OP, you were doing 70-80 MPH in a heavy downpour- I’m not trying to pick on you, but when it stated to really pour, that would have been a really good time to slow down.

Now that said, if your calculations on distance are correct, then you hydroplaned for somewhere between 11 and 20 seconds (I don’t know your average speed and/or how much you slowed down) - that’s simply impressive. I didn’t calculate how many times I can swear in that period of time, but I bet you might have set a record.

And while most signs point to excessive speed for conditions, there is still a chance something mechanical occurred. A picture of your tires might help too.

And my best lessons in life cost me the most money - and remember, it could have been much worse.

Kuddos to you for having the guts to post this.

 

You are absolutely right. Its a huge lesson for me which could have ended way worse. Still have flashbacks of cars speeding towards me.

 

I commend the OP for posting this thread actually. We all act like we are the A typical driver in never speeding but I'm certain WE ALL do it and we all think we can recover when faced with a sudden loss of traction...

Regardless, I watched a buddy doing the speed limit and maybe 5 over do a very similar hydroplane in his new Z06 when we were faced with a sudden downpour (it had been just normal rain up until that point). All you need is some unbalanced section of roadway where water can pool and all of a sudden you are along for the ride.

**** happens, cars can be replaced and so long as its a learning lesson lets all move on.

 

I didn’t want to tell you this, but those flashbacks never go away completely. The frequency goes down, but they still occur. Don’t ask me how I know

 

Scary experience for sure; when you get into that type of situation you’re just a passenger, there’s precious little you can do until the car gets back in contact with the road. Glad you’re OK, could have been much worse.

 

Ditto doug999! In the mid 70s, 911T, lost it just outside Smokey Mtn Nat’l Park. Was sliding into a dump truck, but got it pointed into a rear wheel at the last second. Literally bounced off wasting the front left fender. To this day, I occasionally have a dream reliving those few seconds.
Until that day, I thought I was Sterling Moss, the best rain F1 driver ever. Hard lessons to learn.

 

OP, you’re lucky that the officer on the scene didn’t cite/arrest you for reckless driving. This diagram doesn’t fit your claim of going 70-80MPH — you would have lost a lot more energy by the time you hit the barrier. Given the damage to the car and your diagram, it all points to you driving at “you are going to jail” speed when you hydroplaned.

Note: I’m not trying to throw shade here. You are lucky on multiple counts.

 

Glad to hear you are okay...hydroplanning is bad...at night even worse!
Yes I have done that at the BMW M school and also Porsche Driving School as well as a few others. Critical skills learned in a controlled environment...exactly what can possibly help in situations like this.
Nope may delay it...but once you loose contact with the road surface due to water...AWD reacts like others...
Worn tires can worse things and increase change of hydroplaning for sure. Looks like you checked that but when buying used vehicles I often insist on new tires or do em my self soon after..as the service you often do yourself is that which you can be sure of when buying a new car! Bad situation to be in sounds like tho once it was gone...you were along for the ride.
Wet mode modulates power and thus hopes to maintain traction over other performance but don't think of it as an anti-hydroplane device. To me that device is in between my two ears...the one telling me to slow down and drive within conditions.
I wonder..no air bags as it was a rear impact I think you mentioned so nothing to go off from side and front air bag purposes...however frame, axle and suspension damage most likely will be found to include engine mounts and possibly some damage to the engine too...If so then that along with the body damage will result in a total as putting it together the way it needs to be from factory will cost likely 5 figures for sure!
One time driving in SC hit rain so bad I couldnt see car in front of me...wife was driving a I was scared...she pulled over we waited it out at gas station and started again...hit another patch that scared me and I am a much better driver with a few performance schools and track time under my belt. Slowed down and pulled over. It was not the Porsche we were driving but my BMW M4 and even still realized and had enough experience to know high HP + high torque and a lot of water don't equat eot good things if you add speed especially! Just saying...sometimes our decisions result in further decisions that take things out of our control in these accident situations...in aviation mishap we call it the Swiss Cheese model..in that one bad or not fully understood decision leads to others that may line up to result in a bigger problen or issue or mishap that otherwise would not have.
Yes lots of courses I have had and done have put you on a skid pad watered down and active water falling sometimes so the first time you hydroplane you don't panic and understand some of the dynamics and how to react to basically a vehicle drifting at the edge of traction and performance. Great practice and training if you ask me. OP would benefit from it not just about this.
Hope car is fixed or replaced and glad that you are safe...main points OP!
Yes cars can be replaced...we ALL can learn from this one though. Slow down in inclement weather, always have serviceable brakes and wheels, drive within our limits and the cars (not judging the OP here) and knowing what nannies and systems build in are helpful and how they act and the limits of what they do and can do (i.e. wet mode is not anti hydroplane mode). Also car control and driving schools are NOT about just driving fast but learning car control skills and vehicle dynamics also in a classroom and controlled setting...not at night on the road at 70-80+ when things are a lot different and yourself and others may be at risk. Hope again OP gets his car fixed/replaced and glad all are safe.

