Remember... ...don't try this at home.
Whoa! [ Chuckles ]
We're what you call experts!
[ Laughs ]
In three...
...two...
[ engine revs ]
...one.
Let's go!
[ Screams ]
I'm going to throw you off the cliff road, loser.
[ Tire screech ]
Oh, yeah.
Don't mess with a hyneman.
Tory: you can actually drive a mustang up a corvette's hood
And use it like a ramp.
Oh, no!
Yes!
Oh [bleep]
[ Laughs ]
This is terrifying.
Whoa!
Narrator: who are the mythbusters?
Adam savage...
oh, and it's away!
Narrator: ...and jamie hyneman.
It's very hard on a car if you do that.
Between them, more than 30 years of special-Effects experience.
Together with grant imahara...
this is totally crazy.
...kari byron...
time to wreck this car.
...and tory belleci.
There's something you don't see every day.
Narrator: they don't just tell the myths.
Holy...
they put them to the test.
-- captions by vitac -- www.Vitac.Com
Captions paid for by discovery communications
All right, sir, i want to paint a scenario for you.
Okay.
Picture in your mind's eye a winding mountain road,
Cliffs on both sides, deadly ravines below.
I'm there.
Now picture two cars driving on that road side by side,
Each attempting to knock the other off out into the abyss.
Go on.
Now, hollywood would have us believe
That such a contest is an extended one,
That it is in fact very difficult
To knock someone off a road when they don't want to be.
But we want to find out how difficult it actually is.
Exactly.
Time to get our neck braces.
Neck braces, and at the alameda naval base,
Plenty of wide, open, crash-Tastic space.
Now, the myth is that if you want to run someone off the road
With your car while they're in a car,
It's really difficult to do.
Attention "mythbuster" watchers, it's time to lay out our course.
At least, that is what generations of hollywood movies
Have led us to believe,
That it involves lots of crashing and resistance
And it is a non-Trivial maneuver.
But just how hard is it is the question we aim to answer today.
Narrator: an answer they'll find
By hitting their one-Mile red-Coned road
And then each other
Until one of them goes over the edge of the imaginary abyss.
[ Engines rev ]
All right, jamie, you ready?
This is gonna be fun.
I'm ready.
The hardest part is gonna be not letting it escalate.
Running each other off the road starting in...
this is like... ...three...
...enclosed fighting.
...two...
it's gonna be scrappy.
...one.
Go!
[ Tires screech ]
Narrator: despite the feisty prediction...
...the first few fender benders are more "driving miss daisy"
Than a crazy all-In brawl.
But after they suss each other out and go for it...
oh! Climbing off.
Narrator: ...adam is immediately down and out.
He threw me off.
Jamie: pushing on these cars,
It's actually kind of like sumo wrestling for cars...
...which is a fun idea, now that i think about it.
But anyway, just like with sumo wrestling,
You're trying to use your mass
To place it correctly to dominate your opponent,
And even a few inches one way or another
Can dramatically affect the outcome.
Narrator: so the myth is in the balance.
There was some hollywood-Style pushing and shoving,
But as soon as it got serious...
...adam went down with a bad case of gravity.
That was a hell of a bang you gave me. That was fun.
[ Laughs ] let's do it again.
Okay.
Three, two, one. Go!
More data.
Round two.
Ah, i'm gonna run you off of the cliff, man.
Whoa!
[ Laughs ]
That was awesome. Whoo!
Yeah!
Whoo!
Yeah!
Both cars and even both drivers are well-Matched.
And the fact that in a couple of runs,
One of us has been able
To push the other off the road quite nicely.
[ Laughs ]
It's not looking so good for the myth.
Narrator: it's not.
But at one win each,
There's more than data at stake on the deciding test.
Who will be crowned king of the cone road?
Here we go!
[ Tires screech ]
I'm going to throw you off the cliff road, loser!
You want a little bit?
Yeah! Yeah.
I'm going to throw you off here. Whoa!
Oh!
That is hilarious.
[ Laughs ]
Well, just like in the movies, this is an actual cliffhanger.
I'm hanging off the edge of the cliff, but i'm not dead.
So, we're going to go again from right here.
Go!
[ Tires screech ]
Oh, yeah.
[ Laughs ]
I scared the [bleep] out of you.
Oh, no, i'm gonna --
Whoa!
Ah!
Whoa!
I stayed on! I stayed on!
