In article <1qkon8$3re@armory.centerline.com> jimf@centerline.com (Jim Frost) writes:  [stuff about autobahn and safety of sho at speed deleted] >The Mustang is essentially the same deal as the SHO -- a big power  The Mustang is a much worse case of design irresponsibility than the SHO.  >plant stuck in a mid-size sedan, with almost no other modifications. >I have real-life experience with the Mustang -- it handles like a >brick (except when you're invoking oversteer, of course, something I  Its hard to predicatbaly drift a stock Mustang because of the suspension.  >personally avoid doing on the highway) and stopping power is >inadequate even from 80mph.  Lots of accelleration -- but the rest of >the car is not up to par.  Yes. When i think Mustang, I think school-bus +  F16 motor. In my mind the Mustang should be fitted with a speed limiter at 80-90 or so. It just isn't safe, check out your local junkyard, Mustangs outnumber other cars by a proportion way in excess of sales in junkyards.  I find it astonishing the CU or somesuchlike has not jumped on the Mustang for poor brakes in relation to power. Ford should at least standardize on the SVO rear brakes for all 5.0's.    > >I picked the Porsche example because they are designed with speed in >mind.  It didn't have to be the 911 -- it could have been the much >cheaper 944 or one of several Mercedes or Audi models.  All of these >cars are fairly expensive -- but so are the parts that make them >drivable at high speed.  This should be elementary. > >There are a few things to keep in mind about Europe, since you brought >it up.  My Autobahn knowledge is admittedly second-hand, but I believe >the following to be true: > >1. Drivers are much better disciplined in Europe than they are here.  True of Northern Europe, latin countries are something else.  >2. The roads comprising the Autobahn are much better designed than Kindof true. remember they were build by adolf in the '30's.  >   they are here, and usually include animal fences.  This makes them >   far more predictable than most US highways.  Yes.  >3. Not all of Europe is the Autobahn.  Most places in Europe have  "Autobahn" is the german word for freeway. Other countries have different names for loose equivalents; autostrada, autoroute, motorway etc.  >   speed limits that aren't out-of-line with what we used to have in >   the US -- if my friends weren't lying to me they're typically not >   much higher than 120km/h.  Europe did seem on the brink of a 130kmh limit. It hasn't passed as far as I know. typical speeds in western europe are much higher than the US. Law enforcement is negligible in my experience (comapred to the US) as there is no revenue enhancement motivation. The things you really notice are the higher speed differentials, and the more professional attitude to driving. You just never see two cars running parallel at 55.1 mph oblivious to all around them.  > >I strongly suspect you won't find a lot of Rabbit owners doing 120mph >(nearly 200km/h) on the Autobahn, but I could be wrong.  Some people  You're wrong. GTI's  go this fast. Just kind of noisy, not the ideal  autobahn car. A lot of times you see cars being driven with the drivers foot on the floor. How do I know? - when you're not making any ground on the identical car in front of you!  >have no respect for their own lives.  If something happens at 130-150 you're dead, but the same goes for much over 35. Driving at high speed forces you to concentrate. I feel much safer driving 130+ on the autobahn than 60-80 in typical US traffic because most people seem to be awake. I've never seen any driver reading a book on an autobahn, I see it all too often in the US.  Craig  It just doesn't *seem* fast after 30 minutes or so of aclimation. everybody drives that fast, no big deal.