Tesla Roadster gets wrecked by the feds... in the name of safety, of course

It's shots like these of the Tesla Roadster getting pwned passing those federal safety tests that make vast government bureaucracy worth it, don't you think? A full gallery over at AutoBlog.

[Mikey @ Jan 25th 2008 9:22PM]

Ouch!

[James Ollier @ Jan 25th 2008 9:24PM]

I do this job Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The rest of the time I'm a life guard at a nude beach. I even get missed calls off Steve Jobs. I'd be lying if I said I always told the truth.

[James @ Jan 25th 2008 9:34PM]

You ever been to a nude beach before? It's 80-90% guys. The 10-20% of females there, you wouldn't give a 2nd glance to if you passed them on the street.

[vcx @ Jan 25th 2008 9:39PM]

So how does it feel like to rub your body against nude guys while rescuing them?

[Jeremy K. @ Jan 25th 2008 10:38PM]

lol James you funny

[grjohnston @ Jan 26th 2008 3:54AM]

@ James (not James Olliver)

James... are you an 80 %'er, or a 20 %'er?

[James @ Jan 26th 2008 3:43PM]

"James... are you an 80 %'er, or a 20 %'er?"

With a name like James... take a wild guess Sherlock.

[whatishalo? @ Jan 25th 2008 9:29PM]

oh...so sad...

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Jan 26th 2008 12:33AM]

I want one so bad, that I'd be happy just to get that wrecked one.

[ethana2 @ Jan 26th 2008 12:47AM]

Yeah, salvage some of those energy cells to use in http://www.netcraft.com.au/geoffrey/meta/
^_^ I think my policy with segways is similar to my policy with apple products: Don't buy their hardware, build it yourself.... heck, don't buy their software either, just use the open source stuff... Oh sure, it's more effort, but I know I'm not rewarding anyone for patent hoarding, and there's a certain feel of accomplishment to it all.

[Mikey @ Jan 26th 2008 11:25PM]

@ I LOVE CAPS LOCK KEY

http://gsaauctions.gov/gsaauctions/aucindx/

Occasionally this site will sell crash tested cars

[Anthony @ Jan 25th 2008 10:04PM]

Ummm...

I don't think it's the Feds that do crash testing.

I think it's the "The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is an independent, nonprofit, scientific and educational organization dedicated to reducing the losses — deaths, injuries, and property damage — from crashes on the nation's highways."

http://www.iihs.org/

[retro77 @ Jan 25th 2008 10:08PM]

Ah but required by Federal Laws, right?

[ericthebikeman @ Jan 25th 2008 10:45PM]

The feds do testing, the IIHS just runs different tests like that offset one.

[Alexander @ Jan 25th 2008 9:31PM]

Great. I can't even get one of these, and the stupid gooberment is destroying them.

Fan-flipping-tastic. Ever think that maybe REMOVING all the safety crap would make people THINK about driving less like over-caffeinated retards... Because they might DIE with no seatbelt, airbags, anti-lock breaks, low-traction sensors, and safety glass?

[T-Bone @ Jan 25th 2008 9:55PM]

Won't work. Besides, those features save lives that would have been otherwise lost because of the other driver.

[Alexander @ Jan 26th 2008 8:47AM]

How about we just remove all the safety stuff from people's cars if they don't have car insurance? That way, they don't cause my rates to shoot through the roof by their bad decisions in life.

Or maybe just limit some things to keep them out of my way. Like make their car unable to go faster than 35MPH. That would keep them off the highways, let still allow them to get to work.

What I am saying is, in the states that require drivers insurance, that it's a racket. I pay for something every month that I hope I never ever have to use. And when I do have to use it, I have to make a choice: Let them pay for it--and raise my rates, which I am barely making now--or pay out of my pocket just so I can continue to pay them every month. And then they still raise my rates.

I just think that if everybody KNEW the dangers by driving without any safety equipment inside, that they would be driving more careful. This isn't 1950 where the cars are built better, and people for the most part were driving slower with less distractions, and there were far fewer cars on the road.

[MEAT! @ Jan 25th 2008 9:35PM]

Stefan Eriksson, noooooooooooooo!

Oh, wait... *coughs* Sorry.

[Nathan @ Jan 25th 2008 10:00PM]

win, pure and simple

[optV @ Jan 25th 2008 9:41PM]

What was the crash test rating?

