Do You Care About Crazy Top Speed Figures?
At this week’s Geneva motor show, we’ve had a lot of speed freaks. We’ve had the bonkers - and overambitious - 2080bhp Arash AF10 which could theoretically do 300mph, the Bugatti Chiron with its 261mph top speed , and the Koenigsegg Regera which - while lacking a top speed figure - is said to be capable of 0-250mph in just 20 seconds.
The thing is though, do you actually care about these top speed figures? With a less crazy supercar like a Ferrari 488 GTB you could feasibly hit the top whack at a runway-based event like V Max, but if we’re talking about top speeds that are the exciting side of 250mph, you’ll struggle to find somewhere to actually achieve it.
The Nardo test track in Italy is famously not that smooth, and who can forget Top Gear’s efforts at maxing out the Veyron and Veyron Super Sport, which actually involved going to VW’s own Ehra-Lessien test facility, where’s there’s a massive straight. In fact, it’s 5.4 miles long - so long that one end cannot be seen from the other thanks to the curvature of the Earth.
When the Hennessy Venom GT hit 270mph, it did so on the Kennedy Space Center’s 3.22-mile runway. Not the sort of places you’d be able to rock up and ask if you can have a quick punt, in other words.
There’s also the problem of tyres to think about - the new Chiron’s boots have been developed especially for the car by Michelin, but even they aren’t able to take the car past 261mph, which is why the car has an electronic limiter. Should any of the current crop of ambitious start-up supercar company’s products actually be made and not remain vapourware, they’d run into the same trouble while trying to prove the top speed claims.
In a lot of ways, top speed figures are more about bragging rights for the owners. But as petrolheads, what do you think of such stats? Vote in the polls below to voice your opinion.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
0-60 and 1/4 mile time is way more important for me…
I only care if it claims to be very fast (Chiron was let down, claimed 300mph, 261mph is so sad, bbbbbbbbooooooooooooooooooooooooo)ooooooooooo
I care about 0-100kmh and smiles per gallon.
I have been addicted to Wangan racing since I played Shutokou Battle 01 and Wangan Midnight Maximin Tune. I love cars that can reach 300km/h on the highway. I have been quite addicted to speed since then
But the front wheel doesn’t come down till about 120. -_-XD
Problems when 0-60 is slower than 60-120
Yes, they do matter. It’s more than just penis points, its engineering feats like how to cut down the drag coefficient while increasing down force, how to make large mounts of reliable power and have it transfer to the ground in a controlled fashion. And the exotic materials they use is also a huge factor.
Going 60kph-80 and 80-100 quickly are more usable than ones that go 0-100 quickly, because you’re not often faced with an opportunity to do 0-100 in everyday driving
Name me one track in the world where the Veyron can achieve it’s top speed (That isn’t a straight line test track)
Top speed if irrelevant if it can never be used on a track. Look at something like a Miata. A slightly modified Miata could easily run better lap times than a Camaro or Mustang with a much higher top speed. Same goes for the Nismo GTR and the Veyron
nope I prefer to have and drive a car that is fun not just a fact sheet of bragging points. It is cool that cars can achieve such things but since 99.99% of the time it wont be anywhere near its potential it really isn’t important to me. I do like that these cars push the boundaries but top speed isn’t something I personally find that important when choosing a car or when thinking about a dream car.
top speed is only relevant if you could actually achieve it on the normal roads… sure the bugatti veyron & chiron could do 250mph and sure you could brag about it if you own one… but you could only achieve such mind blowing speeds in certain conditions and place i.e. Ehra Lessien on the hottest time of the day…