Ford using $10,000 car-sized balloons for crash-testing

AK370Z · 02-10-2009, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Ford is working hard to continue earning top marks for crash safety. With a platform inherited from Volvo, they might as well keep piling on the goodies, including radar-assisted cruise control that keeps an eye out for impending collisions and charges up the brakes preemptively. How do you develop, test, and tune such a system? "Why, they smashed a lot of cars into each other" you might conclude. That sounds expensive, and if there's one thing all automakers have been trying to do for quite some time now, it's save cash. Instead of running hunks of metal into one another, Ford has been using balloons shaped like cars for target practice.

With a price tag of $10,000, the balloons might seem a waste, but they can be reused multiple times and no cars get damaged in the process. Plus, the air-filled faux-mobiles facilitate a safer experience for test drivers and are guaranteed to provide some comic relief on windy days. Press release after the jump

Source: Ford using $10,000 car-sized balloons for crash-testing - Autoblog

drmike · 02-10-2009, 08:47 PM

Funny, Helly Hansen mainly makes survival apparel and cold-weather gear.

Crash · 02-11-2009, 07:18 AM

I'll take two. (Park them in good spots out here in Los Angeles.) We'll see if anyone notices. LOL

twenzel · 02-11-2009, 09:44 AM

WHAT could possibly cause those balloons to cost $10k??

Lug · 02-11-2009, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twenzel

WHAT could possibly cause those balloons to cost $10k??

They filled them with race grade nitrogen (71%).

Crash · 02-12-2009, 05:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twenzel

WHAT could possibly cause those balloons to cost $10k??

Want to know how many they make out of one mold and how much the machining, tooling, and modling costs?

Imagine the molds for making those cost 20K to make, and then they're only producing 10-20 of the balloons out each mold. Also keep in mind how much manufacturing room they're using to make these instead of some mass-produced item.

Keep in mind that the company that makes these needs to make a profit and this isn't exactly a mass-produced item. I can see how they're 10K each.

SiXK · 02-12-2009, 08:55 AM

They should get those balloons to the dealerships. looks better than most of their cars.

02-10-2009, 08:47 PM	#2 (permalink)
drmike Enthusiast Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Kern Co., California Age: 53 Posts: 356 Drives: '03 Mini S+'94 Miata Rep Power: 16	Funny, Helly Hansen mainly makes survival apparel and cold-weather gear. __________________ txwerks.com (side biz) xcor.com (main biz)

02-11-2009, 07:18 AM	#3 (permalink)
Crash A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,853 Drives: 02 Corvette Z06 Rep Power: 589	I'll take two. (Park them in good spots out here in Los Angeles.) We'll see if anyone notices. LOL __________________ 2002 Corvette Z06 - Totaled 2003 Corvette Z06 50th Anniversary

02-12-2009, 08:55 AM	#7 (permalink)
SiXK Enthusiast Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Orlando Posts: 352 Drives: 09 370Z / 91 300ZXTT Rep Power: 185	They should get those balloons to the dealerships. looks better than most of their cars. __________________ Magnetic Black 2009 370Z / Pearl Yellow 1991 300ZXTT

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02-11-2009, 09:44 AM	#4 (permalink)
twenzel Base Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Austin TX Posts: 9 Drives: BMW 135i Rep Power: 16	WHAT could possibly cause those balloons to cost $10k??