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How fast will they go?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by jimsoh, May 12, 2008.

  1. jimsoh

    jimsoh New Member

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    Could not find a thread (searched), and my oldest son was curious. I'm not going to risk and encounter with one of our State Troopers to find out, so I thought I'd ask here.

    How fast will an unaltered Prius go on level ground w/o a tail wind?
     
  2. Ichiro

    Ichiro Member

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  3. morpheusx

    morpheusx Professor Chaos

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    top speed is 104 MPH

    Side note if you plan on driving it that fast put some fatter tires on the car.
     
  4. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    It is electronically limited by the control system to around 104 MPH.

    Tom
     
  5. Spectra

    Spectra Amphi-Prius

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    104 mph seems to be a very curious number --
    It's equivalnet to about 167 kph -- Anyone know the significance of this:confused:, if any :confused:
     
  6. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    I don't know if there's any significance. This discussion came up a few years ago. Someone did some mechanical/electrical calculations and I"m pretty sure they came to the conclusion that the engine/motor combination simply can not propel the car faster than 104.

    Mind you, some people took this as a challenge and I remember one blurry photo of "106" with claims that this was taken while traveling downhill into San Jose or some similar long, steep decent.
     
  7. Bryan5

    Bryan5 New Member

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    I remember someone posted a youtube vid a while ago and it showed the fuel economy of the Prius going top-speed. The speedometer went up to 108 mph (I know the top speed is supposed to be 104) and he was getting about 20 mpg. Also, the battery was draining rapidly from what I remember.
     
  8. Spectra

    Spectra Amphi-Prius

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    Thanks Tony!

    (Massive eye-roll:)
     
  9. tassle

    tassle New Member

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    Because 105 is way toooo fast.:D
     
  10. BIGGDOGG

    BIGGDOGG New Member

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    I haven't gotten it up to 104 but I have got it around 95MPH. I was in the 80's and I was very curious to see how fast I could get it. (the traffic all around me was going the same pace so I didn't stick out). I rarely speed
     
  11. Janus

    Janus Drug Pilot

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    Wow. I can get my other car up to 104 in 12.5 seconds. Good thing we bought the Prius for fuel efficiency, not performance! :D
     
  12. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    How often does that acceleration come in handy, use it all the time? and what does it cost at the pump?

    I took mine up to 172km/h on dead flat road and held it there for 10+km with 3 people and luggage on board. Car felt good at that speed and still very little wind noise.
     
  13. rsforkner

    rsforkner Member

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  14. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    Holy cats!

    This reminds me of my old desire to die as my grandfather did, peacefully in his sleep, instead of screaming and crying like his passengers.
     
  15. Devil's Advocate

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    On the way to Vegas from LA I've had the Prius well over 104. I can't remember exactly right now but it was either 108, 111 or 118 mph. It seemed wierd because I knew the car was supposed to be limited. I am making the trip again in 2 weeks. If conditions are right I may have to test the top speed again.

    I reported it on another thread when it happend, so that one would be accurate.
     
  16. xsmatt81

    xsmatt81 non-AARP Member

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    I will post proof this car can go past 104MPH sometime this week. I will be heading out on 165, very lonely road. And will get it to 109

    for the most part 165 is flat for many miles. My top speed was 109.

    I read the prius top is 112 somewhere in a spec sheet.

    Going up an incline you could get it to 104 or so, but risk blowing something
     
  17. xsmatt81

    xsmatt81 non-AARP Member

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    video from youtube.

    107

    not a huge diffrence though 104 or 109..it's nothing..probably depends on the car. Im sure there is a limiter, might be able to hit 115 or so without one on good flat road.

     
  18. Janus

    Janus Drug Pilot

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    That kind of acceleration can only be done at a drag strip, using racing tires. Regular street tires can't hold the pavement under that kind of torque. It's quite useless in ordinary driving - only in offroad competition.

    It costs plenty at the pump. I need 93 octane gas, and I get about 12-15 MPG in mixed driving. Not a commuter car, just a weekend toy. The Prius is the everyday car.
     
  19. billh

    billh Junior Member

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    What's really amazing is that my old 1964/5 mustang V8 (289ci) was breathin heavy at 90mph. My Prius zips up to 80 and I could be going 45 for how it behaves. Curiosity held my foot down to 95 once and the digits were ticking up at pretty much the same rate that they were at 80. If there is a govenor that stops it at 104, it is probably cutting at least 5 to 10 mph off the straight, flat top end. Credit aerodynamics more than power. Wind resistence is what stops most cars from breaking 100, above which you really have to pile on the power. Prius coefficient of drag, as I recall, is about the lowest amoung regular mass produced cars and this factor would be huge at 100mph.

    THX for the Holy Cats remark R.S. Shared that with some friends
     
  20. EZW1

    EZW1 Active Member

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    I had a salesman tell me the top speed was 108. I don't know if he got that from the video or dealer materials they get from Toyota.