What would be the best Cannonball car? CL55 Update 

maybe a phaeton w12? i believe it has the same suspension and engine of the continental, it's much cheaper to buy and maintain, probably more reliable than the amg and looks like a slightly bigger jetta so it wont attract too much attention and it's also confortable :)

"Get the cops called on you just for existing" should be the subtitle of the Nissan 370z

Last time I was this early, the bid on the EVO was only at $17,500

When the title says anything about Cannonball, you know it's going to be great, since ed's telling the story

Easily the best car channel on RU-vid right now

Anytime Ed says that someone “was a shrewd negotiator” I prepare to laugh. Hard.

Ed and the VinWiki crew. Thank you for this channel. It is a bright spot in my day every time I see a new video. Ed is such a great story teller and the guests have such a wide variety of experiences and viewpoint. Best of luck to VinWiki!

Chevy SS everybody would say they saw a Malibu doing 140 and the police would never bother with it

you're my hero for doing this in a CL55, such an underappreciated car that I've been in love with since high school. Thanks for bring attention to this awesome vehicle!

I love all the stories through vinwiki, but does anyone else get just twice as excited for Ed Bolian!

A wise man told me..... 3 things in life are certain: 1) Death 2) Taxes 3) Your Mercedes Benz Air suspension will fail Cheers Ed

Keep the videos coming I stumbled across this channel about 3 weeks ago. I enjoy listening to all the stories at I commute to work and back (2 1/5 hrs round trip) . No need to watch just listening to them for safety reasons has definitely made my drive enjoyable. On the down side I have watched everyone of them and watch the newest one daily. Any suggestions on similar channels I’m a gear head who enjoys hearing Car stories as well as learning new things.

Being British I’m a bit worried worried about Jean-Claude Juncker coming out the brexit negotiations with Ed’s well “mrs May and mr Davis to say the least they were shrewd negotiators”

"Get the cops called on you for just existing" so true haha

Love these daily videos, I think something your viewers would really enjoy would be an occasional podcast that was streamed live or if you asked your viewers to post some questions and you could read through the comments and pick and choose some to talk about.

How does Ed have all these epic stories. This guy is living life to the fullest, keep it floored and sharing these stories!

Glad to see you have the AMG up and running for a decent price Ed!

Glad to see her back up and running!

I think the new M5 will be an epic Cannonball car, and BMW already showed us to refuel in motion on it.

My father has an 03 CL55, it makes me proud knowing Ed beat the cannonball record in one and it's a testament to how great high powered cruisers they are!

VW Phaeton. They are made for high speed cruising, comfortable and they don't stand out.

I used to have an ‘08 SRT Charger. Never cannonballed but frequently had to drive 180 miles to Miami for business. Good speed, not great fuel economy, but in a boring color a lot of people get out of the way thinking you might be an unmarked police car. Always thought it would make a good cannonball car, room for 3 plus heat, big enough trunk for fuel cells, fairly anonymous, and the average driver will just think maybe you’re a cop and get out of the way/not call 911.

I would think the Chevy SS from 2017 would make a cannonball car; 415 hp, big V8, relatively inexpensive maintenance (one would think), availability of parts, ability to haul people, and the sleeper looks

I love these videos. I get excited when it tells me there is a new one. Keep it up!!

I would choose a 4th generation Lexus LS. A very good choice imo.

A Volvo v60 polestar seems tempting. Not the fastest car out there with only a little over 350hp, it is spacious enough to hold multiple fuel cells, drivers and equipment comfortably. Plus with a electronically limited top speed of 155mph it should be able to keep up with most other cars.

The new Panamera wagon thing would be a good option. Their Chalk color is also ambiguous.

Ed, I finally got around to read your book a few days ago and I really enjoyed it. I'm glad you included the hardships you faced, and didn't make yourself look like you're living the perfect life.

