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On the A4 Autobahn near Friedewald, Germany. The police is on the ass of an obscure vehicle: Banged-up, holes in the bodywork, huge rivets everywhere. Highly suspicious in a country that doesn’t have HOV-2 lanes: A puppet sits in the right hand seat. Germany’s finest pull him over. Highly embarrassing: They caught themselves a prototype of a yet to be launched BMW. Supposedly a 535d. Even more embarrassing: There is a video of the whole affair, brought to you by BILD Zeitung. Knowing that the test driver will be punished at the factory, the police let him go.
the puppet/dummy is probably a weighted thing to simulate 2-up driving for dynamics purposes. it’s perhaps overkill that it look like a person rather than just being a few bags of lead shot, but it is what it is. not sure why the driver would be punished, unless it’s for not un-belting the dummy & putting it in the trunk or whatever. the trunk could be full of test equipment or it might just have been more work than necessary to un-belt the dummy & move it, only to re-install it again at the test site.
Oops…
I guess how fast he was going…
Knowing that the test driver will be fired at the factory, the police let him go
that is maybe nearer to the truth than “punished”…
Unless the driver was doing something to attract attention, I imagine he was told to test drive on the ‘bahn. If so, and if he was pulled over for the camo looking weird, then it’s not the driver’s fault.
Video brought to you by Audi. heh.
–chuck
Is it just me, or are they back-pedalling on the Bangling a bit?
looks like a G8 with a 750i trunklid. I wonder if BMW has benchmarked a GXP.
The thing in the passenger seat is a plastic water bottle in the shape of a torso. When filled, it’s approx 150lb to approximate a human, and it’s shaped the way it is so it can be belted in for safety. Having been a test driver, I’ve made friends with several of these “johnnys”. (remember the old joke?). To alleviate the boredom and have a bit of fun, we’d get paper plates and fashion humorous faces for our “friends” and tape them to the fill valve on top, even prop some up at the break tables when we got really bored. Once, we even had an informal contest for Best Johnny-face. Always a good laugh.
Regarding the driver being punished. It depends. Having worked with BMW, let’s suffice to say I doubt it, unless he/she was deviating from a prescribed speed on a prescribed route in a formal test sequence.
And of course, the policemen “had” to check inside the car…
Anytime a female officer has a hand on her sidearm I’m nervous. What was she expecting when they opened the door? Everyone else seems relaxed at that point.
I’ve been waiting 7 years for the new 5 Series. If they screw it up again, BMW will be dead to me.
“If they screw it up again, BMW will be dead to me.
Along with Opel, Porsche, and VW?
the puppet/dummy
You mean Barack Obama? Mr. Trilateral Commission and Bilderberg?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP_AdVVKFdM
Tell everyone.
Is it just me, or are they back-pedalling on the Bangling a bit?
It’s not just you. I also hope the eyebrows have bit the dust as well.
Ha Ha
I bet BMW are furious at their prototype has been pictured before release.
Funny, the announcer did not say “Publizity Schtuunt” once.
Looks like a rental Taurus after a late-night drive through the Hill District.
http://www.bild.de/BILD/video/clip/auto/2009/05/29/erlkoenig,templateId=renderBuehne.html
Much more entertaining video from the same site
I daresay the mule in the picture is better looking than the current 5-series.