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Audi A3 TDI to reach three continents in three days in new record attempt

 
1 1,495 views May 29, 2009

The car will need to cross 13 countries in just 72 hours to break the record

The car will need to cross 13 countries in just 72 hours to break the record

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Covering over 3,044 miles (4,900km) in three days, driving specialist Gerhard Plattner is gearing up for his next record-breaking attempt as the first driver to reach three continents in just three days. On June 8, Plattner and his co-pilot Franz Doppler will depart from Rabat, Morocco, in an Audi A3 1.9 TDI e with the goal of reaching the Asian side of Istanbul in Turkey no more than 72 hours later.

Gerhard Plattner has already circled the globe seven times in attempts to set new records. His latest route will present an enormous challenge to the team’s endurance, driving skill and physical fitness, as well as proving the reliability of the car itself.

The journey will kick off on June 8 from the royal mausoleum in Rabat, later crossing to Tarifa in Spain on a high-speed ferry. Plattner and Doppler will then drive along the Mediterranean coast of Spain, France and Italy. After crossing the Alps and a brief stop in Munich, Plattner will pilot the A3 through the Balkan States, arriving in Istanbul and crossing the Bosporus to reach the finish line in Asia on June 11, after no more than 72 hours of total driving time.

The Guinness Book of World Records has dubbed Gerhard Plattner “the most versatile driver in the world.” To date, the journalist from Tyrol has covered just under 4.3 million miles (7 million km) by car, setting numerous world records for speed, efficiency and endurance in the process. In 1991, Plattner completed the fastest round-the-world drive in an Audi S2, a record that still stands today.

For his latest attempt, Plattner has chosen an A3 1.9 TDI e diesel hatchback, which is rated at 105hp (77kW) and has an official fuel economy rating of 52mpg (4.5L/100km). For more information on the full 2009 A3 lineup, click here for our previous story.



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Comment (1)

  1. By  webcam Posted: 11/24/2009 3:00am PST

    The A3 is a nice car, the interior needs work (not attractive at all). I would not pay over $27k, the new Golf TDI is very attractive for the price and package.
     
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