For all you Mustang Fans

Annndddd it begins!

First C8 Crash

Ruh-roe Raggy!   Can't do that E36 M3 in an M-plate.

In reply to AngryCorvair :

M plate?

_ said:

In reply to AngryCorvair :

M plate?

"The beginning of the video shows what we assume are GM team members toiling around the back of a Silverado."

It mentions in the article it's a pre-production model likely driven by GM team members. M = Manufacturers plate, I'm assuming from the context of the story.

AngryCorvair said:

Ruh-roe Raggy!   Can't do that E36 M3 in an M-plate.

We had a saying back when I worked in that industry: "Nothing corners like an M-plate" I also have some vague recollection of the biggest burnout I've ever done happening in an M-plate Lincoln Mark VIII some years back. I don't miss the instability and uncertainty of working in the auto biz, but it did have it's perks....

Seems to me it’s very speculative to say the Vette caused it based on that video.

Going to need a pry bar to the get the spray detailer, folding chair, and straw hat out of that frunk now.

racerfink said:

Seems to me it’s very speculative to say the Vette caused it based on that video.

Based on the location of the vehicles, not really. 

From the damage and vehicle positions, it looks like the 'Vette overcooked the corner, hit the silver SUV in the rear quarter, then the red truck in the front.  

I wonder if OnStar* called it in for them... 

M plates cars are a Michigan thing to allow pre production cars to be driven on the roads. They may be just like production or current model bodies welded onto future model cars. I think most states use the M plates but states make up what they want. 

This terminology can be used on any car in the test fleet depending on the culture in your specific group. Regardless of if it actually had a M plate.

I remember losing two engineering tests due to employee driver enthusiasm caused crashes. One was a totalled roll over. 

The corporate reactions can range from cover up to termination. I have seen both. 

I have also witnessed actual failures of controls in M plates. ABS actuator engaged and wouldn't allow me to brake had to go into oncoming traffic lane to avoid rear ending a car at light. On a different car as you would think you would coast to lower speed when releasing the accelerator pedal after a 13mph drop it would go Max cruise control accelerator input. Had to then full hard brake. 

I wouldn't chaulk this incident up to pure driver error, yet.

In reply to Advan046 :

Yea, over my career a lot of adjustments have been made to test car rules.  Some of which have to do with equipment being properly stowed....

One other usage for M-plate cars is press drives- if you watch some of the tube of U's car previews, you notice the presenters are driving Michigan M plated vehicles.

And the location of the accident isn't a place where we go to test- that's someplace really cold (normally Canada), someplace really hot (Arizona), someplace really high (Colorado), and a series of closed tracks.  This isn't that.

But it is common that just before job 1, the last of the last prototypes are taken out on a long drive all over the country.  These are also the same level prototype that you see in magazines or videos when it's just prior to them being out on the market. 

Hope everyone is ok.  

alfadriver said:

And the location of the accident isn't a place where we go to test- that's someplace really cold (normally Canada), someplace really hot (Arizona), someplace really high (Colorado), and a series of closed tracks.  This isn't that.

But it is common that just before job 1, the last of the last prototypes are taken out on a long drive all over the country.  These are also the same level prototype that you see in magazines or videos when it's just prior to them being out on the market. 

i was thinking the same thing.  probably a magazine ride.

Pretty sure one of the McLaren F1 engineers destroyed a test model in the African desert during testing.  Many many barrel rolls apparently.  German fellow.  Probably a BMW driver given the engine.   Possibly testing a G-force activated turn signal that never panned out.  

Now how impossible would it be to put the engine/tranny in a Grand Prix GXP or Monte Carlo?