Although I am not as great as it must seem, to me one of the coolest jobs must be working as a product developer or road test engineer at a major auto manufacturer. Not only do you get to see through the research and development of a tangible product, you also get to drive some really cool hardware.
While we imagine it may be like a sausage factory behind the curtains — you don't want to know how it's made — I don't think there could be a "bad day" at "the office." Well, unless you wreck one of the cars. And that does happen.
This week a General Motors Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 undergoing some shakedown testing at the Nürburgring ate it. News spread quickly. We assume this is the cost of doing business for a major automaker like GM and we hope the driver and passenger were uninjured.
Thinking back, it actually does happen more than you would think. Considering the millions of miles put on development cars, it's an inevitability really when you think of the statistics.
Some crashes happen at test tracks, other times it may be a mid-engine supercar fire — we're looking at you, Audi and Acura — and less common are spectacular crashes on local roads.
**SEE just how bad it can get while doing developmental testing on a prototype automobile via the "Read Article" link below!
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