Crash Test

I would cry if they showed a Ferrari crash test.

 

There some factory pictures floating around here of Ferraris stacked like cord wood with crash damage to them. The do appear to be crash test cars from the photos.

 

As far as I know every manufacturer has to crash test every model they import into the USA in order to obtain DOT certification. I found this picture very easily using the search function.
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Everybody crashes and pulls cars apart before they can sell them. Probably 5 - 10 of each model. Frontal crash, rear impact, side impact, seatbelt pulls, airbag deplaoyments etc. The number of crashes goes up with number of seats and build options. Spider and coupe must be tested separately.

Not fun, but necessary, actually really interesting to see live.

Mike

 

Ouch, that's painful to watch but for our safety it's important.

 

Even an Enzo?

 

Seeing that would make me cry...

Can you imagine Bugatti having to crash test the $1.3 million Veyron??

 

For low volume cars, the DOT grants an exception. LaForzas were sold for years on an exemtion from having a SRS system (there was that model year issue, too.) But, 355s, 360s, and the like have all been through the gov't crash test program.

 

Could you imagine the lawsuit is they didn't crash test it and it killed somebody in a minor crash? They can't afford not to crash test them even if they had an exemption.

 

Costs $1.3 million for the consumer, but costs Bugatti 3 times that to produce! It's even worse if you think about it that way!

 

Enzo,Veyron,CGT etc were all crash tested to certify in US.(complete,road legal cars,not just "shells" used at factory testing)
Porsche did not want to "sacrifice" any 959s so they were not certified for sale here.

 

Porsche wouldn't crash test the 959 in order to certify it for US sale. Bill Gates and his co-founder of Microsoft, Paul Allen each had 959's impounded by the DOT because of this. Gates offered to do whatever computer simulations were necessary to prove the crashworthiness of the 959 but to avail. He then went on to become a force in the effort to get the Show-and-Drive regulations created to allow "special' cars to be imported into the US for show purposes.

 

Won't happen. Because...

Actually, they can. One just has to look at the lawsuits handled by American manufacturers where they would pay the plaintiffs rather than CHANGE THE DESIGN!

 

Another example of gov't claiming to be protecting us from ourselves. If we want to take the risk of driving a car that hasn't been officially crash tested, how does that hurt anyone else? Just more Gov't by the gov't, for the gov't and of the gov't IMHO. Not trying to make this a P&R thread here.

My understanding is that things are better now. Met a guy on the Peak to Peak Ralley that found a 959 in Japan in a museum. Had to replace all the bushings. Took him 6 months to get it through the Houston authorities with some political pull. Interesting that he had to have the tires custom made at $1,000 each. No spare in the car. Has extras at home waiting to be FedExed if he needs a spare

 

There's a crash test area adjacent to the entrance to building where the engines are built. That area is off limits on the tours.

Carol