For the cannonball i would go with a more sleeper car that makes the power and the space and just keeps a low profile. My choice would be the 2013-2014 Chevy SS a sedan sleeper that has that LS v8 power. With either a manual or automatic. Can fit 3 people comfortably and can take the load with some suspension work or get the 2015 with the magnetic ride. And since it looks like a chevy malibu at some angles when it gets called in or spotted they might mistake it for the soccer mom in the malibu next to you

How about a new E63S AMG wagon? Fast, stable, room for people and equipment. And nobody would believe a wagon was going that fast!

I really can't think of anything better than an AMG car. Except for maybe a Panamera or something

ABC is a well known issue with that car!!! The 5.4 Kompressor in 03 was the one in the E and CLs classes that really set the bar high. AMG, most performance for the buck. With the right tune, they are monstrous.

Volvo S80 V8 ... Yamaha NA engine... 300 hp Sleeeper.. Or maybe new S60,V60 polestar 500 hp. So cool cars that nobody expect..

I've been waiting a long time for a video, glad you did one.

I think a Silver W212 2013-15 Mercedes Benz E63 AMG would make the perfect car for a trip like this. It is inconspicuous enough for people offended by me speeding past them would think that I'm just an asshole business executive running late for a meeting and not a 20 year old drag racing/street racing. Plus the car is fast enough to shame supercars and can seat 4 people comfortably. I think Ed has the right idea when it comes to using AMG Mercedes for a trip like this. You need something that is built to do high speeds for long times, and German cars are truly the best at doing just that.

i'd love to slide my '10 E63 amg across the country. Super comfortable, seating and trunk space for all, air suspension in the rear only, plenty of power with the 6.2 v8, DISTRONIC cruise control works up to 120mph+.. the list goes on

The CL55 was the ideal car for the run. Subtle, yet more stable at 150MPH than just about any car. The E55 AMG would be much easier to maintain since it doesn't have hydraulic suspension but the tradeoff is that it might be too small of a car for all of that equipment. They are more popular for drag racing because of their smaller size.

Hey Ed, I’m sure you’ve thought about it but I come from a background of off-road racing, where we do refueling while driving. Gravity fed fuel cells+a chase truck=moving refuel. Btw, a custom fabricated cell that would fit the exact dimensions of the trunk of your CL55 is totally doable, and affordable. I’m shit at math but I think that would equate to 92 gallons of gas, as the trunk of a CL55 is 12.3 cubic feet. Playing it safe, and utilizing say 11 of the cubic feet at your disposal, would still yield an impressive 82 gallons. Gravity feed THAT into your regular gas tank so as to not deal with new fuel pumps (totally easy to do, we gravity feed cells into stock tanks on trucks all the time) and you’re looking at potentially a no stop run. Couple that with some 2.5” fox/king/icon bump stops to help ease the weight burden on the rear axle (another help from my off-road background), and you’ve got your car. Remove the center console for extreme driver changes as well lol I’ve never done a cannonball run before but I’ve done the drive from central Texas to LA in 13 hours almost to the minute, in a modified C63 AMG. It’s 1240 miles, and I’ve always done it by myself. I LOVE long distance driving. I’m probably a special kind of breed though. I made that drive from Texas to California twice a week, for two years.

Volkswagen phaeton! Super roomy cabin, very unnoticeable, and a 6.0 liter W12 motor :)

2007 Mercedes E63 AMG. You can pick one up for about $10k and it’s plenty fast and comfortable.

How about a Rolls Royce Wraith? I feel like most middle Americans would have no idea what it was. You would also only be adding .00001% more weight to it.

my vote? an early 2000's Chevy Silverado, their were several factory performance "special editions" with a 6 L "LS" based engine and AWD, lots of aftermarket support for powertrain and suspension improvement. And in the midwest the're everywhere, I can see half the parking lot from where I'm sitting and I can see 6 (I can't see mine), because the're everywhere the're cheap (mine was $1500 with the power steering dead). there's a local guy with the 4.8 L version pushing 20 lbs of boost and no body mods, running 10 second 1/4 mile times at 130-ish MPH.

Dang I’m speed king opening this notification

I'd want to do it in a Commodore. (Or the Chevy SS in the states) lots of room, heaps of power, relatively subtle looks.

