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I have had mine over 100 on I-40 about a week ago, also on a straight part. Then I do pop down to Phoenix and back on I-17. I-17 Climbs 5,000' in under 100 miles and is curved as it can be and still comply with Federal Interstate design rules. It is rated as the most dangerous interstate in the country, only 3 fatalities so far this month. I could comfortably do 90 up it in the Range Rover SC. It handled quite well. The Defender cannot equal its speed in cornering. Power yes, but it's steering is mushy at speed in corners. So due to this lack of steering authority act speed along with higher body roll rates, I don't feel comfortable doing it much above 80. That is with the Scorpion tires. It would only be worse on my Cooper AT-3 4S's, which I also have for field work and snow. Speed is not the objective with this truck. I wanted to replace the Range Rover and the 97 Defender with one vehicle. So you have compromises. So the Defender takes me 7 minutes more on the drive. If I'm in a hurry I fly into Scottsdale, now that's dangerous, but only takes 32 minutes vice two hours.
Yes, the Defender is definitely not in the upper echelon for cornering/handling, with its tall profile and boxy build, but I can see how your RR SC did so well. My Evoque blew me away with its glued-to-the-road handling capability. And I also have the Pirelli Scorpions, much better suited for the road than the AT types out there. Agree that the Defender is designed for a different purpose than speed, but it is quite capable in that category. It is a compromise, but a minor one at that. When asked about it on the street, I really can’t find any negatives. Only raves.
Oh yes Nürbugring. Well that is ludicrous. That is a pay to play track. So lets see what else tested and can claim the exact same credentials. I had a T3 Syncro, 4WD version of the Westfalia camper. It was so slow my wife, a very calm Japanese. She is not prone to extreme anything once commented on the T3, "is this as fast as it can go?" As we where going up a grade in the Mojave. Truckers had a nickname for it; "The Moving Guardrail." Anyhow, the cred from Nürbugring is ludicrous, especially considering the alumni whom marketing sent there for advert potential. The Fiat was a..well the article fairly well summed it up. There are around 40 or so cars that putting on a racetrack was simply a reach by marketing, but I really don't feel like copying them all.
Volkswagen T3
Whenever we see a Volkswagen Type 2 (T3) it’s easy to think about a clown vehicle or a vehicle that is used in the circus. It would have been interesting if the one on the Nürburgring had clowns in it. The Volkswagen is the 3rd generation of the transporter and is known in many countries by different names. But, like the Audi hearse, it is expected a Volkswagen vehicle would make the list because Volkswagen is German manufactured as well. The vehicle is no longer in production, so it is likely a German classic that would make several appearances on the Nürburgring.
Fiat Multipla
There are so many things wrong with having a Fiat Multipla on the track. First, no one wants to see such an ugly car, or pay money to see it on the Nürburgring. Thankfully, the Italians ceased production of the car in 2010, so we’ll hopefully never have to see it on the Nürburgring again. The car is short, wide and has six seats divided equally into two rows. Despite its awful look, it was good for cargo transportation and for getting people from one place to the next. The one on the Nürburgring was a bit of an eyesore, especially since it was unexpected and black.
Ford F-250 Pickup
Where do we being finding a list of reasons why seeing the Ford F-250 pickup on the tracks of the Nürburgring was weird. Well firstly, the F-250 is a super duty or heavy-duty pick-up truck, designed for serious towing. It can handle as much as 15,000 pounds, which is more than what most pickups can tow. It accelerates from 0 to 60 miles per hour in about 6.7 seconds. While the acceleration time is not bad, it’s still not the best especially when there are production cars that can get to 60 miles per hour in less than 3 seconds.
Thanks for posting! Defender wasn't actually going much faster than traffic. It was clear from both videos the other car was going to miss the exit and moved very quickly across two lanes striking the rear quarter. 100% fault of other driver.
