[Closed] Rowan Atkinsons insurance claim..

What a bell end. He crashed it on the A6 near Preston a few years ago... I seem to remember him taking out another car...

Quite impressive, more than a year to rebuild it!

Never had a crash, Shibbers?

Nope.

the day isn't over yet.. you'll probably be sideswiped by some heavily tattooed agent of karma in an expensive sports car later

Ever fallen off your bike? 😀

I can categorically say that if I was ever given the chance to drive a car like that one of two things would happen. Either I would drive around like a nun behind the wheel of a hearse or I would wrap it around a tree. It is far too much of a car for me.

Atkinson does seem to have some credability as a driver though (this accident being the obvious exception.)

So, what do you reckon his new premium would be for the F1?

Wonder if he had a courtesy car option on his policy and what they gave him? 🙂

jota180 - Member

Wonder if he had a courtesy car option on his policy and what they gave him?

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Yes, I've crashed bikes, but you're not likely to kill someone else when you misjudge a drop-off!

To crash that car twice, and both times due to loss of control, demonstrates that he's a bell end. To say he has credibility as a driver is ridiculous! He's proven himself to be more Mr. Bean than Mr. Button.

And cars like that are NOT a handful at normal speeds. You only end up backwards if you're driving beyond the limits of the road!

you are Mr Angry today Shib. Not sure why your knickers seem to be in such a twist abou this.

He might have swerved to avoid a bunny.
Or a wiggly worm.

To crash that car twice, and both times due to loss of control, demonstrates that he's a bell end.

I've got some sympathy for your views here Shiboleth. Driving on the roads is just that, driving on the roads and really, the number of people you see driving recklessly is really annoying.

Not sure why your knickers seem to be in such a twist abou this.

Maybe someone close to him has been seriously injured or, heaven forbid worse, by someone driving recklessly?

And cars like that are NOT a handful at normal speeds.

Larger tyres take longer to bring up to heat, and due to the larger size have less grip in many conditions (notice rally cars use thin tyres in mud & snow?). Tuning the tyres and suspension for maximum grip and feedback also tunes out the woolly safety margin one has in standard car.

Standard car: Good grip, marginal grip (with lots of warning), and eventually no grip.

High performance car: Good grip, no grip

I don't think Mr Bean hurt anybody other than his insurance company though

TuckerUK - that's just codswallop.

Larger tyres take longer to bring up to heat, and due to the larger size have less grip in many conditions (notice rally cars use thin tyres in mud & snow?).

That's utter nonsense Tucker. Tyres on a road car are developed to provide grip at all temperatures. They don't need to be warmed up like an F1 car tyres!

Have you ever felt a racing car slick after a few laps? Hot to the touch and sticky. Feel your own car tyres, even after hammering on hot tarmac. They'll be warm at best. In winter and on cold tarmac they don't generate anything like enough heat to alter their performance.

And cars like that are NOT a handful at normal speeds. You only end up backwards if you're driving beyond the limits of the road!

I was sat with a friend once in his Westfield waiting to turn right on Ware high street. The road was wet. He gave it slighty to much gas before I knew what was happening we were pointing the the wrong way having spun 180' degrees. Entirely his fault, but only possible because of the performance of the car. The margin between in control and not are much finer in higher performance cars.

To crash that car twice, and both times due to loss of control, demonstrates that he's a bell end. To say he has credibility as a driver is ridiculous! He's proven himself to be more Mr. Bean than Mr. Button.

And cars like that are NOT a handful at normal speeds. You only end up backwards if you're driving beyond the limits of the road!

Do you have much experience driving McLaren F1's (or indeed any top end supercars) then?

Without knowing the exact circumstances of Mr. Atkinson's accidents, I think it a little presumptuous to pass judgement really.

Shibboleth - Member
And cars like that are NOT a handful at normal speeds. You only end up backwards if you're driving beyond the limits of the road!

