Not only is the C7 Corvette fast but it also...

Jimzz

Diamond Member
Oct 23, 2012
4,399
190
106
Not only is the C7 Corvette fast but it also can take a T-bone hit from a Town Car and protect the occupants.

http://www.corvetteforum.com/articles/c7/2014-corvette-stingray-hit-by-a-lincoln-town-car.php


080113_1b.jpg
 
Last edited:

Throckmorton

Lifer
Aug 23, 2007
16,829
3
0
Pretty much every car can do that because they have had intrusion beams for like 2 decades. The question is how much damage the occupants sustain... Which is why you need side airbags.
 

Arkaign

Lifer
Oct 27, 2006
20,736
1,379
126
Pretty much every car can do that because they have had intrusion beams for like 2 decades. The question is how much damage the occupants sustain... Which is why you need side airbags.

I wish I could agree with that statement, but after working with EMTs for 6 months, the answer to that is that no, not that many cars do very well with side impacts. Particularly vs. heavier vehicles. You should see what a Tahoe does to an Avalon.
 

IGemini

Platinum Member
Nov 5, 2010
2,472
2
81
That C7 definitely fared well, especially since the (2nd gen?) Town Car is a half-ton heavier. Even from a basic physics look, I thought the Corvette would be worse for wear if the Lincoln looks like that.
 

Jimzz

Diamond Member
Oct 23, 2012
4,399
190
106
I wish I could agree with that statement, but after working with EMTs for 6 months, the answer to that is that no, not that many cars do very well with side impacts. Particularly vs. heavier vehicles. You should see what a Tahoe does to an Avalon.



I agree 100% with this. My 73 Chevy was the first year they put a bar in the door. Its does not do much but take up extra room.


Also remember the C7 uses an aluminum frame and other weight savings items so many were worried that if hit hard in the side it may not protect. Would not be surprised to see this car come back up as a F-U from GM to any naysayers.

Bad thing is if the accident was the Town cars fault he could be bankrupted. Hand built test car totaled, love to see the insurance agents face when he gets the claim for this. J I doubt GM would do that, public backlash would cost more.
 

Pariah

Elite Member
Apr 16, 2000
7,357
20
81
Fucking old people.



:awe:

"Very difficult to say who was at fault other than it was one of those situations where someone should have stopped and/or someone should not have gone. Incidentally, the Lincoln driver appeared to be young, and the first thing he did was check on the Vette driver."
 

TerryMathews

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
11,464
2
0
I agree 100% with this. My 73 Chevy was the first year they put a bar in the door. Its does not do much but take up extra room.


Also remember the C7 uses an aluminum frame and other weight savings items so many were worried that if hit hard in the side it may not protect. Would not be surprised to see this car come back up as a F-U from GM to any naysayers.

Bad thing is if the accident was the Town cars fault he could be bankrupted. Hand built test car totaled, love to see the insurance agents face when he gets the claim for this. J I doubt GM would do that, public backlash would cost more.

Nah, testing is over now. It wouldn't be worth more than a retail example.
 

iamwiz82

Lifer
Jan 10, 2001
30,772
13
81
Test drive gone wrong, it looks like. Raining.

That isn't a dealer test drive, the car has M plates, it means it is a GM test mule. The M plate means it's a manufacturer test car and is only used for such purposes. Getting caught driving on an M plate for non-company business can lead to a lot of trouble for the employee.

The car was pushed a long way, assuming the Corvette was in the intersection when it was hit. The speed limit on both streets is 35MPH and Royal Oak is a heavily patrolled area. It's not advisable to speed there.

This shot is looking southbound

080113_3b.jpg
 
Last edited:

Jimzz

Diamond Member
Oct 23, 2012
4,399
190
106
Nah, testing is over now. It wouldn't be worth more than a retail example.


This is not a retail car, its still one of the custom built ones.
That and where do you think the insurance company will get parts for it. ;)

But like I said I doubt GM will go after the towncar, if it was their fault.
 

iamwiz82

Lifer
Jan 10, 2001
30,772
13
81

TerryMathews

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
11,464
2
0
This is not a retail car, its still one of the custom built ones.
That and where do you think the insurance company will get parts for it. ;)

But like I said I doubt GM will go after the towncar, if it was their fault.

Its still a preproduction example of a retail car. Since they aren't resold and are in fact scrapped a spunky adjuster could make a reasonable argument that it's value is less than a retail example.

Still though, this would be retail value max, as our insurance industry works on replacement value, not actual cost to replace. Hard to argue it's worth more when your local GM dealer will order you one today for $X.
 

Jimzz

Diamond Member
Oct 23, 2012
4,399
190
106
Its still a preproduction example of a retail car. Since they aren't resold and are in fact scrapped a spunky adjuster could make a reasonable argument that it's value is less than a retail example.

Still though, this would be retail value max, as our insurance industry works on replacement value, not actual cost to replace. Hard to argue it's worth more when your local GM dealer will order you one today for $X.


Yea it would be easy to argue. Early design cars like this go for much more than basic run of the mill cars.
Ford and GM had a big sell when things were going bad selling early production cars. Ford got WELL over retail for their cars. Can't remember what GM got off the top of my head.

The ones that get scrapped are the ones used for crash testing and ones that are junk mules. The one in the picture looks like a late model design car. Not 100% final retail, but close. It would eb considered rare and worth more. Kinda like the early 1983 Corvette test cars are very rare and worth a lot more.
 

