Driving around inside a huge metal sphere at break-neck speed might sound like a health and safety nightmare, but in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, it’s a reality.

And to press home the point that such an automotive feat is entirely do-able, one Lithuanian stunt driver managed to complete 12 loops in the monstrous structure, called, for some reason, The Globe of Death.

Were a driver to lose speed at the critical point – i.e. at top – then it would be comparable to falling from a four-storey building. Upside down.

In order to maintain contact with the meshed surface, the driver of the car must withstand g-force acceleration of 7g – which is more than Formula One car drivers are expected to deal with.

One doesn't want to think about what would happen if the driver passed out while inside the globe.

The Globe of Death is not a new invention, having appeared in similar forms in a variety of carnivals and stunt shows around the world. The globe in Vilnius has the distinction of being one of the largest.

Guinness World Records only recognised one globe-related feat, back in 2011 when no less than six motorcyclists drove inside a globe of death. And if that doesn’t sound risky enough, there was another person standing in there, too.

The youngest person to ride in a globe of death was four years old. The oldest was 96.

Movie fans may remember Ryan Gosling’s character in A Place Beyond the Pines (2012) carry out a globe of death stunt on a motorcycle.

You can watch the 12 incredible loops by clicking on the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ud2JMVjPl9Y