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Rob Dyrdek’s “kick flip” stunt in a Chevrolet Sonic effectively sealed his place in the hallowed halls of stunt driver lore. As it turns out, actually pulling off a 360-degree barrel roll in a vehicle is one of the most challenging stunts one can perform. Driving on two wheels? Cakewalk. Knocking down a series of buses stacked on their ends? As easy as sucking pea soup through a crazy straw. The barrel roll requires stacks of mathematical calculations to account for everything from the vehicle’s weight to its speed and the exact rotation angle of each ramp.

But Dyrdek wasn’t the first guy to successfully execute such a bit of insanity. He’s one of a select few stunt drivers to do the deed, and Popular Mechanics has taken a look at those who have tackled the automotive barrel roll in the past. Dyrdek’s stunt was actually an almost exact replica of the Astro Spiral Jump as performed in 1972 at the Houston Astrodome. That exercise used a significantly classier AMC Javelin, however. Head over to Popular Mechanics to check out the video series and click past the jump for a clip on the Astro Spiral Jump.

Continue reading PopMech offers a video history of the automotive barrel roll

PopMech offers a video history of the automotive barrel roll originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Dec 2011 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ken Block had a busy summer. The exhibition driver spent the season frolicking around the globe with a few friends and putting on Gymkhana shows as part of a world tour. The event showed up in just three cities; Los Angeles, Vienna and Melbourne, and gave a handful of lucky Block fans a show worth remembering. But with so few shoes spread across such a wide distance, that left plenty of the driver’s faithful out in the cold. Ever the publicist, Block crafted a video for those who couldn’t make it out to breathe the tire smoke.

The result is three shows crammed into less than six minutes of footage. There’s plenty of sideways Ford Fiesta action as well as airborne motocross riders, scantily clad ladies of multiple nationalities and at least one gold tooth as part of the clip. One very famous Segway also makes an appearance or two. Hit the jump to see the full clip for yourself and read the press release.

Continue reading Ken Block recaps 2011 Gymkhana World Tour in latest video

Ken Block recaps 2011 Gymkhana World Tour in latest video originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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