can an automatic car run up to 100mph without realeasing the last gear?

Answer 1

So that's the reason why you asked about the number of speeds in a auto trans?

Unless is some sort of exotic model that can reach 200 miles per hour I doubt it.
Your car is broken Pal...

Saludos

Answer 2

Sure, many do. Generally the 'last gear' is an overdrive gear and this gear is designed more for cost savings a lower speeds and the to increase top in speed. Thus the top speeds a vehicle can reach is not necessarialy through the 'last gear'.

Remember that the gear ratio of a the 'overdrive' or 'last gear' is designed to spin the drive shaft significantly faster than engine is spinning (thus the term OverDrive). While this is good for normal speed driving this can also work against the car for the top speed. Remember Einstiens e=mc2 which states that energy is equal to the mass of an object time it's speed squared. Thus the inverse is true that it takes a higher energy to 'push' a vehicle faster and faster. For example, the energy required to keep a car going at 30mph is around 60 times less than required to keep the car going at 90 miles an hour (ratio no exacty but you get the idea). Thus if you are using the overdrive (Last gear) your engine may not have the horsepower to supply the needed energy to sustain the speed. However, with the lower gear ratio of the next to the last gear, the engine does have the ability to sustain a higher speed.

Hope this helps.

Remember: You can break the laws of man (speed limits) and get away with it, but you can't break the laws of physics and survive. Speed kills.

Oh.. to discount the nay-sayers answers... I have a 2000 F150 with a v6 and standard 5 speed. The last gear being over drive. I have reached speed of 90 to 100 in 4th with no modifications on regular basis.. (I forget to shift till I realize the engine is really screaming). The same truck with a V8 could easily do this.

Answer 3

The answer is "it depends." Some cars can and some cars can't, depending on how much horsepower is under the hood and how the transmission is torqued. It also depends on how much you actually value your car's transmission -- and whether you're OK with abusing it this way. Using this technique to get your car up to speed runs a non-negligible risk of causing your transmission to disintegrate into a hundred or so little, tee-ninesie pieces.

So, it depends! :)

Answer 4

My stock 78 Cougar would still downshift into 2nd at 90 when you punched it. And the last gear in most cars is overdrive now, which wouldn't get you going as fast as the next one down anyhow.

Answer 5

I have a 2000 z28 Camaro with a 4-speed auto in it. Before I changed the speed limiter in it, I would hit 116 (the limit) before it would shift into 4th gear.

Answer 6

if it does it won't for long...you'll blow the engine for sure. Why would you want to do that anyway...no where in this country other than on the race track are you allowed to go that fast.

Answer 7

Possibly, but your transmission would never be the same... or, you're riding in a NASCAR racer.

Answer 8

no way