Results of a collison at 35kmh
 

So heres the story....
I was driving home from school and the oncoming traffic decided to turn left without checking for on coming traffic...
Well I guess BMW decided to make the whole front of the vehicle out of plastic and connected the bumper to the fender...
Now my whole front needs to be replaced...
So young... only 3 months old

Damn thats a lot of damage, I assume you are ok and that is the most important thing, a car can be repaired a lot easier than you can

:iagree: Although... maybe not as quickly. ;) Good luck!

As long as everybody is ok, that's all that matters. That's the reason why we get insurance coverage for the cars. Good luck.

I hope she is repaired quickly.

Cheers,

looks like the e70 is a weak car

Lightweight materials, as strong as they supposedly are, cannot remain undamaged in a 40mph crash. We're not talking about steel here... try being as agile with that stuff on your front end.

A rather odd comment based upon some superficial damage, no? Think about it for a minute – it is longer and wider and weighs nearly the same as the old model.

They are using more magnesium, and more advanced lightweight materials to accomplish this. The fenders are in fact thermoplastic, yes, plastic. The fenders are not what is going to protect the occupants in the event of a collision.

We should not confuse overall vehicle safety with a cracked, lightweight, thermoplastic fender.

KEF

silly plastic.

We're talking about a 35 kph (22 mph) collision. 40 mph is the speed at which fontal crash tests are conducted…

doubtful

Weak has a very broad definition when it comes to cars.

Are we saying the E70 is weak based on the amount of damage in $$$? Sorry, I just don't buy that. I think this should not even be in question. A good comp and collision coverage takes care of the damages.

We should be more concerned with the safety of the occupants involved in the accident.

When I look at this thread and knowing that this member walked away with just scratches, it makes me feel good that my kids are safe in my E70.

http://www.xoutpost.com/x5-e70-forum/...ight=E70+crash

Imo, a result of the trend to lighter materials, (stronger?!),
combined with the integration of hood, sexy lights and curves,
fascia, bumper, etc. Looks titz, possibly helps with Cd, but
does not "protect" like the old ugly bumpers and stuff.

And, costly to fix, be we all like the looks of modern rides.

well i have to say i felt really safe when the collison
occured. i guess the amount of damage was due to the crumple zones in the car to absorbe the force. its nice to see all the safety warmings that lit up on iDrive knowing that i had all this technology behind me preventing me from any injuries.

Exactly, well said.

Cheers,
KEF

The crumple zones of the car that are designed to absorb force and actually protect the occupants on impact have little to do with thermoplastic fenders. Really.

Have you every seen an F1 car after it hit the wall at light speed? Not much left of it other than the shell that the driver is sitting in.

Looks horrific, car bursts into 1000 pieces, but the driver sustains minimal injury when compared to the impact.

Cheers,
KEF

Oh did I miss where he stated the speed ?

In the OP...35 kilometers per hour

Here are pics of my e53 in Jan '06 after someone pulled out in front of me without looking and I drove through her Chevy Cavalier engine compartment at 40 mph. She got pulled out by the Jaws of Life and was messed up bad. I walked away from the accident with no injuries (airbag went off). BTW--it was fixed and no problems with it to date ($20K in repairs and 2 months in the shop). They are tanks and I never thought I would need the safety that is built in. I am a believer.

oops I was looking in the actual text. Does this consider the other vehicle's speed or did he only hit the other car on it's broad-side where that wouldn't be a factor?

glad everybody walked away safely :thumbup:

These photos and stories are invaluable. Thanks for posting them.

BGM, did the side airbags go off? and was there any damage to the interior?

No sides did not go off--I hit her square in the front and then she whipped around and hit the passenger door. No interior damage at all. Not sure if everyone knows this but there are sensors all around the vehicle that can detect an impact within like .001 of a second--when that happens the doors automatically unlock, hazards go on and the fuel line or battery line shuts down---it did all of those things.

Simple physics - the E70 absorbed the shock of a two ton mass hitting another object at speed - it's body sacrificed, not yours. Quality design if you asked me.

well i collided with the car on an angle...
so my front passenger went in to his 2 passenger doors.
i was originally travelling at 50km/h and i hit the brakes and saw the
head-up display go down to 35km/h...
since he was turning the other vehicle's speed was minimal as it was directed to the left

I agree that a certain amount of damage is the price to keep the occupants safer. There also rules for the bumbers to make them people friendly. Just be aware of deminished value so you do not take a hit like I did.

Did the vehicle send an SOS through BMW Assist when the accident occurred? Thought I had read somewhere it would do that.

i think the SOS only goes off when the air bags are deployed...
but this wasn't a serious colliosion cause i was only travelling 35km/h
but i was told that i SOS would be sent to BMW... it just depends on how severe the accident is

I don't think my SOS was sent either. And, yes, I did collect a diminished value claim--I got about $5K.

what is a diminished claim?
is it because when a vehicle gets in a collision the value goes down, so the insurance gives u a check to compensate for the lose?

Yes that is correct. Contact your insurance or theirs to see if they offer it.

did the airbags deploy?