You don’t get it in the US but a new BMW M550d would be amazing. If you remove the electronic speed limiter I reckon it could hit 185-190 mph and being a diesel it has amazing range. It looks subtle enough not to attract too much attention yet aggressive enough to get Prius drivers out of the way. Big trunk to fit fuel cell(s), lots of luxury, comfort and safety stuff (useful for this kind of trip) plus it has 8 gears so you can chill at relatively low rpm even at properly high speeds. Diesel idea aside, basically any Audi RS, Mercedes-AMG or BMW M super saloon with the speed limiter removed is basically made to do this.

Anyone could make a pretty darn good argument for the c4 Corvette. They have been around long enough that they don't really attract much attention, they get good mileage, they are fast enough, they have good enough brakes, they handle well, if the alignment is correct, then they don't diminish driver confidence over say the 130 number, and they have very comfortable seats. Plus, there's a small cross sectional area in the front, pop up headlights cant be targeted by laser, 140 amp alternator will run an arc welder, and they are cheap. The only real problem is an additional fuel cell sits right behind the driver, and even though its amazingly easy to connect the transfer system to the primary tank (and run the transfer pump off the rear window defogger circuit) you might end up decapitated in the event of a hard front collision, so .... there's that.

as i saw canonball i just stopped doing my homework and started watching this

i cant believe this halfway though the vid i was going to comment about the vw then i see this!!! nice job!

I think a jeep grand Cherokee trackhawk would be a great cannonball car. 700+HP so speed is no issue, tons of room for fuel and it has air suspension in the rear, and it's very inconspicuous, to the untrained eye it's just another grand Cherokee. Main problem would be the huge vehicle is easy for laser and radar to pick up even with some jammers.

Took a roadtrip in a 2007 Mercedes S550, from Chicago to Albany, NY. Never got pulled over and it is to this date the most comfortable car I ever driven on a roadtrip.

What kinds of cars are typically used in cannonball because I would say a crown vic would be a decent candidate

ive been thinking about doing a run with my brother, not neccessarily to break the record (tho its nice if it happens) but just as a bucket list thing. The cars that keep on coming back to my mind are The Charger Hellcat, Grand Cherokee TrackHawk. They both have plenty of space for comfortable people, fuel cells and equipment. They are both subtle enough to not attract too much attention, the 8 speed transmission with the MDS means they get decent cruising MPG (relatively) and they have more than enough power..........maybe one day ill do it.....maybe one day you will see me here telling the story. maybe..

The next trip must be in a hire car - the fastest car in the world right? They will shit themselves when the see how many miles you do in just over 24 hours

55 AMG for sure. one of my all time favourites in that department is the E55 Kompressor model, delimited and plenty of space should get the trick done

Doug Demuro's AMG wagon!

This is so close to home, I get my car serviced at RBM north! Love this channel

How about a Audi A6 3.0 Tdi? Makes up to 330ps. Sits happily at 150mph with under 35mpg

My parents had a black 1996 Chevy Impala SS that I remember taking a road trip in from Detroit to Orlando. I was only 3 when we took the trip, so I don't remember much, but I was told that my dad sustained speeds of 90+ the whole trip. Allegedly we blew past a cop at 100 and my dad got off at the next exit, pulled into the nearest gas station, picked me up and ran into the bathroom. The cop pulled up, saw what my dad did, nodded, and left. I was used as a decoy to thwart a speeding ticket, didn't actually have to go to the bathroom. But a big, comfortable chassis and a small block chevy v8 sound like a recipe for Cannonball success. It is certainly dated and a newer Chevy SS, Pontiac G8, or as mentioned elsewhere the Caprice PPV would be the modern equivalent. I recall seeing Buick roadmaster wagons in pictures from the 2904 and feel like those are a great option. The wagon is certainly my choice to pull of the 2904. Potentially a hearse like Arne's would work well with the beefed up rear suspension, but I'm not sure if there is a second row of seats for a third crew member in a hearse. I daily drive a 2001 Chevy Suburban that has self leveling rear suspension. It certainly has a substantial rear suspension to handle extra fuel and it would have to be a LOT of extra fuel to cope with the poor mileage. I did a full tank at 80mph through Montana and got roughly 13 mpg on the standard 32 gallon tank. You would easily be able to put an 80 gallon fuel cell in that back, weighing in at around 500 pounds and you would get roughly 1000 miles out of it. A newer, plain white or black Tahoe with black steel rims would blend in nicely with any police department across the country and would get better mpg than an older truck like mine.