[Dirkus @ Jan 25th 2008 9:57PM]

Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2b9aW1qE9E

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Jan 26th 2008 12:49AM]

That's much better than this rolling death trap.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBQnyEhoY00
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caOqD54oxRA
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=chinese+car+crash

[retro77 @ Jan 25th 2008 9:59PM]

There goes $100k...there goes $100k...there goes $100k...hurts every time....

[Nathan @ Jan 25th 2008 10:02PM]

Look at it this way, it's a (horrible, nasty and disgusting) necessary step towards approval for mass production. Pretty soon you'll be able to say that about them passing you in Silicon Valley!

*whoosh* "there goes $100k"

Cereal though, this is indeed making me sad in the pants

[David @ Jan 25th 2008 10:04PM]

Hey, you paid for it....and so did all of us who earn more than $72000 a year.....

talking about taxes, are any of you getting refunds if the $150 billion thing goes through?

[retro77 @ Jan 25th 2008 10:07PM]

Yup sure did. Thank you US Gov for keeping us safe!...Again!

[The Angry Intern @ Jan 26th 2008 12:24AM]

i think i would cry if i saw the crash tests done for the Ferrari Enzo

[retro77 @ Jan 26th 2008 12:37AM]

Oh and they have been done.

[ethana2 @ Jan 26th 2008 12:42AM]

I think you'd have even more people agreeing with you if it had an _____ logo on it.

[Eric Kelly @ Jan 25th 2008 10:32PM]

I can haz broken tesla roadster?

[aguiluz @ Jan 25th 2008 10:56PM]

Can I have a couple of them so I can splice, chop and weld them together so at least I can have one working vehicle?

[Umberto @ Jan 25th 2008 10:57PM]

Isn't it time for the non-word "pwned" and all its variations to die an ugly death?

[aguiluz @ Jan 25th 2008 11:56PM]

Unless online games and the internet ceases to exist, the word "pwned" and all in the 1337 dictionary shall continue to exist.

[ethana2 @ Jan 26th 2008 12:40AM]

So wait, you want a language with /standards/, right? With correctness and officialness and neatness?

You're not looking at english. You're looking at the lojban variant I plan on making.
[e-mail]
You know, if you want to help.

[Reader @ Jan 26th 2008 1:53AM]

I laughed, it's alright if unexpected. I'm just glad that Engadget writers stopped using "sez".

[grjohnston @ Jan 26th 2008 3:57AM]

No. pwned will only die if we put them all in a car and crash them. But all the cars are safe. So, too bad!

[The_Steven @ Jan 25th 2008 11:00PM]

I imagine that once the Tesla hits (pun intended) mass production, the cost of the test cars and testing will account for 5% of the msrp. And once other body styles on the same chassis come out, that may even drop lower.

I'd love to see three styles in the $75,000-90,000 range; the roadster, a coupe, and a fastback/3-door.

[Jonathan Worrel @ Jan 25th 2008 11:31PM]

hahahah, this made me laugh for some reason. the tesla is one sexy vehicle though.

[ethana2 @ Jan 26th 2008 12:43AM]

Destruction makes you laugh? Is your insurance company aware of this?

[CapWKidd @ Jan 26th 2008 12:56AM]

David Quote:
"Hey, you paid for it....and so did all of us who earn more than $72000 a year.....

talking about taxes, are any of you getting refunds if the $150 billion thing goes through??

$150 billion thing?? Pleas explain....


ethana2 Quote:
"Destruction makes you laugh? Is your insurance company aware of this?"

I LOL'd at that one ;)

[ZeroCorpse @ Jan 26th 2008 2:00AM]

For $100,000 this thing had better be bullet proof and FLY.

[Iamsars @ Jan 26th 2008 2:16AM]

i dont see Porsches and Ferrari's flying by that are bullet proof... those are more than $100,000 too

[Phillip @ Jan 26th 2008 10:07AM]

So, since the car has been "Taken Down", will it be available in the Junk Yard?

...Sorry. To much Burnout. :-)

[CanCar @ Jan 26th 2008 10:33AM]

To make the security tests never are of wrong. The life is only one, we must take care of it!!

[yevon7 @ Jan 26th 2008 4:47PM]

I would have been so happy just to be the crash test dummy.


PS - Engadget, are you guys going to have a Tesla Roadster giveaway when this comes out? =D