[Class1E]

Originally Posted by Bert

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Again I did not see the interview . . . but I do not understand how somebody can have their car going over 100 mph for 6 minutes and not think to step on the brakes? or put it in neutral? or turn off the ignition? and again I don't have the details handy, but I've seen an article that said the brakes will always overcome the engine; I'm sure some of you might be familiar with this from power braking or the imfamous "brake stand"
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Normally, you are 100% correct. In fact, Car and Driver did a test in their March 2010 issue to determine the braking distance of a V6 Camry at closed throttle and WOT. Their results:
70 mph, closed throttle: 174 ft
70 mph, WOT: 190 ft
100 mph, closed throttle: 347 ft
100 mph, WOT: 435 ft

They also did the same test on a Roush Stage 3 Mustang (540 BHP)
70 mph, closed throttle: 166 ft
70 mph, WOT: 246 ft
100 mph, closed throttle: 324 ft
100 mph, WOT: 903 ft

So it would SEEM that, no matter what, the brakes should always be able to stop the car. The woman testifying to the committee stated that she had both feet on the brakes and tried shifting to another gear (including reverse), but neither would stop the car. I'm inclined to believe her; she has done nothing to cause me to question her credibility, unlike Toyota. The fact that people have been absolutely unable to stop their cars leads me to believe that Toyota has bigger problems than they are letting on (or realize; I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for now). I've attached the video of the interview for those that haven't seen it yet.