How fast do you cruise in your Ferrari?

Years ago I setup perfect conditions for a record cruise in my Boxer. We left town at 6 AM with daylight. Excluding a fuel stop, I drove for just under three hours with an average speed of 128 MPH. For the most part, there was virtually no traffic. I cruised at 160 MPH and coasted down to 125 MPH for the curves.

I had enough experience with the BB to know that there was a pivot point in the braking capacity at about 125 MPH. This is to say that if someone started coming into block my lane, from 125 MPH I could brake and pull behind them. Over 125 MPH, I did not have enough braking capacity to pull back. So, when passing a truck or more than one car, I slowed to 125 MPH.

I do not advise extreme speed on public roads. I have rules, never driving fast: at night, on unfamiliar roads, without checking tire pressures, in heavy traffic, etc.

 

Anybody knows the cruising speed over at Autobahn?

 

I mostly just drive the speed limit now that I have four kids. Before I had kids I did one fast 4-5 mile run in eastern washington (completely deserted and straight flat road with no side roads) in my ford gt40 at an indicated 168 on the GPS. Front end was pretty spooky above about 145, probably only had a couple hundred pounds on the front wheels.

My older brother liked to drive fast - he got to 176 indicated on his GPS on this same stretch of road in about 2005 in his highly tuned lotus esprit s4s. He had to back off because the vacuum around the side windows was so extreme that the doors were literally getting sucked out. Oh, and both his windshield wipers launched themselves off into a field then the driver's outside mirror decided to bail as well. Glad I wasn't with him.

 

My biggest problem isn't high speed cruising (generally 15% higher than posted limit is as high as I'll go on highway) but going too slow for other guys when in stop-go traffic. Preserving the clutch, especially uphill, it's better to cruise slowly in 1st and let a gap open up in front. Other drivers get impatient and flash lights, honk, although it's not as if I'm actually holding them up. I think people are especially sensitive when it's a Ferrari that's keeping them from tailgating the minivans ahead of them in stop-go traffic (what joy...).

 

Mike,

I am assuming you mean Germany?

If so ...........

There are several "crusing speeds" or bands 99% of the traffic falls into.


From slowest to fastest in Klicks Per Hour (Kpm):

Big trucks/slow cars: 80-100 Kpm
Normal cars (me): 100-140 Kpm
Faster cars and Mom's w/kinders in Mini Vans: 140-180 Kpm
F-ing Cookoos: 180-280+ Kpm

That is about it from my experience.


Perhaps a true local (German) can correct me if I am too outta line.