BMW why do they?

"JimV" > wrote in message
...
> wrote:
>> Why do BMW limit thier cars to 155mph? Whats the point? Especally on
>> the M5 and the M3? They would be even better if they were unlimited to
>> do thier, IIRC 205mph?.
>>
> It's the OEM tires that are the limiting factor.

Rarely if ever. Although BMW limits some of its US cars the 128 in
anticipation of owners replacing their tires with lesser equipment.

R / John

theres a factory option to remove the electronic max speed limit..

for my (x5) the option code is 0840

What I dont know - is how fast it can actually go....

Regards,

Henrik Ohm
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...d.php?t=347734

"John Carrier" > wrote in message
...
>
> > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>> Why do BMW limit thier cars to 155mph? Whats the point? Especally on
>> the M5 and the M3? They would be even better if they were unlimited to
>> do thier, IIRC 205mph?.
>>
> More like 170 for the M3, 175 for the E39 M5.
>
> John
>

"John Carrier" > wrote
> "JimV" > wrote
>> wrote:
>>> Why do BMW limit thier cars to 155mph? Whats the point? Especally on
>>> the M5 and the M3? They would be even better if they were unlimited to
>>> do thier, IIRC 205mph?.
>>>
>> It's the OEM tires that are the limiting factor.
>
> Rarely if ever. Although BMW limits some of its US cars the 128 in
> anticipation of owners replacing their tires with lesser equipment.

That is not true - you've got it backward.
Most BMWs in the US without the sport packages are limited to 128,
because they come with H-rated tires from the factory. For instance
my '01 330xi came with Conti Sport Contact 91H, and is limited to 128.

Floyd

It might be that they are trying to help you from smearing yourself
across the road. 99% of drivers cannont handle a car over 100 mph. I've
learned this at a few driving schools including Skip Barber. You may be
able to drive you car in a strait line at 150 or so, and maybe even
some light corners, but try and execute an emergency manuver or hit a
pothole in the road at 100mph and its a whole different story.

"Henrik Ohm Eriksen" > wrote in message
. ..
> theres a factory option to remove the electronic max speed limit..
>
> for my (x5) the option code is 0840
>
> What I dont know - is how fast it can actually go....

I would say V1 ~220kph and V2 ~240kph. I do hope meant M5, the X5 has all
the aerodynamics of a garden shed with a parasol on the front*...

>
> Regards,
>
> Henrik Ohm
>>
>> > wrote in message
>>> Why do BMW limit thier cars to 155mph?
>> John
>>
>
>

* the original joke was about UK police Range Rovers that had loads of trim
removed and an uprated (higher compression than the standard low compression
'tractor fuel' 3500 V8). These went quite fast, but were very thirsty and
had all the aerodynamics of a brick ****house.

In article >,
R. Mark Clayton > wrote:
> * the original joke was about UK police Range Rovers that had loads of
> trim removed and an uprated (higher compression than the standard low
> compression 'tractor fuel' 3500 V8). These went quite fast, but were
> very thirsty and had all the aerodynamics of a brick ****house.

Range Rovers in the UK have always been in general high compression. Even
the early ones perhaps aimed at the working farmer etc by the rubber mats
rather than carpets.;-) Although I'm sure you could specify a low
compression version as these would have been sold overseas.

There is - or was - a low compression version fitted to vans and
ambulances that only managed 128 bhp from carbs. ;-)

The Met - London police - at one time specified low compression for all
their cars so they only needed to stock one type of low octane petrol for
both cars and vans. So the old rumour about them being tuned was in fact
correct - but tuned down. ;-)

'Area' cars - that's the type that may do chases - round here are now E39
diesels. They were bought towards the end of the run, so I'd guess the Met
got a very good deal. There are also some Tourings.

--
*A plateau is a high form of flattery.*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> R. Mark Clayton > wrote:
>> * the original joke was about UK police Range Rovers that had loads of
>> trim removed and an uprated (higher compression than the standard low
>> compression 'tractor fuel' 3500 V8). These went quite fast, but were
>> very thirsty and had all the aerodynamics of a brick ****house.
>
> Range Rovers in the UK have always been in general high compression. Even
> the early ones perhaps aimed at the working farmer etc by the rubber mats
> rather than carpets.;-) Although I'm sure you could specify a low
> compression version as these would have been sold overseas.

The Range Rover was released in June 1970 with the "Same engine as used in
the 31/2 litre and 3500 models, but with lowered compression". [of 8.5:1].
A key market for Range Rovers was overseas, but low compression was the
standard spec'.

This was changed to 9.35:1 in 1981, although plods, working farmers (an
original sales point was that you could get sheep in the back and then hose
it down to go to ut for the evening...) etc. could order a down spec'
"Fleetline" version.


> Dave Plowman London SW
>

As it happens an X5 is a vastly superior drive to a Land Rover (only been
driven a Range Rover), but whilst the oomph is much the same as a 7 series,
I would guess that pushed round corners with similar haste one would soon
come a cropper. (a Range Rover of course would go through the hedge and
carry on on the other side as if nothing had happened).

"Dave Plowman (News)" > wrote in message
...

> 'Area' cars - that's the type that may do chases - round here are now E39
> diesels.

Man, that Denver cop who drives the Ford Crown Vic, must get bummed reading
stuff like this :^)

On Mon, 20 Jun 2005 18:33:01 -0600, "Ross Garrett"
> wrote:

>If this is accurate, and I am not implying it isn't, why is Porsche free to
>sell cars without this top speed limit, or Audi allowed to pay heed when
>they want and not when they don't want? Seems all this is doing is limiting
>Merc and BMW, but not lowering the possible speeds to be acheived on german
>roadways. What is it about porsche/Audi that the government decided wasn't
>pertinent to the high speed these cars are capable of?

It's definitely accurate - read *any* European car magazine and
they'll mention it. Porsche is exempt because it's an exotic, and
there won't be as many on the roads. Brabus, AMG, and other "tuner"
cars aren't so limited because in Germany tuners have the same status
as car-makers.
From what I've read, isn't the EU pushing for all the countries to
go with the same top speed, slowing down Germany and Italy's roads?
Thought I heard about that last year.
Emanuel

"fbloogyudsr" > wrote in message
...
> "John Carrier" > wrote
> > "JimV" > wrote
> >> wrote:
> >>> Why do BMW limit thier cars to 155mph? Whats the point? Especally on
> >>> the M5 and the M3? They would be even better if they were unlimited to
> >>> do thier, IIRC 205mph?.
> >>>
> >> It's the OEM tires that are the limiting factor.
> >
> > Rarely if ever. Although BMW limits some of its US cars the 128 in
> > anticipation of owners replacing their tires with lesser equipment.
>
> That is not true - you've got it backward.
> Most BMWs in the US without the sport packages are limited to 128,
> because they come with H-rated tires from the factory. For instance
> my '01 330xi came with Conti Sport Contact 91H, and is limited to 128.
>


My '94 325i with the Sport Package One came with 92V tires, and a 128 mph
speed limit.

I don't think the tires have anything to do with the speed limit in the
computer. Indeed, it appears to me that my car will reach the red line at
about 145 (if there was no limiter), so I have to assume that an engine
failure at that speed - both ground speed and engine speed - would be at
best mildly problematic for most drivers, and at worst hugely problematic
for everybody else that was anywhere nearby. I prefer to think that the
limiter will keep the car well below redline at its maximum speed, and this
is the only reason to have the limiter.

I can hear some moron now, "your honor, they never told me to not go that
fast ..."