Meet The Guy Who Drove Across The U.S. In A Record 28 Hours 50 Minutes
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 4,066
Likes: 37
From: Folsom, CA
2005 E55 AMG
Meet The Guy Who Drove Across The U.S. In A Record 28 Hours 50 Minutes
First, we should address the term "broken." When I think of a record that's been "broken," I imagine beating something by a second, or a minute, or maybe a few RBIs. If what Ed says is true, the record wasn't broken: it was shattered. In 2006, Alex and company completed the transcontinental journey in 31 hours and 4 minutes. Two weeks ago, Ed and his crew say they managed to do the deed in 28 hours and 50 minutes. Google says it takes 40 and a half.
That's right: Alex Roy's familiar cross-country driving record, set in his now-famous LeMans Blue 2000 BMW M5 during the fall of 2006, no longer stands. It was allegedly broken by a three-man team consisting of Ed, a co-driver, and a passenger, in a 2004 Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG.
That's right: Alex Roy's familiar cross-country driving record, set in his now-famous LeMans Blue 2000 BMW M5 during the fall of 2006, no longer stands. It was allegedly broken by a three-man team consisting of Ed, a co-driver, and a passenger, in a 2004 Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG.
Last edited by Toadster; Oct 30, 2013 at 11:30 AM.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 2,159
Likes: 160
2006 E55
My math brain isn't working today.
If Google says 40 1/2 hours and they did it in 12 hours less (I'm assuming Google uses 60mph as their speed?), how fast, on average, would they have to be traveling in order to do this?
If Google says 40 1/2 hours and they did it in 12 hours less (I'm assuming Google uses 60mph as their speed?), how fast, on average, would they have to be traveling in order to do this?
Last edited by ArmoE55; Oct 30, 2013 at 11:38 AM.
Trending Topics
MB World Stories
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Verdad Gallardo
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Verdad Gallardo
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction
Verdad Gallardo
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping
Verdad Gallardo
10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used
Verdad Gallardo
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 4,066
Likes: 37
From: Folsom, CA
2005 E55 AMG
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 4,066
Likes: 37
From: Folsom, CA
2005 E55 AMG
Let's start with the fuel tanks. There are two of them, both 22 gallons – and that's in addition to the 23-gallon tank Mercedes installed at the factory. The result is a constant, pervasive gas smell when you're standing anywhere in the car's vicinity. But it also means the car can hold 67 gallons of fuel – or, put another way, over 400 pounds of gasoline. Hence the active suspension.
"pervasive gas smell when you're standing anywhere in the car's vicinity"
probably a leaking unit
"pervasive gas smell when you're standing anywhere in the car's vicinity"
probably a leaking unit
Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 196
Likes: 1
From: Los Angeles/Honolulu
Audi S4 (sold), E46 M3 (sold) 05 E55 silver/black(sold)
I love it. My personal best was in a Porsche 928S4, one co driver (female) and that car would go 400 miles on a tank. At fuel ups I left the engine running and I would drive two tanks to her one. Rolled out of Venice Beach,CA at 8pm on a Friday and into Bethesda, Maryland around noon Sunday. No tickets...and no proof except for fuel receipts. I would love to attempt the trip again at this guys level.
MBW Editor
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 177
Likes: 1
From: Southern California
Audi A4
Fascinating story. I said on the homepage post that this run should be adapted into a screenplay --> feature film.
Super Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 720
Likes: 0
From: North Carolina
2004 E55 AMG
Let's start with the fuel tanks. There are two of them, both 22 gallons – and that's in addition to the 23-gallon tank Mercedes installed at the factory. The result is a constant, pervasive gas smell when you're standing anywhere in the car's vicinity. But it also means the car can hold 67 gallons of fuel – or, put another way, over 400 pounds of gasoline. Hence the active suspension.
