Limited top speed, why do you care?

[Bear]

I’ve had my Cobra to 168mph during racing, so I really guess it comes down to if you’re someone who plans to race it or not. I don’t plan to race my Stinger, but in a few years...who knows. Not that the Stinger’s limit is too low, but it really aggravated me on my 2014 F-150 where the limiter was set to 100mph. When traveling on interstates, I sometimes get in columns with other cars just cruising fast...I found out the hard way I couldn’t stay in the left lane with my F-150.

So if you’re buying a “sports” car, you’d expect it not to have a low speed limiter. Especially one that was “built” and “refined” on a track in Germany where it was doing over 150mph...

 

[eflyguy]

Thought I'd posted this last night..

I will be taking mine to the drag strip and the track. I plan to modify it as well.

People think you're going to risk crashing engaging in these activities. Racing is different, you have to be on the edge or you won't win. However track time is invaluable when learning what a vehicle can do, or how to drive better. It's a safe environment to push your limits, slowly. If you are sensible and use it to learn, you can have a great time without risk.

I've got hundreds of miles of track time on a motorcycle. I was never racing. Was never the quickest. I didn't care, it made me more comfortable on the street.

I'm with you on the F150, Bear - my 2003 5.4 also limits to 100.

 

[mldavis2]

Strongly recommend spending a day at the Bondurant High Performance Driving School if you ever get a chance (Arizona.) I did waaaay back in '69 when they were driving Plymouth Road Runners and Dodge Daytonas (remember the monster spoilers.) Not cheap, but you'll never regret it and you'll learn how to really handle a car.

 

[eflyguy]

Strongly recommend spending a day at the Bondurant High Performance Driving School if you ever get a chance (Arizona.)

I've done several, including Skip Barber locally, and driven a Lamborghini, Atom, and R8 on a track.

 

[CraigW]

It's been an interesting read. The one thing I find entirely stupid about the whole thing is that you can buy the car with the 19" wheels and then swap for 18" wheels and nothing happens, so it seems silly that if it comes from the factory with 18" wheels they limit top speed. I'm sure the lawyers told them to do it though, and there's no understanding that.

Because I bought a product at the same price point that doesn't perform the same.

Okay, I guess I sort of get this argument. Maybe an analogy would be that you're buying a 4k TV and when you tell them you're going to wall mount it they say, "Oh, if you're doing that we're going to limit you to 1920 x 1080." But at least there it's a tangible difference. If your plan is to track the car then sure, but unless you have that plan there are bigger things in the world to get upset about.

It was also not disclosed at the time of purchase and was not clearly stated on the paperwork.

I do know that if you go through the "Build your own" on the Kia web site it clearly warns you if you select the 18" wheel option that the top speed is limited, but the dealer experience may be different. Personally my bet would be that they don't even know that fact.

 

[westcoastGT]

It's been an interesting read. The one thing I find entirely stupid about the whole thing is that you can buy the car with the 19" wheels and then swap for 18" wheels and nothing happens, so it seems silly that if it comes from the factory with 18" wheels they limit top speed. I'm sure the lawyers told them to do it though, and there's no understanding that.



Okay, I guess I sort of get this argument. Maybe an analogy would be that you're buying a 4k TV and when you tell them you're going to wall mount it they say, "Oh, if you're doing that we're going to limit you to 1920 x 1080." But at least there it's a tangible difference. If your plan is to track the car then sure, but unless you have that plan there are bigger things in the world to get upset about.



I do know that if you go through the "Build your own" on the Kia web site it clearly warns you if you select the 18" wheel option that the top speed is limited, but the dealer experience may be different. Personally my bet would be that they don't even know that fact.

its not a wheel issue its the tires they selected they have a lower speed rating . They could have put on 18s with a higher speed rating and none of this would be required .................crazy

 

[davebo]

Okay, I guess I sort of get this argument. Maybe an analogy would be that you're buying a 4k TV and when you tell them you're going to wall mount it they say, "Oh, if you're doing that we're going to limit you to 1920 x 1080." But at least there it's a tangible difference. If your plan is to track the car then sure, but unless you have that plan there are bigger things in the world to get upset about.

