Exactly as I have stated before, doesn't matter where you mount the gas tank, it can still rupture in an accident. I mean if that's that case, then VW should do a recall on all Type 1 Sedans for having front mounted gas tanks which are less than mere inches from the front occupants feet.
Agreed - The Ford Panther body style puts the gas tank above the rear axle and they have been known to rupture to. The difference being that all the documented cases of it happening occurred in rear end impacts where the offending vehicle was going at least 60 MPH - and usually over 75 MPH. And people say that was a manufacturing defect..... The only reason it gained any traction was it was cops getting killed when drunk drivers would aim their cars at the flashing lights on the side of the highway.
Hanging the gas tank BELOW the rear bumper then raising the rear bumper higher than the average car height (or not even having a real rear bumper) makes it much more exposed to impacts and susceptible to rupture even at low speeds in minor collisions. The last cars I know of that put the tanks under the trunk were the GM A bodies from the late 70s to the mid 80s. And GM paid billions to finally settle that in the 1990s. So what's Chrysler do after their own engineers warn against it and then their executives read about other manufacturers getting hammered over it? Lets design a couple new vehicles that put the fuel tank in the crumple zone in the rear the vehicle......
Ford learned it the hard way in the 1970s, GM learned it the hard way in the 1980s and Chrysler had to learn it the hard way in the 2000s.
