Thursday 17th August 2006

Safety rules threaten Bugatti

Could US airbag changes mean the end?

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Bugatti Veyron: needs new airbags?

We hear that potential US buyers of the Bugatti Veyron may have to shell out an additional $125,000.

New US safety rules mean that the car will need some redesigning. According to a letter that Bugatti boss Thomas Bscher wrote to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Agency, the company might even be put out of business by such a change.

New so-called smart airbag rules come into effect next month. They're intended to ensure that airbags can distinguish between a child and an adult who aren't wearing seatbelts -- a far more common occurrence in the US than in Europe -- and which can adjust the amount of airbag inflation for small drivers sitting further forward than normal. The aim is to avoid injuries from the airbags themselves in a crash.

But a redesign to accommodate the new airbags will affect both the price of the current Veyron, and the timing of the design and manufacturing of the next model. Additionally, to validate the design will require up to 120 crash tests -- and at the thick end of €1 million per car, that's an expensive pile of bent hardware.

So there's a lot of money at stake. According to the FT, Bscher also said in his letter that the company expected to lose €3.1m over the next three years even if it were exempted.

As a result, Bscher has asked for a two-year exemption from the ruling on the grounds that only 150 examples will be imported anyway. Bugatti isn't alone in this: other low volume car builders have applied similarly, including Lotus, Ferrari, Spyker, Morgan and Lamborghini.

And in its petition for examption, Lamborghini said its 2007 post-tax profit of €1.7m would become a loss of €4.7m loss if the Murciélago were not exempted. Lambo's next generation of the car, due in 2009, will meet the new airbag requirements -- but at a cost of about €20m.

[anonymous-user]

and all because some idiot won't wear their seatbelt! What a nonsense... and i doubt if a Veyron driver would ever drive without a seatbelt on anyway. The US has so much of this nannying legislation and beaureacratic rules applied to everyone, yet you can still have a chain gun mounted in the back of your "truck" as one guy i know does. Totally bizarre country!

[DavidCane]

Hmm, how about the cheaper option of setting the ecu so that the engine will not run if the seat belts aren't buckled? Obviously open to abuse by people buckling the seatbelt before getting in and then just sitting on the belt, but that's a choice that they make and a risk they take.

[burtjp]

Again the US shows what a ridiculous automotive nation it is. On one hand its rather coincidental that these regulations mainly hit European car makers. On the other maybe that's why US automotive makers really only consist of the big three.

[Jason1788]

Wearing seatbelts interferes with burger eating. Also I expect a lot of them are too fat to get the seatbelt on.

[snorky]

that's why airbags were invented in the first place - for yanks who won't wear their seatbelts...

[r988]

article said:

Additionally, to validate the design will require up to 120 crash tests -- and at the thick end of €1 million per car, that's an expensive pile of bent hardware.

Wow, can you imagine 120 smashed up Veyrons?

They will probably have to cover the interior in still warning stickers as well

Should stick one on the door 'Warning: Driving this vehicle at excessive speed may result in feelings of elation, pleasure and non comformity'

[richards 7]

And i thought britain was the nanny state!!!!

If people don't wear belts then let them take the consequences. if they can't fit them around their inflated bellies then they should not be allowed to drive.

[mk1fan]

Now come on. Lets stop the American bashing. You and I are fully aware on how much effort it takes to get into a car. There's unlocking it for a start, then opening the door etc... Is it any real surprise that they can't manage to pull on the seat belt? After such exertion you do need a rest.

It is certainly more than reasonable to expect a big nasty multi-national car manufacturer to spend considerable time and resources on ensuring that the Human Right of the individual not to wear a seatbelt does not result in any injury or loss being suffered by that same individual.

Any person who has suffered injury or loss due to this glaringly negligent act on behalf of car manufacturers should contact me imediately. Your Human Right's have been violated and I guarantee you the huge cash settlement you deserve (this is not a guarantee).

Regards,
A poncy lawyer

[GTRene]

who needs airbags when you have proper seatbelts, let the choice to the people who drive the car, if you want airbags go and buy them if you don't then don't!! we can take our own risks! we don't need nanny's to look after us and make things worse!! we like to choose ourselfs! though I think good seatbelts are realy a plus...
Life is a risk..if you take it, its a risk maybe but please don't nanny us, sadly accidents happen but thats all in the game...more people died of smoking or illness then on cardriving! aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh let us live! and feel the riks thats live!
GTRene

[RTH]

Audi and the VW group must have done tons of reseach and testing on all this over the years in vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Who better placed than to have an off the shelf solution ?

[egomeister]

RTH said:

Audi and the VW group must have done tons of reseach and testing on all this over the years in vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Who better placed than to have an off the shelf solution ?

Airbags and the like are never an "off the shelf" solution - unfortunately in-car calibration is a large part of the development which means smashing up vehicles and hence the huge development costs.

I wish goverments could have a more sensible approach to stuff like this - excluding low volume production to sell in the states by demanding such technology has to be used stifles expansion of businesses and reduces the potential for innovative development. After all, how can you develop into a large company if no-one will let you sell your product as a small one?

[darthPaddington]

Hmm if a big company like VW cannot meet these requirements then what happens to small volume custom car producers?

[HCT]

This rule hasn´t come up yesterday. They knew it. And it is a good law. One size fits all does NOT apply to airbags.

[off_again]

Why cant the US drivers / passengers just wear seatbelts? Surely the seatbelt has been the biggest impact to road safety this century and at a minimum cost of manufacture and use - yet the US is insisting that technology is the answer....

Surely its just better to "belt-up" and not necessarily rely on a sensor, a computer, an explosive charge and a bag of gas...

Or am I just being thick?

[Mr Whippy]

Can't they just deactivate the airbags?

Is it law to HAVE airbags in new cars?

Dave

[Mannginger]

mk1fan said:

(this is not a guarantee)

[HCT]

off_again: The main thing is not about drivers not wearing a seatbelt, but about different driver sizes, weights and distances. A difference of 10 inches between head and airbag can make a huge difference in impact velocity.

[mini_ralf]

Simple... Don't sell proper cars to the Americans. If they can't be sensible and wear seat belts then they shouldn't be allowed to own anything faster than a bicycle.

Sorry... But why should the rest of the world always be forced to conform to ridiculous and draconian rules when the Americans can't be bothered to accept rules that the rest of the world are conforming to. (Kyoto Accord for one)

Rant over.... For the time being.

[paulie-mafia]

What a joke - especially when you consider the piss poor safety of a lot of American cars. Eg the Chrysler Grand Voyager has just 2 NCAP stars and leaves the driver in a terrible state in a head on impact at little over 40mph.

[350matt]

Thing is Airbags can actuall cause injuries as well, as if you're outside the 5th and 95th percentile of human being size ( like myself at 6'3" then I'll take longer ot accelerate and hit the bag by which time its already deflating and has heated up which can be hot enough to burn

If I have the choice I'd throw airbags away and go with decent pre-tensioned seatbelts every time

Matt