Postby Hasbeen » 29 Nov 2013 21:44
Steve, the bumpers are there because the US passed a law that all cars had to be able to handle a 5 MPH crash without damage. A number of manufacturers installed these bumpers to meet that requirement, including Honda, Fiat & Triumph.
The US auto industry lobbied heavily against the legislation, & it was rescinded, so no US cars suffered this tomfoolery.
Triumph were too broke to reengineer the 7, so the bumpers stayed. They are pretty useless things, which will only transfer any moderate impact to other parts of the cars structure, causing more expensive damage than would a crumple zone. I have no idea if their presence would reduce or increase injury to passengers, it probably depends on the accident.
I doubt they are all that detrimental to a road car, all though I have removed the weights from the 8s bumper, & considered making an alloy thing to carry the plastic cover a few times.
If I was competing a 7/8 in any form of motorsport, the things would be in the tip. All that weight in the ends of the car must reduce it's cornering power, & increase its rate of spin when adhesion is lost. Having said that, I doubt I ever drive my 7 hard enough for them to make any difference.
Hasbeen
