Top Speed

[RLE55]

Yes, I've done some BMW and other high performance driving classes but the only track experience was open wheel. Most if not all tracks don't allow convertibles, even my retractable hard top 4 series. The BMW club won't even allow it in autocross events.

Sorry, thought your stang was a coupe..

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[Fruitstang]

I said no such thing.

Your OP was about exactly that BMW offers to come to Germany and drive the car where there are in many sections no speed limits.

...and yes, of course all German drivers are superior to anyone from the US.

I said no such thing.
Most drivers on German Autobahns are either ignorant or careless, or just lecturing faster cars by blocking them.
Thing is, they are in general in the right, they are allowed to move to your lane even when you are already very close, the faster car is obliged to be ready to make a hard brake even when the other driver makes a stupid move.

You don't have to be a "superior driver", you just have to have practice and experience to handle such critical situations at speed differences of 150 vs 60 mph for a longer period of time.
Experience is a whole different animal than "good" or "bad".

As someone else mentioned it:
No, flashing headlights or blinker are NOT allowed to signal that you are faster and have no intention to brake, that's strictly forbidden.
You have to first brake, get a distance of 0.5 times your speed in meters, e.g. 200 kmh means 100 m safety distance (at 124 mph you need 109 yards distance) (!) between your car and his car, then give him some time to realize you are there, and only then you are allowed to flash headlights to signal your intention to overtake.

 

[Zengineer]

Your OP was about exactly that BMW offers to come to Germany and drive the car where there are in many sections no speed limits.

You are reaching a bit. Here's exactly what I posted:

"My current car, one I hope to sell in the next few weeks, is a BMW 440 convertible. Back in 2017 when I bought it BMW still had a program for US buyers to take delivery in Germany, drive around a few days or weeks, and then let them ship to your US dealer."

There is zero in the BMW literature used for the program at the time or in my description of it that promotes high speed driving. I chose to do so in as safe an area and manner as reasonable. It is not my first Autobahn experience and understand the expectations. I fully understand your concerns but they are misplaced. You pounced on my use of the word "scared" . It was simply my way of saying I know my limits and was not going to put myself in a bad situation.

 

[Fruitstang]

All good then, but you might admit that there's a reason implied by BMW for which one would first want to drive an already bought car (vs regular test drive) in Germany before it's getting shipped to a country far away where it will be very difficult to experience its full potential outside a racetrack.

You pounced on my use of the word "scared" . It was simply my way of saying I know my limits and was not going to put myself in a bad situation.

That's all I was referring to by saying "glad you stopped when getting scared".
It's a tough decision to make when you feel there might be just a few mph to reach the limit while feeling a bit too uncomfortable and then getting off the gas.
I can try again every day until circumstances are perfect; a tourist cannot for obvious reasons.

But btt, between Mountain Home and Boise in Idaho for example there were stretches on which there were zero cars in both directions in sight, meaning like a dozen miles as in the movies, so have a friend drive ahead with a margin to check there's no Police and then step on it.
Was afraid my rented S550 had a breakdown out there.

 

[Zig]

Your OP was about exactly that BMW offers to come to Germany and drive the car where there are in many sections no speed limits.



I said no such thing.
Most drivers on German Autobahns are either ignorant or careless, or just lecturing faster cars by blocking them.
Thing is, they are in general in the right, they are allowed to move to your lane even when you are already very close, the faster car is obliged to be ready to make a hard brake even when the other driver makes a stupid move.

You don't have to be a "superior driver", you just have to have practice and experience to handle such critical situations at speed differences of 150 vs 60 mph for a longer period of time.
Experience is a whole different animal than "good" or "bad".

As someone else mentioned it:
No, flashing headlights or blinker are NOT allowed to signal that you are faster and have no intention to brake, that's strictly forbidden.
You have to first brake, get a distance of 0.5 times your speed in meters, e.g. 200 kmh means 100 m safety distance (at 124 mph you need 109 yards distance) (!) between your car and his car, then give him some time to realize you are there, and only then you are allowed to flash headlights to signal your intention to overtake.

Don't read into what was stated and ignore the daily application.

 

[Zig]

??

As in, in you are in the fast lane (been there too long - ain’t supposed to be driving in that lane to begun with) and you see headlights flash in your rearview you are made aware another is approaching from the rear and it is advisable to return to the driving lane asap. If traveling in the left most lane and the driver behind you has the left blinker on (whats this idiot behind me thinking - there aint no more lanes and no left exits coming up - he’s thinking: get out of the way i want to go around) it means move over i want to pass. Does this sound more or less an accurate depiction, or at least close enough in always true internet terms?

 

[Fruitstang]

Maybe my English isn't good enough, but what you describe is what some people are doing and I explained that it is forbidden, even when a stupid bonehead is occupying the left lane for no reason (which is also forbidden).
Flashing lights or blinker while approaching faster however is not allowed and punishment is much worse than not moving early enough.
You have to break down to his speed first.

I am German and drive many thousand miles a year on the Autobahn through all of Germany with different cars and know the law and what's happening there.

I hope I didn't misunderstand you and will be out of this thread now.

 

[Zig]

Maybe my English isn't good enough, but what you describe is what some people are doing and I explained that it is forbidden, even when a stupid bonehead is occupying the left lane for no reason (which is also forbidden).
Flashing lights or blinker while approaching faster however is not allowed and punishment is much worse than not moving early enough.
You have to break down to his speed first.

I am German and drive many thousand miles a year on the Autobahn through all of Germany with different cars and know the law and what's happening there.

I hope I didn't misunderstand you and will be out of this thread now.

No need to go, simply discussing. If you notice i did not indicate full bore ahead, i simply mentioned what is performed in everyday practice. With a reminder that the ‘authorities’ don’t mess around when high speeds (excessive triple digits) are concerned, especially when in and near town. I also threw in a be kind to nature reference with the don’t even think about hitting a tree remark.

 

[Zengineer]

BMW called it "tourist delivery" when the program existed. It was partially subsidized by the (apparently irresponsible) German government.

Nobody I know is going to buy a plane ticket, hotels and other expenses just to drive fast on a public highway.

 

[Fruitstang]

You are totally wrong, we have people bringing their fast cars from all over Europe to Germany, even right steered UK cars, just to drive legally fast on the Autobahn.
And the program was called European Delivery, here's some advertisement text I found:

Your BMW was engineered for the winding mountains of Europe with its tiny villages and monstrous Autobahn for your pure entertainment, hence why it is only natural to drive your new car here first. After selecting the perfect BMW it is only logical that you plan the ultimate driving experience in Europe to unleash the power of your vehicle on the open road

If I would spend like $80k for a proper sports car that I knew was built in Germany, I would definitely spend those comparably few bucks for flight and hotel for this maybe once in a lifetime experience.

 

[Zengineer]

You are totally wrong...

Yes, you are the expert on what I was thinking when I purchased the car I did and deciding how to go about purchasing it. My apologies for doubting your expertise. My tiny American brain is not very good sometimes.

 

[roadpilot]

Einige der Beiträge in diesem Thread sind einfach nur dumm.

 

[Rocket Man]

translation?

 

[Fruitstang]

He probably just wants to provoke so that this completely derailed thread won't die or gets btt I guess

It means "Some of the posts in this thread are just stupid".

Edit: I agree with this statement though.

 

[Zengineer]

translation?

....is available on the internet.

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