In the year 2026, it feels as if there is always “a video.” Whether it’s regarding some breaking news, a plane crash, an explosion, or some other newsworthy event, someone or something is always recording from some angle. Just 20 years ago, you’d be lucky to see a real-time recording of any sort of relevant happenings in the world. Now, it’s weird if there isn’t a clip circling online showing exactly what happened.
This phenomenon, of course, extends to the car world. Previously, news of a car crash could only be proven through the aftermath photos from drivers or first responders. Now, though, thanks to the mass adoption of onboard cameras, doorbell cameras, and smartphones, it feels as if every noteworthy crash I hear about has a video attached to it, showing what actually happened.
Sometimes, these videos can have far-reaching consequences for those involved. Take this video of a Miata getting struck by what appears to be an out-of-control BMW M2 on a twisty road, which has since gone viral, spawning numerous reposts, thousands of comments, and even its own meme. It’s proof that in today’s modern world, if you appear to drive like a dick, it’s not just the law you have to worry about, it’s the entire internet.
The State Of The World Means Nothing Is Private
These days, if I step outside my home, I assume I’m on camera the entire time, no matter what. While that might sound a little paranoid, I don’t think it’s an unreasonable attitude to have, considering I live in New York City.
I live in an apartment building, and there are two people with Ring cameras mounted next to their doors on my floor. I walk outside, and there are security cameras on nearly every corner. Peek inside the windshield of the cab driving by me, and there is a dashcam mounted to the glass. Every person I walk by holds a camera in their hand, built into their phone. Hell, I even own a pair of sunglasses that has a camera mounted in the frame.
All of this constant recording wouldn’t be so worrying if the internet didn’t exist. But because any snippet of video can be shared with billions of people almost instantly, there’s always the idea that my image can be spread widely and alter my reputation forever. Even something as simple as a recording of me slipping on some black ice and falling on my ass could have lasting effects if it looks goofy enough on camera. Just ask anyone who’s been immortalized through a meme.
This mass adoption of camera usage and subsequent proliferation of clips on the internet relates to cars in a few ways. Those of us who have been on the internet for a long time are deeply familiar with the rise in popularity of Russian dashcam videos in the 2000s. But as stuff like dashcams, GoPros, and other kinds of small, portable recording devices get cheaper and simpler to use, it’s become easy for anyone to record their on-road travels and, if they see something, share that footage on the internet.
Anyone who’s been on the web knows that places like social media greatly encourage sharing media. Instagram and TikTok culture have emboldened people to do crazy things in front of a camera for likes, clout, and, if you have enough success, real, actual revenue. These types of rewards push people to create dangerous situations, not strictly because they want to, but also because they know the algorithm will reward the risk.
The rise of street takeovers, where people do donuts in public intersections and blow up cars as crowds of people watch and film with their phones, is a great example of this. And did you really drift that turn at the Angeles Crest turnout if it wasn’t caught on camera? Even if you didn’t, and totaled your car trying, that’s even more clicks in the bag—so long as your friend was recording.
This is all to say that now, in 2026, we have a landscape of car culture that is constantly pointing cameras in every direction. Whether that’s to catch the next Mustang crash at the local Cars & Coffee, or to record your daily commute in case someone rear-ends you, or to film a fun scenic drive in your sports car from the driver’s point of view, you should just assume that when you’re driving, your actions are being filmed. And if you do something wrong, it could have far greater effects than you think.
Always Assume There’s A Camera
That brings me to this crash between an ND-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata and a newer BMW M2. In this case, it wasn’t a dashcam that captured the incident, but a camera mounted to the head of the person driving the Miata. The video, published by user Kev_rofroy to the Miata Subreddit earlier this week, shows the Miata cruising through a twisty back road—in northern Georgia, according to a description—when it comes upon a tight left-hander.
As the Miata approaches the corner, a G87-generation BMW M2 materializes in frame already at the apex, before appearing to understeer into the opposing lane, where the Miata is now located. The nose of the M2 smacks into the side of the Miata, before rolling off the road and into an embankment.
Had there been no footage of the collision, it’s very likely no one outside of the two drivers’ close circles and social media followers would’ve ever heard about this crash. But because there was a crystal clear video that was shared online, the incident immediately went viral.
