VIDEO: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG crash-test video shows off exploding door hinges

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG crash test – click above to watch the video after the jump

It's a sad fact that incredibly expensive, highly desirable cars have to be smashed to bits in the name of safety, but we have to admit we quietly enjoy watching the carnage. The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG had to endure its time with the crash barrier, and the video proves that the $200,000 supercar can hold its own against the international wall of destruction. The offset impact crash showed that virtually all of the energy was absorbed by its long front end while the cockpit remained largely intact. But what if the SLS flipped on its lid, rendering the gullwing doors inoperable?

In order to comply with federal standards that mandate that a door must be operational in the event of a rollover crash, MB built explosive charges into the hinge pins so that the doors could be blown off in the event of a rollover. As evidenced by the video after the jump, the charges worked, although in the video shown here, the explosives were triggered by an outside switch. In the event of a real-wold crash, yanking on the door handles would trigger the explosives once the SLS AMG was upside-down for a pre-determined amount of time.

If you haven't seen the vid already, click past the break to view it in full. It's a bit long and boring at the beginning, but it gets interesting around the halfway point when the merciless destruction begins.