The last ticket I got in the S I felt like I was in an Abbott and Costello routine. I pulled out of a shopping complex onto the main road and after about a mile or so I see a policeman on the side of the road. I was doing 45 so I figure no problem, he waves me over. I pull over and he tells me I got you doing 40 in a 30 so I'm thinking to myself I was actually doing 45 and directly in front of me like RIGHT THERE is a sign that says speed limit 55 and the other thing was this policeman was smiling the whole time like a used car salesman type smile. So I asked him if the speed limit is 55 why did you pull me over for going 40 in a 30 zone? His answer was I got you on reverse mounted radar and caught your speed at 40 down the road where you just were and the limit is 30 and of course he is smiling the whole time. This was in N.H. and he made the comment that I should feel free to fight it if I want but he sees that I live a distance away so it may not be worth my time to go to court over it. So I did go to court to fight it took a day out of work spent close to half a day waiting for my case to be called and the officer who gave me the ticket wasn't there but a representative from his department was and the judge had me talk to him and he told me I would have to come back again but he could bring the charge down to the lowest fine that they had and no points on my license. So I ended up doing that rather than losing another day going to court.

 

Ah see in Massachusetts you have to pay court costs to appeal.
If you win good for you but you still don't get the court costs back.
want to appeal the magistrate and go before the judge, get out the checkbook!
same deal. win? you still lose. it can cost you a $100 to go win in court.
'

 

Same in Rhode Island. Plus the cops in R.I. in my experience anyways don't smile at you like used car salesmen.

 

I think I got my biggest desire for speed out of my head with several trips to the track with the S2000 but I do recall when I first got it I wanted to see what the stock S2000 top end was - since a lot of numbers were tossed around in the 2001. Clearly I knew it would do 100 mph. Did that on the first test drive on the first entry ramp onto I-94 (do not yell at me, it was a 'used' car for sale*).

So we are out in the flatest most boring part of the entire world and I am behaving myself, doing maybe 90, and started to push it up hoping the my bride did not wake up. But, she did. I begged her. Look Love, I only want to do this ONCE and get it out of my system. I know you don't want me to do this in Michigan? I was in Nebraska, Iowa or South Dakota .. .. some state, where you can see for 50 miles ahead. We were still debating (at least I was) at about 120 when I look to my far left and what do I see. How can that be? Yep, a Cop. Now I knew he didn't zap me as I did travel with radar then. He waited at the intersection of the two roads and road my ass all the way out of the state. Wife was grinning ear to ear. Can honestly say I never did find out what top end on my car was.

 

^^ We get wiser as we get older. I've been up on the interstate in northern Vermont a few times with my S and have been tempted but there is always risk. At certain times of the day and of the year it is empty up there and wide open but there is always a chance of an animal running out or this, one time I was up there and a trooper came running out of the brush with a radar gun LOL! It was like the Dukes of Hazzard he had his cruiser all covered up with foliage! I was all legit so he couldn't get me on anything.
Dave, like you I had noticed that there were a lot of differences in test reports of the S2000's top speed. I was curious too so instead of doing it I checked out the internet and saw a video of someone doing a run at a speed event and I remember it was quick up to about 130 but took quite a bit to get the rest of the way. I believe it ended up being 161 believe it or not.

 

That is just wrong. You automatically guilty and have to pay a "fine" in the guise of court costs.

 

^^ Yup. Another one I was in rhode Island, on 146 for those in the know, its a 4 lane divided highway I had 2 lanes to choose from the right where everone goes 15 miles an hour under the speed limit and the left where everyone goes 20 miles an hour over the speed limit so I'm in the right decide to pull out to pass I get in the left lane then I see a car coming behind me doing about 90 so I kick in the old vtec trying to get out of the way then see a statie on the side of the road. The car that was behind me and I pull over I start explaining what happened to the trooper and he says yeah I saw the whole thing if you go to court you can get out of paying the fine since you have a clean driving record. I felt like saying why don't you just not give me the ticket but didn't. So I was living in Vt. then so had to use vacation time to go to R.I. to go to court to inform the judge that I had a clean driving record and of course pay court costs.

 

Dave I'll admit it has been a long time since I truly let the horses out to run and found the top end of any of my cars.
Of the current stockyard:
the GL550 is slowest and limited to 134.
The E550 is limited to 155
The GT-S and S63 coupe are capped at 186.
I think the closest I've gotten is maybe 40 from the top on the GL550.
Any one of those top ends would land my fat tookus in jail.
The S63 is the most dangerous. their really isn't any difference between 30, 60 90 or 100 in that. just smooth and quiet.
unless the highway has those concrete expansion strips, that's the giveaway.
Instead of bahbump... bahbump.... it's more like bipbipbipbipbipbipbip

 

In Washington DC Suburbs, we have speed cameras for revenue stream for the counties. I've had 4 such tickets at $40 a piece. I try to be smarter and drive more aware of these cameras. I thought about going to the court but it's probably not worth the effort. Court cost plus ticket would be worse. I just chalk it up to having an expensive steak dinner.

 

Do they get reported to your insurance company?