Soarer road test - 300 KM drive at full pelt

[maverick]

Hello all, another new member here:happysad:

Being luck enough to live in the Territory:no: , I just recently (yesterday) drove 300 Km each way to go on a fishing charter.

The first big test for the 1992 V8 SC 400GT.

Absolutely mind blowing!!!!!!!!!:Eyecrazy:

The roads are amazingly smooth and curve just enought to keep you wide awake. The car ate up the road with the greatest of ease. For 2/3's of the journey 170+ and still handled like a cat stuck to the road.

The trip reafirmed my faith in all things holy.:crucified:

Pitty about the cruise control limiter that will soon be gone.
Oh yeah and the 75L of fuel it used up, but what are you going to do.

Soarers rock

 

[Nath]

Hi Maverick,

Welcome to the forum.

170km/h eh? Your 92 soarer is certainly fitted with all new bushings. Cant do that speed without them.

I'd be interested in your next post: 170km/h into a Kangerroo. :Eyecrazy:

I remember doing the Kakadoo in a tiny hire car travelling at 120km/h most of the way. When we pulled into the service station for fuel, the owner advised us not to do anything over 80km/h if we want to potentially survive a kagaroo hit.

What is is like passing a road train head on at 170km/h? That must have been scary? In any car passing a road train is scary.

Anyone not knowing what a road train is check here:
http://www.ausfuel.com.au/photoarticles-B0952EFB-BBE1-4AEA-84A88F51C623A070.htm

http://www.volvoadventures.com/164Road_Train.jpg


Good luck and keep safe ok.
Nath

 

[Zuffen]

170, You gottw get thing moving.

The list of wildlife to hit in the Territory runs from Crocodiles, camels, donkeys, horses, cattle, pigs (big ones) water buffalo to the aforementioned kangaroos.

All of those things will destroy your car.

The Territory is one of only two places in the world without an open raod speed limit.

For international members a road train is a a 10 wheeled prime mover (or tractor as some will call it) and 3x40' trailers behind it. These weigh about 90 tons all up and travel at up to 70 miles per hour. The rear trailer sways about 10' either side of the prime mover. To pass you wait for the rear trailer to move left and pass it on the right. But be quick before it sways right and gets you.

 

[UZZ30-Québec]

75L for 300km @ 170km/h?

something's wrong with your car.

the harshiest fuel consumption i could achieve with my SC400 was 15L/100km, and that was hard city driving only.

 

[maverick]

Well I don't really trust my digital fuel gauge as I ran dry and it still told me i had 9L left!

In retrospect a little bit silly, but i just had to open it up.

Yeah hit anything up here at speed and your car's pretty much done for.
But when you see that black circle with a cross through it (open speed limit) it does get a bit tempting let me tell you.

 

[Kiwi.in.aus]

Hi Maverick , I spent two years living in NT , one of those was spent at Curtin Springs , good old Ashley !!
Anyhow went from there to Alice on a bike in 2 hours 10 min's , two up on an old XJ650 turbo , it's 430 K's so thats pretty good , would never do it at night though !!
One of the guys had a FZR1000 Yamaha and he's done it in 1 hour 50 min's !!
Certainly game over if you hit something , at night you can't see a steer or cow til you hit it , thats enough to stop a road train , camels ain't so hot either but mostly you can see them as they stand a lot taller .
Best T-bones in the world and the largest as well , Camel T-Bones that is !!

 

[madmont]

QUOTE
75L for 300km @ 170km/h?

something's wrong with your car.

the harshiest fuel consumption i could achieve with my SC400 was 15L/100km, and that was hard city driving only.


He said he did 600ks on 75L thats about 12.5l/100k. My RX5 used to use about 18L/100k cruising at 180kph so 12.5 from a v8 is ok.
170 is not real fast for the NT he probably had cars passing him

 

[brenattama]

LOL Welcome to the NT Mav,

Being a UCF10R LS400 owner here in Darwin, I am more than familiar with the temptation we face every day. I went for a quick trip down to Adelaide River a few months ago, had the ol' LS just over 220 without issues... still quiet, stable and not at all out of breath, I just thought that was fast enough for now... and I am in a limo, not the two door..... and didnt even need to turn the cd up.... uncanny!

A word to everyone down in the south (and overseas)... Yes there is wildlife up here, however the roads are wide, well engineered (for the most part) and there is no where near the density of land usage there is down south. This translates to roads that can have wildlife on them, most especially at dawn and dusk, but on the whole they are completely empty.

Re Road trains? yes they exist and yes they are loooooong, however they do Not move laterally as much as hinted above, unless there is a cross wind or something similar..... common sense people, if there is water, wind, or it is night, then caution is the way.....

and if you bust a tyre at 110, you can lose it just as permanently as going faster..... Cars can be dangerous, but speed is not neccessaily the boogey man it is made out to be.....

The NT has LOW population and wide, mostly empty roads...

Drive to the conditions.....


Catch ya!

Bren