From "The Sunday Times" 17th July 2005 -
Top marques scrap speed limiters
BMW, Audi and Mercedes are withdrawing from an agreement to limit the top speeds of their cars in a move that is likely to anger safety campaigners.
In recent years some manufacturers agreed to comply with a voluntary code to restrict the top speeds of high-performance cars to 155mph. Without electronic limiters, cars such as the BMW M5 and Audi RS4 are capable of speeds exceeding 186mph. Car makers such as Porsche refused to follow suit and with competition in the premium car sector tougher than ever, speed limiters are now regarded as a drag on sales.
By September, some models in BMW's sporty M range could offer top speeds of more than 199mph. Audi also plans to allow speeds above 155mph on the R9, which is due to arrive in showrooms in late 2006.
BMW initiated the informal agreement in 1987 in a move designed to fend off efforts by German politicians and safety campaigners to impose a top speed limit on the autobahn. German motorways are the only roads in the European Union that currently have no upper limit.
A spokesman for Lexus said it would follow the lead set by the German manufacturers and would remove speed limiters to protect sales. "If we want to attract the sort of people who buy Porsches and Ferraris, our high-performance cars need to have the same sort of capabilities," he said. "The market is changing and if other manufacturers are increasing speeds, we will have to follow."
Cheers,
David.