Literally!
Literally!
Hello State Farm, I need to submit a claim...
New CL ad: Never raced or wrecked...
Ouch. Although pulling the engine looks pretty easy.
Any backstory? Is it the Ring? Any word on occupant condition?
DukeOfUndersteer wrote: Literally!
The Mini (in the background) gets a flat-bed, while the Bimmer gets a death bed.
We have seen some car crashes over the past few months, but this one definitely gets you thinking and puts you with both feet on the ground. The BMW E36 M3 crashed during a trackday at the Nurburgring’s Nordschleife track, also known as the ‘Green Hell’.
The M3 was driven by an experienced driver. The cause of this accident was due to traffic. The M3 entered a blind curve where it hit a Mini Cooper driving a lower pace. After the impact the M3 got fire. In the end the vehicle was completely a total loss. The driver survived due to the build-in roll cage.
http://www.gtspirit.com/2009/11/13/car-crashes-bmw-e36-m3-at-nordschleife/
That might not buff out.
Glad the driver survived.
"ran when parked"
Ouch, indeed... and looks like the cage did its job and kept the passenger space intact... I can imagine the Ring could be even scarier in the wet... as the speed differences between slow (inexperienced) and fast (experienced) would be greater than normal...
bludroptop wrote: That'll buff out. Glad the driver survived.
FIXED
Raze wrote:bludroptop wrote: That'll buff out. Glad the driver survived.FIXED not really
Optimism is good, but realism is better.
Optimism sees that the passenger-side door glass is intact. Realism sees that this was a very expensive learning experience.
This is why open track days are so dangerous.
Best rat rod I've ever seen.
docwyte wrote: This is why open track days are so dangerous.
Out of genuine curiosity, do you think there are safer alternatives? I'm preparing to buy a track car and would like to mitigate the risk as much as possible, either through event choice, sanctioning bodies/companies, equipment, etc.
dyintorace wrote:docwyte wrote: This is why open track days are so dangerous.Out of genuine curiosity, do you think there are safer alternatives? I'm preparing to buy a track car and would like to mitigate the risk as much as possible, either through event choice, sanctioning bodies/companies, equipment, etc.
First, it is unlikley that you will find a track day in the US like "running the Ring". I have been to "track days" run by most of the organizations on the East Coast. All of them split dirvers into groups based on ability/experience and require beginners to have instructors.
You will still have the speed difference in groups because of having different cars but it seems to be mitigated by the drivers having similar experience levels.
Also, on most tracks there aren't blind corners - and if there are, corner workers would be there to help.
Still, you'd think the M3 driver would have caught a glimpse of the MINI at some point beforehand, enough to get an idea of closing speed. Even the 'Ring isn't that blind. Unless the MINI was spun out, parked or did something weird when the BMW came up behind...
Yikes Glad the driver got out. With respect to getting a safe car I think that photo about said it all. Drivers compartment is all but intact. The rest dissipated energy by destructing. That car died a hero. Speaks volumes for the engineering of BMW's. This is a major reason why I will always have BMW, Porsche and Mercedes Benz on my short list. There cars are designed for occupant survival at much higher crash speeds. To do this it costs money and is a major reason why these cars cost more. You are paying for the Engineering.
It's probably fair to give most of the credit to the aftermarket roll cage, not BMW. Those are some pretty serious door bars with nice gusseting, and indicate a high quality and complete cage.
Keith wrote: It's probably fair to give most of the credit to the aftermarket roll cage, not BMW. Those are some pretty serious door bars with nice gusseting, and indicate a high quality and complete cage.
Excellent point; you beat me to it.
There's also a lot to be said for a damn good restraint system and helmet, too.
That looked like one badass E36. 
They seem to be like the Camrys of the 'Ring.
That level of carnage is exactly why a setup like the 'Ring (being open to anyone at anytime) could NEVER fly in the states. Lawyers have trouble looking past all of those fatalities.
That driver was damn lucky he put a rollcage into that thing. It certainly saved his life. 
Who else is eternally bitter that we didn't get the "real" E36 M3?
Keith wrote: Still, you'd think the M3 driver would have caught a glimpse of the MINI at some point beforehand, enough to get an idea of closing speed. Even the 'Ring isn't that blind. Unless the MINI was spun out, parked or did something weird when the BMW came up behind...
That was what I meant about the conditions being a factor. If conditions had been drier, the MINI driver might have been going faster. The M3 driver probably did see the MINI cresting the rise far ahead of him, but was too far away to see how slow it was going... at the same time, the M3 driver probably should have lowered his speed approaching such a blind rise, given the conditions.
Pictures like this remind me of why I will go to the track ONLY when I am driving a car I am comfortable walking away from. Until then, I'll have to stick with chasing cones...
The BMW driver should have been able to see the MINI several times. Even with a 40 mph closing speed, you still don't have a car suddenly pop into view. I suspect the MINI did something unpredictable - saw the BMW come up behind and went off-line to let it past, right into the path of the faster car. Or the MINI was just a tourist, as the 'Ring is a public road and anyone can drive on it. Inexperienced and slow drivers are one of the risks there, one you don't find on a normal track event.
DukeOfUndersteer wrote:
World's fastest Z3 conversion?
In this crash it look like it took big hits in the left front and right rear. The cadge did not seem to take much impact at all. Heck the doors and roof look relatively untouched
I agree there is no substitute for a good cadge, belts and helmet and all the other safety gear (hanz comes to mind) but in this case the car looks to have been the hero. The cadge (and the driver) were just along for the ride. I don't see any indications of big impact on the cadge.
From my experience the most deadly impact are at about a 30 deg angle to the left front. This car looks to have had just that impact.
Note how much came off the car or was displaced. The motor is a big one but look closer at the suspension and other parts. All absorbed / dissipating energy (keeping it from being transmitted to the driver).
Was the cadge a factor in this not being a fatal? Yes. But I submit to you that after all the safety gear (belts, hans helmet etc) in this accident the car was the primary factor why things were not a whole lot worse.
I stand by my original assessment that this is a testament to BMW's engineers and that the cadge was not as significant factor as some may think.
Isn't second guessing fun!!!! 
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