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      06-10-2007, 04:09 PM   #1
Molly
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Lack of side head protection in coupe

Does anyone find it a little bit lame there is no side head protection in these cars? It's somewhat understandable in the roadster, but I was shocked to learn that the Z4 Coupe lacks it as well. It actually makes me wonder if a Cayman is not a better option in this respect, as it comes with front, side thorax, and side head bags. Anyone else think about this when considering this car?

Thanks
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      06-10-2007, 04:19 PM   #2
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thorax?? what are we bugs?

MUAHAHHAHAAHA

To answer your question tho...the cayman costs about 15000 more than an M coupe...if you want to pay that for head protection go right ahead
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      06-10-2007, 04:22 PM   #3
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I think you are a smart arse Dammitt. Molly asked a decent question. Don't you think that it deserved more respect than that shit you wrote?
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      06-10-2007, 04:30 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Molly View Post
Does anyone find it a little bit lame there is no side head protection in these cars? It's somewhat understandable in the roadster, but I was shocked to learn that the Z4 Coupe lacks it as well. It actually makes me wonder if a Cayman is not a better option in this respect, as it comes with front, side thorax, and side head bags. Anyone else think about this when considering this car?

Thanks
A good racing helmet will cost about $500-600 http://www.simpsonraceproducts.com/p...8&prod_id=6873

Ducks - please don't chew me out for this smart arse post


Oh - and Molly. We will all die one day.... No big deal. I did not consider the head protection angle when I got my ///M Coupe.
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      06-10-2007, 04:33 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Molly View Post
Does anyone find it a little bit lame there is no side head protection in these cars? It's somewhat understandable in the roadster, but I was shocked to learn that the Z4 Coupe lacks it as well. It actually makes me wonder if a Cayman is not a better option in this respect, as it comes with front, side thorax, and side head bags. Anyone else think about this when considering this car?

Thanks
Maybe the BMW people are confident that the M Coupe handles so much better that you won't need that extra protection.

What is the difference between side head and chest airbags and the side airbags in our Zeds? Also, the Zeds have knee airbags which is very important for these small cars. You didn't mention that for the Cayman. Do they have those?
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      06-10-2007, 04:35 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Molly View Post
Does anyone find it a little bit lame there is no side head protection in these cars? It's somewhat understandable in the roadster, but I was shocked to learn that the Z4 Coupe lacks it as well. It actually makes me wonder if a Cayman is not a better option in this respect, as it comes with front, side thorax, and side head bags. Anyone else think about this when considering this car?

Thanks
Never bothered me before. Bit O/T but I had two MX-5s (Miata) before, they don't offer any roll protection at all let alone side or thorax airbags, Mazda state that because of low centre of gravity etc. the likelihood of a rolling incident is very small.

How many airbags in a Cayman?
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      06-10-2007, 04:52 PM   #7
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Dunno about you... but my knees are more important than my skull. Thank goodness for knee airbags!!!

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      06-10-2007, 04:58 PM   #8
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Dunno about you... but my knees are more important than my skull. Thank goodness for knee airbags!!!

You wouldn't be saying that if you got into a head on crash and had your head saved by the front airbags, but both your legs crushed. It happens.
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      06-10-2007, 05:05 PM   #9
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Yeah... just being silly. I am actually glad we have knee airbags, and am wondering why the coupés dont offer curtain / side head airbags. Maybe the chances are more likely for us to get in a head on collision vs. a side impact (which is also silly). There's certainly enough room in the b-pillar to insert an airbag (I've seen the b-pillar liner disassembled and there's definitely *******.
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      06-10-2007, 05:21 PM   #10
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The regular Z4's have side airbags don't they? So you're telling me that the M coupes don't have any side airbags at all? I bet your minivan did.
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      06-10-2007, 05:37 PM   #11
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What funny banter ; )

Now serious points..

The Cayman has front, side thorax, and side head bags. The Z4 has front, knee, and side thorax bags. One reason why the Z4 has knee bags is because the 2004 model trashed the legs of the dummys in the European government crash test due to the stuff under the dash. We all know the auto makers respond to crash tests like this, so that's good. The Cayman may not have anything under the dash to tear up your legs, and as well it seems to be a lot less cramped inside then a Z4, so maybe it is just not needed, I don't know. I care much more about my head than my knees though. I suppose if I get into a crash and get my legs knocked out, I could take the money I save by not having a sports car anymore and get one hell of a badass wheelchair.

