Lapping the Nurburgring is fun and playing pinball can bring tons of joy, but when these two activities are mixed, things usually go horribly wrong. Case in point with the Suzuki Swift Sport Ring episode we're here to discuss, which saw the spicy hatch becoming a ball for the Green Hell game.
Alas, we're dealing with one of those cases when a driver who lacks Nordschleife experience dials things up to eleven. The Swift Sport seen here is a rental, but the guy behind the wheel doesn't exactly take things gradually, which is the approach any novice should use when attempting performance driving training.
In theory, a front-wheel-drive subcompact with 136 hp is as safe (read: docile) as race-prepped machines can be. While the factory setup of the Suzuki guarantees that, the specific mods on there rentals, such as the upgraded brakes, dampers and 15-inch lightweight wheels, asure that the car... swiftly responds to any driver input, while also providing plenty of feedback.
Nevertheless, all vehicle assets in the world can't save a driver from himself, as this multiple-impact crash comes to show. From the way in which the car slides off the track, to the late countersteering, there are tons of maneuvers here that pretty much make an accident inevitable.
Sheer luck is the only factor that prevented this hatch from tipping over, but the damage sustained by the car is more than serious. Heck, this has to be one of the most violent Touristenfahrten (Tourist Days) crashes we've seen all year.
However, we can report that the driver and the passenger were okay - you can see the two exiting the vehicle after the Swift finally comes to a halt. This makes for yet another occasion on which the rollcage, as well as the racing seats and harnesses, worked together with the airbags to prevent any serious injury.
With the deductible for renting one of these pocket rockets sitting at EUR5,000 ($5,590 at the current exchange rates), the driver does have other reasons to remember the crash, though.
P.S.: Oh well, at least this wasn't the $50,000 Nurburgring lap...
In theory, a front-wheel-drive subcompact with 136 hp is as safe (read: docile) as race-prepped machines can be. While the factory setup of the Suzuki guarantees that, the specific mods on there rentals, such as the upgraded brakes, dampers and 15-inch lightweight wheels, asure that the car... swiftly responds to any driver input, while also providing plenty of feedback.
Nevertheless, all vehicle assets in the world can't save a driver from himself, as this multiple-impact crash comes to show. From the way in which the car slides off the track, to the late countersteering, there are tons of maneuvers here that pretty much make an accident inevitable.
Sheer luck is the only factor that prevented this hatch from tipping over, but the damage sustained by the car is more than serious. Heck, this has to be one of the most violent Touristenfahrten (Tourist Days) crashes we've seen all year.
However, we can report that the driver and the passenger were okay - you can see the two exiting the vehicle after the Swift finally comes to a halt. This makes for yet another occasion on which the rollcage, as well as the racing seats and harnesses, worked together with the airbags to prevent any serious injury.
With the deductible for renting one of these pocket rockets sitting at EUR5,000 ($5,590 at the current exchange rates), the driver does have other reasons to remember the crash, though.
P.S.: Oh well, at least this wasn't the $50,000 Nurburgring lap...