Dog Vs. Chipmunk Vs. Mercedes

[KillerHERTZ]

One of my clients picked up his new $80,000 Mercedes last week. He lives on a large estate in the woods north of Toronto. Yesterday his German Shepherd 'guard" dog chased a chipmunk under the front of his new car and then proceeded to try and tear the fender off with his teeth!
Look how deep the teeth marks are and how it is bent up at the front.....This is thick Mercedes steel...Imagine what would happen to a Hyundai?*

*Yeah, it wouldnt rust afterwards.

 

[artyman]

I presume the chipmunk is on commission from the local bodyshop

 

[Dieselman]

That looks like an aluminium panel.

I always find it quite incredible the rubbish talked on the internet about Mercedes cars being built stronger than other cars.

Afaik, only Lada cars had thicker steel bodywork, all others are pretty well the same.

 

[wemorgan]

For steel bodied cars A-surface panels are nearly always ~0.7mm. These panels are not highly loaded and typically the stylists wants to make more complex surface geometries so the thin material allows for this.

 

[Mr B.]

I would not be happy if that happen to my car

 

[brigadier]

crazed dog.

 

[st13phil]

That looks like an aluminium panel.

The W204 front wings are plastic; not sure about the W212, but I think they're plastic too (even though I own one I'm not really that bothered what material is used for the front wings).

I always find it quite incredible the rubbish talked on the internet about Mercedes cars being built stronger than other cars.

Agreed, although one slight exception is the stiffness of some of the passenger cell components in which Mercedes are better than many, but not better than all.

 

[developer]

The W204 front wings are plastic; not sure about the W212, but I think they're plastic too (even though I own one I'm not really that bothered what material is used for the front wings).

Can you expand on this please?

 

[Dieselman]

.Agreed, although one slight exception is the stiffness of some of the passenger cell components in which Mercedes are better than many, but not better than all.

Mercedes are no stronger in the passenger call than any other modern car.

 

[st13phil]

Can you expand on this please?

Just "tap tested" my W212's front wings and they have a metallic ring (unlike my previous W204) so I suspect they're aluminium.

 

[st4]

Mercedes are no stronger in the passenger call than any other modern car.

Not even a Geely?

 

[nick mercedes]

The W204 front wings are plastic

W204 wings are aluminium.

 

[st4]

W204 wings are aluminium.

Plastic ones are better. Mercedes haven't invented corroding plastic and it's cheaper to replace.

 

[st13phil]

W204 wings are aluminium.

Are they? I stand corrected.

 

[nick mercedes]

Are they? I stand corrected.

Vitos and old CLs and As have plastic wings, later stuff has ali wings.

 

[Dieselman]

Plastic panels cost more to manufacture and are not as recyclable as metal ones. Steel is the cheapest material to make panels from.

 

[Colin_b]

Plastic panels cost more to manufacture and are not as recyclable as metal ones. Steel is the cheapest material to make panels from.

Steel panels deform predictably in accidents, so usually are part of the integral construction. Aluminium & plastic are less predictable, so it is unusual to change panel materials in isolation.

Or so I've been told.

 

[Dieselman]

Steel panels deform predictably in accidents, so usually are part of the integral construction. Aluminium & plastic are less predictable, so it is unusual to change panel materials in isolation.

Or so I've been told.

All structures can be made predictable, by use of intentional pressing marks and mouldings.
Plastic panels have many advantages, especially weight saving and as a result cause less damage in crash situations, but cost a lot more to make in volume.