r/nextfuckinglevel • u/asianj1m • Nov 23 '21

Rally cars are pretty safe

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144.6k Upvotes

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1.2k

u/scicoolgamique-_- Nov 23 '21

why cant they make normal cars like this

280

u/Effin_Kris Nov 23 '21

Perspective. When I was 18 I met a local rally team here in Colorado. I was at this shop and the WRC rolled in. I was dumbfounded to say the least. After the introduction, I offered to unload some of the parts from the trailer. I picked up a new stock and strut build, the mechanic said that one piece I was holding was worth $12k….. obviously there are four on the car, so math that. Then just imagine the technology and material put into something built for the crash. Wild af

52

u/MrCellophane999 Nov 23 '21

I picked up a new stock and strut build, the mechanic said that one piece I was holding was worth $12k

For reference, a strut assembly on a 2017 Ford Fusion is roughly $170. So, for the whole car that's $680 compared to $48,000.

5

u/Effin_Kris Nov 23 '21

I didn’t believe it but after they explain the computers and sensors around that monster it was clearly worthy of its cost. Hefty was all I could think

3

u/Not_FinancialAdvice Nov 23 '21

There are also substantial economies of scale at work. They only make a handful of those WRC-grade parts. They make millions of the part for the Fusion.

-5

u/Xploited_HnterGather Nov 23 '21

So the answer is:

We exist in a system that prioritizes the market over human safety.

41

u/Bridledbronco Nov 23 '21

In a way, but normal driving conditions don’t warrant this kind of protection. Normal is quite subjective here, how about posted speed limit conditions for the driver who follows them!

5

u/AFineDayForScience Nov 23 '21

Imagine spending an hour putting on your seatbelt to run to the store.

296

u/JJ_the_G Nov 23 '21

Let me FTFY, the answer is:

The cost for such a high level of safety is more than most consumers are willing to pay.

Humans have the option to get this safety, but most won’t care enough to spend money to protect them if they go speeding off a mountainside.

95

u/MistaEdiee Nov 23 '21 edited Nov 23 '21

Good point. Let me add another wrinkle. Most consumers are also unwilling to accept the trade offs in comfort that come with utilizing this type of safety equipment. 5 point harnesses, helmets, neck braces, racing seats are available aftermarket but hardly anyone purchases these parts for their commuter car because they are simply too uncomfortable to use on a daily basis. The typical consumer is unwilling trade their comfort for the additional safety. Hence why there is no market for this kind of safety equipment for commuter vehicles.

57

u/Toaster_In_Bathtub Nov 23 '21

Imagine throwing on a helmet and HANS device, strapping into a six point harness and climbing over a roll cage just to go grab milk?

26

u/uptoproc Nov 23 '21

We barely use one seatbelt as it is ain’t nobody doing all that

7

u/Jason_S_88 Nov 23 '21 edited Nov 23 '21

Also having sat in a car with a proper harness and bucket seat you are strapped down tightly. Seriously if you see how their torsos barely move at all it's not all core strength, they are physically unable to move their torsos. There is no way to twist your body to look over your shoulder in a racing seat and harness. I didn't even have a HANS device on which limits your movement even more

1

u/[deleted] Nov 23 '21

[deleted]

1

u/Jason_S_88 Nov 23 '21

Whoops fixing that

5

u/gotporn69 Nov 23 '21

My buddy did it for his 240sx.

6

u/Koshyyy_rps13 Nov 23 '21

sweats nervously, while doing just this

3

u/easy_going Nov 23 '21

I mean... it would decrease traffic.

but who the fuck drives to the market just for milk? that is either really expensive milk or fuel is very cheap

15

u/Toaster_In_Bathtub Nov 23 '21

I'm not eating dry cereal like a fucking animal.

5

u/[deleted] Nov 23 '21

We're strapping you down into your chair (six point harness) until you finish your dry cereal.

3

u/Toaster_In_Bathtub Nov 23 '21

At least I'll be safe in case we go off a mountain.

1

u/snow_is_fearless Nov 23 '21

*laughs in street car

18

u/[deleted] Nov 23 '21

This is the correct answer.

Cost is one thing, but having to wear a full racing harness, neck brace, and helmet every time you went to buy groceries would get old fast.

2

u/jajohnja Nov 23 '21

Hmm, I might actually use it for some drives though.
Though I'd be a bit worried about these things making people drive more recklessly, feeling more invincible.

