VW - 1, Dodge pickup - 0

[Mad Mike]

If you happen to be cruising around in a full-size pickup looking for someone to rear-end you probably ought to pick softer targets than contemporary VWs! Check out this clip that features me (unfortunately) and the family's B5 Passat 1.8T but take a good look at how folded up the front end of that Dodge truck is after smacking us in the trunk!

http://kotv.com/e-clips/Default.aspx?id=5652

Ten years ago my wife had both daughters in our 94 Jetta III. One was in a baby carrier beside the door that took a T-Bone hit from a brakeless 71 International Harvester Travelall. No one was seriously hurt then either.

And ya'all know what the StudBug's been through since I bought it in 2001 - boulders, swamps, almost 50 competition events, etc. Like this - http://www.realautosport.com/video_c...tage8-rock.mpg

I told the cop at the scene Friday that if this had been a demolition Derby we'd have won! VOA really should do a commercial about our family's V-Dub experience ...

[noR]

AWWWW Mike! Sorry to see it man. I'm glad everyone's okay. Wow. What a shame. Haha, good driving tips Mike.

I hope it doesn't take long to get you back in a nice ride and out of loaners.

[FarrisK]

Holy cow! That truck got messed up!

Hope you're alright, that looks like it was a jarring experience.

[kcfoxie]

The Passat really looks like it was drivable. Did the frame bend? That's amazing... wow... I'm glad everyone is OK.

[bugsy98nb]

Ouch that sucks , Ill tell my mum to keep her dodge away from Vw's ..... Hmmm Guess i should park mine somewhere else hehe . Hope they can fix your passat

[Mad Mike]

Originally Posted by kcfoxie

The Passat really looks like it was drivable. Did the frame bend? That's amazing... wow... I'm glad everyone is OK.

I could have driven the car home had the impact with the car in front not pushed the radiator back into a pully and punctured it. Honestly, the only thing not working on the car at the moment is the rear glass (since it's no longer there) and the trunk lid! I had to get our stuff out of the trunk via the rear seats, but I fear the car is a total because it's a 99 with 170,000 (trouble-free) miles and now it's really twisted. Both right side doors open/close but they are way out of plum.

[Photo]

Originally Posted by Mad Mike

I told the cop at the scene Friday that if this had been a demolition Derby we'd have won! VOA really should do a commercial about our family's V-Dub experience ...

I think VWoA realises the safety of their cars thus the "Safe Happens" adds the are now producing. Looks like they are true.

Good to see nobody was hurt.

[Toad]

i hadda rewind it, i had to take a double take on those audi rims on the passat.

One less safe car on the road.

[digitalputty]

Nice plate!

Im sorry the Passat had to get rear ended. LAME people and their CRAPPY driving. *RAGE*. Im glad everyone is ok!

[gilligan]

Dang!!!! you mangled that dodge!!! Sorry to hear about your ride though.

[dunno513]

That dodge may look bad, but I bet they fix it and total the VW.. Check out the rear door gap... just a small bit of frame damage eh?

[Mad Mike]

Originally Posted by dunno513

That dodge may look bad, but I bet they fix it and total the VW.. Check out the rear door gap... just a small bit of frame damage eh?

Yeah - the car's pretty twisted. But the system did what it needed to do, which is why we have been, are and will remain a VW/Audi family.

Further mulling over the incident I'm now of the opinion that had we not been an intervening vehicle the Dodge would have smashed the hell out of that Ion - and it had five people in it who could have been seriously hurt had the Passat not absorbed the impact it did.

As for the rims, yup, mid-90s Audi A6 alloys scored cheap off ebay! You'd be surprised how few people have noticed that peculiarity.

[Deserion]

You should've put this in with your driving advice - "I should know, I'm a rally driver!"

Sorry to hear about the B5, man, but glad the fam is okay.

-Des

[dnyed]

"Mike Halley, Sand Springs Resident", not "Mike Halley, World Famous Rally Car Driver"?


So sorry to see your Passat like that, but so happy to see you're OK.

[Mad Mike]

Originally Posted by dnyed

"Mike Halley, Sand Springs Resident", not "Mike Halley, World Famous Rally Car Driver"?


So sorry to see your Passat like that, but so happy to see you're OK.

Well ... Thanks again!