Around here we had a few drunk/drugged up kids get one of those fish looking Hyundai Sonata's up to about 120 or whatever max is on a 4 lane road, hit an embankment, fly up on top of a gas stations roof, and ride it down. Car and kids were in pieces.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

It is oten said that art imitates life.

Sometimes, it's quite the opposite.

Its hard to believe that little tree decimated the car as it did. I can only imagine the forces that had to be generated to do that to a car.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Yeah. And holy ****!

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

One thing for sure, they were traveling faster than 10 MPH when they hit the tree. It would be interesting to see what the accident report says in regards to estimated rate of speed.

No engine mass in the front had to be a contributor to the depth of penetration. Just sheet steel platform and front end the engine and transmission mass being rearward or centralized would increase the force to collapse on the front signifigantly. If the engine had been in the front would not have insured survivability but it may have snapped the tree off. Or at least reduced penetration to some extent. Although if the speed was high enough it may have made little difference.

If I owned a rear end or even central powered porsche today I would not loan it to the grown up kids or let the wife drive it. These cars are a lot of fun but you have to know what you are doing to not exceed their limitations in my opinion. Being able to afford them and maintaining them is not a qualifier in my mind.

The tendancy to understeeer in certain conditions even with my old fintail took a few sets of tires to get some that reduced the tendency. For someone unaware of the characteristic it could get them into major problems even with that modest 6 cylinder fintail. Although straight line running was superior in bad weather in comparison to most cars.

My guess is the owner may just have been showing off not knowing where the limits where with his car. Today at my age I drive well within those limits on any car or conditions. In fifty five years of driving I have never been in an accident I caused. I have been rear ended seriously in a 48 ford though on the highway.

I also think it takes time to develop the sensitivity required with some cars to their shortcomings or perhaps better described as charactaristics.

A family may make the misteak of enabling a wrong car for their child. We have had deaths locally with newer drivers in the wrong cars.

Once when the police came to the door because of a fatality. Where a kid hit a telephone pole at 100-130 miles per hour out front perhaps two hundred feet up the road. We had called it in after my son in law going out and establishing he was dead up on the rear parcel shelf. They asked how fast I thought he was going. I told them I estimate by your tire noise and doppler effect that you go by at perhaps 80 miles per hour with the sirens going sometimes. The limit locally is about 48 miles per hour or 80 kilometers.

I did hear his tire noise through the front screen door and the lapse when he went airborne till the boom noise of him contacting the pole. It was abut two am and he was up over a hundred miles per hour easily in my opinion. As his tire noise was much louder than the speeding police cars..

He may have made the modest corner but the white lines where not there as they had just repaved that section of road. That probably disoriented him. Yes the young 16 year old fellow was on his way home from a drinking party so booze was a probable major contributor. The police conducted a search for any other body or bodies in the vicinity. We thought he was alone judging by the cars damage. This proved to be correct fortunately. Searching in heavy brush for a body or bodys in the early hours of the morning has to be difficult.

Didn't this happen a couple of blocks from where the fundraiser was happening? Some said they heard a loud bang and came running, right?
Zero to dead in what? Less than 10 seconds?
He was 30. His daughter is 15. Sure hope he had a good and current estate plan.

Man Oh Man!

I read this morning that they also hit and snapped off a light pole. That sounds more like it. Apparently it just came to rest against that little tree.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Which seems more logical, as that tree would have to be solid steel and rooted about 20 feet into the ground to cause that degree of damage with so little deflection.

What was the driver's skill set in driving such hi powered cars?


How long will it take before the lawsuits start flying. Would his orphaned daughter have a case? Against the driver? Against the manufacturer?
Would the driver's family then have or need to start a case. Who put that light pole there? Sue them too.

Where you at MTI We need free legal advice.

What was the driver's skill set in driving such hi powered cars?


How long will it take before the lawsuits start flying. Would his orphaned daughter have a case? Against the driver? Against the manufacturer?
Would the driver's family then have or need to start a case. Who put that light pole there? Sue them too.

Where you at MTI. We need free legal advice.

No doubt there will be some suing going on.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

A couple of years ago two guys died in another Carrera GT related accident in Orange County during a race. They had altered the seat belts and replaced it with a harnas, what according to Porsche let to their death.

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1979 Black on Black, 300CD (sold), 1990 Black 300SE, Silver 1989 Volvo 780, 1988 300CE (vanished by the hands of a girlfriend), 1992 300CE (Rescue).

Do you have any additional info on that? hard to imagine how a harness would be a bad thing.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Maybe I was wrong about the harnas, but I remember they had altered the seat belts.

$4.5 million awarded in Porsche Carrera GT case - Autoblog

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1979 Black on Black, 300CD (sold), 1990 Black 300SE, Silver 1989 Volvo 780, 1988 300CE (vanished by the hands of a girlfriend), 1992 300CE (Rescue).