I've never been able to drive my car at full throttle for more than a minute or two at a time.

For those of you that have been able to do so for extended periods, what do you notice about the behaviour of the car?

 

It goes faster.

 

My favorite reply of the year!

 

My car accelerates up to 3800rpm, then the GT eproms kick in and it screams to red line..........every gear, anytime I feel like it...........like all the time

 

I was hoping for a little insight in to: noise, vibration, cooling, stability etc...

Guess I'll have to wait for George to chime in.

 

Paul,
Go out at 3am and try for yourself !

 

George probably has not has his flat out for long since the SC install - his tech limit is 180 and he has hit that speed, and I don't think that was flat out. I haven't been over 168 officially. But flat out was 165 before the SC install on my 89, and I cruised at that speed for miles....

Noise - not really paying much attention to noise. I do remember noticing the engine has a pretty good howl going at times. I'm paying most attention on staying centered on the rather narrow, crowned 2-lane road used in open roads racing events during the straight stretches and setting up for upcoming tuens.

Vibration - nothing to speak of and there should be none. I've had some tire balance issues, with vibrations appear at anywhere from 85 to 120. Local shops have resolved prior to the race, so things have been smooth. Unless there is something mechanically wrong, vibrations should not be felt, and I would pay heed to any during a race.

Cooling - Cooling is not really affected anymore than putting around at highway speeds in the same heat, say, up a hill. On cool days my car runs mid-gauge regardless of speed. On hot days, it approaches and can pass the second white line, especially if I have the AC on. I have turned the AC off on occasion during the road racing events if it creeps more than a needle width above the white line during a long uphill in high heat. The I put it back on as the temp needle falls after cresting the hill.

Stability - zero problems. If there is a cross-wind, you can get moved around, but I haven't been in anything severe. There was a decent cross-wind at the most recent event about which other drivers remarked. I could see it blowing the grass and trees but only felt minor effects. I don't know if the 928 is more stable than other cars in cross-winds, but I got the impression it is from what other drivers were reporting. The repsonse of the car to steering inputs at high speed is predictable.

These cars were designed to cruise at these speeds. It's really perfectly comfortable. In the last race we we found ourselves averaging 152 about 1/2 way through the first leg (target was 145) with a number of miles in the mid-160s, and Anders and I decided it was way too easy. Others, like Don Hanson and Marc and Susan Thomas have AVERAGED in the high 170s over the same road course. The issue is primarily turn speed rather than high-speed stability UNTIL you get in the 190-200 neighborhood, where aerodynamic limits and problems start to appear and the car requires some mods for stability. Below that a bone stock car is OK.

The only issue George and I have encountered is oil consumption, primarily out through the breather system. At flat out I'd need to check the oil every 50 miles judging from consumption observed at 145 average speed. This is something that should be remedied.

 

On the M3 at 07:30am on a Sunday Morning - 150mph (250 kph) - oh f£$k thats a police car - BREAK a lot now - 6 points and a £500(US$700) fine.

Autobahn Federal republic of Germany heading West from Mannheim - approx 120mph - mmmmmm here's a straight bit - right foot on floor - about 30 secs later 165mph - about 45 secs after that mmmmmmm that missing sensation would be the rev limiter then - 6750 RPM in 5th. Long distance vision that would be a bend ahead a long long way away I'll brake now. - Funny if I'ld braked for that long that hard in any other car I've owned I'ld have gone back in time, In the SE I just slowed down A lot.

Difference between 120 mph and about 180mph - none really - the bends arrive quicker and all the trucks seem to be doing about 150mph in reverse.

At the time the SE had a perfect alignment and almost brand new tyres.

Jon

If I get to 6,500 rpm in 2nd gear here I have exceeded the national speed limit enough to loose my licence.

 

Ive run WOT in 3rd gear (racing) for some distance. things I noticed......the exhaust sound howls, REALLY howls.....everyone around can hear it....The engine is smooth....it is easy to get in to the "red zone" and touch the rev limiter, because the sounds comming out of the engine just increase in volume, but not in pitch....so trying to guess if you are near redline by ear didn't work for me. Other observations mirror Bill Ball's comments. Before the iron lung I had her in 4th at WOT for a long sweaping curve on the interstate.....till I hit 140...That was all the "smokie" risk I was willijg to take. Now, There is no where I can actually drive my car in 5th gear at WOT for any more than a few seconds.....Not anymore......and any gear less than 5th has me tagging the rev limiter PDQ.

Oh yeah, one other thing.....upon initial WOT, there is this sound, kinda like: BWAAAAAAAAAAAA, only LOUDER......

 

I recall a similar convo about running the engines at high revs...it was at the Mt. Mitchell dinner - SITM 2004...I was hanging around the "Brain Trust Table" (DR, Jay Kempf, Wally, others...) soaking in all the high-level knowledge I could.

Jay made a statment to the effect - "These cars LOVE to run at or near redline!"

As to the noise you described...at DE's - 2nd only to driving, for me, is tossing the keys to my wrench, and standing there listening to her pass by at full throttle. !!

 

In my Old 84 S2 - The faster I went - the faster it would accelerate. Pulled Hard all the way to redline. (Performance Mods helped out)

In my 85 Track Shark - Only had her up to 125 on the straight (1/2 mile) - Smooth and Soilid
Pulled hard

In my 88S4 - Once past 140 - she didn't pull as hard - Kind of like creeping up to 170+
Stability - Solid
Noise DcibL - Nominal
Pure Excitement - Priceless