This might be a bit of an off topic question, but does anyone ever drive in a lane they know will end shortly up the road, just to get ahead.
Say at a red light you see the garbage truck or the bus, and you know you can get around it. Or maybe instead of a bus it’s a BMW 3 series or a Mustang or a Blonde?? (I like both of those cars, not hating) and you just feel like tearing it up. It could just be me over-enjoying my XKR, but I have been at the tail end of too many people who use their cars power to get in front of me. Ohh Sweet Revenge (in moderation of course)
I guess the bigger question is how many people really drive their XK hard/fast vs. just cruise.
I do my share of both, after all it is a sports car. I am sure as I grow more mature I will lean more towards the cruising.
Thanks!

 

I live in the Atlanta, GA area and I have never lived in a place that has as many merge lanes as this place.

So what I am referring to is this:

Picture a normal four way intersection with a traffic light. Two lanes on one side of the traffic light, and on the other side (in the same direction) the right lane continues for about 500 feet and then merges into the left lane. Now this merge lane is really there for people making right hand turns from the crossing lanes on the other side of the light in order to merge into the traffic continuing on down the road, but so many use it to try and race around everybody else sitting in the left lane waiting to get through the light.

It's funny to me that when things align and I am sitting first in line to go through the light, waiting on green, and somebody pulls up beside me in the right lane ready to gun their car to get around me, they see my car (whether it is my 02 XKR or my 07 XKR) and suddenly I don't have a problem anymore. I have had some challenge me, but they have not made it around.

95% of the time I try to just let the crazy stuff go that other people do.

Just got to watch out for the Rozzers... (Rozzers is borrowed from James May on Top Gear)

 

I`ve got a leadfoot in my XKR....I bought a new radar detector shortly after buying my car because I knew it just might save me now and then....

 

Where I live we don't have multi lane highways with merging opportunities, we have one duel carriageway which increases from two to three lanes, then one lane splits at an off slip. However, we have lots of winding country roads, which is what the car was built for. Overtaking opportunities may be limited, but that doesn't matter as it doesn't need much road to get past slower vehicles and that adds to the fun (yes I acknowledge that most fatal accidents result from overtaking), if done sensibly.
Glad to see that Captain Slow (James May) is known to you. The traction control switch on my car is known as the Clarkson button! I value the rubber on my tyres, so keep mine switched on.

 

One of the greatest pleasures of driving the XKR is when you are on a 2 lane rural road and there is limited passing space. Then the "R" comes into it's own as you simply press down on the loud pedal and effortlessly rocket past any slow moving traffic.

 

I have a lead foot ....... I even flashed a state trooper to get out of my way on I68, he let me by then pulled me over he checked my license, mentioned I had been stopped more than half a dozen times since the last 3 weeks I had been in the states, he understood I am from the UK and we don't have any speed limits (so he thought, I saw no reason to correct him ) and let me off with a warning

I do beleive there is still a warrant out for my arrest in Hancock County

I know, I am a bad man

 

Yes.

I get 14mpg average with my XKR... 13 on my XK8.

I have an insanely lead foot. BTW, I could average 17-18mpg (mostly stop and go city driving) in my XKR, but my foot prohibits it.

 

I have a Beltronics GX65 and when I'm on the open road in the XKR it's mounted to the windshield. With regular GPS updates and weekly internet downloads I could not do without it. I know it has saved me several times. On flat terrain it sees the radar/lasers way before I see them. It's really hard to not sail along at 90-100 mph on long stretches through the country and there are those times when someone pulls alongside at a stop light and you have several hundred feet before your lane merges. As they say on Top Gear, thats when you step on the pedal and release the Kraken.

 

I only have an XK8, and I am older so I don't do much hot rodding, but I do notice that the young guys have to show off a little when they see my Jag. My wife has commented on it too. It is especially comical when they are driving a diesel pickup. With a cloud of smoke, and a hearty "high-O-silver" and away they go.

 

I'm not a speedster on the freeway, but I usually set the speed control to about 5mph over the posted speed and have had no problems with being pulled over. What I really hate is the left lane cruisers who stay in that lane holding up the traffic that wants to go faster. STAY IN THE RIGHT LANE EXCEPT TO PASS!! Going South to FL it usually is the "blue hairs" from the North headed to FL for the season change(Snow Birds). On my recent trip to FL on I-85S, I ran into one of these. I was the 6th car back(left lane) thinking that the car ahead would change to the right lane and let the cars go by. No such luck! Trucks were in the right lane just far enough apart to not allow anyone to get around the stubborn car in the left lane ahead. Well, I saw my chance coming up and took it. The XKR was at 102mph 6 cars ahead as I got around them. I blasted my horn as I passed them. I then noticed that they then moved to the right lane and let the others, before and after my position, pass.

