Go Honda Civic Go

In 1982 I drove a VW Golf GTI from Paris to Bruxelles Aeroport. My mission was to pick up Valdmar, a New York DJ. He was going to spin records at the Rex Club for the magazine Actuel. On the way I noticed Benzs and BMWs cruising at 180 KPH or 100 mph and decided to see how much go the GTI had in its 1.8 Liter engine. 180 was easy. 200 was faster than any other car on the autoroute. I top-ended at 220 KPH or 150 mph. That speed has remained my personal best for almost 30 years. Few people in the USA believe this story. They think 100mph is crazy fast. Most Americans cruise in their big V8s at 75. The speed limit on the highways varies from state to state. 75 for the western states. 65 for the East Coast. Highway patrols cover the interstates like white on rice. They love giving tickets. Fines can run in the thousands. We call them revenue pirates. Several years back NY State Troopers caught 1993 Honda Civic going 137 mph on I-84. The driver was ticketed for speeding, reckless driving and having vehicle windows with illegal tint. But permitted to continue on his drive. 137 is fast, but 320 KPH or 210 mph was highest speed radared on the Autoroute by the French Police. A stretch between Strasbourg and Metz. The car was a turbo-charged fuel-injected BMW M1 with a 3453 cc straight-6 engine. The flics never even bothered to chase him, but roadblocked his escape at the tollbooth. He paid his fine on the spot and drove of to his destination. It was not a fire. I have one question for the driver in New York. “Where the hell were you going that you needed to go that fast? “MacDonalds?”