When Polish rally champion Miko Marczyk set out from Łódź in a stock Skoda Superb 2.0 TDI, his goal was simple: to prove that precision driving and smart engineering could outlast any fuel gauge. Three days and five countries later, he rolled back into Poland with a Guinness World Record in hand 2,831 kilometers (1,759 miles) covered on one tank of diesel.
The feat, officially confirmed by Guinness World Records. Averaging 2.61 liters per 100 kilometers (about 90 mpg), the rally star drove through Poland, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Belgium before looping home. Despite the minimal fuel usage, the average speed remained a highway-realistic 80 km/h ... hardly a crawl.
Marczyk piloted a completely standard fourth-generation Skoda Superb, equipped with a 2.0-liter 110 kW (148 hp) TDI engine, a 7-speed DSG gearbox, and front-wheel drive. The diesel tank held 66 liters, making the record even more astonishing. Minor tweaks, such as low rolling-resistance tires and slightly lowered suspension, optimized aerodynamics but didn’t alter the car’s showroom specification.
He planned every detail meticulously from route elevation to wind conditions. “It wasn’t about driving slow; it was about driving smart,” Marczyk said. “I anticipated traffic, coasted when possible, and used light throttle. With diesel, consistency is king.”
The record comes at a time when diesel’s days seem numbered in Europe, now accounting for just 8% of new car sales. Yet the Superb’s feat proves that internal combustion still has tricks left.
Marczyk isn’t done pushing limits, either. His next goal? 3,000 kilometers on one tank. With any luck, he might just make the humble Superb the unlikely poster child of endurance in the age of electrification.