Narrator: not for long.
Whoa!
I think i died.
Yeah!
Narrator: so far, not so good for the myth.
Almost every contact led to a quick cliff-Top drop...
...the exact opposite of film folklore.
Yeah, baby.
Don't mess with a hyneman.
Narrator: but there are questions still to be answered.
Does size really matter?
All right, so you guys remember the movie "wanted"?
Right, that's the one
Where we got the "curving bullet" myth from.
Exactly.
We're going to test another scene
Where james mcavoy is speeding down the street in his mustang.
Now, he needs to shoot a guy...
...but unfortunately, all the windows are bulletproof.
What does he do?
Well, angelina jolie shows up in a corvette.
He's going to use her as a ramp.
She puts on the brakes, errrr!
He accelerates.
Does a barrel roll over the limousine.
I'm sorry.
Kari: shoots in through the sun roof,
He lands on his wheels, drives away, she drives away.
Everybody's safe.
Except for the guy in the limo.
This is gonna be fun.
[ Tires screech ]
We're out here at the alameda county sheriff's department,
But before we start crashing cars,
We've got to collect some data.
Yeah! [ Tires screech ]
So, the data we need is to find out what happens
When these two vehicles meet head to head.
So, what we need to do is measure the distance
From each of the bumpers to the ground
At the moment of the car jump.
Now, there we go.
That looks great.
So what we're going to do first is take the ramp vehicle...
good luck.
Brake hard.
...get it up to speed, and then slam on the brakes
And measure how far it gets off the ground.
30, 40, brake!
[ Tires screech ]
Nice. Tory: cool.
You guys want me to do it again for more data?
[ Tires screech ]
[ Laughs ]
I think she's enjoying that a little too much.
[ Tires screech ]
All right, so, now she's hitting the brakes.
Look at that, it's dropping. That's crazy.
Grant: three inches, though.
Yeah, three inches isn't much,
But, i mean, that's all we got to work with.
Narrator: despite kari's dramatic deceleration,
The corvette's hood has hardly dropped,
Meaning its role as a ramp is seriously suspect.
But it's onwards and upwards -- Literally.
So, up next is our muscle car.
Now, this thing is going to have to raise up several inches
In order to clear the corvette.
All right, we're set.
Okay, kari, go ahead.
Narrator: once again, kari guns it.
[ Tires screech ]
But this time when she scales the scale,
She hits not the brake but the gas.
That was it. That's the money shot.
Grant: dude, that was perfect.
This is where the bumper starts.
Now, this is when she's coming through
And then she accelerates.
It's pretty amazing.
Look at how high it's rising.
I mean, that's easily three to four inches.
Question is, after the guys fix the height difference
By modifying both cars, will it be enough to get lift-Off?
[ Tires screech ]
So, let's recap where we are.
[ Deep voice ] let's gear up, people.
Booyah!
Hollywood has led us all to believe
That if you're in a car
And you want to run someone off the road...
...it can be quite a difficult contest.
[ Tires screech ]
But frankly, so far...
...we haven't quite found that.
I think i died.
Don't mess with a hyneman.
But we're not done testing.
Narrator: yep.
Up next, jamie gets to play the heavyweight bad guy.
[ Chuckles ]
I got a new rig.
In hollywood, this matchcar duels drag on.
But doesn't the difference in mass
Mean the little guy is on the fast track to oblivion?
Adam's car weighs about 5,000 pounds.
Adam: all right, start your engine!
[ Engine turns over ]
That s.U.V. Weighs 8,000 pounds.
[ Engine turns over ]
You do the math.
[ Engines rev ]
Narrator: well, there's the math in theory...
adam: all right, here we go!
...and then there's the high-Velocity...
...in three...
...steel and bone-Crunching practice.
...two...
adam and jamie prefer the latter.
...one.
Let's go.
[ Tires screech ]
Ah, that front bumper of his looks terrifying.
Let's see if i can give him a little what for.
Wow, it's like hitting a rock!
Whoa!
[ Laughs, groans ]
That was an adrenaline rush.
Oh!
[ Laughs ]
Oh, my god. This is fun.
I'm giving it all i got.
Come on. [ Laughs ]
[ Groans ]
He's barely budging.
Come on!
[ Groans ] is that all you got?
It felt like a lion playing with its food most of the time.
Ah, i got more than that.
How about that? Oh!
There's some little car
That was kind of banging on the side of this thing.
