NHTSA denies Pagani Airbag Exemption

[97prizm]

I thought this was an interesting topic that just came up recently. Pagani Was supposed to have The Huayra delevered to US Dealers early 2011, then was pushed back to 2012. Now that the NHTSA has denied them airbag exepmtions they are saying 2013-2014 deliveries. It's not as if i'm in the market for one, but A. Why would a exotic car company not want airbags (sure it's cheaper less complication)? B. They only planned to sell 6-12 per uear in the USA. Now I'm very much for the Government to leave us and Companies alone with all of it's archaic rulings, but. I certainly would want multi-stage airbags an a 1.2 Million dollar car if I bought one. Any thoughts on this? Do Europeans not care about safety in their vehicles. ( As a side note Top Gear UK made a joke about how the USA wont get several new cars includint The M3 GT as "The USA care about its citizens and wants them to live after a car accident unlike in England).

 

[fdcg27]

NHTSA acted correctly.
Why give an exemption to a well established safety standard for one very high end model?
I wonder what the manufacturer was thinking?
Off the rack airbag units are readily available from industry suppliers, and they've gotten pretty compact, so packaging can't have been that serious of a problem.
I wonder whether this car will actually be delivered to anyone, anywhere, anytime?
The first customer car is supposed to be delivered within the next two months, but let's wait and see.
Government regulations are commonly blamed for product launch failures that are really the result of engineering, manufacturing or financing difficulties.
Always more convenient to blame the government than for management to accept responsibility for its own failings.
This looks like a really neat road car, with extraodinary performance.
At the projected selling price, there cant be a very deep market for this car.
Even at that price, can enough money be made to offset the cost of development and tooling?
For the asking price, this car will also have to look and feel fully developed.
Speed alone will not be enough.
I wish Pagani luck.
A new and enduring exotic marque would be a good thing, even though most of us will never be able to contemplate owning any Pagani.

 

[musicmanbass]

They are probably looking for a crash test exemption on the car/airbag combo. If you're only planning to sell a dozen or so cars here, it eats your lunch to have to donate a few to be crashed.... especially at a few hundred grand each. When you sell 200,000 Corollas a year you wouldn't even notice half a dozen smashed into a wall in the name of testing.

 

[dparm]

We need to survive so we can continue paying taxes. :-D


Seriously though, they can't grant exemptions. It's a case of "give them an inch and they take a mile". Next thing they'll want no headlamps, no wipers, etc.

 

[hattaresguy]

That's a bunch of nonsense an airbag is going to ruin that awesome steering wheel.

They need to pull a 959, and go around the NHTSA, someone who has the right connections needs to get it to work.

The "kit car" loop hole is pretty good, ship the car and drive train separately than assemble them in this country.

 

[rpn453]

Does it have a four or five point harness? I'd think they could grant an exemption in that case. Like every race car driver in the world, I'd take that over airbags in a crash.

Oh wait, you can't have just that; someone might decide to drive without wearing it.

 

[Duffman77]

Originally Posted By: dparm

Seriously though, they can't grant exemptions. It's a case of "give them an inch and they take a mile". Next thing they'll want no headlamps, no wipers, etc.


No airbags inhibit the passengers safety, no headlights or wipers inhibits everyone on the roads safety, big difference.

 

[eljefino]

You have to have a roll cage if you have a 5 point harness; otherwise the roof caving in would snap your neck. With a 3 point you get shoved sideways and survive.

Gov't regulations help GM and Ford when they cause a high barrier for entry. Even though GM and Ford grouse about them occasionally, they do pretty fine by them.

Surprised it's not emissions holding this car back.

IIRC you can privately import and register a noncompliant vehicle of extraordinary significance if you drive it under 2500 miles a year. Is a loophole set up for foreign dignitaries, Bill Gates, etc.

 

[wings&wheels]

Originally Posted By: eljefino

Gov't regulations help GM and Ford when they cause a high barrier for entry. Even though GM and Ford grouse about them occasionally, they do pretty fine by them.


