cars like these are specialty tools...unfourtunatly some people think that the performance cars will give them super driving skills, not that you need the skills to drive them to thier envelope. I helped my nephue buy his 1981 928 becase i knew it was a performance car but wasnt a horsepower sled...ie:like most mustangs and the like that his age tries to buy as a first car. An early 928 i think are a great balance of sport and safty for a performance oriantated young driver. But it always ends up with the driver making the right choices ! ANY CAR CAN BE OVERDRIVEN TO A TRAGIC END!!

 

Unfortuneately, the story is true.
Can be found in yesterday's Odessa newspaper, front page.
As it turns out they really couldn't ID the car or Bodies for awhile.
Had dinner at a family gathering this evening , Bro-in-LAW just in from Vegas for a few days.
My other Bro-in-Law said the rumor was the father involved in the wreck had just won the county commissioners seat for district 4, but the name he gave was winner of constable slot -find out more later.
And truly I do feel bad ...kinda like Juju linkage.
The thread was started because I thought Carl B. was verging on being REAL stupid for lending a -let's face it - rare exotic supercar to a unschooled neophyte.
After thinking about it I realized on reduced scale I had done the same thing on more than one occasion. Which spurred about 25/30 similar experiences -most without insurance company involvement-. In less than 5 days events evolved into a real life tragedy made all the more spooky because other than my son, Zack, a co-worker named Luis, Carl, Carl's friend, and myself absolutely no one else in Midland, TX knew about the story. By sheer numbers more Rennlisters -928- know of this story than people living here in Midland. Nasty co-incidence.
I agree across the board that sHARk/any vehicles designed/ built in safety features can be negated by an inexperience driver coupled with Hollywood expectations and can possibly result in a real bad day.

 

I have a completely modded CR500 Honda motocross bike, and I can't give out test rides to 99.8% of other riders, they would crash and tweak the bike and themselves. So I don't.
The lambo story is tragic and is the worst possible outcome of some bad judgement. That's sad.

 

John, this is very sad to hear. Carl may feel bad about it, but the bottom line is, there was only one man driving that car, and short of mechanical failure nobody else is responsible. I just hope Carl doesn't blame himself.

 

When will he be getting a new car?

 

The question is, will he ever feel the same about cars again ? So much for fun.
Track days have a legitimate place and purpose to them, as do shooting ranges. Jim Bailey is right. Once you have driven on a track, driving fast on the street is never the same again. The key here is respect.

 

Hey Jim,
did you ever shoot a .454 Casull Magnum?
regards,
Sab.

 

I couldn't agree more. I have my own range, and I take the responsibility of range master very seriously, for the same reason I mentioned that I don't let people take the 928 GT anymore, since the lung transplant. It is too dangerous for the uninitiated, (and or stupid, reckless, irresponsible).

BTW I shot one of those 500s once about a year ago......brings new meaning to the term "hand cannon".......WOOOOOO!!!! Who ever heard of revolver bullets as big as your finger!

 

Yes I have shot the .454 Casull both the Taurus model as well as the Ruger on several occasions probably a hundred rounds at a rental range it I can comfortably shoot one handed although the trigger guard on the Ruger slaps my finger. The .500 I bought when they first came out and probably have put 200 rounds through it I shoot 15-20 in a session but can not bring myself to try to fire it one handed. The rental range rents one with only 5 bullets and no one ever asks for more bullets ! It is a monster it makes me laugh just thinking about it the Casull has no where near the impact ! Dirty Harry"s .44 Magnum is it's baby brother SW .500 Magnum the largest true production revolver caliber 5 rounds 12,890 ft lbs of energy in your hand ! Off topic but far more fun than an unfortunate accident.

 

Don't try the one handed trick......you won't like the results.......ask me how I know.

Back to regularily scheduled programming..............

 

Perhaps a mere pop gun in comparison, the hand rolled max loads of H110 in my Python .357 ** still mark it as a serious toy - as are powerful cars with quick responses, etc.: I will share serious toys with serious people .... for that is how I learned a few things along the way - from those that chose to mentor me.
The absence of that consideration from both parties opened the tragic pathway in Johns tale ....

** I mentioned the max loads, for the orange fire ball at dusk is truly spectacular .... I can only imagine that the S&W 500 emits white light, a mushroom cloud .. and fallout: the latter usually being the dentures of the unwary ... and the lump in the shorts

 

I can tell you this. what ever you are shooting at with that cannon (S&W Model 500 Magnum)....you are gonna want to hit it with the first round. If you are not wearing hearing protection, and you tried a one handed shot, after the first shot, you are deaf and have a broken wrist. Hell most guys would have a challenge just holding that friggin thing steady in one hand.

 

Did someone say max loads? http://www.biggerhammer.net/videos/birdman_nuke50.wmv

 

That S&W 500 is sweet, so is the Casull .. but how about this one:

 

never kew there was a more powerful handgun then the 454 Casull Magnum. It scared the p**s out of me when I shot it the first time.