A car meet has claimed yet another victim. This time, the crash was not caused by faulty traction control but by one-upmanship and a poorly executed maneuver.
Watch as this driver of a BMW M3 F80 overshoots the turn-in point and slams into the curb so hard that both driver’s-side wheels lift off the ground. Spotted by Jalopnik alum Aaron Foley on Twitter:
This crash is the perfect example of what happens when keeping it wheel goes wrong. And it attracts the wrong kind of attention to what was otherwise a great charity event for the community. The car meet and subsequent drive was part of a joint Obsessed, Eurounion Toy Drive in San Jose, as told by our source and cited here from TMR.
The onlookers in the video gathered to watch the procession of cars on a pleasant Sunday afternoon, but this M3 driver was not content with just being part of a cool car convoy. The driver wanted to show off while making an exit.
Oh, here comes an R35 GT-R in a wonderful shade of blue with some black bodywork and red taillights that liven its color palette. Primary colors suit Nissans. Here comes a McLaren 570S with a wing and red accents. Supercars, amirite? And here’s a BMW M3. Boy, I sure love an M-car!
Wait, is the BMW turning? Why? Oh—
Twitter user Snailz (IG: 2snailz) was there and shot the video you see in the post. Snailz offered the following account of the events as they transpired:
He just go on it hard[,] started going towards the crowd[,] overcorrected it and hit the brakes like a rookie[. If] he would have gotten on the gas he could have saved it.
As anyone can see, the BMW banks left, goes wide and then slams into the innocuous curb. The entire accident is over faster than I can burn my tongue on the dreadful coffee at one of these meets. If anything, the driver was lucky to miss the lamppost. It’s possible that the jolt could have been enough to knock that lamp over, maybe even on top of the BMW.
The hit triggered the M3’s side-curtain airbags, dented the rear wheel and pried off the side skirt. The front wheel sustained damage, too. The suspension will need a few replacement parts. The passenger’s side wheels are positively cambered, and the front bumper looks a little scuffed. Some folks commenting on Instagram were calling it a total loss, but if the organizers hit their donation goals as hard as that M3 hit the curb, then it’s not all bad.
A toy drive is a noble thing to sponsor. Good on the crew. This year has been rough for everyone, and helping kids get gifts this holiday season is great. We commend those who donated and/or participated, but car meets are not an excuse to drive like a moron. That’s just in general, but specifically, BMW drivers: Let’s start using turn signals and let’s stop smacking those poor curbs.