Skip to main content

Muscle cars do poorly in IIHS crash tests

They may be some of the fastest and coolest cars on the road, but do they have the safety equipment to match their performance? Not necessarily, according to Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) crash tests of the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, and Dodge Challenger.

None of these cars earned the “Top Safety Pick” rating, which is the IIHS’ top rating for crashworthiness, although the Mustang came close. The IIHS also awards a “Top Safety Pick+” rating for vehicles with collision avoidance systems like automatic braking, but none of the cars qualified for that either. The Mustang and Challenger only have rudimentary systems, while the Camaro doesn’t offer one at all.

Recommended Videos

Both the Mustang and Challenger earned five-star overall ratings from the federal government (the Camaro hasn’t been rated yet), but IIHS tests are a bit more stringent. They include a small frontal overall test introduced in 2012 to simulate an off-center collision with a narrow object like a tree or utility pole. In this test, the Camaro earned the top “good” rating, the Mustang was rated “acceptable,” while the Challenger was rated “marginal.”

Read more: Few bright spots in IIHS headlight test

The Challenger performed particularly poorly in the small overlap test. The crash forced its driver’s side front wheel rearward, causing “intrusion” into the passenger space. The crash test dummy’s left foot was trapped, and technicians had to unbolt the leg in order to free the dummy. That has only happened five other times since IIHS began running the small overlap test, said IIHS president Adrian Lund. Analysis of the dummy indicated a “high likelihood” of serious leg injuries.

The Camaro did much better, keeping its passenger compartment intact, while some “intrusion” by the door hinge pillar and instrumental panel was noted in the Mustang. The Camaro was redesigned for the 2016 model year, while the Mustang was redesigned for 2015. The Challenger was updated for 2015, but it hasn’t been fully redesigned since the current-generation model appeared in 2008. All three cars tested had V8 engines.

The IIHS doesn’t normally test muscle cars or sports cars, because they make up a small share of the market (and crash tests are expensive). Nonetheless, sports cars experience the highest losses among passenger vehicles for crash damage repairs under collision coverage, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute. Their drivers are also more likely to engage in risky behavior. No one buys a Mustang, Camaro, or Challenger to go slow, after all.

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
Waymo recalled 1,200 robotaxis following collisions with road barriers
Waymo Jaguar I-Pace

Waymo’s autonomous-car technology has made great advances over the years to the point where it’s now allowed to offer paid robotaxi rides in select locations in the U.S.

But the development of the technology is ongoing, and the robotaxi rides continue to gather valuable data for Waymo engineers to pore over as they further refine the driverless system to make it as reliable and efficient as possible. Which is why glitches will sometimes occur.

Read more
Apple CarPlay Ultra looks stunning in Aston Martin supercar debut
Apple CarPlay Ultra

Apple CarPlay Ultra is the next generation of the Cupertino, California-based firm's smartphone projection system for your car, and it's available in new vehicles in the US and Canada.

When we say "new cars", your options are very much limited to one brand... Aston Martin. So you'll need deep pockets if you want to experience CarPlay Ultra for yourself.

Read more
Archer’s flying taxis head to LA for the 2028 Olympics
archer air taxi la28 inglewood aerial a final

Remember the buzz about flying taxis zipping through Paris for the 2024 Olympics? That sci-fi fantasy never got off the ground —Germany’s Volocopter dream was denied certification, leaving fans staring at the same old ground traffic. But now, the skies are opening again for a second shot at glory—this time over Los Angeles.
Archer Aviation, the California-based electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) company, has been named the exclusive air taxi provider for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Archer’s Midnight aircraft, a piloted electric air taxi designed to carry four passengers, will be whisking around VIPs, fans, and stakeholders between venues and key locations like LAX, Hollywood, Santa Monica, and even Orange County. Think 10-20 minute flights that skip the infamous LA gridlock and land you right where the action is—on the roof, basically.
“We want to transform the way people get around Los Angeles and leave a legacy that shapes the future of transportation in America. There’s no better time to do that than during the LA28 Games,” said Adam Goldstein, CEO and founder of Archer Aviation.
And Midnight isn’t just a pretty rotor. It’s a whisper-quiet, emission-light aircraft with 12 rotors and a redundant, airline-level safety design.
What’s more, Archer and LA28 are working together to electrify vertiport hubs around the city—think futuristic sky stations—to serve not only Games-time needs but also to plant seeds for a post-Olympic air mobility network.
The air mobility market has been fast developing over the past few years, featuring the likes of Hyundai partnership with China’s XPeng HT Aero and Toyota's backing of Joby Aviation, a U.S. venture. Joby bought Uber Elevate in 2020, hoping to someday pair its air taxis with Uber’s ride-hailing app.
Archer, for its part, has been busy building a strategic partnership with United Airlines, which has already placed orders for the aircraft and is helping with logistics to integrate air taxis into airport-to-downtown travel. More than a demo for the cameras, the LA28 partnership will showcase urban air travel for real-world daily use, starting with one of the most high-profile events on Earth.
After raising false hopes in Paris, the air taxi dream is aiming for liftoff in LA—and this time, it might just stick the landing.

Read more