TerryMathews

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
11,464
2
0
Yea it would be easy to argue. Early design cars like this go for much more than basic run of the mill cars.
Ford and GM had a big sell when things were going bad selling early production cars. Ford got WELL over retail for their cars. Can't remember what GM got off the top of my head.

The ones that get scrapped are the ones used for crash testing and ones that are junk mules. The one in the picture looks like a late model design car. Not 100% final retail, but close. It would eb considered rare and worth more. Kinda like the early 1983 Corvette test cars are very rare and worth a lot more.

Ever try to argue diminished value with an adjustor? That even assumes this is a state where diminished value is legal, some states bar it by statute.

It's hard enough to get diminished value out of a "regular" car. It would be a nightmare on one like this.

I'm sticking firm at retail max.

ETA: 83 Test Vettes are valuable because there was no production 83. Hard telling what an 83 mule would bring against a regular model years worth of production.

Here, let's make this simple. What is a 1997 Corvette test mule worth?
 
Last edited:

96Firebird

Diamond Member
Nov 8, 2010
5,740
337
126
We have a black one roaming the streets here, saw it on my way home from work last week. I think it rests at the GM/Delphi plant when its not out on the streets.
 
Mar 10, 2005
14,647
2
0
the lincoln was just trying to improve the corvette's looks

i'm sure a pre-production/test car in private ownership could could be insured for its collectors' value. indeed, any car could be insured for billions of dollars if the owner wishes.
 

TerryMathews

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
11,464
2
0
the lincoln was just trying to improve the corvette's looks

i'm sure a pre-production/test car in private ownership could could be insured for its collectors' value. indeed, any car could be insured for billions of dollars if the owner wishes.

Wouldn't have an M plate if private
 

Jimzz

Diamond Member
Oct 23, 2012
4,399
190
106
Ever try to argue diminished value with an adjustor? That even assumes this is a state where diminished value is legal, some states bar it by statute.

It's hard enough to get diminished value out of a "regular" car. It would be a nightmare on one like this.

I'm sticking firm at retail max.

ETA: 83 Test Vettes are valuable because there was no production 83. Hard telling what an 83 mule would bring against a regular model years worth of production.

Here, let's make this simple. What is a 1997 Corvette test mule worth?


1997 Engineering Corvette $41,800
http://www.barrett-jackson.com/application/onlinesubmission/lotdetails.aspx?ln=470&aid=283

Like I said; Engineering/Mule cars are worth more.

And yes there was Production 1983 Corvettes, there was no 1983 Model year in the US. In some other countires the model year is based on when it was made, not what the car company says. So you see 1983 Corvettes for sale outside the US sometimes.
 
Last edited:

Zenmervolt

Elite member
Oct 22, 2000
24,514
43
91
Bad thing is if the accident was the Town cars fault he could be bankrupted. Hand built test car totaled, love to see the insurance agents face when he gets the claim for this. J I doubt GM would do that, public backlash would cost more.

Michigan is a no-fault state. GM's insurance will pay the damage and the Town Car driver won't pay a cent (aside from potential increased premiums as a result of a new accident on his record) unless there were substantial injuries to the occupants of the Corvette. This is true even if the driver of the Town Car were 100% at-fault.

Even assuming a situation in which there were no insurance, no court is likely to set compensation for destruction of a test mule at the retail value of the vehicle. Nor is it likely to set the compensation at the cost of production of the vehicle. In a situation like this, a court would likely award the cost for GM to replicate the vehicle with present production techniques.

In other words, the award to GM would likely be the cost to produce a production C7 plus the cost to modify the vehicle to test whatever was being tested. It's not likely to be an astronomical number and, despite what the retail value might be, it's not likely to exceed the retail value of a production C7.

Of course, as I've said, Michigan's no-fault insurance system means that GM's insurance pays for all repairs to the Corvette and the Town Car driver's insurance pays for repairs to the Town Car, isolating the Town Car Driver from having to pay for anything related to the Corvette.

ZV
 

Topweasel

Diamond Member
Oct 19, 2000
5,437
1,659
136
Well not entirely true, they or the insurance agency can sue for a mini tort for whatever the deductible is up to $500 if the town car driver was at fault.
 

TerryMathews

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
11,464
2
0
Michigan is a no-fault state. GM's insurance will pay the damage and the Town Car driver won't pay a cent (aside from potential increased premiums as a result of a new accident on his record) unless there were substantial injuries to the occupants of the Corvette. This is true even if the driver of the Town Car were 100% at-fault.

Even assuming a situation in which there were no insurance, no court is likely to set compensation for destruction of a test mule at the retail value of the vehicle. Nor is it likely to set the compensation at the cost of production of the vehicle. In a situation like this, a court would likely award the cost for GM to replicate the vehicle with present production techniques.

In other words, the award to GM would likely be the cost to produce a production C7 plus the cost to modify the vehicle to test whatever was being tested. It's not likely to be an astronomical number and, despite what the retail value might be, it's not likely to exceed the retail value of a production C7.

Of course, as I've said, Michigan's no-fault insurance system means that GM's insurance pays for all repairs to the Corvette and the Town Car driver's insurance pays for repairs to the Town Car, isolating the Town Car Driver from having to pay for anything related to the Corvette.

ZV

Wow, that sounds like exactly what I've been saying.

They might have been able to get more if production were not so close.
 

iamwiz82

Lifer
Jan 10, 2001
30,772
13
81
Well not entirely true, they or the insurance agency can sue for a mini tort for whatever the deductible is up to $500 if the town car driver was at fault.

Correct, though it's rarely worth it.

All that being said, GM may self insure their mules.