Mazda3 Completes 15,000km Intercontinental Drive

The 2013 Mazda3 Hiroshima to Frankfurt Challenge Tour has come to an end with the convoy of All-New Mazda3s arriving at the Frankfurt Motor Show after an epic 15,000km of driving.

30 days of intensive driving saw the eight All-New Mazda3s leave Russia for the final leg of the tour and enter the former eastern bloc countries of Belarus and Poland, and then Germany.

Having endured gravel, dust and broken bitumen, hidden potholes, rocks the size of watermelons, driving rain, mountain ranges and contaminated petrol throughout Siberia, the convoy of Mazda3s enjoyed the high quality roads and excellent driving conditions of Eastern Europe.

The Mazda3’s high speed stability, maneuverability and the SKYACTIV-G 2.0-litre petrol engine were put to the test as they hit the no-speed limit autobahns of Germany.

Despite several flat tyres and other tests during the event, the new generation Mazda3 managed to overcome some of the world’s toughest driving conditions, arriving at the destination all in one piece.

Based on similar long distance expeditions staged by Mazda in 1977 and 1990, the 2013 Mazda3 Hiroshima to Frankfurt Challenger Tour was designed to test the All-New Mazda3’s reliability, durability and the SKYACTIV Technology.

Driven by rotating teams of media from all over the world including journalists from Top Gear Australia, the eight All-New Mazda3 hatchbacks were transported over the Sea of Japan from Hiroshima and arrived at Vladivostok in late-July.

Starting out from Russia’s Far-East on August 3, the convoy travelled 15,000 kilometres, crossed two continents, five countries, nine time zones and through over 30 cities including Moscow, Minsk, Warsaw and Berlin before arriving in Frankfurt.

Four of the eight All-New Mazda3s will feature at the Frankfurt Motor Show, one will star on the Mazda stand and three at an outdoor area of the exhibition grounds dedicated to the tour.

The Frankfurt Motor Show starts on 10 September and concludes on 22 September, 2013.