Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Jonny Greaves jumps 301 feet to claim 2WD truck record]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/21/jonny-greaves-jumps-301-feet-to-claim-2wd-truck-record/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/21/jonny-greaves-jumps-301-feet-to-claim-2wd-truck-record/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/21/jonny-greaves-jumps-301-feet-to-claim-2wd-truck-record/#commentsFiled under:



A little over a year ago a stunt driver named Chris Morena took a Dodge pickup off a dealer lot, installed a roll cage, racing seat and metal bracing for the bed, then used it to jump over a slew of cars and through two fireballs. He was only trying to go 134 feet. Instead, he went 193 feet and set a jumping distance record in a pickup.

Until a few days ago. That's when race driver Jonny Greaves took his closed-course 2WD racing truck and jumped 301 feet and happily remained alive to talk about it. Employing a bit of Back to the Future precision, calculations had worked out that his truck had to be the end of the jump ramp going 105.5 mph and, managing to hit that, he went exactly 301 feet. It isn't car launching, but it's now the mark to beat for 2WD trucks.

Just as impressive, Greaves had been doing practice runs that went as far as 200 feet before the record-setting attempt, and he nailed those as well. Perhaps Travis Pastrana, who's had slightly less luck on the run-up to his 270-foot New Year's Eve stunt, might want to give Greaves a ring.

[Source: Race Dezert]

Jonny Greaves jumps 301 feet to claim 2WD truck record originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>etcjonny greavesJonnyGreavesjumpstuntstuntsworld recordWorldRecordMon, 21 Dec 2009 07:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Travis Pastrana reportedly plans to jump from bridge to barge on New Year's Eve]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/19/report-travis-pastrana-to-jump-from-bridge-to-barge-on-new-year/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/19/report-travis-pastrana-to-jump-from-bridge-to-barge-on-new-year/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/19/report-travis-pastrana-to-jump-from-bridge-to-barge-on-new-year/#commentsFiled under: , ,



In the same way that just about anything under Sir Richard Branson's "Virgin" umbrella has come to mean hip and edgy, things affixed with the "Red Bull" stamp are coming to mean "That's frickin' crazy!" Last year for New Year's Eve Robbie Maddison took his motorbike and leaped on to the 96-foot Arc de Triomphe replica in Las Vegas, then jumped the 96 feet back down to the ground.

This year for Red Bull's New Year, No Limits stunt, Travis Pastrana wants to break the record for the longest jump in his rallying Subaru. He'll be launching from the Pine Street Pier in Long Beach and hoping to make it onto a landing ramp more than 270 feet away. In between the pier and the ramp: 250 feet of water.

Pastrana's going for an old school jump, opting not to use a specially prepared car for the trick. Pastrana says he wants to drive out of the stunt and get back to the party, but also mentions Spanky Spangler as inspiration. Spangler did a 225-foot jump in a Chevy Nova, but he landed in the water -- on purpose. From 270 feet away, flying through the air, Pastrana's attempt to land on a barge will be like trying to alight on a pencil. If nothing else, it should make some excellent TV, and if he makes it unhurt a great start to the New Year.

[Source: AP | Image credit: TravisPastrana.com]

Travis Pastrana reportedly plans to jump from bridge to barge on New Year's Eve originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>etcholidayjumpnew years eveNewYearsEvenyered bullRedBullstuntsubarutravis pastranaTravisPastranatrickMon, 19 Oct 2009 08:57:00 EST<![CDATA[<i>Fifth Gear</i> attempts world's biggest loop-the-loop]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/19/i-fifth-gear-i-attempts-worlds-biggest-loop-the-loop/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/19/i-fifth-gear-i-attempts-worlds-biggest-loop-the-loop/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/19/i-fifth-gear-i-attempts-worlds-biggest-loop-the-loop/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Stuntman Steve Truglia attempts what is believed to be the tallest loop-the-loop by a real car

We've heard that 'Ring times have become the de facto benchmark for performance cars of late, but this is ridiculous. Not so much a ring as a loop, stuntman Steve Truglia just attempted to drive a Toyota Aygo through a 40-foot loop for the (other) British motor show, Fifth Gear. The stunt was filmed at a Suffolk airbase, and was planned by a team that included a Cambridge physicist.

While anyone with a Hot Wheels track growing up might know that the stunt can be done, a real-world reenactment with a real car and real driver is so dangerous it is referred to as the "Death Loop" by professional stuntmen. While it might seem that a driver could merely power in at a high speed to carry enough momentum to complete the loop, the truth is that the g-forces on the driver at anything above 30 mph can be catastrophic. So stuntman Steve Truglia trained with jet pilots to learn techniques that would help him deal with the centripetal forces.

The car also had to be chopped to increase its approach and departure angles. He had to enter the loop at precisely 37 mph, then immediately slowed to 16 mph as the modified Toyota went up and over. Did he succeed? You'll have to watch the special episode this Saturday, or at least find the torrent. We don't think we're giving too much away to say that Steve plans something even bigger for his next stunt, even though it doesn't involve a car. He plans to skydive, from space.

