Owner of ICE had serious accident?

Yacht News · 11-27-2006, 12:09 PM

I just read that the owner of the Lurssen ICE (ex AIR) was involved in a very serious car accident in Nice. Apparently, he was driving his Enzo and somehow lost control and wrecked it into a tree. More on it here....http://www.kommersant.com/p725048/Suleiman_Kerimov

airship · 11-27-2006, 02:04 PM

If it was indeed the owner of ICE, then this is something we should all regret. "Any superyachht owner that allows the crew use of the swimming pool when he's not aboard can't be all that bad after all".

Of course, the Promenade des Anglais itself has always had a somewhat dubious reputation for safety, even if you don't happen to be driving something that'll do 120kph in 1st gear(?). I still remember it from all those years ago when it was a literal 6-lane highway (3 lanes each way) and traffic never respected the speed limits (70kph at the time?). One time, someone broke down in the centre-lane and they had actually got out of the car and were attempting to push the car towards the near-side lane and thence off the Promenade. Luckily I saw this happening in good time, and was in a 3 1/2-ton truck, so stopped behind them and with hazard-warning lights flashing, slowly helped them get off safely after some efforts.

In later years, they banned trucks, narrowed the Promenade down to 2 lanes each way in most places and imposed a 50kph limit. Of course, the new lane widths were drawn to accommodate your average European car and I imagine something like the Enzo had a wider footprint than even a 4-wheeled rear-axled 3 1/2 ton truck which had by now been banned from this place. A moment of inattention, especially say, when touching the accelerator pedal in an Enzo, would probably have been enough to send the car careering into one of the many palm trees...quite without any outside intervention from other motorists or pedestrians.

Personally-speaking, if I ever get that rich, I hope I'll be behind the wheel of a Mercedes. And if I'm still driving when I'm that old, let me be behind the wheel of a Mercedes 3 1/2-ton truck...

Teenna · 12-04-2006, 05:41 AM

It's notorious that nuveau riche can't drive.

Kevin · 12-04-2006, 05:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teenna

It's notorious that nuveau riche can't drive.

I know many perpetually poor that can't drive either!

Teenna · 12-04-2006, 05:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin

I know many perpetually poor that can't drive either!

But they don't drive Enzo.

A person behind the wheel of a Ferrari that in the middle of the town hits the three is an idiot. The only excuse for an accident in the town for a real driver is a car not stoping at the stop sign or red light hiting into the side of your car (at high speed otherwise you see it and you brake), or a car coming from the back and not stoping, hiting in the back of your car.

TRY · 12-04-2006, 08:12 AM

Would you appreciate people reacting like that when, for whatever reason, you would have an accident?
Or has this site become a people-gossip get-together?

Teenna · 12-04-2006, 09:09 AM

Not only, I would EXPECT them to act like that, TRY. It's not for whatever reason, it's for speeding with a super car in the area where other people are driving normally...Speeding in the town with a sport car is irresponsable and fortunatly he didn't kill or involve somebody else. Already the escort that will be burned for the rest of her life is an achivement he'll have to live with if he survives...

This isn't a gossip stuff, this is life.

AMG · 12-04-2006, 09:48 AM

Whatever, this is a yacht forum and we should not go ahead of the tabloids on this story, which is sad enough as it is. What happened on this owners very first trip in his new supercar could have happened to anyone, anywhere. There has been several accidents with supercars recently and speed limits on a road is no guarantee when a car goes from 0-100 km/h in a snap...

In Sweden we have special high speed licenses for boats, mandatory for professionals driving boats that can make 35 knots or more. Maybe cars like this should not be sold at all without individual training and a special drivers license?

Here is this road at the other end, as seen from my Mercedes 2.5 ton truck...

TRY · 12-04-2006, 10:08 AM

Let's stop this thread!
Besides, I know this stretch since years and I don't believe you can reach speeds to brake a car like that at 3.30PM when traffic is normally quite solid and moving at a maximum of 30-40 kms/hr.

Kevin · 12-04-2006, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AMG

In Sweden we have special high speed licenses for boats, mandatory for professionals driving boats that can make 35 knots or more. Maybe cars like this should not be sold at all without individual training and a special drivers license?

I think this is a far more important issue than whether or not the driver was nouveau riche or old money, or self-made man, or anything else! Regardless of how he came about his money, chances are he shouldn't be driving an Enzo. I love cars, I love racing... but honestly, 99.99% of people in the world should NOT be driving an Enzo, or any other "supercar", on public roads. There's an entire website dedicated to supercar wrecks with an Archive to back up my claim!

lurker · 12-05-2006, 01:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin

99.99% of people in the world should NOT be driving an Enzo, or any other "supercar", on public roads. There's an entire website dedicated to supercar wrecks with an Archive to back up my claim!

I don't want to stir the pot, but I am having a hard time trying to understand your logic. What is wrong with those 99.99% of people driving an Enzo? Because they can't control the car? Well, as long as they don't go all crazy on public roads then I have no problem with that. Whether those Enzo owner can push their car to the limit on a track or if they will ever take it to the track is really none of our business.

On the other hand anyone can drive like a maniac with a POS beater. There are less than 399 Enzo left, but over 100,000s of SUVs on the road everyday, NOW. Many of those people can't drive, they talk on the phone when they drive, they burn excessive gas, they don't even carry any loads or need that space, and they post more danger to other drivers...etc. Personally I have a lot more problem with that, because that is a much more serious issue than some Enzo owner hitting a tree.

I understand that you have a passion for cars, but I don't agree with your overly zealous remarks. Although interestingly enough it is people like you and me who appreciate those cars that makes the car more valuable, because if you buy one then you get instant street cred in a way.

TRY · 12-05-2006, 02:18 AM

Quite honestly, I'm a bit disappointed!
This is getting worse than page 3 of "The Sun", if you happen to know this tabloid.
I agree, we're in the General yachting Discussion,and at the start this thread had a link to yachting, but now ..........
So please stop this!

AMG · 12-05-2006, 06:07 AM

As there is no official report as yet on what caused this accident, I think we should not jump to any conclusions and this thread will remain locked until we know more.

Driving for the first time a 660 hp supercar and it is raining could get even the best driver in trouble. You can claim that it was careless driving, but it takes you only 3.6 seconds to get in BIG trouble if you lose control....

This picture shows you the weather conditions that day: