Model X at 155mph? Has anyone tried it?

[hill]

Eh, if you live in Montana I'm willing to bet such a theoretical event would be safe both in practice and from the law.

Open speed (as well as open container) in Montana both ended over a decade ago - which in part was why you'd see more plastic flowers along the sides of roads than in most states. Pretty shocking considering how small the state population is per capita.
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[Hitman007]

I can neither confirm nor deny achieving speeds in excess of 145mph in my MX. However, IF I had, I would say it felt extremely stable, which I attribute to the weight and aerodynamics. It doesn't feel "loose" at all. Wind noise is, of course, much higher but certainly not to the point that it's ridiculous. Battery consumption is obviously very, very high.

It honestly feels as planted as my Corvette does at 180mph, and is quieter. Or what I imagine my Corvette would feel like at that speed anyway.

I am a part time (summer) Bozeman resident (a Bozeite) and I like Highway 69 from Cardwell to Boulder when going up to Great Falls or Helena. Not nearly as busy as 287 and lots of nice straightaways and some gentle curves. (not unlike a Victory Secret model). But I digress. And if I were to take my X on that road and if I were to max it out at 155 I am sure it would handle very well given its weight (and even weight distribution) with all wheel drive. I would theoretically surmise it would be a non-event. Right up until a deer is standing in the road and then things would get exciting.....

 

[McRat]

The highest I did was 112 mph (on the 133 toll road). I could have gone higher but didn't want to sacrifice my accident/ticket free driving record.

The magic number is 101 mph in California, which makes the ticket a 22348b. This is 2 point offense that can result in a license suspension. It is grouped with reckless and drunk driving.

The 133, 241, 261 have CHP radar authorization, and they tend to hide in the center median in overpass shadows, or on the shoulder directly after a bend in the road. CHP units work in pairs, if you see one stopped, or going the other direction, SLOW DOWN, their sibling is very close at hand.

Those toll road used to be Open Warfare prior to the radar authorization. However, a Tesla owner killed a couple people street racing a Benz on the 133.

If your car is stock, you can run the Mojave Mile events to legally and safely test your top speed without a rollcage.

 

[K-MTG]

The magic number is 101 mph in California, which makes the ticket a 22348b. This is 2 point offense that can result in a license suspension. It is grouped with reckless and drunk driving.

The 133, 241, 261 have CHP radar authorization, and they tend to hide in the center median in overpass shadows, or on the shoulder directly after a bend in the road. CHP units work in pairs, if you see one stopped, or going the other direction, SLOW DOWN, their sibling is very close at hand.

Those toll road used to be Open Warfare prior to the radar authorization. However, a Tesla owner killed a couple people street racing a Benz on the 133.

If your car is stock, you can run the Mojave Mile events to legally and safely test your top speed without a rollcage.

I also didn't want to risk damaging my sunshade, in the event of an accident

 

[hill]

I am a part time (summer) Bozeman resident (a Bozeite) and I like Highway 69 from Cardwell to Boulder when going up to Great Falls or Helena. Not nearly as busy as 287 and lots of nice straightaways and some gentle curves. (not unlike a Victory Secret model). But I digress. And if I were to take my X on that road and if I were to max it out at 155 I am sure it would handle very well given its weight (and even weight distribution) with all wheel drive. I would theoretically surmise it would be a non-event. Right up until a deer is standing in the road and then things would get exciting.....

what - the collision avoidance system wouldn't prevent the impending accident?

Returning to our kalispell home, we manage to smash into an elk that an 18 wheeler had just obliterated right before us. When its carcass appeared from under the rear of its trailer, it probably had no remaining bones unbroken ... more or less, just a giant meat sack. Our Explorer's undercarriage further marinated it. So ... pulling into our garage it smelled like we were having folks over for grilling. Our Labs kept crawling underneath & feasted on remnants. was never so glad to be stuck behind an 18-wheeler. It could have been horrible otherwise.
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[Pwdr Extreme]

Open speed (as well as open container) in Montana both ended over a decade ago - which in part was why you'd see more plastic flowers along the sides of roads than in most states. Pretty shocking considering how small the state population is per capita.
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We never had an "open speed limit" It was what was considered "reasonable and prudent" Unfortunately, most tourists had the idea there was no speed limit whatsoever. They would get to the border and say, "yeehaw! let's see how fast she'll go!" However, several of them had never driven over 80mph in their life, were driving vehicles not properly equipped or set up for high speeds, and obviously didn't know the roads. These were the people that resulted in the majority of the causalities on the roads. Certainly there were some locals who died as well, but the ratio of native Montanan traffic deaths with and without the speed limit didn't change much.

