29 Nov 05 14:58
Mercedes-Benz S-Class
The recent Mercedes S-class crash test on German television has now been described as a "fake".
The new information has come to light thanks to an audio tape recorded by the German journalist who conducted the test on Stern TV, Michael Specht. The tape reveals that the accident was, indeed, an accident - just not the way it was planned.
According to German media insiders, Mercedes knew that the test would fail in the hall that was chosen for the television report, recommending against doing the report at all. However, desperate for a story, Specht is said to have hatched a plan with the Mercedes engineers to brake manually, in a situation designed to "simulate" the system.
It all started to come apart at the time of the test, however, when Specht was unable to see the car in front due to the heavy smoke from the smoke machines. Ever-ingenious, the Mercedes engineers came up with an alternative, low-tech solution: laying a plank of wood across the path the cars would be driving, so Specht would know when to brake.
Unfortunately, the Merc engineers were foiled by their own technology. Thanks to the suspension on the S-class, Specht didn't feel the bump in the road, proceeding to ram straight into the vehicle that had braked in front of him - slap bang in front of the rolling cameras and unsuspecting crew from Stern TV.
The consequences? Specht has apparently been fired and a number of Mercedes engineers are also fearing for their jobs.
