2011 Buick Regal CXL Turbo: Feels Good at 144 MPH

How was the steering felt at 144 mph? Did it firm up?

Where can I find the 8+ mile 'closed course' where I can cruise at 144 mph?

complete with professional drivers right?

I think more info is needed.

-It appears that the tank would be empty in around 50 miles (from where it was) and a whole tank would last for around 130 miles. This needs to be varified.
-Was the thottle at 100% the whole time?
-What gear was the transmission in?
-If you let the transmission shift up to 6th, would it still hold 144 mph?
-Is it possible to calmly browse through ipod lists and input navigation destinations at that speed?
-Can the cruise control be set to 144 mph?

-And then as already mentioned, hows the steering feel at 144 mph?

I believe another run at the 'closed course' is needed to answer the questions.

Dyno...

andrew, it says the fuel range is 175 miles and the gauge (gage) is just under half. Lets be fair and say that's a 300 mile range. 250 is that algorithm need time to adjust to 144mph driving. By the same measure, however, the car is covering a lot of distance in short time to make up for the lack of efficiency so maybe 300+ mile range is doable maintaining those speeds. In car and drivers test loop they managed 27mpg with the regal (or 28?). it has an 18 gallon tank, that's 486 miles...that dropping to 130 no matter what you do (short of idling the car all day) sounds unrealistic.

and your 5th question can only be determined by your exact level of insanity. me personally? I'd be sipping coffee while browsing Pandora, because i'm batshit insane. navigation, btw, thanks to OnStar will be easy at any speed because you just have to tell the adviser where you want to go, and they can send it to the in dash navi if your car has it. They may not be pleased with your speed however.

@dracy,

"By the same measure, however, the car is covering a lot of distance in short time to make up for the lack of efficiency so maybe 300+ mile range is doable maintaining those speeds."

At a buck fifty you're lucky to achieve 10 mpg. The massive air resistance at those speeds plus the necessary downforce generated by the car easily overcomes the distance traveled benefit. That's why it has to rev at 5500 RPM in top gear to maintain that speed. Your mpg increasingly diminishes as you increase your speed above about 55 mph.

No way that was on the road, it says the car is in 3rd gear... correct me if I'm wrong, but it look like its on a Dyno or something similar...

Wow, a 160 mph speedometer that doesn't badly exaggerate the car's capabilities. Not that this capability does anyone in the States a lick of good, but that is really impressive.

Eh...lesser cars have been here before.

http://www.caranddriver.com/news/car/07q2/the_147-mph_hyundai_sonata-car_news

@audikrazy1,

That "3" on the display is not the gear indicator. And there's simply no way 3rd gear will do anywhere close to 144 MPH, even at redline, on the road, on a dyno, or anywhere else. In any car that I know of.

I have the wrong job.

Another thing...

Only 4,678 miles on the Regal? The Optima is only here about 2 months and it is already breaking the 5,000-mile mark...

Willow Springs?
That was not on public roads.....

Waiting for:
"Everyone should know the Regal would be stable at 144mph, you are all idiots for even discussing it."

"2011 Buick Regal CXL Turbo: Feels Good at 144 MPH"

A lot of things probably feel good at 144 mph. I never imagines a Buick Regal would be one of them. Unlike the Buick's speedometer (clearly on a dyno, so it was safe), I'm not sure one should photograph some of those things... for safety and ummm... other reasons... too.

Scott, I have a random question.

Have you guys ever accidentally popped the trunk with the key fob in your pocket? Some people are complaining about it in the regal forums

"How was the steering felt at 144 mph? Did it firm up?"

does it really matter what they say? Could they ever say anything to convince you that this isnt the worst steering on any sedan on the market? No. Whatever it felt like rest assured you wont be satisfied.

I think the Regal turbo is limited to 150mph. Base car is limited to 134mph.

"No way that was on the road, it says the car is in 3rd gear... correct me if I'm wrong, but it look like its on a Dyno or something similar... "

That isnt a gear indicator. Thats a page indicator for the DIC. There are 7 pages and that is page 3 which shows digital speedo.

"Have you guys ever accidentally popped the trunk with the key fob in your pocket? Some people are complaining about it in the regal forums"

Car has to be in park to open trunk.

"Only 4,678 miles on the Regal? The Optima is only here about 2 months and it is already breaking the 5,000-mile mark..."

