VIDEO: Watch Driver Kick Off 85-MPH Highway By Driving 220 MPH

By Eric Nicholson Thu., Oct. 25 2012 at 10:15 AM

It's safe to say the entire country is drooling over Texas' Autobahn, the new; $1.5 billion highway near Austin with an 85-mile-per-hour speed limit, the nation's highest. Even the New York Times is jealous.

Driving 85 mph is nothing new for Texans, who already go that fast on normal roads. It's only natural then that, by way of inaugurating the new road, Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst would encourage his pal John Hennessey to drive even faster.

According to Jalopnik, the ostensible purpose of Hennessey's trip on Tuesday was to test the road's toll tag system. In reality, it was more of an excuse to test his 1,226 VR1200 Cadillac CTS-V on the open road. Spoiler alert: it goes really fast, to the tune of 220.5 mph. And yes, the toll tag system works.

"This was a win-win for our company as well as the state and TxDOT. I was amazed at how much our state officials wanted to help us," Hennessey told Jalopnik. "And in turn, we helped them too. I am truly proud to be a Texan and from a state that has the best highway system in America. We also have some of the best people who work together to get things done!"

Isn't it wonderful how Texans can work together to accomplish really important things?

Jalopnik

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Double-O-Joe

1 Like

1200 BHP and he can only get that thing to 220? Call me when a Veyron or a Shelby Ultimate Aero gives it a try.

DirtyP1

@Double-O-Joe

Do you even know what this guy does? You may know names of a couple of cars, but his company can soup up pretty much anything.

theslowpath

@Double-O-Joe Apparently it's rated to 243, which is still slower than a Veyron. Maybe he ran out of straight track.

albert.finney000

Maybe we should call in the UN to monitor this stretch of highway

jerikjonsson

Didn't NTTA do this on the Tollway when they rolled out the first Tolltags?

primi_timpano topcommenter

Cadillacs have manual transmissions?

ScottsMerkin topcommenter

@primi_timpano the CTS V does, straight from the factory

pauldodell

I swear ... we Texans do the stupidest shit on the planet.

albert.finney000

1 Like

@pauldodell - No shit, amigo, he shoulda used a Porsche.

cynicaloldbastard

"...from a state that has the best highway system in America."

The man has not been on LBJ for awhile.

ozonelarryb

@cynicaloldbastard Why did they name that road for a Mexican sex act???

Scruffygeist topcommenter

@cynicaloldbastard Or most of 35.

Joejoethedogfaceboy

@Scruffygeist @cynicaloldbastard 35 exactly. Any road that doesn't have a toll (or runs through Highland Park) is a mess.

Joejoethedogfaceboy

@Scruffygeist @cynicaloldbastard that should say "or doesn't run through..."

ScottsMerkin topcommenter

@cynicaloldbastard I was hoping and thinking that they were only talking about that stretch of 130 not our highway system as a whole

ScottsMerkin topcommenter

4 Like

This is nothing but total Texas BADASSERY!!!!!! Hennessey the man may be shady, but he builds some freaking awesome cars. Loved the sound as each car, (there is video of his camaro too) blew by the cop at 200 mph+. And now we've proven that you truly cant out run the cameras.