Since its posting on Sunday, the original clip has racked up tens of thousands of upvotes on Reddit. On YouTube, it has accumulated over 80,000 views across various reposts. The incident gained even more traction when another Miata Subreddit user, RazvanPaun, turned the crash into a meme the following day, which has since been shared widely across social media. It shows a drawing of an M2 understeering into the opposing lane of a road, with text above reading, “POV: the last thing you see after deciding to take your Miata on a scenic canyon drive:”
Apologies for the bad editing, I didn’t want to use AI
by
u/RazvanPaun in
Miata
Internet sleuths were quickly able to identify the driver of the M2 as the same person who operates the g87_angel Instagram account. Photos published to the account show what appear to be the same car from the incident, while story posts, which have since expired but were screenshotted by Reddit users, show the car resting against a tree in an embankment, with a red Miata in the background.
Comment
by
u/SuperReleasio64 from discussionin
Miata
Another expired Instagram story from g87_angel, which was also preserved on Reddit, shows the above meme with the text “Love y’all thanks for the fan art ❤️❤️” overlaid underneath. While it’s impossible to truly know what they meant by this, I feel like there’s a strong scent of sarcasm here where remorse should probably lie instead.
Apparently the M2 owner has seen the meme. Everyone boo him!
by
u/SuperReleasio64 in
Miata
Users have been quick to pile on accusations and insults in the comment section of g87_angel’s most recent Instagram post, with many comments receiving tens of thousands of likes and dozens of replies. Here are some of the most popular examples:
This is likely the most attention this user has ever received online, and it’s all almost universally negative. Moreover, it’s just a tiny portion of the criticism. Factor in all the views, comments, reposts, shares, and DMs stemming from the reaction videos and meme pages across the vast corner of the internet dedicated to cars, and you have thousands upon thousands of people roasting this M2 driver into oblivion.
Online Car Culture Takes No Prisoners
Most will assume it was driver error that caused the crash. Judging by the footage, it looks as if the driver misjudged their speed and/or the tightness of the corner, and attempted to correct themselves back into their lane as the oncoming Miata appeared. But by then it was too late, and the two cars collided. By my estimation, the M2 probably would’ve gotten away from the mistake by cutting the double-yellow lines if the Miata weren’t there.
I don’t want to come to any conclusions, though, since we don’t know the full story. Though unlikely, it’s possible that an equipment failure caused the M2 to cross the double-yellow lines and hit the Miata (g87_angel did not respond to a request for comment when I reached out via Instagram DM, and the Miata driver declined to comment when reached via Reddit DM).
The average internet commenter has the nuance of a hamster, so the people commenting on the above post probably aren’t thinking about the long-term impact of this driver’s mistake (if that was the cause). I’m not saying the driver of this M2 shouldn’t be judged for their actions, obviously. If it really was driver error, they should be called out for it. People who overdrive their vehicles on public roads this blatantly have no place in car culture.
Previously, the driver of that M2 would’ve only had to live with their mistake on their own (and probably deal with some big insurance hikes). But now, thanks to this video, they have to live with the fact that their actions and their car are the butt of a joke that’ll likely live on in Miata circles for years to come.
Maybe that’s a good thing. If drivers are subjected to the digital panopticon, where they think that they are being monitored for any wrongdoing at all times, they’d probably drive more conservatively than if they thought they were truly alone. If I assumed I was being watched on a back road by an entity that could immediately ruin my reputation, I would definitely be moving differently—not because I drive recklessly, but because I don’t want to be perceived as anything other than a proper, polite road-goer. If every driver went about their day from this perspective, there’d probably be safer roads.
No matter what you think about this, cameras aren’t going away any time soon. In fact, as more and more cars get built-in dashcams from the factory, the number of recording devices on the road is only set to grow from here. What’s clear after this whole debacle is that if you drive like a dick and cause harm, you might not just be held responsible by the law and insurance adjusters, but also entire swaths of car culture. Is social policing like this the right path forward? It’s tough to tell. But it’s certainly where we’re headed.
Top graphic images: Reddit
“The average internet commenter has the nuance of a hamster…”
A whole hamster?
COTD
As far as social policing goes, I think this is a lot more about behavior than mistakes. No one’s immune from doing stupid shit, but if you take responsibility for it… well, you’ll still be known as The Guy Who Did Something Stupid and you’ll still be the butt of jokes, but there’s gonna be a lot less venom.
