Crash Test Month: Flipping A Convertible

Welcome to Fifth Gear Crash Test Month! In our seventh video, we use a pipe ramp to see the effects of flipping over an old convertible.
For more fantastic car reviews, shoot-outs and all your favourite Fifth Gear moments, subscribe to our Official Channel - / fifthgearuk

[@nick4819]

You know you have a top quality tv show when the guy explaining how roll overs happen is using a toy car and laying on the ground playing with it.

[@nanomage]

"Possibly not the best of car to roll over in." I really love how incredibly diplomatic these crash experts always are.

[@mahawiryasantoso5689]

I agree. Do you like Fifth Gear? Please watch Euro NCAP.

[@DJzSith]

0:11 Crash test dummy goes *WHEEE!!*

[@yakuzaklate]

Haha.. i like

[@jccoello]

+Tyrone Ross It's sad but i laughed my ass off at the video when i saw that... specially at 0:13 and 0:19! XD

[@911gpd]

+Tyrone Ross +10000 Likes :D made me laughing so much

[@SaveThePurpleRhino]

I thought Crash Test Dummies goes "hmmmm....mmmm...mmmmm..mmmmmm", Please someone understand that reference

[@Wingcrawler]

I laughed too especially with the mini

[@codboroks97]

I thought this was a test to see what happens if the car rolled over, not get catapulted into the air and land upside down.

[@trisu9473]

+Tholaran97 yea. same here.

[@nocensorship8092]

+Tholaran97 many typical rollovers would likely catapult it into the air. lets assume you drive 220 km/h and then hit some grass on the side of the highway. I remember a case where a car was trown 200m trough the air due to the high speed! but they landed luckily and survived..

[@rafee9442]

+Till Schwenke Well... atleast the suspension was there to save a life

[@Thechildishmandingo]

+Till Schwenke 200m? As in over two football fields? Hard to believe.

[@burningrubber1909]

+Salim Love 200 meters not 200 yards.... Still way to much, I think he meant 20 meters

[@GlitchyPlays]

Yep. Here in America we love our "wobbly cars" lol

[@DavidJohnson-hh8us]

Glitchy Extra Ggvb

[@ronaldckrausejr7762]

Wobbly car SUV's have made The Middle East trillions - per year.

[@Adam-lh9gj]

@@ronaldckrausejr7762 What are you talking about?

[@Baka_Oppai]

Can we see an actual rollover instead of a launch onto the roof?

[@big_-guy102]

Well, what's the difference? I mean, catapulted onto the roof and rolling. Same thing

[@DashCamSerbia]

@@big_-guy102 LOL, it is not the same. Rollover has much less energy than a catapult...

[@big_-guy102]

@@DashCamSerbia not if I cause the rollover

[@DashCamSerbia]

@@big_-guy102 It will just roll multiple times, with much less energy going into the A-pillars compared to the single hit after a catapult.

[@Rspsand07]

@@DashCamSerbia Suvs just roll for no reason at 10 km/hr, you'll probably also jump if you manage to flip your sports car from hitting an obstacle on the highway, not just peacefully roll to the side.

[@bobdavis95]

skip to 2:45 to avoid the BS.

[@Adam-ms5ie]

After 2 years you're getting a reply lmao, thank you

[@jakeroman5562]

Thank you

[@mouaxiong8618]

I think people who doesn't really understand how a car rolls over happen should actually watch the first bit

[@edwardkim2179]

Thankyou

[@kaydenlord9903]

I really enjoy watching all of their videos, they are both fun and informative!

[@MrSupercar55]

Some older convertibles, such as the Ford Escort and the Rover 216, have roll protection in the form of a large beam that goes up level with the top of the windscreen. Some ancient convertibles, such as the AC Cobra 427, have the chrome hoops, but they don't pop up, possibly because the technology for that didn't exist at the time of manufacture. Instead these remain level with the windscreen, even before the accident has occurred.

[@jeframp3805]

was gonna say my dad crashed in an old escort and the roll bar did save him and I am looking at an old rover 214 (same design as the 216) it has that large beam level with the wind shield that is behind the driver seats and in front of the rear seats. Life saver. As for the front impact i'd be scared of the a frame and bulk head giving out and a metro like situation with the rover and the escort too tbh though. Those older cars had a strong bonnet but week cab and the driver could be crushed inside its frightening.

