2 dead in GT3 RS in germany
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The car has winter tires, as it legally must in Germany during the winter season. These tires are not designed for speeds exceeding certain limits. Used to be about 125 mph some years ago when I drove there. May be higher by now, but wouldn't be as high as the speeds a GT3 RS can reach. Perhaps the driver exceeded the limit of the tires and had a sudden tire failure.
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I really doubt that the cause was due to a winter tire. A RS car is at the minimum a 3rd car option, so what is the point of using winter tires in it. Besides that the tires in the pics seems to be PS2.
That is why the RS's and even the GT's must be only hard driven on tracks. Too stiff suspension makes it easy to lose the control of the car during high speed driving on public roads, because it bounces alot. Check this video with a GT3 in Autobahn: it was pure luck not to end in another story like the green GT3 RS, specially at 0:58
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2RCEqfbj64
That is why the RS's and even the GT's must be only hard driven on tracks. Too stiff suspension makes it easy to lose the control of the car during high speed driving on public roads, because it bounces alot. Check this video with a GT3 in Autobahn: it was pure luck not to end in another story like the green GT3 RS, specially at 0:58
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2RCEqfbj64
Last edited by Tiago; Apr 2, 2010 at 04:43 AM.
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I wonder if the PASM was switched on. It makes a significant difference in terms of the handling especially at higher speeds but it doesn't suffer jarring roads well if its switched on. I tend to leave sport on but PASM off for normal highway action in my GT3
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Those are not snow tires on that car. Not for certain, but they look to me like the N spec Pilot Sport Cups that come stock on an RS. Or PS2. They are rated to 186 mph.
I wonder what the temp. was, and if it was cold enough out that the tires were not at temp. yet when a hard acceleration was attempted.
Who knows...so sad.
It amazes me what a tree can take and not break.
I wonder what the temp. was, and if it was cold enough out that the tires were not at temp. yet when a hard acceleration was attempted.
Who knows...so sad.
It amazes me what a tree can take and not break.
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Last edited by damon@tirerack; Apr 2, 2010 at 01:14 PM.
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The tires are not Pilot Sport Cups; i looked at the tires on one of my cars: the cups don't have any tread cut into the outside shoulder. The shoulder is completely smooth.
As for PS2s, I looked at the ones on another of my cars. Judging by the shoulder tread pattern, they could be PS2s. However, what my tires don't have is that thick curb-rubbing rib that the tire shows in one of the GT3 RS photos. I can't make out enough of the tread in the photo to be sure if it's a PS2. It could be one of the new Michelin high-performance all-weather (A/S) tires.
It's risky in Germany to drive on summer tires during the winter months (roughly December through March) because, while it's not illegal per se, if you get caught driving with them on snow, you can get a ticket. The law says something to the effect that the driver is supposed to carry the correct tires with him during the winter months in case he encounters snow! The most practical way to live with this law is to run winter tires. It's definitely illegal in Austria and some other European countries to drive on summer tires during the winter.
As for a bumpy road surface upsetting the car, not too likely. I think i know this stretch of autobahn and have driven on it. It's a smooth part of many miles of smooth road. The unlimited stretches of autobahn (unfortunately an ever shrinking percentage) tend to be super smooth. As soon as the road gets a bit bumpy, as may happen when hitting an older stretch of road, a limit of 100 or 120 kph is imposed.
As for PS2s, I looked at the ones on another of my cars. Judging by the shoulder tread pattern, they could be PS2s. However, what my tires don't have is that thick curb-rubbing rib that the tire shows in one of the GT3 RS photos. I can't make out enough of the tread in the photo to be sure if it's a PS2. It could be one of the new Michelin high-performance all-weather (A/S) tires.
It's risky in Germany to drive on summer tires during the winter months (roughly December through March) because, while it's not illegal per se, if you get caught driving with them on snow, you can get a ticket. The law says something to the effect that the driver is supposed to carry the correct tires with him during the winter months in case he encounters snow! The most practical way to live with this law is to run winter tires. It's definitely illegal in Austria and some other European countries to drive on summer tires during the winter.
As for a bumpy road surface upsetting the car, not too likely. I think i know this stretch of autobahn and have driven on it. It's a smooth part of many miles of smooth road. The unlimited stretches of autobahn (unfortunately an ever shrinking percentage) tend to be super smooth. As soon as the road gets a bit bumpy, as may happen when hitting an older stretch of road, a limit of 100 or 120 kph is imposed.