Powerful mid-engined car, RWD & damp weather can be a bit tricky in fairness. Watch how quickly this goes wrong:

The F1 probably has 2-3x more power than the 220 in this video as well.

thx1138 - Member
Do you have much experience driving McLaren F1's (or indeed any top end supercars) then?

I worked for several years as an editor of a magazine for Aston Martin and got to roadtest all the models from DB7 through to DB9, Vanquish S, V8 Vantage etc, some historical models as well as other top marques for features syndicated elsewhere such as Ferrari, Porsche, Jaguar, Mercedes...

Modern supercars are VERY easy to live with at normal speeds and on normal roads. The amount of grip is astounding - it far exceeds the levels of grip on most everyday cars.

Yes, the margin for error when pushed hard is narrower, but to get anywhere near that limit, he must have been driving beyond what the road conditions dictated. There's no other reason to spin off! This shows he's a poor driver.

The other thing about supercars is their ability to recover when you get it slightly wrong - and yes, I've stepped the back end out many a time - but quick racks and instant steering responses mean you're far more likely to recover it than in a lesser car.

That's utter nonsense Tucker. Tyres on a road car are developed to provide grip at all temperatures.

I'm sorry, but it's you that talking nonsense Shibboleth, everyone knows that summer tyres are completely useless when it drops below 7 degrees 🙂

What winter tyres for a MacLaren F1?

Retro, he was driving like a bell end too!

I worked for several years as an editor of a magazine for Aston Martin and got to roadtest all the models from DB7 through to DB9, Vanquish S, V8 Vantage etc, some historical models as well as other top marques for features syndicated elsewhere such as Ferrari, Porsche, Jaguar, Mercedes..

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by someone driving recklessly?

Who says he was reckless? It could just be an error.

There are some bitter old tarts on here today.

Who says he was reckless? It could just be an error.

Twice?

Shib is SurfMatt, and I claim my £5!

Shibboleth - Member

Who says he was reckless? It could just be an error.

Twice?

Shibboleth - Member
The other thing about supercars is their ability to recover when you get it slightly wrong - and yes, I've stepped the back end out many a time - but quick racks and instant steering responses mean you're far more likely to recover it than in a lesser car.

I'd say stepping the rear out is pretty silly on the public road myself, whether you catch it or not.

Anyway, look again at the video, can you honestly say you'd catch that? Mid engined cars snap into oversteer pretty damn quickly.

Besides, two crashes in 14 years isn't too bad going. You'd have a bit more of a point if it was two in a year.

The first accident was a low speed shunt resulting in a damaged bonnet, you don't need to be in a supercar to do that!

Whoever wrote that Telegraph report obviously struggled to find enough information to reach the minimum word count.

Almost 30% of the report is rabitting on about Atkinson's appearance on Top Gear - what on earth has that got to do with the actual 'story' ??!?!?!

I worked for several years as an editor of a magazine for Aston Martin and got to roadtest all the models from DB7 through to DB9, Vanquish S, V8 Vantage etc, some historical models as well as other top marques for features syndicated elsewhere such as Ferrari, Porsche, Jaguar, Mercedes...

Really? What magazine?

Retro, he was driving like a bell end too!

While I'll reserve judgement on Atkinson as there's a complete lack of evidence beyond the fact the cars were crashed I'd agree on the youtube clip.

Floors it off the roundabout on a wet road to keep up with his mate and spins, definate bellendery. Whether he could have 'caught' it or not, the bellendry was in progress well before the car spun.

thisisnotaspoon - Member
While I'll reserve judgement on Atkinson as there's a complete lack of evidence beyond the fact the cars were crashed I'd agree on the youtube clip.

Floors it off the roundabout on a wet road to keep up with his mate and spins, definate bellendery.

I didn't say he wasn't a cock-tip, did I? It was posted as an example of how a relatively minor mistake in a mid-engined car can go wrong in a big way with little to no warning. He's doing broadly the same speed as his mates in the other cars who didn't spin or even show a wiggle as far as i could see, and it's not like he's going double the speed.