 

OP: I feel your pain as I was in your shoes not long ago. Good thing you're okay. Looks like the car faired well too, relatively speaking as it could've been worse.

I will not answer why or where but I will share my experience for educational purposes.
I hydroplaned my 992 T at 95 mph. It was 60 degrees and drizzling when I hit standing water. ~6k mi on Eagle 1s. Wet mode. The rear wobbled three times in each direction before settling.
I attribute two things to zero consequence and no drama:
1. I did several years of autocross in all weather conditions including rain and snow.
2. The 992 and specifically its Porsche Torque Vectoring system.

I maintained my speed, counter steered lightly and smoothly, and most of all, I didn't panic. This I believe helped greatly, but what I believe mostly saved my *** was PTV. I could feel the rear wheels doing what felt like light ABS counter braking, and as a result the rear wobble was cut short, throwing the rear to the opposite direction but with less force each time until the car regained stability and traction. It all happened in a flash and I'm thankful for both my training and, for once, for the nannies in these newer cars. The 992 is an incredibly safe and capable car that inspires confidence and doesn't bite too hard when you get in trouble.

 

Looks can be deceiving. Engine and a lot of suspension/drive train/mechanicals/frame back there in a 911. Depends what’s bent/broken. Will be “open heart surgery” on this one to find out. Could be “easy peazy” (just rim, fascia, and an axle) or something serious (involving transmission and deeper mechanicals)… really won’t know until OP gets into it.

Glad OP is safe and no one hurt.

Godspeed,
L76

 

Sorry to read this. I do want to ask a question.

I notice that the spoiler is raised. I assume it wasn't at the time of the accident, so it "deployed" when the wall hit you? This points additionally to electronic damage, please don't ask me how I know, my 992C4S has been dead for 3 months this Tuesday.

The day it died when trying to start it, the lights went out and the spoiler raised. I'm a few days short of calling it quits and invoking the Lemon Law. Long story, not relevant etc. But just wanted to place this on the table that in addition to any structural damage, electronic damage or total shutdown (refuses to start mentioned) due to impact also occurred. Whether BCM2, DME or other systems will need to be replaced. GL

siberian

 

When my Taycan was rear-ended on the passenger side rear corner, no air bags went off, but the hit was so hard that the car was totaled.

Airbags are primarily something that protects occupants during front end collisions. From my experience, they're only particularly effective for the initial hit. If you get hit multiple times, they don't do much if anything to protect you. I walked away from an accident where I hit a black Toyota land cruiser that was parked in the exit only lane (inexplicably, not the shoulder) with no lights on, in the pitch black night. I was going 85MPH (flow of traffic). The collision was unavoidable. I didn't the see the Toyota until the headlights of my Chevy Cobalt rental revealed it. I turned ever so slightly in an attempt to avoid the hit. The passenger side front took the brunt of the hit. If I had a passenger, they likely would have been killed instantly -- it was all jagged metal. On the driver side, the floor buckled up with my legs luckily popping up on each side of the steering wheel. Glass was everywhere. After spinning several times, the Cobalt came to a stop perpendicular to the flow of traffic with the passenger side facing the oncoming traffic. Then, a tractor trailer hit me and ripped the back half of the car off. The airbags had already gone off so my body was hitting the hard bits at that point. The car was spun around again, facing oncoming traffic when it came to a stop. Thankfully, the oncoming traffic came to a stop as well. I took inventory of my body. I was soaked in my own blood with glass in my eyes, face and mouth. At this point, there were bystanders on the scene including witnesses that saw everything. Someone started shouting at me that there was gas everywhere. I elbowed the drivers door open and got myself to the guard rail. The first trooper that arrived on the scene asked "Where's the driver?" I raised my hand and called his attention. The first words out of his mouth were "You should be dead!"

Long story short, airbags only help you on the first hit. 😜

Other fun notes, the Toyota had come to a stop, because they had a flat tire and didn't know what to do. A whole family was in that car when it got punted by the Cobalt. Thanks to plenty of witnesses, they were found at fault AND cited on the scene. This was very helpful for the insurance adventure that followed. Heck, the insurance company of the truck tried to go after me for damages to their insured's vehicle, which was entertaining. Best part? Enterprise called me about a month later asking when I was going to return the rental car. From this experience, I know that I have all of the insurances, etc necessary for a totaled rental car. Whenever a rental car person gets pushy with me on their plans and waivers, I tell them that I totaled one once and it's not a big deal. LOL

On the PTSD front, it took a couple of years for me to feel truly comfortable driving a car at night again. Even video game crashes were pushing buttons in my brain for a while. That stuff is no joke.

 

not sure but spoiler deploys when speed exceeds something like 70-80 mph so it was probably up before the accident.

 

Just wasn't sure about the speed, but the fact that the car won't start is indicative that electronic components have shut it down. BCM2 et al are likely suspect. GL

siberian

 

Guys at porsche told me car wont start because it goes into safe mode to keep you from further damaging the car.