E28 US Bumpers

[rob101]

Why do the US bumpers from most e28s are so bloody big surely there must be a good reason because they look ridiculous. Anyone have an idea?

[Russell]

crash standards in US

[Derek A.]

They were perfect places to hold roadside picnics.
http://www.opus45.com/pics/BMW2.JPG

[Phatty5BMW]

I got an e28 and yes they are annoying as hell. But from what I gathered from that because i wanted to know, basicly in germany bmw had small bumpers, the us denied them, so they put bigger ones on, then finally after getting rejected again there were like ok now reject this!! I've heard it from a few sources but who knows!! What i dont understand is why the u.s. would be so anal about it, it has to be the biggest bumpered car ever made.....

Pat

[Jay 535i]

I got an e28 and yes they are annoying as hell. But from what I gathered from that because i wanted to know, basicly in germany bmw had small bumpers, the us denied them, so they put bigger ones on, then finally after getting rejected again there were like ok now reject this!! I've heard it from a few sources but who knows!! What i dont understand is why the u.s. would be so anal about it, it has to be the biggest bumpered car ever made.....

Pat

Yes, it's because of US standards, and anal US standards are nothing new.

Back in the 70s the idea was floated that convertibles were going to be outlawed! That's why, among others, the Jaguar XJ-S and Triumph TR-7 were designed as hardtops only, despite those cars' ragtop lineage.

Check out how US bumper regs ruined the 911:

http://www.idee.demon.nl/911_27/b911-38.jpg

The US has consistently lead the pack in safety legislation over the last few decades. Not all bad, but it sure makes designers' jobs harder.

Note that modern cars have bumpers just as big. They're just hidden inside plastic housings so you don't see them.

I wish I could find a pic of the nasty stuff you'd have to glue onto a McLaren F1 to make it legal in the US.

[Cactuar]

I actually like the look of stretched bumpers. I think there's a sort of flamboyant flair to it, I don't know... I just like it :)

[rob101]

yeah i have a euro e28 so it looks a bit strange, as for the 911 the late 70s and early 80s euro ones weren't really ruined by the bumpers, they look crap anyway, i prefer the early ones pre 1973 (pre 2.7L) but that could also have something to do with the headstud breaking and popping out of the block with the 2.7L engines.
perhaps the US would have been able to have normal sized bumpers if they forced people wear seat belts ;)

[Jr ///M5]

Do a search on "Ralph Nader".....

[Phatty5BMW]

I don't mind them too much I mean, you were going to get into a front end collision, I think you'd be pretty safe. Chop trees down n **** :)

[rob101]

yeah i heard about the book he wrote "unsafe at any speed". Probably safer driving on the freeways in the US than it is here, i swear you pay a toll on a motorway and you'd be driving on a road that is in worse condition than a similar road with road trains and roos everywhere in the middle of nowhere grooves and pot holes all over the place, plus most people don't even know that "Keep left unless overtaking" is a national law.
Our governments are stuck in the rutt of telling people that speeding is the ultimate evil when it comes to driving, meanwhile people drive 1m (3-4 ft)off someone's bumper doing 100 kph (63 mph) on the highway. I see it everyday. Its BS, we should sack those bastards and import some germans to run our road systems

[Bill R.]

claims on low speed impacts... Here's the history of it.
(http://www.smartmotorist.com/bum/bum.htm)


Why do the US bumpers from most e28s are so bloody big surely there must be a good reason because they look ridiculous. Anyone have an idea?