Anyway, look again at the video, can you honestly say you'd catch that?

He was driving like a tool! He was trying to overtake in an unsafe place - roundabout exits are notoriously slimy in the wet due to exhaust emission from other vehicles. He was a very poor driver to pull a stunt like that in the wet!

I'd say stepping the rear out is pretty stupid on the public road myself.

We often did it for the cameras, but with 2 'marshalls' with walkie talkies 😉

Really? What magazine?

It was produced for the chain that own most of the UK's Aston Martin dealerships. We did one for their Mercedes dealers as well. The syndicated articles were reproduced in in-house magazines for hotel chains like Marriott, De Vere etc.

Anyway, look again at the video, can you honestly say you'd catch that? Mid engined cars snap into oversteer pretty damn quickly.

I'm fairly confident that I'd catch that. See if the muppet driving hadn't been short shifting in a jerky fashion he'd not have lost it either. My guess is conditions were like this - wet and very slippery road after a prolonged dry spell - roads covered in exhaust residue which would turn it into a nice wee oily mess.

I worked for several years as an editor of a magazine for Aston Martin and got to roadtest all the models from DB7 through to DB9, Vanquish S, V8 Vantage etc,

Quite frankly I would say:

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And THX just got owned with that response.

...And everyone's suddenly the greatest driver ever. 😆

And THX just got owned with that response.

Hardly. I merely asked a question. That is all.

The first accident was a low speed shunt resulting in a damaged bonnet, you don't need to be in a supercar to do that!

As for the second, his car isn't that far from the road and looks intact - the description of "spinning out" brings to mind a series of 130mph 360 twirls but a 40mph slide through 90 degrees and a bump would be sufficient to earn that description in today's news.

...And everyone's suddenly the greatest driver ever.

You didn't ask if I was the world's greatest driver, you asked if I had any experience driving performance cars. 😉

I also asked another question, which you haven't answered yet.

The 'World's greatest driver' quip was in reference to another post btw, not yours.

The most incredible thing about this all remains that fact that the guy has £70 million in the bank! Good work fella, £70m for a bit of slapstick that he sold by the bucket load to Asian audiences.

What if someone had been cycling along on that side of the road when he lost it and spun across the carriageway - this thread would have a different theme then...

Anyway, back to the OP, what do you reckon his premium could be? I'm fascinated by the idea of him being offered fully comp on the same car. Would any insurer actually do that?

I've never driven the McLaren F1... I'd imagine it's got even more grip than most of the cars I've driven though 😉

That wasn't the question I asked you. Which was 'what magazine was that'. Which you haven't actually answered, just given some mumbled reply to.

It was produced for the chain that own most of the UK's Aston Martin dealerships. We did one for their Mercedes dealers as well. The syndicated articles were reproduced in in-house magazines for hotel chains like Marriott, De Vere etc.

Funny smell in here, sort of...bovine.

I'd imagine Mr Atkinson has driven a few more supercars than you, and he's actually owned quite a few, as well as raced them. Isn't he Top Gear's fastest ever 'Star in a Reasonably Priced Car' (or if not, certainly one of the fastest)?

And you're judging him based on scant information you've gleaned from news reports/the internet.

Maybe the both of you should have a race, decide who is the best driver, as you clearly rate yourself very highly, given your attitude.

As for the second, his car isn't that far from the road and looks intact - the description of "spinning out" brings to mind a series of 130mph 360 twirls but a 40mph slide through 90 degrees and a bump would be sufficient to earn that description in today's news.

his car is on the wrong side of the road and hit that signpost - not something that an accident from sensible driving would result in

What if a baby panda had been cycling along on that side of the road when he lost it and spun across the carriageway, the panda may have lost a limb and not been able to hold bamboo in that really cute way- this thread would have a different theme then...

what if indeed. You may speculate that if a cyclist had been there he may have adapted his driving and the accident not happened.

