Some northeastern commuters can boast of traveling through three states each morning on the way to work; Audi was able to best them all by traveling through 14 countries in an unmodified Audi A6 2.0 TDI ultra diesel sedan without refueling, setting a Guinness World Record in the process.

This feat, which saw the diesel car cover 1,158.9 miles, required racing driver and TV presenter Rebecca Jackson and automotive journalist Andrew Frankel to travel almost non-stop for 28 hours. The duo departed the Netherlands and drove through Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia, ending in Hungary. The trip began on June 9 in Maastricht, Netherlands, and some 28 hours later the Audi entered Hungary, arriving just a little past noon on June 10.

How good was the sedan's fuel economy?

"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," Jon Zammett, Head of Audi UK Public Relations commented after the end of the run.

76 mpg U.K. works out to approximately 63 mpg U.S., which is still well north of the A6's combined rating of 55.8 mpg U.S.

Frankel and Jackson pose after the end of the trip. Audi

It wasn't all smooth sailing on the autoroutes: The team faced heavy traffic and a tunnel closure, which required a detour through the mountains, costing some fuel economy. Basic hypermiling tactics ruled the day.

"Despite sharing the driving, we were on the road almost continuously for 28 hours, focused on maintaining an average speed of around 50 mph," Frankel said after the trip. "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."

The A6 2.0 TDI is not available stateside even though Audi offers a handful of other diesel models in the States starting with the A3 2.0 TDI -- a bit of a drop in size. The latter returns 31 mpg city and 43 mpg highway, for a combined 36 mpg in what is a much lighter package, albeit with a smaller diesel tank.

Still, we wonder just how many small, northeastern states and Canadian provinces the A3 2.0 TDI can dip into on a single tank. That'll be an apt test for the car on this continent.

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