mmarshall

........And that's why they know that excessive speed, all else equal, doesn't do the cause of safety much good.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

how did they come up with this magic number of 112 mph or 180kph? Hows a 112mph speed limit going to prevent deaths that occur at far lower speeds? More deaths happen on city streets vs the highway despite being a lower speed. If the objective is to reduce deaths then why impose arbitrary limits instead of automated driving.

Stroock639

Stroock639

mmarshall

Yes, that's true that it is the limit for an S-rated tire, but I don't think Volvo did this just to penny-pinch on rubber. Volvo has always been safety-conscious, and often leads the industry on implementing safety-innovations.

Stroock639

yes i'm sure when volvo was still volvo this wouldn't have been as much of a factor, but now that volvo is part of the zhejiang geely holding group i'm sure little cost cutting measures are more of a thing

mmarshall

Well, an interesting thought. You may have a point.

Johnhav430

When the avg joe doesn't know what UTQG is, how it is self reported and fudged, nor what the speed ratings are, imho absolutely it has to do with the tires, as it did with the Japanese in the 90's. But no need to speculate, wait for this 112 mph limiter to take effect, then we can look at what tires come with the vehicles. There has been this push in the last 15 years or so, to stop leaving money on the table. Look at Michelin tires. Premiers went to 8.5/32, when tires traditionally are 11/32. That's not nothing. It looks semi worn brand new, and when it has 20k, tire shops and dealers start recommending replacement lol

And if they can wear out at 50-60k, which they are, people get a new set and to prorate $100 bucks that's good marketing. Don't take my word for it, go to that tire website and look those tires up for treads wearing out, and when. Gone are the days where a tire co warrants a tire to 60k and they go 85k. That's dumb, i.e. leaving money on the table for the mfg.

edit p.s. I saw a Lacrosse on fire on the way to work. When I get a chance I will pull the video from my dash cam, it was really on fire. Can't say I've ever seen it like that, especially before emergency vehicles. The woman whom I assume was the owner was video'ing it (of course that is everybody's primary concern today, will be a cool post on facebook!)

bagwell

Honestly the 112mph limit makes me like Volvo even more....beautiful machines - I would own one if I could afford it.

signdetres

I wonder if this 112 mph limit has to do with any of the on-board safety tech. Most systems (Forward Emergency Braking, Lane Keep Assist, etc.) regardless of manufacturer have a certain speed cap at which they stop functioning. For example, Infiniti Q50S forward sensing radar cannot see stopped objects when you travel faster than ~45 mph. Or in the new ES, Pre-Collision braking only functions below 110 mph. I wonder if Volvo's speed restriction on all new models allows them to ensure all of their safety tech will always function at all operable vehicle speeds.

Johnhav430

That's about as odd looking as the brand new Subaru Forester I saw this AM. And hats off to you for admitting you can't afford something, today, most would not do that. I admit I cannot afford a new Lincoln Nav L black label, it's around $1,900/mo. and then that drops to mid 1k's with 20k down. I'd need to put down around 75k to get the payment into a reasonable monthly amount and I don't have that much discretionary income. I'd have to sell a stock to come up with it, and then what rhyme/reason would be used to justify, i.e. cannot afford.

IS350jet

I think with all the technology in cars these days, especially radar and sonar sensing equipment, these cars can "sense" traffic. It would be easy to program this technology to adjust "maximum speed". Too much traffic around the car? The computer adjusts so that top speed is limited to, say, 20% faster that the closest vehicle. Open road, no traffic? You get the idea. There are many ways this could be incorporated.

MattyG

If anyone needs to go over 100 mph/160 km per hour on a US/Canada road or highway, they've got a problem with driving mindset. It's a move to lessen a high speed fatality and make a collision survivable. Sure you can have unrestricted zones on some stretches of highway, but how are you going to determine which vehicles and drivers are qualified to use those spaces?

mmarshall