Saab 9-5 Crash tested into itself

[Drew Dowdell]

A demonstration video of two Saab 9-5s crashed into each other at slight offset with each car going 60kph (about 40mph) for a 120kph (80mph) total impact speed.

The passenger compartment remains incredibly intact and all four doors are still able to open after the impact.

[Intrepidation]

A demonstration video of the two Saab 9-5s crashed into each other at slight offset with each car going 60kph (about 40mph) for a 120kph (80mph) total impact speed.

Even though the actual force of the impact is still only equivalent to hitting a stationary object at 40mph.

[A Horse With No Name]

Interesting how the side impact air bags open up so quickly...

[Drew Dowdell]

Even though the actual force of the impact is still only equivalent to hitting a stationary object at 40mph.

Really? That doesn't sound right. Hitting another car head on that is also going 40mph has got to have more force than hitting a wall at 40mph.

[Intrepidation]

Really? That doesn't sound right. Hitting another car head on that is also going 40mph has got to have more force than hitting a wall at 40mph.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/05/06/video-mythbusters-put-the-science-of-crashing-cars-to-the-test/

In between repeated bouts to literally knock your socks off (well, not yours exactly, but you get the idea, right?) last night, the Mythbusters crew decided to revisit an old myth that was drawing the ire of the show's fans for quite some time. And it's sure to be an interesting topic to automotive enthusiasts.

When two cars collide, each traveling 50 miles per hour, does the resulting force equal one car hitting an immovable object at 100 miles per hour?

It seems like such simple physics, no? But don't forget Newton's third law. To quote the great Wikipedia of knowledge, "Whenever a first body exerts a force F on a second body, the second body exerts a force −F on the first body. F and −F are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction." Or, more simply, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Great, thanks for that, Einstein Newton. What does that have to do with crashing cars? Glad you asked. Find out in the videos pasted after the break. Warning: A large number of Hyundais Daewoos were harmed during these videos. Oh, and the results of the crash testing may surprise you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GuqiAHGGT4&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-JGIYLZZUg&feature=player_embedded

[Drew Dowdell]

Neato!

[ZL-1]

Interesting how the side impact air bags open up so quickly...

Apparently it is to provide added head protection.

[CanadianBacon94]

isn't mythbusters the best?

and on the note of the SAAB, in all the crash tests ive seen the epsillon platform does extremely well.

except for the hardtop G6 which im pretty sure is epI

[Sixty8panther]

Still ugly and still not profitable. Sorry SAAB.

Edited June 2, 2010 by Sixty8panther

[Intrepidation]

Not profitable based one what?

[ZL-1]

Still ugly and still not profitable. Sorry SAAB.

Ugly as well as profitable, is quite subjective.