Crazy car stunts that are hard to believe!

In this video, a truck with a trailer will jump 25 meters; you will see how the Nürburgring is navigated on two wheels; we will show a loop-the-loop in a car and many other amazing car stunts. And at the end, we will talk about a car that drove on a tightrope like a real tightrope walker and about a crazy car jump, landing from which required a parachute!

In 2014, a new world record for long jumps was set… with a truck. The Renault truck from the Lotus team, which transports equipment for Formula 1, jumped off a ramp and covered a distance of 25 meters. The driver of the vehicle was the famous stuntman Mike Ryan, who had previously performed car stunts in the movie "Terminator 2." He is credited with the spectacle that was observed by experts from the Guinness World Records.

But it’s not just the fact of flying that makes this stunt incredible. Of course, it takes immense courage to take off in a truck. However, Mike Ryan also allowed a racing car to pass underneath the flying vehicle he was driving. In the supercar was Russian Martin Ivanov – a hereditary stuntman known for his stunts in action films about James Bond and Jason Bourne.

The partner of Lotus was the American company EMC, which provides IT services to the racing team. The company helped calculate the optimal speed and angle for entering the ramp. Additionally, the truck was specially modified for this jump: the cabin, driver's seat, and suspension were reinforced, and the connection between the trailer and the tractor was designed in such a way that the truck wouldn’t "break" in half.

The truck accelerated to 113 km/h, precisely entered the ramp, and flew a record 25.48 m. This was enough for the Formula Lotus to pass underneath it. None of the stuntmen or organizers of the stunt were injured. Only the bumper and suspension of the tractor sustained minor damage upon landing.

Nürburgring Nordschleife is a grand racing track in Germany for speed enthusiasts. The length of the route is 20.8 kilometers. The sharp turns and hilly sections make this track extremely challenging and demanding for drivers. Nordschleife is often referred to as the "Green Hell."

Chinese professional driver Han Yue decided to tackle this difficult route on just two wheels. And no, it's not about a motorcycle. An English Mini Cooper was used for the run.

It took the driver 45 minutes and 59 seconds to complete the track in this two-wheeled position. The journey was full of challenges - wet asphalt, sunlight hitting directly in the eyes. There were also other problems besides the weather. Yue mentioned that at the beginning of the lap, he experienced a strange vibration from the rear tire, which forced him to maintain a low speed during the lap, only about 27 km/h (17 mph). The driver also noted that he began to feel pain in his shoulder after just a quarter of the way.

Nürburgring manager Mirko Markwort shared his thoughts on the world record achievement: "We are very proud that Han Yue chose Nordschleife for this, one of the most difficult and challenging racing tracks in the world."

0348 Do you love parallel parking? It often becomes a major challenge for novice drivers. In 2011, German stuntman Ronny Wesselberger managed to fit a Volkswagen Polo into a space that was only 26 cm longer than the car itself. At that time, it seemed like a record for all time. But soon, Chinese driver Zheng Da Zong managed to reduce this distance to 24 cm, and Italian Patrick Folco proved that a good driver needs the parking space to be only 22 cm longer than the car's dimensions. In 2012, the aforementioned Chinese driver Han Yue decided that this was still too much distance and managed to park a Mini Cooper S in a space that was only 15 cm longer than the length of the car. This is roughly the size of your palm.

All these drivers seemed to be doing the impossible. Record after record, the distance was rapidly decreasing. And now, the latest mark has been broken - making the distance even smaller seemed simply unreal. But professionals proved otherwise.

In July 2013, British racer Alister Moffat parked a car in a space just 8.6 cm longer than the length of the vehicle. But Han Yue did not let that stand. He reduced the distance to 8 cm. However, the British driver was truly persistent, and in 2015, a Fiat 500C driven by Moffat elegantly fit between two other similar hatchbacks, with the distance between them exceeding the length of the car by only 7.5 cm. To this day, this figure stands as the world record. Just imagine! 7.5 cm! It's incredible!

In addition to parallel parking, turning a car in a limited space can also be quite challenging. The police turn is considered one of the simplest tricks in the arsenal of stunt drivers, provided the maneuvering space is not too restricted. However, turning a car in a tiny spot can only be done by a true ace.

Significant success in this area has been achieved by British driver Alister Moffat. He is the one who also holds the previous record. Behind the wheel of a Subaru BRZ, he managed to turn between two rows of cars with only 2.25 m of space to spare. Alister Moffat set his record run in early 2016. The previous record also belonged to him, but the distance between the rows of cars exceeded the overall length of his vehicle by 2.5 m.

Those who have ever had the chance to ride roller coasters with elements where the cart makes a full 360-degree turn will confirm that the loop is indeed an exhilarating attraction that can deliver vivid emotions and an adrenaline rush. Not everyone will dare to ride in such a train's cabin. Even with the assurance that you will definitely make it and be safe, as others have done it hundreds of times before you.

British stuntman Terry Grant became the first to conquer a 19.08 m loop in a car. In September 2015, the English brand Jaguar celebrated its 80th anniversary and organized a grand show in honor of this. For this, two giant numbers "8" and "0" were constructed, with the latter representing a ramp in the shape of a loop. The F-Pace crossover was to drive up it on its wheels.

Such a stunt in an ordinary production car looks incredible, although from a physics standpoint, it can be explained quite simply. While moving through the loop, British stuntman Terry Grant, who was driving the Jaguar, experienced vertical overloads of 6.5 g. This means that the centrifugal force pressing the car against the ramp's surface exceeded the car's own weight by more than five times. The wheels themselves did not tend to detach from the surface, but Terry Grant needed to follow the axial line very precisely. Otherwise, even with a slight touch against the side barriers, the car would quickly lose speed, and with it, the centrifugal force that kept it on the ramp.

