CNN reports on a gathering of more than 40 of Prius-driving “mileage maniacs” near Tokyo. During this rolling geekfest, Takashi Toya (a.k.a. “The Shogun”) showcases his plug-in rechargeable Prius. Toya's also tricked his Prius' ECU into thinking the gasoline engine is warmed up (when it’s not) so it can run on battery power right from the git-go. So, how far can a Prius take you on a single fill up? The self-proclaimed “world record holder” says she got 1.5k miles (2500 Km) out of a single tank of gas. Well, that and battery power. After the gathering, the group “raced” their Prioras to find out who can use the least fuel. As a counterpoint, we offer one Lebron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers. According to Sports Illustrated, Mr. James was recently clocked driving his 2008 Mercedes Benz at 101mph on I71 near Medina, Ohio. The incident occurred at 2:34 A.M. on December 30, on his 23rd birthday. Happy birthday. Sign here.
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Actually the parked SUV(or anything) would get worse mileage because it would go zero miles while the gas evaporated and turned to varnish in the tank. 0 mpg is as bad it can get!
So, the important question is…what type of Benz does LeBron drive?
One of the top athleyes in the world driving 101mph. Whoopy do!
I spent a summer in Germany and drove a little 4 cylinder Ford at higher speeds than that. And I would get blown right off by the 150mph Audis. North Americans are scared of their own shadows anymore.
If you saw how pathetic the driving test was you wouldn’t say that, pathetic doesn’t even begin to descibe it. I’ve driven that stretch of 71 about 10 years ago, unless it’s been repaved and the crown fixed the road is dangerous at normal highway speeds and a deathtrap above 90 mph. Not a smooth well constructed road like in Germany. LeBron got a trip to jail like anyone else traveling that fast or did he just get a ticket because of who he is?
Yeah, on most US roads (Pennsylvania, anyone?), 80 mph on a warm, sunny day is “too fast for conditions”.
Pretty sure I71 in Ohio is an uber smooth straight highway, drove it about a 8 months ago. 101 wouldn’t be all that dangerous on that road at that hour if I’m remembering the right road.
I’m think LeBron has an McLaren SLR Mercedes. But I didn’t think it was a 2008 (as stated in the article) so he might have gotten another Benz since then.
And finally, would a normal person actually get arrested for going 101 on the highway? Going 101 in a 65 zone is about the same proportion as going 55 in a 35 zone. Not saying going 55 in a 35 is safe (especially in a residential area) but 101 on some highways seems A LOT safer than say, following too closely on the highway during medium traffic. Also I’ve been stopped in Ohio (don’t ever speed in that state btw cops are everywhere) at midnight going about 92 and almost talked myself out of the ticket before getting a lesser penalty with no points.
Just sayin’.
That stretch of of 71 is in the northeaster part of the state just west of Akron, used to be heavy construction there just north of there years back and a nasty ripple in the road every 100 feet that went all the way south to Columbus. But your right, I forgot I have been on that more recently and they repaved it, don’t know if I would call it uber smooth though.
A lot of states consider triple digits reckless driving or reckless endangerment and they toss you in jail for the night and impound your car, at least they used to. I figured Ohio fell into that group since they have a bunch of other retarded rules and the city of cops that would arrest you for having a broken tail light(corrupt one stop sign town). I think I have gotten 4 or 5 tickets in Ohio, all I remember is all the cops were complete dicks, they don’t have to be rude about it. I never even lived in that state, just passing through to see girls, friends or my brother.
shaker – you jogged the memory for a second…please say you remember the I-70 eastbound sign at the Pennsylvania border that read “Pennsylvania’s speed limit is STILL 55mph!” I wonder what happened to that sign once they finally decided to go kicking and screaming to 65mph? Of course it didn’t help that on the PA Turnpike there were so many hiding spots in the mountains for the police to hide that you really did have to go less than 60. I got nailed for doing 62 in a 55 downhill near Somerset. I wish I was kidding…
Isn’t the latest “gotta have” for basketball players any AMG version of an S-class? I wonder if the Caddy is collecting dust.
I used the Oklahoma Indian Nation Turnpike to find out that my 2003 Monte Carlo S/S (Jeff Gordon wannabe blue) was limited to 120 MPH top speed. It really felt comfortable at that speed and the tach showed that the engine could have easily done more.
No traffic either way in sight for miles, especially Okla State Troopers which are supposed to work on state law of “no tolerance”. I felt comfortable with its handling at that speed and would have pushed it to its limit if it hadn’t been limited to 120 mph.
