"Ve Haff Ze Technology" <screech> <BANG!> |
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stephenperry
Bavarian-Board Contributor Joined: 20-April-2004 Location: Elgin Status: Offline Points: 7213 |
Topic: "Ve Haff Ze Technology" <screech> <BANG!> Posted: 21-November-2005 at 14:05 |
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oh oh
MERC SAFETY TECHNOLOGY FAILSBrake radar fails to prevent televised crash
Mercedes S Class - expensive Mercedes is not alone in trumpeting the importance of its safety technology as fitted to the latest S-Class but does make the most noise about it -- and it has made the biggest public blunder.
A German TV channel, Stern TV, got itself a scoop recently when Mercedes brought three of its range-topping cars for a demonstration of its safety radar, which is designed to ensure that, when the car in front brakes hard, so does yours. You won't rear-end anyone, is the claim. Sadly, that's exactly what happened. The £50,000+ cars crashed into each other when Mercedes put the three cars in line astern and got the first to brake heavily. The two behind didn't stop, with obvious results. One German news site said that Mercedes security engineers rooted out the problem quickly: the test was conducted in a hall constructed of steel which confused the radar. The system didn't work as it should have done -- and as a result, over £150,000-worth of shiny new luxo-barge looks a bit textured. Mercedes said that the system "works perfectly in all other circumstances" but, if you ever drive one under cover -- the Channel Tunnel shuttle comes to mind -- you'd best keep that left foot hovering over the brake pedal. http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=12483 and here's the video of the event! One for Dennis Norden methinks Edited by stephenperry |
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2007 Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCI Titanium X Auto 1983 Ford Sierra XR4i 2000 Alpina B10 3.3 #118 1999 BMW 323Ci 1995 BMW 318i SE 1994 Vauxhall Omega 2.0 GLS 1995 Ford Mondeo 1.8 LX 1990 Honda Concerto 1.6 EX 1986 Ford Orion 1.6 GL 1989 Ford Fiesta 1.1 Firefly |
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sleeper
Really Senior Member II Original and STILL best Joined: 26-March-2004 Location: East Sussex/Kent border Status: Offline Points: 2098 |
Posted: 21-November-2005 at 14:08 | |
aaah, yes, the 'wrong kind of tunnel'! good work herr spindoctor |
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micky_h
Really Senior Member II Joined: 17-February-2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 798 |
Posted: 21-November-2005 at 14:34 | |
Wonder if this is another Bosch item, if so then Merc will be well peed off.Bosch has just caused them loads of grief by having to have about a million cars recalled if I remember correctly.
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thepits
Moderator Group Joined: 09-July-2003 Location: far far away Status: Offline Points: 10000473 |
Posted: 21-November-2005 at 15:01 | |
and zee wrong type of fogg? |
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Nostrils
Really Senior Member II Joined: 27-October-2002 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 792 |
Posted: 21-November-2005 at 15:13 | |
I like new technology in cars and I am sure this one will have its day, but not yet.
The funniest bit in the video is just after it happened and the cameraman or an assistant very close by just utters "Scheisse"....then "Ummmmm" This story from what I can tell has done the rounds and is bound to find its way onto British TV quite soon. Oh well, looks like an 'A Class' mess up to me, try again Mercedes.....still like your 190 Evo 2 though, but that is a real Mercedes and not a Chrysler |
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Phil
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stephenperry
Bavarian-Board Contributor Joined: 20-April-2004 Location: Elgin Status: Offline Points: 7213 |
Posted: 21-November-2005 at 15:24 | |
oh yes, the legendary Elk Test.... and to think i considered buying an e-class merc.... shame on me lol VAG is not without blemish either - remember the oft-reported "twitchy" (read deadly!) handling of first generation audi tt? but as the saying goes "let he is who without sin cast the first stone".... according to one pistonheads forum poster: Reminds me of the launch of the BMW 8 series in South Africa. Being a big problem there, they ran a huge billboard campaign advertising it as the car that could not be stolen. Unfortunately, the day before the only 850i in South Africa at the time could appear at the motorshow for the launch... it was stolen
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2007 Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCI Titanium X Auto 1983 Ford Sierra XR4i 2000 Alpina B10 3.3 #118 1999 BMW 323Ci 1995 BMW 318i SE 1994 Vauxhall Omega 2.0 GLS 1995 Ford Mondeo 1.8 LX 1990 Honda Concerto 1.6 EX 1986 Ford Orion 1.6 GL 1989 Ford Fiesta 1.1 Firefly |
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thepits
Moderator Group Joined: 09-July-2003 Location: far far away Status: Offline Points: 10000473 |
Posted: 21-November-2005 at 16:15 | |
Now hang on, it was only if you did something very very silly, and were German that it killed you - so................ Edited by thepits |
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Cats know your every thought.