It really is too bad that the general public typically speaking isn't smart enough to govern themselves, thus requiring the need for limits and rules.

Frankly, I consider myself a MUCH safer driver at triple digit speeds in a car properly equipped then the average driver who's usually running around on 4 bald tires they haven't even bothered to check the pressure of, yet they are still driving 80mph. (MT's speed limit on most of the interstates)

 

[Eclectic]

We never had an "open speed limit" It was what was considered "reasonable and prudent" Unfortunately, most tourists had the idea there was no speed limit whatsoever. They would get to the border and say, "yeehaw! let's see how fast she'll go!" However, several of them had never driven over 80mph in their life, were driving vehicles not properly equipped or set up for high speeds, and obviously didn't know the roads. These were the people that resulted in the majority of the causalities on the roads. Certainly there were some locals who died as well, but the ratio of native Montanan traffic deaths with and without the speed limit didn't change much.

It really is too bad that the general public typically speaking isn't smart enough to govern themselves, thus requiring the need for limits and rules.

Frankly, I consider myself a MUCH safer driver at triple digit speeds in a car properly equipped then the average driver who's usually running around on 4 bald tires they haven't even bothered to check the pressure of, yet they are still driving 80mph. (MT's speed limit on most of the interstates)

Ditto. When I drive fast, I am totally focused on driving and hyper-aware of the road, car, any other vehicles and any potential obstacles. I daresay that there is a much greater chance that the person talking on the phone as (s)he tries to look at texts is going to be the cause of an accident than I will be when driving triple digit speeds on an empty road in Montana. Speed isn't the issue. Driver skill and attentiveness is.

 

[David99]

I consider myself a MUCH safer driver at triple digit speeds in a car properly equipped then the average driver who's usually running around on 4 bald tires they haven't even bothered to check the pressure of, yet they are still driving 80mph.

That is exactly what everyone thinks. Everyone considers themselves a safe driver, safer than the others on the road. Old cars or wrong tire pressure is not the reasons for accidents. It's mostly people thinking they still have things under control when they don't. Overconfidence.

In Germany, many studies have been made to finally settle the 'do we need a speed limit' debate. It turned out that high speeds were not the cause for the vast majority of accidents on the Autobahn and that a speed limit would not reduce accidents.

 

[Pwdr Extreme]

That is exactly what everyone thinks. Everyone considers themselves a safe driver, safer than the others on the road. Old cars or wrong tire pressure is not the reasons for accidents. It's mostly people thinking they still have things under control when they don't. Overconfidence.

In Germany, many studies have been made to finally settle the 'do we need a speed limit' debate. It turned out that high speeds were not the cause for the vast majority of accidents on the Autobahn and that a speed limit would not reduce accidents.

Well, I have to disagree with you on a few of your points. Considering I have a commercial license, have driven nearly 2 million accident free miles, have extensive mechanical knowledge of vehicles, have attended high speed driving classes, and know the Montana roads like the back of my hand, yes, I absolutely do feel I am above the level of the average driver on the road today.

Old cars and bad tires are absolutely a cause of accidents. I've witnessed some of them myself. I was driving truck across Nevada one sunny day when it was 110 degrees outside, a lady driving an older Buick went sailing around us doing at least 90mph. I had barely said to my co-driver, "it's way to hot to be driving that fast on those tires" when bam! front tire blew and she went spinning out of control across the highway, through a fence and out into the desert. I could tell many more stories of personally witnessing numerous accidents...

I do agree distracted driving is also a leading cause of accidents these days, which is another reason I feel I am safer than the average driver when I'm doing triple digit speeds. As Eclectic mentioned, I'm hyper aware of what is going on, not busy seeing who updated their Facebook status and reading my last text message.

Anyway... This thread isn't about saying who's a good driver and who isn't and why accidents happen. It's about whether or not the Tesla is a safe and capable vehicle at it's maximum velocity, and in my opinion, yes, it is.

Cheers!

