If we summon all the purposes of a car, it would range from a convenient mode of transport to a swanky icon. For Formula 1 legend & DTM driver David Coulthard and professional golfer Jake Shepherd, the reason to own some wheels is to catch a golf ball at 176 mph.
We’ve heard of some outrageous World Record attempts. Well, this is the coolest of them all. The duo set a Guinness World Record on Wednesday, at Dunsfold Aerodrome, Surrey, as a part of virall film for Mercedes-Benz UK. David caught the golf ball in the cockpit of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, traveling at 120 mph. The ball was hit by Jake at a stunning 178 mph speed with 275 meters linear trajectory, before the car caught the ball. This world record stands for the fastest golf shot caught in a moving car, and the duo pulled it off in only the second attempt of the day.
Mercedes-Benz UK will be launching the film of the dramatic stunt in early July to celebrate the power of the SLS AMG Roadster. This beast of a machine houses a hand-assembled M 159 V8 engine that spits out a jaw dropping 571 hp. The nuke equivalent power pulls the roadster from 0-62 mph in under 3.8 seconds.
On his achievement, David Coulthard said, “This world record attempt is definitely one of the most unusual things I’ve ever been asked to do with a car! Jake Shepherd was great to work with and the performance of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster made driving to catch a mid-air golf ball even more exciting. I am honoured to have received the Guinness World Record for the furthest golf shot caught in a car.”
David George, Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars Marketing Director, added, “We thought we’d do something exciting to celebrate this special car, and our association with golf ahead of the upcoming Open Championship. It was great to set a new world record in the process thanks to an amazing effort from David and Jake.”
