BMW M3 Failed Nurburgring Drift Turns Near Crash, Delivers Quick Driving Lesson

We can see the Bimmer approaching a right-hander enthusiastically, with the driver being determined to initiate a slide.

The steering wheel bearer moves on with his plan, but makes a simple mistake - he gives the M3 too much gas. As such, all his subsequent efforts, which involved sharp countersteering and modulating the throttle, were in vain.

We have to admit that the said pair of maneuvers is just what's required to bring a rear-wheel-drive car back in line. And the naturally aspirated nature of the straight-six that animates the E46 incarnation of the M3 should mean that the linear power delivery allows the driver to perfectly handle the said modulation.

Nevertheless, on-paper drifting is not really a thing and this Nordschleife incident is here to show you why.

It's worth noting that the wet track was probably a factor that contributed to the said error - such a surface not only makes it difficult to judge the actual grip, but can also give a driver too much confidence, since, in theory, drifting in the wet is more facile.

Alas, the BMW M3 spun, ending up in a near crash situation. And, as if this part of its adventure hadn't been dangerous enough, the car was stuck on the side of the track for quite a few seconds, since it had to wait for Touristenfahrten (Tourist Days) traffic to pass before moving on with its lap.

Since we're talking about Brunnchen, one of the trickiest twists on the Ring, the possibility of another sliding car hitting the Bimmer was a serious one. Fortunately, the whole story ended with just a few ego bruises.