How fast is too fast?

Yes, that's me in the Lamborghini Gallardo pictured above, and probably not going nearly as fast as I could have.  Today, my wife and child were kind enough to give me an exotic racing experience down in WDW, and I chose the Lambo to drive because I love how crazy the guys that make it are.  Sure, Audi runs the show now, and this particular car is made on the same assembly line as the R8, but it still just feels a bit out there.  you don't drive a Lambo because it's economical or can fit your golf clubs.  you drive one of these V10 monsters because it is not suite for everyday driving.  Did I mention I love this car?

So I got to drive this puppy around the track today, but something struck me during our training this morning that I thought I would discuss relating to speed.  This car, like the others on their roster, are "super cars."  I think the top speed in mine is something like 198 mph, but I'm not certain and I'm not looking it up right this second.  You would think that I could just fly around the track with a car like this, but our instructors reminded us that, while these cars have crazy performance, they are sitting on street tires.  Street tires carry with them limitations that your Ford Focus does.

Tires are rated based on, among other things, speed.  So even though I am driving a thoroughbred with over 500 horsepower, I can't just pitch it into a corner and it to corner like I'm in F1.  Same goes for top speed.  I think I maxed out at a measly 119 mph on track, this car and this set of tires can't do a whole lot more than that safely.  Sure, with slick track tires I could do more, but those wouldn't be legal for my trip to the grocery store.

We have speeding laws for safety.  I am all for driving fast, so long as it can be accomplished without incident.  So many of our interstates are capped at 70 mph because the tires most cars drive on top out not much faster than that.  If my Lamborghini can be limited in performance while using street tires, so can your Mustang.  Keep in mind that car engines are designed for optimum performance, but your tires are not.  Before you hit the gas, know your limitations.  Maybe those speed limits are there to protect you.

JD

John D. Duncan is president of J.D. Duncan, PC, founding partner of Prater, Duncan & Craig, LLC in Newnan, Georgia, and is Esquire by Day.  You can find him at www.jdduncanlaw.com, or follow him on twitter and Facebook.