Man driving BMW E46 M3 race car loses a door at 173mph on the Nürburgring and has a very casual reaction of disbelief
Published on Aug 14, 2026 at 3:52 PM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Aug 14, 2026 at 3:52 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
When this BMW E46 M3 race car lost a door on the Nürburgring track, the driver had a remarkably casual reaction.
The footage was provided by Setra Motorsport and shared to Nürburgring’s YouTube channel.
In it, the car is shown racing along at 173mph before the door goes flying.
Under normal circumstances, this would be a driver’s worst nightmare – but this wasn’t under normal circumstances.
Nürburgring is the ultimate place for cars to show off their true power
If you’re a manufacturer wanting to show off your car’s capabilities, Nürburgring is the place you go to.
Whether it’s a driverless lap of a Chinese EV or in a Ford transit van, there’s records being set all the time on the iconic German track.
There’s even records being set there that no manufacturer would be bragging about.
But a video that’s been doing the rounds recently isn’t a record being set.
Unless that record is for the ‘world’s most nonchalant race car driver’.
When this BMW E46 M3 lost its door, the driver was very casual about it
This driver was barreling down the track like a bat out of hell.
Fairly standard fare for the Nürburgring track.
And then suddenly, the door came clean off and flew away.
In any other situation, something of this magnitude would immediately prompt an emergency slamming on the brakes.
But not for this driver.
In fact, it took him a few seconds to even look over to his right to assess what had just happened.
At which point, he simply turned his head back to the front and carried on his way.
Talk about casual.
The comments section of the video was filled with amused viewers.
“Would have been funnier if he didn’t even look over. ‘I’m too gangster to care’,” one wrote.
For many, this video could simply be summarized by one phrase – ‘Weight reduction’.
In that way, it could be viewed as practical.
We’re not quite so sure it’s practical for the other drivers on the track, but we digress.
Timeline of Nürburgring
1925 – 1927: Designed by Otto Creutz and Gustav Eichler to showcase German engineering. The inaugural race took place on June 18, 1927.
1930s: Era of the Silver Arrows, as Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union dominated the circuit.
1950s: The Nordschleife became a staple of the Formula 1 World Championship.
1968: Three-time F1 World Champion Sir Jackie Stewart dubbed the track ‘The Green Hell’ after winning in dense fog and torrential rain.
1970: F1 drivers boycotted the track over safety concerns, leading to the Armco barriers being added.
1982 – 1984: To bring top-tier motorsport back safely, a modern 4.5 km Grand Prix circuit (GP-Strecke) was built, partially over the old Südschleife. The new track opened in 1984 with an exhibition race featuring identical Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16 cars, won by a young Ayrton Senna.
1983: German driver Stefan Bellof set an incredible lap time of 6:11.13 in a Porsche 956 C—an all-time track record that would stand unchallenged for over three decades.
2018: Driving the unrestricted Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo, Timo Bernhard completed a lap of the Nordschleife in 5:19.546, breaking Bellof’s legendary mark by nearly 52 seconds.
Ben joined Supercar Blondie in February 2025 after being published by international organizations including LADbible, The Sun, the New York Post, and the Daily Mail. He covers supercars, rare and collectible vehicles, aviation, luxury assets, and the fascinating people behind them. His reporting has explored everything from seven-figure supercars and historic Ferrari collections to unusual aircraft adventures and extraordinary automotive discoveries from around the world. Ben has also gained first-hand insight into vehicle craftsmanship and customization, including visiting specialist workshops to see bespoke vehicles up close.
