Combining a daredevil with an automobile is usually a recipe for something: danger, stupidity, awesome. Sometimes all three. Here are the ten most amazing car stunts captured as chosen by Jalopnik readers.
Welcome back to Answers of the Day — our Jalopnik summer feature where we take the best ten responses from the previous day's Question of the Day and shine it up to show off. It's by you and for you, the Jalopnik readers. Enjoy!
Photo Credit:Dadness
10.) Mythbusters' Water-skimming Fiero
Suggested By: pwalke
Why It's Awesome: The crew at Mythbusters set out to answer the age-old question - Is it possible to skip a car? They took a Fiero, added hand-cut metal flames, nitrous, and a remote-control system and drove it into a man-made lake. Well, not exactly into...
Photo credit: Youtube
9.) Buick LeSabre Jump
Suggested By: drvanwyk
Why It's Awesome: I love this clip for a number of reasons. First, the cameraman and his assistant's dedication to safety. Thinking ahead and bringing walkie talkies to warn the driver of oncoming traffic is a stroke of genius. Second, the sound the flying Buick makes is awesome. Third, and finally, the sight of that LeSabre soaring majestically through the air reminds me that we can all do great things, if we put our minds to it.
Photo credit: Youtube
8.) Fifth Gear's Loop
Suggested By: car69
Why It's Awesome: The guys from England's other car show, Fifth Gear decide they want to see if the toy Hot Wheels loop can be recreated in real life. They send their stunt man Steve to do a number of tests and simulations, and then send him out in what looks like a Toyota. It ends up being pretty cool.
Photo credit: Youtube
7.) The Blues Brothers Mall Chase
Suggested By: CSUL
Why It's Awesome: If you thought Jeremy Clarkson in a tiny little Ford Fiesta through a mall was cool, check out Jake and Elwood Blues in a gigantic Dodge Monaco ex-cop car through a mall, chased by a whole mess of cops. The Dixie Square Mall in Harvey, Illinois had been closed for a couple of years before it was revived as a set for one of the best chase scenes in movie history. Now, it lives on forever as the coolest mall to ever host a chase scene.
Photo credit: Youtube
6.) The Italian Job
Suggested By: Cheeseslap
Why It's Awesome: Every single part of the big car chase from 1969's The Italian Job is impressive. From driving through the mall to the roof of the Fiat plant to the deleted car ballet scene in the huge hall to driving the Minis through the sewers and up into the back of the bus, the entire production is pretty mind-blowing. And because it was done 42 years ago, you can be absolutely certain someone actually did all of those things in a real car.
Photo credit: Youtube
5.) India's Ring of Death
Suggested By: Spiegelleggera
Why It's Awesome: We've all seen clips of the caged motorcycles circus attraction. Brave riders ride their bikes around the inside of this sphere of metal, barely missing each other in a highly choreographed display. This production in India takes it to another level. These guys seem to just be hanging out in a horizontal cylinder of death. Motorcycles, cars- it looks like rush hour in Mumbai in there. I'm sure there's some sort of choreography going on in an effort to keep everyone safe, right?
Photo credit: Youtube
4.) Bigfoot jumping a Boeing 727
Suggested By: mkbruin
Why It's Awesome: Ok, you're thinking, big deal. The monster truck is jumping an airpl- WHOA FIRE! Up until the giant columns of explosions appear in the background, this once-record-holding 202 foot long jump is sort of blah. But man, as soon as the giant fireballs show up, it's a show.
Photo credit: Youtube
3.) 1969 Chevelle Jumps Through Goalposts
Suggested By: Funnyrobin807
Why It's Awesome: Brian Carson in his flashing 1969 Chevelle SS drives up a ramp, jumps a simulated football field, puts his car through the goalposts for a field goal, and then crash lands more than halfway along a bed of other cars. There's fire, football, muscle cars, a world record, and the whole thing appears to take place outside a mall somewhere. It's many of the things that make America great all rolled up into one video.
Photo credit: Youtube
2.) Isuzu Gemini Ads
Suggested By: Maxximtl
Why It's Awesome: Designed to sell the second-generation of Isuzu Geminis, these ads are pretty sweet. Precision synchronized driving is cool, but precision synchronized driving underneath a pair of flying cars is even cooler. I particularly like the scene a little more than halfway in, where the two cars are jumping like dolphins along the bridge, but the entire clip is pretty impressive.
Photo credit: Youtube
1.) The Barrel Roll from The Man With the Golden Gun
Suggested By: hjkort
Why It's Awesome: Here, James Bond takes off from an old, broken bridge and throws his AMC Hornet into a 360 degree roll, safely landing on the other side. Stuntman "Bumps" Willard was behind the wheel for this outstanding maneuver, which was originally thought up as a test for new computer simulation software at the Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory. It lives on as quite possibly the most outstanding stunt in film.
Photo credit: Youtube