An interesting car to use for comparison is the new BMW Z3 coupe vs. a Z3
convertible with a hardtop (I've seen pictures of one club racing - not sure
if it was SCCA or BMW CCA). Would the roof collapse on either of these cars
in a rollover? What about with a rollbar? Would a bar like, say, an HMS
SportBar make either/both cars safer? Not having owned or rolled either car
:) I have no hard data on this. I would imagine that the Z3 convertible
with a hardtop would be rather prone to collapse, whereas the coupe would
not since the top is an integral part of that design. A roll bar would help
both cars, and would probably make a roll in the convertible a lot more
survivable. It could be a problem finding a roll bar that would be 2" above
the driver's head AND allow the hardtop to fit.
- Justin
Please don't roll my '83 BMW 320i :)
Team SOL #4
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