Ah!
I played with him for a little while,
And then i pushed him off the road.
Come on. Oh!
Ah!
Aah!
Narrator: the second jamie got serious, it was all over.
But that isn't gonna stop adam.
Adam: in three...
we're gonna run this test one more time.
Go!
But i have one more trick up my sleeve.
Narrator: it's a little something
Law-Enforcement officers like to call the pit maneuver.
Let's go a little faster, shall we?
When push comes to shove, the larger vehicle is going to win.
Did you want something?
But just like in martial arts, the right amount of pressure
Applied in just the right place can actually
Allow a smaller opponent to dominate a larger one.
Adam: you want a little bit?
[ Tires screech ]
Whoo! [ Cheering ]
Whoo hoo hoo! Yeah!
Why don't they use the pit maneuver more in the movies?
[ Tires screech ]
Well, they got to get their screen time somehow.
Narrator: yep, the pit maneuver is the final nail in the coffin.
By hanging back and nudging the rear,
Taking the target car out of action is simple.
So, final analysis,
How hard is it to run someone off the road with your car?
It's not.
Not at all.
Hollywood's been getting this totally wrong.
Myth is busted, right? Yep.
All right, let's get out of here.
I'll see you back at the shop.
Tory: we are here at one of our favorite places,
The alameda runway...
be careful, i don't want to mess up this paint job.
...to test the "wanted" myth...
[ tires screech ]
...that you can actually drive a mustang
Up a corvette's hood and use it like a ramp.
[ Laughing ]
[ Tires screech ]
[ Engine revs ]
Sorry.
Now both of our bumpers' heights are set.
We have the bumper height of the corvette
As if it was going to brake,
And we have the bumper height of our mustang
As if it was accelerating.
Now it's time to set up our pulley system.
Kari: now, this pulley system is going to create the jump.
Now, you've seen us tow cars hundreds of times
Up and down this runway.
Almost there.
Kari: what's unique about this particular tow system
Is that the cars are going to be traveling
At two different speeds.
500 feet, right here.
It's good to see kari unwind.
Now, how do you get two cars
To meet up exactly in the same spot?
Well, this is how we're gonna do it.
We're gonna get a guide cable.
The guide cable will be anchored with two trench plates
Running the length of the runway.
Then to get them to move,
We're gonna have each of the cars on a tow cable.
Now, that tow cable will be hooked
Through some snatch blocks in the center of our guide cable,
So that way when we start towing the vehicles,
They're actually going to meet up in the middle.
Narrator: it sounds so simple.
Just spinning my wheels.
Narrator: but in actual fact, it's a titanic task.
It just works itself out somehow.
With a 1,000 feet of cable and then a 1,000 feet more...
hundreds and hundreds of feet of cable.
Just laying cable all day long.
Narrator: ...it's a build that puts the "heavy"
In "heavy duty."
I was thinking about getting my nipple pierced.
What do you think? A little big?
Narrator: two days into the build...
almost there.
...and the guys are close.
Yeah, teamwork!
Three days in, and it's what we've all wanted...
yeah!
[ Grunting ]
[ Laughs ]
...a car-Crash rig that's ready to rock and roll.
All right, so we've got 2,400 pounds
Of pure american muscle car careening down the runway
As fast as it can go,
Straight at a slope-Shaped sports car that's 3,300 pounds.
We're talking about a million joules of energy right there.
What do i think is going to happen?
I've seen a car hit a k-Rail and launch.
So, a ramp-Shaped car,
We could get a perfect launch straight up into the air,
Right into the san francisco bay.
At least, that's what i'm hoping to see.
All right, this is using a car as a ramp.
This is the point of no return.
Hit it!
[ Engine revs ]
Grant: mustang is going.
Corvette is going.
Who wants to make a bet
That the car is going through a fence today?
[ Laughs ]
If a car comes towards you, run.
Looking good.
Mustang is accelerating.
Here we go. Okay.
Looking good. So far, so good.
Corvette is correcting.
Oh, god. Oh, god.
Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!
No! No! No! No!
No!
They missed.
Oh, no.
Damn it.
Oh, we should have taken that bet.
Oh, god. No! No!
Son of a [bleep] that's going into the water.
Not in the water! Not in the water!
No, don't go in the water!
Okay.
The good news is i think we can still use these cars.
Oh, that's the good news?
