I ran out of runway...

A F348 in perfect condition is supposed to top out in the low-to-mid 160s (like 165 MPH).
A F355 in perfect condition is supposed to top out in the low 180s (like 183 MPH).

I can get my F355 up into the 160-162 MPH range at TWS on the front straight after comming out of T15 and before entering T1. I do run out of revs in 5th gear in the high 150s and nned 3-4 seconds in 6th.

 

I'm not qualified to talk top speed on a 348. But I can tell you that I had my first '77 308 (desmogged) up to an honest 160 on 3 occasions on a straight level road, back in the day. It took a full three miles to get there each time. Speed just kept slowly climbing and climbing. It would only hit about 120 at the end of the longest straights at Roebling Road, Moroso, Summit Point, etc., and that's with a pretty good exit speed out of the preceding turns. (128 by radar at Road Atlanta before they changed the back straight, but that was with the help of the downhill.)

 

Don't forget that they usually top-speed test on ovals -- so they can go 'round and 'round 'til the car won't go any faster...or the driver loses his lunch.

 

IIRC top speed tests on ferrari's in the 80's were conducted by a simple drop test out the back of a C5 from 12,000 ft.

 

What colour is that 599? It looks stunning!

 

Jack no wonder you coudn't get up to top speed, you've got a passenger on the roof, unless that's an aftermarket "Spoiler"!.....Mark.

 

Don't remember all the speed exactly, but within 20 yards after T15 track-out its time to shift from 3rd to 4th. If you google-map TWS and see the track, I am shifting 3-4 about where the grass ends comming onto the straight (D secton). Then about the start/finidh line its 4th to 5th.

The TWS oval is 2.5 mile D shaped oval of which we are using 80-85% of the front straight. So its well under a mile--probably around 3/4ths or one. And you have to get T13-T14-T15 really well to run out of revs in 5th before dropping into T1.

 

That 355 is awesome!.

 

Lol!! Right!

 

Cool pics mate!! Your car looks awesome and that 599 is BEAUTIFUL in that colour!

I have also taken my 348 up to 220 km/h in a pretty short distance (on the street). 220 km/h is 136 mph. That was a speedo read out, so I assume it would also be around 128 mph on a GPS readout.

The car felt like it had A LOT more!! I wish I had access to an air strip to really see what she does!

 

Some great pictures! Looks like you had a hell of a day!

 

On my car the gps and speedo work perfectly to about 85mph and I never checked it beyond that. I do know my GPS does not seem to sample as fast and if you are going down a runway at 150 that's a significant ft/sec and I'm not sure how the GPS likes that. GPS speed works much better at a static speed than an acelerating speed. The gps used this way could be as off as the speedo. I would think that if your speedo is on with the gps sub 100mph I would believe the speedo reading unless the car was holding a high speed then the gps

 

daniel,

the factory claimed (and i think supported by r&t) 171 mph for the 348...that was with targa top in place.

pcb

 

Might want to put the car on a dyno and see whether it is making all of the power it is supposed to be. Top speed runs are highly dependant on horsepower and aerodynamics. Having your roof off would have probably slowed the car some too, but not by 30 mph.

>8^)
ER

 

The 180 top speed is in the air.

 

Great pics Dan.

How did the car feel at 128mph?

Stuck to the ground or all over the place?

 

I see the problem. You have screwed up the aero on the back by removing the slatted diffuser taillight covers.

 

ROTFLMAO !!!!!!


TDF Simon^2, ..... Too Darn Funny !!!!!