Driver sets new record for fastest lap around Manhattan

UPDATE! When illicit speed racer Alex Roy circled the Island of Manhattan in 2001 he set the known record for fastest time at 27 minutes while reaching speeds of 144 mph over the 24.48 mile distance. For legal reasons, he never released the tape. A new driver's now done it in 26:03. Here's the video.

The video below purports to be from the Corporate Broadcasting Company, which is some sort of anonymous quasi-anarchist global collective dedicated to "IDEAS MEDIA PEOPLE."

Driver sets new record for fastest lap around Manhattan They open their attempt by paying homage to "the great Alex Roy" and his record-breaking Manhattan run, as well as his record-breaking Transcontinental Run. Also, symbolically, Claude Lelouch's C'etait un Rendezvous, which infamously recorded the director's illegal run through the streets of Paris one morning.

Though they've chosen to remain anonymous, they've shared numerous details about their journey. They can be seen driving a Saturn Sky convertible.

Driver sets new record for fastest lap around Manhattan The mysterious CBC videographers also explain the trip starts at the Staten Island Ferry Terminal at the tip of the island, up the FDR, across the GW Bridge Interchange and down the Henry Hudson to once again emerge on the other side of the Battery Park Tunnel.

Total time for the journey is an amazing 26:03 over 24.48 miles, which means an average of about 56 mph — impressive when you consider stops for lights — many, many lights.

We've asked Roy, as the expert on going fast on public streets, and now, seemingly, as the past record holder, to respond to this footage. He has not yet gotten back to us — but we'll likely hear from him shortly. (Hat tip to Edward!)

UPDATE: Since posting the video, we've now received the following manifestoish missive from the CBC:

How:
Three weeks were spent on surveillance and test runs. There were six attempts at breaking the record but each time, there was some sort of delay, whether it was construction or just too many cars on the road. Eventually we learned that Monday nights seemed to be the safest, as there were the least amount of cars on the road.

When:
A Monday night early in the summer of 2010.

Why:
There really wasn't any reason not to. We are smart, strategic, and responsible individuals who are entirely capable of doing something like this in as safe a manner as possible.

Driving Experience:
Driving is much more than a mode of transportation. It is an act that brings human and machine together. We'd like to include a quote from Will Wright, the creator of The Sims, during an interview about his participation in the US Express, "A lot of times we put this boundary around us - this is me, and these are my tools… but when you're driving, or racing especially, that boundary blurs and you become one. You start thinking of the car as your body".

Who:
We are the Corporate Broadcasting Corporation. Here is an excerpt from the "Manifesto Besto" that begins to summarize our philosophy.

"The races: black, white, Asian, Mermaid, and all the others are not the least bit important. The mindsets: the Republican Party, the Communist Party, the Fascist Party, the Lemon Party, none of these classifications are nearly as important as the one that covers us all. We are all human, each and every one of us. Unfortunately when we fall too deeply into one of the aforementioned categories we forget that we are only human, and our missions begin to become counterproductive, meaningless, and trivial –we lose sight of the bigger picture."

We do not yet wish to reveal any more but we would like to remind you all that you are all human, and you are all a part of the CBC.

UPDATE 2: We received the following statement from Alex Roy:

"Records were meant to be broken. Certain feats require something other than a brute force approach, which is what differentiates hooning from stunts. Passion is merely the beginning. Safety, planning and professionalism get you to the finish. FYI, I'll be staying off the FDR early weekday mornings!"

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