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stephenperry
Bavarian-Board Contributor Joined: 20-April-2004 Location: Elgin Status: Offline Points: 7213 |
Posted: 21-November-2005 at 16:26 | |
well we already know that women can't drive (sabine is a freak of nature before anybody says anything), and by that token i guess male hairdressers can be tarred with the same brush, seeing as they were and are the two biggest markets for the tt i take it you're a previous owner? |
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2007 Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCI Titanium X Auto 1983 Ford Sierra XR4i 2000 Alpina B10 3.3 #118 1999 BMW 323Ci 1995 BMW 318i SE 1994 Vauxhall Omega 2.0 GLS 1995 Ford Mondeo 1.8 LX 1990 Honda Concerto 1.6 EX 1986 Ford Orion 1.6 GL 1989 Ford Fiesta 1.1 Firefly |
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sleeper
Really Senior Member II Original and STILL best Joined: 26-March-2004 Location: East Sussex/Kent border Status: Offline Points: 2098 |
Posted: 22-November-2005 at 12:14 | |
the TT was designed to be a man's car, with man's handling characteristics. Lift off oversteer at 95mph+? Love it!!!! |
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B 7 VP
Really Senior Member II Joined: 04-November-2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1115 |
Posted: 22-November-2005 at 13:19 | |
BMW AG Do this-------------AND give you the cars to do in!!!!!!!! --but by driver control. At the Nurburgring better driving course in August , they supply 2 cars-perhaps 1 or 3 series--and we teach how to stop the car WITHOUT brakes, leaning against the special Armco section on the Dottinger Hohe section. My question is-----great if you have the anti rearend gizmo--but what about the car Behind that doesnt????????????. |
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SAFETYFAST
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stephenperry
Bavarian-Board Contributor Joined: 20-April-2004 Location: Elgin Status: Offline Points: 7213 |
Posted: 30-November-2005 at 15:07 | |
MERC BRAKE TEST WAS A SHAM TV test cock-up results in sackings Mercedes' much-publicised failed brake test, where range-topping S Class cars piled up as German TV cameras filmed the event, was a fake. There's big embarrassment at Mercedes, and at least one person involved has been fired as a direct result.
We ran the story a couple of weeks ago and reported that: "Mercedes brought three of its range-topping cars for a demonstration of its safety radar, which is designed to ensure that, when the car in front brakes hard, so does yours. You won't rear-end anyone, is the claim. "Sadly, that's exactly what happened. The £50,000+ cars crashed into each other when Mercedes put the three cars in line astern and got the first to brake heavily. The two behind didn't stop, with obvious results." The cars were driven by a journalist from German motoring publication AutoBild. It turns out the whole event was a fake, information that's been revealed as a result of an audio tape recorded by the journalist involved, Michael Specht, who conducted the test on Stern TV. The tape shows that the shunt was in fact an accident, but not the accident that was planned to happen. Early reports that the system won't work in a steel hall are correct. Mercedes knew that before it ran the tests and decided to fake it: Specht would brake manually. They placed a plank of wood along the run so Stern would know when to brake. But the S Class's suspension foiled the plan as Specht could not feel the car run over it, was unsighted by the smoke emulating fog, and didn't brake in time -- right in front of the rolling cameras of Stern TV, who didn't know about the plan. Specht has since been fired, while several Mercedes engineers could suffer a similar fate, according to one report. |
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2007 Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCI Titanium X Auto 1983 Ford Sierra XR4i 2000 Alpina B10 3.3 #118 1999 BMW 323Ci 1995 BMW 318i SE 1994 Vauxhall Omega 2.0 GLS 1995 Ford Mondeo 1.8 LX 1990 Honda Concerto 1.6 EX 1986 Ford Orion 1.6 GL 1989 Ford Fiesta 1.1 Firefly |
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stephenperry
Bavarian-Board Contributor Joined: 20-April-2004 Location: Elgin Status: Offline Points: 7213 |
Posted: 30-November-2005 at 15:10 | |
stopping a car without using braking force by hitting an object instead? isn't that usually called a crash? (i know what you're driving at, no pun intended) |
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2007 Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCI Titanium X Auto 1983 Ford Sierra XR4i 2000 Alpina B10 3.3 #118 1999 BMW 323Ci 1995 BMW 318i SE 1994 Vauxhall Omega 2.0 GLS 1995 Ford Mondeo 1.8 LX 1990 Honda Concerto 1.6 EX 1986 Ford Orion 1.6 GL 1989 Ford Fiesta 1.1 Firefly |
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Fey!
Bavarian-Board Contributor Funs over, Scotty; beam down my clothes! Joined: 28-February-2005 Location: Galway Status: Offline Points: 4161 |
Posted: 01-December-2005 at 16:35 | |
A journo conspiring to lie? Never.....
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Horsetan
Really Senior Member II Say Neigh to Gatsos Joined: 11-April-2003 Location: Please let it be Ireland Status: Offline Points: 6381 |
Posted: 01-December-2005 at 17:25 | |
There'll be a job waiting for him on the "Daily Mirror" |
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thepits
Moderator Group Joined: 09-July-2003 Location: far far away Status: Offline Points: 10000473 |
Posted: 01-December-2005 at 17:52 | |
Excuse Me? - next you'll be accusing me of likeing the MGF?? I ain't! Edited by thepits |
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Cats know your every thought.
But don't care. |
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stephenperry
Bavarian-Board Contributor Joined: 20-April-2004 Location: Elgin Status: Offline Points: 7213 |
Posted: 01-December-2005 at 18:16 | |
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2007 Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCI Titanium X Auto 1983 Ford Sierra XR4i 2000 Alpina B10 3.3 #118 1999 BMW 323Ci 1995 BMW 318i SE 1994 Vauxhall Omega 2.0 GLS 1995 Ford Mondeo 1.8 LX 1990 Honda Concerto 1.6 EX 1986 Ford Orion 1.6 GL 1989 Ford Fiesta 1.1 Firefly |
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PaulS
Really Senior Member II East Anglia BMWCC Regional Chairman Joined: 03-July-2004 Location: Aylsham, Norfolk Status: Offline Points: 2516 |
Posted: 02-December-2005 at 05:03 | |
It was on Top Gear last Sunday evening Paul |
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Aidan316i
Really Senior Member II Joined: 10-April-2005 Location: Derry, N.I Status: Offline Points: 606 |
Posted: 02-December-2005 at 19:26 | |
LMAO @ the so called "fake crash" why can't they face it, it doesn't work!
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