Re: 5000 safety questions

[steveb@newkla.kla.com (Steven Buchholz)]

> Greetings all,
>  
> I have a few safety related questions regarding the 5000.
>  
> 1) Is anybody familiar with the procon-ten safety system that 
>    pulls the steering wheel away from the driver via steel 
>    cables into the dash board. This is an often stated safety 
>    fact where I come from (South Africa) and am surprised safety
>    conscious Americans don't talk of it more.  

I think the procon-ten system used the interia of that mass we all know
and love as the engine to snug up the seat belts, etc. in the event of a
frontal impact.  Personally, I prefer this option to having someone in-
stall explosives in my steering wheel.  I too am surprised that Audi 
didn't make a bigger deal of it ... poor marketing on Audi's part :(
  
> 2) What happens to your dash after a head-on collision !!!!

"When they go in, they all look the same, but when the come out they look ...
different!"  (T. Wolfe - The Right Stuff)  Hey, if you have a collision that
serious the last thing you're worried about is how the dash looks!
  
> 3) Is any one familiar with the crash tests that the German 
>    Magazine, Auto-Motor (I think that's the name), did where
>    the 5000 was rated at the top regarding safety, ahead of 
>    Volvo. I think this article was printed in 1987.

I've heard that.  I'm convinced that Audi builds safe cars that are as
safe as ovloVs (or is that sovloV?).  If you consider active safety I 
believe that they are superior.
  
> 4) Are US spec cars safer, those ugly bumpers on certain cars 
>    look really dumb !!! and those strange door mounted safety 
>    belts????

Those *ugly* bumpers are intended to help on minor collisions.  Person-
ally, I must have gotten used to them because they don't bother me ... 
never have.  When I hear that a 2.5MPH collision to the rear of some cars 
causes over $1000 in damage I think I'll keep my *ugly* bumpers, thank you.

Sorry for the silliness ...
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Steven L. Buchholz	KLA Instruments Corporation - RAPID Engineering
s_buchho@kla.com	M/S A1-3400, PO Box 49055, San Jose, CA 95161-9055
(408) 456-6244 (office/voice mail)	(408) 434-4284 (fax)
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