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Audi R8 Split in Half by Crash in Northern Italy

Supercar crashes sometimes look crazy to the point where a normal person might think they were deadly. Because there's a giant lump of metal right behind the driver in the form of the engine, the physics are different from a regular car where it's over the front wheels.
Audi R8 Split in Half by Crash in Northern Italy 7 photos
Photo: Freiwillige Feuerwehr Latsch
Audi R8 Split in Half by Crash in Northern ItalyAudi R8 Split in Half by Crash in Northern ItalyAudi R8 Split in Half by Crash in Northern ItalyAudi R8 Split in Half by Crash in Northern ItalyAudi R8 Split in Half by Crash in Northern ItalyAudi R8 Split in Half by Crash in Northern Italy
The mid-engined configuration has many advantages, like balance and pose, but because automakers can't afford to sell deathtraps, they over-engineer the crash protection supercars. Most of not all are designed in such a way that the massive engine separates itself from the rest of the driver, and ones made by the Germans are no exception.

Developed in parallel with the Lamborghini Huracan, the Audi R8 is very much a supercar, even though it has the same badge as your friendy salesman's sedan. The V10 engine is the same too, and it usually spends its time behind the driver, though not on this particular R8.

Unfortunately, we don't have a video of the crash happening to see exactly how he R8 broke in half. But we do know that it happened this weekend. According to a Facebook post by Freiwillige Feuerwehr Latsch (a volunteer firefighter), it happened around 10:25 on the morning of the 27th (Saturday), on a wet road near the border of Italy and Austria.

It sounds like the perfect location for a weekend drive in your 600 horsepower supercar. Unfortunately, there was also a VW Transporter there, which the R8 hit. Now, the front end of the Audi looks completely intact, but the engine and most of the rear frame has been ripped completely off.

The right sub assembly is still attached, but the R8 essentially ripped in two. That, in combination with an active cell and all the airbags deploying, may have saved the driver's life. It took road crews about two hours to re-open the stretch to traffic, partly because of all the liquids that had spilled, but also the rain making the cleanup harder.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
Mihnea Radu profile photo

Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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