AUTOTOPIALA'S 1,300HP MERCURY COMET CRASH A WARNING FOR CONTENT CREATORS.
First off, everyone involved in this terrible accident is ok now, and if the guys weren’t driving as responsibly as they were, things would have been very different. AutotopiaLA is one of the coolest channels on YouTube, run by Shawn Davis, who has extensive knowledge of muscle cars, restomods and everything associated with them. The man has forgotten things many of us car guys haven’t even learned yet. Over and above the amazing video content he creates, Shawn also owns and operates Autotopia in Burbank, California, a successful high-end automotive storage facility. This also gives him access to cars that aren’t usually seen in public, as well as car owners with mad collections.
The subject of this video, shot about a year ago, is an absolute minter of a Mercury Comet that underwent an extensive rebuild seeing it receive upgrades in every area, and under that hood below that massive blower is a monster of a 1 300 hp V8 with all the bells and whistles. As you can see, and in line with the cars Shawn usually features the Comet has upgraded everything, including a roll cage. The car is immaculate at the beginning of the video, which is both amazing and likely part of the reason things may have gone south. With such a comprehensive build you take for granted that the car is in 100% running order and that all the upgraded parts will do their job if needed.
This is where the warning to fellow content creators comes in. A car can look perfect, the owner can even assure you that it’s perfect too, and so you just take for granted that all is ok. During the drive, there were already a few red flags, like the short conversation about the sticky throttle, but that’s something that can be driven around, like what happened here. Shawn is very lucky that the owner of the Comet was responsible and not like some guys featured in YouTube videos who drive like absolute idiots. We’d hate to have seen the outcome if that was the case. After a short stab of the accelerator, the guys realised the brakes had failed with absolutely zero pressure in the pedal. This sparks a little bit of a panic as you can see, and the pair brace themselves for impact.
The speed wasn’t high, but even a normal speed while approaching a red light packed with traffic can end in tragedy. The driver did try to swerve around, and in a flash planned to take a turn with the traffic of the lights changed, but they didn’t and he had no choice but to rear-end a minivan. The strength of the car and the cage did a good job of keeping the guys safe, although not wearing the harnesses properly and having them only used as lap-seatbelts definitely added to the physical damage to Shawn and the driver. Shawn’s face hit the metal dash and the driver damaged his arm from bracing on the steering wheel.
We're happy to hear that Shawn and the driver are all good, and that no one else was injured. The Comet will hopefully be fixed one day too. This does serve as a warning to fellow content creators though, things can go wrong very fast, and when the subject is a fast car it can be even worse. Make sure to buckle up, strap in and obey the rules of the road as much as possible. If you simply must hoof it for the likes and subscriptions, make sure it's on a closed track or at the very least away from the public. Even the most comprehensively built and modified cars can have a mechanical failure, and this is something that must always be on your mind.
Take a look at the YouTube video of the crash. That split second before the moment of impact where you can see the panic in Shawn's face is scary, and if you've ever been in an accident you know that feeling, and it's terrible. Be careful out there people, be careful: 1,300HP Mercury Comet BRAKE FAILURE CRASH | AutotopiaLA