Whats the fastest you've driven your E46?

Originally Posted by tcphoto

What kind of DB response is that?

From the movie Stripes.

Originally Posted by Fast Bob

The main difference between American Interstates and the Autobahn is the thickness of the roadbed. When Hitler envisioned the Autobahn back in the 1930s, his main intent was to use it to transport heavy military convoys, and even to land large military planes on it. With that in mind, he specified that the concrete surface be a full *18 inches* thick, which is several times thicker than a typical American roadway. But, our roads are not exactly wimpy, either....it was the infamous (and long-missing :-) Teamster boss Jimmy Hoffa who approached then-President Eisenhower and convinced him that 18-wheelers were The Future, and if we only had an interconnecting series of good-quality highways, that consumer goods could be delivered faster & cheaper than by railroad.
Given that post-WW II America was exploding outward from the cities into the suburbs, Ike took this concept to heart, and the Interstate highway system was born.....

Bimmerfest E46 section, the only E46 forum where you can get history lessons as well as help for your car.

I think we should have a "life lessons by Fast Bob" section.

Originally Posted by smolck

Bimmerfest E46 section, the only E46 forum where you can get history lessons as well as help for your car.

I think we should have a "life lessons by Fast Bob" section.

Seriously. I just learned something

Originally Posted by tcphoto

What kind of DB response is that?

You`ve obviously never seen "Stripes"....

This is one of those threads that is going everywhere and nowhere at the same time....I love it.

I love speeding and then asking my passengers how fast I'm going. I was doing 100 and my GF didn't even notice until I asked how fast I was going, then she freaked. haha

Originally Posted by Customisbetter

I love speeding and then asking my passengers how fast I'm going. I was doing 100 and my GF didn't even notice until I asked how fast I was going, then she freaked. haha

Better get a pee-proof cover for that passenger seat, Sparky....

Originally Posted by Fast Bob

You`ve obviously never seen "Stripes"....

Youngsters. I had to make my wife watch Stripes a few years ago . . . she loved it.

This has nothing to do with this thread. But since everyone seems to be reading it I'll post something funny that happened today. My GF was getting her car smogged and the dudes looked for the invisible distick on a 2007 E90 I also told her there is no dipstick. They didn't believe me and kept looking hahahaha. Finally I told her to have them look at the dash hand use the left lever to change the display settings.

Originally Posted by ckleung100

+1. Like others who have responded, I've driven a BMW at 120-130 mph on the autobahn while a Ferrari blew by me like I was standing still. The drivers there are much more courteous and I felt safe enough that I had my whole family in the car with me while on vacation. It was really no big deal.

There are NO public highways anywhere in North America that I would consider doing the same. The fastest I would go is 90 mph. The road surface just isn't designed for those speeds even if the road is clear. One little slip of the tires or a piece of tire retread that the damn trucks are always dropping and you will be sliding off the road.

This just happened very close to where I live yesterday. Some drunk teenager was going an estimated 90 mph on the city streets at 2 am. Killed his passenger but miraculously, he was ok. He will be sitting in jail for a long time if there is any justice. The other half of the car is across the street with thousands of pieces scattered everywhere.

Funny you mention getting passed by a Ferrari. (For those that have heard this story before, I promise this is the last time I will break it out! Please skip post.) I was in the left hand lane between Pforzheim and Muhlacker (Umlaut over "u". Can't find it on a mac i'm using) I was driving my Cousins Turbo Carrera which had just come out the year before. This was in 1982, or 1983. It had the whale tail, and was fast as heck. I was cruising at around 100, and just starting to feel comfortable, when he suggested that I really open it up. I reluctantly made my way up to 150 after significant prodding, and was feeling pretty smug in the left hand lane doing 150 and passing people in the right hand lane, when my cousin strongly suggested that I move to the right. I immediately complied, and around 15 seconds later, I was passed by a Ferrari doing at least 180. Humbling to say the least. They drive those speeds for sometimes an hour. I had a hard time after 10 minutes. I never really thought about it, but Bob's explanation about the road bed explains why it was as flat as a pool table.

Originally Posted by MalibuMafiaV

Seriously. I just learned something

That Bob likes a thick bed?

