BBC's TV car show, Top Gear, took its Top Gear Live roadshow to South Africa and went completely loopy.
The buggy reaches to top of the second loop Image: BBC Top Gear |
The hit programme, with a global audience, visited South Africa's Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban - one of the venues for the 2010 World Cup. As part of the show, Top Gear's stunt team went for a record-breaking double loop in a powered buggy.
Named "The Deadly 720", a stunt driver had to blast the buggy through two loops on after the other at an average speed of 25mph (40kph).
Although this may sound relatively straightforward, the consequences of making a mistake were significant. Too slow and the buggy could fail to make the full rotation and drop from the top of the loop. Too fast and the driver could suffer a blackout as a result of the excessive G-Force.
Despite having failed in all three attempts during rehearsal, the show's stunt co-ordinators and scientists were certain that the maths added up and that the stunt was possible. With the buggy fitted with special hand controls to lock the accelerator once the correct speed had been reached, the Deadly 720 was attempted for the first time in front of a live audience.
The result was...success! The buggy successfully completed the 720 loop without a hitch, setting a new record as the first ever four wheeled vehicle to complete a double loop.