At
a ceremony in London today, the
iconic smart fortwo cdi has been
awarded the “Overall Best MPG”
winner of the prestigious ALD
Automotive Shell FuelSave MPG
Marathon 2011. The smart
recorded a stunning 99.24mpg–
the most frugal result
ever-recorded in the 11-year
history of the competition.
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Eco driving champion Mick
Linford and co-driver Ella Flynn
judiciously steered the smart
through over 370.9 miles of
tough roads around Wiltshire,
Hampshire, Dorset and Somerset
over two days. The smart cdi
has won the MPG on all three
occasions it has been entered,
and always with “Eco Mick” at
the wheel. In this year’s test,
the smart cdi was 12.84mpg more
efficient than its nearest
rival.
Strong winds and inclement
weather made driving conditions
tough, as Mick explained: “I was
determined to break the magical
100mpg mark this year, but the
weather and one particularly
hilly section was against us.
To get so close is a
double-edged sword - but I’m
delighted that the smart
delivered these incredible
results despite the challenges!”
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With CO2 emissions
from only 86g/km, the frugal,
54bhp smart cdi proved to be the
ideal choice for the two-day
challenge that demonstrates how
careful eco-driving can increase
safety, dramatically reduce fuel
costs and lower CO2
emissions.
Gary Savage, Managing Director
Mercedes-Benz Cars said: “To
win this incredibly tough
challenge for three years on the
trot is an exceptional result,
more than 15 per cent better
than the official combined fuel
consumption figure of 85.6mpg.
My thanks to Mick and Ella for
delivering another victory.
“smart has been pushing the
boundaries of environmental
motoring for 13 years now, and
as well as being frugal, it’s
also fun to drive. Next year
the electric drive goes on sale,
which doesn’t emit any local
emissions at all.”
During the 2011 competition, the
smart’s on-board odometer
reading meant the average fuel
consumption for the recorded
distance travelled was showing
101.68 mpg – a little more
ambitious than the official
verdict, which was recalculated
due to a diversion en-route.
Gary Savage added: “The
organisers generously offered a
charity prize of £1000 to be
donated for the first
manufacturer to break into three
figures. If we split the
difference between our recording
and the official result, we’re
just over that magic marker.
“So to mark the smart cdi’s
hat-trick I’d like to match the
organisers’ gesture, and donate
£1000 to the charity of their
choice. We’ll even deliver the
cheque in the winning smart!
“And after three wins it’s the
perfect way for the smart cdi to
gracefully bow out of this
competition – next year we’ll
give someone else a chance to
win,” Gary concluded.
Mick Linford is used to winning
behind the wheel. Before
‘recycling’ his career as an eco
supremo he worked in motorsport
for over 20 years. He
concluded: “The will to win is
the same, whether we’re going
for the fastest time or the most
frugal result. I’ll be back
next year, driving something
else – and going for another
challenge!”
MPG Marathon organiser Ross
Durkin said: “Mick Linford’s
performance was up to his usual
incredibly high standard and we
were all holding our breath at
final refuelling, but the dial
clicked agonisingly past the
vital point. There were plenty
of other notable performances
with almost every team taking
part beating the manufacturer’s
published figures for their
vehicle – something that every
car driver should aim for.”
The smart cdi costs from £10,400
OTR.
News provided by
electric-smart-car.co.uk |
