I first wanted to bugbase this, but I thought I get on people's nerves here before I do. Who knows, I may not have to bugbase it after all.
Anyway:
From what I read/know, the maximum speed of vehicles in cities is 200 km/h, unless its max speed is less than that. And, since pod racers are apparently working at their full speed, that must mean that on 'normal' terrain (no city clab, no city, just mother nature) the vehicles can go with their full speed. Right? (If not, then when can these pod racers utilize their full speed? They don't have repulsorlifts to go into the atmosphere. And if they never can go up to their full speed, then why do they have a max speed above 200 km/h in the first place?)
So, if the above statement is true, and you are be able to take the vehicle to its limit outside of cities, city slabs and restricted terrains, then why is it that I am in my CCC (vehicle), but can, in an open field outside of any city of city slab, go no faster than 200 km/h?
Is it because the max speed of vehicles only works when I take it into the atmosphere? If so, then how do you explain the situation with the pod racers?
Define open field? If you mean a totally different Tile then that should be a bug. If you mean the terrain around a city's slab then I'd assume it's not coded to tell the difference. It just considers the entire tile as city.