Surely a great car for this would be an Evo, AWD plenty of power and space inside for gear and auxiliary tanks.

2004-2006 Lexus ls430 has 300 hp gets decent gas mileage 16-28 depending on driving style, very dependable, comfortable for any size person, huge trunk space, and very low key

In my opinion an Audi A8 4.2 TDI (350-385 hp) or something like an A6 3.0 TDI (326hp), BMW M550d (F10 with 381 hp, G30 400 hp) would be the best choice. They all run easily over 155mph if vmax limit gets removed, are very inconspicuous, have enough space for litterly everything and have the a clearly better fuel consumption. But I don't know which of these are available in the US.

CTS-V. LS Engine reliability, magnetic suspension, 4 doors for easy exits, comfortable seats, under the radar. BMW 550i, Audi S6. Same reasons minus the bulletproof engine.

Alpina D3 Touring with extra fuelcells, but they don't sell that in US do they?

What makes this car the best for Cannonball is the boring silhouette that blends in with other cars and the sky blue color that blends in with the horizon. Some cars just look fast even when driving slowly. My old silver Lexus LS430 is pretty stealthy and resonably quick.

Every Ed story is a must watch

Ed, love your videos. Wanted to ask what you thought about an S550 Maybach or the S600 Maybach. Maybach for the extended wheelbase so more room and maybe even some more gas.

So I have thought about it for a while. I think the best cannonball vehicle would be a white truck and quad cab. Maybe an older Chevy vortec max or a Tacoma with the 3.4 v6. You can carry various fake contractor company magnetic ads to swap out on the doors. Blend in with the contractors on the road.

New vinwiki video awesome! It's a story from Ed... That makes it better... Also what about a rs4 for a cannonball run?

Q7 V12 TDI! Get one on EU plates and export it temporary to the US to do the run. It may feel like cheating.

My dad ownes a 2012 CLS350 CDi 4Matic and in my opinion it would be a solid choice for a Cannonball car. It gets absurd diesel mileage, when you set the cruise control to 120mph (on the autobahn) the consumption stays at aprox. 20mpg. That is on winter tires rated for 155mph. It also has a 20ish Gallon fuel tank and a large trunk for extra fuel cells. The other option would be a 2007/8 E420 CDi with air suspension and more power/torque than the CLS. It is roumored to hit 170mph when you get rid of the limiter. You could also chip it with two settings for economy and speed mode. I have been in one and the torque from low rpm upwards is just brutal. But the issue is that it was never brought into the US. Another joice: my best car bud owns is a 2001 E38 740D BMW. Its a rare car you can get for 10 grand in Germany. It also has a V8 twin turbo diesel. Really good for doing 50 to 100mph, give my Cayenne S a run for the money. The problem here is the 5speed gearbox... I could get you one ED to add to your collection of cars and improve the weardness level by 1000.

I believe a Saab 93 or 95 Aero Sedan or Wagon would be a great choice, they receive no attention and with the V6 you get close to 300HP and they have a huge trunk. They are quick, handle great at high speeds, and they are pretty inexpensive.

2003-20010 Audi A8 D3 with a 4.0TDI or 4.2TDI engine, super economical car and can easily keep up at a 130mph pace. Also has air suspension and a huge trunk to house the extra fuel tanks.

CTS V wagon

M550d with a tune. Not available in the states but it has 3 turbos and great MPG at high speed. The new one is 400+hp quad turbo and in a station wagon with 560+ ft lbs of torque on tap.

Audi RS6 Avant would go over pretty well probably.

I'd go with an A8 V8 tdi, seems to have enough power and good mpg.

