Honda will put the real-world fuel economy of its 1.6 i-DTEC engine to test in an 8,500mile drive across all 24 EU countries, with the aim of setting a new Guinness World Record title for fuel efficiency. Two members of Honda’s European Research & Development (R&D) team will climb into a Honda Civic Tourer and set out a journey from Aalst, Belgium. Heading towards the Netherlands and Germany, their trip will see them navigate the Continent in a clockwise direction, with the aim of returning to their starting point some 25 days later after having covered a planned total of 8,459miles.
Under the rules of the Guinness World Record title attempt, the same two drivers must be in the car for every kilometre of the journey. Step forward Honda R&D colleagues of some 18 years, Fergal McGrath and Julian Warren, based at Honda’s European manufacturing facility in Swindon, UK. The pair volunteered to take up the challenge and will be charged with driving an average 370 miles, taking around 7.5 hours each day.
The official Guinness World Record title is ‘Lowest Fuel Consumption – all 24 contiguous EU countries’, measured in litres per 100km and miles per gallon calculated over the entire journey. If successful, the new record will apply to all cars, including hybrid and electric models. The record attempt requires the car to enter each of the 24 countries specified, collecting a range of evidence including a fuel/mileage logbook, GPS readings, video, photographs and independent witness signatures to prove that it has done so.
The car which attempts the record must be a standard model in every respect, with no modifications to give an advantage. The 24 countries which are covered in the route, in alphabetical order, are as follows: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.