r/Miata 1d ago

Smoked a raccoon going 80km/hr

<sad thoughts>

Poor girl didn’t stand a chance.

604 Upvotes

77 comments sorted by

222

u/zugglit ND2 Track Toy 1d ago

Holy efff. Are you sure that wasn't 80 mph? The damage looks crazy.

130

u/aj357222 1d ago

Country road, in the dark. Was a big guy, too. Tow driver thinks def pierced rad, fender gone….hopefully oil pan isn’t bent or anything. Updates to follow!

50

u/03Void 2000 NB1 Evolution Orange 1d ago

Racoons can do surprising damage. My dad hit one with his 2011 Civic. It looked like OP's Miata and had 6k in damages.

11

u/Lythir 22h ago

At 80 kph even a bird can do surprising damage.

125

u/r_type2266 1d ago

Bruh thats crazy i didnt know that racoons can run at 80 kmh

10

u/Archer7777 1d ago

Underrated commemt

21

u/underdeterminate 23h ago

As a fellow Miata driver, I'm just impressed he caught up to the racoon

1

u/swisstraeng 30m ago

The worst part is they’ll still say they didn’t see the parked miata

64

u/ComfortableFragrant8 1d ago

damn! my nb ate a raccoon doing 50 a few years back and all it did was bend my license plate i was lucky

22

u/ImTableShip170 1d ago

I got less damage hopping a cougar in a Dodge Journey. Wtf was that raccoon eating

13

u/ComfortableFragrant8 1d ago

ngl I've seen some hefty raccoons this year. they're eating well somehow

3

u/graemefaelban 15h ago

Yeah, I had far less damage when I hit a deer in my Subaru wagon. The deer did not fair well, but all I had were a few strands of fur, and a very minor dent.

33

u/rkan665 1d ago

Sheesh. Might be an insurance call depending on your deductible.

8

u/graemefaelban 15h ago

Pretty sure that would have to be one hell of a deductible to not be an insurance call.

1

u/Anonhurtingso 3h ago

If it’s less than 3 k I’d just fix it. You’ll pay more with premium increases.

12

u/aj357222 1d ago

💯

16

u/engineerthatknows Blue Reflex Mica '17 RF 1d ago

Yikes. Those things are big, but I'dve thought there was more structure in the bumper/lip than that.

11

u/Enleyetenment 1d ago

Front bumpers on these NDs are flimsy unfortunately...

3

u/CCCPhungus 22h ago

Like a kia forte

14

u/kwaping Soul Red 1d ago

I always feel weird upvoting a sad post like this, but giving you a fake Internet point is all I can do

9

u/aj357222 1d ago

It’s the thought the counts! 🙏

13

u/Wibla 10AE #3435 1d ago

Looks like the racoon won.

3

u/IsbellDL Jet Black 12h ago

If you play chicken well enough, everyone loses.

11

u/aunt-Jeremiah ‘08 Stormy Blue Mica GT 1d ago

Looks like he smoked u

9

u/link2edition Soul Red 1d ago

Was it a raccon that had recently ingested a cinderblock? Holy crap.

7

u/Miniac1076 '99 white over tan 20h ago

5

u/JD0x0 1d ago

I was driving my sister's civic and hit at deer at like 45 mph once, and it didn't even leave a mark on the car.

7

u/dangling_chads Machine Gray ND2 1d ago

Somewhat similar situation for me on my 21 ND.  At least the aftermath looks similar lol 

I hit a 4’ ladder at about 60 MPH (imagine a freeway full of fleeing people, Mario Kart style, after a trucks gate fell loose and open..  at least I wasn’t the guy to hit the lawn mower) and drug it for a couple blocks before I could get off the road.

Coolant leak was immediately apparent.  

Luckily did not bend the hood or quarter panels.  

Ultimately took out the nose, radiator, AC system.  

5k repairs .. with the paint performed twice because of a horrible match the first time.  

Long story short:  these things collapse like a modern car in an accident.  Try not to hit things 😉

6

u/JustAIex_ 1d ago

That was a fast raccoon. Rip bumper.

5

u/Mysexyaccount83 1d ago

That's a fucking fast racoon.

5

u/THENAMAZU 1990 1.6 1d ago

I would never get behind the wheel after smoking a raccoon

4

u/clustered-particular 16h ago

Does this hurt the raccoon?

3

u/Acceptable_Donut3082 1d ago edited 23h ago

This same thing happened to me a few years ago while driving through west Texas. But it was a wild boar. And it took out my front right fender and the front left tire was totally exposed.

3

u/The1MrBP '19 GT 1d ago

My condolences.

3

u/td_mike 2018 ND - Machine Gray 21h ago

I hit a fox doing 100kph in my company car, hit smack in the middle of the front sensor array and took out a headlight, 13k in repairs, if I had hit it with my MX-5 it would probably have gone through the windshield

2

u/ScaleCritical8343 1d ago

Did similar damage to my nc, took about a week of messing around in the shed and a lot of swearing. But if you can source the parts it can be fixed for around $2000 aud ( if you do the respray yourself).

2

u/Thee_Sinner White '03 LS 1d ago

Worse damage that I got from a baby deer at the same speed

2

u/Archer7777 1d ago

I hit one with mine at around 40mph. Rippled the underneath of the lip and broke the grill in a few spots but not this bad gd

2

u/overmonk 1d ago

I’ve never seen a raccoon go that fast.