There's a video montage of Truglia's work, where he talks about the science behind the stunts, after the jump.

[Source: The Daily Mail]

Continue reading Fifth Gear attempts world's biggest loop-the-loop

Fifth Gear attempts world's biggest loop-the-loop originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 19 May 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fifth gearFifthGearloop the loopLoopTheLoopSteve TrugliaSteveTrugliastuntstuntmanstuntsTue, 19 May 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Speed saves? Saleen Mustang stunt driver evades gunman]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/22/speed-saves-saleen-mustang-stunt-driver-evades-gunman/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/22/speed-saves-saleen-mustang-stunt-driver-evades-gunman/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/22/speed-saves-saleen-mustang-stunt-driver-evades-gunman/#commentsFiled under: ,

On his way home one night, Chris Wilks was driving his black 1999 Saleen Mustang in Dallas when a mysterious Chevy Avalanche drove up beside him as though the driver wanted to say something. Used to the attention his 425h-p muscle car attracted, Wilks thought nothing of it and kept on driving. Up ahead, the two vehicles came to a stop light, and suddenly the passenger in the Chevy pulled out a gun and fired at the Mustang.

Wilks accelerated out of the scene, the bullet missing both the driver and car, but eventually the crazed Chevy caught up and began firing once again. Using skills learnt during a previous stint as a stunt driver, Wilks managed to get away once again and then dialed 911. He then began chasing the pickup himself in an attempt to get its license plate.

Barreling down the highway at 100 mph, the pickup eventually lost control and crashed into a shed containing a propane tank, which exploded. Nobody was seriously injured and police managed to arrest an 18- and 19-year old after finding a .45-caliber pistol. Sadly, Wilks may now be selling the car that possibly saved his life.

Thanks for the tip, Matt!

[Source: Dallas News]

Speed saves? Saleen Mustang stunt driver evades gunman originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Aug 2007 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>MustangSaleenSaleen MustangSaleenMustangstuntstunt driverStuntDriverWed, 22 Aug 2007 19:01:00 EST<![CDATA[How'd they do that? Driving tricks from the Bourne Ultimatum]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/11/howd-they-do-that-driving-tricks-from-the-bourne-ultimatum/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/11/howd-they-do-that-driving-tricks-from-the-bourne-ultimatum/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/11/howd-they-do-that-driving-tricks-from-the-bourne-ultimatum/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Doesn't it always look so convincing? Star lead actor is frantically sawing at the wheel, and when it cuts back to the wide, damn if that wasn't a perfectly clipped apex, with a tinge of four wheel drift counteracted by just the right amount of opposite lock. Even Steve McQueen couldn't pull it off for Bullitt. The real story behind all those inspiring scenes of cars whipping hither and yon is that they're piloted by stunt drivers who have one of the best car guy jobs ever.

There's a nice little sequel to a sequel quietly making its way to theaters, perhaps you've heard of the Bourne Ultimatum? Besides offering a cinematic venue for Matt Damon to further cement his status as a cross between James Bond and John McClane, its serving as a nice little advertisement for Volkswagen's second generation Touareg. Several of the vehicles were given the General Lee treatment (i.e. a couple were kept nice, a whole bunch were thrashed and trashed) during the 140 days of production. Even the stunt drivers were impressed at how the Touaregs just hunkered down and took whatever abuse they were thrown. To get all those bitchin' shots requires maneuvers that'd make you screw up your face in horror. We're talking about things you wouldn't even do to a rented car.

[Source: Telegraph.co.uk]

Continue reading How'd they do that? Driving tricks from the Bourne Ultimatum

How'd they do that? Driving tricks from the Bourne Ultimatum originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 11 Aug 2007 10:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bournedamondriverfilmmattmodificationmoviestuntultimatumSat, 11 Aug 2007 10:52:00 EST<![CDATA[Top Gear in trouble over salt flat stunt]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/09/top-gear-in-trouble-over-salt-flat-stunt/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/09/top-gear-in-trouble-over-salt-flat-stunt/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/09/top-gear-in-trouble-over-salt-flat-stunt/#commentsFiled under:

Top Gear has earned the ire of environmentalists yet again, this time for driving cars over the Makgadikgadi salt plains in Botswana. All three presenters of the British car show drove across the plains while filming a segment, leaving trails that could remain there for decades. Usually, you are only allowed to go over if you're on a quad bike and must still remain in single file.

The region is home to the largest salt pan in the world (take that, Bonneville!) and covers an area of 16,000sq km. Though there was some concern about the damage they caused directly to the salt plains, environmentalists are more worried about the example their drive will set for other visitors.

A BBC spokesperson said the ecology of the area was taken in to account when filming and no conservation areas were touched.

Jeremy Clarkson and his team have always disliked environmentalists and this latest run-in isn't expected to change anything.

[Source: Metro UK]

Top Gear in trouble over salt flat stunt originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Jul 2007 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>James MayJamesMayJeremy ClarksonJeremyClarksonRichard HammondRichardHammondstuntTop GearTopGearMon, 09 Jul 2007 12:29:00 EST