Blucon: I also learned to drive on the German Autobahns; hence, not afraid of driving fast if the car and road can support the speed which the Monte and the Indian Nation Turnpike did on that summer afternoon. It’s not a heavily traveled road, it costs too much money to go to nowhere you really want to go. I was headed from Tulsa, OK to Tyler, Tx.
All:
Yesterday, I drove through VA. Interstate 95 which has an annoying amount of milage in the middle of nowhere set to 55 mph. Now the maximum fine of $1350 makes a lot more sense. Since I was travelling with Florida plates, I took my life in my hands and drove 55, figuring that I was prime target. I would have felt safer driving 55 in the parking lane though, I’ve never had my doors blown off so effectively by the locals, but I wasn’t chancing donating to the VA speed trap machine. Thanks to TTAC for sharing the Atlantic coasl speed fines info. a few days ago before I made the trip back to Florida from Baltimore.
“According to Sports Illustrated, Mr. James was recently clocked driving his 2008 Mercedes Benz at 101mph on I71 near Medina, Ohio. The incident occurred at 2:34 A.M. on December 30, on his 23rd birthday.”
You people don’t understand. Ohio is a pestilential cop-ridden hell hole. As far as the Highway Patrol are concerned, their only job is running speed traps. If they saw a criminal, they would run the other way screaming. The same is true of the town clowns and the county mounties.
In a rational place, the cop would have congratulated King James on his most recent game, and asked him to cool-it around that interchange. The thing that really kills me is that he is sure to go to LA or NY when he becomes a free agent. Thanks for sending us back to NBA hell, Mr. Cop.
For the love of God, don’t plan on exceeding the speed limit in Ohio by more than 5 to 7 mph. Use your cruise control, your radar detector, and keep an eye out for lines of folks hitting their brakes.
I know it sounds awful, and it is, but there is no reason for you to be in Ohio unless you have business or family here. The landscape is uninteresting and the weather is just dismal. So do yourself a favor, and stay the heck away.
PS. If you know King James, tell him to do what I do. Take 77 south out of Cleveland, and pickup 271 to 71.
“The thing that really kills me is that he is sure to go to LA or NY when he becomes a free agent.”
HAHA you Cleveland fans crack me up.
Why stay in a town where the cops bust you for that kind of bs?
Not really that impressive really when people have got more than 1700km out of a 60litre tank with an absolutely standard Peugeot 307.
The thing about cops is it tends to change state to state. In my Rav4 here in Texas, I was radar clocked at 98 in a 60 and got a $150 ticket or go to court and fight it. I ended up getting 20 hours of community service. I had to do CS for my high school (Parochial…noting like forced voulenteering), so I just doubled it up.
In Mid Mizzery, I got nabbed doing 70 in a 60 in a BMW 3er, had my car searched, held up on the side of the road for a good hour, and was threatend that I could loose my liscense on the spot. Needless to say, I’m not heading back there anytime soon.
Speeding in Ohio is like guzzling Old Grandad in a Baptist church. There are few states that issue more tickets per car-mile.
Virtual: you shoulda just paid.
Jazbo: I did know Baptists drank that much in church. Maybe I need to re-think the religion thing.
Actually if the Hummer shown were hauling LeBron and his entourage its ‘people mpg’ would be far greater than shogun’s Prius. I’m sure there are at least 8 really big dudes in his clique.
Jazbo: that comment would have made a lot more sense, if I had typed the “not” between know and Baptist, as I intended originally.
I would like to see Mr. Toya’s Prius meet emissions requirements with the ECU change…great he’s “saving the planet” by driving a Prius that puts out crazy amounts of HC and NOx at every engine start-up since he changed the ECU…
driving a Prius that puts out crazy amounts of HC and NOx at every engine start-up since he changed the ECU…
It’s probably the opposite. If he was spewing out unburnt HC he would have gotten worse mileage than normal. Since he tricked the computer into thinking the car was warm it was probably running a lean mixture during the start/stops at lights, most-likely doing a little damage to his engine with the excess heat from the lean mixture. The car would have run poorly until it was really warmed up and would have been throwing up codes all over the place. He must have done some major reprogramming of the ECU to avoid the prethora of sensors that car must have.
theflyersfan:
I never personally saw the sign, but a friend from Claysville told me of it.
Yes, PA held onto the double nickel a long time after other states; probably because they had seen a reduction in road wear on the Turnpike and route 80 (two big truck routes E-W).
Yes, plenty of places to hide for Smokey here in PA; but I’ve only been busted twice in 30 years; just know where they hide!
actually, HC production is not directly related to fuel economy. He would be definately WAY over the CO limits in Germany (and soon to be CA?) as CO production directly relates to fuel economy.
Your right I got caught up in one aspect of it and even totally forgot about your comment about NOx.