Not trying to pile on this guy, but reminder to leave traction control on unless you're in a controlled environment. The F-Type is even more tail happy than the M4. This incident is close to home, as this C&C is right in the SF Bay Area for me.

 

Curious how much damage that did. Would have expected at least a flat tire.

 

I would expect cracked or bent front wheels at least, and some front-end suspension damage. I also doubt that individual will be seen at any Bay Area C&C any time soon.

 

I guess this has the owner in there and more details:
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...1075458&page=3

Hmm, not loading - anyway, it was on Jalopnik, and someone pasted in the guy's response there (if you go down into read all of the comments):
http://jalopnik.com/this-asshat-bmw-...1677493427/all

 

The video has gone viral, looks like bimmerpost can't handle the load. The owner says no (visual) damage but I think that'll change once he takes it in for inspection.

The explanation is weak (tire pressure???). Just an expensive mistake. Just glad no one got hurt, and there was no cars coming opposite direction.

 

I'm afraid that regardless of the traction setting, the interior of that particular M4 will always be an uncontrolled environment.

 

I'm thinking (as are we all), the problem was rather the loose nut in close proximity to the steering wheel.

 

Yes, in particular a problem with the baggage in the left seat. Said parcel would not likely recognize suspension damage either.

 

Hes extremely lucky, just a few seconds earlier and he would have been in a head on collision with on coming traffic. Someone photoshop the number 01 on his doors and give him a pair of Daisy Dukes to wear

 

Just noticed that. Tons of oncoming traffic just a few seconds before the incident. Very lucky indeed.

 

Truth be told, i almost lost control in the 2012 C63 Coupe i had, after sprinting from a stop light. I didn't floor it and traction control was on sport, but it was wet and the car behaved very weird.

Dealer told me it was too cold and the tires are just like hard plastic in this case.

 

Wow...ran outta talent real fast there,lol.
Looks to be at least a cable or parking brake hanging loose after that incident.

 

How likely is this to happen to the F-type when stomping on it? I've been gradually getting more aggressive when the opportunity arises. So far the tail wiggles a bit but never seems unmanageable or out of control. It has bounced a couple times, not hard, but enough to notice. I just keep the nose pointed where I want to go.

I love going to some open roads or empty areas and behaving badly, mostly so I know what it feels like so I'm not taken off guard if it happens unexpectedly.

 

Here's a link to the driver's response, which was quite thoughtful although still mostly self-denial:

Comment permalink

With the V8 models this will almost certainly happen if traction control is off. Even with the control on, professional reviewers have noted that the F-Type breaks loose in the tail, although not nearly as badly as some other RWD cars (e.g. MB SLS or BMW M5).

I just don't understand why anyone would switch DSC off on a regular road. Given the power output of engines these days and the relative lightness of cars, it's insanity to think that your driver reflexes will perform better than electronic traction control. In a BMW the driver will have had to deliberately choose to switch DSC off after he started the engine, and clearly he had no intention of doing donuts or driving the bend.

 

Unfortunately, fools like this are going to get the Cars & Coffee shut down. I ussually go to the Blackhawk C&C, it's only one mile from my house so I know it and the area very well. I've lived in the area for over 30 years.

In early Dec the Blackhawk Museum sent out an email to registered participants asking them to SLOW DOWN, they are attracting the attention of local residences and the police. Here is a portion of that email;

Please don't leave Cars & Coffee in a hurry! Over the past months some car owners have left Blackhawk Plaza displaying an "exhibition of speed", which has been brought to the attention of the local police departments. They support our event BUT will be keeping a watchful eye on cars leaving this month. Before you are tempted to be a '15-second star' on someone's video...be aware of the Vehicle Code Sections 23103 & 23109. Thank You


This guy is extremely lucky, the speed limit there is 45MPH and there is usually heavy traffic both cars and pedestrians. He is lucky he wasn't in a head on collision or take out some kids walking in the area.
The neighbors in this area are VERY sensitive to speeding cars. A few years ago a family walking along the road was hit by a car just 1/8 mile from this spot on the same road and the little girl was killed, that driver is being prosecuted for either manslaughter or murder. I think they are pushing for murder because the driver was impaired and speeding.
I am amazed at how well the police have tolerated what goes on at this C&C. There are people that drive in full blown race cars with open headers and the police let them, but fools like this are going to change that.
Blackhawk is an incredible show they frequently have 600-700 cars of every imaginable type, it will be a shame to have it closed because of people like this.

 

The TC on some of the BMW products is not very refined. On my MINI when the TC turns off the throttle, it's full off and takes almost a second to make fuel available again. It really slows the takeoff, so I leave it off in dry conditions.
This is a 230 horse engine in a 2600 lb car, so its easy to get the wheels loose. But obviously since it's FWD, there's little downside to a bit of wheel spin.
In wet or icy conditions, I will leave the TC on for that added safety margin as I don't have the urge to launch quickly in those conditions.

 

Not nearly as likely as with a turbo car like the M4.
Because of the turbo lag, the power comes on gangbusters at mid-range and if one is not practiced at modulating throttle at the right time, you see what happens.

The supercharger ramps up boost directly proportional to engine rpm, so it is much easier to judge traction and appropriate throttle position.

Despite the unruly behavior of the M4, the driver just exhibited poor recovery skills. Had he hard steered into the slide and modulated back to half throttle, he would have used up an extra 3' of lane space and had an extra dry cleaning bill.

As it is, it'll be a hefty cost to sort out the geometry again (plus the dry cleaning , of course)

I really feel sorry for the guy. Most of my bone-headed moves were undertaken long before Steve Jobs put global video reporting at everybody's fingertips.

 

Good point on the turbos. Most BMW's use twin scroll turbos which are well designed and don't have a lot of turbo lag, but the M4 I think uses twin monoscroll turbo so there is likely a much more pronounced kick in the throttle curve.

It still eludes me why one would drive without dsc...the argument around the fuel cutoff lag makes sense if one thinks only of performance, but set against the fundamental power-steering instability of RWD cars the logic seems akin to removing the crumple zone and headwall materials in the car because they just add unnecessary weight...an ounce of performance at the expense of a pound of safety.

It's a free country so I understand your rationale -- and breakaway control is far easier with FWD cars so that makes it slightly better -- but it still seems crazy to me. IMHO....

 

We've had similar incidents here at the Dallas C&C. Massive enforcement went into effect which resulted in a lot of unhappy folks.
This guy clearly had no clue how to control low HP. Imagine an R(S) car

 

As you infer, it really is an issue of personal priorities. If I had the option of of paying more to delete airbags and crush zones to save weight, I would gladly do so. For me,seat belts are of far greater benefit to keep the driver attached to the car during high g driving than during a crash. If I can get more fun from a car without TC or DSC, they get turned off. Inclement weather..they get turned back on.
It's a personality issue. Different people fit into different Myers-Brigg profile categories. I wouldn't have spent years in amateur (sanctioned) road -racing if I was risk-averse. The important thing for the risk-takers is to ensure that their willingness to accept risk is not imposed on others not willing to accept those risks.