Many gov't crash testing organizations use the word "thorax airbag" so yes we are like bugs I guess. We can smush like them when we get into crashes, so..

The price of a base Cayman is not much more than the Z4 Coupe 3.0si, which is where my interest lies. A base Cayman, optioned lightly, after discounts, gets into the $45K range - the same as a Z4 Coupe not optioned a whole lot differently. Now, after BMW money factors, etc. there is no denying the relatively goo deal to be had on a Z4..still not a big diff though between the two cars.

I wish I knew how big the Z4s' side airbags are - are they small, or very large like in a 335 Cab, thus offering more coverage??? The one in the Cab is actually called a combined head/thorax bag, so it is probably a lot larger.

I have a friend who got into a big pileup on the highway (not his fault), and his car hit a railing broadside at a high speed, and despite his wearing a seatbelt, his head got smashed up badly due to lack of head airbag. His head hit the top of the window frame. Now he is forever in a wheelchair, had to spend tons of money getting his house modded to support wheelchair life, lost his business because he is incapacitated and studders and cannot think right. That after almost a year in rehab where they tried to teach him to walk again by training in an indoor pool. He's 35 and has wife and kids. I had gone deep sea fishing with him weeks before it happened - no more of that for him. Life ruined by a bonk in the head. This is the sort of thing that makes me wonder about lack of head protection.
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      06-10-2007, 05:44 PM   #12
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One reason why the Z4 has knee bags is because the 2004 model trashed the legs of the dummys in the European government crash test due to the stuff under the dash. We all know the auto makers respond to crash tests like this, so that's good.
The Z4 has had knee air bags since 2002 when it first came out.
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      06-10-2007, 05:49 PM   #13
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I can understand your concerns about safety. And after reading your posts, I'd recommend you against buying a small 2-seater. Maybe a larger 2-door 4-seater sports car would be more suitable.
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      06-10-2007, 06:03 PM   #14
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I didn't know ANY car had side of the head airbags. Seems like a good idea, since head injuries are so aweful.

But in the coupe, isn't the head pretty even with the window? Where would they put them? I'm just talking out of my head, here, but does the Cayman have a structural mounting place right next to the head? Wouldn't that cut down an aweful lot on lateral visibility?
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      06-10-2007, 06:12 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Molly View Post
Does anyone find it a little bit lame there is no side head protection in these cars?... Anyone else think about this when considering this car?
Nope. I appreciate all the new safety features, they're almost like magic to me since, before these BMWs, the newest car I'd ever driven was made in 1986 and that was in 1987 ("Now with retractable seat belts!"). Life is risk, and the more we try to reduce the risks the less we truly live; there's only so far I'm willing to go down that road.
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      06-10-2007, 06:18 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bluesharp View Post
I didn't know ANY car had side of the head airbags. Seems like a good idea, since head injuries are so aweful.

But in the coupe, isn't the head pretty even with the window? Where would they put them? I'm just talking out of my head, here, but does the Cayman have a structural mounting place right next to the head? Wouldn't that cut down an aweful lot on lateral visibility?
they come down from the headliner

the 3 series has them
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      06-10-2007, 06:24 PM   #17
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I had a friend once that wrote a SF story called "Nerfworld", where the insurance companies controlled everything, and in the interest of public safety, everything started being made of Nerf.

It cut out on the injuries a little bit at first, but then backfired. People started doing stuff like roadrage bumpercars on the freeway and jumping off of buildings as thrill seeking activities. I thought is was pretty clever.
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      06-10-2007, 06:28 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ward View Post
they come down from the headliner

the 3 series has them
Ahhh. Thanks. I was having a hard time visualizing it.
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      06-10-2007, 06:56 PM   #19
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http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...t=side+curtain

one of these accident pics sort of shows it deployed
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      06-10-2007, 06:56 PM   #20
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my 350z had them built in th the side of the seats just below the head rests
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      06-10-2007, 07:12 PM   #21
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Yeah...i'm the smartass of the group.
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      06-10-2007, 07:16 PM   #22
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Back on point however...I'm not sure where the hell you would put a side head bag on the coupe...the pillars are big enough as it is with the extra weight of a airback...another place would be the area near the door and window meet, but i still would want extra weight there.

If it concerns you that much you could get a racing seat with side head supports for alot less money than a cayman.
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Last edited by Dammmittt; 06-10-2007 at 09:43 PM.. Reason: Cuz i'm not sure how it made since when I wrote it.
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