What is the Fastest Speed You Have Reached, and for How Long?

[MidnightStars]

For my fellow, crazy gearheads, what is the fastest speed you have reached, and how long have you maintained it?

For me, it was 130~150 mph (varied based off cylinder head temperature), for almost an hour and a half. Refueled after reaching a quarter tank @ 160 miles. About 12.5 miles to the gallon. All done with zero mods (well, I guess 285/30/20 tires). 6R80 w/ 3.15's.

I have to say, bravo to Ford--there were many moments where I could not tell I was actually driving more than twice the speed limit, it is quite terrifyingly smooth at those speeds. Only complaint? The intense vibrations of the hood--some serious positive pressure building up inside the engine bay. Definitely needs vents, either on the hood, or the front fenders (like the GT350's), to let the air out. Definitely would not drive it any higher than maybe 160 with the OEM design.

Can't wait to amp up the suspension and aero to try 200 mph some day in my life.

I'm more-so asking this, because I'm curious what kind of fuel economy & range you guys may have attained at those speeds. I'm heavily vested in a "high-speed" form of travel. West Texas to Houston in only five to six hours? It feels amazing.

But driving at that capacity for even that much time is FAR more tiring than driving for eight to nine hours normally. Time's cut in half, but all that energy spent in staying focused on every little detail (road conditions, signs, tire pressures, oil temperature, etc.) makes you doubly tired.

Was done "safely." Zero traffic, and a very well memorized highway in the middle of nowhere. Only casualty would have been myself.

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[Roger Blose]

There is a nut job that drove a rental Mustang GT from NYC to LA in 26 hours at speeds of 160 + while carrying 150 gallons of fuel inside the car. He had just one stop for fuel I believe. Great story and super dangerous and a legend. It is on YOUTUBE I believe going back 2-3 years.

 

[Andy13186]

194 mph just for a second. Had no idea how fast I was going since the speedo stops at 160, but I had like 3 miles of flat bridge ahead of me with no cars on it so I decided to do a run. Car felt great and was still pulling good at 194 mph. My prior top speed was 178 in a different car. This day I decided it was a good opportunity to try 200 mph since the conditions were perfect (cool dry weather, no cars at all, perfect flat bridge that I've done high speed runs on before). Keep in mind my rear tires were only rated to 168 mph though, so after that speed it was getting pretty nerve racking. I had to calculate my speed by using gear ratio, RPM, tire size, trans ratio etc. I really thought I was at like 205 mph which is why I let off, but after calculating it was only 194 mph. Car has 800 rwhp. Can probably easily hit 210+ if I just stay in it long enough but that is a lot of WOT and would probably take 2+ miles. I was WOT for probably 15+ seconds starting at 60 mph to get to 194. Probably about a full mile of WOT. My best 60-130 time are 5.09 seconds and my best 100-150 is 5.02.

 

[KingKona]

There is a nut job that drove a rental Mustang GT from NYC to LA in 26 hours at speeds of 160 + while carrying 150 gallons of fuel inside the car. He had just one stop for fuel I believe. Great story and super dangerous and a legend. It is on YOUTUBE I believe going back 2-3 years.

There's lots of "nut-jobs" that do that. They've been doing it since 1971. Hell, at least that guy had the good sense to do it when the roads were almost empty.

 

[BluePonyGT]

In 2019 while driving to Vegas on I-15 on a sunny dry day in February the interstate was almost completely empty. CHP was busy (don't ask me how I know) and I decided to see what the car would do. Straight freeway with no cars on a cloudless cool day is perfect. Tires were hot and I had plenty of fuel.

I reached 135 but the car started floating on me at that speed. I don't have a spoiler or a modified chin splitter, so too much air was getting under the car, so I chose to stop there. I drove that fast for a good few minutes. I didn't want to try and hold that speed around any curves.

Since then I've lowered the car an inch, added more stiffening so it corners like crazy, better brakes, more power...but I haven't done anything to improve downforce. So I probably have the same issue until I do. I just can't bring myself to drill holes in my trunk lid for a spoiler (yet).

 

[ArrestmeRed]

I've hit 155mph. At the track I regularly see 140-145mph on the straights every lap depending on the track. I cant imagine 170+ in a car. I've done it on a bike multiple times but there's too much traffic to get to that speed and come down from it in a car where I live.