But if you try to act all cool about it and ignore the fact that you just trashed another enthusiast’s car, that’s acting like a dick and deserves the hate. You get what you give, and all that.
See also the 1.5 PSI guy. He got somewhat humiliated for making a very public whoopsie in a brand new car, but the moment he started getting REALLY humiliated was when he loudly tried to direct blame everywhere but himself. No one would have remembered if he had never said that stuff.
Good opportunity to let folks in the Seattle area know there is a car control clinic this Sat at Pacific Raceway. Learn not to be that M2 driver. Few spots still open. Registration on Motorsportreg is open until tomorrow night.
As the owner of a G87 (and previous owner of a Miata), this incident makes me very sad.
These new G series M cars are serious machines. Go to the track to learn the limits and keep it at 7/10ths on the road. If you can afford a modern M car, you can afford track time.
PS – my favorite instagram comment I saw on this: “Roses are red, violets are blue, if you can’t drive, don’t buy an M2”
In this day and age it’s a bold assumption that someone who drives an M car can afford it, let alone track time. Probably financed it over 84 months at 25% APR.
Wasn’t That Guy’s name actually Steve Castle? He did drive a BMW though
It’s one thing for somebody else to post your stupidity online (richly deserved, that) – but it’s quite another thing to post you OWN stupidity online. If I did this, I would not have posted my own pictures of the crash. Sheesh.
And obviously, M2 dude really should have invested in a quality, digital, tire pressure gauge.
https://photos.fife.usercontent.google.com/pw/AP1GczPersw9Ps57BuSaZHdE6SxX0YEBY0Pm5aPTP7mSNpIQ0Luzm3Q_r8VI=w925-h1233-s-no?authuser=0
Lame behavior from a lame clout chaser. Usually I like to encourage people not to make too many assumptions but when there’s an Instagram handle on a car assume away…and avoid that car at all costs
That and the yellow DRLs is a surefire sign.
Video evidence of why insurance costs continue to rise.
Not like this is anything new. It’s only by the Grace of Dog that I didn’t cause an crash like this when I was newly licensed and an absolute road-menace. I only wrecked my OWN car a couple times doing dumb shit. But thankfully, cameras everywhere was not a thing when I was a dumb kid. And as a not AS dumb adult, I have slowed my roll considerably.
I miss the days when everyone’s first RWD car was a Chevette.
And in general, your first car was probably less than 100hp. I can’t even imagine how much trouble I would have gotten into in a modern car when I was 16. And you KNOW my dumb ass would have disabled all the nannies.
I’ve never owned a RWD car, but I’m going to look at an MX-5/Miata tomorrow and I was literally just wondering where would a good place to take it and see how it drives near the edge. I was thinking large empty car park, late at night.
(ETA never owned a car with more than 100HP either, it’s been 20+ years of tiny hatchbacks for me)
“ If drivers are subjected to the digital panopticon, where they think that they are being monitored for any wrongdoing at all times, they’d probably drive more conservatively than if they thought they were truly alone.”
You must be new here. And by “here,” I mean Earth. No one ever thinks the bad part will happen to them when they’re doing things like this. Especially if under 30 years old.
I was going to say, anyone who writes “good” and “panopticon” should be subject to 50 readings of Discipline and Punish.
I know I never thought the bad part would happen when I was young and doing stuff like this – right up until my best mate launched an RX7 airborne in a suburban street, punched a tree head on and had his leg sliced open from ankle to hip by the shattered transmission bellhousing when it tore up through the floor. Sitting watching the news one Sunday night, they showed video of the aftermath, and suddenly recognised him strapped to a stretcher being loaded into an ambulance!
Now I’m a lot more aware of the limit of my ability behind the wheel, and get suitably scared/cautious in situations that back then would have me laughing and driving faster!
Anybody else notice the BMW driver wasn’t using his blinker?
To be fair, he was going rather straight at the time…
Every BMW M owner knows that using your car’s blinker both increases your drag coefficient and diverts power from your EPAS. /s
I’ve ridden the Tail of the Dragon twice on my R1200RT motorcycle, and it’s all sharp curves, and either a steep bank up, or a steep drop off. I shudder to think what would have happened had I been that Miata. Glad I was there on weekdays.
I was planning on heading up there in April with my GTI, but the long weekend getaway budget had to go to other things. One day, it’s only a couple hours away from the SC midlands.