A Pontiac Bonneville ssei. Gets alright gas milage, stock supercharged makes 240hp, not very standout ish, cheap (compared to a Mercedes) load leveling suspension, 18 gallon tank with large trunk, 5 seatbelts and all of them are under $10,000. Other cars in the body may work too, like a Deville or a park Avenue (much more sleeper).

Hi Ed, a few friends and I are planning a C2C run here in Australia- There has never been a documented attempt of it so any time we post will be a record. From the Westernmost point to the Easternmost point is around 3,100 miles (you're all welcome for the Imperial conversions) and we believe it can be done in a high-40 hour time frame. We also face some interesting challenges when it comes to vehicle selection- Anything European or upmarket will stand out doing speed runs across the Outback, and because of our country's interesting impound/crush laws we certainly don't want to spend a ton of money in case things go south. A domestic car like a Ford AU series Falcon or Fairlane (LWB version of the Falcon) with either a 4.0L six or the older Mustang 5.0 V8 would be very inconspicuous, will happily sit at 120+MPH (with any limiters removed) comfortably and would swallow up a couple of 25 gallon cells in the trunk. Hopefully one day I'll be sitting in the VINwiki chair telling you guys all about it!

Party bus packed with gas tanks = no stops 🤷‍♂️

Maybe a lightly modified focus st power won't be as great but the economy would most likely level it out

Would a 7 series work? Plenty of room not sure what year they got self leveling suspension on it.

Supercharged 3800 Buick Park Avenue Ultra. V6 economy, bulletproof drivetrain, capable of sustained high speeds (maybe add a water-to-oil oil cooler), roomy. And best of all, typical blue-hair, non-cop magnet.

a new 7 series diesel would probs be the best bet now good fuel consumption, big boot and can do 150+

Mercedes Benz R63 AMG. Perfectly capable of holding the speeds you need, enough space for three people and enough fuel cells to make it so you don't need to stop for gas. Also, it looks like a minivan. Doesn't get more "under the radar" than that.

I would love to see a new S65 coupe prepped in the same way. Any plans Ed?

For a modern day cannonball run I would heavily consider the Audi S/RS 7. Tons of space for fuel cells, luggage, and spotters in the rear, as well as plenty of power. It’s also still understated enough to fly relatively under the radar.

Chevy Caprice PPV!

2016 Audi S6, good amount of power, much more fuel efficient than these other cars, plenty of space... made for the Autobahn. Not too expensive to maintain.. sounds like a winner!

I know one that would be the worst Cannonball car. A Tesla.

My ideal cannonball vehicle would be something like my 99 suburban k1500. Bone stock it will set the cruis control at over 100 mph, anf gets almost 800 miles to a tank(about 42 gallons). There is plenty of room for people, and electronics. The suspension can take a load, and rides and handles good. And with the right choice in mods could probably reduce feul stops to either 1 or none.

C63 seems like a good choice

2009-2014 Cadillac CTS-V sedan, or better yet the wagon. Relatively cheap to buy and maintain (especially the latter, compared to AMGs), comfortable, quiet, understated, spacious, and fast as hell.

Chevy SS, Cadillac CTS-V, or Panamera.

After listening to alot of your stories I think it's kinda obvious" Cheapest Range Rover on the Internet" then lsx swap it, all the hp you'll ever need and good gas mileage. Great channel man.

Does Ed still hold the record? If not, who owns it now?

My dream car, the TVR Sagaris would be the perfect car for me personally. Matte grey with black wheels. I would probably get pulled over a LOT and if I crashed I’d die.

One day you'll be talking about 400 lbs of extra batteries

Vw Caddy.I know they aren't sold in America but it is essentially a Golf Van.Same engine and stuff. But gets good mpg's can make power,hold all your stuff as well as a couple fuel cells.

Audi C6 RS6 V10 Avant, more space for more fuel, go harder for longer

I love those things. My friend owns CL55 AMG too(its black tho) and it's one of the most comfortable cars I have ridden in. Also pushes 600hp to rear wheels