The A6 was unmodified for the journey, exceeding its factory rated 4.2 L/100 km (67 mpg) with an impressive average of 3.7 L/100 km (75.9 mpg), seeing a total of 1865 km (1158.9 miles) before requiring a fill up. The car comes standard with low rolling resistance tires and a 73 liter (19.28-gallon) fuel tank.
At the helm was auto journalist Andrew Frankel and British racing driver Rebecca Jackson, who collaborated to set the new record in a 28-hour non-stop journey across Europe. The pair started in the Netherlands on June 9th at 9:48 AM (GMT) and ended in Hungary on June 10th at 12:44 PM (GMT), passing through Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Austria, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, and Serbia in the process. The route was planned by the RAC to avoid things like mountain gradients and congested urban areas.
However, the trip wasn’t without its challenges, with several unplanned detours required due to heavy traffic caused by an accident and a closed tunnel.
Frankel said he was delighted to be part of the effort, and that he hopes the new record will stand for some time to come. However, the challenge was much harder than he expected, requiring a constant attention to the car’s velocity, with max efficiency available at an average speed of 80 kmh (50 mph). “In order to do this you have to be fully aware of what’s going on around you and anticipate what could happen with the traffic ahead,” he said.
For Jackson, the stint was a diversion from her normal gig as a flat-out performance driver, but she thought it was nonetheless something that the RAC and Audi should be proud of. “This was an amazing event and a very different long-distance driving challenge to what I’m doing next year when I compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2016,” she said.
No comments:
Post a Comment