A team from Auto Bild set a new record for navigating the Golden Quadrilateral highway network. Three teams of two journalists from the magazine drove a new, unmodified Skoda Laura 2.0 TDI PD L&K for over 5941km, non-stop. The drive was flagged off from Hotel Trident, Gurgaon at 0318hrs on the 6th of June. The car passed through Delhi, Agra, Allahabad, Varanasi, Kolkata, Bhubaneshwar, Vishakapatnam, Chennai, Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Jaipur before finishing in Gurgaon, again at the Trident Hotel.
The drive was certified by the FMSCI (Federation of Motorsports Clubs of India) and the partners participating in this journey were Shell (Oil & Lubricants), Map my India (Navigation) and Trident Hotels (Hospitality). The Shell Helix Ultra engine oil lived up to its reputation with the engine of the car started at the flag-off and switched-off only at the flag-in after 75 hours and 32 minutes, giving no problems throughout the trip.
The drive broke the existing national record of driving the Golden Quadrilateral set in a Toyota Corolla which stood at 87 hours and 50 minutes. Observers from FMSCI, the official motorsport body of India and affiliated to the FIA, were in the car at all times to monitor times, fuel and route. A high frequency GPS tracking system employed in the car that mapped the journey, while another touch screen based GPS navigation system ensured the drivers stayed on the correct route. The drive also set the record for the most fuel efficient drive around the Golden Quadrilateral consuming a total of 586.46 litres of fuel. This gave an average of 10.26kms per litre at an average speed of 78.65kms.
