Back in 1933, Erwin George "Cannonball" Baker drove from New York to Los Angeles in 53.5 hours and in the process, set a record that stood for 40 years. He also inspired the “Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash”, better known as the "Cannonball Run", which itself inspired at least five movies and an indelible footnote in our pop culture. The obsession with setting a coast-to-coast driving record has become a way of life for many folks, and the records have come tumbling down in the past few years. Attempting to break the 28 hour and 50 min record, 3 men in a heavily modified 2015 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG set out to break this record this year. How this was accomplished is certainly worthy of a sequel to the aforementioned movies:

3 The Cast

Arne Toman and Doug Tabbutt, passionate Cannonball devotees, have been more or less obsessed with breaking the record for years now. With the help of a new spotter named Berkeley Chadwick, this dedicated trio had also enlisted the help of no less than 18 lookouts across the country who would drive hundreds of miles to scope out police activity or hazards out on the roads. When they pulled up to the Portofino Hotel in Redondo Beach, CA, they had a new Cannonball record of 27 hours and 25 minutes with an average speed of 103 mph.

2 The Car

The E63, putting out about 700 hp, according to Toman, was upgraded with larger turbos and other horse-power inducing modifications, as well as a custom-fabricated fuel cell. Brimming with an alphabet soup of electronic hardware, software, countermeasures including radar detectors, laser jammers and even a police scanner, the car would feel right at home in a Bond movie. The Benz was also disguised to resemble a Honda Accord from the rear and not appear capable of its nearly 190+ mph claimed top speed.

1 The Plot

Outrunning and outsmarting dozens of police agencies and their expansive resources, safely covering 2800+ miles in 27 hours or so takes much planning and, well, plotting- both on a map and otherwise. That these guys achieved such an incredible feat is a testament to their will, fortitude, and focus. That they didn’t harm anyone or run afoul of the law is sheer luck. We await the next chapter in this record-smashing saga with much anticipation and more than a little concern.

Sources: Road & Track, Wikepedia, CNN.com