Balanced lifestyle

"I spent three months rolling on my roof until I mastered it. I have been able to keep my nose clean since then," Swift says.

The British stunt master is thrilling Melbourne Motor Show crowds with tyre-squealing shows on a loading zone at the southern end of the Exhibition Centre.

He will appear four times a day, until this Sunday night, in Peugeot 307 hatches.

The show is an amazing mix of high-speed handbrake turns, big slides and an incredible example of how to parallel park — between two cars — in a hurry.

Then there is the two-wheeled display. Swift uses a small ramp to pop the car's two left wheels up into the air and drives along in this precarious position.

He does it with such ease that I can pop out of the window for a photo opportunity.

Swift works away at the steering wheel, making slight adjustments to make sure the car stays on two wheels.

The 307s Swift uses for his sliding show are standard, but he disconnects the anti-skid brakes and puts some adhesive tape over the handbrake button so it is easier to use in a hurry.

The 307 he uses for his two-wheel stunts is standard, but runs a locked differential.

Swift, 54, who often performs stunt shows at racetracks around the world, says he can drive on two wheels for about 5km at a time until the tyres give up.

He says you need good reactions to drive a car on two wheels.

"It is like balancing a stick on your finger; you have to react so quickly, you don't have time to think about it," Swift says.

Doing crazy stunts in cars full time is a job Swift loves.

"I've done nothing else for the past 25 years. I find road driving a little bit boring, but this gets it out of the system and I am very calm on the road," he says.

Swift started his motorsport career as a navigator for a rally driver who tended to crash a lot.

He took up motorkhana, a range of skill tests around witches' hats.

Swift became the British motorkhana champion four times and decided to make a career out of driving.