A new video from General Motors gives us an insight on how its engineers test the durability of the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible’s soft-top. The company said that during the development phase, the electrically operated tops of the prototype models were opened and closed more than 22,500 times, which is claimed to be three times more than what an average driver would do in 10 years of use. GM added that some of those tests were performed in extreme weather conditions with temperatures ranging from minus-22° F to 170° F and humidity of up to 95 percent.
“This past winter we even had our engineers driving 80 of these convertibles back and forth to work every day here in Michigan,” said Al Oppenheiser, Camaro chief engineer. “They had to open and close the top five times each day no matter what the weather was like,” he added.
Along with the durability of the opening mechanism, GM’s people also tested the Convertible’s three-layer top for water resistance. Furthermore, the company says it randomly picks out series production models to undergo an intensive eight-minute water test at the firm’s assembly facility in Oshawa and at the GM Proving Ground in Michigan, where over 7,200 gallons of water are thrown at the car at a pace of 900 gallons per minute.
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