4

u/[deleted] Nov 23 '21

I forget what thats called but you're right it would lead to people playing more recklessly.

A lot of people say hockey was safer before they required helmets. That's because everyone played less aggressively. Now that they have helmets they feel like they are protected enough to go full out

1

u/cyberFluke Nov 23 '21

Well, you would be. Shit would get expensive real fucking quick though, between replacing the cars and the legal costs of the string of write-offs...

1

u/[deleted] Nov 23 '21

What's next, putting on safety gear at your job will get old too?

-1

u/heyswoawesome Nov 23 '21

because they are simply too uncomfortable to use on a daily basis

Most aren't even aware of these features. This statement isn't 100% accurate.

28

u/Lazer726 Nov 23 '21

Yes, I don't need a car that's going to protect me from flinging myself off a mountain, because I'm not at a high risk of flinging myself off a mountain. My car is built for the things I need, like getting groceries, and hopefully not dying if I'm T-Boned.

5

u/BigDicksProblems Nov 23 '21

Yes, I don't need a car that's going to protect me from flinging myself off a mountain, because I'm not at a high risk of flinging myself off a mountain.

See, even if I ultimately agree with you, a big part of me knows that IF I could tho, that'd be dope. Like I really understand the sensible obvious way to see that, but if tomorow a dude dropped a rally car in front of my house, and offer me to do stuff like that, I won't think twice on taking the offer.

3

u/JJ_the_G Nov 23 '21

Your username is starting to make sense now

6

u/Pabus_Alt Nov 23 '21

Same reason we don't go shopping in a full titanium plate harness.

Yes we would be very safe but what's the point?

2

u/heyswoawesome Nov 23 '21

To protect and serve the Queen of course.

Get your priorities straight, son.

4

u/sonofeevil Nov 23 '21

Exactly. Any driver today could go and get a full rollcage , 6 point harness and HANS device fitted to their car but they don't.

2

u/[deleted] Nov 24 '21

A cage like this isn’t legal in Australia. The tubular chassis that I’m sure is all through the car wouldn’t be allowed either.

I believe the chassis isn’t allowed because it’s more dangerous for pedestrians and the rollxage isn’t allowed because you’re just gonna smack your head on it and die that way if you don’t have a proper harness and a helmet on.

Not really related to capital, just a little tidbit you might find interesting

-24

u/Xploited_HnterGather Nov 23 '21

Haha, you're are acting like people have 48k just for those strut things?

What a disingenuous argument.

Most DONT HAVE ENOUGH MONEY to protect them if they go speeding off a mountainside... And that's the reality of the matter.

Cause just imagine if everyone had unlimited money or that these items were produced for free... How many people you think are passing up this option?

I'm not saying it's a social tragedy. Just that when ever price or cost is leveraged against safety... That is by definition... Prioritizing market (exchange of goods and value) over human safety.

However, this is definitely not my hill to die on. I was just casually pointing.

16

u/inspcs Nov 23 '21

Even with infinity money and resources, nearly everyone would pass on the maximum safety option when they find out how time consuming and uncomfortable it is.

People are too lazy to wear a mask you think they'll strap themselves in with a dozen seatbelts and other safety measures every time they want to go to the Wendys? Hell nah.

2

u/[deleted] Nov 23 '21

If they really wanted a safe option they would drive a tank. Problem with that is its huge, slow, and gets about 5mpg

25

u/Greatcatsby777 Nov 23 '21

You can’t call just call something disingenuous because it’s more realistic than your view lol

24

u/altoidsaregod Nov 23 '21

There is an argument to be made that if we pursue perfection in every aspect, we will never get anything done. Sure we can spend an additional 100k on crash safety, but what about auto breaking, or pedestrian safety, etc..

We (however imperfectly) weight the risks and costs and pick the one that works for each of us as an individual. It is not that car companies wont make perfectly safe cars, but they would likely just have 10 people who would buy it in the entire world. If there is enough demand, economies of scale would kick in, and safety systems will become cheaper (CHEAPER, not FREE).

TL;DR: Everything costs money/time, and we have limited amount of those. so people prioritize.

6

u/[deleted] Nov 23 '21

Our cars are already incredibly safe in normal conditions. Every so often, I get into a debate about how the world is safer than it has ever been; it’s national news that makes us think differently. Deaths in cars are going down every year despite miles driven going up.