[@falcolombardi217]

0:21 The wheel cover outruns the car, hah.

[@SimplyWhitexLies]

Haha i didnt notice xD

[@80PercentAshamedOfU]

Anyone who owns one of those, and saw this video just sold it for a steal.

[@cutterbacon]

I owned one lol.

[@Adikova97]

@@cutterbacon I had it for 8 years lol

[@cutterbacon]

@@Adikova97 Mine had 2 roofs lol.

[@alexw.8046]

"Wobble your wig" lmfao

[@PlaylistChanal]

i fliped in a convertible but with the soft roof on. survieved and the car too with a new roof and some adjustment on the a pillars :)

[@ciaranburke3243]

Poor 306 ,that was a lovely example 😢

[@ThirteenMatt]

It's a bit strange that during the nineties there was no roll over safety device on most cabriolets, since in the eighties most had a fixed roll bar. My 1984 escort has it, and nineties escorts (mk5 and 6) still had it.

[@CapitaineSabor]

Its because a lot of customers complain about the "ugly" look of theses cages, and wanted "streamline roadster" again... so Peugeot and some others cars manufacturers listen theses customers, and reforced the windshield pilar, but its wasn't enough, so few years laters thoses anti-roll devices cameback. I've got a 2004 Ford StreetKA, and i'm glad to have a anti-roll device behind my head, just in case !

[@lucwolf1]

I've owned many convertibles. I agree that if one flips you are a gonner. HOWEVER, it has been my experience that all that extra bracing and such in a drop top adds a lot of weight to lower the center of gravity of the vehicle and all of my convertibles have spun out instead of rolled. ( Not a frequent occurrence!) Drive them and enjoy them. Everyone should own one once in their lives. They rule!

[@CapitaineSabor]

I'm currently own my first convertible (a 2004 Ford StreetKA) and i'm agree, everyone should enjoy at least once in a live... if you choose a protected convertible (with a anti-roll device) of course !

[@troyadamson8618]

Had a guy up the street from me that drove a Mazda Miata, always with the top down when it was nice. He went to a nearby town to drop off his dog which always rode with him. On the way back he was cruising down a curvy back road, lost control, and, flipped the car killing him instantly.

[@Theninja114]

I have a 04 Saab, it has rollover and those bars, its best of it's class, love it.

[@RobertPlattBell]

2:09 Irony that he uses a model of a Corvair to demonstrate rollovers. Of course, it is a later model without the swing-axle problem.

[@user-no2lc3in9k]

One of the last beautiful "Peugeots".

[@setra23]

And it's this sort of stuff which is making me get a proper MSA roll bar for my mx5.

[@ShBenEd]

This is absolutely amazing

[@L_U-K_E]

Poor little old Peugeot

[@carig121]

This car was developed in the early 90's with no compromise on style, thanks to Pininfarina, and to be honest it was a damn good looking one, as for safety, on its defense i would say that back then it was one of the best handling cars money could buy, with no exterior factors (like ramps) you must have been a pretty shit driver to end like that, and the hatchback and sedan versions had pretty good results on crash tests compared to some others.

[@energymc22]

Peugeots of that era with torsion beam suspension did like a bit of lift off oversteer which could slam you sideways into the kerb and roll over as a result

[@leepower2717]

@@energymc22 - The 306 ( like it's Citroen ZX cousin ) had passive rear wheel steering built in to the rear torsion beam - it was a much safer handling car then previous Peugeot's that did suffer from lift of oversteer when the driver ran out of talent mid corner. The ZX & 306 where also the 2 cars the Top Gear magazine road testers couldn't get to spin out when they did the big hot hatch group test back in the 90s.

[@MidwestDriv3]

The driver test dummie at 0:12 : "WOOOOOOOoooo!!!!"

[@Shakes-Off-Fear]

I have a '99 Holden Barina (Vauxhall Corsa) Cabrio. It has a permanent fitted roll bar between the front and back seats that goes over the heads of all passengers.

[@innit_yt]

I had an Impala convertible and uh the video is the reason why I hesitate driving that

[@aluisious]

I'm going to call the nice mannequin in the back Lady Di.

[@MrSupercar55]

Man, that's cold. Considering how she died. You one ice cold socialist.

