Attempts to create a Corvette even crazier than the standard version ended badly this week.
Stickers, Ts, Hoodies...
Not content with sharing the Z06’s standard 505hp between two wheels, this modified car added an undisclosed amount of power, then ejected (what appears to be) the rear left wheel and significant pieces of the rear axle.
Just watch the video below:
Maybe this Queen anthem was playing on the stereo, maybe not.
But technical failures are a common occurrence at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Why else would all the manufacturers invest so much in testing here?
In my years here I’ve personally suffered from independence-seeking wheels due to the following reasons:
- Catastrophic wheel failure, all spokes broken, rim and tyre rolling to freedom.
- Torque-ing the wheel nuts against fresh (2 day old) paint, only for the paint to compress and the nuts to come loose after only one lap.
- Hub failure,
- Rear subframe failure.
- Puncture, mid-corner, twice. Once in the foxhole. That was bad.
Luckily for me, only two of these failures actually resulted in a crash. And only one of those was ‘bad’. If you drive enough laps, in enough cars, technical failures are IMPOSSIBLE to avoid.
So what I’m saying is: if you hear a rumble, <thunk> or bang that wasn’t there before: It won’t fix itself before the next lap!
The failed Corvette-Trike above might have not exhibited any vibrations or rumbles at all before it ‘let go’. But I’d be surprised if it didn’t.
Now, drive safe!
