So I get the coveted keys to the R8 for the weekend, doesn't get much better right? Well, yes and no. Saturday morning started out well enough. Clear skies, minimal traffic and a quick run to Angeles Crest Highway. I know it well, so the R8 was a good companion on its ridiculously pristine stretches of twisty asphalt.
Well, I should say, mostly pristine. About 30 miles in I came around a medium speed right hander only to find a random collection of granite sprayed across the pavement. My initial thought was to straddle the big rock on the right to avoid the several smaller stones on the left, but at the last second I figured tire damage was better than body damage.
And tire damage is what I got. The sizable boulder on the right took a chunk out of the sidewall and the air came pouring out in one big blast of "you're screwed dude". I pulled into a turnout to plot my next move. I didn't expect a spare, so I wasn't surprised to see a useless tire inflator kit. There was no cell phone service that far into the mountains, so I made the four mile walk to the nearest call box.
A couple hours later, the R8 was deposited into the parking lot of our local tire dealer. No shops in L.A. had one of the R8's front tires in stock so it would have to wait until later in the week to get fixed. Such is life with a brand new supercar. We'll let you know what it costs us when it returns.
Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor @ 9,974 miles
anilpunjabi says:
07:34 PM, 06/24/08
sux dude - are run flats an embarassment to supercars???
SubyTrojan says:
07:34 PM, 06/24/08
Bummer, Ed. :( At least you're okay.
firstwagon says:
07:37 PM, 06/24/08
Good thing you weren't doing 120 mph.
billt9 says:
08:22 PM, 06/24/08
It almost looks like the sidewall says "useless".
opfreak says:
08:40 PM, 06/24/08
first, if igilo was driving he'd do 140, and make the car float over the rocks, with his perfect skill
dragonflight says:
09:22 PM, 06/24/08
glad to hear it ended safely.
on a sidenote, hahahaha the R8 has more miles than the Focus already! Wonder which car wins in the 'fun to drive' category ;)
bimmerjay says:
10:36 PM, 06/24/08
"on a sidenote, hahahaha the R8 has more miles than the Focus already! Wonder which car wins in the 'fun to drive' category ;)"
They got the R8 with over 7k on the clock already though.
This makes for a good argument for RFTs. Assuming that the tire was still driveable. And assuming that everything else about RFTs didn't suck.
dougtheeng says:
05:28 AM, 06/25/08
is that the actual rock that did the damage?
ahightower says:
05:32 AM, 06/25/08
Bummer. Be glad that there wasn't more wheel damage.
crowb says:
07:01 AM, 06/25/08
Ed,
How much hell did you catch from the other editors for knocking the R8 out of commission even for a limited time?
"You see, Ed, this is why we can't have nice things!"
As punishment you will assigned the Smart for the next week.
bimmerjay says:
07:29 AM, 06/25/08
^^ Or worse, the Caravan.
lol
ewilfong says:
08:10 AM, 06/25/08
Good one, crowb. What's worse is they have the R8 for only three months!
johnmarco says:
08:16 AM, 06/25/08
I drove this highway this winter en route to a tiny ski mountain. I spent the entire time slaloming through rock piles.
crowb says:
08:42 AM, 06/25/08
bimmerjay,
They should do a "What's Worse" comparison test. I'd like to know what the absolute worst car in the long term fleet is right now. They could come up with new criteria for what makes a car bad and see how they stack up. I'm thinking the Caravan will have to be near the top of that list...er bottom...whatever.
kurtamaxxxguy says:
09:02 AM, 06/25/08
Ah yes, a rock that a lot of vehicles would ignore knocks out the R8's low profile tires. What would a couple of potholes (the kind the Subaru Outback and Forester eat for lunch) do to this car?
And only a "useless" tire inflator in the R8? Sounds like run-flats are needed as option or standard.
And are my eyes deceiving me but is the wheel rim bent as well? Are those forged wheels? For the R8's asking price, they should be.
huyracing says:
09:30 AM, 06/25/08
Go play in gravel for a while and you will never fear a few small rocks again.
felonious says:
09:41 AM, 06/25/08
At least you can feel comfortable with your decision to sacrifice the tire to save the bodywork!
estreka says:
11:11 AM, 06/25/08
I'd take a 4-mile hike over RFTs any day.
trackwrex says:
11:56 AM, 06/25/08
Sorry to hear about that Ed. At least you're okay. They really need to put cell towers somewhere around that area...
m_thrizzle says:
01:57 PM, 06/25/08
Given the rarity of a blowout, I don't think runflats are worth the performance hit and extra price. Plus most higher end cars come with Roadside assistance so if you do get a blowout, the tow should be free. If you often drive in barren areas, runflats can be handy though.
tryan says:
03:34 AM, 06/26/08
I think you made the right decision given the options. Body damage would have been pretty expensive on the R8.
However, looking at the close-up of the rim above, I would ensure that it didn't get hurt itself. It might just be the picture, but it looks a bit out of round.
kurtamaxxxguy says:
07:24 AM, 06/27/08
One trick that helps w/ sidewall damage is using Krazy glue or similar adhesive (those are ferocious wrt binding rubber, or human skin, together).
While not recomended for drives that are long or in the wet, that glue may let you fix a puncture well enough to limp to the nearest repair shop.
textitan01 says:
01:12 PM, 06/29/08
Well thats a bummer, so soon to join the ranks of the long-term fleet & the R8 is taken out of service...