HERNDON, Va. (July 2, 2013) — Volkswagen of America Inc. set a Guinness World Records achievement recently for the "lowest fuel consumption – 48 U.S. states for a non-hybrid car" at just under 78 mpg with a Passat TDI Clean Diesel on a set of Continental PureContact tires with EcoPlus technology.
Conti said the record betters the previous mark of 67.9 mpg and also beats the hybrid vehicle record of 64.5 mpg.
The Passat, driven by Wayne Gerdes, an automotive journalist, and Bob Winger, an electronics engineer, traveled 8,122 miles over two weeks, consuming 104.9 gallons of diesel fuel, an accomplishment that "demonstrates the benefits of EcoPlus Technology for the consumer," said Travis Roffler, director of marketing for Continental Tire the Americas L.L.C.
The duo departed from Volkswagen of America's headquarters in Herndon on June 7 and arrived back there June 24, visiting all 48 contiguous U.S. states along the way.
Mr. Gerdes is founder of cleanmpg.com—an "online community" devoted to vehicle mileage issues —while Mr. Winger has long been involved in energy and conservation projects, Conti said.
The PureContact with EcoPlus Technology tire is, according to Conti, a "skillful balance of luxury and all-season performance" designed for long wear, a comfortable ride and best-in-class wet braking, while improving fuel efficiency by reducing rolling resistance and providing an optimum balance of exceptional wet grip and extended tread life.
This is the second Guinness World Record Conti has snared this year. On May 11, Johan Schwartz shattered the Guinness World Record for longest sustained drift in a BMW M5 Sedan on ContiSportContact 5P's at the BMW Performance Center in Greenville, S.C.