Its only been out of LA once when they first got it. No wonder its not racking up many miles.

The hash marks on the speedo look strange. Either put a mark ever 5 mph, or every 1 mph, but don't switch between the two.

Yeah no shit, I don't want my trunk to pop open in a mall parking lot from putting my keys in my pocket.

I just want to know if this has happened with any of the editors

Is it still FWD?

And you could measure the 0 to 144mph time with a sun dial. So where were you running the car at that speed and do you value your license?

@dracy:

I thought you meant people were saying the trunk popped open while the car was moving!

You have to press the button pretty firmly to get a latch release. I've never popped it my accident.

"Is it still FWD?"

I would think so.

@jaeger

Maybe the desert.

Yeah, baby!

Quadratisch. Praktisch. Gut.

audikrazy1,

That three on the display related to which display is being shown. There are 6 or so different displays to choose from. The gear indicator is on the lower left of the screen where it says "D".

If you are in manual mode then the gear is shown instead of the "D".

"The hash marks on the speedo look strange. Either put a mark ever 5 mph, or every 1 mph, but don't switch between the two."

Agree, that is a very strange set of hashes on the speedometer.

I don't think it was on Willow Springs. Even the front straight on the big track, and nailing the last turn's exit, the Regal wouldn't have enough power to hit 144 before needing to brake for Turn 1.

If Scott really did drive the Regal at 144 mph I don't understand why the "did the steering firm up" question is not valid. I said it before that I only took the Regal CXL turbo up to around 55-60 mph, the steering was still light as heck at that speed and several editors also confirmed with the ultra-light steering finding. Then SOMEONE kept trying to tell us that the steering will firm up "at speed"...

Ok. Now we are AT SPEED!!!

So please tell me, how is that NOT a valid question?

But then I realized that Scott just pulled another fast one on us (not the first time either...) so it's all meaningless at this point.

let me ask, has there been any car on the dyno that felt unstable?

@johnnyr3,

That was clock with a radar gun too so it's a true 147MPH. This on the other hand is an indicated 144MPH. I pretty sure speedometers are a little optimistic so it's probably closer to 140MPH.

Ha. It's faster than my G8 GT, which is governed to 137 (or 138, I've seen both). I would like to know more about how this picture was taken too.

@louis

I am telling you what the specs say per GM. If you dont believe the people that make the car that's your choice. These are not my personal ideas, just the specs on the car. Turbo has variable effort steering, base car doesn't. Steering resistance increases as speeds increase. I never said the steering gets firm AT SPEED. That doesn't even make sense. What fast one did scott pull? I dont get it.

IL has taken other cars to high speeds and taken pics before. Why are people acting like this is on a dyno? Why would they say feels solid at 144mph if the car was on a dyno? on a dyno a car is going 0mph, not 144.

I dont think IL ever says where they do this stuff for obvious reasons.

So okay... now we know that the steering doesn't get firm up at higher speed which means the steering is ultra light at all speed. Thanks for confirming our finding that the ultra light steering is consistent whether you are at 60 mph, 100 mph or 144 mph...

Also, did Scott say that this is NOT on a Dyno?

Have you seen those pictures they took at high speed? Are any of those as clear as this? I took my car up to 138 mph before (close course, professional... ah, whatever) and there is NO WAY one can take a picture of the cluster at this angle as clear as the above two. Use your head, I KNOW (I don't have to presume) that your are smart enough.

I'm impressed! 144 is moving and I know my 370Z can push that but the 370 starts to reach its drag-limit thereafter. I can't see this being done on a dyno, then the vehicle isn't moving at 144, rather its wheels are spinning.

Kevin

Kevin,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FB1n7HaEC5Q

When the wheels are spinning, the speedo is moving...

1487, it pretty much has to be on the dyno, unless IL wants to publish they were going double the posted speed limit, unless they have a 10 mile section of closed straight-ish road that we aren't aware of.

"I'm impressed! 144 is moving and I know my 370Z can push that but the 370 starts to reach its drag-limit thereafter. I can't see this being done on a dyno, then the vehicle isn't moving at 144, rather its wheels are spinning."

speedos work off a sensor in the transmission. it would register speeds on a dyno

"Have you seen those pictures they took at high speed? Are any of those as clear as this? I took my car up to 138 mph before (close course, professional... ah, whatever) and there is NO WAY one can take a picture of the cluster at this angle as clear as the above two. Use your head, I KNOW (I don't have to presume) that your are smart enough."

