I owned a brand new 1988 model VN V6 calais when they first came out, which was back in the day when you could still leagally use radar detectors here in NSW. I used to sit on 180 + km/h nearly everywhere I went, and it wouldnt pull past 190 or so without changing back to 3rd. Downhill it would change up into 4th, but on the flat or uphill it would shift back to 3rd most of the time, which was up near the redline if I rememebr correctly. It would drop back to around 4700 in 4th at 190. The VN didnt have the electronic trans, but it was still virtually the same 4 speed auto transmission.
I gotta say, I love the comments like " these cars arent made to be driven at those speeds" etc etc. The calais loved sitting on 160 or more, and could easily do it for hours and hours on end, and it wasnt even that bad on fuel running it at those speeds compared to some V8's Id owned... This country could easily have the best highway system in the world, simiar to germanys autobahns etc, with open speed limits, but the stupid aussie governtments are too busy lining their own pockets with cash to build roads and highways or freeways that would be suitable for open speed limits in middle lanes. Its the same with the rail system, we should have 400 km/h bullet or maglev trains running between all capital cities, but that will never happen either whilst the aussie public lets these greedy governments sit back, line their own pockets and do nothing for the place.
