M1 300 club

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,25377467-952,00.html

THRILLSEEKERS with heavily modified cars are using one of Queensland's best-known roads as a racetrack to reach speeds of more than 300km/h.

The thrillseekers say they are chasing the "ultimate adrenalin rush" and that there is little police could do if they busted their high-speed dashes on the road between Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

A police officer has told The Courier-Mail that officers are aware of the "M1 300 Club" but, without a dedicated police helicopter, it was difficult to track the offenders.

The officer said offenders knew that police were probably unlikely to get involved in pursuits at such high speeds.

The club has simple rules – they race in the early hours of the morning on the straightest sections of the M1. Scouts peruse the highway to make sure it is clear of police and other traffic.

Club members said they were not "young long-haired hoons" but middle-aged professionals and businessmen with the money to afford expensive modifications to their cars.

These include lightweight wheels, heavy-sprung suspension, altered gears and engines with 800 horsepower – the types of modifications not found in cars bought from a showroom.

The members have to prove their cars are capable of reaching 300km/h before they are invited by email or SMS to the highly secretive and well-planned M1 races.

But one club member told The Courier-Mail that police would struggle to catch them and that they were not endangering other road users.

"What we do is a lot safer than the person who tailgates or talks on their phone during peak hour," the member said.

"People seem to think we are out to harm others and are menaces on the road but we just want to have some fun, and the thrill of doing 300km/h is hard to beat."

The revelations follow The Courier-Mail's stories this week that the M1 was returning the highest-recorded speeds on Queensland roads – from 235-243km/h.

About 10 drivers usually attend 300 Club meets held between 3am and 4am on weekdays on "long straight sections of the M1 away from civilisation".

"A few of them are bikes, which is a little annoying as a car owner because it's much easier to get a bike to do 300km/h than a car," the member said.

He admitted the risk of being caught was part of the thrill and said an increase in fixed speed cameras would not deter them. "Fixed speed cameras are a joke. Everyone knows where they are," he said.

But police yesterday condemned the practice of trying to reach such speeds on public roads. Southeast Regional Traffic Co-ordinator Inspector Greg Baade said he had never heard of the M1 300 Club but warned that police would endeavour to find those involved and prosecute them.

But other police said such irresponsible acts highlighted the need for police helicopters to track and record offenders.

"Most criminals know that police won't pursue vehicles travelling at high speeds because of the risk to other road users. If there were signs along the M1 warning of the use of aerial detection it would make a world of difference," an officer said.

The Queensland Police Union has long campaigned for police helicopters but Commissioner Bob Atkinson has described them as a "low priority".

Must get the commodore going....

I saw this in the courier last week from memory. It would be something to see but really isn't the smartest idea. I would imagine there would be some massive Jail time if you were to be caught, but chances are these folks could pay enough and get away with just a fine....

Sounds similar to what a Japanese Tuning house owner did in Australia or NZ, got deported back to Japan from what I heard.

reminds me of the time my mate in his 12sec escort was driving home from broad(water/beach) and people kept lining up beside him to race, needless to say he hosed a fair few cars.

ehehhehe, i know of a couple cars that go in the 300kmh/3am runs.....

i have been caught in the middle of a 12am one (not as serious 3am is for money)

yeah i saw this article im guessing theyd all be exotic cars

very similar to the Wangan racers of Japan....wiki that ish

Its eather a crock of puppy or its very very organised.

Its no crock Tim. Its not done by your average car owner, these guys are people that own real cars...not toys like ours. If you think its a crock, you have a lot to learn my friend

i think its goin on in most modernised countrys now

rhys wrote:

yeah i saw this article im guessing theyd all be exotic cars

You'd prolly be wrong. 300km/hr is easily attainable in modified mass produced cars, my VN has done about 250km/hr down the access road to work with the old motor and gearbox. 300 should be attainable with the new motor easy enough. Although it must be said things happen over 200km/hr that you normally don't even notice, bonnets move about, wipers vibrate and your windows and even windsrceen move.

the lantra does that at 160 lol

Yeah suspension becomes a necessity at those speed, my mates old VK used to float around at 100km/hr, then another mate bought it and did it up with lowered springs/shocks and 17's and it handled fine up to about 150

yeah im gonna get 16s and suspension after the intake and exhaust is done hopefully knock abat of time off at the drags

I think going 300 in a brick like a commodore (sorry to be blunt but they have the wind co-efficient properties of one) would require one hell of an engine and gearbox combination. If you look at the vast majority of these cars that crack these speeds they are either cracking 1000hp, or are about 7 inches shorter in body height than a commodore. I wouldn't be game to try it with a set of king springs and pedders shocks.... in fact I'm not sure if I would be game going for 300 full stop, it really is verging on stupidity at those speeds... one mistake and you are minced meat.

