why....

[squirelpoo]

why do they build cars that can exceed the speed limit, if you can only do 70mph in england.....

[supermurph]

the words nanny and state spring to mind...but the way things are going I can see a time when there will be those bl00dy average speed cameras along all main roads or even worse they will develop some sort of clever satellite tracking device in all cars to determine your speed so eventually we will not ever be able to break the speed limit without being caught...so in that case enjoy while you can!

[squirelpoo]

you can picture the scene now, everybody sticking to the speed limit on the m25 or m5 m6 , it will take you a bloody fortnight to get anywhere..........

[andy-hughes]

It's about performance.

If you build a car with a top speed of 70 m.p.h., then at 70 m.p.h. it'll be flogging its guts out and vibrating itself into a scrapyard.

If you build a car with a top speed of 140 m.p.h., then at 70 m.p.h. it's purring along at half power making little noise, and giving you a smooth ride.

[Pippa68]

If you are sticking to the speed limit on the M25 you are doing well...the other day I didn't get over 25 mph!

[ugly_bob]

and in other countries you are allowed to go faster.
and on tracks you can go faster (if you've got a fancy car and a few spare quid)

I would love to be able to do 70 on the motorway, but half the time it's a struggle to get to 7!!

[dannydingbat]

Uglybob - I have a car like that!

[slimjim]

Simple economics. Would BMW sell as many cars as they do if they were all limited to 70mph? Thought not.

[kramer81]

cars can be electronically limited so I wouldn't say its about performance.

In addition to the points made, when you are overtaking on a single carriageway it is safer to spend as little time as possible on the wrong side of the road. If the driver you are overtaking decides to speed up then it is safer to exceed the limit rather than both of you driving side by side.

[tali122]

if no car could do more than 70mph then jeremy clarkson would be out of a job