Gumball3000 997 Turbo crash - story from the owner of the car
05-27-2013, 10:30 AM
#1
Cruisin'
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Gumball3000 997 Turbo crash - story from the owner of the car
HI folks, good to finally register here, a bit too late maybe..Well, anyway, I'm here to tell a story and to WARN EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU of Porsche's perhaps worst gadgetry ever. It will try to kill you.
So, I'm sure many of you have heard about Gumball3000 pseudo rally across several countries with parties in every one of them? I took part in this event of my 2010 Edo Competition 997 Turbo in a gorgeous Techart bodykit. I loved this car more than any other thing on Earth. We have had a beautiful history together.
Finally, to the point. Last day of the rally, we're driving on the motorway in Austrian mountains, some 1km left to the boarder with Italy. It rained heavy, pretty much as every other day on the race. Speed - 120km/h. Outside temp +4 (!!!!!). A bit of history - I crashed previous Porsche in EXACTLY the same scenario, thus I was ready for the "thrill".
We hit a long puddle of water, car drifts to the left - immediate correction from my side. car slides the right - immediate correction again. And this is where it started - I had the car on the straight with a tiny bit of wheel spin when the GODDAMN, ****ING PSM kicks, and basicly cut me out of the show, doing its stupid computer thing - car not responding to anything I do to save us, distabilizes completely and goes into a heavy 4-wheel sideways drift, which I only managed to steer so that I hit the barrier first and not my wife who was a passenger. We smash into the barrier with my (left) side first breaking the rear axle, then the front wheel bit and was ripped of in a split second - I saw it flying to the other side of the motorway. All airbags deployed. I dodge the bullet twice that day - suspension component designed by RSS had pierced the floor, footrest and slammed into my foot. Didn't break it thank God.
Car is a total reck, proven safety - no questions here. BUT. The PSM. I called my friend, a huge car enthusiast and an ex-racer to ask what have I done wrong. Answer was - "You intervened to correct the car. You should have not done anything at all and let the PSM do its job." Right. Ok. So Porsche seems to assume that all of their finest cars are driven by geezers with enough reaction not to miss mouth with a spoon???!! Or maybe the PSM is simply ****, cos it took it 3 seconds to start doing anything - WTF is that?
Anyway, car will be taken to Germany for an inspection and maybe, just maybe it will live again.
Many thanks,
Be Safe.
**** THE PSM!!!.
TomKim
So, I'm sure many of you have heard about Gumball3000 pseudo rally across several countries with parties in every one of them? I took part in this event of my 2010 Edo Competition 997 Turbo in a gorgeous Techart bodykit. I loved this car more than any other thing on Earth. We have had a beautiful history together.
Finally, to the point. Last day of the rally, we're driving on the motorway in Austrian mountains, some 1km left to the boarder with Italy. It rained heavy, pretty much as every other day on the race. Speed - 120km/h. Outside temp +4 (!!!!!). A bit of history - I crashed previous Porsche in EXACTLY the same scenario, thus I was ready for the "thrill".
We hit a long puddle of water, car drifts to the left - immediate correction from my side. car slides the right - immediate correction again. And this is where it started - I had the car on the straight with a tiny bit of wheel spin when the GODDAMN, ****ING PSM kicks, and basicly cut me out of the show, doing its stupid computer thing - car not responding to anything I do to save us, distabilizes completely and goes into a heavy 4-wheel sideways drift, which I only managed to steer so that I hit the barrier first and not my wife who was a passenger. We smash into the barrier with my (left) side first breaking the rear axle, then the front wheel bit and was ripped of in a split second - I saw it flying to the other side of the motorway. All airbags deployed. I dodge the bullet twice that day - suspension component designed by RSS had pierced the floor, footrest and slammed into my foot. Didn't break it thank God.
Car is a total reck, proven safety - no questions here. BUT. The PSM. I called my friend, a huge car enthusiast and an ex-racer to ask what have I done wrong. Answer was - "You intervened to correct the car. You should have not done anything at all and let the PSM do its job." Right. Ok. So Porsche seems to assume that all of their finest cars are driven by geezers with enough reaction not to miss mouth with a spoon???!! Or maybe the PSM is simply ****, cos it took it 3 seconds to start doing anything - WTF is that?
Anyway, car will be taken to Germany for an inspection and maybe, just maybe it will live again.
Many thanks,
Be Safe.
**** THE PSM!!!.
TomKim
05-27-2013, 01:17 PM
#4
Race Director
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: KC ex pat marooned in NY
Posts: 13,005
Likes: 0
Received 14 Likes
on
14 Posts
Glad you're ok, pasm is a really good system, saved my butt a few times on the track much faster than you were going, but it can't defy the laws of physics. Unfortunately, your crash was probably multifactorial (cold tires, too much speed, driver error, etc). Good luck, hope you get it rebuilt.
C
C
Trending Topics
05-27-2013, 11:29 PM
#8
Rennlist Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Somewhere in a galaxy far, far away....
Posts: 17,106
Likes: 0
Received 256 Likes
on
172 Posts
those tires in the wet at those speeds..... standing water will cause them to float every time. faster you go, the more they float to the surface. Just looks at the tread of the rears.
MPSS would have been a better tire in a maxium 305 size. Either under inflated or over inflated.
Porsches with wide tires can fall to this fate. Especially with low tread.
not an uncommon occurance in a BSD (Bling Speed Distance) rally......
MPSS would have been a better tire in a maxium 305 size. Either under inflated or over inflated.
Porsches with wide tires can fall to this fate. Especially with low tread.
not an uncommon occurance in a BSD (Bling Speed Distance) rally......
05-28-2013, 02:44 AM
#11
Glad your ok- **** happens. When did 120 km/h become high speeds?
I disabled my PC button a long time ago.
I wouldn't blame the PSM & neither would any instructor from Porsche. But I'm not hear to judge and talk crap ---bad voodoo IMO..
In racing you just push it off to the side and bring out #2.. not that big of deal, but I thought this was a rally?
Insurance didn't right it off?
I disabled my PC button a long time ago.
I wouldn't blame the PSM & neither would any instructor from Porsche. But I'm not hear to judge and talk crap ---bad voodoo IMO..
In racing you just push it off to the side and bring out #2.. not that big of deal, but I thought this was a rally?
Insurance didn't right it off?
05-28-2013, 01:25 PM
#12
Looking at it some more- It looks pretty bad. IDK man- I'd want to walk away with an insurance check on this one.
Never tell anyone that they should do this or that...but since you've done this before...suggestion: https://www.porschedriving.com
Never tell anyone that they should do this or that...but since you've done this before...suggestion: https://www.porschedriving.com
05-28-2013, 02:31 PM
#13
Three Wheelin'
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: North Carolina, '12 cls63 '14 S550V4, 07TT-gone, 07Targa4S-gone
Posts: 1,404
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
bloody hell that first shot is gnarly! seems you're lucky to have made it away.......
wonder where the wheel ended up
wonder where the wheel ended up
05-29-2013, 04:59 AM
#15
If you read German Porsche forums you will come across a number of crashes similar to yours - rain and 120kmh. Crashes even when driving straight on the highway.
911 is dangerous in rain and if you think AWD will save you - think again. Either keep your ego in check or, at least, have absolutely new tires, NOT semislicks.
Important thing - everyone is fine.
911 is dangerous in rain and if you think AWD will save you - think again. Either keep your ego in check or, at least, have absolutely new tires, NOT semislicks.
Important thing - everyone is fine.