http://65.66.244.26:8080/mvnforum/mv...ead?thread=587

Ok, this is going way to far for a damn car, no matter how bad you want to steal it. But nothing seems to surprise me anymore, well not after reading stories like this one. The car, a Mercedes S-class (worth around $75,000), was protected by a fingerprint recognition system. Accountant, K. Kumaran probably didn't expect his finger to get chopped when he was run down by four men in a small car as he was about to feel the soft leather of his S-class.

The Malaysian gang, already armed with long machetes, first asked for the keys to the car, but when they noticed that it would take a bit more than just the keys to start it up, they took a different path of distruction. The car was equipped with a fingerprint recognition system that requires the owner's fingerprint to disarm it. So the attackers forced Mr. Kumaran to put his finger on the security panel to start the vehicle, then threw him in the back seat.

But since the car needed the fingerprint everytime the car was turned off, they stripped Mr. Kumaran naked and left him by the side of the road, but not before they cut the end of his index finger with a machete. This is obviously one lesson learned, "Don't go to Malaysia!"

--Tone

ps: Thanks to Sadian for the story

It sure is ...LOL. Even though it may be a great source of security for the car, there is a probability someone in the family might need it (the car). What if a son, wife, etc. needed to escape a seriouse situation? Of course, why not take the high speed, valued car and escape? ... will they figure out a way to open the car?... or will they get killed? But still I find it awesom that the dude was smart enough to cut the guys finger... but let's put it this way ... blood circulation stops, cells stop duplicating... eventually the finger tip is gonna putrify... right?, but burglars are burglars and no matter how smart they might do something, something always comes out wrong ... that leads to their discovery... nice story... Right?

They probably need it only for a short while until they reprogram the car to accept their own fingerprint.
And I'd expect these systems to be able to be programmed to accept a range of prints as valid, so telling it that your wife is allowed to drive it (OK, that might not be the best choice) is almost certainly possible.

And even if noone can get in, there's bound to be an emergency entry code known only at Mercedes headquarters where the dealership (on verifying the person asking for the car to be opened is indeed legal to do so) can request it. That's how it works with electronic keys as well and for getting replacement keys for most cars these days (and even bikes now...).