https://rennlist.com/forums/924-931-...rash-test.html

https://rennlist.com/forums/924-931-...or-56kers.html

Some accidents that people have walked away from.

And a crash test.

 

How about a Dodge Caravan at 50 +mph dead center? There was a roll bar in the car at the time.

 

/\ look at how much better that car looked compared to the current day styling in picture 1. Damn it looks good

 

Ok, here is an interesting bit of automotive trivia that might answer the question.
Back in the 70’s there was a proposed 50mph frontal crash test standard – the big three lobbied against it and it was never adopted. In the mean time there were two cars designed around the requirement – the Fiat X1/9 and the Porsche 944.

The obnoxious ‘hooks’ on the torque tube (obnoxious if you are doing a clutch job!) are there to transfer force to the rear of the car once the crumple zones in the front of the car are ‘used up’. So once the front of the car has been crushed in a crash the forces will be transferred through the engine and torque tube to the ear of the car and the rear crumple zones will dissipate the reaming energy.

 

Very interesting. Thanks Chris.

 

Take a look at the crash test link. The car shown is distorted between the rear wheel arch and filler cap. Proof that the force of the impact was transfered through the drive train to the rear of the body shell.

Thank you Porsche!

 

Ya I noticed that too. Very interesting and good to see on these old cars!

 

I had a local 944 racer tell me when he cut the roof off the car there is like 6-7 layers of steel in the roof to make it like a pseudo cage. His words, not mine, being a salesman I'm sure he was exaggerating the last bit.

And I find that as safe as I feel in the car, I'm driving more sane than I was in my E36. With the E36 it was left lane all the time, with this I just go with the flow in one of the more right lanes and stay away from people. Just takes too much room to get the turbo to spool to go dancing in and out of traffic, not to mention the car is so fast that you could change lanes and take up a nice amount of distance on an SUV and they'd change lanes and never see you. Never thought a faster car would have me driving more civil, but it's a nice change.

 

Do a search here and you can find people who have cut their roof out to install non-sunroof panels. I doubt there is that much steel up there...

 

Not only do I remember that accident, but my 951 now has the freshly rebuilt starter that was in that car when it happened. I believe the car was on its maiden journey after the starter replacement when he was t-boned right in front of his house. Very disturbing damage to the car, no injuries. The starter still works great 4 years later.

 

A friend of mine got t-boned in his 89 S2 by a lady in a clown suit (yup, a REAL CLOWN, and he has pictures of her)....pushed in the drivers door and b pillar so badly he had to climb out the window...his only injury was a small scratch from the flying glass that blew up out of the door (the window was down at the time).

I'd have to say they are pretty darn safe

 

One guy, the driver, survived this. The passenger did not. This WAS a 968.

 

wasn't the platform (924) originally designed as a design safety study by VW (paid Porsche to design)?
and when VW thought it was too expensive for their product line Porsche put it to market...