A stunning series of videos has shown the Voyah Passion S EV completing a 360-degree loop in a tunnel after an earlier attempt ended in one of the cars flipping and crashing back down to the road during filming.

The promotion for Dongfeng’s luxury brand re-created the famous Mercedes stunt that saw Michael Schumacher appear to drive an SLS AMG upside down through a mountain tunnel in 2010. But while Merc’s promotion was claimed to have been digitally altered to make it look perfect – and to make it look like Schumi was doing the driving – Voyah’s featured at least one mishap before they nailed the final shot (pictured in the gallery below).

Red car suspended in mid-air inside a long, curved, white-tiled tunnel with smoke trailing behind.
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Footage that has surfaced online shows a Passion S clad in camouflage using custom-made launch and landing ramps as it attempts to perform a corkscrew-like loop in what appears to be a rehearsal for the finished product. 

The sedan approaches at high speed and shoots up the entry ramp, but doesn’t have enough oomph or the correct angle of approach to make it onto the roof of the tunnel. It falls almost the entire height of the tunnel, but its momentum flips it back onto its wheels as it lands and the car is able to continue down the road.

The successful run saw a red Passion S complete the loop in fine style, hitting the entry ramp in centimetre-perfect style and making what look like clouds of dust and debris as it powers across the roof before making it back down safely, with footage showing it was travelling at just over 130km/h during the stunt.

Voyah released a few clips of the loop, with a ‘one-take’ version showing footage from a drone following the Passion S, as well as the view from inside the cabin and video from a camera that looks up from the road surface while the EV shoots by overhead.

Top-down view of a red high-performance car with a black roof and sleek styling on a dark surface, showcasing its curves and stance.
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Another clip shows some of the preparation that went into the incredible shoot. “On the wall, one wheel runs on air. The suspension holds or it’s over. There is no margin for error. One degree off, there is no way down,” an engineer says in a voiceover.

Voyah calculated that the Passion had to hit the launch ramp at a precise 16-degree angle while doing approximately 130km/h in order for the centrifugal force to keep it on the roof. A close examination reveals what looks like tyre marks from the earlier attempts, which followed plenty of simulation work.

The Passion S comes with two powertrains: a RWD version with a single rear motor making a peak of 300kW, and an AWD with motors front and rear with a combined peak of 475kW. The juice comes from a 5C fast-charging battery in 81kWh or 98kWh form, with a claimed CLTC range of up to 740km.