| aspera |
10-31-2009 07:11 AM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by OldSkoolToys
(Post 3080)
That over the FT?
To each their own.
That car looks like an absolute death trap if you ever got into an accident.
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Check out the MacLaren F1 carbon fiber nose cone crash test video. The VW is made out of carbon fiber/plastic.
The L1 has half doors and boxy sills. Those boxy side sills are great for side impacts as well as front/rear impacts because they transmit energy to the rest of the car. The driver is protected by a carbon tub.
The driver's cabin is narrow. It is hard to hit squarely. The driver is out of the way of wheel/tire intrusion.
The ONLY advantage that a heavier vehicle has is that it STEALS safety from the lighter car. The solution to that is to increase the distance from the front bumper to the driver (increase crumple zone), or scale up the whole car 10-20% for production. Besides being hit by a 3 ton vehicle, the L1 would be safer in most collisions. In a single car accident, it should do better than an SUV/truck. It has less energy to dissipate. It's less likely to GET INTO AN ACCIDENT as well. The road is very wide for this car.
An SUV is more likely to roll over and will stay upside down due to the flat roof. The low center of gravity VW is less likely to tip all the way over, but if it did...the round top would right it. ;) |