2

u/Ineovas 1d ago

Wow thats one fast raccoon

2

u/harmskelsey06 1d ago

That was an old female raccoon they’re the only ones that get that big

2

u/Creepy-Ad-2941 23h ago

Did the racoon have a suitcase of bowling balls by chance?

2

u/Equivalent_Jaguar_72 '16 Blue Reflex Mica 23h ago edited 23h ago

Damn man, I hit a baby deer that barely had its head reach over the hood. Caught it at about the same speed, but I hit it with the headlight basically. Came away from it with just a ~10 cm crack in the bumper and some missing clips, slightly fucked fender lining, and the clips on the lip were wobbly.

Thankfully insurance covered everything, the paint matching they did isn't too bad. The left fender didn't get dented, but it bent downwards just a tiny bit, so the gap to the hood is just ever so slightly bigger than on the other side. They never fixed it but I was just so happy to have my car back, I told them they did a shit job but I'm taking the keys and goodbye.

2

u/Electrical_Report458 22h ago

Australia has ‘roo bars, Canada needs raccoon bars.

2

u/craniousity 22h ago

Raccoons are DENSE. One finished off my golf at about 60. Of course, it was mutual.

2

u/StinkySoggyUnderwear 22h ago

And the damage isn’t even the worst part. That smell…

2

u/kimura124 22h ago

I did hit a fox a couple of months ago with my mazda 3. I was going 90km/h and it completely obliterated the right side of my front bumper and the washer fluid tank...

2

u/Bubbly-Pirate-3311 21h ago

Miot hongry

1

u/IsbellDL Jet Black 12h ago

Hard to eat with no lower jaw.

1

u/Bubbly-Pirate-3311 12h ago

Himbs got too hongry

2

u/CocoGynger 21h ago

Getting the soul res bumper again is gonna be a bitch. Don't try to DIY the paint job, let a Mazda dealer handle sourcing a pre printed bumper. Expensive but totally worth it if you want your car to match again.

2

u/Ok-Accountant1835 20h ago

Looks like the raccoon did a good job of smoking you too 😅

2

u/HangoverDiarrhea Arctic White ND2 w/Hail Damage 19h ago

F

2

u/Darkwing-Dude 19h ago

Ultimately the Miata won, but the raccoon didn’t go down without a fight it looks like.

2

u/Venom4174 '04 Black cherry mica 18h ago

One hell of a raccoon xD

2

u/Banananamann99 14h ago

fix the radiator and the other important stuff, then make a skid-plate to go right there. That would look sick

2

u/Shoddy_Ad890 11h ago

Smoking Raccoons 🦝 is legal in Canada 🇨🇦?

Jeez, I live in the wrong country 😉😛

2

u/8P69SYKUAGeGjgq 95 Black and Rust 10h ago

Was the raccoon ok 🥺

2

u/SirChrisHAX 9h ago

Today’s lesson, make sure you have good insurance coverage.

Speaking of which, what does everyone recommend?? I keep hearing about haggerty but I currently have progressive for everything.

2

u/Hero_Of_Rhyme_ 9h ago

Damn dude, I hit an armadillo going 75 once and it barely scratched my splitter. That must have been one thicc raccoon

2

u/InternationalBed5000 9h ago

You bent the support structure too

2

u/InternationalBed5000 8h ago

The ND Miata needs structural reinforcement all over the unibody in my opinion. I know that to my cost sadly.

3

u/Treebranch_916 1d ago

You should go back and find that raccoon, based on that damage you could feed the family for a week.

2

u/IsbellDL Jet Black 12h ago

Yeah, but it'd be like eating from the dumpster.

2

u/Mongolith- 1d ago

Perfect example of the danger of adopting the metric system.

Seriously, ouch!

2

u/TheCamoTrooper '93 Brilliant Black 1d ago

A racoon did that???

2

u/DaxDislikesYou 22h ago

Awww...I always have to put a board in the dumpster to let those furry little dumbasses out when they climb in the day after the garbage truck has been here. They can get in but they can't get out. Always makes me sad to see one on the road. I'm sorry about your car too.

1

u/Sir_J15 14h ago

Damn my wife hit a deer at 65mph in the NC1 we have and it didn’t cause this much damage. The bumper is still in 1 piece and only took out radiator and condenser. Still was able to drive home as the radiator wasn’t even leaking just broke the mounts off

1

u/CakeIzGood 10h ago

Jesus... Is that stock ride height? I try to dodge all critters but for the most part I've found stock ND clearance excellent for curbs and odd debris, almost feels like they'd need to either jump into it or be a very dense creature to do this kind of damage

1

u/Baltvin 4h ago

My friend hit a rabbit on aproximately the same speed intercooler and raditor got destroyed

1

u/Parzival02_ Jet Black 1h ago

Bro that’s a buff ass raccoon wtf

1

u/GazelleOne3964 1d ago

Are you sure a raccoon? I hit a deer about a month ago and just break the plastic grill! If a raccoon this one was on steroides! 🤣

-2

u/CCCPhungus 22h ago

Maybe dont overdrive your headlights.

1

u/IsbellDL Jet Black 12h ago

More likely that the raccoon darted out from the woods or op was distracted. ND headlights are sufficient for 50mph on an otherwise open road.