I must admit, I’m afraid of this happening to me. I’m also afraid of being that moron in the BMW even though I have enough sense to know you don’t push it on the Tail.
Also check out the Cherohala Skyway, nearby, as it’s more of a highway with nice turns with great views. I’ve not done it, but plan to soon with my TR6.
That looks like a nice scenic drive too. Thanks for the tip!
The Skyway is less crowded, but in some ways can be a more dangerous road. Less sharp turns means the idiots think they should drive even faster. I’ve seen some dumb crap on the Skyway too.
We drove it last September and it’s absolutely breathtaking. There are tons of adjacent roads with very sharp curves we took the next day.
In 2024 we drove the entire length of the Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway. We are retired so it was weekdays, and the weather wasn’t perfect, but it made for incredible photography and light traffic.
We’ve driven the entire Natchez Trace too, and Route 83 from the Dakotas to Texas. 41 states in 10 years.
No Tail of the Dragon yet. My Elroy was a ton of fun on the roads we traveled though.
https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipNlHBUxTFu7YG8ZgjS7TZmu0idzw7RqIoj2NbEi/photo/AF1QipPb-Xkm7Cj7LK9094V-BNlOtcM6OWaz_mVnDSg1
I started the Natchez on my BMW, at the northern end, and I was going to end up visiting friends in New Orleans, but that low speed limit would have taken too long, so I bailed after a few hours. That’s the same issue I have with the Skyline Drive, plus the fee. But the Blue Ridge Parkway is something I’ve done twice the whole way, once in each direction, camping at a motorcycle only campground one time, and on the parkway at the state line the other time.
I got the National Park license the last day it was an unlimited $10.00 when we were at the Badlands. So we’re very lucky that way.
The ranger told me “This will expire when you do”. Love it!
Try “The Rattler”, 35 miles of NC209 from Waynesville to Hot Springs. A great twisty road, and last time I saw 5 other cars…
One of my neighbors has a doorbell camera that tells you when it notices you “you are being recorded.” Fine, great. The problem is they have the field set way too wide and deep. If I’m in my own driveway two doors down, it starts yelling at me. If I’m walking my dog on the other side of the street, it starts yelling at me. I’ve accepted that this tech will be everywhere but I wish people figured out how to use it properly first.
LOL, sounds like you live on the same street as me.
Yep one by me too.
I have nasty neighbors with one of these stupid cameras. I just give it the finger every time it yells at me. I also have a video camera doorbell, but it’s field of view is set correctly, and it doesn’t yell at people randomly. I can just yell through it if I so desire.
I deliver parcels so I get to hear those a lot but they can certainly be set far less sensitive. My favorites are the battery operated ones. As the battery goes, they keep on working and end up saying that “you are on camera…” sentence at about 1/5th speed. It sounds creepy as hell!
Time for a horse mask when you leave the house. Swap it out for a pig mask when you come home. That’ll throw them for a loop.
We had a security system door-to-door salesman who tried to say, “Have you noticed the cameras that say you’re being recorded? Those are ours” as if it was some kind of feature.
I damn near threw him off the porch.
I almost had this happen to me in New Zealand (and in a Toyota Hiace, which has about as much crumple zone as a Pringles can), so the BMW driver deserves exactly all the public shame they’re getting.
Although, it doesn’t hurt that the Miata driver correctly used “POV”.
As a VW Vanagon driver I find forward control vans put a new level of defensiveness into your driving.
Much like my Spitfire. Any modern pickup or SUV is just going to use my car as a ramp…
Still safer than a motorcycle though.
He’s probably a sociopath
I got rear-ended twice last year just a few weeks apart on completely different sides of town. Both were really slow impacts and didn’t do any visible damage at all to either car but you can bet I’ve got front and rear dashcams on my car now.
If my M2 came home with a horrid body kit like that I’d smash it into a tree too. “on accident” of course. Poor Miata just got in the way.
That’s the factory M2 front bumper:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/BMW_G87_M2_1X7A1838.jpg/1280px-BMW_G87_M2_1X7A1838.jpg
thats the joke
I am in favor of showing these crashes widely, if only to show the next person who was going to drive like an idiot through there that it can have disastrous consequences. As far as “ruining someone’s life”, people do that on their own through their response. If they offer a heartfelt mea culpa, they tend to be forgiven more quickly. When they attempt to shrug it off as nothing or not their fault, things get worse for them, as it should be.
