Bos

Rainy night, hydroplane, hit curb, got knocked out, hit immovable object, airbags, and the rest is history. Enough said about that. Luckily, the Benz is an awesome car and no one was hurt, besides my broken nose, so I'm looking on the bright side. Before you ask, no, I didn't take any pictures. I really don't want to have any other lasting memories than the ones I have already. Believe me, it was a horrible sight. I want to say to everyone please be careful out there. It can all be over in an instant, trust me.

So now what am I going to do? Well, one of my best friends has an M Roadster that he has to get rid of, so at this point it looks like it might be the next car. I'm sure "das" will be pleased with my choice. It's a 99 w/ 24k and I'm getting a great deal, so I don't think I can go wrong. Having driven it for the last couple of days all I can say is wow, what a beast! Nothing like the Coupe, but then again we're talking about two different types of cars.

Lastly, If I get the M I probably won't be hanging out here as much, but I do have some things in the works for you guys. As some of you may recall, I had my shifter replaced with a C7. I still have the original and have been talking to UUC to try and keep that project going. After even more tinkering, taking it apart, etc. it looks even more like they could do something in the way of a kit. I'm going to be sending it off to them for R & D purposes and we'll see what they can do.

As part of this process and my willingness to help UUC, I was promised a free kit. I obviously don't need it now, so I'm thinking Tommy or Rick would be a good candidates. I suggest them because they're close to UUC and at some point someone will need to do some fitment / testing. So you know, the current plan does not involve removing the shifter so it can be installed from the top. I do caution that this is preliminary information, so we'll still have to wait and see.

Thanks for the cool place to hang and I'll be checking in periodically.

young

awww, crap! that really sucks! i don't mean the car as much of course, b/c it's a car and that'll be replaced.

be sure to hang around here anyway! das does...

kineda

Sorry to hear about your loss. Good thing no one was hurt.. that's the important part.

Fuzzo

sorry to hear about the wreck man.. glad you are ok...

the M roadster is definitely a beast..

Mike T.

But you came out well and that's the bottom line. The car did its job protecting you.

Before you get into a roadster-type car as a replacement, ask yourself this: if you had been in the roadster in this accident, would you only have a broken nose? Even the best roadster is nowhere near as strong as a sedan or coupé. Food for thought, maybe.

Lynn

I am pleased to hear that the injuries were minor. I'm sorry about the car. Please stick around.

mbtech208

But he was hurt. He has a broken nose.

Bos

You're right Mike... safety is defiantly one of my concerns. Suffice it to say that I have a whole other level (make that several levels) of appreciation and respect for the M. It's one of the issues I'm grappling with now trying to make this decision. The other part of me has to concede the fact that I'm a good driver and this is the first wreck I've had in 21 years, so it's kind of a "get back on the horse thing" and don't get hung up about it for me.

As for safety comparisons between a roadster and a sedan or coupe? They don't really compare structurally so of course they'll react differently in a crash. I think the BMW is a structurally sound and safe car, and short of flipping it, would do as good as the MB in a crash. I also know this subject has been discussed a great length before and I really do not want to get another debate started, so thanks for your concern. I promise your thoughts are already ones of mine.

toki999

good thing u are safe and sound =)


m roadster sounds nice

keep driving~

hokusbenz

keep driving and good luck- good to hear the benz protected you when u needed it most- now if u see them on the road you can blow them away with your M.

tommy

Damn, Bos, that really sucks. I'd go for the M; with the law of averages, you should be accident-free for several years. :p


OK, now back to me! If and when UUC's ready to do something, I'm still willing to have them use my car. Glad to hear that the project's still in the works.

Good luck on the new purchase, whatever it may be.

KJ-TypeR

If you lost control of the C-Coupe in the rain, you might want to reconsider getting the M Roadster.

The M Roadster is A LOT LESS forgiving than the C-Coupe, especially in the rain.

MB-BOB

The M certainly won't protect you as well as the Coupe, either! (Several fewer airbags, A-Pillars look less sturdy in the M, etc.)

KJ-TypeR

So while you did survive this "accident" in your C-Coupe, you would probably come out a little more injured if the same thing happened in an M-Roadster.

Drive SLOWER in the rain man. Seems like you were going a little too fast or driving a little too reckless in the C-Coupe. With less electronic saftey measures, A LOT more power, and WIDER tires, driving like that will kill you in the M-Roadster.

Bos

Thanks for your concern, and trust me, as I said above, I'm well aware of the repercussions of the power behind the M. As for electronic safety features, I'm not sure how you're coming to your conclusion that the M has less than the Coupe? They both have traction and stability systems for safety. In addition, having driven both now, I think the mechanical LSD rear of the M is far more tame than the electronic version in the Coupe. It was very easy to have the back slip out in the Coupe, the electronics kick in, sometimes quite intrusively, and play havoc with your ability to get out of the way if needed or correct appropriately. I will not go into these differences any further as it's been discussed ad nauseam already.

As for tires, yes they do play a large part in the reaction to puddles and hydroplaning. So you know, the tires I was running on the Coupe are actually wider in the rear and the same in the front as what's on the M. Not that any of this really matters in the context of this discussion, but I felt compelled to point it out for various reasons. Mostly for what I said in my first post. "Be careful out there".

Actually, I could have said all of the above by simply stating "I don't care who you are, or what you drive, crap happens, so be safe".

vadim

Sorry about your loss, Bos. Glad you're ok. Good luck with your new ride, whatever it will be!

Duffer

I am glad you are OK for the most part. Must have been devastating.

Hmm, but totaled means you have a good excuse for a new 2003 C230K!

Also, next time, get some better rubber for the rain. whichever car you purchase try some S-03 Pole Positions - they are awesome in the wet .... and dry.

Bos

Thanks for your concern. By the way, I was running S0-3's... 225/40-18 front & 255/35-18 rear, and you're right, great rain tire, just not so well considering the circumstances. As for the 2003, I really don't want a 1.8 and the M is now or never.

Duffer

All the reviews I've read place it at the top for rain in terms of performance tires, so I guess that tires can't solve every problem.

Wouldn't worry about the 1.8. It will probably have a new generation supercharger and tunable. I run a 1.8 in my TT and am getting 260 hp with a chip and exhaust. But it's a turbo and easier to boost.

Have fun!

Rick

BOS,

Sorry about your car, man....hope you and yours are all ok. Aside from the broken nose, it sounds like you're doing well considering the circumstances. Insurance should take care of the replacement cost of the car, and I understand why you'd want to 'move on' ...but to an M?(ok, I'm biased)

After 3 broken nose incidents (Hockey 2, Dr. 1) I can tell you...you'll have an easier time with the ladies...most seem to love that rugged look...lol

Keep the chin up, kiddo (so you dont dribble your beer)...and keep me posted about UUC

Bos

Thanks man... I'll keep both you and Rick posted on the UUC stuff. Actually, once things get a little more solidified with them, I'll probably just hand it off to one of you to carry on.

Take care...