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April Showers No Match for Buick’s New Convertible

5K views 22 replies 19 participants last post by  Oldsmobile stopped 
#1 ·
April Showers No Match for Buick’s New Convertible
Water tests simulate record rainfall to ensure Cascada’s watertight seal
General Motors FastLane
2015-04-16

How does Buick ensure the 2016 Cascada convertible will stay dry when April showers come calling? By making it rain on the assembly line, assuring cloudbursts will be no match for Cascada when it hits dealerships in early 2016.

Specialized water test booths, located at the end of Cascada’s assembly line, will allow freshly built cars to roll off the line and into testing. Each booth has no fewer than 124 individual nozzles, which will quickly immerse the Cascada in a miniature rainstorm for 10 minutes.

Additionally, two Cascadas will be randomly selected daily to undergo another water test, known as the “deluge.” While this test is designed to last only eight minutes, each nozzle blasts roughly three gallons of water each minute.

These tests may seem extreme, but they’re especially important given April showers are more than an old proverb. As winter gives way to spring, rain showers are bound to splash cities across the U.S. with more than a little precipitation.

Beginning in early 2016, Cascada owners in arid corners of the U.S. may not have to worry about facing those showers, but they may still appreciate the result of these tests.

*Full Article at Link
 
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#6 ·
Amen.

Note also how they do not identify where that production line is... Plus, this vehicle is still 14 months away.

How about doing something exciting? Mazda is producing the first 1,000 Miata units for the United States as a one package, special edition. How about something like that from Buick to generate a little excitement...not that water-resistant convertibles are not exciting.
 
#7 ·
Do a Cascada GS. In fact, do a GS of everything.
 
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#8 ·
This brings up more questions than it answers for me.

What if one of the two cars tested with the "deluge" fail? Do they have a convertible seal expert on staff to stop the line, examine problems, and make adjustments?

If a failure occurs from the "deluge" test, will all cars built that day be run through the deluge then? They would all be considered suspect at that point.

If the deluge is shorter than the normal test, why not just run every car through it? Especially since you're reclaiming the water. If something doesn't leak after 8 minutes, I very much doubt it will start leaking between 8 min and 10 minutes. (I've owned a convertible before so this is more than just a hunch on my part.)

Otherwise - it's a beautiful convertible that should have been here last spring. SMH.
 
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