While we do not condone speeding on public roads, we can’t help but be impressed and maybe just a little bit jealous of Chris Stowell’s recent adventure in a 2015 BMW 535d.
General consensus says a fast car is a must for the Cannonball, but Stowell picked a less-than-traditional steed. Despite coming from a line of Audi S6 models, Stowell was convinced to purchase a 2015 BMW 535d by a buddy with an E90-generation diesel 3 Series of his own. The car isn’t exactly stock, with a stage 2 tune removing most of its factory emissions controls. An ECU tune brought output to around 400 hp and 560 lb-ft of torque, allowing for great passing power on the highway. A series of aftermarket fuel cells were installed before settling on the final unit, which was outfitted with some tank foam to limit fuel sloshing. This cut a few gallons out of the tank, but left Stowell with around 40 gallons of total capacity. An Insta360 radar detector was the main piece of anti-cop hardware, but Stowell didn’t run the several units we’ve grown accustomed to seeing in these cars. He told R&T that he plans to continue driving this BMW, and didn’t want to tear up the interior for this challenge. His custom mounting for the unit drew inspiration from a different film-famous BMW.
“You know The Transporter with Jason Statham?” said Stowell. “I was pretty much going for that look and feel, if you think back to the first one when he actually had the 7 Series.”
Ever since the inaugural runs helmed by Brock Yates and Steve Smith in the early 1970s, the Cannonball Run has remained a canonical bit of automotive lore. The high-speed cross-country trips have become increasingly popular over the last decade or so, with the COVID pandemic returning some ludicrously fast sprints from New York to Los Angeles. And while those empty road records will be hard to beat, Chris Stowell of Las Vegas, Nevada, just broke every pre-pandemic record by himself. In a diesel-powered BMW no less.
Like many enthusiasts, Stowell’s interest in the Cannonball Run ramped up during the global pandemic. Stuck inside without much to do, Stowell began to follow the escapades of folks like Alex Roy, Ed Bolian, Arne Toman, and Doug Tabbutt. Following the latter pair’s record-setting run, that interest only grew. Stowell was no stranger to long-distance hauls himself, spending the pandemic commuting back and forth from Nevada to Tennessee to visit his now wife. Stowell has also made a habit of taking his kids for long treks across the American West, using the cover of night to get his kids from attraction to attraction. Stowell told Road & Track that his familiarity with a huge portion of the U.S. interstate system made the endeavor a bit easier to swallow.
A traffic-free L.A. allowed Stowell to reach the Portofino Inn in just 27 hours and 16 minutes. That time absolutely smashed the previous verified solo record of 27 hours 54 minutes set by Carl Dietz in a Cadillac ATS back in April 2020. Stowell also beats the pre-COVID overall record of 27 hours 25 minutes set by current record holders Toman, Tabbutt, and Chadwick. He managed to do this by averaging a speed of 105 mph, with a top speed of 151 mph. He also had the benefit of only needing to refuel every 800 miles or so, owing to averaging around 23 mpg during the attempt.
Read the full article on Road&Track here.
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