Does This High Speed BMW M5 Smash Prove How Strong The Tesla Model S Is?

In May last year, a Tesla Model S survived relatively undamaged after clipping a speeding BMW M5 at an intersection, and the story of this accident has just been published on Tesla's website.

The owner of the Model S was pulling across a "four way blind intersection in a quiet, unlit, residential neighborhood", when a teenager in a BMW M5 sped across their path. The glancing blow was enough to send the M5 tumbling down the road before hitting a tree.

According to the driver, the damage to the M5 compared to his Model S proves he has one of the safest cars on the road: "I am convinced that fortuitous timing and the solid construction of my Tesla Model S saved our lives." The sleek Tesla's solidity is not in doubt, but we think that fortune played the biggest role here.

The Tesla driver notes that his car "had damage to the front bumper and looked pristine rearward of the bumper", whereas the BMW was totalled. This clearly had more to do with the position of the impact, rather than the construction of the car.

The BMW likely incurred localised damage from the initial impact, with the resulting tumbles causing the majority of damage seen here. The chunk missing from the M5's rear door, as seen in the image below, indicates the position of impact with the Tesla - anyone who has seen cops perform PIT manoeuvres understands how this was catastrophic for the BMW.

While Tesla gladly uses this to promote the safety of its vehicle, we're ultimately left more impressed with the BMW - for the "dazed" driver to escape unharmed after such a high speed roll is incredible.

You can read the full account here.