M40 motorway. Britains Autobahn

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Driving up the M40 this morning at around 1 from London to Wales, the amount of cars doing well over a ton were staggering. Ill assume TVP don't really have a traffic department. Some sort of Jag went past me so quickly, the car shook. I usually do about 75-80 on the motorway and 70 on dual carriageways.
Its not this bad on the M6 or even the M5 which is usually deserted at night. I think I'll start driving at night more often. Less stressful and you get a sensation of actually going fast which I like.
 
shrek2 said:
Driving up the M40 this morning at around 1 from London to Wales, the amount of cars doing well over a ton were staggering. Ill assume TVP don't really have a traffic department. Some sort of Jag went past me so quickly, the car shook. I usually do about 75-80 on the motorway and 70 on dual carriageways.
Its not this bad on the M6 or even the M5 which is usually deserted at night. I think I'll start driving at night more often. Less stressful and you get a sensation of actually going fast which I like.

You don't drive motorways much do you :p

If you only do 75-80 on any motorway that is relatively clear (ie not chock full, queueing etc), then people will be passing you at speeds greatly in excess of your own (irrespectively of the legalities).

It IS like this on the M6 I can assure you.

Para (aka daily M6 commuter).
 
When I have been going back up North (A1) late at night doing a reasonable speed I’ve been passed by cars going 120+ easily. Traffic was averaging 90+ on Friday night.
 
TVP do have a traffic department - they've just given me 3pts!

Although I agree, the M40 is a bit of a speedway. You should see it at ~2am - vehicles on the road are either lorries at 56mph or people in cars driving at nigh on their top speeds. I followed an S reg Laguna doing 140mph once :eek:
 
I used to drive around speeds that would shake a car doing 70-85.

Then I got caught.....

Now I stick to 75-85. Its so lame. :o
 
M6 Toll makes the M40 look pedestrian. It's like a private proving ground most of the time - I've done a ton on there and been the slowest car on the road.
 
do a resonable ammount of motorway travel and of course seen this silly speeds on a regular basis, but never seen the 2 slow lanes average above 80mph.

Got to go to London tommorrw and setting off at 4amish so i will see then if mad speeds (should hit toll road around 4:30)
 
Ex-RoNiN said:
How do you not get caught by cameras? :confused:

Because as much as the anti-anti-speeding brigade will have you believe it, there are NOT cameras covering the entire motorway road network. The M6 doesn't have any camera's for the stretch I use daily, and the M6 Toll has nothing either.
 
Do any motorways without variable limits have fixed speed cams?
I am getting a valetine one soon anyway :D
 
Von Luck said:
M6 Toll makes the M40 look pedestrian. It's like a private proving ground most of the time - I've done a ton on there and been the slowest car on the road.

I agree, I know many many people who use the toll booths as a starting point to measure their cars stats:

From the toll booth: 0-60 time, then continue for 0-100 time
Once you're at 100: your 100-0 time followed by a gentle pootle up to 30 for your 30-120 time....excellent fun :D
 
I'm glad I'm not the only one who's noticed that about the M40.

It's a wide open road that just egg you on. The 'best' bit is somewhere just after High Wycombe, (heading to London) where it sweeps downhill through an S Bend. The speed everyone does through what is a pretty dodgy bit of road, is mental. But I don't find it a scary motorway. I just put my foot down (in a 1.4 clio :o ) and try to look 'purposeful' in the outside lane. Safest place.

The M1 is a bit iffy though. 3 tight Lanes of artic filled high speed, nose to tail traffic and most of it doing 70+. That requires a bit of concentration.
 
Are we talking M40 or M4 here? seems to be a 50/50 split between posts.

The M4 i wouldnt call particuarly fast, no faster than any other motorway and the wiltshire stretch almost always has vans on the bridges, the M40 is often nuts though, love it.

Having said this though i could name quite a few motorways which are often driven very fast, the south side of the M25 is a damn quick stretch, as is the small motorway off past gloucester off the M5. The M73 i think it is up to scotland has been a quick stretch too every time ive driven it.
 
I remember the first time I went on the M4 in my Xantia, joined the Motorway at Reading heading towards Slough and was shocked at the constrant stream of ballastic German missiles in the outside lane :p
 
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