How fast do you drive your 280SL?

[JamesL]

One careful lady owner...

I drive mine the speed limit. Always. 
It'll sit at 3750-4250 revs for hours on end on the autoroute. I've rarely taken it (or any other car) over 100mph

[thelews]

  I'm sure you all know that nervous feeling you get when pushing up over 4000rpm and hearing all the noise, well honestly, it just went away when I got over 5000 and above, it just seemed to sound better and better and kept pulling pretty hard. 

They do seem to want to tell you to shift around 4ish, but once through 4-5, things improve noticeably.

In 1972, in college, I bought a new BMW 2002 that I drove back and forth between Boulder, CO and Wisconsin, 1130 miles.  One drive I did  in 14 hours, always drove straight.  That little 4 banger, while great at any speed, just came into its own at 90 mph, smooth as silk on all counts...for hours!

[MikeSimon]

Racing, if one is into that.

Sorry for the late response, Jack...but racing a 280SL??? I was questioning the quest for speed in a classic car on public roads. Speed on public roads in the U.S. in anything, for that matter...

[zak]

I am not as brave as some of you guys. Most of my driving is 40 mph in 3rd gear on hilly and curved rural roads. I seldom get revs over 4500 rpms.
On the occasional hiway drives my top is 140 KPM at about 4000 rpms with my 4 spd trans and 3.92 rear 250 SL . And I wear ear plugs ( like Uhlenhault did in his 300 SLR!)

jz

[Merc_Girl]

Not sure we should admit to breaking speed limits?!?? Big brother is watching you, of course unless all your ‘testing’ was undertaken on an autobahn or a race track 😝

[Merc_Girl]

In addition, I was always told, high speed is of no consequence, but stopping power is! Given our lovely cars have no ABS, traction control nor other engineering marvels, I would be more worried about stopping distances than top speeds!!!

Good acceleration can be fun as well, but I don’t believe our beautiful machines would win any competitions against modern cars, not even the most modest of modern cars.

But hey, we look great posing in them 😂

[thelews]

But hey, we look great posing in them 😂

Does that make us posers?

[ja17]

In any case, the sensation of speed is not just high speeds. "G" forces from cornering, acceleration, and braking are all part of the experience. Higher RPM sounds, vibrations and even smells may also add to the whole "speed" experience, even at lower speeds.

[thelews]

In any case, the sensation of speed is not just high speeds. "G" forces from cornering, acceleration, and braking are all part of the experience. Higher RPM sounds, vibrations and even smells may also add to the whole "speed" experience, even at lower speeds.

Which is why vintage cars can be more fun for that experience.  Modern cars, 90 mph, feel like you're going 40.  Others agree since they're all driving 90 on the freeway.  Vintage cars, a lot going on at 90, doesn't feel as safe and feels much faster.  The 113 is rock solid at that speed, but it's a way different experience than modern cars.  Of course, the condition of the vintage car makes a BIG difference.

And the modern FAST cars?  In 5 seconds, faster than you can watch the tach, you're in jail.

Jay Leno waxes poetic about the vintage driving experience.

[AdelaidePagoda]

Agree entirely with you JA17 and thelews!

The sensation of speed is also enhanced by being lower to the ground as you are in a go kart like Pagoda, vs. an SUV or similar higher and more modern car with all the noise deadening technology.

When you are ‘fast’ in a pagoda it is visceral and you feel everything, hear every noise and know you are relying on 60 year old technology to keep you alive with no air bags, ABS or on most occasions for me, no roof!

I saw this on an old merc recently (see attached)

[rwmastel]

When you are ‘fast’ in a pagoda it is visceral and you feel everything, hear every noise and know you are relying on 60 year old technology to keep you alive with no air bags, ABS or on most occasions for me, no roof!

My Italian 230SL was delivered without seat belts!  But, driving top down and unconstrained just reminds me of being on a motorcycle (grew up with dirt bikes and later had street bikes).  Friends & family thought I was crazy to drive like that, but motorcycles mentally adjust you to risk acceptance.  Well, maybe that in itself could be called crazy.