Someone has done the Cannonball in 27hrs 25mins

That's 2,825 miles at an average speed of 103mph. Record, smashed

The history behind the Cannonball is familiar to most of us; suffice it to say, the previous record of 28hrs and 50mins (or the one recognised by the fraternity, at any rate) had stood for six years. Now it has been broken again by three guys in a E63 AMG, who managed to average 103mph over the continent which divides New York and Los Angeles for a total time of just 27hrs and 25mins.

We won't steal the thunder of the lengthy video below or an in-depth feature on the subject by Road & Track, but - as ever with these things - it's the bank-heist levels of preparation which make the whole enterprise intriguing. For example, the E63 AMG chosen for the task was not only tuned to beyond 700hp and fitted with a bespoke fuel tank, the team also took the time to modify its appearance so that it would look, to quote R&T, 'like a mid-2000s Honda Accord from the rear'.

Then there's the level of applied tech. You expect things like dual radar detectors and laser jammers - but the car also had an aircraft collision avoidance system fitted in the hope that it might help them spot low-flying highway patrol planes. This being America, the team also had the obligatory police scanner, and you've got to love one guy's insistence on fitting a ('more or less worthless) CB radio.

The team also had the help of a network of spotters in and around major cities (nothing like the Mk1 eyeball) but they still had their inevitable brush with the unexpected. Don't expect too much action from the video itself - after all, driving very quickly on mostly straight, empty roads is not Ocean's 11 - but sight of the '193mph' top speed on the GPS suggests that there was no lack of gusto in the driver's seat. Brock Yates would be proud.