How to backflip a Mini

We’ve seen quite a few outrageous car stunts lately, but they have all just been one-upped by the world’s first car backflip. French daredevil Guerlain Chicherit pulled off the feat overnight by flipping a Mini Countryman from a snow ramp in France.

Chicherit is calling it the world's first "unassisted 360 degree backflip" in a car. Using a specially modified Mini John Cooper Works Countryman, Chicherit accelerated up a ramp and jumped to an estimated 12 metres during the stunt.

The French driver reportedly spent four years training and preparing for the stunt, which saw him launch the Mini, flip through 360 degrees and land – right side up – on the eight-metre ramp.

Details on the car modifications haven’t been revealed, but it was based on the JCW Countryman crossover powered by a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine that delivers 160 kW of power and 300Nm of torque, making for a 0-100km/h time of 7.0 seconds and a top speed of 225km/h.