[@aluisious]

I'd feel bad about her if she wasn't riding in the back of a limo racing underground with no seatbelt. The only person in that car wearing a seatbelt lived.

[@Proff0ak]

+aluisious Edgiest man in the world!

[@aluisious]

Joe Mancuso Next time you want to call someone out, don't be too timid to spell the word correctly.

[@aluisious]

Good job!

[@yolofullsend]

This just talked me into installing a roll cage as my next mod.

[@CapitaineSabor]

As a owner of a 2004 Ford StreetKA, i'm happy to have a chrome hoops behind my seat and even more since a saw this crash-test... convertible have little chance on a roll-over situation, so every devices who can help is welcome. Some people back in the 70s/80 complained about the B pillar beam, but I rather have a "ugly" spyder than have a really bad accident on a "cool one"...

[@Yaroslav_Tselovanskyi]

First thing I did after buying my e46 convertible is tested its top speed, turns out it's 235km/h, not bad for a n/a 2.5l that was not even properly taken care of by the previous owner, I lost both of my front blinkers that night because the air and vibrations just ripped them out somewhere on the highway.

[@danielcarter5579]

Man I can personally vouch for the MK3 VW Cabrio, held up great and the windshield frame barely bent at all you wouldn't have ever know it was a soft top by the way it was sitting on the top, I had the top up though, and no seatbelts so thank god aswell

[@preditorfishmaniac]

I find it funny this channel is called fifth gear but the logo is of a 4 speed

[@SMcFarland]

maybe they just forgot reverse was a thing, good point tho

[@Digi20]

there are 5 speeds where reverse is on the same spot as first ;)

[@sabinafisic1120]

HxhzzszsufckdikdGjusps

[@thomasmccarter6116]

Um, count again....there are 5 gears. 1-4 and reverse is the fifth. Just because it propels the car in the opposite direction as the others doesn't mean it's not a gear

[@matthewzhang1579]

Thomas McCarter there are 5 gears but you don't include reverse when you say what speed the gearbox is. If you are in 5th gear you would have 6 different gears, one being reverse. A 5-speed transmission has, again, 6 gears.

[@Blah146]

"DAT'S GONNA WOBBLE YOUR WIG." LOL

[@bkonker]

Lol

[@PauloRicck]

wowww the prisoner dummie head exploded over the pavement! =OOOO Very nice informative video.

[@jsoc99]

Good knowledge!

[@rikybologna3579]

No roll bars on a convertible car is completely insane.

[@cutterbacon]

The windscreen was meant to be able to support 5 cars. Obviously a little lie.

[@luisfermar04]

This video even brings my memories from the past.

[@innit_yt]

What u rolled over

[@fordisbetter2877]

Why don't they actually do the test the way the guy explained how someone would get into a roll over test? These test should only be resulted as inconclusive because that's not what's gonna happen on real road roll over crashes.

[@lonelobo956]

"That's going to wobble your wig" 😂😂wtf

[@bicboi1930]

They should re-name the show Last Gear Of Your Life with all of these crash videos

[@georgesoldvideos]

Did you guys catch the use of the Chevy Corvair as the rollover demonstration car? That was a reference to "unsafe at any speed" and all the hype that happened about Corvair's rear swing axle suspension and it's vulnerability for rollovers.

[@BloodWolf2k7]

aww it was a cute little convertible too. :P

[@alfa_guy09]

1:25 yep Americans love the wobbly Chevy Suburban

[@terracethornhill]

Fun fact: If you did that with most pickups you'd get a similar result.

[@HAL-dm1eh]

Maybe, maybe not. But this can be remedied on a truck with a rollbar which is even more in place style wise on the truck than the convertible.

[@__Diaz__]

I'll just use my head next time my convertible flips lol

[@Thekidsinafrica14]

That dummy in red didn't look like it really got crushed, almost as if the car just rolled over it

[@Ali_zokari]

2:51 I like how the music transfer good to bed

[@larionlegradi1089]

Jó teszt

[@user-wd6jr4lh2d]

amazing video

[@Soulrider2012]

They should have done a more realistic test where the vehicle simply did a roll over in one of the ways they suggested. Instead they send it up into the air to come crashing upside down on the "A" pillars (pillars that support the windshield). That is putting considerably more stress onto the "A" pillars having the entire weight of the car crashing down vs simply rolling over onto the pillars/windshield. I don't know that the car would have done any better but at least it would have been a more realistic test.

