The Manoel Machinek car crash in northern Italy killed a man known to viewers as a reality TV contestant, but television was only one part of his life. Machinek, 37, was also a model, mechanical engineer, former American football player and committed car enthusiast.
He died on July 30 while driving a blue Porsche 993 Carrera RS during a reported advertising shoot near Gignese, on Mottarone Mountain north of Milan. Beyond the grief expressed by his partner and friends, the collision has left unresolved questions about permits, road control and safety arrangements for the production.
What happened on Mottarone Mountain?
The crash occurred at around 11 a.m. near a bend in the road, according to reports cited by Italian motoring outlet HDMotori. Machinek was said to have lost control of the Porsche, which overturned, left the road and struck trees.
Firefighters, paramedics and police attended the scene. Reports said Machinek died on impact and had to be cut from the severely damaged car.
The Porsche had reportedly been hired for filming believed to be connected to a commercial. A Milan-based production company was said to have organized the shoot, although neither the company nor its client had been publicly identified by August 4.
Filming was scheduled to continue later that day near Lake Maggiore but was suspended after the collision. No announcement from Italian investigators had established the cause of the crash, and no official findings had clarified whether speed, a mechanical problem, road conditions or another factor played a role.
Why are there questions about the film shoot?
Reports said inquiries were examining whether the road closure used during filming had been properly authorized. No public statement had confirmed who controlled the road, what permits were in place or which safety procedures governed the high-performance driving sequence.
Those details are especially important because the crash did not happen during ordinary travel. It occurred during an organized production involving a hired performance car on a mountain road.
The unanswered questions include:
- Which company had operational control of the shoot
- Whether the reported road closure had formal approval
- What risk assessment was conducted before filming
- Which safeguards and emergency plans were in place
- Whether Machinek was following a planned driving sequence when the car left the road
As of August 4, no identified Italian authority, Porsche, Austrian broadcaster ATV or production company had released a detailed account. That leaves a considerable gap between the reported circumstances and any official conclusion. A rare car and a difficult road may attract attention, but neither is an explanation by itself.
What kind of Porsche was involved?
The wrecked vehicle was reported to be a Porsche 993 Carrera RS, part of a limited mid-1990s series valued by collectors. One specialist listing puts production at 1,014 standard examples and 227 Clubsport versions.
The model used a 3.8-litre engine producing about 300 horsepower. Its rarity explains why images of the crushed blue Porsche circulated widely after the crash, although the model's specifications do not establish what caused the collision.
Machinek's connection to Porsche and automotive media extended beyond this shoot. A previous Porsche speculative advertisement credited him as its driver, indicating commercial driving experience. Classic Driver also reported that he presented its 2026 FuoriConcorso KraftMeister film.
Some early reports described Machinek as a professional driver. However, no accessible independent account confirmed that he competed professionally in motor racing. His documented career was principally in engineering, modelling and automotive projects rather than professional competition.
Who was Manoel Machinek beyond reality television?
Machinek appeared with his partner, Maria Maksimovic, on the 2022 season of ATV's Austrian reality series Forsthaus Rampensau. At the time, Austria's Krone described him as a model, engineer, former American football player and motorsport enthusiast.
Machinek told the outlet that his and Maksimovic's athletic backgrounds made them “strong competition.” Maksimovic said contestants had to remain “always on guard” against elimination.
Before television, Machinek played American football. He joined the Allgäu Comets as a linebacker in 2014 after being named defensive most valuable player for the Königsbrunn Ants.
His engineering work was less visible publicly but substantial. Machinek had a master's-level mechanical engineering background and was identified professionally as an engineer at Thyssenkrupp Presta in Liechtenstein. European patent records also name him as an inventor of an adjustable steering-column design assigned to Thyssenkrupp.
That career adds important context to the tributes describing his interest in cars. It was not simply an on-screen identity or social media theme. Automotive engineering and driving were recurring parts of his professional and personal life.
How have Maria Maksimovic and friends responded?
Maksimovic confirmed his death in an emotional Instagram tribute, writing that Machinek died “while doing something he loved more than almost anything else in this world: driving a car.”
She said the Porsche represented more to him than transportation and described his love of cars, roads and the freedom he felt while driving. “It breaks my heart that exactly what he loved so much became the moment I had to say goodbye to him,” she wrote.
BC Photography remembered Machinek as “a truly kind soul” who was funny, professional, generous and willing to help others. The photographer said Machinek had made a profound impression during only 72 hours spent working together.
Professional racing driver Ahmed Scotland called him “my friend, my brother” and “one of the most passionate gearheads I've ever known.” Scotland also acknowledged the risks involved when people drive powerful cars near their limits for work.
The tributes explain why Machinek's death has resonated beyond a single reality TV appearance. Friends and colleagues remembered someone whose enthusiasm for cars was tied to his engineering work, creative projects and relationships. The investigation now has the more clinical task of determining how a controlled production ended in a fatal crash.
