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I've been looking at youtube videos from Europe and there are several places where folks can go WOT. They have unused runways, places where they race..and I'm not talking about a controlled track, I'm talking about a mile or more straightaway where you can just floor it and go!! When I lived in Italy, the speed limit on the autostrada was whatever your car could do. There is a posted speed limit, but it wasn't enforced. As a matter of fact, it the 4 years I lived there and traveled around Europe, triple digit speeds were the norm, not the exception. My question is, do any of you know of anyplace in the US where we can just go WOT? Supposedly the tune removed the speed limiter on my XKR and I should be able to hit 200+ MPH...How do I test that? I would really like to floor it and keep it floored up to redline and see exactly what this baby can do. Please feel free to chime it!!!
Great question, would love to know some answers too.
Car shows on TV seem to find abandoned airports to do that, but I doubt they're just open to the public, probably requires some legal agreement and fees to use them.
Plus you'd probably want do a slow pass first, to check for rocks, junk, vegetation and pot holes, none of which you'd want to hit at high speed.
The Flats are not a fun place to be, seriously. There is ZERO traction and the salt will eat your car up in two days. Aluminum or not. If the bed isn't in perfect condition you will sink up to the rockers and never again leave there, as tow trucks won't be able to get to you.
All seriousness. I live near there, been there several times, and last year Speed Week was cancelled because the flats were such a mess.
HOWEVER.....
If you're not totally 'law abiding', the Interstate right next to there is Interstate 80. It goes right through Wendover Nevada. From Mile Marker 6 and all the way to Knolls Utah is absolutely flat, straight, non-intersected, and zero wildlife or vegetation. About 40 miles of uninterrupted asphalt ribbon, lifeless on both sides, with very light traffic (as long as it isn't the migration to and from Salt Lake City to the Casinos of Wendover). Also, in the probably 80+ times I have driven through there (my kids lived in Northern California) I have NEVER seen any cars with red-and-blue lights outside of the 6 mile radius of West Wendover Utah. Ever. So, I'll just leave this here.....
I did a road trip last year, and pointing south from Moab UT was some wonderful chunks of straight asphalt. Typical Wyle E Coyote turf that seemed to go on forever. (Hwy 191 and 160)
The Badwater road in Death Valley was another great opportunity.
There are a few roads in Nevada which might fit your needs.
1. Nevada 318 between Ash Springs and Preston. Site of the Silver State Classic. It is deserted during the off season. Good road surface. Lightly patroled.
2. US6 between Tonapah and Ely. No traffic. No services, but road surface is sometimes rough.
3. US 50 across Nevada. Lighty patroled, but it is patrolled.
4. US95 between Winnemucca and Or border. This is where locals run.
The best road surface for a speed run is a well-maintained airport runway. A little known fact is that airport runways are built to a much higher spec than say Interstates. Even then a runway is not exactly smooth at 165+, the rotation speed of many aircraft.
There is a big, big difference between say 150mph and 200mph. Cars that are controllable at 150 become loose above 175.
I know of at least one airstrip that is periodically open for a standing start mile. It is in Ohio. Don't remember the name of the event. Then there is the Silver State Classic in Nevada, the Big Bend Open Road Race near Sanderson,TX and the Sandhill Open Road Challenge near Arnold, NE.
Do Goggle these events and read their rules, etc. They do have a 200mph class, but you might need a roll cage and will certainly need to run in Touring Class as a prerequiste.
When I take Route 89 to Canada via NH & VT there are some stretches that you could get near top speed if you so choose. Next cars are far enough ahead to brake light warn on potential speed enforcement patrol up ahead. This road is seldom level though.
I've been looking at youtube videos from Europe and there are several places where folks can go WOT. They have unused runways, places where they race..and I'm not talking about a controlled track, I'm talking about a mile or more straightaway where you can just floor it and go!! When I lived in Italy, the speed limit on the autostrada was whatever your car could do. There is a posted speed limit, but it wasn't enforced. As a matter of fact, it the 4 years I lived there and traveled around Europe, triple digit speeds were the norm, not the exception. My question is, do any of you know of anyplace in the US where we can just go WOT? Supposedly the tune removed the speed limiter on my XKR and I should be able to hit 200+ MPH...How do I test that? I would really like to floor it and keep it floored up to redline and see exactly what this baby can do. Please feel free to chime it!!!
I did a road trip last year, and pointing south from Moab UT was some wonderful chunks of straight asphalt. Typical Wyle E Coyote turf that seemed to go on forever. (Hwy 191 and 160)
The Badwater road in Death Valley was another great opportunity.
Last time I did a speed run was in my old Testarossa at 6am on the 5fwy in the central valley of CA. At a certain speed, my lizard brain said, 'if they clock you, you will go to jail'. That was the end of my high speed runs. There are some nice spots in SoCal towards the Nevada border, buyer beware, but you should really just save it for the track. If you mess up, at least there is EMS nearby.
I was told that this area has no side roads, a clear view for miles, very straight. Back in 1992 it was good for 203MPH on a turbocharged ZX11 and also 185MPH in a BMW M5( WITH AFTERMARKET TUNING)…but that is just what I heard.
HWY 118 out of Alpine Texas driving into The Big Bend National PARK LANDS.
I've been on HWY 118 and you're more likely to hit a mule deer than see a cop on that stretch. Maybe the occasional Border Patrol which look like a HWY patrol when you first see one but they cannot and do not stop you for speeding, unless they think you are running from them so best to speed heading to Big Bend than away:-) Unfortunately, I had "officer wife" in the car with me so it was a non starter.
I have enjoyed running the Texas mile wide open!! It was at an airstrip in Victoria, Tx.
As was posted above at 150 mph or more you really need an airstrip which was designed for such high speeds.
I did a road trip last year, and pointing south from Moab UT was some wonderful chunks of straight asphalt. Typical Wyle E Coyote turf that seemed to go on forever. (Hwy 191 and 160)
The Badwater road in Death Valley was another great opportunity.
What a great roadtrip!
Wow.... would them roads bring the bad boy out in me. Wile E Coyote/Jaguar Turf for sure!
Your XK with or without the speed limiter will be a LONG way from hitting 200 mph!!!
Once you start racing it becomes obvious that getting to those very high speeds requires tremendous horsepower far above stock. The wind resistance goes up by MPH^3 power. The difference between going 170 mph and 200 mph could be as much as 300-500 HP.
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Your XK with or without the speed limiter will be a LONG way from hitting 200 mph!!!
Once you start racing it becomes obvious that getting to those very high speeds requires tremendous horsepower far above stock. The wind resistance goes up by MPH^3 power. The difference between going 170 mph and 200 mph could be as much as 300-500 HP.
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The top speed of the XKR-S is 186mph and that 'only' has 542bhp and an XFR with 600bhp was taken to 225mph in 2009:
There is a yearly meet here in New Zealand where they close the road and use timing gear to clock the top speed of cars over a 6 km road of which 2.8km of it is dead flat. Unfortunately it is a days drive and a ferry ride away otherwise I would be really keen to see if my XKR will do 200mph (assuming that the speed limiter doesn't cut in).
Where can we go WOT
So, I'll just leave this here.....