 

Those would be the idjits on cruise control.

They absolutely do not want to do anything that might involve touching a pedal for fear of upsetting the cruise speed.

Juat another useless thing that should be banned from cars.

 

Well, I live here in Central Florida and we have more then our fair share of the slow left lane cruisers. Probably the same folks that park their shopping cart sideways in the grocery store aisle and decide they are going to share their life history in the postoffice line. During the winter migration the problem only gets worse. That's when all the little white and gray heads descend on the area in their Cadillacs, Mercury Marquises, vans and land yachts. There are a few of us local senior citizens that find this somewhat exasperating. My grandson and I were thinking it would be good material for a South Park episode.

 

I cruise, except when a tosser in a 90hp diesel Renault has been pointlessly tailgating me for 5 minutes on a single-lane road. I slow down just before the road opens up to two lanes (for overtaking), leaving a massive gap between me and the cars in front. Then, when the road widens I gun it and fly past the queue of cars in front before the road narrows again to a single lane. Tosser doesn't have the power to do this and is therefore left languishing behind the slow-moving queue until the next overtaking opportunity 5 miles further on.

I know, it's pathetic, but I think lesser vehicles should show due defference. Tailgaiting an XKR is like tailgaiting the Queen

 

I'm with Lew here - usually on interstate or highly used US highway - I set the cruise 9 miles above the limit and switch lanes accordingly. If I am doing 79 or a 70-limited highway, on the left lane but have somebody driving faster than me - I'd switch to the right and give that person an opportunity to pass, knowing that 99% of the time - if I wanted to, I can catch up easily.

It happened on my last road trip - I was on US 290 between Brenham and Elgin, an Accord and a Highlander were tailgating me and I was doing 79 on a 70-limit. I let them pass to get ahead. After they're about 1/3 of a mile ahead, I flat-footed the car, and passed them easily. I did maybe 105-ish at the time, then I eased back. They passed me again after that - and I just hung back. Why bother - proved my point already.

It's different if it were a remote state highway or a wide open country road. That's usually when I opened the throttle. Interestingly enough, I've lived in the US for almost 14 years now - my first ever speeding ticket was last year, driving the XKR, exactly the day I bought it. I was doing 76 on a 65-limit section of I10 between Junction and Sonora. The State Trooper gave me a warning after I showed him my bill of sale, told me slow down a bit while 'enjoying' the car ....

 

Maturity has provided me with many life lessons...the primary one being, and one that I passed onto my two sons (and they are 6'3" and 6'7") is to never fight a man "uglier" than you.

To clarify: Uglier is defined as they have less to lose financially, socially, physically and morally than you.

That lesson translates to all aspects of life...especially driving.

Its just not worth it. Especially when you drive the Queens Marque. And the few times I have played...I feel cheap when I am lower myself to the idiocy around me.

I do admit to getting pissy with left lane passive aggressive losers...but when I see anyone blasting from up behind...I let them have at it. Clear the cops I say and have a good ole' time.

 

Like r0m, I set my cruise control at 9 over usually. I was at a party about 25 years ago and a highway patrol trooper told me that they didn't stop people for less than 10 over. I've gotten a few tickets since then, but they were always for 10 over or more. That's North Carolina. Your state may be different.

With all of the unmarked police cars these days, and "instant on" radar, I don't think a radar detector is going to do much good. I frequently see cars pulled over by police SUVs which are completely indistinguishable from non police SUVs. Just the other day I was passed by a Suburban, and I glanced over and saw all sorts of equipment on the dash as he passed me. 30 seconds later another car passed both me and him, and the Suburban instantly lit up his lights and pulled over the other car.

The only time I really speed these days (other than the 9 over, which I don't consider speeding) is when I have a long straight stretch with no other cars around.

 

Shoot, I love those situations :-). Gives me a chance to exercise the car and have some fun.

I seldom exceed the speed limit but I DO enjoy strong acceleration at every possible opportunity. Like freeway on ramps, for example.






Maybe, maybe not. I find cruising a lot easier but I still enjoy using the loud pedal whenever the right opportunity arises.

I consider myself "mature" and if there's one thing I've learned it's that "There's a time and a place for everything." I'm pretty selective as to when and where I "give 'er the boot".

Cheers
DD

 

Superiority complex much?

There's so much wrong with your post I don't even know where to begin...

 

LOL! I must have a superiority complex, too, because I agreed with much of his post.

 

Well I would have to agree with Jag69...decidedly cogent advice. We have similar advice down south and that is don't show your *** and avoid getting into a pisssing contest with a skunk. No tickets, no accidents, good driver discount and no need for cosmetic surgery for me or the Jag. Life is good!