[Blr_RK]

I agree with most of the comments here and as one of the comment says, any vehicle driven at 100-110 KMPH on Indian roads is asking for trouble.

But the impact on the inmates in case of an eventuality is more in a Nano, as compared to the other cars that have ABS / Air Bags or disc brakes. May be Nano owners can correct me if this is incorrect.

[VW2010]

Speed in any mechanical mass is always a danger. And in Indian roads, any speed above 60 is danger for you are talking about risking others lives than just yours. Yes we have people crossing at points in highways you expect people to not cross. You will have kids playing cricket on those side lanes in highways.

At 100 i am more worried about the damage you are going to cause others than to yourself. Any damage to yourself, well you asked for it in the first place driving that fast.

100kmph is FAST. Irrespective of what car you drive you need 4-5 seconds to stop the car. I still remember an alto doing over 100 and trying to brake hard for a cow. He was just lucky and he kept testing his luck. Worst case he had a Team BHP sticker on the bumper. God save that brave(not really) man to live longer.

Nano is not meant for that speed. Its meant for utility. What can ABS and Air bag do when your car is crushed to pulp at those speeds. I know my friends fiesta hitting a dog at 120 only for the driver to lose control. And at that speed your time to correct your mistake is VERY VERY minimal.

[BakyaBHP]

Hi,

I have sat in the passenger seat of a nano with the driver (a friend) driving at 90-100 Kmph for quite some time. This was the first time I had sat in a nano doing 100 Kmph and frankly speaking was not feeling comfortable at all. I even showed my concern about the speed to him but he said it (Nano) handles it quite well. I totally disagree with him and was relieved to reach the destination safely.

I would never be a part of this type of driving again in a Nano.

[GTO]

The Nano easily does 100 kph. It doesn't even require top gear to cross 100. From my official review:

Originally Posted by GTO

I spent a total of 3 hours on the expressway with the Nano, 90 minutes each way at night. In straight-line expressway cruising, the Nano poses no problems at all. Thanks to the tall gearing, the engine is surprisingly relaxed at a 100 kph. In fact, the very tall 3rd gear itself will take you to top speed. You will frequently & easily hit the speed limiter on the open road. At a little over a 100 kph, the check engine light will warn you that you are nearing the top speed. Then, at about an indicated 110 kph (and actual 105 kph), the fuel cuts off. When this happens, it results in a funny jerk & drag kind of feeling. Tata imposes this speed limit in the interests of safety and restricting wear & tear on the components (especially wheel bearings).

So it can. Should you? No way. My ol' Jeep, some 100cc motorcycles and an Ambassador can also do 100+ kph. But that's really pushing the limit of these machines. My Jeep is most comfortable at 80 kph, it's a similar story with the Nano too. It's tyres are too thin, drum brakes too weak, mechanical components too cheap and monocoque too basic for continuous high-speed cruising.

I'm told there was an internal debate at Tata Motors on the Nano's top speed. Some folk wanted to restrict it to 90 kph, but others argued back saying that makes the car's position weak, from a marketing POV ("that li'l car can't even do 100 kph").

[Shiwik]

Like others who have pointed on this forum, on the highways, several enthusiastic driver's only motto is to rip. I have seen several altos, 800s and other cars overtake me at 100+ speeds. I have nothing against those cars - but as a complete package, they simply don't scale up to our safety needs. Also I would not rate most of these vehicles safer than the nano. Infact, like one of you mentioned, it is not about how quickly you get to 100+ but how soon you can get backto 0. I lost a close friend of mine driving an accord and having a collision and i am sure there are several other cases to quote.

my 2 cents -

- never push the limits of your car
- If you come across such rash (or quick) drivers, gracefully let them go ahead. They could be equally disastrous to others
- Lastly and most importantly, highways are not ego demonstration grounds and you don't get brownies for reaching you destination earlier

[raghav135]

Having driven old maruti 800 at high speeds, I would be more than happy to drive a nano at high speeds (relatively speaking!).
The main problem I had with my maruti 800 was it did not have power brakes. The good thing in Nano is it has brake booster, but it does not have disc brakes. Have not tried the Nano in highway. Anyone would like to compare braking of both these cars?

[The Observer]

Originally Posted by Blr_RK

Nano's reliability at high speeds cannot be questioned. But the question arises on the safety side. How safe is it to drive the car that has no ABS, Airbags and other safety features at this speed on a highway, where other high speed and heavy vehicles were sharing the road space.
Any thoughts ??

The Nano is definitely capable of doing such speeds, no doubt
But
Capability to do a 100+ does not mean reliability at 100+

Reliability IMHO also includes safety (to be able to rely on your car to keep you safe and in total control in the event of a emergency,impact etc)

Having said that, it is not fair to look down only on the nano, there are many cars that are made in India that wont make the cut in terms of safe handling, control and impact safety at high speeds

Originally Posted by rock18

Having said that,I have also taken it too its speed limit sometimes, especially when the adrenaline rush freezes your brain temporarily.
Most people underestimate or belittle a Nano.They cannot digest when they get overtaken by a Nano.

There is always an element of "thrill" for many when speeding, so when someone wants that "thrill", to do a top speed safely he might not want to wait till he gets his hands behind the wheel of a well equipped car, that someone might decide to experience that thrill using whatever is available with him at that point in time( in this case a nano for the guy we are talking about in this post ) while ignoring the risk it poses to himself/passengers/pedestrians other vehicles etc.

I have seen Bikers do those speeds on the highway, sometimes auto drivers drag their autos on the highway !