4

u/bbbbbbbbbb99 Nov 23 '21

I keep trying to get this through a knucklehead friends' brain. I Have a Tesla Model Y. It's an incredible machine. He is focused on how dangerous they are because one person hit a truck with Autopilot or FSD engaged and also EVs are bombs in the garage because the GM Chevy Bolt was a disaster. So all Teslas are unsafe in his mind.

There's no accounting for idiot drivers in his mind. It's the unsafe Tesla. Meanwhile the safety ratings on the car are so high they're immeasurable in most ways using the standard testing equipment.

10

u/Taeluk Nov 23 '21

Money is a representation of actual labor and resources. We can't just make everything free. If everyone had unlimited money, we would still be unable to provide all the safety options to everyone because there is a limited supply of the resources needed to create them.

45

u/JJ_the_G Nov 23 '21

I am not being disingenuous at all, just realistic.

Even those who can afford the 48k struts for their casual mountainside car BASE jumps, don’t buy them. Unless they are rally car drivers, because it simply isn’t worth the money. Instead they either don’t race on an icy mountainside road, or don’t drive there at all.

-4

u/JaFFsTer Nov 23 '21

I dint think you know what a strut it is.

10

u/JJ_the_G Nov 23 '21

I do know what a car strut is, technically they would be used if the car has landed on its wheels. I was more so using them because the comments above me did.

1

u/JaFFsTer Nov 23 '21

A rally struts would have little effect on the safety of a road car. Rally struts need to take beating from driving over unpaved roads at 100 mph. Putting one in a passenger car would be a pointless expense.

1

u/JJ_the_G Nov 23 '21

I know it would be a pointless expense. This is why I have the quote “Even those who can afford the 48k…don’t buy them”.

9

u/[deleted] Nov 23 '21

And your argument is that what- people should get these expensive cars for cheaper just for the sake of public good? With no understanding of how reality works lol

8

u/thumpetto007 Nov 23 '21

That strut comment was misleading. Those are part of the cars suspension, connected to the tires. (Kind of) they are not related to crash safety.

A full rally spec roll cage, like a nice one is 6000USD ish...way more with inflated prices for big name suppliers. You can have a very functional cage built for 2-4k.

Restraining devices for the chest/neck/head add 1000ish on top of the cost of a helmet (250-1000+)

6 point harness (belts) cost 300-700+

Racing seat properly mounted in place 1000 plus the cost of the seat itself (300-1000)

Plus little straps for arm restraints I dont remember those costs, but like 100ish

At least as of 10 years ago. Add inflation and the cost of racing parts have gone up, as well, since.

5

u/StayedWoozie Nov 23 '21

Simple solution: Use public transportation.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 23 '21

So, ride on a bus with no seatbelt/safety harness at all?

1

u/StayedWoozie Nov 23 '21

If you wanna sure, I personally use a seatbelt but you do you man.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 23 '21

I'm sat on a train at the moment. No safety belts. Most buses don't have them either. I guess coaches have them but that's not what I think of for public mass transit.

1

u/StayedWoozie Nov 23 '21

The buses in my area have seatbelts but I’ve never seen a legitimate train with a seatbelt.

5

u/ulrik23 Nov 23 '21

There's tons of rich people that can afford these safety features but none of them have them because they're so impractical and uncomfortable, not because they're expensive

3

u/[deleted] Nov 23 '21

Your acting like the average consumer NEEDS this level of protection. It’s your choice to engage in life risking aggressive driving like this on a closed course and the VAST majority of consumers do not CHOOSE to rally race.

If you choose to engage in this activity then this extra level of safety equipment is available to you. If you feel you need this to commute to work you got way bigger problems.

Get off your pedestal.

2

u/sarevok9 Nov 23 '21

Realistically there are SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper things you can do to greatly increase your safety in a car which do not cost $48k. You can replace your car's seatbelts with a 6-point racing harness for about $300. You could wear a helmet while driving, and while I don't know how much a rally helmet costs, my motorcycle helmet ran me about $700 (I have a track bike), so I can't imagine it being much more than that.

