M Roadster crash video

[Eccentric]

not sure if this is a repost but heres an m roadster taking a wall pretty hard. [u2b]<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/vPEOXG-5w0g?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/vPEOXG-5w0g?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>[/u2b]

[r4gs]

vaguely remember it being a repost from somewhere, but nevertheless a nasty crash. youtube embed needs to be fixed to work using the youtube button!

[ricanbandit]

Ouch! That had to hurt!

[Eccentric]

Originally Posted by r4gs

vaguely remember it being a repost from somewhere, but nevertheless a nasty crash. youtube embed needs to be fixed to work using the youtube button!

I need to learn haha

Yeah thats one of the hardest hits i've seen an m take.

[schwank]

I remember this one! YUCK!

[esqu1re]

That scares me...first HPDE in the spring...

[Eccentric]

Originally Posted by esqu1re

That scares me...first HPDE in the spring...

My thoughts exactly, dude.

[ZStig]

nasty hit, and likely not covered by insurance

[M_Six]

They're lucky it stayed on four wheels. Don't think a roll at those speeds would be survivable in a roadie.

[pelerojo]

I don't think that is going to buff out.

[Foxland]

Originally Posted by Roffle Waffle

nasty hit, and likely not covered by insurance

I used to instruct with the BMWPorshe club, as long as you were with an instructor and the event is considered a drivers ed event and not a racing event, insurance would cover.

[lucid]

Originally Posted by Foxland

I used to instruct with the BMWPorshe club, as long as you were with an instructor and the event is considered a drivers ed event and not a racing event, insurance would cover.

Depends on the wording of your policy. Many insurance companies are now fully aware of HPDEs and have recently inserted language in the exclusions which would void coverage.

Bottom line, you take a car on the track, you'd better be able to write it off or you should have HPDE insurance. (No, I don't sell HPDE insurance). Even if your policy does not have an HPDE exclusion, you should be ready to go to court to obtain payment. A friend of mine went through that a couple of years ago.

[lucid]

Originally Posted by esqu1re

That scares me...first HPDE in the spring...

Leave DSC on, listen to your instructor, and you'll be fine. If you can't shake it off and are still highly concerned, don't go to the track. The more you think about crashing, the higher the chances of you crashing. I'm not saying don't be concerned at all and go out there and drive like an idiot or anything, but you need to be comfortable and relatively relaxed. A qualified instructor will keep you from overdriving.

[Rick F.]

That was a big hit, all right--thank goodness for tire barriers. They absorbed a tremendous amount of energy in a relatively short distance.

FWIW, the incident appears to have resulted from the driver not correcting for the skid quickly enough. With more practice on rapid skid response, I suspect that he never would have left the road.

That's easy to say, obviously, from the comfort of indoors.

Rick F.

[dazed^]

Whoa... to my (inexperienced) eyes there wasn't even a real turn or anything along that road. Turned my stomach watching that!

[nlink720]

Prior to my first track day, I was worried. I just drove at about 7/10ths because I was concerned about both mechanical failure and damaging my car.

Still had fun, but I really like driving at 10/10 ths or 11/10ths... and autocross provides a better venue for that in my opinion.

Track is really great for loads of seat time though...

If I had a cage, HANS, more money, and was later on in life and without dependents, I would track more. Now I go about once per year, but autocross about 40x that amount.

[ZStig]

Originally Posted by dazed^

Whoa... to my (inexperienced) eyes there wasn't even a real turn or anything along that road. Turned my stomach watching that!

he went over a hill on a slight turn, which shifted the weight off the rear tires (in my opinion)

[JPWEraser]

I don't think that Roadsters should be allowed on the track without proper safety equipment or a hardtop at the very least honestly. I never considered taking my S2000 to the track without the hardtop on even though I had a Cusco roll bar and that was just to the drag strip.

[aerobod]

Originally Posted by JPWEraser

I don't think that Roadsters should be allowed on the track without proper safety equipment or a hardtop at the very least honestly. I never considered taking my S2000 to the track without the hardtop on even though I had a Cusco roll bar and that was just to the drag strip.

If you think that is the case, then perhaps no car should be on the track without a full rollcage:
http://www.zpost.com/forums/showpost...49&postcount=8
At least the Z4 roadster has some roll-over protection behind the seats, compared with the Coupe without a cage. If all cars without a roof were banned from the track, what would Formula 1 cars look like?

[JPWEraser]

Originally Posted by aerobod

If you think that is the case, then perhaps no car should be on the track without a full rollcage:
http://www.zpost.com/forums/showpost...49&postcount=8
At least the Z4 roadster has some roll-over protection behind the seats, compared with the Coupe without a cage. If all cars without a roof were banned from the track, what would Formula 1 cars look like?

Now now, you must admit that there is a significant difference between a F1 car and a production road car... Yes, the Z4 has roll hoops, but really? Some drivers are tall enough that when you add a helmet the roll hoop may not be sufficiently protective. Also, think if that driver had been in a roadster? How much worse off would he have been if he did not have the roof and all of the extra structural rigidity that it provides. The post you linked said that even the coupes really need a roll bar...

PS. My local BMW CCA chapter doesn't allow roadsters on the track during their events.

[aerobod]

Originally Posted by JPWEraser

PS. My local BMW CCA chapter doesn't allow roadsters on the track during their events.

This is really a function of US society and litigation, as opposed to roll-over performance. Track days in other areas of the world don't typically have any restriction on roadsters. The Z4 performs very well in a roll-over. The structural roll hoops inside the roll bar trim covers almost touch the roof (which is higher at that point than the Coupe. This Z4 Roadster's rollover protection worked well after a triple rollover: http://www.zpost.com/forums/showpost...4&postcount=11