German tuner AC Schnitzer has proven the potential of its LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) powered M3 Coupe by claiming the top speed record for a gas powered car at the legendary Nardo high speed track. The V10 powered coupe stormed its way to a top speed of 197.7mph (318.1km/h), as verified by independent testers Continental AG and AutoBild.

There are no production plans for the GP3.10 as it was only created to demonstrate the capabilities of AC's engineers. If you missed our previous story, the car is packing a 552hp (406kW) version of the M5/M6 V10 engine capable of running on either petrol or LPG. Performance is understandably brilliant, with 62mph (100km/h) passing in just 4.5 seconds and 124mph (200km/h) taking 13.9 seconds.

This isn't the first record AC Schnitzer has under its belt. Last year, it broke another world record in Nardo with the M6-based Tension, the fastest road-going BMW in the world. Its top speed was recorded at 206mph ( 331.5km/h).