Mercedes-Benz, XDubai team up to pull-off 3 stunts
Choose your adventure, pick your ride with Mercedes-Benz compact cars
KUWAIT CITY, April 13: Breaking new ground, Mercedes-Benz Cars Middle East has teamed up with XDubai to capture some of the world’s most exciting athletes and thrillseekers undertake never-before-seen stunts for the creation of its latest film — featuring MercedesAMG’s venturesome A 45 4MATIC, the CLA 45 4MATIC and the GLA 45 4MATIC.
In the film, launched online today but filmed earlier this year, stuntman Damien Walters showcases just why he is a Hollywood favourite; world-renowned skydiver and base jumper Noah Bahnson astonishingly taunts gravity; and Nick Jacobsen, kiteboarding and kitesurfing champion, shows the true meaning of adventure with a record-breaking and world-first feat from the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah’s iconic helipad.
In the record-breaking stunt, Jacobsen drives the stylish and sporty Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 4MATIC to the world’s most luxurious hotel, before fearlessly launching from the famed landmark’s helipad with only his kiteboarding gear. In doing so, Jacobsen completes the highest kiteboarding jump on record — an incredible 210m above the water, smashing his own previous world-record of 90m.
Commenting on the groundbreaking stunt, the XDubai athlete and champion kiteboarder said: “Standing on the top of the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah helipad was a once-in-a lifetime opportunity and launching from it, a global first. It took a lot of planning, precision and safety measures, but it all worked well in the end, and the experience was amazing.”
Along with the unprecedented accomplishment, world record-breaking wingsuit and base jumper, Noah Bahnson also performs a unique stunt that includes an extremely low altitude launch off a Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 4MATIC compact SUV. Set against the dazzling backdrop of Dubai Marina, the SUV effortlessly pulls Bahnson into the air with a parachute, reaching a height of 131m before he releases himself into a breathtaking freefall towards the sea — opening his parachute nimbly at a mere 67m before floating to the ground.
Not to be outdone, Hollywood stuntman and YouTube sensation, Damien Walters is showcased inside the Mercedes-AMG A 45 4MATIC — the world’s most powerful midsized car — at Port Rashid, before impressively climbing out of the car at full speed onto the sunroof and leaping to grab a rope hanging from a crane. With the Burj Khalifa in the background, Walters swings side to side as the car drifts back, allowing him to deftly jump back into the speeding car in ultimate style. Along with showcasing Walters’ skills, the stunt also highlights the A 45 4MATIC’s modern athletic design with dynamic curved surfaces and the ultimate confidence of this speed machine.
Lennart Mueller-Teut, Head of Marketing & Communications, Mercedes-Benz Cars Middle East commented: “It was a great opportunity for Mercedes-Benz to partner with XDubai — given the spirited nature of our performance compact cars, XDubai was the natural partner for us to showcase these models through engaging world-class XDubai athletes for world-first stunts. Despite the daring nature of the stunts, the highest safety standards were implemented alongside the professional stunt-artists and the impressive performance of our automobiles. With this effort, we aim to ignite a sense of spontaneity and adventure, to encourage people to dance to the beat of their own drum. Our partnership with XDubai has proved extremely fruitful and we are now excited to spread this sense of adventure out across the entire world.
“XDubai is known globally for pushing limits and our collaboration with Mercedes-Benz was no different,” commented Mohammed Javad Khoramifar, General Manager for XDubai. “When Mercedes-Benz approached us with a brief to showcase the fascinating capabilities of their high performance AMG models, we were more than up for the challenge. Engaging our world-class athletes, the wider XDubai team and of course, our partners across Dubai, we conceptualised three remarkable stunts including one world-first that embodies the daring spirit of adventure that both XDubai and Mercedes-Benz are known for — they also showcase the adventurous characteristics of each car. Through extensive planning and the professionalism of our athletes and the Mercedes-Benz team, we have once again achieved the impossible and in the process, created something that is truly remarkable.”
Join the conversation on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter using the following hashtags #PickYourRide #TheBestOrNothing #MercedesBenzME #XDubai.
Mercedes-AMG compact models are available in the region. Pricing starts from $58,200 for the Mercedes-AMG A 45 4MATIC, $66,500 for the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 4MATIC, $65,950 for the Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 4MATIC.
Damien Walters: Hailing from the United Kingdom, Damien Walters is a world-renowned YouTube sensation and Hollywood stuntman. Walters represented Great Britain in several gymnastics championships before retiring from gymnastics to pursue a career as a stuntman. He is currently part of a core group of stuntmen who work for Brad Allan, the first non-Asian member of Jackie Chan’s stunt team.
Nick Jacobsen: Nick Jacobsen is a Danish professional kiteboarding and kitesurfing champion. He has won various accolades including King of the Air winner 2017, Best Male Kitesurfer of 2015/ 2016 and Kiteboarder of the year. He is a five-times Danish champion in kiteboarding and a world-record breaker.
Noah Bahnson: American Noah Bahnson has more than 10,000 skydives and 900 Wingsuit BASE jumps under his belt. He has completed 900 BASE jumps from more than 80 objects in six countries, and has helped break five world records. A videographer, instructor and coach at Skydive Dubai, Noah is well known for his spectacular aerial cinematography, precision flying, and full-throttle style.
A photo of Beirut street