Nissan 300ZX Turbo

Notable No-ShowsWhittling down the field for this extravaganza was no small effort. Cars with speed limiters that hold them below the 140-mph mark (normally to keep them from exceeding their tire speed ratings) were ruled out immediately. BMW's M3, for example, has the power to easily exceed 140 mph were it not for a party-pooper of an ECU that sounds last call at 137 mph. As it turns out, the same cruel fate stifles BMW's 530i sedan. Unaware that the new 530i is now saddled with a 128-mph speed limiter, we brought one out for testing and were treated to a nice 144-mph high curve on the Stalker. We later discovered the particular car we tested (not a normal press-pool test vehicle) was using a Euro-spec computer chip without a limiter, so we booted out the Bimmer.

For our top-speed funfest, we brought along herds of cars that, based on previous testing, looked as if they might have a shot at cracking 140. Many fell just short, like the Impala SS (138 mph), the Taurus SHO (135 mph with an automatic transmission-the only one available for testing at the time), and the Integra GS-R (139 mph), to name but a few. We tried two Mustangs: a Cobra (137 mph) and a GT (135 mph), but neither could turn the trick.

Ultimately, our field of 16 comprises the bargain bullets currently for sale in America-and there's not a "nearly" or "if only" in the bunch.

154 MPHNissan 300ZX TurboOur photographer wanted shots of the Nissan's speedometer showing more than 150 mph-that's why he was leaning over my shoulder as the 300ZX Turbo slammed into its speed limiter. The sudden deceleration caused when the computer chopped off the fuel flow pitched him forward, only his seatbelt preventing him from slamming against the steering wheel. When the car slowed enough to disengage the limiter, its twin turbos instantly spooled back up and all 300 horses strained forward, tossing him back between the seats-just as it again plowed into the limiter. Exacerbating this, in the bumpiest sections at top speed, the 300ZX danced around. We cycled through this drill a couple of times before I lifted to run just under the limiter. I had to backpedal to half throttle to prevent its kamikaze attacks on the limiter. Since it'll run 154 at what seems like half throttle, disable the limiter and we'd bet 165 mph wouldn't be out of the question for the hard-charging Nissan.