 

[MidnightStars]

There is a nut job that drove a rental Mustang GT from NYC to LA in 26 hours at speeds of 160 + while carrying 150 gallons of fuel inside the car. He had just one stop for fuel I believe. Great story and super dangerous and a legend. It is on YOUTUBE I believe going back 2-3 years.

Oh dear god, that sounds horrifying. I will definitely be watching that! Not official, but seems plausible enough--he had the gear for it!

194 mph just for a second. Had no idea how fast I was going since the speedo stops at 160, but I had like 3 miles of flat bridge ahead of me with no cars on it so I decided to do a run. Car felt great and was still pulling good at 194 mph. My prior top speed was 178 in a different car. This day I decided it was a good opportunity to try 200 mph since the conditions were perfect (cool dry weather, no cars at all, perfect flat bridge that I've done high speed runs on before). Keep in mind my rear tires were only rated to 168 mph though, so after that speed it was getting pretty nerve racking. I had to calculate my speed by using gear ratio, tire size, trans ratio etc. I really thought I was at like 205 mph which is why I let off, but after calculating it was only 194 mph. Car has 800 rwhp. Can probably easily hit 210+ if I just stay in it long enough but that is a lot of WOT and would probably take 2+ miles. I was probably WOT for 15+ seconds starting at 60 mph to get to 194. Probably about a full mile of WOT.

A dream right there. But I'd personally want tires rated for 200+ before I go above 170! Not to mention the fact that TPMS sensors top out at 155. Really want to swap them over to the regular, old steel style.

In 2019 while driving to Vegas on I-15 on a sunny dry day in February the interstate was almost completely empty. CHP was busy (don't ask me how I know) and I decided to see what the car would do. Straight freeway with no cars on a cloudless cool day is perfect. Tires were hot and I had plenty of fuel.

I reached 135 but the car started floating on me at that speed. I don't have a spoiler or a modified chin splitter, so too much air was getting under the car, so I chose to stop there. I drove that fast for a good few minutes. I didn't want to try and hold that speed around any curves.

Since then I've lowered the car an inch, added more stiffening so it corners like crazy, better brakes, more power...but I haven't done anything to improve downforce. So I probably have the same issue until I do. I just can't bring myself to drill holes in my trunk lid for a spoiler (yet).

You got the trunk without the spoiler? If so, wow, I'm pretty surprised it functions that well to keep mine planted at 150+. I've been thinking of removing it, but since I actually utilize those speeds, I guess not!

 

[glockholiday]

157 in my 2019 GT A10 for a mile or 2. I would have gone faster but thats where the governor stopped it.

 

[Balr14]

142 for me, but that was on a motorcycle. Curves get real exciting at that speed, so I only did it for about 3 miles. That was years ago. There's no place around here you could come anywhere close to that speed now. I can accelerate for about 5 seconds before rear-ending an SUV.

 

[Proshop]

88 mph and then my flux capacitor took me back in time!!!
138 so far..saving anything faster than that for the track. Not enough safe roads around for me to push it past that.

 

[WildHorse]

According to WAZE.. 187 mph . Held it there for a while. All temps were good. Smooth as silk.

 

[asc709]

171 in my old C7 Stingray during Covid lockdowns on a recently paved stretch of highway heading into Alamogordo, NM. Not a car on the road and visibility for miles. Let off at 171 but the car was still pulling. That was the end of my high speed runs.

 

[Jjmoberg]

155 in my 2001 WS6 TA. 165 in my lowered C5 hardtop. Both just very briefly. Trans Am was feeling floaty. The Vette was planted. Only had the M1 up to about 105. Just slow rolling into the throttle. Shes not broken in yet.

 

[Sig556]

About 130 for around 20 minutes in the Arizona desert.

 

[BluePonyGT]

...You got the trunk without the spoiler? If so, wow, I'm pretty surprised it functions that well to keep mine planted at 150+. I've been thinking of removing it, but since I actually utilize those speeds, I guess not!

Yes I didn't like what came from the factory when I was first in the market for one of these cars back in 2017. I waited almost all year for grabber blue. Getting a manual GT was hard enough, then it was the premium package. I couldn't get into a PP car, so I got what I could get. The car had the spoiler delete option already.

So now that I've pretty much converted the car for track I need to decide what to do.

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