An Austin 7 high and dry?

[Tony Griffiths]

Trouble with a modern.

[Reckless Rat]

Once your "modern" car is that deep in the water you might as well forget it. It's past redemption, unless it's a Toyota Hi-Lux like the one on Top Gear.

[Steve kay]

I know that I have better things to do, but looking at the photo, is that somebody sat inside the car? Near side or off side depending where it is.

[Mike Costigan]

So, there's one thing a modern car does better than an Austin Seven - it floats!

[Bob Culver]

Decades ago a mate of my brothers had a Ruby. At the local wide sand beach it was common to drive through a stream outlet, normally 3 inches or  less deep. But there had been a fresh and a deep channel had formed.... 
The front end did not float. Did not improve the main bearings.
On flooded roads moderns can be a danger as are floated away by very modest flows.  
I am connected with the local Jowett club. A localised  severe downpour resulted in a Jupiter going way under. A lot of work expended sorting it but the insurance co deregistered it. As years ago the car had been converted to complete Vanguard front end and back again the "engineering" renders chance of getting it back on the road slim. 
Another member had 6 cars go under including a nice Javelin, Vaux VX4/90, 1930 Chev 2 str roadster, and a small Edwardian veteran. A cause of considerable distress.
As RR observes, quite apart from the computer itseld the myriad tiny electrical connections, relalys etc render it near impossible to sort. Nothing comes apart easily.

[Tony Griffiths]

I know that I have better things to do, but looking at the photo, is that somebody sat inside the car? Near side or off side depending where it is.

Well spotted. I think that's why the guys are wrestling with it.

[Erich]

This gets me to wondering, if the door locks and windows are all electric, and the electrics are all trashed/inactive, then if the doors are locked and windows are up, the only way to exit is to break a window? I'm sure a few moderns builders may have the doors unlock if the electrics fail, but probably not all. It seems a definite safety issue, in which "superior" technology is less superior. In my case, I don't need to worry as the window lifts on my Toyota truck are cranks, and the door locks are the basic pull up knobs.

Erich in Mukilteo

[Dave Mann]

Ah the wonders of technology and they don't float for long unless it's an air cooled Beetle.

[andrew34ruby]

In about 1967 there was an article in Practical Motorist. It advised not to open anything until the water was well up you chest, then open a door. If the door was stuck put both feet on the windscreen and push the glass out.

[Reckless Rat]

In the 1960s car windscreens weren't glued in place like they are today, and would easily push out of the rubber. Not much chance of that with a modern. The glued in windscreen gives a considerable degree of stiffness and strength to the structure.