Yeah. [ Chuckles ]
Tory: everything was working perfectly.
The tow system was working,
But the corvette decided to go far right.
It broke its guide cable.
The mustang hit its mark, but it kept going.
And, as you can see, it went through a fence.
I have no idea why this went wrong.
It's "mythbusters."
We got to reset and try it again.
Narrator: yep.
Far from the pin-Point crash they were after,
The two cars missed by over 50 feet.
But with both vehicles comparatively undamaged...
this ought to buff right out.
...the guys tow them back to the start line.
Grant: another day, another fence.
Narrator: ...rejig the rig...
make the guide cable more able, and before you know it...
full car service here at "mythbusters."
Narrator: ...they're good for take two.
Kari: all right, we've got our jump car ready.
We've got our ramp car ready.
Let's tow this beast.
In three, two, one, go!
Rolling.
Grant: both cars rolling.
Rolling.
Come on, baby. Go. Go.
Go faster. Go faster.
Okay.
Tory: everything looks good on target so far.
Faster.
Oh, god. Is this happening?
Wait, is this actually gonna happen?
[ Cheering ]
Yeah! Yeah!
[ Laughs ] god, whoo!
That was not a jump.
That was perfect.
That was a crash.
[ Cheering ]
And it didn't jump in the air.
It's busted. Totally busted!
It's busted! [ Laughs ]
Narrator: ouch.
Although the mustang did gain some lift,
The mods to the cars' hood heights...
...were clearly not enough to mirror the movie.
Coming up on "mythbusters"...
whoa. [ Laughs ]
Narrator: ...adam and jamie take it to the edge
To tackle a two-Wheeled tall tale.
[Bleep]
Narrator: and the movie maybe be busted,
But for kari, grant, and tory,
The motoring mayhem is about to really take off.
[ Tires screech ]
While our first story involved something
That hollywood makes look difficult
But which is in fact easy,
Our second story might be the other way around.
[ Tires screech ]
Genuinely excited about today.
Try not to roll the car.
Go on.
Picture our hero being chased by the bad guys
And cornered with no line of escape
Except an alleyway that is too narrow
To fit the hero's car.
[ Squeaking ]
I'm okay!
He gets out by finding a conveniently placed curb
Or plank that allows him to get up onto two wheels,
Drive down the narrow alleyway to escape,
And the bad guys can't follow.
That actually sounds like it might be pretty difficult.
That's what i was thinking.
So, roll cage, runway.
Action.
[ Tires screech ]
Narrator: so, can a novice driver
Get up on two wheels and crucially maintain balance
As easily as hollywood would have us believe?
[ Tires screech ]
Or is it a disaster waiting to happen?
The most important component of this myth is the car.
[ Tires screech ]
So, we've got a normal car with normal tires
And a normal suspension.
Of course, we've added a safety harness, though.
The other important part of this story
Is how to get the car up on two wheels,
And we're going to do that with this,
A ramp made out of aircraft-Grade aluminum,
And it's solid as a rock.
Hopefully, if everything goes right,
We should be hitting it at about 20 miles an hour.
Okay.
Now, because there's a genuine risk
That we might tip this car completely over,
We've added a roll bar.
I personally think it'd be great to roll it,
But they tell me that's bad.
That looks beautiful.
Narrator: in tinseltown,
Any old curb or plank will enable two-Wheeled gymnastics.
Adam: absolutely perfect.
Narrator: but adam and jamie have given the myth
Its best possible shot with a long, gently sloping ramp
High enough to tip the car over its center of gravity.
And with one more look from the top of the ramp...
this is terrifying.
Narrator: ...first-Timer jamie is about to flirt
With a serious car accident.
Come on in.
Narrator: his aim is to literally teeter
On the edge of disaster.
[ Laughs ]
[ Laughs ] awesome.
Jamie: oh, i tell you what...
...that right there is something
You don't want to think too much about
Because if you think about it, you ain't gonna do it.
[ Laughs ]
Narrator: fear factor aside, the result is pretty clear.
Yeah!
Narrator: jamie may be excited,
But he's nowhere near replicating
The first-Time ease and control of the novice movie maneuver.
It's not until his final attempt
That he even gets it up in a wild, careening curve.
Yeah!
[ Laughs ]
Jamie: i should reiterate that this myth
Is that it's easy to get a car up on two wheels
And drive it around.
That was cool.
