Parallel parking never looked as cool as it does in these record-breaking stunts

Parallel parking can be a challenging endeavor even for the most skillful of drivers, especially if there’s little room for maneuver.

Anyone looking for a more efficient way to get the job done could take a lesson or two from these incredible stunt drivers (below) who clearly have no time for switching between gears and checking the mirrors, preferring instead to approach the space at speed before slamming on the brakes to skid into position.

Some of them are so good at executing the tricky procedure that they’ve earned Guinness World Records for their efforts.

To celebrate the feat of parking a car in the most unusual way possible, the benchmarking body this week posted a video showing off some of the best performances to date.

British stunt driver Alastair Moffatt is clearly a master of the maneuver, holding the record for the tightest parallel park, and also the tightest parallel park in reverse, which involves approaching the space at high speed — backwards — before braking, skidding, and spinning the vehicle into the space. The entertaining in-car camera offers a rather disorienting view that makes it seem as if the vehicle is completely out of control, though Moffatt clearly knows exactly what he’s doing.

Perfect parallel parking - Guinness World Records

There’s even a record for the tightest parallel park with a truck, achieved by Chinese stunt driver Zhang Hua. Watching the large vehicle slide majestically into the parking space without hitting anything along the way really is a sight to behold.

Best of all, though, is Moffatt’s spectacular 360-degree drift into a minuscule parking space. It’d certainly be a stylish way to arrive at your destination, but unless you’ve thoroughly practiced the procedure, you’re probably better off sticking with more conventional moves to get your motor parked.

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