[EwanToo]

I'm a Tesla fan, but in the middle of the article, it says:

"The two completed the cross-country drive in 50 hours and 16 minutes, setting a new electric Cannonball Run record."

That's not quite the same as the headline...

It looks like petrol cars have done it in under 27 hours

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2015/03/ny-la-26-hours-28-m...

[stefanfisk]

But the title clearly says EV Cannonball Run Record, how is that unclear?

[EwanToo]

Hmm, either the title changed after I started writing the comment, or more likely I totally missed EV from it!

Sorry if it's the latter..

[StavrosK]

Don't feel bad, I had to read it twice to spot the EV in the title.

[ep103]

For people who don't follow this, records for the cannonball run are usually always a few years old (people wait to announce hoping the statue of limitations expires, or at least makes it less likely). That said, its unlikely to change too much, most recent records were done in wildly expensive cars (retrofitted with additional gas tanks, radar, police scanners, etc), and usually include aerial support for the entire trip to scan for speedtraps and the like.

[maxxxxx]

In short, it's a bunch of reckless rich assholes who have no respect for other people on the road. Go on a proper racetrack and show what you can do there.

[lfowles]

A racetrack would be a completely different test of skill. From what I understand a cannonball run is largely planning and endurance.

Edit: Not to discount the idea that it is reckless to do it on public roads...

[maxxxxx]

The main skill of Cannonball is to be more reckless than others and see what you can get away with. I don't want to meet some sleep deprived and probably drugged up "racers" on the road. If they want endurance they can do a 24 hour race. If they want a difficult track they can go to the Nuerburgring in Germany and do the 24 our race there. Or just try it in the wet.

[dsfyu404ed]

No, the main skill is planning. Whether or not you're endangering other people it's hard to cover lots of miles quickly on roads with other people. Nobody who's serious about a good time is going to be on a crowded road. It's a waste of time.

You have to balance your route planning between weather, peak commuter hour, shortest route, fuel stops, speed traps, etc, across a few thousand miles and a few time zones.

The biggest risk to "others" is that when traveling much faster light traffic you have little margin for error if someone in that traffic does something dumb.

[mikestew]

No, the main skill is planning.

That's the main skill of the Iron Butt Rally (www.ironbutt.com), in which I have previously had a podium placing. Because of the structure of the rally (which is not how fast can you go from point-to-point), logistical considerations are your biggest enemy. Can I get from point A to point B, with optional out-of-the-way stops at points X, Y, and Z, and still get to B on time (with heavy penalties if you're late)? Get a ticket, and the organizers find out (and they will), you're out. The organizers try very hard to keep speed out of the rally. As they say, it's a rally and not a race.

But I'll tell you what, when it's just after sunrise in the Panhandle of Texas, there isn't a car on the road, and I need to be in L. A. in twelve hours, well, let's just say legality isn't at the top of my list. The harsh reality is that if time is a consideration at all, then pragmatism says that the faster you go, the more time you have to sleep, eat, or add Point W to your list of stops. That's largely why I quit participating in such events, because unless they want to do it timed rally style (IOW, you must be at fixed points neither early or late), all the platitudes in world aren't going to keep the speeds down.

[maxxxxx]

That's like saying robbing a bank requires planning and the only risk is that one of the bank employees does something "dumb". They are endangering people and if they want to show their manhood they can go to a race track and show what they can do there. That's where the big boys go. Doing Cannonball is a pseudo achievement.

[default-kramer]

> The biggest risk to "others" is that when traveling much faster light traffic you have little margin for error if someone in that traffic does something dumb.

The speed limit exists partially because "dumb things" are inevitable. A driver who ignores this inevitability is at least as guilty as the driver who did the "dumb thing."

[ep103]

Why doesn't the rest of humanity meet my expectations of what is acceptable?

[reaperducer]

It's not a real Cannonball Run unless you do it in a Trans Am with a tractor trailer full of Coors.

[ep103]

That would be the http://www.the2904.org : )

[onychomys]

That record of 26:28 was an April Fool's Day hoax by Alex Roy, intended to publish as silly of an article as possible with the intent of showing that automotive journalists don't fact check enough: http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2015/04/drove-2628-end-auto...

[Theodores]

There needs to be a real race where everyone sticks to the speed limits with penalty times applied for every second above the speed limit, with proper driver breaks and everything else truckers obey. Simple rule set. Of course journey times would be nearer 50 than 28 hours but there could be other prizes for fuel efficiency, luck at the lights and so on.

Also, there is the suitability of the car, I imagine a Tesla would be better than Rolls Royce luxury if you need to be in the thing for 50 hours.

Stock cars with speed limits may not sound like fun but it would be accessible. Maybe the 'golf ball run' where you have to take a set of golf clubs across the country to tee off into both oceans in record time could be the notional goal of such an event. It would also give an excuse for some faux golfing style in the fashion department.

Incidentally, in 1933 the petrol record was around today's EV time.

[masklinn]

> It looks like petrol cars have done it in under 27 hours

With pretty insane modding though. The previous record (in 28:50) was done by "just" adding fuel tanks in the trunk and laser jammers: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/31/us/new-york-los-angeles-ca...