Interesting D2 video I came across

[Audifan]

Crash test.

[MikkiJayne]

A very odd test considering they removed so much of the car, including structural stuff like the screen and the dash. Even non-structural stuff like the prop and wings would have an effect in an impact like that, albeit perhaps not measurably so.

[ainarssems]

Originally Posted by MikkiJayne

A very odd test considering they removed so much of the car, including structural stuff like the screen and the dash. Even non-structural stuff like the prop and wings would have an effect in an impact like that, albeit perhaps not measurably so.

I think their point was to take it apart to scan and measure aluminium components to feed into their 3D computer model and then they left bits off to capture how the important structural bits behaved in real life compared to 3D computer models for them to validate and to make any adjustments. It was not to actually test the car. I imagine at the time there was limited knowledge of aluminium structures in crash as most cars were steel. And from there they coul extrapolate to different speeds and dimensions so that they could sell their expertise to the car manufacturers designing other cars so that they can simulate it before making prototypes

[HPsauce]

Originally Posted by MikkiJayne

A very odd test considering they removed so much of the car, including structural stuff like the screen and the dash.

The screen can be seen flying off in the impact, so I guess it was put back but maybe not very securely? Given the way it's bonded that presumably wouldn't happen to a normal model in a collision?

[MikkiJayne]

Originally Posted by HPsauce

The screen can be seen flying off in the impact, so I guess it was put back but maybe not very securely? Given the way it's bonded that presumably wouldn't happen to a normal model in a collision?

Yeah, you can see them cutting them both out early on, and they clearly didn't bond it back in. It certainly wouldn't fly out like that if fitted properly, and I think were it left in the scuttle and roof would not have folded up like they did. A bonded laminated screen conveys a considerable amount of strength to the roof structure. There used to be videos (which I can no longer find) of testing bonded vs gasketed screens in rollovers, I think for either a Vauxhall Cavalier or Vectra, and it makes a substantial difference. Interestingly, VW bonded the screen in to the mk2 Golf Rallye for better body stiffness, where the ordinary models still had rubber seals.

Originally Posted by ainarssems

I think their point was to take it apart to scan and measure aluminium components to feed into their 3D computer model

Fair point, but in that case it seems odd for the NHTSA to be reverse-engineering someone else's product, since Audi would have done all this themselves before production started. I thought the NHTSA's remit would be to test products for consumer safety, but perhaps it goes further than that?

[ainarssems]

Originally Posted by MikkiJayne

Fair point, but in that case it seems odd for the NHTSA to be reverse-engineering someone else's product, since Audi would have done all this themselves before production started. I thought the NHTSA's remit would be to test products for consumer safety, but perhaps it goes further than that?

It is a bit odd for sure and Audi would have done some testing but it's unknown what and how much and if they would share or sell any of their data to others. This test is done in 1998 on a chassis that started selling in 1994. So Audi would have done tests a lot earlier, it takes time to get final touches and set up production lines so maybe 1992-1993. Computers, software, cameras would have been a lot less capable 5-6 earlier. Why would NHTSA do such a test remains unknown but to me it seems that only need for the level of details they have gone is to either to create models for 3D crash simulation software or to test/verify them. Maybe commissioned by third party software company or maybe even Audi themselves to use for future designing.

I am going back to video again and to check if there are any comments on it to give more clues

[ainarssems]

Should have read comments 1st time

[MikkiJayne]

Oh well found I didn't read the comments either