A Mercedes-Benz E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID began in Africa and travelled back to the UK without refuelling and with no stop offs.
A journalist named Andrew Frankel from Britain came up with the idea for the challenge and decided to start in Tangier in the north of Africa with the intention of finishing the journey at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The trip took 27 hours and he used a relief driver to assist and make it through without rest breaks.
They crossed three time zones, 2 continents and four countries and spanned 1,223 miles without once having to stop to refuel. The trip was not without obstacles and there were several points at which nature appeared to be conspiring against their fuel efficiency; they hit rush hour gridlocks, coped with changes in road gradients and battled the elements but still achieved the objective.
The car was a standard production model with only an 80 litre fuel tank. Although the design focus is very much on efficiency, the E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID can still boast some pretty impressive speed statistics. It has a top speed of 150mph and can accelerate from 0-60mph in 7.5 seconds. This is achieved with a combination of a 204 hp diesel engine and a 27 hp electric motor.
The E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID is available to buy as a saloon or an estate from £39,980.
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