Hyperthetical not hyperrelevent.

accidents happen, calm down its only a commercial... oops real life.

I spun on a patch of diesel oil coming off a round about once, did 360 degree turn and ended up in the grass, same thing could have happened with Mr Bean, accidents happen. Fair play he clearly likes driving and fair play he's probably not that bad a driver looking at the article. I also agree, if you have a nice car it should be used and not kept as an investment.

his car is on the wrong side of the road and hit that signpost

That wasn't the question I asked you. Which was 'what magazine was that'. Which you haven't actually answered, just given some mumbled reply to.

Mumbled? I've told you exactly. I'm not about to start naming the companies I'm associated with on an internet forum, but it wouldn't take a rocket surgeon to work it out from the information I've given you. Suffice to say, unless you're an Aston Martin owner, or have visited a dealership with a view to purchasing one, you're very unlikely to have read them.

However, if you stayed in a Marriott or De Vere hotel between about 1999 and 2008, you might well have read one of my pieces. 😉

And you're judging him based on scant information

Of all the folk that regularly post on here I would consider Mr Shibboleth one of the least likely to judge a book by it's cover.. 😉

Since there is no footage of the incident (to my knowledge) and none of can say we were there; the pissing contest ^^^ of "My Knowlegde of cars and driving is greater than yours [citation needed] and therefore makes me qualified to comment" is entirely pointless...

Love how STW can chew up so much time 🙂

EDIT:

And you're judging him based on scant information

Of all the folk that regularly post on here I would consider Mr Shibboleth one of the least likely to judge a book by it's cover..

and so it goes for a magazine and it's editor...HMMM 😕

My kids can argue over anything. Earlier today they argued over who would open the front door. That was after arguing about who would get the spoons out of the drawer for breakfast. The other day they argued about who would be a better hedgehog.

I used say 'you could argue with your own shadow.'

I think in future I might say 'you argue like posters on STW forum!'

It's bloody good fun though... I blame the fact that we're all cyclists so we get a bit stir crazy sitting at desks...

I think in future I might say 'you argue like posters on STW forum!'

preposterous 👿

It's great that people like him actually drive their car collection but come on does anyone really think he wasn't pushing it a bit to lose control like that? Pushing it a bit in a supercar on public roads is kinda driving like a bell-end, if he'd have done it on a track I'd have applauded his efforts but on a public road? I'm not going to organise a lynch mob as I'm assuming he was doing it on a clear bit of road so the only risk was to himself (although that doesn't appear to have been the case in his first accident). If he did that with other traffic about then yeah he's a bell-end

thx1138 - Member
Funny smell in here, sort of...bovine.

It also makes me laugh how childish a poster can become when he's been left with egg on his face. Run along now THX, there's a good chap. 🙄

Can I just say that I absolutely am the worlds most average driver.

And THX just got owned with that response.

Hardly. I merely asked a question. That is all.

So you are making out that was "just a question" are you.

Is that some cringeworthy sub genre of the Edinburgh Defence then !

What is the Edinburgh Defence?

Would have been far better to just say "fair enough, you've pwned me there..." rather than try to accuse me of making it up!

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I don't know the circumstances of his particular crash, but at pretty much exactly the same time as his crash i.e. within minutes and in the general area as well, a relative of mine also crashed their car because there was an almighty downpour of rain from memory and they lost control\ aquaplaned and crashed writing off their car. They were driving a Renault Clio and are very competent and safe drivers who have never had an accident in the 35 years I've known them, i.e. would not have been driving 'like a dick' so it is more than plausible that this also happened here as well.

Remember his first crash on the A6 near Garstang,a lad walked in to my local news agents with a bit of carbon fibre of his car, must have been about £2000 worth 😆

As for the second, his car isn't that far from the road and looks intact - the description of "spinning out" brings to mind a series of 130mph 360 twirls but a 40mph slide through 90 degrees and a bump would be sufficient to earn that description in today's news.

