Red Mark at 55?

[Carzzi]

Does anyone know why the 55mph mark, on the M3's speedometer, is red?


http://members.picturelist.com/images/mavic1010/Image016.jpg

[///MacDaddy]

there used to be a Nation wide speed limit of 55mph.

[mtfour]

Originally posted by Bimmer4ever
there used to be a Nation wide speed limit of 55mph.

Yep.

[MaloventEvil]

It's like that for my car too. Im only at that # for like a second :D . USELESS! They should have put it at like 80mph or 90...

:biglaughb

-Aurash
:redspot

[Don Nguyen]

it's like that for pratically most cars if not all, hence he said USED to be. and teh limit isnt at 80 or 90 so that's why they didnt put it there, besides once your up there you're up there it doesnt matter anymore :)

[lovesm3s]

the newer cars don't ahve that anymore yea?

[MattM20is]

Originally posted by lovesm3s
the newer cars don't ahve that anymore yea?

i know the e46's dont have it, but i think the e39's had it till they were discontinued

[NegativeCambre]

I find it kind of useful... its pretty much my 2nd to 3rd gear shift point when I'm feeling saucy with the gas.

And I kind of dig things in the car that date it... gives it character.

Steve

[JM3]

i thought it was at 55 that the flux capacitor activated and sent you back to the future....?:dunno

[NegativeCambre]

Originally posted by preppyaznboy349
i thought it was at 55 that the flux capacitor activated and sent you back to the future....?:dunno

Best.

Response.

Ever.

Steve

[toddman35]

Originally posted by preppyaznboy349
i thought it was at 55 that the flux capacitor activated and sent you back to the future....?:dunno

Wait, you're talking about 3rd gear right? ;)

[Carzzi]

Hmmm. That's odd. Was the marking a government requirement?

My '84 325e doesn't have it neither does the '93 Maxima. My 1997 Z3 didn't have it either.

Only the M3. Possibly a cold-start 2nd gear speed limit? ;)

[dinomite]

Nope. It was definently something to do with the somewhat illegaly imposed nationwide 55 MPH speed limit because most cars I know of built before 99 or whenever congress changed it have that mark.

[Stinky]

Damn, I didn't even notice mine. I remember back in the day though in some of our old cars they had the 55 with the circle around it.

[Heckler&Koch]

We have a 97 Ford pickup with a glowing light by 55. AFAIK the law was changed in the early nineties. maybe the late eighites. I am too young to remember, but I heard somewhere.

[Stinky]

Thanks for making me feel old.:)
I remember when the law was changed. And I was in high school when the seatbelt law went into effect.

[Daved]

My euro speedometer doesn't have that red mark :stickoutt

[Gene V]

at one point some speedometers didn't go past 80 mph, as I recall...

[NegativeCambre]

Originally posted by Gene V
at one point some speedometers didn't go past 80 mph, as I recall...

Correctomundo.

Funny story... the Ferrari of said era's speedometer only read to 80mph... at around the 11o'clock position... but the needle would spin all the way to the 5o'clock position...

muwahhahhaha

Steve

[JM3]

Originally posted by toddman35
Wait, you're talking about 3rd gear right? ;)




;) exactly

[rmn]

Actually it was put there so Sammy Hagar could write the song "I can't drive 55"

[Serious]

to let you know your half way to cruising speed.

[Daved]

Originally posted by Serious
to let you know your half way to cruising speed.
I thought the cruising speed was 150.

[BMW318iS]

I dont have that on my 98' 328i either...

[Brent_Vino]

i wish that ///M on the dash would be illuminated as well... it's begging to have a bulb put behind there.

[GregH]

i thought it was at 55 that the flux capacitor activated and sent you back to the future....?That's hilarious! I have a buddy that works at Microsoft who has a DeLorean with the WA license plate "OUTATME". He has a little sticker that he put on at 88 mph. Most of the time the car sits in his garage hooked up to a charger, or at the mechanic. It's hard to drive, cause you're almost laying down. No visibility either.