Tom Cruise Drives 181 MPH in a Race Car, Called ‘The Real Deal’

This was no movie stunt.

Tom Cruise got to test drive a race car at a track in California this week, where the actor did 24 laps in the Red Bull F1 car. Former driver and 13-time Grand Prix winner David Coulthard instructed the ‘Days of Thunder’ star before he let Cruise take hold of the wheel of the 850-horsepower car, reaching speeds of 181 mph.

“Tom’s the real deal. I was surprised that he picked it up so quickly and is such an accomplished driver,” said Coulthard. “His recall was incredible considering how complicated driving an F1 car is.”

Cruise has reportedly remained a racing fan since his ‘Days of Thunder’ days back in the 1980s, and surely relished in the opportunity to get behind the wheel of such a fast car. The actor might be considering a fallback career if the upcoming ‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol’ fares poorly at the box office.

[Yahoo! Sports]