Fatal MX5 crash in Sevenoaks
Discussion
Nobody here I hope 
Thoughts go out to family and friends.
http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/Man-dies-Sevenoaks-cra...
Thoughts go out to family and friends.
http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/Man-dies-Sevenoaks-cra...
k me that's taken a beating!That must have been one HELL of an impact.
Back in February a Lotus Elise hit our MX-5 track car hard enough to completely demolish itself, but the MX-5 was running again within weeks after needing no more than a new door and front wing. Point of impact was the A-pillar which is probably the strongest part of the car. (I'll post a photo of our damage sometime - unfortunately no-one photographed the Lotus as far as we know.)
Bit difficult to estimate the point of impact in this instance due to the camera angle.
Thoughts are with the friends and relations of the victim. Hope it's no-one we know.
Back in February a Lotus Elise hit our MX-5 track car hard enough to completely demolish itself, but the MX-5 was running again within weeks after needing no more than a new door and front wing. Point of impact was the A-pillar which is probably the strongest part of the car. (I'll post a photo of our damage sometime - unfortunately no-one photographed the Lotus as far as we know.)
Bit difficult to estimate the point of impact in this instance due to the camera angle.
Thoughts are with the friends and relations of the victim. Hope it's no-one we know.
L-reg so 1993. I think that means it's pre-face-lift so doesn't have the side-impact protection beams in the doors that were added midway through the lift of the Mk1. Judging by the look of the car and the fact that nobody was seriously hurt in the Vectra suggests it was T-boned with the Vectra going straight into the side of the MX-5 and with an MX5 with no side impact protection being hit by a heavy front-engine car the Vectra probably went a fair way into the MX5 cabin. I think the MX5 door has been removed to get the driver out by the time that picture was taken and the windscreen surround has probably been pulled up to give better access. Also looks like it had a hard-top on.
Also looks like the roof was cut off of the Vectra (it's in the foreground) to get the driver/passenger out so it must have been a serious impact.
Also looks like the roof was cut off of the Vectra (it's in the foreground) to get the driver/passenger out so it must have been a serious impact.
Evangelion said:
That must have been one HELL of an impact.
Back in February a Lotus Elise hit our MX-5 track car hard enough to completely demolish itself, but the MX-5 was running again within weeks after needing no more than a new door and front wing. Point of impact was the A-pillar which is probably the strongest part of the car. (I'll post a photo of our damage sometime - unfortunately no-one photographed the Lotus as far as we know.)
Bit difficult to estimate the point of impact in this instance due to the camera angle.
Thoughts are with the friends and relations of the victim. Hope it's no-one we know.
How did the Elise fare? I always thought the Elise was far more solid than the MX5, I felt safer in the Elise anyway, I feel too open in the MX like if I had an accident and it flipped I'd be in big troubleBack in February a Lotus Elise hit our MX-5 track car hard enough to completely demolish itself, but the MX-5 was running again within weeks after needing no more than a new door and front wing. Point of impact was the A-pillar which is probably the strongest part of the car. (I'll post a photo of our damage sometime - unfortunately no-one photographed the Lotus as far as we know.)
Bit difficult to estimate the point of impact in this instance due to the camera angle.
Thoughts are with the friends and relations of the victim. Hope it's no-one we know.
To add the MX is a Eunos K plate; so as above guess it doesn't have the side impacts in it
Edited by missdiane on Wednesday 25th July 13:22
MX-5 Lazza said:
L-reg so 1993. I think that means it's pre-face-lift so doesn't have the side-impact protection beams in the doors that were added midway through the lift of the Mk1. Judging by the look of the car and the fact that nobody was seriously hurt in the Vectra suggests it was T-boned with the Vectra going straight into the side of the MX-5 and with an MX5 with no side impact protection being hit by a heavy front-engine car the Vectra probably went a fair way into the MX5 cabin. I think the MX5 door has been removed to get the driver out by the time that picture was taken and the windscreen surround has probably been pulled up to give better access. Also looks like it had a hard-top on.
Also looks like the roof was cut off of the Vectra (it's in the foreground) to get the driver/passenger out so it must have been a serious impact.
My old Roadster was a 94L and had the side impact bars in the door (technically not a facelift as they didn't do anything to the face IIRC Also looks like the roof was cut off of the Vectra (it's in the foreground) to get the driver/passenger out so it must have been a serious impact.
)Dan_1981 said:
The Nutz thread is suggesting (from a local guy) that it was a head on collision with the 5 going over the rounddabout first.
I know that spot very well, and I can't agree.
How would you fit a car through those signs, and as far as I know, the signs are intact. There were no obvious skid marks.
I really have no idea how it happened. I was expecting to see passanger side damage as both cars ended up very near where the Google car would have been.
Very sad. RIP.
NiceCupOfTea said:
My old Roadster was a 94L and had the side impact bars in the door (technically not a facelift as they didn't do anything to the face IIRC )
I believe the facelift was on the 94 model year. Things like the side-impact protection beams along with the rear tower brace (behind the seats) and a couple of under-body chassis braces as well as changes to the door cards, and I think also to the seats and centre console. There might have been a few other little things like seat belts, steering wheels, instrument binnacle, interior light, that sort of thing. Nothing major that can be seen from outside.)missdiane said:
How did the Elise fare? I always thought the Elise was far more solid than the MX5, I felt safer in the Elise anyway, I feel too open in the MX like if I had an accident and it flipped I'd be in big trouble
To add the MX is a Eunos K plate; so as above guess it doesn't have the side impacts in it
Right front wheel agbsolutely shattered, suspension all bent to hell, loads of fibreglass splinters all over the track (this was at Castle Combe). Had to go back to the paddock on a low loader, and another was called to take it home. Ours, few minutes with a crowbar to get the front wing off the wheel, and although our trackday was over, we drove it home afterwards. (Only about 20 miles admittedly.)To add the MX is a Eunos K plate; so as above guess it doesn't have the side impacts in it
Horrendous picture in the article, RIP to the driver and condolences to family.
What the roundabout pic doesn't show is that it's at the end of a long, relatively straight piece of dual-carriageway that can be very high speed. If one wanted to, it would be quite easy to enter that roundabout at considerable speed. The kind of speed that might cause that sort of impact. I'm speculating of course, but I can't imagine a side-impact from a car pulling out of Saino's car park could do that sort of damage to a car crossing the roundabout.
Re: the Lotus vs. MX5 incident above. Depending on how the Elise hit the MX5 would've determined the outcome. Elise's are pretty safe cars from most impacts (bar large 4x4's going over the top). If it hit at an angle then the clam would've been first to take the hit, then it's perfectly possible to rip out the suspension at speed and do a wheel. The problem with them is that, unlike a metal MX5, if the bodywork can't be patched up with duct-tape on the day, you're a bit stuffed with a 1-piece clam.
What the roundabout pic doesn't show is that it's at the end of a long, relatively straight piece of dual-carriageway that can be very high speed. If one wanted to, it would be quite easy to enter that roundabout at considerable speed. The kind of speed that might cause that sort of impact. I'm speculating of course, but I can't imagine a side-impact from a car pulling out of Saino's car park could do that sort of damage to a car crossing the roundabout.
Re: the Lotus vs. MX5 incident above. Depending on how the Elise hit the MX5 would've determined the outcome. Elise's are pretty safe cars from most impacts (bar large 4x4's going over the top). If it hit at an angle then the clam would've been first to take the hit, then it's perfectly possible to rip out the suspension at speed and do a wheel. The problem with them is that, unlike a metal MX5, if the bodywork can't be patched up with duct-tape on the day, you're a bit stuffed with a 1-piece clam.
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