Originally Posted by SJBimmer

Funny you mention getting passed by a Ferrari. (For those that have heard this story before, I promise this is the last time I will break it out! Please skip post.) I was in the left hand lane between Pforzheim and Muhlacker (Umlaut over "u". Can't find it on a mac i'm using) I was driving my Cousins Turbo Carrera which had just come out the year before. This was in 1982, or 1983. It had the whale tail, and was fast as heck. I was cruising at around 100, and just starting to feel comfortable, when he suggested that I really open it up. I reluctantly made my way up to 150 after significant prodding, and was feeling pretty smug in the left hand lane doing 150 and passing people in the right hand lane, when my cousin strongly suggested that I move to the right. I immediately complied, and around 15 seconds later, I was passed by a Ferrari doing at least 180. Humbling to say the least. They drive those speeds for sometimes an hour. I had a hard time after 10 minutes. I never really thought about it, but Bob's explanation about the road bed explains why it was as flat as a pool table.

Probably right around the same time frame as your story, I heard that the T.U.V. (Germany`s Safety Nazis for all things automotive) specified that a specific formulation of asphalt be used for paving the Autobahn, giving improved grip in the wet.
(If only NHTSA was so thoughtful.... )

Originally Posted by Chris90

Youngsters. I had to make my wife watch Stripes a few years ago . . . she loved it.

I knew the reference, I just wanted to make the point that it was a DB response. I'll bet that I'm older than you.

Originally Posted by tcphoto

What a ridiculous thread. I expect to read a post from that group of Lambo drivers in Japan that crashed their cars. I think of myself as a very good driver, it's everyone else that I worry about.

Originally Posted by tcphoto

I knew the reference, I just wanted to make the point that it was a DB response. I'll bet that I'm older than you.

Why are you still posting in this ridiculous thread?

Lighten up, Francis.

You made it personal and I'm not going to go away because you quote some thirty year old movie. You're acting like some sixteen year old that just bought their first car.

What a great thread, next thing you know someone is going to ask what oil to use.

Or what they could do to make their cars sooo much faster

Originally Posted by JBimmer92

Or what they could do to make their cars sooo much faster

C'mon this thread is still too interesting to go down that path.....all kinds of side info being tossed around.

I would go faster if my tires weren't jet f0ckin black!!

Originally Posted by P_T

This is one of those threads that is going everywhere and nowhere at the same time....I love it.

I thought it would make your head hurt...

I went to about 115 mph at 3am one night on the local beltway. Another time I went 100 - 105 going through rural Pensylvenia. That's based on the speedometer - but my spedometer is pretty much right on the money, my navigation system confirms my speed to about 1mph (the speedometer, I believe, is designed to show 1mph over the actual speed).

The interstate highway system was built primarily for millitary reasons, not because Hoffa wanted it that way. During WW II the Pentagon was expecting a Japanese invasion in Alaska, so they end up building the Alaska hightway - which stretches something close to 2000 miles from the US border, through Canada and all the way to Fairbanks AK. There was a great rush to build it, but the invasion never came. Nevertheless, when the war was over, the powers to be decided that better roads are needed for the defence of the country. That's mostly why they built the "National System of Interstate and Defense Highways" (the official name of the Interstate system).

Originally Posted by tcphoto

You made it personal and I'm not going to go away because you quote some thirty year old movie. You're acting like some sixteen year old that just bought their first car.

It's not personal unless your name is Francis.

Not sure why this thread offends you. I find it quite entertaining.

Originally Posted by ventsyv

The interstate highway system was built primarily for millitary reasons, not because Hoffa wanted it that way. During WW II the Pentagon was expecting a Japanese invasion in Alaska, so they end up building the Alaska hightway - which stretches something close to 2000 miles from the US border, through Canada and all the way to Fairbanks AK. There was a great rush to build it, but the invasion never came.

Great stuff! I think Japan did invade Alaska though.

Is the highway smooth or potholed?

During World War II, two of the outer Aleutian Islands-Attu and Kiska-were invaded and occupied by Japanese troops. They were the only part of the continental territory of the United States to be occupied by the enemy during the war.

^Thank you for giving me something to research on wiki today.

Originally Posted by Chris90

Great stuff! I think Japan did invade Alaska though.

Is the highway smooth or potholed?

The Al-Can Highway has miles and miles of unpaved gravel. And also some pavement.

The other day I was on some good twisties and I didn't look at the speedo, but I'm pretty sure I was "going like h*ll." That's pretty fast, right ?