delimited speed limit?

Originally Posted by LaCrosse540i6

Why is it that a delimited e39 m5 can hit 180? Even with the software I would guess they sit at 325-335whp.. Not sure where the 500whp comes into play..

Where did you hear the Fairy Tale that a stock, delimited E39 M5 can run in the 180s ????????

Top speed is a struggle between available horsepower and wind resistance....the kicker is that wind resistance is NOT linear, it *quadruples* with a doubling of velocity, so if it requires say 125 HP (an arbitrary figure) to push that E39 through the atmosphere at 90 mph, increasing speed to 180 would result in four times the wind resistance, requiring a force of 500 HP to overcome that resistance....

An stock M5 (delimited) might make it to an indicated speed of 180. Knowing BMW's famous optimistic speedometers, and allowing for 7% speedo error, that would be an actual speed of 167.4 mph. That seems like it might be possible.

I'm sorry, should we account for the 7% everytime we talk about speed?

186 mph from a stock M5 ???? Not bloody likely without a 300 mph tailwind !

Fact of life: Speedometers LIE....(and they lie like six motherfu#kers on the big end)

I'm sorry, next time I'll specify whether I'm talking BMW MPH or actual MPH... Or since we are only talking about BMW and most people already know the difference we will just state the indicated MPH.