This month's Classic and Sportscar have a full write up on the re-build of the car, including details of the accident - I think it said he was accelerating hard in 4th gear.

Now I've never driven an F1, but I'm pretty sure 'accelerating hard in 4th' = high speed and big probability of catastrophe.

I've never driven a 12 cyclinder BMW engined car, but I have driven the V10 in an M5. Accelerating "hard" in any gear is something you only did in a straight line, in the dry and preferably on the track! 😯

I don't think Mr Bean hurt anybody other than his insurance company though

Where do you think the £910,000 ultimately comes from to pay the insurance claim...?

Any performance engine has a fantastic ability to gain revs very quickly, consequently if you lose grip and don't lift off when the tyres grip you can be at high revs (and high torque). This is what usually causes the loss of control.

I saw a friend do it with a Hayabusa (1300cc motorbike for those that don't know). He set off and accelerated. The rear tyre lost grip, and then caught again. But because he was slightly leaned over it just high-sided him OTB - at all of 15-20mph.

And you don't need a powerful car for this, Fiat X1/9's had a remarkable ability to swap ends - part of having a mid-engined car.

Would have been far better to just say "fair enough, you've pwned me there..." rather than try to accuse me of making it up!

You've provided no actual proof of having extensive experience of driving supercars such as the McLaren F1, (indeed by your own admission you've never actually driven one) and we only have your word that you used to edit some magazine you seem somewhat hesitant to name, so forgive me for being somewhat sceptical as to your 'credentials'. You criticised Rowan Atkinson's driving, without actually being in possession of the facts, and I think your attitude just smacks of arrogance, and trying to look clever on the internet amongst a bunch of people who don't know anything about you. What actually are your driving credentials, beyond your claimed brief drives in other peoples' cars? Do you have any race experience, like Mr Atkinson?

So you are making out that was "just a question" are you.

No, it actually was a question. Shibboleth made comments which suggested he might know a thing or two about driving a supercar like the McLaren F1, and I enquired as to his credentials, and he gave a reply which still doesn't prove he really has any.

I don't know the circumstances of his particular crash, but at pretty much exactly the same time as his crash i.e. within minutes and in the general area as well, a relative of mine also crashed their car because there was an almighty downpour of rain from memory and they lost control\ aquaplaned and crashed writing off their car. They were driving a Renault Clio and are very competent and safe drivers who have never had an accident in the 35 years I've known them, i.e. would not have been driving 'like a dick' so it is more than plausible that this also happened here as well.

A perfectly plausible explanation for Mr Atkinson's accident, wouldn't you say?

@thx best stop whilst you're behind old chap. This just comes across as sour grapes....

Aaah, I get it. You're Rowan's secret Northamptonshire love child hence the [s]blind love[/s] interest... 🙂

Surely he should just use the BlackAdder defence?

Sour grapes? Not really; I just enjoy seeing people squirm when challenged. 😉

I reckon you should stop now before we have to close the thread.

Jesus wept thx, you really come across as a bellend.

How many supercars have [i]you[/i] driven? Seems that Shibboleth has more experience than anyone else here, accept it and move on.

Ps re "have you any race experience" I used to race MX, doesn't magically make me any good at it. I've also raced mountain bikes, again I was as good before, during and after each event as racing, in and of itself doesn't create a step change in ability.

Jesus wept thx, you really come across as a bellend.

Why the insults? Just for taking someone's unsubstatiated comments with a pinch of salt? You can beleive the word of a random off the internet all you want; I'll make my own mind up based on actual facts and evidence, thanks.

Seems that Shibboleth has more experience than anyone else here

See, that's the bit we haven't actually proven yet.

This thread gets my vote for "You wouldn't believe what stw will argue about 2013"...so far.