You know, granted, i did get the car up for a little bit,
But getting complete control and driving it wherever you want
Is a whole different kettle of fish.
Can i try? Oh, yeah.
[ Both laugh ] let me out.
[ Laughs ]
And i know if i keep pushing it the way that i have been,
I'm gonna roll the car.
I just know it.
Well, here goes nothing.
Narrator: so...
yeah, you're halfway off.
...can adam tip this myth in the right direction...
this is straight-Up seriously spooky, spooks you out.
Narrator: ...or onto its roof?
Whoa! [ Laughs ]
Whoo!
Narrator: adam rolled up the ramp,
Straight off it, and gravity did its thing.
Whoa! [ Laughs ]
That's crazy intense.
The first time you hit the ramp, it's completely intense.
Whoa!
Whoo!
It's very disconcerting.
Going again!
It's so disconcerting that i, like,
Turned the wheel like this and slammed into the ground.
Whoa! [ Laughs ]
I slammed into the ground, kind of bumped my head.
Well, don't do that.
Adam: while they make it look easy in the movies...
...clearly it's gonna take more than a few hours
To get this down.
Frankly, i think we need a little help.
Narrator: cue stunt-Driving legend james smith
Because to find out if a near novice
Could master this movie move,
Adam and jamie need a few top two-Wheel tips.
Oh [bleep]
Wow.
Well, that didn't work at all.
That was more of a crash than it was a jump.
Yeah, but the mustang started to ride up the corvette
Like it was a ramp.
I really thought it was going to work for just like this long.
Tory: all right, well, then,
Why don't we give this myth some advantages?
What if we lower the ramp car even more
And we take the jump car
And increase the height of its bumper?
Maybe we can get a jump then.
Yeah, you know what, it's worth a shot.
This is going to be the best car-Crashing episode ever.
Or jumping.
Yeah, or jumping.
[ Tires screech ]
Grant: so, we're back at the alameda runway
To test our "wanted" car-Jump myth.
Now, back at the shop, we took a corvette
And we cut out the suspension...
...and we put super skinny tires on it
To get it as low as possible.
All right.
Now, that's what i call low.
We've got the same tow rig, the same guide system.
We're gonna set up the same as before,
And hopefully this time we'll actually get a jump.
Kari: not only are we going to make
The corvette more ramp-Like,
But we're also going to help along the mustang.
We made it a lot lighter.
It does not even have the weight of the engine in it anymore.
So, the front end is way jacked up.
I have a feeling when these two meet,
We might see some movie results.
We might actually see this car jump that car.
All right, this is test two -- Enhanced vehicles...
...to see if we can replicate the results.
Everyone ready?
Kari: oh, yeah!
In three, two, one, hit it!
Corvette's moving.
Mustang's moving.
Looking good so far.
Everything looks like it's online.
All right.
What's the corvette doing?
Oh, gosh.
No, it's good.
We're looking good. It's good.
Look at how fast the mustang is going!
Oh!
Whoa!
Narrator: that's a head-On collision
That's worth seeing again and again and again.
Tory: this test could not have gone any better.
I mean, it was pretty much a perfect test.
We got the vehicles going at the speeds from the movie.
They crashed exactly like the movie.
We even got the mustang to do a barrel roll.
However, it still busted.
But, man, that was awesome.
Kari: i think the problem is,
This is like driving up a ramp but hitting the curb first
Because you still have to get over
That sort of initial bump in the front of the corvette.
It's not quite ramp-Like just yet.
I have a feeling we can remedy that.
Narrator: yep, you might say it's time to ramp it up.
Do not try what you are about to see at home.
We're what you call experts.
After both tests, we're having the same problem.
We're getting more of a crash
And less of a jump like in the movie,
And the reason why is because when the two vehicles meet,
Their bumpers meet before the wheel of the jump vehicle
Has a chance to get up onto the hood of the ramp vehicle.
So we're getting more of a crash, less of a jump.
The way we're going to fix that is with this.
We're going to build a ramp,
And the ramp is going to actually attach
To the ramp vehicle.
And it will move towards the jump vehicle.
This way, the jump vehicle will have a chance
To transition its wheels up onto the hood
And we'll see if we'll get the car to jump like in the movie.
[ Tires screech ]
Narrator: and with a third and final corvette...
it's too bad we got to wreck this one, too.
Narrator: ...it's time to ramp up the up-Ramp.
Tory: what i'm doing right now is laying down a steel sheet.
