Who can forget the thrill of defeating the laws of physics (from the safety of mum’s kitchen floor!) when your favourite toy car made its first ever ‘loop the loop’ around a Hot Wheels track?

Now, in a world record stunt conceived by Dunlop EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) and TV show Fifth Gear for broadcast in a special Dunlop-sponsored episode, the trick has been carried out for real – on Dunlop tyres.

Making this greatest-ever car stunt happen required the help of ex-Special Forces soldier and James Bond stuntman Steve Truglia. Steve’s roster of world records is matched by a sack full of Fifth Gear exploits, including teaching the presenters how to roll a car at speed. But driving a car upside-down was a major test, even for him.

World-famous Bond stunt engineers Bickers Action were entrusted with the job of building a 40 foot loop sturdy enough to hold a speeding car. Dr Hugh Hunt, senior lecturer in mechanical dynamics from Cambridge University's Department of Engineering, spelled out the physics and the raw danger of the stunt. If Steve didn’t hit the ramp at the perfect speed he would be in for the biggest accident of his life.

For the final element of ultimate control and precision, the car was fitted with standard Dunlop tyres.

Truglia went for it. Though it bottomed out sharply on entry, the Dunlop-shod car held a stable line perfectly around the loop, even in the fully-inverted middle phase where precise contact and tyre response were especially vital. Onboard cameras recorded every second and put the viewer in the driving seat. Steve's never yet failed to make a stunt, but he was quick to give credit to the Dunlop’s that gave him the total confidence he needed to nail this one – the toughest stunt of his life.

"Coming down the other side of the loop, it wasn’t just a case of holding the wheel and hoping for the best – I was definitely steering there," said Truglia. "Luckily the Dunlop’s stuck like glue."

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