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Volvo is introducing a 112mph speed limiter to all its new cars

arstechnica.com

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Re: Volvo is introducing a 112mph speed limiter to all its new cars

#61

Post by leetcrew »

dethswatch wrote: post #30
jbob2000 wrote: post #25

I've always wondered why the government sets speed limits but then doesn't enforce them on manufacturers. You can solve 99% of speed "crime" by making it illegal to sell a car that can break the speed limit.

You've never had a track day... This whole page is filled with "Doesn't apply to me, so go for it", which seems like a really bad rationale to apply to hundreds of millions of people, potentially.

on the one hand, I agree, and it's always scary to see this rationale.

on the other hand, it looks like they are just limiting the speed based on the rating of the stock tires. as long as there's a straightforward (and legal) way to increase/remove the limit when you upgrade the tires, I'm not sure I have a huge problem with it.

Re: Volvo is introducing a 112mph speed limiter to all its new cars

#62

Post by robjan »

subway wrote: post #54
ocdtrekkie wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most speedometers have a second ruler specifying the km/h speed. It would add a lot of unneeded complexity to change the speedometer's movement rate depending on mph vs. km/h: It's a lot easier to just use a different guideline on the existing dashboard.

The secondary ruler is clearly just that -- secondary. The text and markings are often smaller. It's likely way easier to flip a switch on the spedometer, then swap out the faceplate than you think.

I don't know if it's true of all manufacturers but I know for certain that BMW does change the faceplate.

It's why on MPH cars the MPG dial counts down, whereas the litres/100km counts up on metric cars (which makes more sense)

Re: Volvo is introducing a 112mph speed limiter to all its new cars

#63

Post by [deleted] »

chasingthewind wrote: post #5

There is no circumstances under which a maximum speed of 112 would bother me. I drive a Honda Fit. I don't think I have ever driven it over 85 miles per hour (137km/hr). I'm not comfortable driving faster than that. What makes me mad is that my speedometer goes up to 140mph! Why?! The only answer I've ever seen that makes sense is that it's a marketing tool, but who honestly buys a Honda Fit and thinks to themselves…

[deleted]

Re: Volvo is introducing a 112mph speed limiter to all its new cars

#64

Post by leetcrew »

jbob2000 wrote: post #50
dethswatch wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You've never had a track day... This whole page is filled with "Doesn't apply to me, so go for it", which seems like a really bad rationale to apply to hundreds of millions of people, potentially.

Yes, I have not had a track day. Most drivers have not had a track day. It’s incredibly expensive and puts a shit ton of wear on your vehicle. For the common man, go karts and rollercaosters are enough.

FYI, I know plenty of "common men" who race cars and bikes. it's not as cheap as going to the movies, but it's not outside the reach of most middle-class workers if they don't have other expensive hobbies.

Re: Volvo is introducing a 112mph speed limiter to all its new cars

#65

Post by mrguyorama »

throwawayst808 wrote: post #31

Just out of curiosity, am I the only one that's tried the top speed of every car I've owned? German cars have limiters at 130 or 155mph, and the first time I hit the 130 limiter was a surprise (suddenly lost acceleration, thought I had an engine problem, then realized I just hit the limiter). Surely I'm not the only one? Intended out of real curiosity

Many places in the USA, passing a cop while hitting the limiter would result in at least a night in jail, instant driver's license loss, and lots and lots of money. The vast majority of Americans cannot afford even a basic speeding ticket, let alone that kind of expense. So no, you aren't the only one, but certainly experiencing that kind of risk is a massively luxurious thing that the vast majority of people cannot afford.

Also not everyone has access to long stretches of highway with little traffic to do this in a way that doesn't endanger other people

Re: Volvo is introducing a 112mph speed limiter to all its new cars

#66

Post by mrguyorama »

jbob2000 wrote: post #45
vvillena wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Defeating a speed limiter is extremely easy. It's done all the time on German cars, which are sold with a 250 km/h limiter, usually for racing purposes.

98% of drivers won’t do that. Let the racers do as they please.

If you limit it to highway speeds, definitely more than 2% of people will do that.

Re: Volvo is introducing a 112mph speed limiter to all its new cars

#67

Post by leetcrew »

jbob2000 wrote: post #25

I've always wondered why the government sets speed limits but then doesn't enforce them on manufacturers. You can solve 99% of speed "crime" by making it illegal to sell a car that can break the speed limit.

the (US) government doesn't actually care about setting reasonable speed limits. they knowingly set the limit lower than most people will drive. this generates a lot of revenue for fines and gives police officers yet another justification to pull people over at any time.

Re: Volvo is introducing a 112mph speed limiter to all its new cars

#69

Post by [deleted] »

Ductapemaster wrote: post #21
chasingthewind wrote: post #5

There is no circumstances under which a maximum speed of 112 would bother me. I drive a Honda Fit. I don't think I have ever driven it over 85 miles per hour (137km/hr). I'm not comfortable driving faster than that. What makes me mad is that my speedometer goes up to 140mph! Why?! The only answer I've ever seen that makes sense is that it's a marketing tool, but who honestly buys a Honda Fit and thinks to themselves…

I've always wondered the same thing - My theory is that at normal freeway speeds, the indicator points more or less at 12 o'clock, which is easier to see for a driver.

[deleted]

Re: Volvo is introducing a 112mph speed limiter to all its new cars

#70

Post by mrguyorama »

leetcrew wrote: post #61
dethswatch wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You've never had a track day... This whole page is filled with "Doesn't apply to me, so go for it", which seems like a really bad rationale to apply to hundreds of millions of people, potentially.

on the one hand, I agree, and it's always scary to see this rationale. on the other hand, it looks like they are just limiting the speed based on the rating of the stock tires. as long as there's a straightforward (and legal) way to increase/remove the limit when you upgrade the tires, I'm not sure I have a huge problem with it.

I'm not convinced how many tracks will run into this limit, at least on the "lower end" Volvos. My understanding is that tracking is not about high speed, but instead handling.
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