AC Schnitzer BMW breaks speed record

OK, so it might not be World's Fastest Car or even World's Fastest Coupe, but the AC Schnitzer Tension just accomplished something pretty remarkable. It sped its way around the Southern Italian top speed track known as Nardo at a breathtaking 331.78 km/h. That, my friends, makes it the fastest BMW on record. That's 206.158 mph, in case you, like most of us, can't do the conversion in your head. The test was run by Continental AG and AutoBild magazine.

A GPS system recorded the speeds on the 13 km oval, which along with Ehra-Lessien in Germany, is regularly used for high speed testing. The successful run at 200 mph makes the AC Schnitzer Tension the fastest BMW in the world, which is impressive, as it packs just over 400 horsepower and is fully street legal as well. As we told you back in September, the Tension sports many changes including a Schnitzer-specific motor. Powering this particular Tension was AC Schnitzer's 411 hp, 5.1-liter engine that they claim offers "a true alternative to the M5 or M6." We just saw one at the VIP Auto Fashion Show in L.A. and we liked it in silver and black much better than some of the other combos we've seen. Looks purposeful and wicked. Sounds mean, too.

[Source: World Car Fans]