It looks like these older LS's are sure better than the newer ones in the other tests. This one looks to be a faster test to boot.

 

Looks like same 'good' rating in moderate front overlap front for all gens at 40mph. What test are you looking at?

http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/veh...0-4-door-sedan
http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/veh...0-4-door-sedan
http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/veh...s-4-door-sedan

 

All IIHS tests are the same speed, conducted in exactly the same way. Like Dave said, all gens perform very well in the moderate overlap test, which that video is of.

The real question would be the new small overlap test which is much harder. My guess is all gens of the LS, including the 460, would rate poor in that test since the cars weren't designed to perform for it. The next gen LS will do fine.

If you look at say, the ES, last gen failed the small overlap test because it was designed before that test existed, but the current gem rates great.

I don't recall ever seeing a car that doesn't have safety ratings improve or at least stay the same as new generations come out...

 

Just looking at the speed it looked liked this particular 97 LS test was done at a much faster test speed.

 

40 MPH. All IIHS moderate overlap crash tests are 40 MPH.

Even if it were faster, I don't see where the contrast with the newer ones comes from.

 

The newer ones looked slower that would be a contrast, more damage at a slower speed.

 

The way they film the tests is slower now, but the tests are exactly the same.

Also remember that the damage isn't the issue. Crushing absorbs crash forces.

 

Crash test videos can be interesting to watch but misleading. The LS would not have been subjected to a high offset crash because at the time it was not a safety standard.

You would have to weld a crushable aluminum steel cage around a LS and fill it with airbags to meet newer standards.

 

the speed the video is played back at varies between older and newer videos. The camera tech used to record the tests has changed much in the past 20 years.

All tests are done at the same speed, this is not up for debate as it is part of the standardized crash test protocols. The visible difference you are seeing is due to the framerate of the recordings.