So the post is intentionally misleading? If you say so. I guess the part where he says the car is solid at 144mph is a total lie since the car is on a dyno. I can't wait for scott to clear it up.

@lostboyz:

You wouldnt need 10m of roadway to hit 144. I hit 105-110 on a relatively short stretch of highway. And as I said, IL has done this before with other cars and showed pics. Why would the other instances be real and this be on a dyno?

What yellowmiata is saying is that on a dyno a car is GOING ZERO MPH, not 144mph. That's why he is saying it doesnt make sense for this to be a post about a dyno run. The wheels are spinning, but the car has no speed. The post speaks for itself, folks are so angry about the regal that now they are saying the post doesn't say what it says.

"So the post is intentionally misleading? If you say so. I guess the part where he says the car is solid at 144mph is a total lie since the car is on a dyno."

It's called... HUMOR!!!

OMFG!

Some of us have that and we like to use it once a while.

how do you think the cluster gets its speed message?

"Was it on a dyno?"

It wasn't on a dyno. The hard part about reaching top speeds is the drag force from the air. Remember that the drag force scales with the square of the velocity. On a dyno, there is no drag force.

Also, the author is making a point about the stability of the car at those speeds. That stability is only relevant to a road test with 144 mph wind and road underneath.

I suppose everyone really knows its on the road but they had to turn this into a negative somehow.

I just found it odd to post something on a public blog that would send someone to jail, thats all. No slight against the car.

I was being sarcastic with the questions.

Also, at WOT, I highly doubt any car gets more than 6-7mpg.

they have done it before. and I'm not sure how you can be arrested for speeding that already occurred but wasn't witnessed by a camera or cop.

not sure what happened to my post, but they have shown screen shots of high speeds in cars before. This isn't a new feature.

Andrew I was mostly sarcastic with the answers I thought

You most definitely can get arrested even though a cop didn't see it. IL has even posted races on highways with motorcycles and suped-up cars where the owners were arrested as soon as they were found to be the ones posting it on line.

Wasn't witnessed by a camera? How then is there a "photograph" of the speedometer?

And BTW, why would Scott explain himself about this when he can just sit back and watch the fireworks ensue?

"And BTW, why would Scott explain himself about this when he can just sit back and watch the fireworks ensue?"

+1.

"ou wouldnt need 10m of roadway to hit 144. I hit 105-110 on a relatively short stretch of highway. "

Only if you ran it off a cliff.

"I suppose everyone really knows its on the road but they had to turn this into a negative somehow."

Of course driving 144MPH on a public road is a negative....what planet are you from?

I heard that you can disable the governor by pulling the wheel speed sensor out. However this also disables ESP, TCS, ABS, EBC and any trik "electronic differential" this car may have. I also heard there is a fuse you can pull for the governor. Not so sure about the latter but confident about the former.

This is the LAST thing I'm going to say on the side-topic:

"You cant be serious. At what point have I ever started off commentary talking about other posters? Please name one thread. My initial comments are ALWAYS about the car in question. ALWAYS." @ 05:55 AM, 04/28/11

"I have never seen 1487 initiate a thread with a personal attack. "

The NEXT post about the Regal: http://blogs.insideline.com/roadtests/2011/04/2011-buick-regal-cxl-turbo-feels-good-at-144-mph.html#comments

1487's first comment:
"does it really matter what they say? Could they ever say anything to convince you that this isnt the worst steering on any sedan on the market? No. Whatever it felt like rest assured you wont be satisfied. " @ 05:29 AM, 04/28/11

TWENTY SIX MINUTES later claimed to never start a thread attacking someone.

Aaaaaand I'm now going to do like the others and just not acknowledge his "comments" as existing.

1487 has very deep black issues, we already know that.
It is by far, the worst person I have ever met online.

It is amazing how twisted his mind is, and how he insults others, likes to think he is smart and above everyone else, likes to prove that to others, either by lying or by just insulting them, has no sense of humor at all, that only shows his deep issues, is quite a case for a shrink no doubt.

