Car and Driver Runs 13-Car 0-150-0 MPH Test on 2.2-Mile Taxiway

Q: Why did one of the world's most iconic sports cars fail to complete the ultimate high-speed challenge?

The Porsche 911 Turbo S failed the 0-200-0 mph challenge because it never actually reached 200 mph: Car and Driver recorded it at 199.3 mph before the car’s electronic speed limiter cut in. That made the 911 the only DNF in a test designed around a strict 200-mph target. Its official top speed is quoted at 200 mph, but in real-world conditions on the 2.2-mile taxiway, that final fraction mattered. Car and Driver noted the limiter intervened at an indicated 208 mph, but the GPS-verified speed was 199.3 mph, just shy of the benchmark needed to begin the braking phase for an official run. The miss also reflects how demanding the jump from 150 to 200 mph is. At those speeds, aerodynamic drag rises sharply, and a car needs not just strong acceleration but enough top-end headroom to keep pulling. The Turbo S remained extremely quick by ordinary standards, but this was a test of absolute high-speed capability, not just launch performance or braking. So the answer is simple: one of the world’s most iconic sports cars did not fail because it was slow overall, but because its governor stopped it just short of the required speed, leaving it unable to complete the full 0-200-0 run.

3 articles · Updated · Car and Driver · Aug 20

13 performance vehicles tackled Car and Driver’s 0-150-0 mph test at Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport, using a 2.2-mile taxiway to measure how quickly each could hit 150 mph and stop.
150 mph was chosen because 0-60 and even 0-100 no longer fully separate modern high-performance cars, so the magazine paired acceleration with braking in a single run.
GPS-based VBox data and a pressure-sensitive brake-pedal switch captured each pass, while runs under 150 mph were thrown out — including one that reached 149.99 mph.
Oscoda’s lower-traction pavement meant quarter-mile and 60-mph figures were not directly comparable with Car and Driver’s usual test track, though quicker cars still stood out.
The field ranged from a Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X, McLaren 750S and Porsche 911 Turbo S to EVs, sedans, SUVs and affordable entries, underscoring how broadly extreme speed now spans the market.