 

[AudubonB]

Most I've gotten is 127 before running out of road.

Yikes. And what happened then?
All the world wonders.....

 

[vandacca]

Most I've gotten is 127 before running out of road.

Yikes. And what happened then?
All the world wonders.....

After 127 mph, you don't need roads. Or is it 88 mph???

 

[ccutrer]

That is exactly what everyone thinks. Everyone considers themselves a safe driver, safer than the others on the road. Old cars or wrong tire pressure is not the reasons for accidents. It's mostly people thinking they still have things under control when they don't. Overconfidence.

In Germany, many studies have been made to finally settle the 'do we need a speed limit' debate. It turned out that high speeds were not the cause for the vast majority of accidents on the Autobahn and that a speed limit would not reduce accidents.

While I agree that most people probably think they are safer/better drives than they are, that doesn't mean that some people aren't actually safer drivers. For example, my sister-in-law thinks she's an amazingly good driver, and refuses to let her husband drive because he's a terrible drive. She's right. She's a better driver than him. But she's still a terrible driver herself, and I'm terrified when I have to drive behind her and follow, let alone heaven forbid if I had to ride with her.

I also disagree with those that argue that aggressive drivers are dangerous drivers. Yes, they may put themselves into riskier situations, but generally when they do it they have more situational awareness. Of course there are downright reckless drivers that are definitely a danger to all. But I'm more often scared I'll get into an accident with a passive driver that may not necessarily be distracted, but simply doesn't care enough about driving to be fully aware of everything going on around them. I personally put myself in the semi-aggressive, but not reckless, category. But still make mistakes sometimes. Definitely not as experienced as @Pwdr Extreme sounds like. But honestly I'm less likely to make riskier moves with a Model X, because I feel I have less to prove. No chance that some teenager hotrodding on the freeway is gonna piss me off and make me want to show them up-- I know my car is way better than theirs, I don't need to one-up them to prove it.

Anyhow... I'm not sure if that came off as more "yeah, I agree with you" or "no, I don't agree with you"! I guess I can chalk one part up to "disagree" - I get scared in winter driving when I notice all the people with bald tires, or that think they can go normal speeds in 6 inches of snow driving a dinky econobox with terrible weight distribution and tiny tires.

 

[Hitman007]

Well, I have to disagree with you on a few of your points. Considering I have a commercial license, have driven nearly 2 million accident free miles, have extensive mechanical knowledge of vehicles, have attended high speed driving classes, and know the Montana roads like the back of my hand, yes, I absolutely do feel I am above the level of the average driver on the road today.

Old cars and bad tires are absolutely a cause of accidents. I've witnessed some of them myself. I was driving truck across Nevada one sunny day when it was 110 degrees outside, a lady driving an older Buick went sailing around us doing at least 90mph. I had barely said to my co-driver, "it's way to hot to be driving that fast on those tires" when bam! front tire blew and she went spinning out of control across the highway, through a fence and out into the desert. I could tell many more stories of personally witnessing numerous accidents...

I do agree distracted driving is also a leading cause of accidents these days, which is another reason I feel I am safer than the average driver when I'm doing triple digit speeds. As Eclectic mentioned, I'm hyper aware of what is going on, not busy seeing who updated their Facebook status and reading my last text message.

Anyway... This thread isn't about saying who's a good driver and who isn't and why accidents happen. It's about whether or not the Tesla is a safe and capable vehicle at it's maximum velocity, and in my opinion, yes, it is.

Cheers!

Completely agree. I grew up in Montana during reasonable and prudent the first time in the 60's and my father always kept 90 as his max speed in the giant Oldsmobile 98. I too have some performance driving training in a Dodge Hellcat at Bondurant in Phoenix. SO for me in Model X reasonable would be 100. For the guy with no skills in the Nissan Maxima 75 is plenty. A big danger in Montana is animals on the road. I have known more than one person who died when they hit a cow, deer or elk at high speed. So even on a deserted road on a clear sunny day I would not exceed 85 anywhere west of Great Falls or Bozeman (the mountainous areas). On the east side in the open country maybe 155 as long as you can see whats on the road a mile away...

 

[Snerruc]

You guys do know that what you call fast driving or spirited driving is in many jurisdictions called reckless driving? I've lived where you might go straight to jail if stopped. A night or two in the drunk tank takes some of the fun out of it.