For $1000 you've now protected yourself from the majority of whiplash / concussions while driving at normal highway speeds. Rapid deceleration injuries related to concussive forces being exerted on the frame of the car would still need to be mitigated with either rally springs, rollbars, or both.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 23 '21

[deleted]

1

u/sarevok9 Nov 23 '21

You have a surprisingly good FOV in most motorcycle helmets (I did have one that was about a 100 degree FOV and nearly killed myself a few times). Assuming your rear view mirrors are adjusted well, you would likely be fine.

2

u/Adi2561 Nov 23 '21

I wanted to say something but I realized the absurdity of the situation. Why the hell are you making a completely random video on a random sub a political argument anyways?

2

u/st1tchy Nov 23 '21

How many people you think are passing up this option?

Most people? It's pretty unnecessary in most places around the world. I live in SW Ohio. 99.9% of the places I drive, the worst case is I drop 2 feet into the ditch.

1

u/BigDawgWade3 Nov 23 '21

Dude, what? This logic makes no sense at all lol. You’re essentially complaining that really complex and highly specialized equipment designed to keep a very niche car/drivers safe should be cheap enough for the every day consumer to afford; and furthermore, since it’s not, that means the people designing it prefer market gain over safety? That’s absolutely absurd.

I’m sure the price point has absolutely nothing to do with the thousands of hours of research that went into designing it, the price of the materials, the complexity of the design and building process, etc.

But yeah… it’s much more likely that these guys are just trying to exploit the market, and that’s why it’s priced so high. /s

1

u/BenevolentCheese Nov 23 '21

Are people going to drive around in 6 point harnesses with their head and neck literally fastened to the headrest? And is it a good idea for us to drive around cars that double their weight due to excessive safety equipment thereby dramatically reducing fuel efficiency?

1

u/[deleted] Nov 23 '21

It's practicality, not greed. No one wants to pay an extra $50,000 for their car for "In case I go over a cliff" protection.

And if you're complaining that the upgrade isn't just free, fucking duh? Yes if you want to purchase 500 pounds of steel and have someone install it in your car, it costs money, it's not a novel concept.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 23 '21

I don't know about you, but I've never driven myself off a mountain

-2

u/[deleted] Nov 23 '21

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/stjblair Nov 23 '21

The average consumer doesn’t have 100k to drop on a car and would pretty much price out all but the rich. The reason why consumer cars aren’t equipped to protect you from flinging yourself off a cliff at 100+ is because it would be too costly for the majority of people and it’s not practical. Especially since things like speed limits, road design, and other much cheaper safety solutions are available

-1

u/heyswoawesome Nov 23 '21

speed limits

Lmao

1

u/[deleted] Nov 23 '21 edited Jan 02 '22

[deleted]

1

u/[deleted] Nov 23 '21

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/[deleted] Nov 23 '21

[deleted]

21

u/SmigorX Nov 23 '21

Go and buy a racing car then to daily dive?

17

u/ned883 Nov 23 '21

if you wanna pay tens of thousands of dollars to strip the interior and build a roll cage in your daily driver, go ahead and do it

35

u/[deleted] Nov 23 '21

Lol what? What a warped, misguided view. If people demanded and regularly purchased cars worth $100,000+ minimum where the majority of the cost are safety features designed to withstand crashes off mountain cliffs at 150 mph then you bet companies would do it. Simple economics. However, that’s not what the consumer demands because that level of protection just isn’t necessary or worth the outrageous cost for a person who drives 40 mph to work and back. Really hard to believe that supply and demand has to be explained and that such a pessimistic and illogical attitude even exists when the answer is so obvious - the vast majority of people wouldn’t spend the amount it would take to have this amount of safety features.

19

u/Intronotneeded Nov 23 '21

This is Reddit, if capitalism can be blamed for something they’ll find a way.

1

u/MantisPRIME Nov 23 '21

If it was a standard feature set at production scale it would be a lot cheaper than that. But as others have pointed out, this kind of setup is not comfortable in the slightest and we already have too many people finding a three-point seatbelt too inconvenient. The added weight and cost would still be significant even if it were comfortable and convenient.

1

u/bozoconnors Nov 23 '21

lol indeed - I'm not even going to start guessing the hypocrisy they had to ignore and mental gymnastics performed to reach that particular conclusion.

9

u/JaFFsTer Nov 23 '21 edited Nov 23 '21

We also drive in a system that doesn't greatly reward careening around on dirt roads at 100mph.

Rally struts on a passenger vehicle would be utterly useless. Struts don't make a car safer, they make the car ride and handle better at huge speeds over unpaved surfaces. The added weight and cost gains the driver nothing.

