The speed limit in the UK is to increase to 80mph. Of course, the show-offs in Audis, Mercs and BMWs already travel at that speed and will probably be doing 90mph and above come the change.
I will still be in the slow lane, behind the lorries, doing 55mph. Why? Because the faster you go the more fuel you use per mile. Yes, the lovers of German technological endeavour will get to their destinations a few minutes afore me but they would have self-taxed themselves a lot more in travel costs.
Every car has a maximum torque rating for its engine. That is to say there is a speed at which the engine will work the most efficiently and use the optimum amount of fuel. Travel above that speed and your car's engine will need more fuel per mile.
For my car, and most others, maximum torque corresponds to 4000 RPM and 55mph. That speed just happens to correspond with the speed of most trucks and lorries in the slow lane. Most transport vehicles are limited to 55mph. These vehicles are also very large and can carve a big hole in the air for my car.
Obeying the 2 second rule, I place my car behind a large vehicle and travel at a steady 55mph. I save a lot of money in fuel. Not to mention the fact that I would normally walk everywhere within walking distance.
I can walk to anywhere in town so unless I have a large load to carry, I rarely use a car. Only if I have to travel out of town do I use a car and then, only at 55mph regardless of the higher speed limit.
I regard cars as I would mobile phones, the lottery, cigarettes etc. as a tax on stupidity. Just ways for the government and corporations to claw back your hard-earned money. I use a car sparingly, don't own a mobile phone, never play the lottery nor smoke. I save a lot of money and I use it to buy gold!
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James, I have no idea what car you drive but if you are sitting at 4000 RPM to get maximum torque then you could do an awful lot better with something German yourself. My diesel golf will sit at less than 3000 RPM in 6th gear at 70MPH on the motorway. I will use less fuel than you, spend less money, and arrive faster. The 80 MPH motorway limit is well over due. The green argument is dead on this issue. 85 is a common average speed on Britains motorways, it won't change when the new limit comes in. We will simply see less people get points on their license.
We'll have to agree to disagree on this.
I drive a petrol car, which run optimally at 4K revs rather than diesels running at 3K revs.
I have a small 1.1 litre 4x4 for selling, towing and various other jobs that saloons (sedans) & hatchbacks (sub-compacts) can't handle.
For a 4x4, my 40mpg is good though not as good as my father's nor your diesel cars. But then I couldn't use those cars for my needs.
But I do score on the fact that I only use my car, on average, once a week. I plan ahead and do everything in a day. My father, for example, has no planning skills and will go out 4 or 5 times in a day when one journey would have done for the whole week.
I am sure all those belting along at 90mph (and I include all those Prius owners who have no clue how to eco-drive) would save money by going slower.
Having a lead foot or going faster means more use of the brakes, which causes wear and tear.
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