"pervasive gas smell when you're standing anywhere in the car's vicinity"
probably a leaking unit
"pervasive gas smell when you're standing anywhere in the car's vicinity"
probably a leaking unit
MBW Editor
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 177
Likes: 1
From: Southern California
Audi A4
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 488
Likes: 4
From: Seattle
1992 911 C4, 2008 P2 E63 AMG (gone but not forgotten), 2007 SL65 Renntech
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 2,159
Likes: 160
2006 E55
Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 196
Likes: 1
From: Los Angeles/Honolulu
Audi S4 (sold), E46 M3 (sold) 05 E55 silver/black(sold)
While, 100+ is easy jail time in many states, with the many precautions and counter measures this team had at their disposal, getting caught was very, very unlikely. I've done those speeds with less gear, just a CB radio and one radar detector.
As for getting caught at 120mph, I've been there too. On the 405 in California in a 92 500E, 7AM on a Sunday morning. The CHP officer who caught me was feeling very generous that morning and let me go with a 95mph ticket. I thought I was going to jail, even gave my ATM card to the passenger for bail out but I wasn't a dick and the officer chasing me for 8 miles actually said, "maybe I was catching you, maybe I wasn't. Thanks for pulling over".
All that time, I simply didn't see him so when I did glance up into the rear view mirror and saw him way, way, waaaay back there...I promptly pulled over, dropped all the windows, engine off, the works. The only ahole going that fast was me and it probably took him 30 seconds or so to pull up behind me.
Last edited by KMS11; Oct 31, 2013 at 03:31 PM. Reason: Added detail
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 724
Likes: 31
Car free at the moment
It's hard to believe such a feat is possible. Some quick math. He says it took 15 minutes to get out of Manhattan. If you assume it also took 15 minutes to get into LA, then he covered 2800 miles in, let's say, 27.5 hours. (Check the GPS photo - the moving time is 28:04, stopped time 46 minutes.) That is an average rolling pace on the highway (not city streets) of 102MPH. When you figure a fair bit of time stuck at 60-70MPH behind traffic, that means an equal amount of time at 130+ to achieve a 102 average. It's difficult to believe you can spend that much time at 130 given the reality of traffic and drivers in the USA.
The other thing that struck me from the article was the fuel economy. He said "high thirteens." Now I don't know about you, but my 55K car will barely touch 20MPG at a steady 70MPH. This car was obviously driven at WOT every time the road was clear ahead. A trip figure of 14MPG does not sound very realistic under those conditions.
Anyone ever taken an aggressive road trip and care to share your trip MPG?
From the trunk photo I notice the fillers for the aux tanks are underneath the parcel shelf. Doesn't look very easy to get a filler nozzle in there.
The other thing that struck me from the article was the fuel economy. He said "high thirteens." Now I don't know about you, but my 55K car will barely touch 20MPG at a steady 70MPH. This car was obviously driven at WOT every time the road was clear ahead. A trip figure of 14MPG does not sound very realistic under those conditions.
Anyone ever taken an aggressive road trip and care to share your trip MPG?
From the trunk photo I notice the fillers for the aux tanks are underneath the parcel shelf. Doesn't look very easy to get a filler nozzle in there.
Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 196
Likes: 1
From: Los Angeles/Honolulu
Audi S4 (sold), E46 M3 (sold) 05 E55 silver/black(sold)
I did the trip in an 88 928S4 (normally aspirated V8 320 or hp) which has a 22 gallon tank. Typically while cruising at 80-85mph the car will give me 18-20mpg range depending on terrain which was about 400 miles or so and fill ups taking in 21 gallons. I'd drive two tanks and my co driver one tank. I took the southern route out of CA and along the 40 then swung up through Tennessee to get into Bethesda Maryland. In those Tennessee mountains, between this downgrades and drafting many an 18 wheeler doing incredible speeds in the dead of night, I saw 450 on 21 or so gallons of fuel. My co driver was female and instructions for her was to keep it at 80mph and on my stints I was generally above 90mph with occasional prolonged bursts into triple digits. If memory serves I was seeing 350 miles or so on a tank. You can indeed hold high speeds for a long time on cross country trips. I did that run back in Dec of 2001.