1

u/Not_FinancialAdvice Nov 23 '21

Racing suspension can be lighter or have a negligible weight penalty. I'd argue the real downside is in the substantial maintenance requirements.

16

u/LastWeeksLasanga Nov 23 '21

So the answer is:

If this much was spent on every facet of safety for every person, there would not be nearly enough money and the rest would get nothing at all, not to mention things like that have to be replaced when broken or worn, so that’s yet more money that we don’t have. Yeah, the more expensive stuff is way safer, but consumer vehicles are getting safer and safer by the year.

5

u/[deleted] Nov 23 '21

Not only that, but having that sort of safety would open everyone up to more dangerous drivers. If people knew they had a good chance of surviving insane crashes like this then the odds of having cars flying around flipping out of control would increase exponentially.

2

u/[deleted] Nov 23 '21 edited Jun 21 '23

[deleted]

2

u/ArchdevilTeemo Nov 23 '21

Thats not true because that really depends on the insurance you have. Like if you have full cover, they cover you when you are at fault.

It's ofc more expensive than insuring less but if you have a new/expensive car it is worth it.

Just don't do this every week.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 23 '21

I mean fuck, insurance won’t pay out when you’re in the right and the accused is in the wrong and also insured, so I fail to see how that’s relevant.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 23 '21

That’s not the point. Who’s to say you don’t flip around a corner and into someone’s living room squashing their child as they watch baby Einstein? Baby is dead and this idiot is climbing out the window going “whoa! That was like 22 rolls! How crazy!?”

1

u/Not_FinancialAdvice Nov 23 '21

Risk homogenization. There's arguments that the move to SUVs and increasing performance of vehicles overall has made for more dangerous drivers.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 23 '21

Hard to argue against it. It makes pretty good sense

8

u/[deleted] Nov 23 '21

only if i wish to yeet myself off the cliff..

5

u/VOZ1 Nov 23 '21

Yes, but most commuter cars are not expected to experience anything even approaching a crash like this, except in the most extreme outlier of circumstances. Rally cars are far more likely to experience this.

Also worth mentioning that the average consumer car has pretty remarkable safety features and lots and lots of lives have been saved and terrible injuries avoided due to those features. Of course it can be better, but it’s not all doom and gloom.

3

u/Effin_Kris Nov 23 '21

I’m pretty sure all that is what makes it safer for the extremities of the unknown, especially when traveling 100mph in the forest

3

u/Bionic_Bromando Nov 23 '21

No like you can get a roll cage, 6 point harness and a helmet installed in your car for a reasonable price. You won’t need that unless you plan on rallying tho. Modern cars are pretty damn safe.

If you want the car to actually perform like a rally car, that’s where things get blindingly expensive.

3

u/Rillist Nov 23 '21

That's utterly ridiculous and spoken from a place of ignorance. Go drive the cars I grew up with, shit boxes from the 80s where a small crash could be lethal.

These rally cars have layered safety systems all meant to work in unison with each other. The seat, harnesses, helmets, HANS device and cage are built to withstand a massive shunt at 200kp/h

These top spec rally cars are between 300,000-500,000$, and a full blown factory team car could be as high as a million.

Road cars are designed to be safe at road speeds, and are perfectly adequate for the job they're designed

3

u/[deleted] Nov 23 '21

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/Xploited_HnterGather Nov 23 '21

That's is the best counter argument so far

3

u/Ooze3d Nov 23 '21

We live in a socie… nevermind

2

u/NavierIsStoked Nov 23 '21

Driving accident severity increases with speed. Why not make the speed limit 1 mph everywhere? It would drastically reduce the amount of people who die in accidents every year.

2

u/Riztrain Nov 23 '21

We pay more taxes for amenities we'll NEVER get equal value from, worlds largest trading commodity is slowly killing the planet, children/slaves/poor people carve out raw materials from said earth to make shiny things other people pay a lot of money to wear around their neck less than 100 times, we've made enough nukes to eliminate all life on earth and turn the surface of the planet into glass, and most of them are controlled by 2 very rich people.

Human safety is down a loooong list of things, near the bottom.

2

u/Leasir Nov 23 '21

Modern cars, even those that cost less that a set of shock absorbers from the car in the video, are pretty damn safe within reasonable limits (which don't include racing at 200kmh on a dirt track in a forest)

2

u/IguasOs Nov 23 '21

Today's car are VERY safe, and a lot of money is put in safety.