It's 1/8-Inch thick.
I'm going to weld that to the frame of the corvette.
Want to know how to [bleep] a car enthusiast?
Oops.
This is gonna help take up the weight of the other car.
I'm also reinforcing the entire ramp
With two-Inch square steel tube.
And that's going to make sure that our ramp
Doesn't just collapse once the other car hits it.
That seems sturdy enough.
If that happens, all we're going to get is a head-On collision.
Grant: so, we're back at the runway at alameda
To try and see if we can turn a corvette into a ramp.
[ Siren wails ]
You guys ready to see a car fly?
This is gonna be awesome.
So, we've got the exact same setup as before
With the two cars being towed at each other.
The only difference this time
Is that the ramp car can't go as fast as it did before.
There you go.
The reason is that it's got a ramp attached to it
That's scraping the ground.
All right, let's see if this works.
Kari: i don't know about you,
But i'm ready to see a car use another car as a ramp.
Well, i think we've done
Everything we possibly could to make this happen.
I got a really good feeling about this.
Kari: at this point,
We're taking this myth to the extremely ridiculous
And even adding a ramp to the front of the corvette.
Okay, take it away when you're ready.
I still don't think
We're going to get the same outcome as the movie.
I just think that the corvette
Doesn't have the structural integrity
To take the weight of the mustang.
Tory: ramp is moving.
The mustang is moving.
The mustang looks like it's coming straight for us.
Hmm, is that -- Is that an optical illusion?
Let's see if it straightens out. No!
Stop. Stop.
Kari: ramp's over there.
Mustang is in the weeds.
This is clearly a reset.
Narrator: but after this much practice...
kari: that's it.
We're ready.
Narrator: ...that barely takes no time at all.
All right, hopefully this time it goes straight.
And with the rig rejigged... take it away.
...the team gives this movie myth one last chance.
Tory: cars moving.
Okay. Mustang is moving.
It looks really straight now.
Yeah, it's going better.
Picking up speed. Here we go.
Go faster. Go faster.
Oh, here we go.
It's happening. It's happening.
[ Cheering ]
Yeah!
Yes!
Holy [bleep] that was awesome! Whoo!
All right, it didn't land and drive off undamaged,
But it soared.
It's great.
I mean, it's still busted, but that was amazing.
Yes! Yeah!
Good job.
Holy moly, that was cool.
We did it. We finally got the car to soar.
Yeah, we might have cheated quite a bit by adding the ramp,
But you could see where the wheel went up the ramp.
Now there's no more head-On collision.
Gouge into the hood.
The wheel went over the windshield.
The car flew.
It did a barrel roll... just like in the movie.
However, what you didn't see in the movie
Is the damaged ramp car...
...and the jump car is upside down...
...completely totaled.
This one's still busted, but, man, that was awesome.
Narrator: while the ramp did let the mustang
Bridge the gap onto the corvette's hood...
neither car escaped unscathed,
Meaning even with the ramp up, this myth is going down.
Look, she's still rolling!
We got a ride home.
Awesome, finally.
I think this is a first.
Okay, five bucks says we're gonna crash into the gate.
Kari: [ laughs ]
Look deep into my eyes.
What does this pendulum have to do with today's story?
Actually, everything. Watch this.
Now it's an upside-Down pendulum,
Or as an engineer would refer to it, a reverse pendulum,
Which is exactly what our car will be
If we successfully get it up on two wheels.
That is a center of gravity that's high
And a pivot point that's low.
There are entire circus arts
Devoted to finding the balance point
In a reverse pendulum arrangement,
And i have studied a few.
Look, ma, one hand!
That's why i think i'm gonna do really well at today's test.
Whoa!
I'm okay!
Oh!
Narrator: so far, adam and jamie have failed
To pull off a supposedly simple two-Wheeled movie maneuver.
This is terrifying.
Narrator: but to give the myth a chance,
They've called in the cavalry.
A word about our stunt driver today, james smith --
He has been doing this for 10 years.
Oh [bleep]
Wow.
Does it for television, movies, even live shows.
So, is it a little steeper than you expected?
And you might know his work from the "transformer" films
Where he's driven for the bumblebee.
We're near the balance point, but this gives you an idea
Of where you can actually take a car.
Yeah.
Adam: if anyone can teach jamie and i
How to get up on two wheels, it's him.
Oh.
It seems like you're about ready to go over.
