Autoblog

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The carrier M/V Courage tipped at the port in Jersey City on Friday causing damage to over 370 BMWs. The ship was loaded with new 3-series and 1-series vehicles, including new M3s. Around 70 of the damaged cars are reported to be total losses with others sustaining major damage. Word is that the M3s bared the brunt of the brutality. Extensively damaged cars will be crushed while those with minor damage will undergo repair at a receiving facility in Elizabeth, NJ, after which they will proceed onto dealers. Bimmers destined for European delivery customers were also on board, although it's not clear how those buyers will be handled in the wake of the incident.

This is a particularly harsh hit to BMW in terms of the new M3 and even more so for the owners awaiting their new V8-powered uber-coupes. We'd expect this unfortunately event will lead to an extension of the waiting period many potential customers will have to endure. It also means many dealerships are out of luck for a demo car. With the M3's competition coming on strong from the likes of Lexus, Cadillac and Mercedes one can only imagine this sort of setback might steer away a few potential buyers.

Thanks for the tip Carl!

[Source M3Forum.com]

From the front, it looks like the damage would almost buff out. Then you see the shot of the back. Significant restyling has taken place on this particular brandy-new STI, and we're not talking about the new duds Fuji whipped up. At least now we know what the primo donor cars will look like at the pick-a-part. While it's an upsetting thing for us internet pikers to gaze upon, we can only imagine the owner's anguish. That said, since most of the damage is in the rear, we're guessing that someone else is at fault for the total loss of this Subie. So, while this particular STI is likely headed for a dismemberment, the owner is likely tooling around in a replacement. So, what do you think the combined cost of this lovely hunk of low-miles (282km) scrap plus a shipping container would be?

Thanks for the tip, Marc!

[Source: caradvice.com.au]

Early Saturday evening, enthusiasts were enjoying themselves at the annual Corvettes at Carlise event in Carlisle, PA. Their late summer evening, however, would be interrupted by a series of severe thunderstorms that wreaked havoc in the Carlisle area that evening. While it seems the storms cannot officially be called a tornado (no one mentioned sighting any funnels), many attendees who experienced the violent weather likened them to one.

The thunderstorms hit the Corvettes at Carlisle show around 7:30PM EST and injured at least 17 people while causing serious damage to many of the Corvettes in attendance. One man who was attempting to leave the show had a tree fall on his Corvette while he was exiting. From the picture above you can see much of the damage was the result of tents being blown over by the high winds, which reportedly reached over 70 mph. Fortunately, there were no fatalities, and while a field of damaged Corvettes sitting in mud puddles is certainly something over which we can all shed a tear, it could have been a lot worse.

You can check out more pics of the damage by clicking either the Corvetteblogger or Corvetteforum links below.

[Source: Pennlive.com, Corvetteblogger, Corvetteforum]

A study by AutoBild reveals that modern crumple zones can actually hide serious damage to a car's structural integrity because of the way they're designed. There are two issues: the first is that crumple zones don't just deform in the case of an accident, they are now constructed to bounce back into shape after the collision; the second is that crumple zones are now so large, by government mandate, that crumple zone deformation might extend to points quite distant from the actual impact. By returning, even partially, to a pre-accident state, it is claimed that inspectors and mechanics might not realize how much damage has actually been done, nor exactly where.

AutoBild used a laser to assess the integrity of a car that had been in an accident. Hidden underneath bodywork that was only mildly scuffed they discovered a buckled frame. According to the magazine, a visual inspection even by an experienced mechanic wouldn't discern the damage. In fact, unless a mechanic was using a specialized and expensive machine to ascertain the extent of the damage, it probably wouldn't be caught. It is akin to the issue with helmets, wherein an accident that only scratches the helmet can render it useless. However, it's much easier to replace a Shoei for a few hundred than an entire car because of a fender bender. .

