Filed under: Euro, Safety, Supercars, Audi
Audi R8 test drive ends with a swim
There have got to be cheaper ways to go for a swim, but one driver apparently couldn't find one. The 33-year-old Dutch man from the town of Woerden in the Netherlands went by his local Audi dealership to check out a brand spankin' new R8 supercar... and then proceeded to drive it into the nearest river. The driver was reportedly speeding – 80 mph according to police, but closer to 125 if you ask some of the bystanders – in a 50 zone when he hit a bump, lost control and skidded into a dyke. Although local law enforcement authorities are reportedly investigating the incident, nobody was hurt. The same cannot be said, sadly, for the car, which is reportedly in a repair shop where the dealer's insurance company will surely declare it a write-off.
After Intersection magazine gave another Audi product the treatment by lowering it into a swimming pool in England – the same one that Jeremy Clarkson drove a Rolls-Royce into, by the looks of things – we can't help but wonder and worry if this isn't a developing trend. In the meantime, we'll do our part to remind the motoring public that although the R8 is an incredibly capable car, it is not a submersible Lotus. Thanks to everyone who sent in the tip.
[Source: AutoJunk.nl]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Franz 2:32PM (8/20/2008)
A moment of silence please...
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Randy 4:09PM (8/20/2008)
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paul34 2:32PM (8/20/2008)
I believe "fail" is fitting in this instance.
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zamafir 2:32PM (8/20/2008)
wow, europe is a magical place. R8's actually in dealerships? not coming in for PDI and being handed over to whoever paid for it 18 months prior? and you can take one out for a test drive? truly a magical land.
per the driver, what an idiot. if you're going to flog something like an R8, do it on a track, or a road you're intimately familiar with and not at over double the posted speed limit.
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tankd0g 3:01PM (8/20/2008)
I bet he's plenty familiar with that road, and that bump never posed a problem before at 40 mph in his Audi A4, lol
9394 3:08PM (8/20/2008)
Many dealerships keep 1 in so the customers can test drive the car.
Jon 5:37PM (8/20/2008)
Trust me Zamafir, it's not that magical and there's a reason they're still in showrooms.
I'm in Ireland where an R8 costs from €176k to €188. In dollars thats up to $277K.
For that cash give me an V8 vantage.
Torrent 2:33PM (8/20/2008)
omfg
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Menice 2:39PM (8/20/2008)
what a D!ckWeed....
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azzo45 2:58PM (8/20/2008)
D*ckweed: That's also what is growing on the side of the river! :) :)
The driver is an A$$-Monkey (& hopefully a rich one)
FotoGenetix 2:40PM (8/20/2008)
dear god why?
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vkchu 2:48PM (8/20/2008)
*shakes head*
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Kaptain75329 2:58PM (8/20/2008)
Talk about hitting a bump in the road.
I can see the lessons learned now.. the zen advice that will come of this. Stuff like: "When you hit a bump in the road, you have to swim yourself out of it."
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craznoe 2:59PM (8/20/2008)
As many wise (and you really don't have to be that wise) men have said....
"They may be able to afford the car, but it sure doesn't mean they can drive one."
Proof in pictures.
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MikeofLA 3:07PM (8/20/2008)
This should be considered 3rd degree murder or at least negligent manslaughter. DumbA$$
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RRL 3:16PM (8/20/2008)
"Who's the U Boat Commander?"
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Dave 4:54PM (8/20/2008)
A classic line from the movie "Risky Business."
My other thought on seeing the picture was that the R8 was evolving.
Tom Fjord 3:22PM (8/20/2008)
Did he skid into a dyke - or a dike? I can't imagine the former really surviving a 125mph collision. Maybe she was wearing some really tough combat boots...
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RITmusic2k 3:35PM (8/21/2008)
Heh, I read it that way too - turns out 'dyke' is an accepted alternative spelling to 'dike'.
I'd like to think he was aiming for her though.
BlackEmblem 3:25PM (8/20/2008)
So I'm guessing he technically had to buy the R8 because he damaged it.
How ironic...
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