Spitty,
Consider this. I read an article in a car magazine years ago, about a head on accident. One car was a Mercedes-Benz, the other was a Buick, or or Cadillac. As the firemen pulled up to the scene, one looked at the other,pointed and said " Look at the [censored] German engineering, the Mercedes is totaled, while the Buick is fine." The family in the Benze walked away, yet no one in the other car survived. The benz, scattered and crushed, leaving the engine hanging out. Yeah crumple zones really help. The odd thing is, Most European cars, less so now, won't pass U.S. emissions, or impact standards. This is why the Euro Spec Porsche 911 GT3 isn't legal in the U.S. unless it is brought over for off-road use only. The E46 BMW M3 when originally, manufactured, wouldn't pass the U.S's stringent impact, or emission standards. BMW had to go back and redesign some of the car so it would.