The concept was simple. Drive a basic household hatch flat out, non-stop for 24 hours, set a hold of speed records as well as verify the durability, speed as well as economic climate of the car.
But the truth of the difficulty was far a lot more daunting than it seems – as we discovered out when we went behind the scenes as well as took part in Vauxhall’s attempt to accomplish 12 world as well as six national speed endurance records with a British-built Astra 2.0 CDTi.
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• special Competition: Win the record breaking Vauxhall Astra
As with any type of record attempt, staying with the guidelines is crucial. For cars, the complexities of the policies are mind-boggling. fail to remember the cheery adjudicators on traditional kids’ TV show record Breakers; if you want to insurance claim records in the automotive world, then you offer with the regulatory bodies controlling motorsport. On a worldwide scale, that indicates the Federation De L’Automobile (the FIA), as well as in the UK it’s the motor sports association (the MSA).
Their prime worry is ensuring the vehicles that set a production record are 100 per cent standard, without any sneaky modifications. as well as that’s why, a month before the record attempt, we were used gain access to to a locked building at Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port factory in Cheshire, together with MSA scrutineer Mike Harris. As the lights flicker on, the sight of six similar red 163bhp 2.0 CDTi SRi five-door Astras greets us. Mike describes that he’s enjoyed them being built, complying with them down the line for 19 hours apiece, before weighing as well as sealing them.
