Volkswagen’s frugal Lupo 3L TDI is on course to achieve a Guinness Round-Britain World Economy Record.
The car, crewed by a multi-national team, left Brighton on a demanding 3,500-mile clockwise journey around the UK coastline last Thursday (28 June) and is due to cross the finish line at the Sussex resort on Thursday (5 July).
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At today’s driver team change, at Elgin, Morayshire (Scotland), the Lupo’s average economy figure stood at 112.55mpg. The existing record for the most frugal circumnavigation of Britain by a standard production diesel-engined car stands at 103.01mpg.
Last night the car checked in at the most northerly point in mainland Britain, John O’Groat’s, and spent the early hours negotiating single-track roads and twisty highways down through Inverness to Elgin. It’s a condition of the challenge rules that the car must follow coastal roads at all times rather than take the most economical route.
By midday the car had refuelled at the Montrose Esso filling station in preparation for the final 1,000-mile leg of its journey.
Team leader Dr Shigeru Miyano continues to be pleased with progress:
‘Things are going very well. The Lupo is performing without problem and we continue to record good figures so I am very optimistic about the final result, although we have ahead of us some difficult driving around the south-east of England.’
Drivers taking part in the challenge come from around the globe, including Japan, Canada, New Zealand, Germany, France and Britain. One of the two women involved is Amanda McLaren, daughter of McLaren Grand Prix team founder Bruce McLaren.
Thursday’s finish-line photocall will take place close to Brighton’s Palace Pier at around midday.
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