. “Increasingly, the car is going to decide what you can and can’t do.”

(Excerpt) Read more at theautopian.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Travel
KEYWORDS: nannies
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To: ripnbang
Recognizing I haven’t driven all areas on the Autobahn, I must say I was disappointed in the areas I did drive there was very little opportunity for unlimited speed due to traffic, road work and speed limits below what I anticipated (or hoped for).

There's less traffic in the former East Germany.

If you're comfortable with driving fast at night, the highways are less-traveled then.

61 posted on 07/08/2024 7:04:58 PM PDT by Captain Walker ("It is infinitely better to have a few good Men, than many indifferent ones." - George Washington)
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To: Disambiguator

—”My ‘66 GTO most certainly did not. 70 mph was the sweet spot for highway fuel economy (20+).”

Down a hill maybe?

Compare the speed (MPH) SQUARED OF 70MPH (4900) to the SPEED SQUARED of 55MPH (3020)
This will approximate the Horsepower relation needed for the two different speeds.

You need over 50% MORE HP TO GO FROM 55 TO 70.

With your goat being shaped like a brick, add a bunch more.

The extry ponys gotta eat something!


62 posted on 07/08/2024 7:05:04 PM PDT by DUMBGRUNT ( "The enemy has overrun us. We are blowing up everything. Vive la France!"Dien Bien Phu last message)
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To: PGalt

—”WOW! Totalitarians never slow down.”

Funny, how that works.


63 posted on 07/08/2024 7:06:07 PM PDT by DUMBGRUNT ( "The enemy has overrun us. We are blowing up everything. Vive la France!"Dien Bien Phu last message)
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To: sheik yerbouty

—”Cannonball!”

Is alive!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannonball_Run_challenge

Electric vehicle record

“In April 2023, Kyle Conner attempted another record with the Out of Spec Motoring team, using a Lucid Air. This time the trip ended in 44 hours 32 minutes, which does not set a new record. However, their lead car Polestar 1, driven by Alyssa Zupan, set a new plug-in hybrid record with 45 hours and 38 minutes.


64 posted on 07/08/2024 7:16:03 PM PDT by DUMBGRUNT ( "The enemy has overrun us. We are blowing up everything. Vive la France!"Dien Bien Phu last message)
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To: ripnbang

Summer of 78 -
Got a speeding ticket on the autobahn. Seems there was a section with a 100KPH limit (about 62MPH) by the Frankfurt airport. Went tooling through at about 130-140KPH. Cost me $70.

The German Polezei are very professional. Most civilized ticketing session I ever had.

But - Do NOT mess with them. They will clock you up side the head and throw you in jail until you cool down.


65 posted on 07/08/2024 7:16:33 PM PDT by dagunk
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To: 2CAVTrooper
Unlike here in the U.S. they actually drive civilized in Europe and keep right except to pass.

One of the (few) benefits of living in a small and densely-populated country is that one can travel pretty much anywhere by rail; an automobile is more of a convenience than a necessity. Accordingly, the State can require a certain degree of intellect and ability before issuing a driver's license.

On the flip side, one of the (few) downsides of living in an expansive country is that most of it is only reachable by car. And accordingly, because the State needs people to get to work, a restaurant, and the movie theater to keep this machine called the US economy moving, it can't be too demanding of those who apply for a license.

66 posted on 07/08/2024 7:17:22 PM PDT by Captain Walker ("It is infinitely better to have a few good Men, than many indifferent ones." - George Washington)
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To: DUMBGRUNT

anyone who thinks the folks buying bugattis will have speed limiters in them is insane.


67 posted on 07/08/2024 7:19:14 PM PDT by zeugma (Stop deluding yourself that America is still a free country.)
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To: DUMBGRUNT

No. All the cars sold to ordinary people will have a speed limiter.


68 posted on 07/08/2024 7:19:22 PM PDT by AppyPappy (Biden told Al Roker "America is back". Unfortunately, he meant back to the 1970's)
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To: xoxox

—”Always winter. Always winter and never Christmas.”

“This world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel.”

Horace Something or the other.


69 posted on 07/08/2024 7:24:35 PM PDT by DUMBGRUNT ( "The enemy has overrun us. We are blowing up everything. Vive la France!"Dien Bien Phu last message)
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To: JParris

It’s probably already on You Tube.


70 posted on 07/08/2024 7:31:22 PM PDT by ripnbang ("An armed man is a citizen, an unarmed man, a subject.")
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To: BipolarBob

“Want to pass a vehicle? Sorry you can’t get up enough speed to do so.”

