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A Volkswagen Passat BlueMotion driven by a London Sunday Times journalist has set a Guinness world record for the distance travelled by a production car on a tank of fuel.
The car travelled the equivalent of 2500km without a refuel.
The Passat BlueMotion used for the record attempt was a standard production model with a 1.6-litre, common-rail, turbodiesel engine capable of about 75kW. In common with the Polo and Golf BlueMotion models, the Passat had aerodynamic modifications, a lowered ride height, stop/start technology, longer gearing and low rolling-resistance tyres.
The result was a vehicle completely conventional to drive, service and maintain yet among the most efficient vehicles on the road today.
The record-breaking run was monitored throughout by independent representatives on behalf of the Guinness World Records organisation. The amount of fuel used was accurately measured at 77.25 litres, resulting in an overall fuel consumption of 90 miles/gallon, substantially exceeding the claimed combined figure of 64.2.
That translates to 32km/litre or about 3.09 litres/100km.
However, it’s about as close to normal driving as the moon is to Earth. Seems it was all done on a track and VW gives no details of cruising speed, weather conditions or anything else. No traffic lights, road congestion, hills, passengers or luggage – so what, seriously, was the point?
They might as well have done the downhill from the Hex River Valley to Cape Town...
Anyway, we thought you’d like to know about it.
The car travelled the equivalent of 2500km without a refuel.
The Passat BlueMotion used for the record attempt was a standard production model with a 1.6-litre, common-rail, turbodiesel engine capable of about 75kW. In common with the Polo and Golf BlueMotion models, the Passat had aerodynamic modifications, a lowered ride height, stop/start technology, longer gearing and low rolling-resistance tyres.
The result was a vehicle completely conventional to drive, service and maintain yet among the most efficient vehicles on the road today.
The record-breaking run was monitored throughout by independent representatives on behalf of the Guinness World Records organisation. The amount of fuel used was accurately measured at 77.25 litres, resulting in an overall fuel consumption of 90 miles/gallon, substantially exceeding the claimed combined figure of 64.2.
That translates to 32km/litre or about 3.09 litres/100km.
However, it’s about as close to normal driving as the moon is to Earth. Seems it was all done on a track and VW gives no details of cruising speed, weather conditions or anything else. No traffic lights, road congestion, hills, passengers or luggage – so what, seriously, was the point?
They might as well have done the downhill from the Hex River Valley to Cape Town...
Anyway, we thought you’d like to know about it.
