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Interesting Theory (archive)
[ Follow Ups ] [ E36 M3 Message Board ] [ Msg. Board FAQ ]
Posted by Chris in Atlanta on November 20, 2000 at 08:39:44:

In Reply to: Why 137 mph????? posted by M3pilot on November 19, 2000 at 20:12:06:

I'm a technical kind of guy, but no tech here. I watched the "M Car" special on Speed Vision a couple of months ago. I recall being suprized when they said that BMW's first performance car "had a top speed of 137 mph".

Could be we're talking generalizations (220 kph is a nice round number). But still seems funny to me.


I asked this before, but wanted to start a new thread:

Why was 137 mph chosen for our top speed? We were all issued tires that could far exceed this speed. So why 137 mph? In Europe, I've read/heard that all cars are limited to 155 mph, as a way of keeping autobahn speeds from getting insane. Is this 155 mph correct for Europe?

But here in the States, you can go buy a Chevy that can top 170 mph right off the showroom floor. Why wouldn't BMW allow its M3 to travel to its true top speed then? Even though its limited, WHY 137? What's the magic in this number? Is there some sort of government panel that feels that 137 mph is okay, but 140 mph is frowned upon? I guess not-- just look at that Chevy doing 170+ mph......

I'll never understand why some car makers let their cars run to the true potential and some don't......




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