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At the end of this year Volkswagen Nutzfahrzeuge launched new ambitious promotion campaign: This time Volkswagen Caddy Maxi EcoFuel with natural gas engine set off in more than 40,000 km long transcontinental trip. Reiner Zietlow leads the marathon tour. He already earned a place in Guinness Record Book for around-the-world trip on gas-powered Caddy and altitude record on Volkswagen Touareg.

This marathon is divided into two parts. The first stage named EcoFuel – Eurasia crosses entire Eurasia and its main part, around 10,000 km stretches along Amur Transcontinental Road Moscow – Vladivostok.  The first stage started on October 5 in Lisbon and the tour is to reach its finish in Tokyo at the same time with release of this magazine.  The second part of the marathon named EcoFuel – TransAmerica will start on January 2, 2010 in Rio-Grande (Argentina) in the world’s most southern in natural gas filling station. It will traverse legendary Panamericana road which is the longest road in the world that stretches over 25,000 km across both Americas.  Zietlow plan to finish the tour on April 2, 2010 in Alaska at the world's most northern gas filling compressor station Barrow. In addition, the second part includes journeys in Brazil and the US eastern coast.

It needs to note that long-range Caddy Maxi EcoFuel unlike commercial models is fitted with gasoline tanks because it is impossible to cover entire route just using only natural gas due to lack of gas filling infrastructure in Siberia and Central America.

When the issue was prepared for publication we learned about another achievement of Volkswagen Caddy. Caddy Maxi 4Motion was included in Guinness record book before it appeared in the market. New Volkswagen commercial vehicle covered transeurasian route within 8 days 13 hours and 30 minutes.