Idris Elba Gets Into a Scary Crash on the Debut of His New Discovery Channel Series

[merrybigboy]

The British car enthusiast kicks off his new car-themed Discovery Channel series, Idris Elba: No Limits, next week and ET has the exclusive first look at the series premiere.

Elba, 43, is feeling the pressure as he jumps into the driver's seat to compete against the pros in the Circuit of Ireland rally, one of the oldest rallies in the world.

Filmed in 2015, the Luther star says he's "been training for months for this moment and the opportunity for glory is now greater than ever." Talk about added stress!

"My ambition is to smoke everyone," Elba proclaims, though he admits he may be in over his head on this one. "I've never done it before. Ultimately, all I want to do is just finish."

While his goal may seem feasible, once the rally begins, it's game on -- and you see just how difficult (and dangerous) rally racing is.

Things seem to be going well as Elba expertly navigates the twists and turns of the road, until he suddenly overshoots a turn and crashes into the side of the road in dramatic -- and frankly, scary -- fashion. To see the jarring moment, watch the video above.

In May 2015, Elba broke a British land speed record in a Bentley Continental as part of his Discovery Channel show.

The legendary record, known as the Flying Mile, was set by Sir Malcolm Campbell in 1927 when he managed to rocket along the south coast of Wales at 178.4 mph. Elba managed to rip across the same stretch of coast at an unbelievable 180.361 mph.

Idris Elba: No Limits premieres Monday, July 4 at 7 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery Channel.