160mph speedometers. Why?

Seems like most newer cars have 160mph speedometers in them. Why is this? If the cars is that fast, fine, but most of the cars would be lucky to see 125. (And if I'm going that fast I'm watching the track!) On a 180degree sweep this puts 80 at the top and crams the part you actually use for day to day driving in a 90 degree section.  Its so irritating to have a 5mph difference be the width of the needle..... 

Its not a KM conversion thing as they are marked for both.

Lol

This sounds like one of those funny "old man yells at cloud" moments 

Hmm...  seems better than having an 85 MPH speedometer when that can be close to normal cruising speed on some highways.

120 seems like the sweet spot for non-performace cars.

Get off my lawn.

Why?  The same reason they have bottle/table service at clubs in Las Vegas.  Most of the people paying 20x market price for a bottle of cheap vodka won't take anyone home, but it makes them feel like they might. 

Probably part marketing as 160 looks good on the dash. The other part may be standardizing the speedos on same models with varying engine choices, to save some costs.

My MINI has a 150mph speedo , but is electronically limited to 135. I wonder if the speedometer is made for the fastest model variant and the slower ones get it anyway.

I'm pretty sure is psychological. No one really likes "using" all the speedo all the time. Most places you can run right around 75-80 on the freeway/highway. So, perfect 80 is the middle on a 160 speedo. Then you have a scenario of "there is more speedo to use!". Ex wife's explorer st has a digital and sweep speedo that says it goes to 160 even tho it's governed to 146.

I get the idea of using 1 for all models, but which Mazda 3 (2013  or newer) gets close to 160?

Gearheadotaku (Forum Supporter) said:

I get the idea of using 1 for all models, but which Mazda 3 (2013  or newer) gets close to 160?

One dropped out of an airplane?

At least once a week I have people touring the shop looking at the cars and they ALWAYS look at the speedometer of say an E-type and say something like "Wow, this will go 160!" or an Austin Healey "120, that's fast!"

It had never occurred to me that people really thought the speedometer was an accurate representation of a cars top speed. 

In reply to Trent :

This. It's a marketing thing, most people are dumb enough to believe that correlates to the vehicle's actual top speed. Some percentage of the general public will choose the 3 over, say, a Corolla, if the latter "only goes 140."

Ranger50 said:

 Ex wife's explorer st has a digital and sweep speedo that says it goes to 160 even tho it's governed to 146.

I just want to take a moment to reflect on the fact that we live in a time when an Explorer needs a 146mph governor.

Hummer EV has max speed of 108

it most certainly can do more, it had a lot left in it when I was driving one but the gauge cluster is just a screen with numbers so fun needle stuff

Ian F (Forum Supporter) said:

Hmm...  seems better than having an 85 MPH speedometer when that can be close to normal cruising speed on some highways.

If I am going over 85mph, the number is purely academic.

I like the 85mph speedo.

Teh Volvo is limited to 161mph, has a 160mph speedo, and half of it is completely useless. 

Gearheadotaku (Forum Supporter) said:

I get the idea of using 1 for all models, but which Mazda 3 (2013  or newer) gets close to 160?

160km/h is, what, 100mph?  Does it use the same numbers when switched to metric?

I have a pic of the 220mph speedometer in a new Buick Encore.

IIRC Japan market cars have a 180km/h limiter.

Digital speedometers are just better.  Fight me.

Koreans have been using 140 for decades and recently went to 160. I don't care, most of them could theoretically do it anyway.

In reply to ShinnyGroove (Forum Supporter) :

I recommend reading Applied experimental psychology; Human factors in engineering design, it has a lot of fun insight on this subject. 

My Speed3 is electronically limited to 155mph and the speedometer goes to 160mph, which seems perfectly calibrated. It is odd to see 160mph (or similar) on economy cars with 100whp. 

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

Gearheadotaku (Forum Supporter) said:

I get the idea of using 1 for all models, but which Mazda 3 (2013  or newer) gets close to 160?

160km/h is, what, 100mph?  Does it use the same numbers when switched to metric?

I have a pic of the 220mph speedometer in a new Buick Encore.

 

IIRC Japan market cars have a 180km/h limiter.

And that 180km/h limit is great. If you're legit going over 111mph, you should probably be focusing on the RPMs not the speedo.

Side note, some of those Japanese aftermarket 300km/h speedos are now genuine collectors items and sell for crazy money... the FD 300kh/h units are $800-$3,500 depending on who made them etc

I had a '66 Mustang that came with a 140 mph speedometer.  It saw 135 more than once.  Just sayin'...

My Subaru speedo goes to 150mph and I don't think it can get past 120. Extremely optimistic. 
 

On the other hand my Moto Guzzi only reads to 80 but will just do more than 100. Of course I have no idea if/when I arrive at that speed because I can't see it. 

ShinnyGroove (Forum Supporter) said:

Digital speedometers are just better.  Fight me.

Mmmm no; with an analog needle you don't actually have to read it to know what your speed is. Much like aircraft have all the gauges set so that all of the needle on the gauges point straight up if everything is normal.

Tyler H said:

Ranger50 said:

 Ex wife's explorer st has a digital and sweep speedo that says it goes to 160 even tho it's governed to 146.

I just want to take a moment to reflect on the fact that we live in a time when an Explorer needs a 146mph governor.

It gets to 100 from even like 40 reasonably quickly on the street. It traps 97-99 at the end of the 1/4 mile. 400fhp at 4800#.

it will go faster once I start putting mods in it. Intercooler, tune, downpipes, exhaust, turbos, nitrous.. Nothing tooo serious.