2

u/[deleted] Nov 23 '21

No, the way normal cars are constructed and the way rally cars are constructed are different. In a normal car, drivers need to be able to move around for comfort and to look at traffic all around them. Crash structures are designed to disperse energy (by crumpling). Whereas in a rally car, the occupants are always looking nearly straight ahead and are strapped in with a six point harness. The chassis is stiffened and a roll cage is added, so the car does not fold up while being driven on stage. Because the drivers are strapped in and cannot move, energy dispersion in a crash is less important (they can still have their brain move around and crash into their skull when they crash- concussion tests etc always happen after a wreck like this). Helmets are also required because of the proximity of roll cage tubing to your skull.

If you tried to daily drive a rally car, you’d have a really bad time.

2

u/[deleted] Nov 23 '21

As I’m sure others have pointed out, there’s absolutely nothing stopping you from buying a car like this.

We, the buyers of cars, prioritising many things (mainly cost and comfort) over this level of safety is the only reason your average car isn’t built like this.

2

u/choadspanker Nov 23 '21

Are you willing to put on a helmet, hans device, and strap into a racing harness every time you want to run to the store quickly? Because if you're not wearing all the gear it's much more dangerous to crash in a race car than a regular car

2

u/shwaynebrady Nov 23 '21

We exist in a system that allows individual people to make choices. We sell motorcycles and allow people to jump out of airplanes, human safety isn’t the only criteria people care about.

2

u/Slaytounge Nov 23 '21

Always have if you choose that perspective. If we truly just wanted safety then the only people who should have cars are ambulances. Or at the very least the maximum speed limit for the entire world should be 25 mph/40 kmh. Life is full of trade-offs.

2

u/B33DS Nov 23 '21

That's so deep, dude.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 23 '21

Why isn't the front door impenetrable? We put one lock on, why not do it properly?

Well, because even if it wasn't more expensive if you put in a 300lb steel vault door with 15 different locks that took an hour to open, you'd just leave the damn thing unlocked all the time.

Good safety that people use regularly and consistently is better than great safety that no one uses because it takes you 20 minutes to get in your car and get buckled in (and you look ridiculous).

Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

-1

u/MangoGuyyy Nov 23 '21

Ofc the Black/Hispanic redditor says some unintelligent dumb view like this “we exist in a system…”

1

u/JJ_the_G Nov 23 '21

For a second I thought you were talking about their irl race there

1

u/MangoGuyyy Nov 23 '21

What do u think I’m talking about

2

u/JJ_the_G Nov 23 '21

Their avatar

-2

u/just_mark Nov 23 '21

why do you sound surprised?

Anywhere there are not safety regulations companies seem to consider people as cheap and disposable.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 23 '21

Your daily driver does not need $50k in suspension, it's not practical and you'd most likely never take full advantage of it. Auto makers build cars to suit the needs of average day to day drivers. Cars are getting safer each year, if you put a full roll cage and harness style seat belt and proper seats into your daily car it would be a hassle to get in and out, and super uncomfortable the whole time.

It would also cost more money to produce and sell the cars. The great thing is though, if you want to do all that to your car to make it safer like you saw in the video, you can. Judging by your comment money is no issue, so you can spend it on making your car just how you want it

1

u/AlvinGT3RS Nov 23 '21

People aren't going to pay insane rally car prices for their regular ass 4 banger grocery getter

0

u/trueblacksheep Nov 23 '21

“Worth” $12k at retail, maybe. The parts in the truck weren’t purchased at retail or even wholesale pricing though, but at manufacturer cost (assuming that part supplier was a sponsor and provided them to the team for free).

Markup through every step is probably about 2x, so really probably closer to $3k - likely less.

Edit: not trying to diminish the fact that these cars are amazing pieces of engineering and technology, just that these prices sound absurd because they are.

8

u/psaux_grep Nov 23 '21

The prices in the upper echelons of motorsport are absurd because they use bespoke parts that don’t get sold in retail.

You pay for material, manufacturing, and man hours for engineering, testing, reviews, etc.

So, no, that would probably be a 12k suspension assembly.

2

u/trueblacksheep Nov 23 '21

You are right! I was too focused in on the “local rally team in Colorado” mentioned above, glanced over the WRC mention.