How To Be A Stunt Driver

It looks so easy in the movies, but driving on the limit for the camera is the ideal way to learn real-life car control. We find out more on Ford’s Go Faster experience

- Hugo Griffiths

PUT your right thumb under the left-hand spoke of the steering wheel. Your elbow should be angled up, towards the A-pillar. Clutch in, select reverse and look out the back window. Let the clutch out and floor the accelerator. Once up to speed take your foot off the gas, press the clutch, then rotate the steering wheel 360 degrees in a single fast movement, reversing this movement as the car performs a 180-degree turn. Slotting into first gear as the vehicle rotates, let the clutch out and drive off. You have just completed a high-speed J-turn.

It goes without saying that you should only attempt such a manoeuvre in appropriate circumstances. That’s why I’ve come to a cordoned-off car park in Manchester, to hone my skills with stunt-driving legend Paul Swift.

Stunt drivers are among the unsung heroes of the film industry. Take any action flick with a car chase, and chances are it’s not the lead actor or actress behind the wheel, but professionals such as Swift who’ve spent years honing their craft. They’re the men and women who make the Fast and Furious franchises so popular with their skills and tricks, and who add to the sex appeal of James Bond and his Aston Martins.

To give punters an idea of the complexity involved in stunt driving, Swift is supervising Ford’s Go Faster experience at Manchester’s Trafford Centre. Now in its fourth year, Go Faster lets members of the public learn how to drift and perform J-turns in a Focus RS, and drive a high-speed route in a Mustang GT – while also trying their hand at some acting, and filming a movie trailer. It costs from £69 to £125.

It’s an immersive experience with actors posing as movie producers and directors, but it puts stunt driving front and centre. I’ve come to get some expert tuition from Swift and his colleagues, and take part in putting together a mock trailer.

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