I guess you are. Pretty close.
Now i'll just speed up, and i'll drop it down like that.
[ Laughs ]
That's just -- That's just wrong.
That's -- That's nuts.
Getting it up there, it seems sort of like a tightrope.
Whoa! Whoa!
Holy crap. Wow.
It feels like we're completely out of control.
Jamie: he's taking the wheel,
And he's just kind of feathering it back and forth
And it just seems like you're about ready to roll right over.
I cannot believe this is possible.
It's crazy.
Wow. This is completely intense.
I can reach out and touch the ground from here.
You can turn around to the right.
Oh, my gosh.
And then with this wind,
I got to lean it even harder with the wind.
Oh, my god, you're going to scrape the mirror.
That's insane.
Wow!
Boom!
Narrator: that's the show...
so, you ready to do this?
No.
All right, well, let's do it anyway.
[ Laughs ]
...now to tell if this silver-Screen stunt
Is even remotely possible for a pair of non-Professionals.
I prefer just to, like, do a circle
And just kind of roll in at 20 miles an hour.
Just that it gives you, like, kind of a chance to breathe.
Okay.
This is literally where the rubber leaves the road.
Narrator: with some basic instruction
Under his belt to match the movies,
Jamie has to nail this first time out.
There you go. [Bleep]
Ugh, hit my head.
Hard? Uh, yeah.
But all jamie nailed was his head.
I got your hat, jamie.
On the verge of rolling, jamie yanked back
From the edge of disaster too fast...
...and landed violently.
[Bleep]
It's very telling if i do something
And it throws my hat off.
Adam: [ laughs ]
His beret bailed
Because jamie incurred a serious whiplash injury.
In pain and in danger of causing lasting damage...
[bleep] ...he takes the safe option.
I think i should probably stand down, you know,
Repeating injuries and all that.
Adam: okay. As much as it irks me.
[ Chuckles ]
I just want to point out here that for jamie
To actually pull out of this experiment
Because of an injury
Is pretty significant and relatively unprecedented.
Narrator: and if further proof was needed...
here we go.
...that this is not an achievable amateur maneuver...
go a little faster and the rear wheel won't bump the ramp.
...adam spends the next four hours...
keep doing that and just roll a little bit more.
...failing to get it up.
Jamie: what makes this stunt so difficult
Is that while you can work your way up incrementally
To find the tipping point...
that's it.
...once you get there, well, it's a tipping point.
Adam: whoa.
[ Laughs ]
You felt the danger and you reacted, that's awesome.
And if you go too far, you roll the car.
Yeah!
Whoo!
If you don't go far enough, you come slamming back down
And you get a neck ache like i've got.
Oh!
Yeah!
So the only way you get past this
Is by doing it over and over
Until your reflexes become automatic
As to what you should do when you're at that tipping point.
Yep, keep into it.
There you go. There you go. There you go.
Give it a little throttle.
Whoa!
Whoo! Yeah! That's awesome.
Narrator: at last, adam appears to have the hang
Of hanging around on two wheels.
Whoa! Yeah!
And being the obsessive perfectionist that he is,
He has to have just one more try.
Jamie: dave, the medic, please come down to the site.
Dave: copy.
Adam: we're okay. We're okay.
We're upside down, but we're okay.
Oh!
Okay, so i figured out what the outer limit was.
Don't release your belt until you're ready
Because you'll fall.
All right, we're coming out. Ah!
Ah!
It's like giving birth.
Ah. Hi. [ Chuckles ]
This is why we can't have nice things.
[ Laughter ]
So, that happened. [ Laughs ]
I'm still a little bit high on the adrenaline rush
Of the feeling like "it's going okay,
"It's going okay, okay, it's not going okay.
Okay, it's really not going okay."
And i got a little bit of a cut, but i'm fine.
That was awesome.
Oh, that was awesome.
Thank you, sir.
[ Laughs ]
Narrator: well, if it's worth doing,
It's worth over-Doing.
So, we got to call it.
Driving on two wheels is easy according to the movies.
Where do we stand?
Not. Nah.
This one is totally busted.
It's hard.
It's also fun, but, you know, it's dangerous.
And to get to where you're any good and reliable at it,
It's one whole heck of a lot of work.
Yeah. Only in the hands of experts.
[ Laughs ]
Well, looks like we're walking.
I guess so.
He's amazing.
Straight as an arrow.