There are definitely bigger things in the world to get upset about, but remember this is a forum dedicated to one particular make of one particular model of car. It's literally all we talk about. So if any issue with the Stinger comes up, this is the #1 place to harp on it. It would be super weird if we elected to send Sal as an envoy to the U.N. to discuss the speed governors on our Stinger GT's

You're definitely right that it's entirely a legal issue though. The 18" All Seasons are not rated above 148mph I think, so they limit it so you can't hit that speed and risk crashing. If someone buys it with the 19"s then swaps for cheaper slower-rated tires and gets in a wreck at 150mph, that's on them, not Kia. The REAL question is since there's no cost difference getting the 18" package, why couldn't Kia spend the same amount on similarly-rated All Season tires?

 

[CDv6]

I do know that if you go through the "Build your own" on the Kia web site it clearly warns you if you select the 18" wheel option that the top speed is limited

I'm in the camp that it's not that big of a deal (just unsurprisingly shoddy marketing), because most people tracking their cars are probably going to mod them anyway (eg - ECU tunes can remove governed limits). But, in the defense of the people who are upset, it's worth noting that the Kia build disclaimer was only added after complaints surfaced on this forum. (Perhaps elsewhere too, but the change definitely came very soon after the original thread here kicked off.)

 

[mldavis2]

It has always been in the manual and sales literature printed before the big outcry and in the dealer spec sheet they use for orders. Dealers just did not know, did not care, or did not want customers to know.

 

[Kia Stinger]

I'm in the camp that it's not that big of a deal (just unsurprisingly shoddy marketing), because most people tracking their cars are probably going to mod them anyway (eg - ECU tunes can remove governed limits). But, in the defense of the people who are upset, it's worth noting that the Kia build disclaimer was only added after complaints surfaced on this forum. (Perhaps elsewhere too, but the change definitely came very soon after the original thread here kicked off.)

I think what @CDv6 is saying above is that customers were not made as aware of the speed limiter difference before it became a discussion here. Now, the notification/disclaimer is much more up front and center. Before you had to search for it. Now, you clearly see it (easily).

In my opinion, this information was probably more readily available for those actually selling the Stinger. And I believe you're probably right that some, if not most, sales people either did not know, did not care, or did not want customers to know...

It has always been in the manual and sales literature printed before the big outcry and in the dealer spec sheet they use for orders. Dealers just did not know, did not care, or did not want customers to know.

 

[mldavis2]

And most customers will never know or care.

 

[Clearly Canadian]

And most customers will never know or care.

In this regard I think the local dealerships underestimated the early adopters. I’m not sure if they are used to the type of clientele they are attracting with the stingers.

 

[Kia Stinger]

And most customers will never know or care.

Absolutely. Most customers will never go over 80 miles per hour in their Stinger.

 

[robz32]

Because bragging rights

 

[xot1]

Absolutely. Most customers will never go over 80 miles per hour in their Stinger.

Maybe not 80...

 

[Expert4]

I think anyone who buys a stinger and doesn’t go at least past 80 once should have our forum administrators repossess the stinger and make them trade it for a forte.

 

[xot1]

I think anyone who buys a stinger and doesn’t go at least past 80 once should have our forum administrators repossess the stinger and make them trade it for a forte.

Its so easy to reach 80mph with this car.

 

[davebo]

I think anyone who buys a stinger and doesn’t go at least past 80 once should have our forum administrators repossess the stinger and make them trade it for a forte.

This except with 150.

 

[Clearly Canadian]

This except with 150.

150 is losing your license territory. But yes, only 80 is disappointing

 

[CDv6]

This except with 150.

That’s discriminatory.