...and there is the key, and also the mindset that excludes entire brands or certain models from the US (TVR, Bristol, the MGF, current Lotus Europa, etc.) and forced us to live with mediocre sealed beam lights for several decades all in the name of keeping us 'safe'.

Few will argue the incremental benefits of advances in safety technology such as 3 point belts, pre-tensioners, air-bags (in some cases), ABS, TPS, etc., I certainly won't, but I'd also like to have some of these features optional beyond a certain minimum with that minimum being lower than the current standards.

There also needs to be an exemption for low volume, niche players such as the Pagani, Lotus and Morgans of the world. Not saying that we should allow something w/ no side impact protection, decent restraints or collapsible steering columns in, but we should, for sales under a certain volume, allow cars in that meet other similar countries' (EU, Japan, etc.) emissions, lighting & safety standards. Sure, placard the heck out of the cars, my Elise is an example: Lotus had a waiver for lighting and bumper standards (sticker on the interior chassis rail says so), also include a statement in the paperwork, but allow the choice.

As for the barriers to entry? The domestics can build something to compete if they want to play in that market...competition drives advancement.

It is frustrating to travel around the world, see and drive some of what is not available here. I'll take a Sagaris please...

Rant over.

 

[cchase]

If the occupant can be protected adequately without a frontal airbag, will it pass?

 

[rpn453]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
You have to have a roll cage if you have a 5 point harness; otherwise the roof caving in would snap your neck. With a 3 point you get shoved sideways and survive.


They may have enough roof strength already, as it would certainly contribute to chassis stiffness.

What about a four-point harness? I don't believe the Bondurant School Vettes had roll cages with those.

 

[rpn453]

Originally Posted By: cchase
If the occupant can be protected adequately without a frontal airbag, will it pass?


Nope. It has to protect unbelted occupants too.

 

[cchase]

Originally Posted By: rpn453
Originally Posted By: cchase
If the occupant can be protected adequately without a frontal airbag, will it pass?


Nope. It has to protect unbelted occupants too.


And herein lies the problem in this country. Personally I think the unbelted rule is ridiculous.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: wings&wheels
...and there is the key, and also the mindset that excludes entire brands or certain models from the US (TVR, Bristol, the MGF, current Lotus Europa, etc.) and forced us to live with mediocre sealed beam lights for several decades all in the name of keeping us 'safe'.


As opposed to the mindset that every headlight assembly must be proprietary, exceedingly expensive, fragile, and prone to yellowing?

 

[carwreck]

The car is built to European ECE vehicle and equipment regulations. ECE specifications are based on belted crash test dummies.
In the United Kingdom, and most other developed countries there is no direct legal requirement for new cars to feature airbags.

The U.S. airbag standards are based on litigation that allow you to never take responsibility for your own actions. Spill coffee on yourself, sue, and win.

Some ECE specs are stricter than U.S. standards. For example, it is illegal to install lower speed rated tires in some countries, and new cars in Germany must have electronic 155mph speed limiters.

The Pagani Huayra is built for better crash protection than most cars. (229mph rated tires, carbon fiber body, protected fuel cell)
Limited production cars can get airbag exemptions. Pagani did not provided the correct documentation for the waiver.

This type of car is rarely driven. It would be owned by some over-paid sports celebrity who parks the car on Rodeo drive so they can have their picture on TMZ.
(Or the celebrity will get drunk, drive the car at 220mph, crash the car, and at 220mph crash, it does not matter at all if you have airbags).

And in addition to the diplomat waiver mentioned in this thread, there is another way you can import the car. Buy it now, and just wait 21 yrs. (any car over 21 years old can be imported).

You may also be able to buy a fake one in a few years. This company makes replicas of the Pagani Zonda. http://www.supereplicas.com/pagani_zonda_replica.php
_____________________________________

1999 OLDS GLS 3.4L

 

[hattaresguy]

I'm pretty sure you would have a better chance when stuffing a Huayra into a barrier at 100 than in an Accord.

Can't you just sign a waiver to exempt yourself from this government nanny nonsense?

 

[MarkM66]

I think they were talking about this on "The Car Show."

Like one guys said, as long as people are allowed to drive motorcycles.... why can't people buy a car without an air bag if they choose to do so?