Quote from DratsaB :

Don't they have test tracks?

They do.

Development cars are tested on closed tracks first, improvements (if any) made, and then sent on live tests on public roads. So this car would have already been tested on the track.

Quote from MAGGOT :

In any case, the rail itself looks pretty high. I suppose that's the optimal position for a sedan or SUV?

The rail can have two barriers: one high and one low. This rail only has one barrier: high.

Quote from samjh :

The rail can have two barriers: one high and one low. This rail only has one barrier: high.

Yep, and a lot of barriers that still use rails have a low and a high one. The issue with that is, though, that a high-centre vehicle may crush the top most barrier and wind up ramping off of the bottom one or having the bottom barrier flip the vehicle. This would happen because the brunt of the impact is directed at the top barrier, and so the bottom barrier does not get as much force applied to it.

Alternatively, a lower COG vehicle may crush the bottom barrier and have the top barrier enter into the driver's compartment (similar to this accident).

I don't know why more countries don't start using concrete barriers that are taller. They typically stand up to impact better (especially in lower-speed collisions) and they don't result in the passenger's face being pancaked.

It really touched a spot in me because I played NFS5 so much, especially the test driver career. R.I.P.

:scared: Thats just so.. brutal crash. R.I.P.

Poor guy
R.I.P

Quote from yoyoML :

It really touched a spot in me because I played NFS5 so much, especially the test driver career. R.I.P.

sorry, but I find this quite weird

Oh that is a really nasty one. I hope the driver will RIP. What a horrible one to go by. That's quite disturbing!

................. R.I.P

what an awful crash....



i have a friend of my family that is a test driver for Mercedes-Benz in argentina and back in the early 2000 he was testing a Sprinter and the wheel fell of and rolled over. he got lucky.

but the porsche test driver did not.

i would have like to have seen the person who was driving the chase cars perspective (i'm assuming they saw what went down..)

R.I.P.

And much respect to those who test planes/cars/machinery/anything else dangerous, so that we may have safe stuff

checked out the pics today...holy shit! there's no way he could've survived to that impact...this crash was similar to Helmut Koinigg's in F1 back in 74 at The Glen, to which I must say it was a really gruesome crash, as he nearly got beheaded.

Quote from Senninha25 :

nearly got beheaded.

To be more specific, he did get beheaded.

Rest In Peace

Quote from Falcon140 :

To be more specific, he did get beheaded.

Yeesh, don't remind me...there's a picture looking side on at his car, the top half is shaved off as you would expect, it's heavily damaged, and there's poor Helmut sitting in the middle of it with no head. :scared::cry: R.I.P. A very promising driver.

Here's a post from another forum, if anyone wants to know:

Quote :

I saw Koinigg drive in the Canadian GP at Mosport in 1974. I hadn't really heard or read anything of him to that point. I didn't see any practice or qualifying and in the race, took little notice of him until the field thinned with retirements. From my vantage point on the exit of corner three, I could see that his Surtees was understeering significantly but that he was coping with it beautifully by just letting the car swing wide on the exit with foot planted well to the floor. It was a treat to watch and he was very quick.

The next week, of course, he lost his life is a grisly shunt at the Glen. I remember so well hearing a sports report over the radio that Sunday afternoon that announced that a driver had been killed but his name was not being released pending notification of next of kin. Well, as you might expect, this news was dreadful indeed and names came to mind. Lauda certainly. Probably Hunt. Peterson? Suddenly, a fourth name sprang into my mind. Koinigg. I stopped cold in my tracks. It was he. I felt it with a 100% degree of certainty. But why him? Someone I'd bearly heard of and should hardly have been at the forefront of my mind. An hour later and the sport update confirmed. Spooky. The next day, a local daily, the Toronto Sun, featured a large photo fronting the sport section showing the wreckage with poor Helmut's headless corpse sitting in the cockpit of the trashed Surtees. A shock and horror as I had no forewarning of this. Recoiling from the image, I couldn't help but notice a round, black object nestled in the rear suspension of the car. Something that shouldn't belong there normally. Then I remembered him from Mosport. His helmut was black. Damn that newspaper forever and day!

holy shit! that's quite a terrifying testimony.

I've seen the photo. It really brings forth a tsunami of emotions I couldn't begin to explain. Sadness, depression, sickness, etc. It is such a horrible way to go out, but one thing is certain, like all motorsport deaths, he died doing what he loved.

For those curious and brave enough, the gut-wrenching newspaper photo mentioned above. You've been warned:

http://i42.tinypic.com/jidqok.jpg

i can't make out what is what........um...maybe that's a good thing.

Depends on your stomach. For perspective, the car before:

http://cfm.globalf1.net/wpfiles/033.jpg

Quote from Falcon140 :

I've seen the photo. It really brings forth a tsunami of emotions I couldn't begin to explain. Sadness, depression, sickness, etc. It is such a horrible way to go out, but one thing is certain, like all motorsport deaths, he died doing what he loved.

For those curious and brave enough, the gut-wrenching newspaper photo mentioned above. You've been warned:

http://i42.tinypic.com/jidqok.jpg

I actually saw a different photo, it was looking straight at the side of the car (90 degree angle sorta thing), and was slightly more clear what was what . That pic was probably the one in the newspaper though.

I don't mean to sound like an internet tough guy here btw, the picture I saw was worse, but I don't want to partake in any willy-waving by saying that! I certainly have no desire to see it again!

http://img240.imageshack.us/im ... inigg1974usgrandprixa.jpg
Be warned. Shocking.

:vomit: Ah. Such a terrible way to go. I can't imagine the terror of seeing the barrier approaching; or even being the first man on scene and seeing that. I just hope it was quick and painless, which it appears it was. That's quite a disturbing photo to say the least.

I still dont get it

Ill make a drawing for ya.

Get what? Koinigg's crash? He ran off track due to suspenion failure and the car crashed into the ARMCO barrier(This isn't the actual barrier, just an example). The bottom part of it wasn't properly secured, and the car went through. The top part of the barrier remained intact, and effectivly sliced the car's top off. Koinigg was decapitated from the impact. In the photo, you can clearly see Koinigg's headless corpse in the cockpit, and a black sphere towards the rear of the car. This is his helmet, with his head in it.

Well, If you think this is bad, imagine a Motorcycledriver to crash against such things... That's why they are already making changes in some areas in The Netherlands with different guards. Sadly, the first designs contained a wireconstruction which would slice you into pieces... And I thought those persons would IMPROVE safety..

Btw: I'm not saying this ain't bad :S Car is totalled, a driver died.. R.I.P. Only thing to say is: "He died doing what he loved?"

Motocycle circuits have some things that are good. Air walls for instance have saved a lot of lives. But indeed, he died doing what he loved.