The Cannonball Record has been broken yet again by three enthusiasts and a kitted-out Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG with a phenomenal time of 27 hours and 25 minutes.
It was back in 2013 when the coast-to-coast record across the United States was famously broken by Ed Bolian and Dave Black with a time of 28 hours and 50 minutes, a time which absolutely smashed the previous record of 31 hours and 4 minutes held by Alex Roy and Dave Maher. As Road and Track details, setting this latest record wasn’t easy.
The three guys in question are Arne Toman, Doug Tabbutt and Berkeley Chadwick. On November 10, they left Red Ball garage on the east side of Manhattan and headed across their ‘northern route’ that included the I-80 through Nebraska, I-76 down to Denver, I-70 to the middle of Utah, and the I-15 to Los Angeles before crossing the finish line at the Portofino Hotel in Redondo Beach in L.A. Their average speed was 103 mph (165.7 km/h) and they only made four fuel stops completed in just 22 and a half minutes.
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As mentioned, the weapon of choice was a Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG but not just any E63. This one was comprehensively modified and included an AMS Performance Alpha 9 package with upgraded turbocharges, intercoolers, and intake. A 45-gallon fuel cell was also fitted. Additionally, the trio used a Net Radar radar detector, a windshield-mounted Escort Max 360 radar detector, an AL Priority laser jammer system, and an aircraft collision avoidance system to help the record-setters monitor highway patrol aircraft.
The car was also lightly disguised so it looked like any other silver sedan and even featued a thermal scope used on a roof-mounted gimbal to detect the heat signatures of any police sitting on the side of the road. Finally, a crew of 18 spotters, who would drive hundreds of miles ahead of the E63 to scout the road for police activity and hazards, were used along the route.