Just how well did C5's do during crash tests?
#21
Burning Brakes
Member Since: Jun 2005
Location: TN
Posts: 1,171
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Cruise-In VII Veteran
oops, sorry, I was thinking about another car(It's too early for me!). Actually I have a picture of the vette I was talking about from the museum, the vette wasn't too bad, except it looked like the radiator and front of the engine were toast!
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
#22
Burning Brakes
Member Since: Mar 2005
Location: Royal Oak MI
Posts: 1,216
Likes: 0
Received 11 Likes
on
10 Posts
St. Jude Donor '06
The pictures that blacksedan87 posted are of the Corvette at the NCM. As you can see the passenger tire is almost where it was before the crash. The corvette is an extremely safe car. Not only does it incorporate the panel shedding, and hydroformed frame rails, but it also incorporates energy absorbtion in the seatbelts (EA Loops) and also has the traction control, active handling to "prevent" accidents. Furthermore, I believe the airbags were updated to incorporate reduced inflation force (I'm not sure about this but my dad thinks they did based on the seatbelt revisions, he was the 2nd engineer on the program). The doors have the side impact beam that run diagonal across from the top front of the door to the rear bottom. The weight of the car is also favorable. Also, you have a long hood and a lot of area infront of the driver that can be "compacted" in the event of a crash...nothing is a guarantee but having all this technology around you sure helps! The new C6's have even more technology and the also have pretensioning seatbelt buckles...
Last edited by Stealthy4; 10-18-2005 at 10:52 AM.
The following users liked this post:
Cedarberry (10-12-2015)
#23
Drifting
Thread Starter
I dont think I could hit the button to start the crash sequence.
...just like porsche couldn't on the 959... thats why it was never legalized in the US, they wouldnt crash test them.
...just like porsche couldn't on the 959... thats why it was never legalized in the US, they wouldnt crash test them.
#24
Team Owner
Here is a link to a similar thread from a month ago. Included you will find a link to the video of the actual crash of the white C5 pictured earlier in this thread. The car held up quite well considering it is a 30 mph head on impact into an immovable barrier. You will see the car's outer shell dissipate much of the force of impact and the passenger compartment remains relatively unscathed.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...o&forum_id=103
I have not been able to find any NHTSA data on the C5 Corvette, but it is obvious that it was tested by the GM team anyway.
Paul
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...o&forum_id=103
I have not been able to find any NHTSA data on the C5 Corvette, but it is obvious that it was tested by the GM team anyway.
Paul
#25
Safety Car
Originally Posted by talon90
I have not been able to find any NHTSA data on the C5 Corvette, but it is obvious that it was tested by the GM team anyway.
Paul
Paul
#26
Race Director
Member Since: Jul 2005
Location: The Beautiful Greater Bay Area California
Posts: 11,308
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Originally Posted by Evil-Twin
A C5 is a seriously safe car......its ability to absorb impact is second to none in the US market. Those who say it is a coffin on wheels have no clue to the engineering safety designs built into this car..... AS Ive mentioned in another thread... even the console door hinge is designed with front rear, and side impact safety in mind... it will stay half closed and keep any objects inside from becoming potential airborne shrapnel.
Awesome.
#27
Crash tests
I don't ever plan on crashing mine, but you always get that general "I don't know the hell I'm talking about, but.." comments about how unsafe corvettes are because they are "fiberglass" (the evil weight saver).. I don't believe any of that crap, simply because fiberglass is just as good of an impact absorber as any I would assume... anyone have any real data on this?
#28
Burning Brakes
I personally can attest that Corvettes are a safe vehicle when in a accident !! In 1976, a day before Easter weekend, a friend and I, with me driving my 64' Corvette roadster at night along the Colorado River on the Cal. side. When I was approaching a curve to the left, a speeding car (unknown type) came across the line and was headed straight towards me, blinded by it's high beams I turned the Vette to the right enough to avoid the head on. All I remember was seeing blue dots and blinded as the car went by me and jumping on the brakes, long story short, we went off the road and landed nose first into a 15 foot revine hitting the steep hillside at 37 mph. I still believe to this day the fiberglass absorbed a great deal of the impact and softened the abrupt stop which saved our lives. We did sustain some moderate injuries, but we lived to tell the story. This incident in my life made me a firm believer in the Corvette as a safe vehicle, if we had been in a metal car the concussion of the impact would have been far more severe. This is my belief !!
Last edited by 2FAS4UU; 10-11-2015 at 04:30 PM.
#29
Race Director
Member Since: Sep 2006
Location: (S) Walton County NW FL
Posts: 10,714
Received 1,101 Likes
on
853 Posts
the real deal...& not a test
Data compiled since the original 2005 posting...
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=3362140
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=3362140
#30
Le Mans Master
It has a strong cage built around the cabin. If you see pics of even very bad accidents, where the front/rear is pushed all the way in, the cabin area is still whole.
#31
Race Director
Member Since: Oct 2011
Location: Holly Springs NC
Posts: 14,386
Received 1,609 Likes
on
1,037 Posts
St. Jude Donor '16-'17,'22,'24
IMHO the total mass of a vehicle and the safety engineering mean a whole lot more than fiberglass or steel skin.