Development Mule Spotted on M6

Donie75

When car manufacturers are developing a new model they disguise their prototypes and trial them on the roads. They usually cover them in a black and white patterned vinyl so the lines are not identifiable. Around a year ago I spotted a coupe like this in Athlone. It looked a bit like a Jag F Type.
Today I spotted a jeep/SUV on the M6 near Athlone. Same funky vinyl.
I guess someone is using the Irish roads to test new models.

ironclaw

Porsche are pretty regularly over here. I remember seeing a test bed Panamera a number of years back in the middle of nowhere out West. WRC Ford and Subaru used also test here I believe.

ondafly

I spotted a German registered Bmw with the mule stickers around the front and sides on Friday near Phoenix park. At a guess it was either a five or a seven series. It took off at some speed heading towards the hole in the wall.

GustavoFring

Spotted jag doing it a while back. Terrible pic mind.

ironclaw

Does anyone know why they usually have the white and black swirls? My guess was to avoid anyone getting a good idea of the contouring etc.

GustavoFring

ironclaw wrote: »

Does anyone know why they usually have the white and black swirls? My guess was to avoid anyone getting a good idea of the contouring etc.

Exactly that reason.

Bob_the_dog

Plenty of these disguised vehicles around Galway, Valeo in Tuam always have a collection on site for testing their camera systems

TrailerBob

I believe Toyota used Irish roads for testing durability since the mid 90's . Their reasoning being that the rural roads would be among the hardest on a car you will get.

mickdw

Porsche have tested at least 2 models 997 and cayman on rural mayo roads.
Very very worthwhile exercise if it helped to dial out some of the terrible steering behaviour you can get with wide tyres on uneven and crowned roads.

carzony

Probably allows the new cars experience mountain sized speed bumps and roads full of potholes..