View Full Version : New Car Transport



Bill Robertson
11-08-2023, 02:35 PM
I'm a car nut. I have been since I knew what cars are.
I saw something today I've never seen before. Going up I44 there was a car transport with 2 cars and 2 SUVs on it. They were completely covered in white plastic but with slits so the doors could open and ovals cut out front and back so a driver could somewhat see out. The plastic was so thin and clingy that it was obvious there were no insignias of any kind on the trunk/hatch lids like usual. I pulled up next to the trailer to look at the logos on the wheel center caps. Nope. Center caps weren't there. Obviously no one is supposed to know what these are. This is normal on manufacturers testing grounds and areas where they road test cars. But I've never seen them trailered any distance before.

Bits_Of_Real_Panther
11-08-2023, 02:41 PM
Pics or it didn't happen lol ��

I saw the cruise self driving brand was shut down recently in California, maybe some other startup doing tests?

I've heard apple self driving car rumors in the past

Bill Robertson
11-08-2023, 02:47 PM
Pics or it didn't happen lol ��

I saw the cruise self driving brand was shut down recently in California, maybe some other startup doing tests?

I've heard apple self driving car rumors in the pastThese cars weren't driving. They were being hauled on a transporter.
I'm not going to try taking pictures of a semi when we're both going 70 and I'm in my Miata.

Pete
11-08-2023, 02:47 PM
^

Usually test vehicles have most the windows completely uncovered and the covering has heavy camouflage like this:

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/camouglage1.jpg


HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/camouglage2.jpg

BoulderSooner
11-08-2023, 02:51 PM
when i lived in Colorado often i would see cars covered like your second picture on (or on the way to) the Mount Evans Scenic Byway .. (highest paved road in North America)

Pete
11-08-2023, 02:53 PM
Also, lots of new cars arrive with white protective film to protect the paint during transport:

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/camouflage3.jpg

Pete
11-08-2023, 02:59 PM
Did they look like this? If so, this is another way of protecting cars in transport. Looks like the driver's door has zippers so humans can get them on and off the carrier.

If you look closely, there are no center caps on the wheels. I suspect they take them off and put them inside the car so they don't get stolen.

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/camoflauge4.jpg

Bill Robertson
11-08-2023, 03:02 PM
Also, lots of new cars arrive with white protective film to protect the paint during transport:

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/camouflage3.jpgI've seen the protective covering a lot. But these were covered even more than the upper car in the pic. There was no paint exposed. And the missing insignias and center caps is odd.

Bill Robertson
11-08-2023, 03:08 PM
Did they look like this? If so, this is another way of protecting cars in transport. Looks like the driver's door has zippers so humans can get them on and off the carrier.

If you look closely, there are no center caps on the wheels. I suspect they take them off and put them inside the car so they don't get stolen.

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/camoflauge4.jpgThey were more like this. In all my years I'd never seen new cars so completely covered. But I guess they do.

Pete
11-08-2023, 03:11 PM
They were more like this. In all my years I'd never seen new cars so completely covered. But I guess they do.

It's probably because cars (and paint jobs) are so crazy expensive these days.


When I moved to California, I towed my Mustang convertible behind a Uhaul and by the time I got it off the trailer in L.A. only two days later, it was thrashed. Looked 100x worse than it ever had before due to the Uhaul throwing so much stuff behind it.

Bill Robertson
11-08-2023, 03:16 PM
It's probably because cars (and paint jobs) are so crazy expensive these days.


When I moved to California, I towed my Mustang convertible behind a Uhaul and by the time I got it off the trailer in L.A. only two days later, it was thrashed. Looked 100x worse than it ever had before due to the Uhaul throwing so much stuff behind it.Ouch. Sorry to hear that about any car. I would be completely upset.

Pete
11-08-2023, 03:21 PM
^

It's due to the way aerodynamics flow over a vehicle.

Air goes up and over and then downward which means anything on a trailer or cars on a transport are going to get sprayed with debris.