TMC Chapter News
TMC: EC / The First Consumer Reports Testing Facility Event
05/04/2002: On Saturday May 4, the second event of an ambitious multi-event calendar took place. Many exotic cars arrived in mid morning at the Consumer Reports Testing Facility located on the former Connecticut drag strip in East Haddam CT. our host, David Champion and his staff were there to meet and greet us and after about an hour of car talk and a show and tell by the respective proud owners, we were taken into a hanger-like facility and were
lectured on the finer points of crash testing. From there, a delicious catered lunch was served. We swapped stories and new friendships were kindled. After lunch, David and his staff proceeded to walk us through the various "tests". We were provided with crash helmets and whomever wanted participated with a professional tester to evaluate individual sports cars. That afternoon, we jumped into brand new cars like the Corvette, T-bird, and Jaguar X-type, to a Honda S-2000, Audi TT, Chevrolet Avalanche, and Jeep Liberty. Each of these cars was recently purchased by Consumer Reports to be rigorously "rung out".
Indeed, the multi-test and performance evaluation was revealing and incredibly comprehensive. We participated in all manner of tests including the skin pad, the famous accident aversion test that the Isuzu Trooper failed, ABS brake test through standing water and a rock hill climb for offroad vehicles.
When we had completed that section, we were taken into the tire testing facility and lectured about the intricacies of tire "wear and tear". Last but now least, all of us got in with one of the expert testers and took laps around the facility's "full bore" track. We were all blown away by the hospitality and thoroughness of the Consumer Report team's hands on presentation. Any of you not in attendance missed one hell of a day—spread the word. The Consumer Report folks would like other clubs to participate in one or more subsequent test days so that they can show car enthusiasts exactly what they do and how they do it. I walked away feeling that the test reports that I regularly read in the car magazines do not and cannot hold a candle to the procedures that we witnessed and participated in at Consumer Report's testing facility; this is truly state of the art. —Richard Solomon, event chairman,