[Source: Auto Express]

As much as we like to think our modern cars are getting better and safer, apparently they can't beat an old Escort when it comes to low-speed collision damage. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) just released a report detailing their latest test results for the bumpers of midsize cars. More specifically, they tested how their bumpers held up to low-speed 3 and 6 mph impacts. "Most bumpers on midsize cars do little to resist damage in the kinds of low-speed collisions that are common in commuter traffic and parking lots," is how the report begins. And it only gets worse from there. Out of the 17 cars tested, only three managed to stay under the $1500 level for each of the four impact tests the agency conducted. "Our tests measure how well bumpers protect cars from damage in everyday bumps," says Institute president Adrian Lund. "The whole purpose of bumpers is to keep damage away from headlights, hoods, and other parts that are expensive to repair, but this purpose was accomplished in only two of the 68 tests we conducted. In the rest, what we found is that bumpers aren't up to the job."

And apparently they aren't even doing as good a job as a 1981 Ford Escort. That model was chosen because it is indicative of the kind of bumpers required in the pre-Reagan-era 5 mph crash standards. Reagan rolled back the standard to 2.5 mph starting in 1982 and since then, bumpers have never been the same. The test itself changed a couple of times and now the IIHS is using a three and six mph battery of tests that tries to approximate the kinds of front and rear impacts that are the most common in the real world. They state that these low speed impacts, with sub $4,500 insurance claims, end up accounting for more than $6 billion in claims each year. Newer auto designs, particularly in the bumpers, often lead to mismatched bumper heights in collisions. If the impact isn't a straight bumper-on-bumper affair, one vehicle's bumper will often over- or under-ride the other's, striking the other vehicle's grille and/or lights, which are more expensive to repair. The full report explains the testing procedures more thoroughly and gives a detailed analysis of the costs incurred by each of the tested cars. Total combined damage for the four tests ranged from $4,277 for the Mitsubishi Galant, to more than $9,000 for the VW Jetta and Nissan Maxima.

[Source: IIHS]

This winter continues to take a toll. Tribalwar member "dweeb" (no comments necessary, his name speaks for itself) has had his Honda involuntarily transformed into a quiescently frozen confection. Apparently, a water main burst in dweeb's Columbus, Ohio neighborhood, sending many gallons of water flooding into his grapeity purple econobox.

Follow the jump for the full story and several more pictures.

[Source: tribalwar]

Going hand-in-hand with the wrecked Maybach we found, here is one of the most appalling thing we've ever seen. This is a great example of what not to do to any car. Romanian soccer team owner and billionaire Gheorge Becali managed to rack up the ne plus ultra of Mercedes at least four times. Out came the crowbars, away went pieces of the doorskin. We wept openly. The Maybach may not be a looker, but it certainly doesn't deserve this type of sadism.
Thanks to tipster maddan.

UPDATE: Pics and account of damaged Saleen S7 Competition removed at request of photographer and owner.


Bugatti made a splash by offering the world a full 1,000 hp in its Veyron production car. Turned out to be DIN instead of SAE so the actual number was a tad shy of the half-ton mark, 987 to be exact. Around that time, American specialty maker Saleen had just decided to turbocharge its 550-hp racecar-for-the-street S7 to bring the rating up to a more supercar worthy 750. But they also had something even more ferocious in the wings, the competition package.

The competition package is a new option from Saleen that adds an additional 33% to the already incredible 750-hp S7 twin-turbo model introduced in 2005, which gives the S7 Competition a total of 1,000 horsepower. Besides the extra boost, the competition package also includes changes to the suspension and bodywork, with a revised nose and rear diffuser. Also available, and shown on the photo car, is the optional aerodynamic package that includes the huge carbon fiber rear wing and front splitter. This makes an already quick S7 tt perform better than just about anything available for street use. Read the whole story and see the full gallery at Fast-Autos.net. More details and photos of this particular ill-fated S7 that would soon fall off a transport truck after the jump.

[Source: Fast-Auos.net]