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Lamborghinis are "Designed to Split in Half" in Event of a Crash? We're Not So Sure
Well...this sort of crash happens often enough that if engine breakaway isn't intentional...well...then something is terribly terribly wrong. And from what I've been able to determine all of these drivers and passengers walked away.
It's also a litlle understandable to me because the heavy parts like the engine have a lot of momentum in high speed crashes, and throwing them away results in a very lightweight cage that is more easy to stop by itself.
Many cars built around the carbon monocoque are designed this way.
Imagine driving that Aventador through an intersection and being clipped by somone on either rear quarter, the engine portion-back would detatch same as it did here when it hit a tree.
The Pagani Huayra is also designed the same way, where there are 7 Magnesium bolts holding the rear portion of the chassis to the Monocoque.
Saw both of these features explained in detail on the "Supercars" show featuring both the Aventador and Huayra.
Some cars have other interesting features like dropping the motor out of the car in order to let the crumple zones 'crumple' effeciently.
Engine is supposed to detach from passenger 'life cell' under certain circumstances so as take the punishment and NOT to transmit enegy to the occupants.
Similar to a classic motorcycle accident.
Learned 40 years ago that when a crashed motorcycle looks VERY good it often means the rider is DEAD. When the bike looks horrible, the rider survives.
Whenever the vehicle ABSORBS the extreme punishment and is essentially destroyed by the kinetic energy, it means that LESS energy is left to hit and destroy the passenger.
THAT is why Carbon Fiber and other composites like modern, advanced fiberglass, tend to work extremely well in occupant life preservation, much better than metal structures.
Looks like it worked in this instance. Airbags deployed and cell is intact = 100% occupant survival.
There is a GOOD REASON why highly advanced high technology costs FAR MORE than common technology.
Better engineers and better material safety standards..
Certificate degrees in automotive repair as well as Custom Fabrication from Washtenaw Community College, Michigan
How its made and How do they do it also have segments on the design of F1 cars.
Anyway, that's what I think, but I bet someone from the industry would have a better idea. I'll see what I can find and get back to you.
Here's an excellent visual of Audi Factory driver Allan McNish's scary wreck at Le Mans in 2011. He was probably traveling 150+mph at the time of the crash and walked away completely unscathed. Despite the scary shower of carbon fiber, wheels, and other race car bits, no one else was injured either. Another wreck in a team car at night (there's no real video of that wreck) saw a car completely destroyed except for the safety cell. That wreck was at close to 220mph and the driver, Mike Rockenfeller, only had a headache afterwards.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW3NDGk6YQE