One less GTS Blue '08 Coupe in the world

[Snake Charmer]

I wrecked my '08 coupe last might. I was taking a right hand 90 from one Hwy to another. Coasted down from about 60 to about 40, down shifted from 3rd to 2nd, and when I let out the clutch just past apex, it just blew up on me like I had caught 1st going 40 at wide open throttle, shot across the road I was turning on to and off the far embankment and out through some trees.

Everybody is safe and sound save a bunch of bruises and a few stiches, but I could use some help understanding what possibly could have gone wrong. I clearly remember shifting down and back into 2nd from 3rd, and I was no where near WOT, so not sure what could have happened to get the response I did when I let out the clutch short of catching 1st which I really do not think was the case.

[Anonymous]

Scary stuff,but as long as your ok.

[Blue T/A 2.0]

I am trying to figure out what you meant when you said it blew up on you and shot across the road. Did the wheels lock up or what? I caught a second gear downshift in a curve at a high rpm when I was a kid and started going sideways in a hurry. I clutched it real quick and brought it out of the slide, lesson learned.

[plumcrazy]

its just a car, youre ok. Buy a new one and forget about it

[ACRucrazy]

I learned real early never shift in a turn. Have the gear picked before. Sorry to hear, glad you are OK!

[Snake Charmer]

When I say "blew up on me" I mean the revs shot sky high like I hit WOT. I felt the drivers side rear break loose, pretty sure the passenger side held as I was pitched to the left and accelerating hard. I clutched it and tried to correct back right as soon as I felt the revs come up hard and the skid start, but I was leaving the pavement at that point.

[Nine Ball]

Sorry to hear about the accident. I'd suggest a driving school for any Viper owner, you will learn a lot about car control and do's/don'ts no matter what your current experience level. The problem here seems like you shifted during a turn, which is a huge issue. Downshifting at speed without a proper rev-match might have caused your tires to break loose and put you into the slide. This is why it is suggested never to use the engine/clutch to slow the car down, always use the brakes alone.

[ViperPete]

Maybe you went into 1st? That's pretty much all I can think of. High RPM's and 40 mph can only mean 1st.

[Vprbite]

To me it sounds like you may have been going faster than you realized, and when you went into second and dumped the clutch, it seized the rear end up because it couldn't match the speeds quickly enough. Basically, it sounds kinda like what I did on purpose to get me to spin out of the way of the minivan coming towards me.

At the track you learn that if you are in the wrong gear going into a turn, you basically just have to deal with it and lose some time in the turn because shifting in a turn is a "no-no". At the very least it upsets the car and makes traction light on the rear end. And since you are turning, well, you know.

I'm not lecturing you here, just answering your question as best I can of what happened. Otherwise all I would say is that I am glad that no one is hurt. As much as we love our cars, they really are just cars and they are replaceable while you are not. Here's to hoping for a quick recovery.

--Jeff

[venomous08]

Downshifting in a turn is the big no no and a common mistake. Setup for the turn before you enter. Have gear selected and clutch out before turn in point. Glad you got out without injury but that could have been way worse.

[mdelorenzo]

Very sorry to hear about the car but I'm glad you're okay! It sucks to lose a car, mine caught on fire and I was quite upset. Now I have another. So you were taking a 90 degree turn at 40mph, that seems a bit quick to me, especially with a shift to upset the car. Were you driving / shifting / clutching aggresively? Would you mind giving us a google map location to check out the turn?

[Roddy]

That sucks. I think I just learned to never shift in a turn!

[MtnBiker]

Yup. The car needs to be balanced through the turn. Glad you are okay OP.

[Stealth78]

A couple things that aren't making sense to me... First off you had to be going faster than 40 if you downshifted into second and the tires locked up on you. Secondly, it's pretty hard to mistake second gear for first gear! Not trying to sound like a jerk but neither of these things sound legit. The only thing that sounds logical is that you were going a lot faster than you thought, and you were either in 5th trying to downshift to 4th missed and grabbed 2nd OR you were in 4th trying to downshift to 3rd missed and grabbed 1st.

[viper_eddie]

Sorry to hear about this...ultimately you're OK and that's what matters.

Taking a car to an HPDE event is a great way to understand all these dynamics with the balance of the car when breaking, shifting, accelerating, etc. in a corner. If you haven't done it, I recommend you do. I was scared shitless when I first got my Gen 4 not knowing where its limits are...taking it to an HPDE helped me learn a lot and I gained a lot of confidence. I also learned to just take it easy on the street because these things have a lot of power.

[PAVenomRT/10]

First, sorry to hear about your accident. Glad to hear that there were no serious injuries. I agree with Vprbite. I believe you downshifted going faster than you realize and when you let the clutch out without reving the throttle, engine braking caused the rear tires to loose traction. Since you were turning at the time, there was more traction demand on the rear than was available and this caused the car to skid across the road. It is always best to downshift when travelling in a straightline before the turn-in point to the turn.
Hope you get back in a Viper soon.
PAVenom RT/10

[Synfull]

Sorry to hear of your accident. Hopefully something good will come out of it as is usually the case. At the very least I learned not to downshift in a turn.

[Sybil TF]

What a shame. These type of accidents should be limited to corvettes...J/K. Hope you get another one.

[Cowger]

I agree with all the "don't downshift in a corner" conclusions, but what was the temperature of the air, road, and tires (roughly) when this happened? Maybe cold tires exacerbated the situation.

Also, were you still running the stock diff?

[SlateEd]

I agree with all the "don't downshift in a corner" conclusions, but what was the temperature of the air, road, and tires (roughly) when this happened? Maybe cold tires exacerbated the situation.

Also, were you still running the stock diff?

^^^ This - I was thinking, what gears did you have in the rear end... if you were going a little faster than you though, and you have a higher gear ratio out back, the snap would be pretty clear. And if your tires were from 2008, even more unpredictable/immediate in the "bite" Last question - Are you sure you didn't go back to the gas as you were letting out the clutch...? instinct/habit maybe?

Sorry to hear about your accident and I hope you can get some clarity on what happened for your own piece of mind and future with your next Viper. Glad no one was badly hurt.

[G37Sam]

Glad you're safe, here's your problem:

and when I let out the clutch just past apex, it just blew up on me

You should never disturb a car's balance mid corner, meaning:
- Never clutch in going into a corner
- Never clutch out mid corner
- Unless you're purposely trying to drift the car, avoid jerky steering input

Also, try and not push your car to 100% of its limit on the road, always leave a margin for error. As some people above recommended, track days definitely help with getting to know your car.

[Timnineside]

Always leave on out on the street. On the track, let it rip. Never shift in corners.

[Bmw2nv2000]

Post pics of the car after wrecked.

[sonicbloo]

When I say "blew up on me" I mean the revs shot sky high like I hit WOT.............. I was pitched to the left and accelerating hard...........

On a downshift, revs obviously go higher, but this does not make the car accelerate, I'm wondering if the 'sky high revs' and WOT could be caused by something as simple as the floor mat getting stuck over the gas pedal? I'm constantly checking the mat on my '06 as there is no plastic peg on the carpet to stop it sliding.

I used to put cheap mats over the factory mats in my Mustang, but stopped doing this after reading reports about them getting stuck under brake pedals and causing accidents

Just a theory and glad the OP got out Okay