World's First 360-Degree Backflip In A Car

Updated: Monday, February 25, 2013, 12:51 [IST]

People at the Tignes ski resort yesterday witnessed an amazing stunt performed with a car by daredevil rally champion Guerlain Chicherit. 360 degree backflips performed on motorcycles is relatively commonplace. However, the 34 year old Frenchman managed to successfully pull off a 360 degree backflip in a car, becoming the first person ever to do so.

Without doubt, the stunt performed was an extremely dangerous one, but Guerlain Chicherit is no stranger to that, being a professional rally driver and a professional skier and has in fact remained four times world champion in freeriding.

Chicherit performed the 360 degree flip with a Mini Countryman, which was custom tuned for the purpose, driving towards a 25ft high ramp at a constant 37 mph (59.5 km/h) and managed to land perfectly on a specially built snow ramp.

In fact, he managed to perform the stunt successfully, not once, but twice - the first time alone and the second time in front of the crowd.

To do a 360 degree flip in a car is no small feat and Guerlain Chicherit took four years to train and perfect the technique.

"Before the jump it was crazy. I was alone in the car before the start and I just had to do it, everything was ready," Chicherit said.
"I had to arrive at 60kph [37mph] and be full throttle in the kicker to get the right rotation."
"In the jump, I knew the balance of the car was good and it took me maybe 20 seconds to realise I had landed on my wheels," he added.

Chicherit said, "When you attempt something nobody has ever achieved before, the stress is really high but the only way is to just try it."
"It wasn't the craziest thing I've ever done but for sure it's in the top three."