Once, Hot Wheels collectible cars with their commercials were at the peak of popularity. But the familiar advertising campaigns have long since faded into the past. Therefore, in 2011, representatives of Hot Wheels announced an upcoming incredible show.

At the “Indianapolis 500” races, a track was built that precisely mirrored the orange toy track. Engineers spent over a year planning and constructing such an unusual full-scale object. At the upcoming show, an unknown driver was to make an unreal jump in a four-wheeled vehicle. The identity of the driver was kept a secret until the last moment.

And so, on May 29, 2011, behind the wheel of the yellow car was American racer Tanner Faust. The car approached a nearly vertical road, the height of which was equivalent to a 10-story building. The spectators held their breath.

Starting to move, the yellow car reached a speed of 170 km/h (105 mph) within a minute, at which point it soared off the ramp. Flying a full 100 meters, easily crossing the gap between the two parts of the track, the car successfully landed and came to a stop without damage. This jump set a new world record for distance and was also entered into the Guinness World Records.

Stunts are performed not only for world records. At first glance, this may seem true due to the abundance of the fastest or most agile racers in our selection. However, it would be unfair not to mention some instances where stunt performers risked their lives for the sake of art. We're talking about cinema.

The car stunt from the 1974 James Bond film "The Man with the Golden Gun" is considered one of the most insane and impressive in film history. In it, the car driven by Bond (played by Roger Moore) makes a jump with a flip over a river.

For the stunt, a special ramp was built to launch the car into the air at the right angle. The stunt driver, known as "Bams" Villiard, had to hit the ramp at a specific speed to perform a corkscrew in the air.

The stunt was incredibly dangerous and required careful planning and preparation. The filmmakers used several cameras to capture it from different angles, and the footage was then edited into one scene. It all worked out. This legendary stunt set a new standard for action scenes in films and inspired countless imitators.

For example, Adrian Chenney, who did something similar with his car at the Wildman’s competition. He performed a jump off a ramp. At that moment, the car executed a 360-degree turn in the air and then landed perfectly on its wheels!

Drifting is a driving technique where the rear wheels lose traction with the road, and the car begins to slide sideways. The driver skillfully controls this state by adjusting the angle of drift and direction of movement.

The record for the longest drift belongs to German racer Harald Müller. In July 2014, he drove onto a circular asphalt area in the Turkish city of Samsun and initiated a deep drift with a Toyota GT86 coupe. The sliding did not stop lap after lap. The car only came to a halt after 2 hours, 21 minutes, and 58 seconds, covering a distance of 144.126 km in continuous drift.

While the longest drift races are conducted with production or nearly production cars, more serious machines are required for the fastest drift. The most recent record was set in April 2016 with a specially prepared Nissan GT-R Nismo, whose power was increased from 600 to 1500 hp. Behind the wheel was Masato Kawabata, the champion of Japan in drifting, who managed to send the supercar into a controlled drift at a speed of 304.96 km/h. The drift angle reached 30 degrees.

In the hands of non-professionals, car drifting can be a dangerous tool. However, these racers managed to showcase the pinnacle of skill and overcome the challenges.

In 2008, stuntman Liu Sochzu, known in China as the "King of Cars," performed a truly unique stunt. He drove 230 meters over the Milo River in the city of Pingjiang on two taut steel cables. The height at which these cables were suspended—45 meters—made this stunt particularly thrilling and risky.

Driving a car on cables requires incredible concentration, balance, and skill. Liu Sochzu had to precisely control the speed, steering, and balance of the vehicle to successfully navigate this incredibly challenging route. Additionally, the driver maintained constant communication with the stunt organizers via radio during the ride. This allowed for coordination of actions and awareness of any changes or issues, monitoring the situation from both inside and outside.

The final minutes of the stunt were the most difficult for Liu Sochzu due to the steep incline and limited visibility. The driver had to make forced stops several times at the end of the route to assess the situation and prepare for further maneuvers.

Such stunts come with significant risks, and stunt performers expose themselves to enormous danger. Successfully executing such a stunt is a testament to the driver's outstanding professionalism and dedication to their craft.

We have already looked at the longest, highest jumps here. But what if the landing is not planned on a neighboring ramp, but in a river?

Kenny Powers, a well-known racer and stuntman, agreed to a crazy adventure in 1979. He was to jump over the St. Lawrence River in a Lincoln Continental car with a rocket engine.

Interestingly, this stunt was originally supposed to be performed by another stuntman - Ken Carter, a good friend of Powers. But the organizers believed that he was hesitant about the jump and would not participate. And at the last minute, the stuntman was replaced.

The height of the ramp from which Kenny was going to jump was so significant that falling from it into the water could be compared to a car falling from a 10-story building to the ground. This meant that the speed of the car at the moment of falling was enormous, and the impact force upon contact with the water could cause significant damage to both the car and the driver. It could even cost him his life.

Therefore, an important element of the stunt was the braking parachute attached to the car. It was supposed to slow down the vehicle before entering the water from a height. But it did not fully deploy. The designers did not account for the aerodynamics, and the car disintegrated in the air, reaching a takeoff speed of 290 km/h.

The stunt was performed, but not in the way it was planned. Kenny Powers fell into the water at a tremendous speed, but fortunately, he survived. The man broke eight vertebrae, three ribs, and his wrist. The last thing he asked when he was taken away in an ambulance was, "Did I make it?".

All the stunts in the video are performed by professionals, so it is not advisable to try to replicate them. Life and safety should come first!