A bit OT : We must also never forget the below phenomenon:

"Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac"

[su1978]

Let me begin with a small joke.

Once a Nano breaks down on a highway and the driver is perplexed. Few minutes later, an Audi passes and the driver stops by offering help. He offers to tows Nano to the nearest service station. The driver of Nano says that in the event of you driving very fast, i will flash the bulbs and you may slow down. After driving for a while, a Porshe Overtakes the Audi. The driver of Audi gets his ego hurt and he starts racing the Porshe. 100KMPH/ 150KMPH/200 KMPH and so on forgetting that he is towing a Nano. They get spotted by a Traffic team and he flashes a message to the control room. " i just saw a Porshe and Audi racing by and a Tata Nano flashing madly at them to overtake". Hope this is not similar instance.

Anyways, Jokes apart, leave alone a Tata nano, Under Indian Driving conditions, highways are not at all designed to exceed 100Kmph. We have a seperate forum for discussing safe speed on indian Highways. I can very well understand the strain on the engine and the way driver would be stressed out aware of the fact that he is driving a Nano. Personally speaking, i have found myself getting tired if i drive fast but if i drive below 100 in either my Honda city or My Ritz, i feel refreshed after every drive.

[kingofmyworld]

Drove my nano at those speeds multiple times before I realized that it's the most stupidest thing you can do with a nano. Car is just not stable enough nor safe enough for those speeds. I remember the way my car went almost out of control when a volvo overtook me at speeds above 120 kmph.

[honeybee]

Quite interesting to go through the thread.

As a Nano owner in the past two years I have clocked more than 40k kms, and I have frequently driven on the eWay too.

Taking the point of driving at triple digit speeds out of context, the Nano is absolutely no problem at 110kmph where the fuel cuts off. Add typical Indian road conditions and any car will be unsafe.

There have been times when the only reason I have bowed out of an overtaking is because I am about to hit the cut off.

In my regular commute to office, on open stretches, I sometimes just let her loose in the second gear to leave other hatches behind - of course it doesn't mean the Nano is inherently faster, but it does run! Did I tell you it will reach 80 kmph in second gear if you can take a screaming engine?

I have also cruised at triple digit speeds with full load, only it takes a while to reach there.

Finally to put some context, while returning from Pune to Mumbai the car does tend to move off its line in heavy crosswinds and I drive at a sedate 80kmph pace.

[nishantdlv]

Originally Posted by honeybee

Did I tell you it will reach 80 kmph in second gear if you can take a screaming engine?

Bro! That is too much strain on the engine! I'm sure Nano doesn't come with a tachometer! You must be redlining it easily! I hope you're not doing it quite often

[kutoos]

Friends,
As a Nano owner, I do not advise speeds beyond 80 Km irrespective of City or Highway. The reasons being

1. Due to the tall stance, there is a very high probability of toppling over at high speeds when you need to make an urgent swerve maneuver. I felt this first hand myself in Pune City.

I was travelling to Shivaji Nagar via Holkar bridge and i was driving at 60 - 70 Km speed. As i reached the turn-of towards Shivaji Nagar, I suddenly noticed that there was a cyclist in front of me. Braking hard i swerved left (hard left) and for a moment i felt the car sway badly as if about to topple. Post that incident I've been keeping my speed down to 65 max.

2. Buffeting on the expressway is another dangerous feature, especially when you are in the middle lane and heavy vehicles overtake you from both the other lanes. So in case of speeds excess 100 Km, there is all possibility of getting dragged into the other lane.

The Nano is very well capable of tackling the Indian highways, provided you drive sedately.

Cheers

[svsantosh]

Is it stong?

Yes, sort of.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...-pics-349.html



Is it safe to do 100+? for that matter in any car

No way...

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...rders-fir.html

Speed IS RELATIVE to the distance in WHICH ONE CAN STOP safely (not without minor injuries, I always travel at speeds at which I can stop with a fender bender). Cannot crawl always and hinder traffic from behind, at the same time keep a tab on all your surroundings front-rear-left-right-rampexit-rampentry and prempt how safe would you be in a collision.

Defensive is the key word, any intersection, entry point to a roadside hotel, exit from a fuel pump is asking for a T-Boned impact, there are million examples and stories from Tbhp accidents thread.

Its avoidable to a great extent, just be defensive & prempt the next situation.

[Slowjet]

I have been using Nano (and Indica). I usually drive Indica at 90-100 and Nano at 70-80 since the cars appear to cruise along at that speed and there is no strain on the engine. I have driven nano at close to 100 kmph but when I saw the speedometer I slowed down to 70. Nano is a light car and if you are driving it on a highway, I suggest that you drive windows rolled up and this applies to any car. This will prevent the shaking of the car when heavy vehicles like Volvo buses overtake you. Overall Nano is a very capable car and as pointed out by many, the brakes, being drum, will not let you stop the car without travelling a lot of distance. The car comfortable cruises with 4 adults. I have also done Mumbai - Pune via old road NH4 to test Nano's capability and on the ghat, Nano, fully loaded , was very much at ease. Fully loaded is 4 adults and lot of luggage in the boot and everywhere in the car. Spacewise, Nano is slightly less than Indica but I am sure it will but several hatchbacks red faced. Having said that, you will see lot of "educated illiterates" on highways who drive even on the wrong side at 60-70 kmph causing serious danger to others.

[Mr.Beat]

I think if we can take today's average driver then most of the cars are driver well above the safety limits.

Just today i was crusing along the M-P Expressway and a Figo overtook me at speeds which would not be safe in a figo.

The car is not the problem, the mindset is.