I carelessly drove over my hire car at 40-50 mph over a high speed hump (maybe 0.5 metres high). I am outside the UK and was under the speed limit. The car briefly lifted off the ground and the front smacked down REALLY hard on the other side of the speed hump. The suspension bottomed out and I think the front of the car impacted the ground.

Something is definitely damaged - the car looks OK from a brief visual examination (although the front bumper has a 1 cm gap on one side so must have been crunched when I touched down). I drove a few metres but could hear a nasty irregular grinding/crunching sound from the engine area and it felt a bit weird so I pulled over and parked. There is a nasty smell coming from the engine and the car now does not restart - all of the dashboard lights come on when I turn the ignition key but nothing happens.

I am waiting for the hire car company to bring me a replacement but am curious as to what damage is likely to have been done. Any suggestions in this regard?

It's an automatic so maybe the transmission or torque converter got bashed (hence the grinding/crunching noise when driving), The tires seem undamaged and the car seems to sit level and flat, but perhaps the suspension system or something on the wheels got bent too (although surely the tyres would pop first)? Maybe there is an oil leak? Maybe I bent the frame of the car?

PS I have been driving normal and hire cars for the past 15 years and this is the first time I have broken one...I am normally very careful...

Edited by cardriver99 on 12/08/2014 at 10:38