I also think though, that before we judge others, particularly when nobody was injured, we should stop and remember some of the things we’ve done in the past. If you were never an idiot when you were young, or even not so young, you’re well ahead of me.
Edit: I don’t mean they shouldn’t be judged harshly for the incident, maybe just given the benefit of the doubt that they can quit being stupid and be productive members of society.
And people think Mustang drivers are bad.
It’s a short video, but it would appear the BMW driver suffered from “failing to brake in time, thinking his ‘Ultimate Driving Machine’* would save him from his own stupidity.”
*I bet it was an automatic too.
He should have known his bmw is not the ultimate stopping machine.
My parking neighbor has one, his second. He’s a classy guy. The first was a manual, now he has an automatic. Said the manual was just too much of a pain for the daily grind.
Um, people also think BMW drivers are bad
True, but not usually in an ‘exiting-Cars-And-Coffee’ type of way.
In my experience, Jeep drivers are the worst.
Dammit! Every time I think the Mercedes drivers have completely taken over as the archetypal dickheads, some idiot who can’t drive his BMW shifts it all right back!
Nah, I’m all for publicly naming and shaming people like this. In fact, I think we should do it more often.
With all of the damage the social media clout chasing, “tonight was a movie bro” takeover kids have done to the car community these past few years, it’s the least we can do before they ruin it even more for those of us who know how to behave.
Some people feel no shame though, sadly.
I bet they can still feel pain though.
I live nearby and drive that road often. No one in a sports car is driving responsibly on this road. They keep making the speed limit signs bigger and more frequent. I highly doubt the Miata driver was observing the 25 MPH speed limit either. Obviously the BMW driver is to blame, but this internet witch hunt was kind of disgusting to watch unfold. Yeah, mistake was made. How do you know the BMW driver had no remorse? Did you talk to them? This was probably one of the worst days of their life too. I’m sure no one here has ever made a mistake on a public road.
Brian summed it up perfectly:
Actually, if you look at the video in full screen and pause it before the collision, the Miata is going about 30mph. It appears that he has slowed down for the curve, so yeah, he wasn’t obeying the speed limit either.
What good does calling out “BMW” driver in the headline do that calling out idiot/irresponsible/dangerous driver would not have accomplished?
What next, are you going to crack a hot new joke about how BMW drivers don’t use their turn signals, either?
Because there are two cars, especially in the top shot, it’s important to clarify who is being called out. The alternative is: Driver Becomes Ultimate ‘That Guy’ After Smashing Into Other Driver And Appearing To Show No Remorse
That doesn’t parse well to me.
“crack a hot new joke about howBMW drivers don’t use their turn signals, either?”
Just rewatched the video, and indeed he did not apply his turn signal before entering the Miata’s lane.
So BMW.
Or turning into the tree’s lane.
Nah, that was the jaywalking ent’s fault.
Yep. I made the turn signal joke before I got to your comment. It was just *right there*.
Ha! I admit I had the same thoughts. I think I was having a grump I should have slowed down to realize I should have kept to myself. Idk why it tweaked me quite so badly, or more honestly why I let it tweak me quite so badly.
Crazy the Miata air bags didn’t even go off. That beemer driver is a dumb dumb though my god he wasn’t even going that fast and couldn’t make it around that corner?
Let’s be clear: this sort of driving kills people. No slack for this guy, please.
So much this. If the Miata was a motorcycle, almost certainly would have been a fatality. All the hate hopefully help people thinking about not crossing the yellow. If it’s because “someone might be filming it”, fine.
Yes, the miata driver is fortunate that the BMW gave a strong glancing blow rather than overlapping front ends. This was a close one.
Perhaps his front tire pressures were off by 1.5psi
That guy is another great example of how the internet can cement your mistake into the zeitgeist forever (though it was mostly his fault for going out of his way to talk about psi)
He’s a great example of how much worse you can make things by trying to avoid taking responsibility. If he’d just owned up to it, it would have probably been forgotten quickly. Somebody pushes their limits and crashes? Not great, but pretty forgettable. Blames a 1.5 psi difference in tire pressure? That’s memorable.
“Why did(n’t) you turn (more)?!”
Should have used a digital pressure gauge.
Calibrated biannually at a BMW authorized service center.
For a $150 fee.
Sounds like a subscription to me.
Came here for this. Thank you. Never forget.
It must be kept alive until the death of the internet