Ok pull your head out your ass for a minute and realise that they wind coefficient is not worse than any car on this forum. Then factor in things like torque and gearing. I said 300, you are thinking 350 and there is alot of money between 300 and 350, like 12 seconds to 10 seconds for example. Think power to weight also, what does a veyron weigh? 2000kgs thereabouts. and makes 10001hp. Now factor in a VN commodore that weighs 1350kgs and can easily make 6-700hp without having to worry about emissions or any kind of regulations. And then gear the thing for top speed rather than all round ability. All while making it low as a snake cause it doesn't go out every day anyway.

Now a Veyron goes 408km/hr, so 300km/hr doesn't seem that hard does it? And newer model LS powered commodores can make over 1000hp and weigh a tad over 1500 with some weight reduction.

Yes aero dynamics is important at these speed but power and aero dynamics are linear when talking top speed, for each 1km more you want you'll need more and more hp. Hence 300 km is ALOT harder than 400km.

Like I said, my puss bucket VN 5L did 250km/hr on the short access road to work.

Oh and BTW I have king springs and pedders shocks

ok guys, this isn't a slag off about any vehicles!! its about the M1 300 club!!!

Re-opened to discuss the topic

GRPABT1 wrote:

Ok pull your head out your ass for a minute and realise that they wind coefficient is not worse than any car on this forum. Then factor in things like torque and gearing. I said 300, you are thinking 350 and there is alot of money between 300 and 350, like 12 seconds to 10 seconds for example. Think power to weight also, what does a veyron weigh? 2000kgs thereabouts. and makes 10001hp. Now factor in a VN commodore that weighs 1350kgs and can easily make 6-700hp without having to worry about emissions or any kind of regulations. And then gear the thing for top speed rather than all round ability. All while making it low as a snake cause it doesn't go out every day anyway.

Now a Veyron goes 408km/hr, so 300km/hr doesn't seem that hard does it? And newer model LS powered commodores can make over 1000hp and weigh a tad over 1500 with some weight reduction.

Yes aero dynamics is important at these speed but power and aero dynamics are linear when talking top speed, for each 1km more you want you'll need more and more hp. Hence 300 km is ALOT harder than 400km.

Like I said, my puss bucket VN 5L did 250km/hr on the short access road to work.

Geez thats some quick cars. The laser just does 210 pingin lol. But yea i do agree with this. Power to weight ratio.

Just like a CRX/K20 combo. There is a vid of one on youtube smashing a Lambo.

power to weight isnt the major factor from going to 400km/h. its having the aerodynamic coeffiecient, the power and the torque to go there.

the bugatti veyron has such a large amount of torque and power aswell as a streamlined body for a reason, its BUILT to go that fast. did you know that the requirement to go from 300 to 400km/h is doubled? which is the reason why its got that much put into it. hell even the JUN Akira Supra had to make 1000whp just to get to 400km/h as well as have a perfectly made bodykit to give it a coefficient that will allow it.

power isnt the only factor in a top speed car, its torque and power aswell as your gearboxes last gear ratio [usually between 0.6 and 0.8] and the diff gear. a car can have 5000hp and have no torque aswell as a long ratio diff gear and 0.6 ratio on final gear...... it will go no where fast due to the fact, it has no torque to drive the car forward in that gear which would end up it slowing down. (this is all with aerodynamics aside)

end of the day, Torque wins races, Horsepower wins in the pub. thats why im more then happy with the torque that mine produces (hano was there at the dyno so he knows it)

I did have a sig line that said "as I walk through the valley of rice I shall fear no turbo for thy torque is with me" but for some reason it doesn't show up on here.

as i walk through the valley of easy power i shall buy a v8 for at the moment the slow hyundai is wit me

rhys wrote:

as i walk through the valley of easy power i shall buy a v8 for at the moment the slow hyundai is wit me

LOL at this. Go Rhys (Y)