Why does my speedometer go so high?

“It is indicative of a more powerful engine. There’s a marketing pitch to it.” Although cars with high-horsepower engines can come close to the top speedometer speeds, most are limited by engine control computers. That’s because the tires can overheat and fail at higher speeds.

Why do they make cars go faster than the speed limit?

The amount of power it takes a car to go faster goes up exponentially. To double a car’s top speed, its engine must be eight times as powerful. Aerodynamic lift over the body also increases exponentially. At the same time, the traction of the tyres has to be better to deliver the higher power required to the road.

Are speedometers accurate at high speeds?

How accurate are speedometers? Dan Edmunds, an automotive engineer and the director of vehicle testing at Edmunds.com, says that speedometers cannot have an error of more than 5 percent (typically expressed as plus/minus 2.5 percent relative to the actual speed) according to federal law.

Why do some speedometers only go to 85?

In September 1979, the National Highway Transportation Safety Agency (NHTSA) creates a rule to limit speedometers to 85 mph. Due to the energy crisis, the national speed limit in the USA was lowered to 55 mph to foster better fuel efficiency (and theoretically reduce traffic deaths at the same time).

Can cars go 160 mph?

Most speedometers max out around 140 or 160 mph, even though the cars aren’t designed to go that fast. The practice serves automakers’ needs to mass-produce standard gauges for different cars. It also adds psychological benefits to drivers, who may want to think of themselves as amateur racecar drivers.

Why do cars go up to 160 mph?

Why are speedometers inaccurate?

Car speedometers will always be inaccurate, because your speedometer is measuring how fast your tire rotates. Tires physically wear down over time, which makes them smaller. Smaller tires have to rotate faster to travel at the same speed. The same sort of thing happens when you under-inflate your tires as well.

Why does a speedometer go to 160?

What was the speed limit in 1980?

The National Limit of 55 mph By the 1980s, the oil-crisis had ended, and the cost of fuel became less of an issue.