Safe Speed Forums

I've made a couple of posts on this subject, but thought I'd post a new topic in the correct section.

How about making the M6 toll, and any future toll motoways into Autobahn syle roads with no speed limit?

The potentially lower journey times would mean most people (executives & couriers particularly) would be more than willing to pay a premium for use of these roads.

In theory, a network of UK toll Autobahns could provide the Government with a revenue stream that would exceed what they currently get from speed cameras.

The tolls could be upped to cover the cost of squads of patrolling traffic cops, to make sure that there is no motor racing or other misbehaviour.

Temporary, variable speed limits (a la M25) could be implemented and used in the event of bad weather conditions or if the road ever got congested. These could be justifiably enforced with speed cameras.

Perhaps the toll roads could be subscription-based, with only drivers holding a full licence for 5 years or more being able to take up the subscription.

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“For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong.” - H. L. Mencken

Certainly the toll would go some way to discouraging any chavs who only want to use it to max out the pimped up warm hatches . Best bit about this idea is that it might serve as a very rough control test to show whether or not the 70mph limits on the rest of the road are appropriate and whether flexible enforcement (a necessity since there's no set limit any more) works better than, say, sticking Talivans up on the bridges a la Wiltshire M4.

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Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler - Einstein

A sign on the on ramp showing the current median speed of the traffic would also be helpful as you'd then know whether your car could actually keep up! One would have to educate anyone that used the road about safe overtaking and maybe to suggest motorcyclists keep speed differentials down so they don't go passed other vehicles with too much extra speed on them. You'd also find that a lot of cars once over about 90 would struggle to accelerate much more to get to the outside lane if they were sitting around 110-120.

There should also be a really large sign at the entrance saying 'NO DIESELS'

I don't think that my sister-in-law would agree with you.. She drives a "chipped" turbo-diesel Merc that does 0-60 in about 6 seconds and something over 160mph... Even more amazing is that its computer-thingy reckons that it's still doing 45mpg at 120mph!

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"Politicians are the same the world over... We build bridges where there aren't any rivers." - Nikita Kruschev

Now that is the sort of diesel I could suffer owning! What merc is it and whose chip is it? I have heard Van Aarken are very good chippers. If it really does 45 mpg then that is better than my dad's asthmatic vauxhall diesel. Hmm, I might be able to persuade him to buy one of those....

I'm not much clued-up on Mercs, 2-something-C maybe? As to who chipped it, I'm afraid I really haven't a clue - if you really want to know I'll ask her. It's a fearsome piece of kit, 6-speed auto, it feels and sounds really odd as it plasters you back into your seat without revving much over 4500... It's incredibly economical. Mind you, experience with chipped petrol cars tends to suggest that if driven at the same sort of speeds they're more economical than the unchipped version.

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"Politicians are the same the world over... We build bridges where there aren't any rivers." - Nikita Kruschev

Vauxhall diesels aren't (generally) too good on performance, but that isn't the case with all diesels by any means.

I've seen chipped Golf GTi TDis develop over 200BHP and 260lb-ft of torque on the rollers.

And I frequently see reps in Audi 80 TDis (which use the same engine) doing 110mph+ on the motorway.

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“For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong.” - H. L. Mencken

Seat produce a diesel version of their Ibiza giving 160Bhp (before chipping - same engine as the Golf). These will sit at 120mph at 3000rpm and give about 40-45mpg.

Maybe they could take down the sign that says NO DIESELS

I've got the 150bhp Seat Leon TDI (same engine as the ibiza samcro mentioned) and can vouch for the fact it is quick. The ibiza would obviously be quicker as it is lighter than my leon and I think the engine is slightly more tuned. Once chipped it would be approx. 190bhp+ and a quite a bit of fun to drive.

