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Volkswagen Torture Testing Its Vehicles: Video

By Viknesh Vijayenthiran
Viknesh Vijayenthiran Viknesh Vijayenthiran
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Vik is an Editor at High Gear Media and contributor for a number of sites within the High Gear Media network. He was a co-founder of Motor Authority... More

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Volkswagen Transporter van thrown into the air

Volkswagen Transporter van thrown into the air



Before the proliferation of electronic sensors and computer technology in the world of cars, engineers actually used to go out and beat the hell out of the cars they were testing--quite literally.

BMX-style jumping ramps, old-fashioned door slamming and even a sledgehammer or two to a roof panel were all tricks of the trade as we’ll see in this latest video of durability testing by Volkswagen engineers.

The lineup of vehicles includes everything from a Transporter van, pictured above, to a MkIV Golf and even the outgoing New Beetle.

What’s interesting to see--or perhaps shocking--is that most of the test drivers don’t appear to have any safety gear whatsoever, despite their vehicles leaping into the air several feet or running off highways at high speed.

Go ahead and click play now.


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Comments (6)

  1. fb_1335780556 avatar Chuck Yadmark Posted: 5/4/2011 8:15am PDT

    Talk about torture, was given a loaner Jetta with 2.0 L 4 when I took my CC in, now that's torture!
     
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  2. electron Posted: 5/4/2011 8:38am PDT

    Too bad that testing doesn't assure more reliable electrical systems.
     
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  3. Gubbins Posted: 5/4/2011 10:07am PDT

    Electron is on target--never mind the structural showboating, how about some attention to the electrics? Their rep is still lousy in that department.
     
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  4. Mark Posted: 5/4/2011 11:09am PDT

    Looks like some of the testing may have been airbag control (algorithm) testing. It was found that several normal driving conditions would confuse the airbag control module (ACM) and set the airbags off, even though the vehicle was not involved in a crash needing the airbag. The testing in the video look to be setting either a base line to help program the ACM, or testing the actual ACM within the vehicles.
     
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  5. big un Posted: 5/5/2011 7:31am PDT

    I think they sell these same cars after they test them.
     
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  6. Ridge Posted: 5/6/2011 6:24am PDT

    Was it me, or was there no ABS on the Beetle? The wheels locked up solid under braking.
     
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