But hey, its part of life, no big deal, the good thing is, this kind of black sheeps you find, lets you see mistakes and how not to be that kind of person. It teaches you at the end of the day, if you are a kind and caring person, no need to "be smart enough" for that one.
He won`t change thou, those issues are just too deep.

Like Chevy, it "runs deep" LOL

By the way, Scott was playing all along?

Haha, I hope so. No good driving at those speeds .......

On public roads...... ;)

""does it really matter what they say? Could they ever say anything to convince you that this isnt the worst steering on any sedan on the market? No. Whatever it felt like rest assured you wont be satisfied. " @ 05:29 AM, 04/28/11

TWENTY SIX MINUTES later claimed to never start a thread attacking someone."

Um, that's hardly an attack. If you think otherwise you really must be sensitive. That was a statement of fact. He brings up the same issue and asks the same question repeatedly even though he has said numerous times that he has determined the steering is far too light in this car and it represents one of several failings on the part of the Regal. There is no point in asking a question you've already answered a dozen times. Better luck on your next attempt to "prove" something.

"1487 has very deep black issues, we already know that.
It is by far, the worst person I have ever met online."

We've never met. You don't "know" me or anyone else that posts a few times a day on this site. It never ceases to amaze that a)you and others spend so much time on and offline obsessing over what I say and b)that you have deluded yourself into actually believing some of the vitriol you post. At no point have I lied about anything in order to attack/insult/embarrass you nor anyone else. To suggest otherwise is in fact a lie. In addition, at no point have I made any claims about my intelligence. I read and remember lots of information which helps when you want to discuss any particular subject. It really has nothing to do with intelligence per se which is why I've made no claims about being "smarter" than you or anyone else. I wouldn't expect any of this to register because you've proven time and again that speaking factually isn't exactly one of your top concerns.

@bmw__m5,

"I heard that you can disable the governor by pulling the wheel speed sensor out. However this also disables ESP, TCS, ABS, EBC and any trik "electronic differential" this car may have."

It doesn't work that way. The "governor" is a programmed limit within the vehicle's ECU. When the speed approaches the set limit, the ECU restricts throttle such that the speed holds that limit, usually +/- 5 MPH depending on terrain.

The vehicle speed is measured at the transmission's output shaft, so pulling a wheel speed sensor will fault the chassis-control systems but not an ECU-managed speed limit. If you disable the vehicle speed sensor you'll lose the speedometer and any other number of functions.

"I also heard there is a fuse you can pull for the governor. Not so sure about the latter but confident about the former."

The governor is not a standalone device and does not have a fuse to pull. You have to reflash or possibly piggyback the ECU to alter the top speed limit.

@skyggge,

"Aaaaaand I'm now going to do like the others and just not acknowledge his "comments" as existing."

Until the site offers us the ability to ignore users this is next-best course of action.

Who cares, the Regal is the worst car ever made, right everyone (who probably have never even driven the car)?

I would like some of the folks doing all the talk of ignoring me to start ignoring the blog entries related to cars they hate. Now THAT would be progress. Imagine me spending several hours a day in a forum about the 135 lecturing people on the deficiencies of that model and constantly repeating why it has no appeal to me and then getting mad when folks who actually like the car get annoyed and respond accordingly. Unless I'm missing something, nothing forces folks to read about lackluster cars in this LT blog- everyone has the freedon to not read about vehicles they detest. Or they can keep reading about them, keep reciting the same complaints and keep whining about how I respond to those same tired complaints.

"Imagine me spending several hours a day in a forum about the 135 lecturing people on the deficiencies of that model and constantly repeating why it has no appeal to me and then getting mad when folks who actually like the car get annoyed and respond accordingly."

How quickly you forget:

http://blogs.insideline.com/roadtests/2008/03/2002-bmw-m3-wooooowwww.html

lol @roadburner, nice link. Good memory... 2008!

@bimmerjay,

I give all the credit to Google...

Ain't karma a b***h...

It's not on a dyno... This is what you get with a slick coupish shape along with alot of mass... with 177 hp at the wheel which is about what it's making at just over 5k rpm this is the kind of speed you can get.

Think of a heavy tiped arrow. something that is heavy and aerodynamic... once you get all that mass moving, momentum builds and it's cheating the wind it can go pretty fast... it's not an Escalade and it has a pretty long sleek body. No one here said it got to 144 very quickly though... Just that it eventually made it up there.