Impending fatherhood, approaching financial constraints etc mean I am having to take the sensible diesel route. Hence I now drive a Mk5 1.9 tdi Golf. Quite shocked how much shove it has for 'only' 105 bhp. Alfa 147 jtd I drove the other day only had 115 bhp and also went very well. Quiet at (ahem) 'motorway speeds'. Top Gear took a Skoda Fabia (vRS?) diesel round the track at quite a pace too.

I'm not completely sensible though. Still got the Alfa 156 on the drive to satisfy petrolhead tendencies. Not convinced it would lap much quicker than the Golf though...

quicker than a mini cooper wasn't it?

my diesel SUV is good for 110, not that I'm gonna try that on cross ply mud & snow tyres.... oh, and being a jap import with a chipped speedo it now reads up to 180 mph

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Fear is a weapon of mass distraction

I was listening to TalkSport the other day and they had someone from Glass's Guide on and he reckoned you had to do at least 20k a year to reap the fuel savings on a diesel when offset against their premium. I suppose it depends how often you change I guess.

Personally I hate having an engine that belongs to a bus

mines a 2.8 auto so it sounds just like a bus too! i often get bus queues all turning round in expectation....

as regards value it depends a lot on the car anyway, you have to take into account higher residual value including the higher milage capabilty of a derv, if you're gonna put 100k on a car a dervs gonna be worth a lot more after a few years than a petrol. plus evan in the short term dervs tend to be more reliable, and for many people short outages can cost them loads.

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Fear is a weapon of mass distraction

Am driving a citroen C4 VTR+, 138bhp, 130 top speed and about 45mpg, 50mpg if you use the cruise control at 80ish and only sounds like a diesel first thing in the morning when cold, once it's warm its v.v. quiet have had friends quite surprised when I told them it's a diesel.

Previous diesels were a Xsara (again v civilised), Focus (old model) and the new Astra 1.7CDTi, both the Ford and Vauxhall rattled and clattered and smoked, the Astra was not the most responsive car I've had.

Personally I wouldn't go back to a petrol, only thing now is to get a reliable supply of biodiesel not this 5% blend rubbish.

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Gordon Brown saying I got the country into it's current economic mess so I'll get us out of it is the same as Bomber Harris nipping over to Dresden and offering to repair a few windows.

Chaos, panic and disorder - my work here is done.

http://www.wildcrafts.co.uk

All true of course, it's just I personally don't get any satisfaction from driving a diesel, I just really dislike them, and I've driven a lot. Fair enough they are fine a commute, but to me offer no fun on the open the road. To put it in Jeremy Clarkson's words it's just one big dollop of torque and then time for a gear change.

That said I'm quite happy to get 25mpg(30+ on a run) since I can walk to my new job, but I'd probably think differently if I had a long commute.

If you can live with giving other respiratory problems then go ahead and drive a diesel, a bit like if you don't mind people passively smoking off one of your cigarettes. Diesels are foul for people's health. I don't care whether or not they are cleaner than they used to be, as even a brand new diesel gives me respiratory problems when I'm cycling, walking or in my car. I might as well live inside a cooling tower at Didcot power station!

Diesel should take the route of leaded petrol.

Well, I drove a new Astra with the 1,9l CDTi 150PS engine, complete with "Sport" button the other day. Plenty of fun to drive certainly.

In fact I am another who would not go back to petrol from choice. I actually LIKE the huge dollops of torque. My 407 is quiter and cleaner than most equivalent petrol cars, and sits at 2000rpm at 70mph in 6th gear, so very relaxed.

And of course, the torque is available to provide quick acceleration when you need it. And 45mpg too, but I would choose a turbodiesel even if the fual consumption was the same as a pertol equivalent.

You mean using technology (including the removal of the lead) to clean up the exhaust. The latest diesels are very clean, with cats and particulate filters. We don't have to go back to gutless screaming petrol engines, technology can and is overcoming that proble.

Fair play to you, I'm not suggesting I'm "right" on this issue, just that I really don't get on with them at all, for me there is absolutely no fun in them. If you like them then good for you!

I'm with you on this one. Bloody awful things. Keep them in tractors where they belong.