We already know what happens when you crash a car at high speed: nothing good. But every once in a while, a new generation of drivers needs to see the deadly consequences of a high-speed collision. That's why we're sharing this little experiment where an older car rams a bus at 129 miles per hour (208 kph).
It's been done before numerous times. Unless we're mistaken, the Mythbusters filmed a similar test many years ago, as did Fifth Gear. This one is from an East European YouTube channel called Bri4ka.COM but seems to be getting attention all over the world, probably for the right reasons.
Volvo wants to limit the top speed of all its cars, while Subaru is fitting EyeSight to everything now. These measures seem quite controversial at first until you realize that not everybody can be trusted to drive safely. It's not just about the speed limit, but being aware of all the potential hazards you face.
A test like this is particularly relevant to the young generation of drivers. What keen greenhorn hasn't bought an old car with a big engine, maybe trying to impress his friends with how fast it goes? The testers are using a second-generation Opel Omega in this case, a late-1990s sedan loosely related to the Holden Commodore. You can probably insert an E39 5 Series in this setup and get similar results.
The high-speed crash reduces the car to a pile of scrap metal. We think that if the collision didn't happen over the solid axle of the bus, the Opel would have gone under. Either way, you're either dead immediately or breathing through a tube for a few hours and then die.
Not even the trunk is fully intact, so it's likely that even rear-seat passengers would be killed. What's worse is that even the occupants of the bus would have been injured, as we see broken glass everywhere and the dummies are all in... uncomfortable positions.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News