[@gaskan666]

That would leave a mark

[@ashtonharvey5723]

The car compared to the guy standing by it it looks like a go kart...I bet it would be fun as hell to drive though

[@ckloh5938]

Looks cool

[@hebneh]

"We're all going on a - summer holiday..."

[@MusicalPhoenix]

3:25 looked like a real person in the back

[@merkurman]

Not so much a test of rollover protection, as much as seeing what would happen if you dropped a car straight on its roof from 10 feet up. I agree with james elliot, this is more hype and sensationalism than anything resembling consumer advice. But still interesting to watch! That poor, lovely 306, though.

[@asylumskp4391]

I was linked to this by some guy. Do not regret it.

[@andreschavez5972]

He explained 3 different ways for a car to roll over. He chooses option 4 - Hollywood style 😎

[@33482]

"Adac" it is A D A C which means Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil Club, which translates to General German Automobile Club

[@Mau506]

Now do that with an Aventador J!

[@legoldspy6851]

Lol

[@Supcharged]

No, Bugatti grand sport would be better

[@legoldspy6851]

What about KTM X-Bow

[@fallencommaner]

While entertaining, I'm not sure this is the most... accurate... representation of a real world rollover.

[@averywalton2173]

lol the woman and man in the back are funny asf

[@1035pm]

“Summers here” Looks like a cold damp day in hell... but that’s England for you.

[@angrycatowner]

Your rollover model is the infamous Chevrolet Corvair.

[@bartoszlaskowski5940]

Name song : Cliff Richard - Summer Holiday

[@GreyTheFloydianSergal]

How about a T-bar like you see on a Triumph Stag or a Cavalier convertible? You get the strength of an ordinary saloon but with the wind in the hair feel of a proper convertible

[@piceaabies]

what if you fit an roll cage to your convertable? race prepped + rollover safe

[@luisgpr1]

A friend of mine was killed in a rollover of this same model about ten years ago. Sad.

[@Gamingwithbrink]

damn that just changed my point of view im making my kids where seat belts know when im not around in there with there friends

[@redtra236]

I this particular event I feel like the people that got ejected because they weren't wearing safety belts probably were a bit more likely to survive

[@idfkanymorelol]

"thats gonna wobble your wig" 💀

[@patrikrusnak4190]

3:02 is the horror

[@princesssanatwicepickles5718]

Her weave was snatched

[@tommy5811]

I would still drive it looks like a cool car

[@Jaqen-HGhar]

My 9-3 Aero Convertible was the safest vehicle ever tested by IIHS. It had those pop up rollover bars as well. Totaled it recently which is lame but it worked as it should. The frame bent and I didn't at 70mph.

[@NakulDalakoti]

Instead of those pop-up hoops can't we get a safety system in which roof comes up at the time of crash.I mean a system in which an on-board computer detects that driver is losing control and will bring the roof(a metallic one preferably!) up before a roll over happens.This will make convertibles as safer as normal cars.

[@estebankid10]

I don't think you understand how convertibles work. It takes 30+ seconds to put the roof up on a convertible. Go home, you're drunk.

[@NakulDalakoti]

So Ok I dont have a convertible.so theirfore i didn't knew.I live in India and India isn't a market for convertibles due to heavy rainy conditions here.Sorry for my mistake.

[@redtra236]

There are pop up rollover bars on a lot of them

[@MomenKaziVideos]

2:50 "we are all going on a???" BASH "Summer Holiday" but I am ejected and dead...

[@alexcheetah79]

Noo that poor Pininfarina design!

[@PaulHojda]

Alexander Est It was an automatic though, so it deserved its fate

[@ChevyBM]

Alexander Est it was a french car so crashing it is the right thing to do....

[@EstCrossings]

Paul Hojda its a peugout so for me it doesnt matter if its automatic or not

[@colj001]

ChevyBM but it was a nice french car, not the bollocks they make these days... :(

[@shobin05]

+ChevyBM 306s are awesome

[@SteelRhinoXpress]

in this case wearing your seat belt won't save your life....

[@mattsmith4322]

And neither would going without one. All in all, it's a lose-lose scenario

[@MrSupercar55]

+Matt Smith You're still required to wear seat belts by law.

