CHOOSING an Audi A6 TDI ultra as your company car now means you’ve picked a world record holder as one has just driven through 14 countries on a single tank of fuel.

Audi and the RAC have entered the Guinness Book of Record using an unmodified car which comfortably exceeded its official 67mpg-plus potential by averaging a remarkable 75.9mpg and completing a total of 1,158.9 miles without the need for a fuel-stop.

Motoring journalist Andrew Frankel and racing driver Rebecca Jackson drove the A6 TDI ultra almost non-stop for nearly 28 hours from the Netherlands to Hungary, passing through Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Austria, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia.

A delighted Jon Zammett, head of Audi UK public relations, said: “By covering so much of Europe on a single fill-up, we have proven that real-world economy of almost 76 mpg or more can be had from the latest engine technology. The Audi A6 TDI ultra has proven the range capability of one of the world’s most advanced executive cars.”

Both drivers faced numerous challenges in their 28-hour driving adventure including diversions for both heavy traffic due to an accident and a closed tunnel which led to an unplanned mountain detour.

Andrew Frankel, respected newspaper car reviewer, said: “I’m delighted to be part of the team that has set this record and would like to think it will stand for some time as we eeked out every last mile from the A6’s tank. From an endurance point of view the challenge actually proved to be far harder than both Rebecca and I imagined it would be.

“Despite sharing the driving we were on the road almost continuously for 28 hours, focussed on maintaining an average speed of around 50mph. 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. While it was normal driving in one sense, it was also a very different type of driving, but nevertheless demanding.”

Racing driver Rebecca Jackson added: “I feel Andrew and I have helped the RAC and Audi set a record to be proud of. I’m known for driving pretty fast but this challenge was naturally more about maintaining a constant, fuel-efficient speed and not being caught out by vehicles which would cause us to slow down and then accelerate to the optimum speed again. 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.”

This new world record also proves just how capable the A6 ultra is of covering huge distances closer to home: in the UK, the same car could drive the A3, A4, A5, A6, A7 and A8 arterial roads without a single fuel stop. If laid end-to-end, these key trunk roads, which sprawl southwards and westwards from the centre of London towards Southampton and Bristol, and radiate as far north as Glasgow, would stretch for 933 miles.