You'd think this should be common sense, but the plethora of videos on the Internet show it's not: drivers should be very wary of what they do when they leave car meets.
For reasons we'll be getting into in a moment, that seems to be the most likely moment for things to go awry. You know it, we know it, these drivers probably know it as well, yet things like this happen way more often than they should. Sure, it's one more article for us, but it's also one less perfectly cool BMW F80 M3 in the world, not to mention a huge waste of money.
So, why do people tend to mess things up as they leave? Well, not that we're blaming them, but it's most likely the people on the side of the road holding the cameras and urging the drivers to do something spectacular so their videos would be less boring. Peer pressure, you might call it.
We can't know for sure what caused it in this particular instance. With a Nissan GT-R and a McLaren 570S ahead of them, the BMW M3 driver might have felt they had to do something a little bit more special to stand out. The very fact the camera misses the first moments of the incident as it's busy tracking the Macca might be interpreted as a sign the driver would be entitled to feel that way.
What we can see is that the cars are making a right-hand turn onto the street where all the spectators are, which offers just enough to come up with a possible explanation. Our guess is that the driver stepped on the gas pedal too hard and way too early, probably before completing the turn. The BMW started drifting toward the right, so he counter-steered. He over-corrected, though, sending the M3 into the uncontrolled drift caught on the camera.
There is no clear information on the damage extent of the BMW, but given what we can see, it's safe to assume it's either completely totaled, or at least a very expensive repair. The entire suspension elements on the right side are compromised, and we wouldn't be surprised if there was some damage done to the vehicle's frame. Luckily, nobody was hurt.
Speaking of that, here's another reason why these car show incidents are so dangerous, and "giving it the beans" should be nowhere near these people's minds: they happen on open public roads. As the GT-R passes, we can see an Infiniti going the other way. If the Japanese sedan were a few moments late - enough to get into the BMW's way - we would be having a very different conversation.
"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie) Full profile
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