I’ve driven large trucks with governors (speed limiters) that maxed out a 55 mph back in the 55 mph era. It was nearly impossible to pass anyone safely.


71 posted on 07/08/2024 7:46:18 PM PDT by redfreedom (Joseph Stalin: "It does not mater how anyone votes, how votes are counted is what matters.")
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To: DUMBGRUNT

I think it was a matter of gearing and tuning. That car liked to cruise at high speeds. I even managed almost 14 mpg on a fast trip at 110 mph.


72 posted on 07/08/2024 8:07:34 PM PDT by Disambiguator
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To: brianl703

I know, but not that many cars had tachs then, at least not ones I drove. You could also time yourself between mileposts if you were on a highway that had them, otherwise it was guesswork. Anyway, it was more about just going as fast as you could, not so much the actual mph number.


73 posted on 07/08/2024 8:23:18 PM PDT by HartleyMBaldwin
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To: HartleyMBaldwin

Tachs were often optional equipment back then. I always thought, if you’re gonna save money by not getting the automatic, at least use some of the money you saved and get the tach.

In the worst case you didn’t even get a temperature gauge, just an idiot light, unless you got the optional gauge cluster (which also included a tach).


74 posted on 07/08/2024 8:56:52 PM PDT by brianl703
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To: Billthedrill

“First time a Ferrari gets passed by an un-chipped Fiat it’s splody head time.”

That story’s true and I lived to see it.
I was driving that hopped up Fiat.


75 posted on 07/08/2024 9:09:16 PM PDT by Flash Bazbeaux
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To: DUMBGRUNT
Yes, but the actal horsepower requirements to overcome air resistance are surprisingly small:

At 50 mph, the Cruze Eco requires about 9-10 horsepower. Extrapolating from this:

At 55 mph, it would need roughly 11-12 hp

At 65 mph, it would need about 18-20 hp

At 75 mph, it would need approximately 28-30 hp

And since the hp requirements are small the difference in fuel economy is small

For example, I have driven the same stretch repeatedly at around 55 and also around 70.

Only 3-4 mpg difference in my van.

76 posted on 07/08/2024 9:13:23 PM PDT by steve86 (Numquam accusatus, numquam ad curiam ibit, numquam ad carcerem™)
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To: Qwapisking

I qualify, but I’m CONVINCED that as soon as someone killed themselves in a car that I had modified code in 1 of 2 things would happen. (Maybe both!).

1. I would get arrested for being an accessory to murder.
2. The insurance company would read the code from the car, and if it was found to be modified, they would deny coverage, and/or sue everyone involved if they did have to pay out anything.

So, for those reasons, I’m not doing it.


77 posted on 07/08/2024 9:52:50 PM PDT by FrankRizzo890
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To: BenLurkin

And one that is done the Muslims win and welcome to the caliphate. Christians will be treated like the Coptics.


78 posted on 07/08/2024 10:36:27 PM PDT by Organic Panic (Democrats. Memories as short as Joe Biden's eyes)
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To: DUMBGRUNT

“Many pressure points that will stop you.”

Direct pressure on those who insist on this. It is time for different tactics.


79 posted on 07/09/2024 5:18:19 AM PDT by bk1000 (Banned from Breitbart)
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To: steve86

—”Yes, but the actal horsepower requirements to overcome air resistance are surprisingly small”

Soeed squared is a simplification of air resistance; where most of your HP is used at highway speed.

Air Resistance Proportional to the Square of the Speed!

Even with your wizzer running richer than D.J. Trump at 55, with raw gas pouring from the exhaust and lean as Jack Sprat at 70 and pinging a hole in your piston; you will not be burning less fuel.

There are more than a few online tools to approximate for horsepower/speed.

“For all you Bonneville Salt Flat people or wannabes
This equation will show you how much Horsepower it
would take to run those high speeds.”

http://www.wallaceracing.com/Calculate%20HP%20For%20Speed.php

The drag coefficient for many cars is readily available.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile_drag_coefficient

And the Epa specs for speedometer accuracy is a JOKE at 10% !!!

You probably can not break the speed of light (it is the LAW) and you will never see better MPG at 20MPH faster speed.

Dream on...


80 posted on 07/09/2024 6:39:37 AM PDT by DUMBGRUNT ( "The enemy has overrun us. We are blowing up everything. Vive la France!"Dien Bien Phu last message)
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