It could be described as the ultimate pin placement, or the best ever hole-in-one. Whichever, it took some skill.
Imagine trying to catch a golf ball, hit off the tee by a professional player and travelling for more than 270 metres. Now imagine catching it in a moving car!
That was the task set by Mercedes for golf professional Jake Shepherd and former F1 driver, David Coulthard to showcase the car maker's 571hp SLS AMG Roadster. As well as making the catch, the team set a new Guiness World Record for 'the farthest golf shot caught in a moving car.'
The golf ball left the 'tee' at an astonishing 178mph (286kph). Meanwhile, Coulthard had blasted up the runway of Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey, England, and was travelling at 120mph (193kph) in just over seven seconds. After only two attempts, Shepherd had managed to direct the ball in a straight enough arc to allow Coulthard to catch it in the cockpit of the open-roofed car.
According to Coulthard: “This world record attempt is definitely one of the most unusual things I’ve ever been asked to do with a car! Jake Shepherd was great to work with and the performance of the SLS AMG Roadster made driving to catch a mid-air golf ball even more exciting."
The stunt has been turned into a promotional film.