[@mattsmith4322]

MrSupercar55 Where in my comment am I talking about what the law requires you to do? I'm talking about what will get you killed, and that's both.

[@mattsmith4322]

MrSupercar55 What are you rambling about? I'm not the one driving the convertible.

[@chillyfingers123]

+MrSupercar55 I'll remember that when someone else hits me at 75 mph "oh yea man just cause I'm not driving dumb I'll be fine!!" fuck you kapeesh????

[@kingsnake545]

I've seen a passat b7 roll twice and drive away like it was nothing. I think my car is pretty solid

[@patrickvales6369]

Man that guy in the red shirt is definitely in two pieces

[@hazardousfromage]

Nice profile pic

[@innit_yt]

He is

[@tripblkver03gt]

This makes me want to get a rollbar welded in my mustang

[@Nderak]

We do love our wobbly SUVs

[@jeframp3805]

where is the rol bar? The rover 200s and the escorts have a large roll bar half way along. My dad rolled over in a 1990s escort convertable and they said the large roll bar the early ro mid 90s car have saved him.

[@TheSupDudes]

AWESOME!!!!

[@And5six10]

First comment

[@PKMNFan4664]

3:31 Princess Diana needed to be told that.

[@BluTrollPro]

Why a pop up hoop over a conventional rollbar? They are cheap to purchase, and not difficult to fit. Happy I have one fitted on my convertible, £280 well spent.

[@manipulativekiwi1440]

"Those Americans love driving those tall SUV's" haha

[@DashCamSerbia]

Now it is those Europeans that love driving those SUVs and Crossdressers.

[@filiptomic8531]

What kind of situation would a car actually flip like this?

[@Christian-eu4hu]

in my country the 306 cabrio cost 12k to 17k usd

[@marses65]

1.58 exactly what happened to me, but friends didnt believe it...now, there ye go...on vids.

[@HikikomoriDev]

3:28 are those the sound effects that came from the crash or just dramatized lol

[@thatkid1673]

HikikomoriDev 2 years late to answer but yes those are real sounds. i flipped my car 8 times on march 16th 2020 about 3 weeks ago. survived with minimal whiplash and post concussive syndrome. the sounds and memory are more scary to me so i’ll always remember them

[@Kingstersreejit]

I like the small model car

[@DashCamSerbia]

Pop-up hoops work, unless you roll over on a soft soil. Then they just dig into the soil and do nothing to protect you. The surface area is to small.

[@SmoothCriminalAaron]

Would you be safer in a roll over with no seat belt because you would get thrown away and not get crushed by car? Or is it a possibility even?

[@nonamerforyou]

Did you watched the Video?

[@SmoothCriminalAaron]

Yes, but it seems possible to survive being thrown out if the speed was not high and live. Because the people strapped in got crushed by the car. I'm no saying it's a good idea to not wear the seat belt, but just in that scenario it seems like you could survive.

[@MikoG2000]

In the type of crash created in this test, I would say you could survive if you had been thrown clear of the car. The problem though, is that a lot of roll overs don't happen like that, where the car is launched into the the air, rotates slowly and lands on its roof after half a revolution. As he explained with the toy car, it normally involves sliding sideways and tripping over something like a kerb or digging into something soft like grass. The clip at the beginning of the video is much more realistic, and I wouldn't fancy my chances in that type of roll.

[@SmoothCriminalAaron]

thanks! that is a good answer.

[@MrSupercar55]

Yeah, but other accidents are more survivable with your seatbelt on.

[@austinjohnson4890]

what about the old VW cabriolet with the roll bar thing? PS that poor car, it looked to be in decent shape!

[@jamesstillgames]

-Guy talks about how rollover crashes are made - doe sent even follow those guidelines

[@StevieRay9O]

My soft-top is a '95 Pajero swb & is much safer than your average convertible as it retains enough bodywork around the sun-roof & behind the front-seats to be effective in a rollover, plus it has rollbars over the rear-seats. &B^{D?

[@mattsfarm01lives01]

Was thinking about getting a Mazda MX-5 but i think not !

[@Supcharged]

get one with roll bars

[@oliversjmildmay2970]

Very Interesting Lets Hope These Videos Save Damage To Everything PEOPLE MOST OF ALL